Doctor Who_ The Visitation - Eric Saward [38]
Cautiously, the Doctor and Mace moved a little further into the room. No sooner had they advanced than one of the Terileptils positioned behind the door seized the barrel of Mace's gun and the other grabbed the Doctor, causing him to drop the flaming taper, which ignited the dry reeds on the floor.
Instead of relinquishing his hold of the weapon, Mace stubbornly clung on as he was swung around. As the muzzle of the weapon came in line with the alien's middle, the actor squeezed the trigger and the reptile collapsed.
But Mace wasn't out of trouble yet. Such was the recoil from the gun, that it sent him spinning, Out of control across the room, and into the arms of the Leader. The force of impact caused Terileptil, actor, table and high-energy-beam weapon to go tumbling to the ground.
Meanwhile the Doctor continued to struggle with the second Terileptil, but was seriously outmatched in weight and size, and the Time Lord was soon in trouble. Using his last reserves of strength, the Doctor delivered a massive blow to his attacker's stomach, which sent the reptile staggering backwards.
Seeing her chance, Tegan rushed into the room, picked up the musket Mace had dropped and started to beat the winded Terileptil about the body.
The Doctor stood dazed in the middle of the room, feeling sick and dizzy, as Mace continued to struggle frantically, trying to free himself from the Leader's grip.
Suddenly the burning reeds flared up and ignited the store of logs. Adric and Nyssa snatched up sacks and attempted to stamp out the spreading blaze.
With the Doctor's attacker taken care of, Tegan turned her attention to helping Mace.
Savagely she struck out at the Leader and caught him a nasty blow on the head.
As the Leader let out a loud, shrill scream of pain, the room was filled with a second sound, which instantly brought the Doctor out of his daze.
'Out of here!' he shouted, seeing that the Leader's gun was now on fire.
'Quickly!'
'But the flames,' shouted Adric. 'We must try and put the fire out.'
'There isn't time,' bellowed the Doctor. 'The powerpack in that gun is about to explode.'
The Doctor and his companions fled from the room as flames began to embrace the Soliton machine. The Leader grunted loudly as they departed and began to regain consciousness. The other Terileptils were silent and still: one dead from Mace's musketball - the other stunned from Tegan's attack. As the Leader looked around the burning room, he was filled with despair. He had lost. And soon, he realised, he would be dead.
The fire spread even more quickly as the Soliton machine exploded, bringing down the bakery roof.
Out in the smoke-filled street, Nyssa shouted above the noise, 'Shouldn't we try and help the Terileptils?'
There was a secondary explosion.
'It's too late,' said the Doctor.
As he spoke, Mace began to lead the miller's horse away from the burning building.
'Wait!' shouted the Doctor as he tugged at the tarpaulin covering the back of the wagon, and revealed further ampoule boxes. 'Everything into the flames!' he said, as he snatched up several containers.
Quickly the others helped, throwing the boxes of ampoules deep into the flames. As they worked, a night watchman arrived.
'Fetch a squirter!' ordered Mace. 'Arouse the street.'
The confused man ran off to do as instructed.
With the ampoule boxes destroyed, Mace slapped the horse's rump and the animal trotted off to safety.
'We must go,' said the Doctor. 'Our presence here would raise too many awkward questions.' Mace nodded that he understood, as the Doctor's companions entered the TARDIS. 'Can I drop you anywhere?' the Doctor added. Mace looked at the burning building behind him and smiled. 'Your pace of life is a little too fast for me, sir,' he said. 'I shall stay and fight the fire.'
'Goodbye,' said the Doctor.
Both men shook hands, a little sad that their departure was so sudden and abrupt.
'Wait!' said the Doctor,