Doctor Who_ Enlightenment Part 11

Marriner turned to Tegan. Stiffly he put a hand out and raised her chin, so that he looked into her tear-stained face.

'I see... grief,' he said woodenly. 'What is grief?'

Tegan stared ahead, almost as frozen as the Eternals.

'Come, we must cross to Wrack's ship,' she heard Striker's dead voice saying.

'Why?' she sobbed. And she hardly heard the answer, as it died away on Striker's lips.

'Wrack has won. We must pay homage...'

She was barely conscious of boarding the launch, or of the crew milling about in confusion as they left. Jackson Collier all of them were like dream figures, and like dreams they suddenly seemed to vanish. As indeed they did, returned to their own times. The same thing happened aboard the Buccaneer Buccaneer, a mad flurry of activity as the crew lost their bearings, panicked, and then came to themselves, perhaps on a square-rigger afloat somewhere in the Caribbean.

Both ships were deserted, mere floating hulks, when the Enlighteners came aboard. In the centre of Wrack's empty stateroom, a figure slowly materialised, robed and cowled.

As it shimmered in the air, it seemed to be two figures identical. They separated, and one of them, with cupped hands, moved to the table. Something was placed there.

And when the hands were removed, a small gla.s.s dome remained on the wooden boards. It was filled with bright light so bright, indeed, that both figures were forced to shade their eyes. Then, slowly, the brilliance died.

'Let the victors receive their prize,' said the voice of the White Guardian. One of the Enlighteners pushed back his cowl, and then the other. The two Guardians stood there of Light and of Darkness.

'You will never destroy the light,' the White Guardian said calmly.

The Black Guardian smiled. 'Others shall do it for me.'

'Destroy the light and you destroy yourself,' the White Guardian went on, as though it was an age-old argument between them. 'Dark cannot exist without knowledge of light.'

'Nor light without dark,' the Black Guardian replied sardonically. And then, as the White Guardian seemed to glimmer slightly, he went on in a jeering voice, 'Your power is waning.'

'Others shall recharge it for me,' the White Guardian mimicked him.

The Black Guardian laughed. 'These creatures know neither good nor evil,' he said easily. 'Enlightenment will give them power. They will invade Time itself. Chaos will come again. The Universe will dissolve.' The prospect seemed to please him. And then he suddenly called out in a loud voice, 'Where is the Captain of this ship? Where is the Captain to receive the prize?'

The voice that answered made his reverberating tones seem rather overdramatic. It was normal and reasonable.

'I'm afraid the Captain can't be with us,' it said. And into the room walked the Doctor. 'She met with a rather unfortunate accident,' he said regretfully. 'She fell overboard. So did the First Mate. Thanks to the a.s.sistance of my friend here.' Turlough came to stand beside him.

'Although I wasn't sure for a minute which of us you were going to push,' he said softly to the boy. 'Neither was I' was the enigmatic reply. The Doctor looked again at the two Guardians. 'What I meant to say was with a.s.sistance from my friend here I brought the ship into harbour.'

'You lie!' The Black Guardian roared.

'Oh no!' The Doctor's voice was still gentle and reasonable. 'I leave lies and deception to you,' and he stared back at the menacing figure.

The White Guardian glowed slightly more brightly. 'It seems Enlightenment is yours, Doctor.'

The Time Lord gave him a searching look, then shook his head, almost sadly.

'I'm not ready for it,' came the modest reply. The White Guardian glowed more brightly still, and he looked triumphantly in the Black Guardian's direction. 'I don't think anyone is,' the Doctor went on, with regret.

'Especially Eternals.'

The stateroom doors were flung open almost before he had finished speaking, and Striker and Marriner stood there, a small figure between them. It darted forward, to throw its arms round the Doctor in a surprising hug.

'You're alive!' Tegan almost sobbed with delight. The Doctor appeared slightly embara.s.sed by this excess of emotion. 'Shouldn't I be?' he asked casually. But the White Guardian had raised his arms in a dismissing gesture. 'The Ephemeral crews have been returned to their own times.

Let the Eternals now return from whence they came.'

There was such power in the voice, that n.o.body demurred.

Except. for Marriner. He stepped forward with desperation in his eyes. 'No!' he said. 'I want to stay!'

'Back!' said the White Guardian. 'Back to your echoing s.p.a.ces, where your existence is endless and meaningless.

Back to the vastness of eternity.'

Marriner looked at Tegan with pleading in his eyes.

'Help me!' he begged.

Tegan was confused and terrified. She still did not quite understand what was happening. 'I can't,' she answered.

But Marriner did not give up easily. 'I need you I need you ' he called, stretching out his arms to her. 'I need you... need you...' the calls slowly died away into echoes as he and his Captain faded from view. The last glimmer of them was of Marriner's hand, stretched out towards her.

'There was nothing we could do,' the Doctor said quietly.

Then the White Guardian spoke. 'You were right, Doctor, in judging no one fit to claim all Enlightenment.'

His voice suddenly became much more businesslike, in fact he sounded rather like the Chairman of a large company. 'I can, however, allocate a share,' he said, and looked at Turlough. 'To you.' Turlough gaped. 'Me?' His voice was bewildered.

