Doctor Who_ The Adventures Of Henrietta Street Part 7

Though the 'official' ritualists of England may have frowned on all this, many factions of the Grand Lodge began to hold their own, somewhat more sombre, ape-hunts. On September 5, for example, both the Countess of Jersey and Lord _____ (a perpetual double-act since Cambridge) were to be found in London, their carriage circling the area of Charing Cross. If they were indeed hunting apes, either out of a sense of duty or out of upper-cla.s.s boredom, then they'd certainly picked the right area. And at least one of them would soon regret it.

Around ten o'clock the pair reached the region of Aldwych: walking distance from the Temple area. Unlike Anji, they failed to perceive any change in the environment around them, at least at first. But as they headed towards the Embankment, the Lord began to feel 'distressed' and insisted that they were being watched by 'a thousand and one eyes... it was the one, not the thousand, which alarmed him'. The Countess ordered the coachman to stop the vehicle, believing that the Lord was unwell.

It was then that the Countess noticed a subtle change in the surroundings outside their carriage. The coachman may have noticed it too, because he began swearing loudly, insisting that they should drive away. The Countess commanded him to stay where he was, but the man's protests only became more violent. Before he could whip the horse into action, however, something began to rock the coach.

The description, perhaps significantly, is similar to some accounts of the Gordon Riots. In 1780, Lords and Parliamentarians had been attacked in their coaches by the mob, the vehicles rocked and pushed, the occupants torn out of their seats and manhandled by the crowds. The same thing happened here, to the degree that the Countess believed some ambush had been laid by Irish radicals or violent Tory sympathisers. Her first clue that something was very, very wrong appears to have been the sound from outside. A grunting, scratching noise that was unquestionably animal in nature.

Prior to September 5 the apes had only been sighted individually, Juliette's dream diary notwithstanding. But now the stakes were being raised. Which brings up the question of what happened to Anji and Juliette that night, while the Countess and the Lord were themselves under attack.

The answer is... unclear. As neither Juliette nor Anji tended to leave behind first-hand accounts, the only stories are urban legends, and many of them have the smack of pure myth. After Anji turned the corner and found herself staring at the bleached, broken city of the apes, what all all the tales agree on is that the apes began to crawl out of the debris. They're described as creatures out of a cautionary tale, their eyes burning, their teeth hungry for the blood of those who knew too much. There's something decidedly creepy about the scene: ordinary Londoners going about their nightly business, completely oblivious to the presence of the snuffling, hungry beasts which ignore them completely and head directly for Anji. the tales agree on is that the apes began to crawl out of the debris. They're described as creatures out of a cautionary tale, their eyes burning, their teeth hungry for the blood of those who knew too much. There's something decidedly creepy about the scene: ordinary Londoners going about their nightly business, completely oblivious to the presence of the snuffling, hungry beasts which ignore them completely and head directly for Anji.

The last thing on which all stories agree is the fact that Anji turned, once more, to face Juliette; and that Juliette's face appeared quite calm, perhaps understanding that there was no point keeping secrets any longer. After that, everything is speculation.

This is the way Emily tells the story: ...but tho the elymental lady [Anji] was in peril it ment nothing to my friend [Juliette]. My friend stept foreward without any hesitation or fear, and she stood in front of the elymental so that she was between her person and the aipes. When they saw this the aipes hesitated. They were barborus animals but they could see my friend's resolve and that she would not run. Then my friend began the incantation incantation and advanced upon them, so as the elymental lady watched with surprise and amazement the aipes began to retreat [and] my frend did force them back into the night from where they had come... and advanced upon them, so as the elymental lady watched with surprise and amazement the aipes began to retreat [and] my frend did force them back into the night from where they had come...

This isn't what Scarlette records, and presumably Scarlette had heard the story from Anji herself: The Beast was everywhere, and Mistress Anji did what any one of us would do in such a circ.u.mstance. She turned on her heels and ran. She did not see J. run also, but the last she saw of J. was J. stepping towards the broken city. Anji also saw that though the good people of London had failed to notice anything amiss, there was one man who stood in the shelter of the cracked facades who watched Juliette with interest. Anji believed the man to have been on the watch for a woman of the streets, and to have taken an interest in J. without seeing the danger all around. Anji did not even think to warn the gentleman. She simply ran... was everywhere, and Mistress Anji did what any one of us would do in such a circ.u.mstance. She turned on her heels and ran. She did not see J. run also, but the last she saw of J. was J. stepping towards the broken city. Anji also saw that though the good people of London had failed to notice anything amiss, there was one man who stood in the shelter of the cracked facades who watched Juliette with interest. Anji believed the man to have been on the watch for a woman of the streets, and to have taken an interest in J. without seeing the danger all around. Anji did not even think to warn the gentleman. She simply ran...I do not believe from this that J. is dead. It does not necesarily follow.Notice that Scarlette speaks of the apes in the singular, as the Beast the Beast, as if they were a disease like 'the pox' or a complaint like 'the Prince'. Notice also that she now refers to Juliette as as if she's unwilling to acknowledge her former student's full name. The reasons for this will soon become clear.

Whichever version is closest to the mark, the outcome is certain. Over twenty-four hours later, Anji would return to the House, pale and retching, claiming that she'd spent some time 'lost' in a city which she seemed reluctant to describe as being either definitely London or definitely the other place other place (more on this unusual day-long excursion, and its consequences, later). Juliette didn't come back at all. (more on this unusual day-long excursion, and its consequences, later). Juliette didn't come back at all.

But by the time Anji reappeared, everything had already changed. Because September 6 was the night when the Doctor held his ceremony to recall the TARDIS.

The members of the House met at the docklands of the river Thames, just before midnight. There was a fog over the river that night, which is significant: before the great industrial age there were few great smogs in London, so it was almost as if the city were paying tribute to the machines of the future, TARDIS or Jonah Jonah, being honoured by this ceremony. There was the Doctor, as usual completely oblivious to the world around him, pacing the bank of the river and looking out across the water. There was Scarlette, in her robes of brilliant red, silent and impa.s.sive by his side. And there were the other three women, Lisa-Beth, Rebecca and Katya. They too were in red, wearing their 'bee' uniforms. Perhaps they felt that, as they were about to desert the House, they had a duty to wear Scarlette's colours one more time. Only Fitz was dressed in reasonably normal clothing, although with his lack of fashion sense even he must have looked suspicious.

On the stroke of midnight, the fog parted. Lisa-Beth describes the scene as if a warship-shaped hole simply appeared in the thick air. Moments later the Jonah Jonah was sighted, although whether it had appeared out of nowhere or simply drifted into view along the river is a matter of opinion. was sighted, although whether it had appeared out of nowhere or simply drifted into view along the river is a matter of opinion.

