DOCTOR WHO AND THE FACE OF EVIL Page 3

'Hear how it squirms for release!' gloated Neeva. 'It cannot deceive us.'

  The Doctor sighed. 'No, I can see you're a figure of superior intellect. You're Neeva, I take it?' He looked up at the figure on the throne. 'Are you the leader of this Tribe—or is he?'

  Andor came down from his throne. 'Bring it closer,' he ordered. Guards thrust the Doctor forward, and Andor glared threateningly into his face. 'Speak, Evil One. Will you release our god Xoanon?'

  'Gladly, if I was holding him prisoner. But I'm not.' There was an angry muttering from the warriors.

  Andor's hand went to the knife in his belt. 'Then you must be destroyed, so that we may release him.' Knife in hand, he advanced upon the Doctor.

  4

  The Face on the Mountain

  Leela squeezed through the hole in the wall and moved over to the door of the Sanctum. She looked out into the Council hut—saw Andor advancing menacingly on the Doctor and drew her own knife. She was about to make a desperate attempt at rescue when she heard Neeva's voice. 'Wait, Andor. I will speak the Litany before the warriors. Then the Evil One shall be sacrificed before them, and they will know that victory will be ours.'

  'Very well.'

  Neeva turned away. 'I shall return to the Sanctum and prepare myself.'

  Andor turned to his chief guard. 'Give the signal to summon the rest of the Tribe, the rest of you, assemble them outside.' The guards hurried away.

  'Don't hurry on my account,' called the Doctor. No one took any notice.

  The chief guard made his way to the centre of the village where a huge metal panel hung suspended from a wooden frame. Picking up the metal rod which; hung nearby, the guard began beating on the panel, summoning the full Tribe to assemble before the Council hut. The gong was a sacred relic of the Old Time, and the faded lettering stamped along the bottom edge formed the words, 'Survey Team 6'. But no one in the Tribe of Sevateem could read.

  Only the Doctor, Andor and a solitary guard were left in the Council hut now. Neeva was at prayer in his Sanctum and the others had gone to assemble the people. The Doctor heard the murmur of a steadily growing crowd outside the hut. Clearly his execution was to be something of a public event. He used the brief respite to try to talk to the Chief. 'Andor, will you listen to me! I am not the Evil One. I'm a traveller, that's all. Your tribe has obviously been visited by travellers before.'

  Andor backed away, as if the Doctor's words were some terrible blasphemy. 'That's impossible.'

  'Space travellers, Andor, men from some other world. This place is littered with their equipment, the remains of their weapons and tools. Your legend of a captive god is obviously related to them in some way.'

  Andor turned to the warrior. 'Guard it well. Do not listen to its words, they are evil and will corrupt you.' He turned and strode away.

  'Andor, wait,' called the Doctor. 'Killing me isn't going to help you!' As the Chief hurried from the Council hut the Doctor added mournfully, 'And it's not going to do me much good either, is it?'

  The guard stared impassively at the Doctor, tightening his grip on his crossbow.

  Neeva knelt before the altar, chanting his prayers. 'And let the Tribe of Sevateem partake of your strength oh Xoanon, so that they may at last inherit thy kingdom. Hear thy servant Neeva, Shaman of the Sevateem. Hear me, Xoanon, hear my prayer!'

  Leela crouched low behind the altar. She had ducked behind it for cover when Neeva re-entered the Sanctum, and had been there ever since, motionless as a statue. Despite the ache in her muscles she dared not make the slightest movement.

  Neeva finished his prayers at last, made a final bow to the altar and left the Sanctum. Leela emerged from hiding and crept to the doorway. She saw the Doctor waiting alone before the empty throne, and heard Neeva's low-voiced conversation with the guard. 'When I reach the end of the Litany—bring it forth. You know what to do then?'

  The guard nodded, his eyes on the Doctor.

  Neeva went over to the entrance of the Council hut.

  Leela could see the Doctor's fingers hard at work on the thongs that bound his wrists behind his back. He didn't seem to be getting anywhere. The guard came forward suspiciously and the Doctor beamed innocently at him.

  The open space outside the Council hut was packed. Everyone in the Tribe was there, drawn by the astonishing rumour that the Evil One had been captured, and was to be sacrificed to ensure victory. Neeva raised his arms and the excited crowd became completely silent. He began to chant the Litany and the crowd made their familiar responses, quietly at first then with increasing fervour.

