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'I will.' Mace extended his hand and the Doctor shook it. 'Good luck, Doctor.'

The actor turned and set off across the lawn to the small gate set in the perimeter wall.

Nyssa and the Doctor watched him for a moment.

'Will he be all right?' said Nyssa.

The Doctor nodded. 'Of that I have no doubt.'

Mace opened the gate and disappeared.

'If the sonic booster is to work,' said Nyssa, 'we'll have to get very close to the android.'

But before the Doctor could answer, the well-modulated plummy voice of Richard Mace boomed out from behind the wall. 'Doctor!' The old manor house picked up the urgency in the call and intensified it with a magnificent echo. 'Doctor! Come quickly!'

Chapter Five

Tegan's eyelids fluttered as though she were dreaming. Then suddenly she opened them as a sense of contentment and well-being flowed through her body. Gradually her eyes focused. Whether it was seeing the android, or because he pressed the button on a console nearby, she didn't know, but her contentment was instantly replaced by a searing pain in the area of her chest, where the stun beam had hit her.

Tegan struggled to sit up, but found that her wrists and ankles were secured to the large couch on which she was lying. Next to her was Adric, pinioned in a similar fashion.

'Are you all right?' he whispered.

Tegan nodded. 'Where are we?'

'I don't know.'

Although it caused her neck and back to hurt, Tegan momentarily lifted her head, craning to see as much as she could. The glimpse she got suggested they were in a massive computer room. Along one wall was a bank of monitors, most of which displayed indecipherable alien script.

She lifted her head again and looked in another direction. This time she saw a massive console with a myriad of tiny lights winking and flashing.

Facing the console was a large, highback chair which completely hid its occupant. Next to the chair stood the android.

'Wel ?'

Tegan closed her eyes and concentrated on relaxing her neck muscles. 'We're not alone,' she said at last.

Adric struggled to look.

'Remain as you are,' a voice hissed.

'Who said that?' said Adric.

The voice didn't answer. Instead several strange beeping noises were heard and the purple light from the Vintaric crystals was lowered.

Tegan and Adric looked at each other in amazement as a hologram image formed in the air above their heads. As the picture settled, they could see it was the Doctor.

'Who is this man?' the voice hissed.

Adric told him.

'And where does this Doctor come from?' There was a pause. 'I know he is not of this planet,' the voice continued more forcefully.

'That's rubbish,' said Adric.

The voice hissed and wheezed as though already bored with asking questions.

'The Doctor has a sonic device that he used to dismantle the energy barrier. He also has an understanding of the gas known as Soliton.'

'We don't know anything about that,' said Adric.

'You are wearing synthetic garments manufactured by technology unknown on this planet.' The hiss was beginning to verge on a roar. 'I am asking you for the last time: where are you from! Answer or you die!' Such was the tone of voice, Adric and Tegan were left in no doubt that the speaker wasn't bluffing. 'Tell me about your mode of transport,' he roared. 'Tell me now!'

They did. The sibilant voice became much more friendly and Adric and Tegan realised they had said too much.

'Where is the TARDIS?' said their interrogator.

'I don't know,' said Tegan a little too quickly. 'It's in the woods. Only the Doctor knows exactly where.'

'You are crew members?'

'That's right. Vital members!'

The air-borne hologram of the Doctor dissolved into a moving image of him running with Nyssa towards the small gate in the perimeter wall.

'Are you sure?' the voice panted. 'Your companions seem to be abandoning you.' The image showed them passing through the perimeter gate. 'Perhaps you over-rate your