Moving over to a curtain hanging across a stone wall he removed two silver goblets and a jeweled knife from a safe set within the wall behind the curtain. He placed the items on the altar, which was covered in a black cloth upon which stood a large gold and jeweled cross. He suddenly became aware of someone behind him. Turning, he came face to face with a tall, blond haired woman, aged about twenty and dressed in blue jeans and a green loose top and boots covered in mud.
'Ah, Matrinni. How did it go?' he whispered.
Her blue eyes stared into his and her reply came with, 'I have them, I have the bones.' She handed him a small bundle wrapped in a simple plastic bag.
The Priest laughed to himself as he turned away. 'Matrinni, send for the other members of the coven.
Matrinni, without question, turned and left the chamber.
~~~
Aboard the TARDIS, Ace, the Doctor and Rattacomb were trying to find some comfort in relaxing in the Cloister Room. Rattacomb and Ace were sat on one of the stone seats while the Doctor paced up and down and circling them both, asking himself questions.
Rattacomb looked about him. 'What is this place, this thing we're in?'
Ace looked at him; a worried look clouded her face. 'It's hard to explain really, but you could do without wondering what this is all about,' she said indicating their surroundings. 'Just accept it for what it is.'
Rattacomb jumped up, anger now filled his voice. 'How can I accept this? This just isn't reality! I need to think...'
The Doctor stopped and looked at Rattacomb, he was worried. Ace moved over to him and they both looked at Rattacomb as he curled himself up into a ball against the wall of the TARDIS, crying.
'I think he needs to be in more familiar surroundings.'
'Trying to accept the TARDIS for what it is, is proving to be too much for him.' The Doctor flicked a few switched on the console.
'What now, Professor?'
'We'll take him back to where we found him. I think I'll try using a mind probe in order to find out exactly what's frightening him so much.'
~~~
In the chamber beneath St. Luke's, an eerie glow now filled the room. A ceremony was nearing its end. The Priest, now donned in robes was in the process of burning the bones Matrinni had stolen. The other members of the coven, six in all, knelt before him as the embers of the flames rose into the air casting eerie shadows upon the stone walls and the faces of the coven.
Matrinni stood to one side observing all that was going on. Superstition, she thought, nothing but old superstition. She wasn't frightened; thou the Priest's voice did however.
'Arise, Dark Lord! Give me my inheritance preserved over the centuries!'
A breeze suddenly filled the chamber and the candles and burning flames all went out.
Silence.
'Lights,' declared the Priest and seconds later the electrical lights within the chamber came on.
Matrinni's face was now a picture of curiosity. The Coven disassembled and the Priest approached her as he removed his cloak. She looked at him and laughed to herself. Tricks, she thought.
'Tricks are for children, Matrinni.' his eyes penetrated hers.
The smile left her face as she was suddenly overcome by the Priest's powerful stare, his eyes penetrated deeper and deeper into her mind. 'Matrinni, there is a man called Rattacomb. He has friends...they call themselves...' The Priest struggled a little as he continued to bury deep into her mind. '...the Doctor...and Ace...It has been revealed to me that they must...die...I will tell you how it must be done...'
Matrinni tried to resist. 'No, I won't kill...I cannot...'
The Priest put his hands around her neck and pressed firmly. 'You will do as I say...you have no choice...'
Matrinni stared to choke, her voice barely a whisper. 'I...will...obey...my...master...'
'The dark one has revealed to me their location. This is what you must do!' and with that he removed his hands and began to tell her all he knew and what must be done.
~~~
The TARDIS once again materialised on the corner of the street below the NATO building where Rattacomb worked.
Night was falling and having viewed the dimly lit street outside, the Doctor walked over to Ace and Rattacomb who had just entered the console room.
'We've arrived where we first met you, I hope you can make it back to your office alright.' He moved over to the console and upon closing the viewing screen opened the main doors.
'Are you sure you don't want us to come with you.’ asked Ace. 'At least we'll be of some company to you.'
The Doctor looked at Ace indicating that he's rather stay here and work on something a little more positive than look after some mere human, never mind what state the bloke was in.
'Look, how can you say that? Somehow you and this bloke had some sort of vision together, you both need to find out what brought that about in the first place.' Ace rounded on the Doctor.
'Yes, but in order to see exactly what is going on Rattacomb needs to rest. You said yourself that he needs familiar surroundings therefore he should be left on his own to recuperate. We'll wait until morning then I'll try using the mind probe--'
'Ace cut in, ‘Professor! He's gone!' and with that she ran out after him, the Doctor close behind.
They both emerged from the TARDIS just in time to see Rattacomb scurry across the road. Suddenly, car lights fell on him as he stepped out into the middle of the road. The Doctor shouted, 'Rattacomb! No! This is where I saw you...'
Ace grabbed hold of the Doctor preventing him from running out in front of another oncoming vehicle. 'Professor! No! It's too late!'