  'Our fathers of the Tribe of Sevateem were sent forth by our god to seek Paradise,' chanted Neeva.

  'And still we seek,' chanted the crowd.

  'They searched and found it not, but while they searched, the Tribe of Tesh who remained at the Place of Land betrayed our fathers.'

  'Death to the traitor Tesh.'

  Inside the hut the Doctor was listening intently to Neeva's words. Here in this strange, confused Litany was the history of his captors, changed and garbled over generation after generation.

  Neeva's voice came clearly from outside the hut. 'The Tesh made a pact with the Evil One and our god turned his face from us. The Evil One raised the Tower and defended it with the Black Wall, to aid the Tribe of Tesh.'

  The Doctor and the guard were both intent on the Litany, though for very different reasons. Neither noticed Leela's silent approach. Suddenly she sprang forward, and slapped the guard on the back of his neck with the palm of her hand.

  The guard stood quite still, staring ahead with bulging eyes, then pitched forward on to his face.

  The Doctor turned, saw the fallen body, and Leela's exultant grin. 'How did you do that?'

  Leela held out her hand, palm upwards. The point of a large thorn projected from between her fingers. 'Janis thorn. It paralyses instantly and death follows soon afterwards. There's no cure.'

  The Doctor glared at her and Leela realised with some surprise that he was angry about the death of the guard. 'It was necessary,' she explained. 'Come on.'

  The chanting of the crowd outside grew louder and fiercer. 'Cursed be the Tribe of Tesh. Cursed be the Tribe of Tesh.' Then Neeva's voice again. 'And the Tribe of Tesh stand between the Tribe of Sevateem and Xoanon, god of their fathers. We must kill the servants of the Evil One.'

  The voice of the crowd was a maddened roar. 'Kill the Tesh. Kill the Tesh. Kill the Tesh!'

  Leela tried to pull the Doctor away but he resisted. 'No, Leela I want to listen.'

  'We haven't time to listen. He's coming to the bit about destroying the Evil One. That's supposed to be you, remember?'

  'You know this Litany, Leela?'

  'Of course I do, we're taught it as children.'

  'Good,' said the Doctor briskly. 'Come on then, don't dawdle.'

  Leela led him into the Sanctum and across to the gap in the wall. From outside they could still hear Neeva's voice. 'Now is the time when the Sevateem shall rise in their wrath and kill the Evil One.'

  'Destroy it. Destroy it. Destroy it.'

  After this resounding climax there came a silence, caused, the Doctor guessed, by his failure to appear on cue and take the leading role. Leela was already through the gap, and the Doctor began struggling after her.

  A guard rushed into the Council hut, looked round and found it empty, except for the huddled body. 'It has escaped,' he bellowed. 'The Evil One has escaped! '

  The Doctor got stuck halfway and struggled desperately to enlarge the hole.

  Neeva ran into the Council hut, more guards be-hind him. 'Find it,' he screamed. 'Find it! Search everywhere! '

  The guards began running aimlessly about the hut, but one, brighter than the rest, headed for the doorway of the Sanctum. He pulled back the curtain and saw the Doctor struggling to get through the hole. 'It's here,' he yelled, and rushed forward, spear raised.

  With a final desperate heave the Doctor shot through the hole.

  The guard dived after him—an
d as his head and shoulders appeared, Leela slapped him on the neck with another Janis thorn. The guard stiffened and then slumped. Leela grabbed the body and heaved it forward, spreading the arms wide so it couldn't be pulled back. 'Just covering our retreat,' she explained.

  'That wasn't necessary, Leela,' said the Doctor angrily. 'Who gave you licence to slaughter? No more Janis thorns, you understand—ever.'

  Leela gave him a puzzled look, and they set off at a run. Since everyone in the village was milling about in front of the Council hut, they made their way through the empty village unobserved. Soon they were hurrying through the dark forest.

  Outside the Council hut, Andor had been told what had happened. 'It must be recaptured,' he ordered.

  It is imperative. Tomas, take four good men and search beyond the village.'

  Tomas said, 'Right, Andor,' and began selecting his men from the crowd.

  'Quickly, Tomas,' urged Calib. He himself went through the Council hut and into the Sanctum.