There was a figure standing on the deck of the ship, and according to Lisa-Beth there was a 'palpable tension' in Scarlette. But the Doctor had already a.s.sured her that Sabbath would stay out of the way for the occasion, though he admitted that he had no idea where Sabbath would actually be be. The man on the deck was Who, and he came attired in his best ornamental robes. Lisa-Beth reports being unimpressed by the old quack, saying that his appearance and his manner were both put on for show, but admitting that (as this was a ritual ritual event) the show may have been important. Who's robes were in shades of red and black, though those a.s.sembled suspected his clothing may have been hastily improvised from some form of dressing gown. event) the show may have been important. Who's robes were in shades of red and black, though those a.s.sembled suspected his clothing may have been hastily improvised from some form of dressing gown.

So it was that the people of the House boarded the Jonah Jonah for the first time, and to her credit Scarlette was the second to board the ship, after the Doctor himself. Who greeted each of the women in turn, kissing every female hand and issuing a stream of compliments in mumbled English. The women, used to this kind of play-acting, were graceful in return and failed to giggle. Somehow, surrounded by the fog as they boarded this grey steel monster, humour seemed out of place. Even Who's levity felt for the first time, and to her credit Scarlette was the second to board the ship, after the Doctor himself. Who greeted each of the women in turn, kissing every female hand and issuing a stream of compliments in mumbled English. The women, used to this kind of play-acting, were graceful in return and failed to giggle. Somehow, surrounded by the fog as they boarded this grey steel monster, humour seemed out of place. Even Who's levity felt wrong wrong here. here.

Scarlette remained at the Doctor's side as the party descended into the belly of the ship. Lisa-Beth notes that Scarlette seemed to take in every detail around her, but 'never made it plain that she was searching for the captain'. Even Rebecca was muted, although she had had seen the seen the Jonah Jonah before. Lisa-Beth doesn't record her own feelings, save that she was impressed despite herself on seeing Sabbath's map room, with its catalogue of icons. There was an animal-stench in the depths of the before. Lisa-Beth doesn't record her own feelings, save that she was impressed despite herself on seeing Sabbath's map room, with its catalogue of icons. There was an animal-stench in the depths of the Jonah Jonah, but at no point did any of the crew present themselves.

Only when the Doctor had a.s.sembled his party in the map room did he address everyone en ma.s.se, Who standing beside him and nodding in short bursts as the Doctor explained what was about to happen... and, perhaps more importantly, as he explained the true nature of the apes for the first time. Lisa-Beth was the most accomplished tantrist tantrist amongst them though not necessarily the most accomplished amongst them though not necessarily the most accomplished witch witch and she seems to have understood the Doctor's briefing better than the rest. and she seems to have understood the Doctor's briefing better than the rest.

Throughout what follows, it's important to remember that the Doctor perceived time as, at least in part, a psychological phenomenon. Time, in the Doctor's view, was inseparable from the observer's perception perception of time. In this he was far ahead of all eighteenth-century thinking, and very much in line with more modern speculative physics. The Doctor's explanation, as recorded by Lisa-Beth, was this. of time. In this he was far ahead of all eighteenth-century thinking, and very much in line with more modern speculative physics. The Doctor's explanation, as recorded by Lisa-Beth, was this.

The Doctor informed us that all time (and, so he claimed, all of s.p.a.ce) could be perceived as an aspect of human thought, although I could see this meant nothing to Katya and her kind. Yet the Doctor stated that human thought has limits. In his philosophy, the mind of man is not capable of understanding any mystery or solving any any puzzle. To him the mind of man is an animal thing, which I can well believe having seen so many men lose theirs over the thought of s.e.xual conquest. A man, or woman, can no more understand time as a whole than an ape can be taught the rules of chess. The Doctor maintained, and still maintains, that we are all of us animal in nature and are not the creatures of infinite comprehension which men like Newton would have had us believe... I do not know whether he applies this rule to elementals also. puzzle. To him the mind of man is an animal thing, which I can well believe having seen so many men lose theirs over the thought of s.e.xual conquest. A man, or woman, can no more understand time as a whole than an ape can be taught the rules of chess. The Doctor maintained, and still maintains, that we are all of us animal in nature and are not the creatures of infinite comprehension which men like Newton would have had us believe... I do not know whether he applies this rule to elementals also.He further speculated that there was a point of understanding no human mind could pa.s.s. At the limits of our consciousness, he informed us, there comes a point at which time time and and mind mind become indistinguishable. He implied an area of grey where it is no longer clear whether the events we might witness are made of flesh or simply aspects of our own thinking. This is the point which we call become indistinguishable. He implied an area of grey where it is no longer clear whether the events we might witness are made of flesh or simply aspects of our own thinking. This is the point which we call the horizon the horizon. Though as even Mother Dutt knew, no human being ever comes close to the horizon. No man or woman yet born has understanding to reach the point where understanding fails......but it is from the horizon that the apes come. They are, believes the Doctor, aspects of ourselves. They are our own ignorance given flesh, born of the place where thought and being are twined. Should we reach the horizon, we will find our own ignorance staring back at us in the shape of these b.l.o.o.d.y, murderous animals. If we search too deeply, we will find the beasts ready to tear us apart for our curiosity. With every new thought and discovery we move closer to that horizon of understanding, yet our comprehension is such that it is still a greater distance from us than we can imagine.

It must have taken some time to explain this complex notion to everyone a.s.sembled. But the story seems incomplete. If this were indeed the true nature of the apes, then why had they never been seen before the 1780s? And why had the Doctor, a self-proclaimed expert in matters of time, never encountered them before?

He had an explanation, of course.

No man or woman, he said, should ever have a chance of nearing the horizon or meeting the apes. The horizon should by all the laws of Nature be safe and stable, beyond the reach of us all, but he had through his studies with Sabbath become convinced that this was no longer the case.The Doctor was loath to speak of the past, but we understood from Mr. K.'s veiled and not so veiled comments that the world [i.e. universe] had undergone a degree of change. Once the Doctor's tribe of elementals had protected the element of time. It had been their place to maintain a certain aplomb aplomb [in this sense meaning 'stability' or 'balance] .Yet now they had gone, and in their absence there was great suffering to be had. So accustomed had the world [universe] become to the elementals' presence that when they were removed the world found itself to be weak, like a man who has been ill in bed for so long that he can no longer recall how to use his legs. It was to his shame, the Doctor perhaps believed, that the world had been left so dependent on elemental charms... [in this sense meaning 'stability' or 'balance] .Yet now they had gone, and in their absence there was great suffering to be had. So accustomed had the world [universe] become to the elementals' presence that when they were removed the world found itself to be weak, like a man who has been ill in bed for so long that he can no longer recall how to use his legs. It was to his shame, the Doctor perhaps believed, that the world had been left so dependent on elemental charms......his suggestion was that in these times, the element of time was no longer stable. It followed that its limitations were not stable either, and that the very absence of an elemental force in the world had altered the nature of the horizon. The horizon had moved, was still moving, the lines of time around it moving also so that soon no man or woman would be able to think an original thought without the apes tearing them to shreds. The apes were the guardians of that threshold, but never before had their realm been breached by mankind. Now it seems their realm is all around us.