The Doctor's words died on his lips as he saw Rattacomb's body summersault into the air across the bonnet of the car and land face down on the other side of the street, '...die...I saw you die...'
'Professor, you couldn't have done anything. It was too late..'
They both move over towards Rattacomb's body. Ace looked up and down the street, caution engulfing them both. But their caution wasn't great enough nor was their speed t o realise that the car had quickly turned and re-emerged in order to take their lives also.
They both turned sharply. 'Doctor!' shouted Ace.
The Doctor grabbed hold of Ace's jacket and pushed her hard to the left and he himself jumped out of the way to the right, only to find the car heading straight for the TARDIS.
'Doctor! The TARDIS!'
Looking up from where he had fallen, the Doctor watched as the TARDIS was hit by the car head on. Ace ran over to his side to help him up and they looked on at the wreckage before them.
Moving over to the TARDIS, the Doctor surveyed the damage. 'Other than a few scratches, the TARDIS is fine. However, the driver wasn't so lucky.'
It was Matrinni.
The Doctor could just make out a whisper. 'Who are you?' he asked.
Matrinni spoke very softly, struggling against the pain. 'Kill...them...kill...Rattacomb...kill the Doctor...kill...' and with that there followed silence.
'Poor woman,' the Doctor said to himself, quite shocked at all that had gone around him these past few moments.
Ace, meanwhile had moved back over to Rattacomb's lifeless body. She lifted his head. He was still alive. She noticed two passers-by heading in their direction. She called to them, 'Hey, call for an ambulance, quickly!'
The young couple immediately turned in search of a telephone as Ace continued to nurse the unfortunate Rattacomb as best she could. He tried to speak to her, but the pain was unbearable. The Doctor approached them and knelt down beside them both.
'Rattacomb, help is on its way.'
'Doctor...go...co-ordinates 379132...time jump...only...' Rattacomb struggled, his breathing very short, 'Boudle! Look for Boudle...' Finally the pain was too much. The Doctor closed his eyes as Ace rested Rattacomb's head on the ground.
Ace stood upright and looked about her. 'Doctor, let's go. I can hear the ambulance coming.'
'Yes, yes, we'd better go. We don't want any awkward questions do we?'
'Not that you'd answer them anyway,' responded Ace.
The Doctor didn't answer her. Instead he picked himself up and made his way to the TARDIS. Ace followed behind. He turned sharply to face her and snapped, 'You know enough already,' and proceeded to enter through the TARDIS doors. Ace continued to follow.
If they had looked back they would have seen a strange reddish glow surrounding Rattacomb's body and slowly with it, the body vanished.
~~~
In the console room the Doctor busied himself setting the new co-ordinates given to him by Rattacomb. Other than the sound of the console humming and the operation of switches and dials by the Doctor, there was only silence.
'Where now, Professor?' Ace asked breaking the awkward silence.
He looked up from the console and smiled at her. 'Thirty years into the future, the year 2019.' He paused. 'I'm sorry, Ace.'
Ace looked at him, smiling in return. 'That's okay, I'm sorry too.'
'Good. We've arrived.'
'Where?'
'Let's take a look.' The Doctor was about to operate the viewing screen when Ace beat him to it, and as the screen slid open it revealed to them both a very familiar place.
'Why, that's Hyde Park, isn't it, Professor?'
'Yes, let's see who's waiting for us this time.'
'Are you expecting someone, Professor?'
'Well, not quite. Rattacomb asked me to seek out Boudle.'
'It'll be a long time to find someone. Especially as we don't know where this person lives.' Ace stopped to think for a moment. 'Of course, we could check the telephone directory.'
'A telephone directory?' queried the Doctor, 'Wont that take some doing? I take it you’ve seen the size of those things, not a very good read by any means. Anyway, this is the twenty-first century, you'd be lucky to find one.'
'Yes, but surely those co-ordinates that Rattacomb gave you would put us down as near as possible to Boudle?'
'Good thinking, Ace. All we've got to do is check the local area.'
Ace operated the door lever. 'Well, what are we waiting for? Come on!'
As they emerged from the TARDIS they were both unaware of a man approaching them. He had watched their arrival with interest. Ace was the first to notice him.
'Professor, look!' She couldn’t quite make out who it was due to the glare of the mid-day sun in her eyes. The Doctor struggled to see for himself as the figure got closer.
'Hello, Doctor.'
'He knows you,' said Ace with surprise in her voice.
'Hello,' replied the Doctor.
'I've been waiting for you...' replied the figure.
'Who...' began the Doctor.
'I'm Boudle.'
As the figure came into view and out of the glare of the sun Ace declared, ' Rattacomb! You're Rattacomb!'
END OF PART ONE
written by
COLIN JOHN
from an original idea by JAMES WATTS
copyright 2011