  Neeva looked up from his prayers before the altar. 'Well, Calib. Has it been re-captured?'

  'It got away.'

  'It must be captured and destroyed.'

  'Andor has sent Tomas with a search party. If they fail, he will send others.'

  'Too late,' said Neeva impatiently. 'Whatever happens, the attack on the Wall must not be delayed.'

  Leela moved swiftly through the forest, the Doctor close behind her. 'We've lost them,' gasped Leela. 'We'll come to the edge of the forest soon. We can rest there.'

  They moved on a little more slowly now, and soon the trees began to thin out. At last they came to the forest edge. It was nearly dawn and the Doctor saw they were on a kind of plateau, looking across a little valley. On the far side rose the towering shape of a mountain. The Doctor looked across at it, casually at first, then with increasing fascination. The mountain seemed to have a kind of shape to it... 'What is it, Leela?'

  'That's the Evil One.'

  As it grew lighter, the Doctor could see that a jutting spur of the mountain had been carved into an enormous face. It stared arrogantly across the valley at him. The Doctor shook his head in astonishment. 'It seems I have been here before. I must have made quite an impression.'

  The face carved into the mountain was his own.

  5

  Attack

  The Doctor stared across the valley. He had never been particularly modest, but there was something rather embarrassing at seeing one's own colossally magnified features carved onto a mountain. 'Who put it there?' he asked. 'How was it done?'

  Leela shrugged. 'The Tesh did it with their magic. They set the Face of Evil on the mountain to taunt us.'

  The Doctor nodded. Presumably the face had been carved out of the mountain with a laser-beam. Either that, or a few hundred years' work with hammer and chisels.

  Leela looked across at the mountain, then back at the Doctor. 'What happened when you were here before?' she asked. 'You must be able to remember!'

  'Of course I can,' said the Doctor defensively. He hesitated. 'Well, I'm trying to. One or two details are still eluding me. Perhaps I was on some other part of the planet.'

  'There is no other part. Only beyond the Wall.'

  'Beyond the Wall? I wonder...' The Doctor stood gazing across the valley, lost in thought.

  'Wonder what?'

  'Sssh! I'm wondering.' He came to a decision. 'Back to the village, I think. Maybe some of those "sacred relics" of Neeva's will jog my memory.'

  Leela was horrified. 'We can't go back, Doctor. We'll be torn to pieces.'

  'Only if they catch us,' said the Doctor cheerfully. 'Besides, they'll be too busy getting ready for their attack to bother with us.'

  'That's what you said last time—remember?'

  The Doctor chuckled. 'You mustn't expect perfection, Leela—even from me! '

  Andor glared angrily at his Witch Doctor. 'I tell you the men are afraid to attack while the Evil One is still out there.'

  Neeva looked up at the Chief, running a hand over his shaven head. 'I have been thinking,' he said cunningly. 'If we tell them it has been destroyed...'

  'No! I will not lie to my people.'

  'Soon the Wall will open,' insisted Neeva. 'We know that it stays open for a very short time. We dare not delay. Attack now, or we betray our god.'

  Andor tugged his beard. 'Has Xoanon commanded this?'

  'He has.' There was utter certainty in Neeva's voice.

  Andor called to the guard at the door of the Council hut. 'Guard. Sound the summons to attack.' As the guard ran out, Andor rose from his throne. 'You'd better be right, Neeva. Servant of Xoanon or not, if we fail—I'll kill you!'

  Neeva did not flinch. 'Xoanon has promised us victory.'

  'No,' said Andor heavily. 'He has promised you—and you have promised us. You will tell the warriors that it was captured and killed in the forest.'

  The clamour of the signal gong began resounding through the village.

  Arguing furiously, the Doctor and Leela crouched in the woods outside the village. Leela was trying to persuade the Doctor to abandon his plans. 'Returning to the village is dangerous enough. But the shrine of Xoanon...'

  'I must examine those relics. And listen, isn't that the signal gong?'

  Leela nodded reluctantly. 'They must be preparing to leave for the attack on the Wall. They will gather in the square before the Council hut.'

  'Now's our chance then. Come on.' The Doctor set off for the scattered huts at the back of the village.

