The Dark Path by David A. Mcintee

Author:David A. Mcintee [Mcintee, David A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Science Fiction, Doctor Who (Fictitious Character)
ISBN: 9780426205036
Publisher: Doctor Who Books
Published: 1997-04-14T07:00:00+00:00

‘I didn’t intend to. I just thought we’d do better to simply short out its power source,’ the Doctor answered tartly.

‘I would if I knew what and where it was.’

‘Ah. That is a good point, isn’t it?’

Koschei nodded. ‘Another excellent reason for further study, from which I can discern how to set up a feedback loop.’ Victoria was quite impressed.

‘Feedback loop? On a thing of this scale?’ She didn’t really know what all these things were for, but it was obviously both important and dangerous. The Doctor and Koschei had slipped into some obscure language, but finally the Doctor shook his head and stumped over towards them.

‘Come along, you two,’ the Doctor said, and led them off The Doctor hurried on ahead, and Victoria could tell from the lack of his usual banter that he was concerned about something. ‘What was all that about?’ Jamie asked.

‘I don’t know, but they seem to be disagreeing about something.’

She wouldn’t say it to Jamie, who had a very deep loyalty to the Doc-147

tor, but it seemed to her that Koschei was the one who more precisely knew what he was doing.

They didn’t encounter any more of the technicians on the way back up – or down – the steps to the pyramid.

Terrell was painting quite happily in his plush quarters at the top of the Adjudication Lodge, when the technician’s call came through. ‘Terrell here.’

‘Sir, there may be intruders in the Darkheart.’

Terrell’s brush had hit the floor before he even realized he had dropped it. ‘Intruders? Perhaps the demon. . . ? Seal the pyramid.

I’m coming down.’

Ailla had had no more luck in her research. It had become her habit on Earth to try to relax when she hit such an obstruction, in the hope that her mind would sort itself out while she wasn’t pressuring it. That seemed to work for most people, anyway.

She was, therefore, relaxing with a strong cup of coffee, when there was a knocking at the door. A glance at the scanner showed that it was the Doctor and his companions, so she let them in. ‘Have you seen Koschei?’ she asked.

The Doctor nodded. ‘That’s who we’ve come to talk to you about.

He wants to try setting up a feedback loop in the Darkheart.’

‘Why?’ Koschei always knew what he was doing, but this seemed a bit sudden to her.

‘The Darkheart is a sort of space/time conduit, designed to transmit energy through the space/time vortex, and Koschei thinks he can shut it down with a feedback loop.’ The Doctor’s tone was very disapproving, she noticed. She couldn’t blame him. ‘Actually, I was rather hoping you might be able to talk him out of it. I do hate to be contrary, and get in the way, but it seems to me that there must be safer ways to deal with the problem.’

That seemed reasonable. ‘Which is?’

‘Well, we don’t know that either,’ the Doctor admitted reluctantly.

‘But if he sets up a feedback and the conduit is highly charged, it could 148

blow up in his face – and take this whole planet with it!’

Ailla considered for a moment.

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