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'To what purpose?' asked the Doctor. 'Sheer destruction?'

'Doctor,' said the Master somewhat hurt, 'have you ever known me to be vindictive?' He continued before the Doctor had time to answer. 'Naturally the weapon will never be used provided people obey my commands. But to achieve this end, I need your help. The weapon is complex, it needs intelligent minds to operate it. So think of it, Doctor - a half-share in the Universe.' He stepped back and again levelled his gun at the Doctor. 'What is your decision? - to accept my generous offer, or instant death?'

' There will be no decision. '

The voice came from the furnace. Both the Doctor and the Master whirled round to look as the hatch slowly opened. Floating up from the flames was the Guardian. It pointed a finger at the Master's gun and instantly he dropped the gun and grabbed at his burnt hand. The gun turned white with heat where it lay on the floor, then melted.

'There will be no decision,' the Guardian repeated, 'because now you most both account to me. Do not try to run away. For you, there is no escape.'

Caldwell shone a strong torch on to the face of rock at the end of the trail. 'They took you through this rock?'

'It opens somehow,' said Jo. 'But I don't know how.'

'Maybe we've found the wrong section of rock,' said Caldwell .

'No, it was definitely here. Anyway, look at all these footprints.' From the spill of light from Caldwell 's torch Jo could see many footprints all around them.

Caldwell shone the torch on to the ground, and scratched his chin. 'Yes, you're right. Some of them seem to lead straight into the rock. How about looking round for another entrance somewhere?'

Jo didn't like this idea because there was no certainty of ever finding another way into the Primitives' city. But she didn't want to disagree with Caldwell too much in case he decided to get back on to the buggy and return to the IMC ship. 'All right,' she said, 'so long as we find the Doctor.'

They got back onto the buggy. Caldwell was just about to start it when the rock began to open. Jo exclaimed, 'Look!' But Caldwell was already off the buggy and hurrying round to stand flat against the rock next to where it was opening. The rock door continued to open and a Primitive stepped out. Caldwell edged along the rock, then clenched his right fist, raised it, and brought it down like a hammer on the back of the Primitive's head. The Primitive fell forward, sprawling in the dust.

'Quick!' Caldwell grabbed the rock door to stop it from closing again. Jo leapt off the buggy and rushed into the entrance, followed by Caldwell . The rock door closed shut behind them. They looked down the long corridor cut through the rock.

'Where now?' said Caldwell .

'I don't know,' said Jo truthfully. 'This is where the search really begins.'

The Guardian addressed itself to the Doctor. 'Why have you returned?'

'I was brought here against my will,' said the Doctor.

The Master still couldn't believe his eyes. 'What is it?' he asked the Doctor quietly. 'How can it live in that heat?'

'I think it's the ultimate development of life on this planet,' the Doctor whispered.

'You,' said the Guardian, looking at the Master, 'what do you want here?'

The Master smiled. 'To restore this city and this planet to their former glory. You have here a wonderful invention. With it we can bring peace and order to every inhabited world in the Universe. Your planet will be the centre of a mighty empire, the greatest the cosmos has ever known.'

'This invention,' said the Guardian slowly, 'has destroyed us. Once the weapon had been built our race began to decay. The radiation from its power source poisoned the soil and even the upper atmosphere.'

'Exactly,' said the Doctor. 'The weapon has only brought death.' He pointed at the Master. 'This man wants to spread that death throughout the Universe. Only you can stop him. You must destroy the weapon.'

'I am the Guardian of the weapon, and its radiation gives me life.'

'Then I am afraid,' said the Doctor, 'you must