A theory that certainly fits everything known about the apes. The apes which had attacked the Countess and the Lord, on the previous night, had brought back memories of the Gordon Rioters... almost as if the beasts had responded to the aristocrats' anxieties about the mob (the Gordon Riots had themselves been a kind of violent cautionary tale, at least for the English upper cla.s.ses).

Scarlette had two questions for the Doctor. First she asked why the apes should have appeared here in Europe and now in 1782, when there were so many other aeons to choose from. The Doctor responded by saying he felt it was something to do with the era's perceptions: humanity as a whole was now beginning to think of time in dimensional/scientific terms, and this 'ma.s.s understanding' was likely to have caused a great shift in the unstable horizon. He also felt it was significant that only a year earlier, Wessel had more or less invented the concept of time travel in Anno 7603 Anno 7603. This was typical witch-thinking on the Doctor's part. In witchcraft and in ritualism, words (in the form of incantations) are used to summon and bind the elemental forces, in order to change the human world. Similarly, the Doctor described Wessel's work as a kind of summoning, a collection of words which had inadvertently brought forth the apes and let them loose.

Scarlette's second question was harder for the Doctor to answer. She asked why these b.e.s.t.i.a.l guardians of the horizon should look like apes apes. Fair enough, they were symbols of man's ignorance the animal inside, dragging humanity back into savagery but why should they resemble apes? Why not dogs, or bears, or tigers, or rats, or any other species?

The Doctor attempted to gloss over this question. If he truly knew the answer, then it's not surprising he didn't reveal it. It would be over seventy years before Charles Darwin would release his theories about mankind's ancestry, seventy years before Scarlette's generation would appreciate the answer.

So that was the Doctor's explanation. Every human action, every human thought, every new experiment and theory now had an effect on the horizon and the world/universe it encircled. That was why the party had a.s.sembled here, on Sabbath's ship, to perform a procedure which the Doctor believed could recall his TARDIS without bringing the apes running.

But even so, the ceremony would have its side effects. Of course it would: the Doctor was bringing an object of power, a lodestone of the elementals, into an already unstable world. It would be on this very night that 'h.e.l.lgate' Barrymore would catch and butcher his prize grey ape. Rumour would have it that people living near the Strand would hear a monstrous screeching from behind their walls, as if ancient animals had been bricked up in the architecture. Sailors off the coast of Britain and mainland Europe would report a record number of sightings of the 'silver ship', as if this mysterious metal craft were attempting to be in several different places at once. Before the night was out, the Countess of Jersey still shaken after witnessing the horrifying, violent death of Lord _____ the previous evening, in an attack she herself barely survived would face the inner circle of the Service itself, and make a decision which would change the whole of western history.

And they would certainly feel it in America. The white oaks of Virginia would feel it in the earth, while their roots fed off the power of the b.l.o.o.d.y, buried things which had once ruled the American-Indians but which had now struck a deal with General Washington and his new order. It's easy to imagine Matthew Crane listening to what those trees told him, and then considering, not for the first time, the strange red envelope which had been brought to him from Europe.

By the time the dawn arrived, the Doctor would have his TARDIS back, Anji would have returned to Henrietta Street, and Scarlette's cabal would have discovered the shocking truth about the disappearance of Juliette. And through it all, what of Sabbath?

8.

The World and Other Places Dear John To Dr. Jack-of*the-Moon:I would ask you to forgive me the decision I have made but I know you would not wish me to become sentimental. I know also that whatever I can say it cannot change how you will feel though I hope you will understand my reasoning. I can only guess that you will feel disappointment and perhaps sorrow and for this at least I am sorry. I do not think you will wish to dwell on this and so I will not either.I hold you in the highest regard and with the greatest affection and though you may not wish to hear it I find myself sad at not being close to you. Yet perhaps I have not been close to you for some time.

In the eleventh century AD, Ha.s.san i Sabbah guru of the original a.s.sa.s.sin a.s.sa.s.sin movement, the death-cult which inspired the word ensured the loyalty of his followers by building an enormous garden of pleasure. When a new member was initiated into his cult, Ha.s.san would allow the man free reign within this paradise, first dosing the subject with large amounts of narcotics so that he'd believe himself to be literally in Heaven. In that garden the man would indulge in every imaginable human pleasure, experiencing in his blissed-out state all the delicacies and concoctions he could ever desire, while at the same time being attended by the movement, the death-cult which inspired the word ensured the loyalty of his followers by building an enormous garden of pleasure. When a new member was initiated into his cult, Ha.s.san would allow the man free reign within this paradise, first dosing the subject with large amounts of narcotics so that he'd believe himself to be literally in Heaven. In that garden the man would indulge in every imaginable human pleasure, experiencing in his blissed-out state all the delicacies and concoctions he could ever desire, while at the same time being attended by the houris houris or 'virgins of paradise'. At the end of this short stay in the garden, Ha.s.san would inform the initiate that he could have a or 'virgins of paradise'. At the end of this short stay in the garden, Ha.s.san would inform the initiate that he could have a permanent permanent place in this paradise, if he died for the a.s.sa.s.sin cause. Having had a taste of the afterlife, the subject would nearly always agree to Ha.s.san's request, to the point where members of the cult would willingly throw themselves from tall buildings just to prove their loyalty. place in this paradise, if he died for the a.s.sa.s.sin cause. Having had a taste of the afterlife, the subject would nearly always agree to Ha.s.san's request, to the point where members of the cult would willingly throw themselves from tall buildings just to prove their loyalty.