The White Guardian surveyed him, a.s.sessing him. 'You a.s.sisted in bringing the ship to harbour,' he announced, and he slowly raised the cover of the gla.s.s dome. The light that blazed out was positively blinding, and everyone involuntarily shaded their eyes. Then, slowly as the glare subsided, they could see what lay there! It was a huge diamond, every facet winking with rainbow colours.

Turlough stepped forward and looked at it covetously and there was wonder in his voice. 'That size! It'd buy a galaxy.' He shot the White Guardian a look of naked greed.

'You mean I can have that?' he asked.

'Yes,' was the solemn reply.

But just as he was reaching out a hand, the Black Guardian spoke. 'Although, I think I should point out, that in view of the agreement we have I could claim it.'

'This whole thing has become more like a boardroom meeting than ever,' Tegan thought hysterically. But the Black Guardian was going on. 'Unless, of course, you wish to surrender something else in its place.' He looked at the Doctor. So did Turlough. He still had not quite got the point, and the Doctor gave him no help, simply stared impa.s.sively ahead.

'The Doctor is in debt to you. For his life,' the Black Guardian continued suavely. And as though addressing a major shareholder, he leaned towards Turlough and said persuasively, 'Give me the Doctor, and you shall have the diamond. You may have the TARDIS as well anything you wish,' and he waved his hand in an all-encompa.s.sing gesture.

Turlough began to imagine what he would do with a gem that size. He could buy anything he wanted. People would listen to him. They would look at him admiringly.

They would crawl to him. n.o.body would ever bully him again; He would have power.

'Consider, Turlough,' the White Guardian's voice broke in on his thoughts. 'Which will you give up this diamond or the Doctor? The choice is yours.'

He moved the dome towards Turlough.

n.o.body would push him around. n.o.body would frighten him! He would show them! He was as good as any of them. Turlough had decided. He glanced at the Doctor to see how he was going to take it. The Doctor was simply looking gravely into the middle distance. With that infuriatingly kind expression. Turlough would have liked to kick it in. He hated the Doctor. And then an awful realisation struck him. He had had to hate the Doctor. He had to make himself. He had known that all along. Otherwise he would never be able to do it. And then what would happen to him! He must not weaken. He must think of himself look after himself n.o.body else would! This was his moment. And then he looked at the Doctor again, and the truth was unavoidable. He liked the Doctor. He admired him. And he would have died rather than go through with it. to hate the Doctor. He had to make himself. He had known that all along. Otherwise he would never be able to do it. And then what would happen to him! He must not weaken. He must think of himself look after himself n.o.body else would! This was his moment. And then he looked at the Doctor again, and the truth was unavoidable. He liked the Doctor. He admired him. And he would have died rather than go through with it.

'Here! Take it!' Turlough burst out. And he gave the dome and diamond a great shove across the table. The push was so violent, that it was toppling as it slid, and when it arrived at its destination it tipped over completely and crashed. The dome shattered and a blaze of light shone up into the Black Guardian's face.

For a horrible moment he writhed and twisted, then burst into flames. He seemed to contort and dissolve in the heat like a photographic negative. There was a stunned silence, and then the White Guardian got to his feet.

'Light destroys the dark,' he said, as though simply concluding a meeting. 'I think you'll find your contract terminated.'

Turlough did not know what he meant for a minute.

Then he pulled the Communication Cube from his pocket.

All that remained of it was a blackened, burnt-out sh.e.l.l. He hurled it into the blazing heap on the chair, and the Doctor and Tegan and he watched it, as the flames caught it and blazed up brighter for a moment, and then slowly sank.

Before long, all that was left on the chair was a heap of drifting ash.

'I never wanted to make the pact with him,' Turlough said quietly. The Doctor looked at him at last. 'I didn't think so,' he replied gently. Tegan could not stand it any longer. 'You're mad!' she burst out to the Doctor. 'You're not going to believe him? Just because he gave up his share of Enlightenment!'

'He didn't,' the Doctor replied, giving her a long look.

'You've missed the point, Tegan. Enlightenment wasn't the diamond! Simply a lump of carbon! Enlightenment was the choice.'

'Be vigilant!' came the White Guardian's voice, as he started to fade. 'The Black Guardian will try again '

'Hasn't he been destroyed?, Turlough asked, in a bewildered voice. He could not believe that any creature had survived that holocaust. But though the White Guardian's voice was fainter still, he heard the reply.

'While I exist, he exists. Until we are no longer needed.'

And then he was gone.

Tegan looked round the deserted wheel-house. Its outlines were blurring and becoming indistinct, as though the matter of which it was composed was becoming tenuous, was slowly starting to dissolve; as though soon the whole ship, like officers and crew, would disappear and only s.p.a.ce remain. 'Can't we get away from here?' she asked with a shudder.

'Anywhere in particular?' The Doctor was practical as always.

'My home planet.' There was a great longing in Turlough's voice, and the Doctor looked at him sympathetically. 'Why not? he said, with a smile. 'The TARDIS is waiting.'