  To Leela's surprise they actually managed to reach the rear wall of the Sanctum without being seen. The hole they'd escaped through had been hastily patched up and there was a large gap at the edge. Holding up his hand for silence, the Doctor listened at the gap, and Leela did the same. From the Sanctum came the low mumble of Neeva's voice. 'Oh great god Xoanon, speak that I may know thy will.'

  They peered through the hole. Neeva was still kneeling before the altar. 'Speak, Xoanon, speak!' Neeva paused, and seemed to be waiting expectantly.

  A guard appeared in the doorway. 'Shaman Neeva, it is time to leave.'

  'I am coming.'

  'Chief Andor asked that you do not delay.'

  'I said I'm coming!' The frightened guard fled. Neeva waited a moment longer, then got reluctantly to his feet. He took off his space-suit cloak and arranged it on a special stand. From another stand he took a different cloak, this one made from lengths of plastic tubing and strips of electric cable. He placed a glove-like hat on his head and left the Sanctum.

  The Doctor and Leela had watched all this through the gap. 'I like the hat,' whispered the Doctor. 'Very fetching.'

  'That is the Hand of Xoanon,' said Leela reprovingly.

  'That is an armoured space-glove, or what's left of one.' The Doctor started wrenching the repair-patch from the hole.

  Outside the Council hut, the warriors were gathering. Their mood was sullen and rebellious, and Andor and Neeva were doing their best to whip them into a state of enthusiasm. 'The attack must begin at once,' roared Andor.

  Neeva joined in. 'Soon the Wall will open. Xoanon has spoken. Now that the Evil One is dead, we cannot fail!' He began to chant the Litany. Reluctantly at first, then with increasing fervour, the warriors gave their responses. Soon the familiar ritual had them in its spell and their eyes blazed with anger as they shouted their hatred of the Tesh.

  The Doctor ripped aside the last of the matting and squeezed through the hole. Leela followed him. Once inside the Sanctum the Doctor headed straight for the altar. He began to examine the sacred relics of Xoanon, handling them with a familiarity which made Leela shudder.

  The Doctor looked up and said thoughtfully, 'You know, I had the distinct feeling that Neeva expected an answer to that prayer of his.'

  'Wouldn't be much point in praying if he didn't.'

  The Doctor smiled. 'I've met theologians who'd give you an argument on that. No, I mean he was listening.'

  The Doctor picked up a p
lastic tube packed with complex circuits and pressed a switch in its side. 'Hello, transgalactic operator, hello!' He listened for a moment then tossed the tube aside. 'Nothing. Dead as a Dalek.'

  Leela stared at him. 'Why did you speak to that tube?'

  'I thought I recognised it.' The Doctor was gazing abstractedly round the Sanctum and his eyes fell on the space-suit cloak on its stand. He crossed over to it and began fiddling with the controls set inside the helmet.

  A voice from inside the helmet said, 'Neeva! Neeva, is that you?'

  Leela was terrified. She dropped to her knees, making the sign of protection.

  The Doctor was almost equally surprised. Not just because of the voice—he'd been hoping for a reply from the transceiver inside the helmet. What astonished the Doctor was the fact that the voice he heard was his own!

  'A hot line to god,' he murmured. 'Lucky old Neeva.' He looked down at Leela. 'Don't be afraid, it's only a machine for sending voices over long distances. If that is Xoanon speaking, then he isn't a god. Gods don't need to use machines.'

  Still a little fearful, Leela straightened up. 'Are you certain?'

  'Of course I am. Aren't you?'

  'Yes,' said Leela hesitantly. 'Yes, I suppose so.' 'That's better.'

  The voice spoke again. 'Neeva! Neeva! '

  The Doctor said politely, 'I'm sorry, Neeva isn't here at the moment. Can I take a message?'

  There was a long silence. Then the voice chanted, 'At last we are here. At last. At last. Us! '

  'Us?'

  'You. Me. Us,' crooned the voice. 'At last I shall be free of us.'

  'Who are you?' demanded the Doctor.

  The voice was surprised. 'Don't I know?' The transceiver clicked off, and there was silence.

  Leela looked at the Doctor. He was standing like someone in a trance, staring wide-eyed into the distance. 'Leela, I'm beginning to get a very nasty idea...

  'What idea?'

  The Doctor seemed to be talking to himself. 'Something I did? It seems like it...'