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'No you don't –' Self-defence triggered instinctively and Nina's hands came together and up and out, breaking the hold. Ruth uttered another cry and fell sideways, sprawling; on all fours Nina scrambled clear, tensing for the next attack as her adversary started to get up

Ruth didn't attack. Instead, half way to her feet she stopped in a cramped, crouching position. Her hands clenched and flexed and she seemed to have trouble breathing; through the mess of her hair she glared wildly at Nina and hissed, 'Go away! Get out!' She had started to shake violently, and a sharp scent came from her, like acetone but less pungent. Then suddenly she doubled over, clutching at her stomach. A rustling, clicking stream of sounds echoed through the cave as her careful English deserted her and she lapsed into incomprehensible babbling, and Nina realised that she was swearing with pain.

'What is it?' Panting, she took a step towards Ruth, but only one; this could be a trick. Ruth raised her head. The torch had rolled out of reach and was shining uselessly on a section of the cave wall, but enough light reflected from it for Nina to see her face clearly. She was shocked. Ruth's skin was grey, and her cheeks were blotched with silver-white patches that were beginning to flake, like fish scales. She was still struggling to breathe, and in alarm Nina recalled the Doctor's warning about the speed of her deterioration.

'You're ill!' She said it as though it were a challenge.

Ruth showed her teeth. 'No, I'm not! Go away!'

She made a sudden lunge, her hand slashing out a second time. Nina jumped back, and the lunge ended in a tottering stagger as Ruth's legs nearly gave under her. Again they faced each other, and Nina struggled to get herself under control.

'Look,' she said fiercely, 'I didn't come here to fight with you – but if you try to jump me again, then I don't care how sick you are, I'll knock you flat! Do you understand?'

Ruth's head jerked in a gesture that could have meant anything. She still glared, but she made no further move.

'Right,' Nina wiped strands of hair from her own mouth. 'That's better. Now, I want a straight answer to a straight question. Why have you been hiding from us?'

'I don't know what you mean.'

'Oh, I think you do. You've worked out that we know about you, and the Doctor said –'

'Doctor?' Ruth said sharply. Her eyes were suddenly furtive.

'Yeah, the Doctor. You know who I mean, and you've been trying to avoid him right from the start. Well, now I've found your hideaway, I'm going to fetch him – and there's nothing you can do to stop me!'

She moved forward, intending to skirt round Ruth and head for the tunnel. But Ruth wasn't quite as weak as she seemed; as Nina passed she made a stumbling rush at her, crying out inarticulately. They collided, clashed, struggled; then, though she didn't mean to do it, Nina's reflexes took over and she hit Ruth back-handed across the face. Ruth screamed, spun and collapsed to the floor, where she lay prone.

'Ruth?' Nina stared down at her in alarm. 'Ruth, I'm sorry! I was only trying to – Ruth, are you OK? Can you get up?'

Ruth tried to rise, but collapsed again. Her entire body was shuddering uncontrollably; she writhed, and made a stuttering moan of pain.

'Oh, God.' Anger vanished under a surge of guilt and Nina dropped to her knees beside the other girl. 'It's all right, I didn't mean to hurt you and I'm not going to do it again. Come on, let's see if we can get you upright.'

She was appalled by the fragility of Ruth's frame as she manoeuvred her into a semi-sitting position. Ruth didn't have the strength to protest, but as Nina tried to make her more comfortable she started to whisper again in her own strange tongue. Then the words – if they were words – changed to an awful, long-drawn sound, almost like a dog's howling, and Nina realised that this, for Ruth, was the equivalent of a human being sobbing her heart out. It struck a chord in Nina, unexpected and unlooked-for,