This is worth mentioning because it's hard not to think of Ha.s.san, when one reads the accounts of the Doctor and his TARDIS. Members of the House would rarely be admitted within the doors of this impossible haven, yet when they were they would always return with stories of magnificent, alien vistas; of hallways and caverns containing treasures beyond even the Arabian Nights Arabian Nights; of entire worlds trapped within the pa.s.sageways. The Jonah Jonah may have had its impressive map-room, but Scarlette held that the Doctor's transport could have contained maps drawn on a scale of one-to*one. The TARDIS was said to have everything from its own fast-flowing river (probably an exaggeration) to a cloistered complex not unlike a monastery in miniature. On one occasion Fitz even claimed it had its own opera house, although the Doctor quickly added that he'd only picked that up by accident, having intended to deliver it somewhere before forgetting all about it. may have had its impressive map-room, but Scarlette held that the Doctor's transport could have contained maps drawn on a scale of one-to*one. The TARDIS was said to have everything from its own fast-flowing river (probably an exaggeration) to a cloistered complex not unlike a monastery in miniature. On one occasion Fitz even claimed it had its own opera house, although the Doctor quickly added that he'd only picked that up by accident, having intended to deliver it somewhere before forgetting all about it.

(In terms of eighteenth-century occultism, these dialogues between the Doctor and Fitz are much like the performances of European charlatans such as Cagliostro. Cagliostro and his servant would frequently be overheard at society functions, fondly speaking of things that happened hundreds of years earlier in a well-rehea.r.s.ed 'double act' designed to make the listener believe that Cagliostro was an immortal being who'd been present at the crucifixion. Which isn't to say that the Doctor was a charlatan... but the similarities are remarkable.) By the middle of October the TARDIS was at Henrietta Street, though how it got there from the Jonah Jonah is unclear. Sabbath could hardly have helped: n.o.body in the House would have worked with him, not after what they'd recently discovered. Whatever the truth, by October 15 the device stood in the corner of the salon, a blue wooden box which promised the Earth and which the Doctor believed would restore him to health. is unclear. Sabbath could hardly have helped: n.o.body in the House would have worked with him, not after what they'd recently discovered. Whatever the truth, by October 15 the device stood in the corner of the salon, a blue wooden box which promised the Earth and which the Doctor believed would restore him to health.

In fact, it was just about the only furnishing left there. In Covent Garden, everybody knew that it was all over for Scarlette. Her women had left her. Lisa-Beth and Rebecca still lived at the House, for the time being, but n.o.body did business. Even Katya had vanished. When the afternoon sun shone through the salon windows, it would illuminate great empty s.p.a.ces, blank walls and floorboards stripped of their red-and*black decorations. The windows had no curtains, so curious men-about*town would stare in at the listless women inside with fish-eyed faces.

The Doctor would usually be inside his miraculous TARDIS, and in the void that remained Fitz and Anji would simply sit around the House, bored and restless. Rebecca would often be found sitting in the middle of the salon floor, laying out her cards in great spirals across the boards. She eventually spent several days working on a pattern of prophecy that n.o.body else understood, constantly changing the individual cards one by one and pushing the spectacles up the bridge of her nose at regular intervals, apparently trying to create a future she liked the look of. Her behaviour was becoming increasingly obsessive: guilt may have been a factor. Juliette's room had been emptied of all effects except for Anji's, and it was rumoured that Scarlette had burned all the girl's old things, but this is almost certainly untrue. Scarlette herself acted, typically, as if nothing were happening you don't become a successful procuress without learning to stash some some of the profits away but the money was running out and... of the profits away but the money was running out and...

...and, to be blunt, there was no end in sight. Everyone had expected that when the Doctor recovered his TARDIS, a great adventure would begin which might take their minds off their troubles. It hadn't. It had simply given the Doctor another place in which to withdraw. Lisa-Beth wrote that she believed the TARDIS hadn't helped to heal him at all. Even before the end of September, she'd reached the conclusion that he was sleeping sleeping inside that box of his, although she was rarely even allowed a glimpse inside. On one occasion she even said that she thought he'd begun talking to the portrait he'd painted of his imaginary grandfather. inside that box of his, although she was rarely even allowed a glimpse inside. On one occasion she even said that she thought he'd begun talking to the portrait he'd painted of his imaginary grandfather.

It's not fair to be hard on the Doctor. In the weeks before the arrival of the TARDIS he'd seemed tired, even desperate. He'd claimed that soon the apes would destroy all notion of human progress, yet nothing had been heard of them for a month and the Doctor had apparently done nothing to stop them. It seemed as though the people of the House were simply killing time, waiting for the wedding in December, a wedding which they now knew would almost certainly never happen.

n.o.body spoke of Juliette. Neither Scarlette nor Lisa-Beth make any mention of her after mid-September, or explain what happened to her. Because Anji had been quite correct: Juliette had been led astray astray, pushed in directions about which the Doctor knew nothing. But Anji had, wrongly, believed Scarlette to be the one responsible. In fact, Scarlette would have been horrified if she'd known. It may have taken the members of the House a while to unravel the facts, but surely the final d.a.m.ning evidence was one small detail in Anji's account of what had happened on 'the night of the apes'. When she'd run from the Temple region, there'd been a man watching from the shadows. Anji had a.s.sumed that he'd been a pa.s.ser-by, perhaps someone on the lookout for a woman of the streets, incapable of seeing the beasts around him. Yet in her journal, Scarlette records Anji's description of the man, although with the frostiness Scarlette usually applied when dealing with bad memories she doesn't record the obvious conclusion.

He was a man of some bulk and power, dressed in a coat much like those favoured by the Admirals of Europe. He had very little hair. The Doctor was quick to step in and remind us all that there are many fat and balding men in London.

Of course, Anji had never met Sabbath. At Brighton, the Doctor had been careful to keep her ash.o.r.e while Sabbath remained on the Jonah Jonah.

And then there was Emily. Accounts of Emily's life are manifold (most concentrating on her later, more famous, years), but all the official versions contain gaps, and most of the gaps can be filled by her a.s.sociation with Sabbath. A connection between the two is easy to find. Charles Greville, who kept Emily as his mistress from late 1781, enjoyed showing her off to his society contacts... and Sabbath could certainly have been amongst them. Greville regarded Emily as living vertu vertu, a piece of cla.s.sical art and beauty, and with her wild flair for romance Emily would have felt bored and listless shut up in her Oxford Street home for his convenience. It's easy to see how Sabbath would have recruited her to his cause, with his promises of adventure, of magic, of strange and exotic lands. She was intelligent, charming and (above all) attractive. She was, in short, exactly the kind of person Sabbath liked liked to use as an agent. He was ruthless when it came to exploiting the talents of his cat's paws. to use as an agent. He was ruthless when it came to exploiting the talents of his cat's paws.

But Emily was no witch and no warrior. Sabbath must have known that she could never be his 'right hand', as Tula Lui had been. Besides which, in early 1782 Tula Lui had been alive and Sabbath hadn't needed a replacement. All that had changed in July.

