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She lashed out with her foot and he fell forwards, giving her the leverage she needed to slam him to the ground. He was up again on the instant, punching her viciously in the face and torso. She reeled backwards, wheezing, and cracked him across the nose with her elbow. He cried out as blood spurted from the crushed bone but staggered on and fastened his big hands around the woman’s throat. She could see the muscles bulging under his skin‐tight bodysuit.

Unhesitatingly, the woman brought up her knee into his groin and pinioned his arms behind his back. Immediately he tried to pull her over his shoulders but she resisted. They tumbled towards the barrier, the painful light flooding their eyes.

The Chapterman punched again and again and the woman toppled to the floor. He smiled cruelly and walked towards her cowering form, fist clenched to deliver a killing blow to her throat.

But she was on her feet and kicked out, catching him under the chin, propelling him over the barrier into the nebulous ball of energy. He screamed shrilly and, with a flare of light, disappeared.

The woman sank down and turned away from the agonizing display. She coughed wretchedly, still no nearer to finding a way out.

* * *

The Doctor formed a fist and the propulsion unit in his pressure‐suit responded, sending him back towards the TARDIS.

There was much more to be discovered and he needed to analyze the bizarre readings the little white instrument had relayed to him. Something was very odd about those rings.

But for now, he needed to get back to the TARDIS. Time was running out for Betrushia and the sooner he solved the mystery, the sooner he could apply his powers to helping the doomed planet.

‘Ran,’ he whispered into his helmet, ‘I’m on my way back –’

‘Doctor!’ cut in Ran’s voice. ‘There’s something behind you. I can’t – Doctor!’

The Doctor managed to turn his head.

A vast black ship was ploughing through space towards him, its immense prow humming with a radiant red light.

As the Doctor watched, a column of searing flame blasted through a section of the rings, disintegrating thousands of rock fragments.

Ran’s hysterical voice blared in the Doctor’s ears: ‘The Keth! The Keth are come!’

The Doctor looked up, too late, as an asteroid fragment piled into his chest and he tumbled uncontrollably into the void.

* * *

12

Return of the Keth

Liso rammed down the brass levers before him and the copter dived headlong towards the jungle. Bernice wrapped the leather straps around her fists and closed her eyes, her stomach lurching sickeningly.

The morning air was thick and sticky, great clouds of steam rising from the wet jungle into the cloud‐heavy sky.

When the craft levelled out and they were hovering some thirty feet above the tree‐tops, Bernice glanced over her shoulder.

The vast black ship, ethereally beautiful in the hazy sunlight, seemed further away but was clearly advancing towards them. She tapped Liso on the shoulder.

‘I know, I know,’ he murmured evenly without looking back.

Bernice gripped the sides of the copter and peered down. The dense greenery now seemed reassuringly closer. A little further and she could have brushed her hands over the foliage. But what she was actually looking for seemed rather more elusive.

‘We’re almost there, I think,’ said Liso. ‘Can you see this box of yours?’

‘No. I’m sure it’s around here…’ She sat up quickly and pointed. ‘There! There! That’s the clearing I’m sure. I recognize the fallen trees.’

Liso inclined his head. ‘I’ll put us down.’

The copter swung round and began to circle as Liso craned his neck to see the clearing.

Bernice shot one last look at the distant black craft before her view was obscured by the enormous trees. The copter descended with extraordinary grace and landed with only a slight jolt in the clearing.

They sat in silence for a moment as the brass blades whirred gently to a stop. Liso tapped the fuel gauge and sighed.

‘Well, we did very well, considering.