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'Oh, Maria, really!' stormed Roley, almost shaking with excitement. "This isn't about reincarnation! Don't you see, woman? It's his subconscious speaking. This history - if it all checks out - could've been passed down genetically, encoded somehow in his mind!'

'Or maybe he was told it,' said Maria. That was more comforting. But she shook her head, clutched her arms together still harder. 'There's something wrong, Charles. This isn't like the old bat having a turn.'

***

The Doctor was still hunched over the dark lump in the dish, which glistened like wet flesh. 'A dormant rudimentary intelligence...' he whispered. 'I wonder if you're the reason Mr Austen was so concerned with

"alien filth"...'

A loud fizzing started up from the Doctor's test tube, and he spun round to examine it. The liquid was turning yellow as it bubbled around the little black deposit.

***

Watson was still muttering. 'My brother... Perfect twin he was, like looking in a mirror... Captain in the 13th Dragoons in the East Indies, he was...

Then I had a bad typhus fever in Bengal, I nearly -'Abruptly the voice changed, grew hoarse, the accent broader. 'Nearly died, I did, nearly died an' went to hell... But I got away an' I been burning ever since!'

***

'- been burning ever since!'

Sam felt her blood turn cold as Russell started laughing hysterically after the words had spilled from his lips. She got up and backed away to the door as the young man continued his babble. 'Was once looked after very nicely by Mr Cressy-Angel of Northampton...'

***

'.. .I'll I bit the bugger's head off and hid 'im in my death cave!' Lucy spat out the words, writhing in Watson's bed, arms flailing about pushing books off the dresser. 'So much gristle he was at the end...'

***

Sam charged upstairs. She knew Fitz's mum was up there and felt she should see if the old lady was all right.

She needn't have worried about finding the right room. It could only be Mrs Kreiner slumped in the corridor, a sheet twisted round her body, twitching and shaking in the midst of a fit.

'Devils... Clustering of devils there on the living, girl...' she whimpered. 'It's a death cave right enough, and there's room for us all.' Her voice became lower, louder, as she stared at Sam. 'Room for us all!'

Cynthia came out on to the landing and screamed as Mrs Kreiner sprang athletically to her feet and advanced towards Sam.

***

'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law!' thundered Watson, his face turning crimson. 'The whole of the law!'

'Make him stop!' yelled Bulwell.

***

The Doctor peered closely at the crystals forming in the churning solution. 'I wonder...'

Suddenly a heavy force smashed into the door. It came again, and the heavy wood began to splinter.

Instinctively the Doctor grabbed for the cyst to protect it - then screamed in agony. Like the leech it resembled, the fibrous growth was burrowing into his hand. His blood squirted over the table as he willed himself to stay calm and use the forceps to remove it.

He heard a voice outside. 'Do what thou wilt...'

Then the door was smashed in, sagging on its hinges. Through his pain, thrashing about on the floor trying to remove the leech from his palm, the Doctor saw Peter Taylor staring wildly about the room.

"The whole of the law!'Taylor bawled, pushing over a table full of equipment and lunging for the Doctor.

***

Sam stood, shaking, at the top of the stairs.'Don't do this,' she begged, shaking her head.

Mrs Kreiner stalked towards her, dribbling.

***

'I can't stand this,' said Maria, running from the room.

Roley barely noticed her go. 'Listen to me, William Watson, listen to me...'

'Ain't no William Watson here, chief.' Watson's eyes opened and focused on his own. 'Reckon you got old Nick coming.'

***

Taylor still sat, shaking and frothing at the mouth, when Maria burst in, looking for Sam.

Taylor turned to look at