It's not clear when Sabbath turned his attention to Juliette. As far as Scarlette and Lisa-Beth were aware, the two never even met before Juliette's disappearance in September. Yet Sabbath knew everything that happened in the House, thanks to Emily. He must have considered, at length, the ritual wedding being planned by Scarlette's clique. He must have decided that such a thing was workable, but not within the purview of a 'failed elemental' like the Doctor. And most of all, he must have known that he needed a new right hand. It's tempting to think that he may even have been lonely after Tula Lui's death, but it doesn't pay to sentimentalise, especially not with Sabbath.

The modern reader can only imagine how the Doctor would have responded to the loss of Juliette. And, more importantly, how Scarlette would have felt. The only time Scarlette referred to it in her journals, shortly after the truth was uncovered, was in describing a conversation between herself and the Doctor. It took place one night in Scarlette's own room, as the two of them lay together on the bed fully clothed, Scarlette adds in the flickering light of the lamps. Despite the subject matter, Scarlette describes the scene as being quite gentle, full of regret rather than anger. (The text has been simplified here.) SCARLETTE: I did did try to tell you. try to tell you.DOCTOR: Yes. But I needed his help. We didn't have a choice. I I didn't have a choice. didn't have a choice.SCARLLETTE: I know. Whatever he touches, he burns. It's his nature. DOCTOR: Do you really believe that? [Scarlette takes this as concern for Juliette.]SCARLETTE: I know you worry. n.o.body could fault you for that. I think of what he must have done, to make her believe in him.DOCTOR: You're angry?SCARLETTE: Oh, G.o.d, yes.DOCTOR: Just because of Juliette?[Here, Scarlette notes: 'He knows me so well'.]SCARLETTE: No. I admit it, it's not Juliette. It's because of myself.

Whether this means that Scarlette blamed herself herself for what had happened to Juliette, or that she was angry at what Sabbath had once done to for what had happened to Juliette, or that she was angry at what Sabbath had once done to her her, is unclear.

'What he must have done, to make her believe in him.' Indeed, Juliette's motivations are a matter for some debate. Scarlette's a.s.sumption was that Sabbath had brainwashed Juliette, and at first glance Juliette's dream diary supports this. Sabbath poisoned her mind with strange vapours, subjected her to almost hallucinogenic experiences, trained Emily to say just the right thing at just the right time. However, as the dream diary reveals, Juliette already had anxieties about the wedding. She sensed the Doctor's own worries about his right to use someone in this fashion. The great, shadowy, intense presence that haunted her dreams representing the Doctor, or Sabbath, or both? reflected those anxieties. Above all, she felt she had some great purpose to her life but Scarlette and the Doctor had given her no chance to find out what it was but Scarlette and the Doctor had given her no chance to find out what it was.

n.o.body can say for certain what happened inside the 'Black House', where Juliette would go to meet Emily in the early hours of the morning. Maybe Sabbath himself was waiting for her there. But in the Black House Juliette was given a new dress, a black dress, an alternative to the fate which Scarlette's House had imposed on her... an alternative she desperately wanted (no wonder Emily had instructed her to keep a dream diary). After all, Juliette was experiencing p.u.b.erty on top of everything else. In truth, Sabbath merely continued the process which the Doctor had already begun, but allowed Juliette to experiment at will and observed at a distance rather than keeping her on a short leash as Scarlette had done.

The turning point had been that night in September, when Juliette had stepped in to save Anji from the babewyns babewyns. It was as if, by that action, Juliette was finally acknowledging that she was ready to face the consequences of the path she'd chosen. She was ready to use her her kind of craft, the craft of the Black House, against the enemy. Only then did Sabbath step out of the shadows and take her away from the House for good. In the story of Anji and the Temple apes, the beasts seem remarkably quiet and subdued, ignoring most pa.s.sers-by to concentrate on Anji herself. Almost as if they'd been trained to. kind of craft, the craft of the Black House, against the enemy. Only then did Sabbath step out of the shadows and take her away from the House for good. In the story of Anji and the Temple apes, the beasts seem remarkably quiet and subdued, ignoring most pa.s.sers-by to concentrate on Anji herself. Almost as if they'd been trained to.

Which only leaves the question of why why Sabbath wanted Juliette, why she, more than anyone else, struck him as good material to be his new right hand. It's likely that he knew how much she'd already been influenced by the Doctor. Long before the Doctor had known the truth about the apes, he'd instinctively understood the 'elemental' truth, that the Earth required a form of protector: an elemental anchor, so to speak, that would hold time still around the planet. By the symbolic marriage ceremony, the alchemical wedding of the Doctor (representing the elemental) and Juliette (representing the Earth), the Doctor hoped to bring a new security to the troubled world. And also, perhaps, to give Sabbath wanted Juliette, why she, more than anyone else, struck him as good material to be his new right hand. It's likely that he knew how much she'd already been influenced by the Doctor. Long before the Doctor had known the truth about the apes, he'd instinctively understood the 'elemental' truth, that the Earth required a form of protector: an elemental anchor, so to speak, that would hold time still around the planet. By the symbolic marriage ceremony, the alchemical wedding of the Doctor (representing the elemental) and Juliette (representing the Earth), the Doctor hoped to bring a new security to the troubled world. And also, perhaps, to give himself himself roots in a universe where he no longer truly belonged. In a sense, what he needed was a kind of 'green card' that would give him the right to interfere in the Earth's affairs, a ceremony which would by its very nature have a stabilising effect on the planet. Or at least, that was the theory. roots in a universe where he no longer truly belonged. In a sense, what he needed was a kind of 'green card' that would give him the right to interfere in the Earth's affairs, a ceremony which would by its very nature have a stabilising effect on the planet. Or at least, that was the theory.

As later events would prove, Sabbath also wanted to become rooted rooted. As his notes have shown, he knew that to travel into the deeper realms (other times, or other worlds?) he'd first have to connect himself to the Earth. On the one occasion when he tried to pilot the Jonah Jonah outside of his normal territories, this is how he wrote of the experience: outside of his normal territories, this is how he wrote of the experience: A lack of cohesion, a certain lack of integrity. I was reminded of Knox's maxim that we might cease to exist if ever we were no longer observed by G.o.d... though G.o.d had little to do with the experience, my sense was that my own world no longer acknowledged me and as a consequence I was ceasing to be. I gave orders to my crew to turn the ship around while I could still speak.

