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By Root 770 0

space-time loop anomalies, self-regulating temporal inversions and the like could all produce an identifiable reaction in certain species. In people there was often a subliminal, almost subconscious, response depending on personality type. Once within a field behaviour could become unsettled and fearful, or obsessively focused on the mystical, the magical, the paranormal. There were a number of, largely untested, theories as to why this should be. His personal preference was for the idea that such fields partially suppressed the higher brain functions, directly inhibiting logic and rationality. Belief in ghosts and demonic possession, all sorts of mindless superstitions, could take hold in such circumstances. Sudden mood shifts were also a common feature, and at the extremes there was always the possibility of violence.

He stretched his legs a little.

Then again, of course, it might be the other way round: the research itself might be causing a weak field effect which could be feeding back on itself and intensifying to produce a multiverse overlap or a space-time loop anomaly or even a self-regulating temporal inversion The Doctor yawned again.

He envied Leela's capacity to sleep wherever she found herself. He had never had that knack

Doctor? Doctor?'

The voice was oddly familiar.

'Doctor!'

He came to and found Leela shaking his shoulder. 'What's wrong?' he asked, sitting up and adjusting his hat. 'Has something happened?'

'I could not sleep,' Leela said. 'I was thinking about the Tesh.' She wandered around the room, looking at the bland prints on the wall, picking up functional objects like coat hangers and the wastepaper bin and examining them half-heartedly.

Do you think about the Tesh often?' the Doctor asked. Or just when you can't sleep?'

Leela said, 'Do you remember the powers of the Tesh and how they used them against my tribe?'

'How could I forget?' The Doctor smiled, wanly. 'I was partly responsible.'

'You said the Tesh were originally the technicians on the spaceship, and we Sevateem were the survey team. We developed strength and courage, they developed mental powers - what you call psi powers or parapsychology.'

The Doctor nodded. 'Yes that's right. The Tesh did develop the sort of powers that our young hostess seems to be talking about.'

'They must have had some power to begin with,' Leela said. 'Nothing can come from nothing.'

The Doctor could still be surprised by Leela's quick intelligence. He was always slightly ashamed to need reminding that a lack of knowledge is not the same as stupidity. He nodded encouragingly. 'It's called a latent characteristic'

'Could the Tesh have come from this place?' Leela asked. 'Could they have come from this place originally?'

'It's very likely that you all came from here originally'

She was obviously pleased by the answer. I think one of them remained here,' she said triumphantly. 'I think there is a Tesh in this place.'

But the trouble with ignorance, the Doctor thought, is that it usually produces the same results as stupidity. No,' he said. 'I didn't mean you all set out from Earth. Although that is theoretically possible I suppose.

Improbable but not impossible. I meant this may well be your planet of origin. You're probably distantly descended from the people of Earth. You might meet your great-great-great-great- great' His voice tailed off as he ran out of fingers on his left hand.

But Leela was not really listening. 'A Tesh is here now. I feel it. There is a Tesh in this place you call the university'

And sometimes he thought, stupidity is so stupid that it's difficult to know how to counter it. Or even where to begin. He smiled and said with exaggerated patience, 'No you don't understand. The university hasn't been here nearly long enough for anything like that to be possible.'

Leela glared at him. 'I know that,' she said witheringly. 'But perhaps the Tesh has been. Perhaps it is as you said about meeting the man called Professor Parnaby. Perhaps it is his second visit and it is happening first.'