Part 15 (1/2)

'No!' roared the Mara. 'Destroy that crystal. It will prevent my Becoming!'

Dugdale lumbered forward and grabbed at the crystal around the Doctor's throat - but the moment he touched it, a surge of energy threw him across the cave.

Lon flung himself upon the Doctor.

The Doctor dodged, ran to the carving of the Great Snake, and reached up to take the Great Crystal from its socket. He couldn't move it.

The Great Crystal seemed fixed in place as if magnetised by the energy-flow.

The Doctor tugged in vain.

Lon flung himself upon the Doctor's back, trying to drag him away.

The Doctor tightened his grip on the Great Crystal -and their combined weights pulled it free.

As it came out of the socket, the Mara serpent gave one last terrible scream.

The colossal Snake slumped to the floor. Instantly it began to decay, as if time had been speeded up.

The disintegrating Snake writhed and hissed and steamed, body-fluids spurting. In a matter of seconds, it was a rotting ma.s.s of carrion.

On the hill above the Cave of the Snake, Dojjen rose from his sitting position, and moved slowly away. His work was done.

The Doctor found Tegan, a blessedly normal Tegan, sitting hunched on the edge of the dais. She was white-faced and trembling but her eyes were clear, and the mark of the Mara was gone from her arm. The Doctor went and sat beside her.

She looked up at him and sobbed, 'It was awful.