So although there are no stories to explain how the Doctor's legendary people managed to travel between worlds, there's an implication (in many of the tales Fitz told Lisa-Beth) that on the Doctor's homeworld there was indeed a great 'eye' which watched the Doctor and his kind wherever they went, which linked the elementals to the place of their creation and ensured that no harm came to them when they moved from realm to realm. This process, perhaps, was intrinsic to the Doctor's TARDIS... but it was evidently the one secret which Sabbath had yet to incorporate into the Jonah Jonah. This was Sabbath's holy grail, his philosopher's stone, the 'Black Hart' he sought throughout 1782. (Significantly, when Sabbath first met Emily she used her given surname of 'Lyon'. Only after her recruitment in January did she begin to use the name 'Hart', almost as if it were a codename. Did Sabbath believe that Emily was the agent through which he could perform his hunt?) It seems likely that Sabbath believed Juliette could help him with this quest, just as the Doctor believed that the very presence of the TARDIS could help him recover his strength. If this was indeed the case, then very soon both men were to be proved mistaken.

In Sickness and in Health Under normal circ.u.mstances the vault of the Church of Saint Simone, on the Caribbean island of St Belique, was a black hole. The walls of the vault were caked in dirt that n.o.body ever bothered to wash off, as the only people who ever visited the site were relatives of the dead who'd been buried under the cement floor, and as the last burial had been in 1710 the relatives were few and far between. The dense heat made the vault smell of damp and sweet fruits, although the cement at least stopped the dead adding anything to the smell.

But that October, the vault was a riot of colour. Or one colour, at least. The dirty walls had been scrubbed, so even if they were still black they were at least dry dry and black. Garlands of red flowers, orchids as well as dried roses, were hung in ornate rings which had been st.i.tched together by women from the town: the island's and black. Garlands of red flowers, orchids as well as dried roses, were hung in ornate rings which had been st.i.tched together by women from the town: the island's only only real town, situated between the sea and the forest interior. The locals knew a thing or two about witchcraft and real town, situated between the sea and the forest interior. The locals knew a thing or two about witchcraft and obeah obeah, so they weren't above helping with the ceremony that was to be performed there. Red paper blossoms and streamers lined the walls, some recovered from the cellars of the Henrietta Street House, some supplied by the infinite cupboards of the Doctor's TARDIS. Moreover, the vault was hung with ornamental paper lanterns, in the oriental style. Indeed, there was something of an oriental feel to the place despite its Caribbean location.

This was hardly surprising. The man in charge of the decorations was the Chinese quack, Dr Nie Who. His transition from London to St Belique seems to have been unusually rapid, so either the TARDIS or some other arcane transportation may have been involved.

The evidence suggests that Who knew about the fate of Juliette almost as soon as the Doctor did, but he didn't let it slow him down. The Doctor had asked him to decorate the location where the wedding was to be held, in order not to offend any of the guests, who would after all be representatives of at least thirteen major powers. The wedding legally had to be conducted in Church, but it had been Scarlette's idea to hold it in the vault rather than the main body of the building, in order to give the affair a more 'satanic' feel. And where better than here, among the witch-poisoned roots of St Belique, where Christianity was only a technicality anyway? Dr Who had set about the task with aplomb, for a very reasonable fee. Not only would he arrange the gathering, he'd also handle the various needs of the guests, which meant making sure that groups hostile to each other didn't spend too long in each other's company. In modern terms this might be called 'handling security'.

Back at the House, the Doctor was still holding out hope that Juliette would return. Scarlette wasn't so optimistic. Take this extract from Lisa-Beth's journals, the day after Anji brought the truth home with her: When all of us in the House knew the import of what Anji had said, and knew that Sabbath was the one responsible, there was a silence in the salon. Some like Rebecca seemed only to reflect, but some like Fitz did not know what to say or where to look. It was only after some minutes [moments, surely?] that Scarlette made her move. She simply turned around and strode up the stairs... when she was followed she was found standing within Juliette's room, staring at the dressing-table. Juliette had taken with her the gla.s.s splinter on a silver chain, the blood-shard of Mary Culver, which Scarlette had lent her as a relic of the h.e.l.lfire tradition.

Scarlette had only lent Juliette the gla.s.s totem until her wedding day: it was to be the 'borrowed' part of the 'old, new, borrowed, blue' ceremony (itself a tradition with its roots in fire/earth/water/air elementalism). Yet the Doctor saw the theft of the gla.s.s as a positive positive sign. As far as he was concerned, Sabbath's aim was to turn Juliette away from the ways of the House. As long as Juliette carried Scarlette's charm, said the Doctor, there was a good chance she'd return home before the planned wedding day. n.o.body mentioned the fact that Juliette had failed to take with her the red wedding dress that Scarlette had commissioned. sign. As far as he was concerned, Sabbath's aim was to turn Juliette away from the ways of the House. As long as Juliette carried Scarlette's charm, said the Doctor, there was a good chance she'd return home before the planned wedding day. n.o.body mentioned the fact that Juliette had failed to take with her the red wedding dress that Scarlette had commissioned.

Before Juliette's disappearance, the Doctor had begun displaying signs of obsessive behaviour. He'd been worried about the slightest details of the wedding, from the decor of the vault to bizarrely the question of whether any of his family would turn up on the day to give him away. Now all that had been replaced by a new obsession, the idea, perhaps rooted in self-delusion, that Juliette would return to him.

Lisa-Beth records that Fitz even feared for the Doctor's sanity. The Doctor was so insistent that the TARDIS had helped his mysterious sickness that he seemed almost hyperactive, and periods of heavy, rapid breathing were common... periods which would be followed by extended disappearances into the TARDIS's interior. (Incidentally, it's a matter of record that Fitz and Lisa-Beth slept together at least once during this period, probably more out of boredom than out of pa.s.sion. Neither was exactly inhibited, and this should surprise n.o.body.) So, with the wedding no more than six weeks away, those remaining at the House busied themselves with whatever they could and tried to pretend that they were being constructive. Often they'd talk about Juliette, though never in the presence of Scarlette or the Doctor, wondering exactly where the girl had been taken and what kind of 'initiation' she might be undergoing at the hands of Sabbath. Fitz and Rebecca would sometimes scour the town, from the Shakespeare's Head to the finest of coffee-houses, listening for news on the grapevine. Lord _____ hadn't been seen in a month, and whispers in the Tavern claimed the Countess of Jersey had been there when the Lord had been torn limb from limb by a pack of wild animals. The Lady, the stories went on to say, had experienced something of a revelation after this. Soon afterwards she'd made a report to the surviving members of the Star Chamber of the Service. t.i.ttle-tattle insisted that when the Countess had left the Chamber, it was the Servicemen, and not her, who'd been shaken by the interview. There was even news of Emily. Two months earlier the wife of the British Envoy in Naples had died, and as the Envoy's nephew was Charles Greville it was said that Greville's mistress might be 'pa.s.sed on' to the grieving uncle. In retrospect it's easy to see Sabbath's hand in events. Given the events of later decades, an agent in the court of Naples would have been a boon to him.

