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muttered Sir John.

Charles handed his sister a musket and quickly the family loaded their weapons. This was no sooner done than the door of the room was flung open. The trio cocked their muskets. Standing in the doorway was what appeared to be a man in a steel suit.

'This one's wearing armour.'

'Our shot stopped his comrade on the stairs, father. And armour at this range is useless.' Charles raised his musket. 'Come on,' he shouted.

Elizabeth and Sir John also levelled their weapons. The intruder remained impassive as three ear-splitting shots were fired at him. Then slowly the steel shape raised a finger in an accusatorial manner, and several bolts of light were hurled against the horrified trio.

A moment later, all that remained of the family were three charred, smoking bodies.

Chapter Two

Aboard the TARDIS, Nyssa watched as Tegan, the Doctor's air-hostess companion, packed her few belongings into a shoulder-bag. She was going home, back to her own time. At least, that's what the Doctor had promised.

Carefully Tegan brushed smooth the wrinkled cover of her bed.

'I won't be sleeping here again,' she said sadly, looking round the room she had shared with Nyssa for what seemed like an age. Its mixture of Art Deco and Victorian furnishings had never really pleased her, but now she was going she would quite miss it.

'I know I've made so much fuss about going home...' She was unable to finish the sentence. She swallowed hard and wiped away a tear. 'I'm being silly.'

'Of course you're not.' Nyssa picked up Tegan's uniform jacket and helped her put it on.

'You'll soon settle down.'

'I hope so. It's going to be pretty unbearable if I don't.' With her jacket fastened, Tegan fumbled with the catch on her bag, more for something to do with her hands than to check if it was secure.

'At least you won't have any awkward questions to answer about where you've been.'

'So the Doctor said.' Tegan picked up her bag and followed Nyssa out of the room. 'But I don't understand how.'

'Such is time travel. You'll arrive at the airport exactly on time for the flight you were supposed to catch. And as though nothing had happened.'

'Tell that to Aunt Vanessa,' Tegan muttered, remembering how her favourite relation had been murdered by the Master during that fateful journey to Heathrow.

'I'm sorry,' said Nyssa, 'I'd forgotten.'

Tegan smiled weakly. 'It's me who should apologise.' Tears welled up in her eyes again. 'I know I haven't been the best of companions, but I'm going to miss you . . . all of you.' The two women hugged each other.

'We'll miss you, too, Tegan.'

The Doctor stood before the console, the time rotor now stationary. 'Earth,' he said confidently. 'Heathrow 1981. Not one of the most stimulating places in the Universe.

But, nevertheless, where requested to be.' The Doctor pressed a button on the console, and the shield covering the scanner-screen rose. Adric, who had been busily working on some calculations, had not heard the Doctor's remark. It was the Time Lord's groan of despair that broke into his thought.

Adric looked up and then glanced across at the screen. Instead of Heathrow Airport there were trees - a whole forest full.

'I've done it again,' the Doctor moaned, and at that very moment Tegan entered the console room. Attempting to hide his blunder, the Doctor fumbled with the scanner-screen control, but he was too late.

'Is that supposed to be Heathrow?' she shouted, a rigid finger pointing at the screen.

'It is,' said Adric firmly.

'Wel , they've let the grass grow since I was last here.'

'Actually, they haven't built the airport yet,' Adric continued. 'We're about three hundred years early.'

'That's great! Perhaps I should slip outside and file a claim on the land. When they get around to inventing the aeroplane, I'll make a fortune!'

The Doctor tried to explain what had gone wrong with the TARDIS, but Tegan was too angry to listen. Instead she stormed over to the