The other thing which had been noticed in the underworld was the unusual activity of witch-lodges around the world. Envoys from each of the great cults were on the move. An agent of the Virginian lodge had apparently left America, to the consternation of many. The followers of Mackandal had seized a French merchant vessel, and a delegation of negro occultists had allegedly set sail. Even in the Russian emba.s.sy, there'd been talk of personal directives from the Empress herself.

It's not hard to see what was happening. All roads were leading to St Belique. In the centre of the vault of the Church of Saint Simone, Who had erected an enormous table, varnished with smooth red lacquer and lavished with delicate, intertwining wreaths of orchid-blossom. The table was huge, so big that it had been specially constructed inside the vault itself, and though it technically had thirteen sides it was generally referred to by Who's native a.s.sistants as 'the round table' (interesting, given that they wouldn't have known much about Arthurian legend). Into each place at the table, a name had been inscribed.

The names matched the names on Scarlette's thirteen red envelopes. In spite of everything, the guests were still expected to come. From the four corners of the Earth they'd begun to warily circle the Caribbean, watching what the others did before they set foot on the island and committed themselves to the Doctor's 'party'.

But on October 24, circ.u.mstances would change once again. For the last few weeks there'd been more and more talk of the Countess of Jersey, of how this vain, sn.o.bbish and generally unpleasant woman seemed to have suddenly altered in nature. Furthermore, she'd witnessed the death of her co-conspirator the Lord on the same night that Juliette had vanished, and Fitz with his usual adventurer's spirit had concluded that there might be a connection. That afternoon, he went with Rebecca to visit the Countess, and although the Lady refused to grant him an audience this research trip was indeed useful.

What Fitz discovered will be dealt with in due course: but he and his friends were distracted from this lead by what happened immediately after the non-interview. Fitz and Rebecca returned to the hollow sh.e.l.l of the House, where they found n.o.body home except for the Doctor. When they entered the salon, the Doctor was standing in the corner beside his TARDIS. He was leaning against the side of the box, one hand spread out across its doors, as Scarlette later put it (with her usual gift for embellishing events she didn't witness) 'as if attempting to draw new strength from its very wood'. In his other hand, the Doctor was holding a piece of paper and the torn envelope in which it had arrived.

There's no indication of how the note was delivered. But the Doctor's eyes were fixed on it when Fitz and Rebecca stepped into the room, darting backwards and forwards over the page, apparently attempting to take in the full weight of its contents. Fitz later commented that he felt the Doctor was continually reading and re-reading the same sentence.

The nature of the letter is no secret. It was from Juliette, her first communication since her disappearance. It began addressing itself to 'Dr Jack-of*the-Moon', but only the top four inches of the page survive: the rest was, at some later point, torn away. So it's hard to say exactly what sentence caught the Doctor's attention. Knowing the Doctor, it was most likely a deeply personal pa.s.sage rather than some great revelation. The consequences are clearer: Then Jack looked up... having absorbed the essentials of the letter. He was a pale man at that moment. It was Mr. K. who caught his eye. There was, I'm told, a pleading look on his face when he addressed his oldest elemental companion. Yet all he said were the simple words: 'She's not coming back.'...I do not believe these words were the intent of the letter. I believe that in saying this, my friend was only facing the truth which he has for so long put to the back of his mind. No doubt it was something in the tone of this note which allowed him to confront what we all have felt these past days. Mr. K was unable to console him, for he knew it was true.Jack said one more thing then. Mr. K. could not divulge what the word was, for it was pained and in no recognised tongue. The word was not yet complete when Jack abruptly fell forward, and Mr. K. hurried to keep him from striking the floor.

A single word, spoken by the Doctor. It's almost reminiscent of the 'magic word' said to be held by Sabbath, which (the stories say) he'd inscribed on the rear of every steel plate on board the Jonah Jonah. One could very nearly believe that the Doctor was saying Sabbath's Sabbath's word, in a last desperate attempt to escape the physical plane and remove himself from the situation in which he'd arrived. word, in a last desperate attempt to escape the physical plane and remove himself from the situation in which he'd arrived.

It evidently did him little good. The Doctor collapsed, and Fitz only just caught him. Scarlette records that there was 'a black bile' from the Doctor's mouth after he lost consciousness, which may be colourful storytelling or even a metaphor (even as late as the eighteenth century, it wasn't unknown for people to a.s.sociate the biles and secretions of the human body with the four primal elements). But exaggeration or not, the time of crisis had arrived. The Doctor had been attempting to hide his sickness for some time, and in one Cagliostro-like moment had even confessed to Scarlette that he'd been suffering twinges for over a hundred years. Now, helpless and perhaps bringing up bile, it was clear, too, that he could no longer contain it. It was clear, too, that not even the TARDIS could save him from it.

Finally, the Doctor was beginning to die.

Sacrifice Means Giving Up In the whole of ritual, there's no word more misunderstood than 'sacrifice'. In the Old Testament tradition, every sacrifice would involve a spilling of blood a fatted calf or goat sacrificed on the altar and as a result the word has become almost synonymous with bloodshed. But 'sacrifice' only means 'a giving-up'. Blood-sacrifices were made because, in the subsistence-farming world of the Old Testament, to kill one of your valuable animals in the name of your G.o.d was to show your devotion above material possessions, perhaps even above your own survival. On the other hand, the 'virgin sacrifice' planned for Juliette had nothing to do with death. She was simply intended to give a certain part of herself away. As Scarlette grimly noted, some time after Juliette's disappearance, 'one can only sacrifice what belongs to one... this above all else may have been the Doctor's misunderstanding'.

But although there was no slaughter involved in the ways of Scarlette and her kind, blood was certainly an important factor. Even in London, no young woman would be admitted into any witch-cult until she had begun to menstruate. Some groups, such as the Mayakai Mayakai who'd played such an important part in raising Scarlette, held that a woman was only initiated when she had s.e.x: while the more masculine groups, mostly outside Europe and including the witch-factions of Mackandal's Maroons, held that a man wasn't a man until he'd killed another (preferably French) human being. This wasn't a sacrifice, it was simply an act of faith. The same ancient ritual insisted that when a member of the aristocracy partic.i.p.ated in a fox hunt for the first time he would be 'blooded' with the blood of the slain animal. who'd played such an important part in raising Scarlette, held that a woman was only initiated when she had s.e.x: while the more masculine groups, mostly outside Europe and including the witch-factions of Mackandal's Maroons, held that a man wasn't a man until he'd killed another (preferably French) human being. This wasn't a sacrifice, it was simply an act of faith. The same ancient ritual insisted that when a member of the aristocracy partic.i.p.ated in a fox hunt for the first time he would be 'blooded' with the blood of the slain animal.

When the Countess and the Lord had set out in their carriage, that night back in September, had they really just gone searching for apes out of boredom? It's possible, given the Lord's background, that his intention was to blood himself with the carca.s.s of a dead ape. But unlike the foxes of the Lord's youth, these these animals could fight back. It hardly seems worth relating the Countess's description of the scene, as the carriage was overturned; the coachman was ripped from his seat; the horse, screaming wildly, was brought down by the teeth that were sinking into its flanks; and the Lord was dragged out of the broken transport through one of the windows. It's perhaps surprising that the Countess herself managed to escape, although she had at least some knowledge of protective ritual. animals could fight back. It hardly seems worth relating the Countess's description of the scene, as the carriage was overturned; the coachman was ripped from his seat; the horse, screaming wildly, was brought down by the teeth that were sinking into its flanks; and the Lord was dragged out of the broken transport through one of the windows. It's perhaps surprising that the Countess herself managed to escape, although she had at least some knowledge of protective ritual.

So in the end, it was the Countess who'd been 'blooded' that night. She'd seen the consequence of 'infernal dabbling', and smelt the foul, rotting-meat stench of its breath. She'd run from the scourge, and although eventually she had returned to the city of London she (like Anji?) had spent some time lost in the b.e.s.t.i.a.l city. She had, she claimed, even had one peculiar encounter with what she described as the 'King of Beasts' (about which more later). She had realised, then, that the apes were a form of punishment. The King of Beasts, like the King of England, was as far as she was concerned a gibbering idiot whose kingdom was a den of wilful barbarism, an empire of filth falling into neglect. No wonder her audience had left the Star Chamber shaken. They would have expected this kind of treason from Sabbath, not from a Lady.

It's interesting to compare the Countess's 'initiation' to the events which took place on board the Jonah Jonah the following night, when the Doctor first called his TARDIS to Earth. So far the ceremony hasn't been described, mainly because the only account of it Lisa-Beth's is barely comprehensible. But, filling in the gaps from the context, the ceremony seems to have occurred in the following stages: the following night, when the Doctor first called his TARDIS to Earth. So far the ceremony hasn't been described, mainly because the only account of it Lisa-Beth's is barely comprehensible. But, filling in the gaps from the context, the ceremony seems to have occurred in the following stages: 1. Once the Doctor's party had a.s.sembled in Sabbath's map room, the Doctor had explained that Nie Who was necessary to the process, as he had 'an understanding of time not likely to cause offence [to the apes]'. It was therefore Who who would perform the rites of the ceremony. (It might seem odd, at first, that a quack from the eighteenth century might be essential to the recovery of an artefact like the TARDIS. However, consider this in modern terms. If the Doctor existed in the twentieth century and needed to repair his TARDIS, n.o.body would raise an eyebrow if he were to call on the services of, say, a modern electronics expert. Yet the TARDIS is described as being so far beyond human experience that in context the idea of a mere computer technician working on it is in itself ridiculous. The implication is that Who had a certain understanding understanding the Doctor found useful, regardless of the era's technology.) the Doctor found useful, regardless of the era's technology.) 2. After the explanations, the door of Sabbath's map room had opened and two of the 'crew' had shuffled into the room. This had caused some alarm, but the Doctor had a.s.sured everyone that the apes had been well-trained, hence the clothing. With his usual humour, Sabbath had dressed the creatures as footmen in wide jackets and knee-length socks, although he'd stopped short of giving them wigs or shoes. The Doctor had spoken to the apes in formal tones, and Who had translated his words into a language Lisa-Beth took to be oriental: why the apes should have understood him him and not the Doctor is unclear. Perhaps Who was being used as a 'buffer'. Whatever the reason, the apes had then turned and snuffled their way out of the chamber, and minutes later there'd been 'a monstrous humming' in the walls. The ship had begun to move. and not the Doctor is unclear. Perhaps Who was being used as a 'buffer'. Whatever the reason, the apes had then turned and snuffled their way out of the chamber, and minutes later there'd been 'a monstrous humming' in the walls. The ship had begun to move.

3. This is where events become cloudy. The ceremony hadn't continued until the ship had reached a certain point, which Lisa-Beth says lay on the p[oint] from which the h[orizon?] was visible'. Her notes then degenerate, for the next two paragraphs, into coded shorthand. The suggestion is that the Jonah Jonah had left the world altogether, to exist somewhere in the mysterious s.p.a.ces between elemental realms, but as there were no portholes in the map room the group could only have known their location by going up on deck. If they did indeed do this, then it could explain Lisa-Beth's lapse into gibberish. What would she have seen, standing there on the steel of the ship and looking out at another world? And more importantly, how could she possibly have described it in English, when English hadn't yet developed proper words to accurately describe the pa.s.sage of time? The only fragment of proper English in these two paragraphs begins 'Scarlette stood with her face turned up to the heavens [more evidence that they'd left the map room], and there in her eyes I saw the light of...' before the text becomes foggy once again. Whenever Lisa-Beth describes such an experience, she describes it almost as being a 'magic lantern' show, popular at carnivals and pleasure gardens in the era. Such shows often involved coloured lights, and were appropriately known as 'phantasmagoria'. had left the world altogether, to exist somewhere in the mysterious s.p.a.ces between elemental realms, but as there were no portholes in the map room the group could only have known their location by going up on deck. If they did indeed do this, then it could explain Lisa-Beth's lapse into gibberish. What would she have seen, standing there on the steel of the ship and looking out at another world? And more importantly, how could she possibly have described it in English, when English hadn't yet developed proper words to accurately describe the pa.s.sage of time? The only fragment of proper English in these two paragraphs begins 'Scarlette stood with her face turned up to the heavens [more evidence that they'd left the map room], and there in her eyes I saw the light of...' before the text becomes foggy once again. Whenever Lisa-Beth describes such an experience, she describes it almost as being a 'magic lantern' show, popular at carnivals and pleasure gardens in the era. Such shows often involved coloured lights, and were appropriately known as 'phantasmagoria'.

4. At some point in this ghostly journey the Doctor had fallen to his knees, and Scarlette had rushed to his side, believing him to be sick. But the Doctor had merely stared upwards, almost in supplication. Who had stood behind him, whispering into his ear, much to Scarlette's concern. What Who might have said is a matter of conjecture. The Doctor had then clasped one hand to his own chest, and begun to recite words of his own. The others could only have watched, as 'all of us felt the motion of the s[hip] quicken and the m[?] around us did seem fit to bleed'.

5. More of Lisa-Beth's shorthand. It seems that more and more of those a.s.sembled had begun to join in with the recitation, though t