Part 8 (1/2)

Carefully, Azmael dried his eyes. It was time to stop remembering.

Whether the people of Jaconda wanted to fight or not, was up to them. As far as he was concerned, Mestor had to die, as he had brought nothing to the planet but famine, suffering and death.

But alone, he wondered, how effective would he be?

As the TARDIS had made its way towards Jaconda, the Doctor had waxed lyrical about the beauty of the planet, of its lush meadows, its wooded countryside, its easy-going, friendly people.

The reality proved somewhat different.

As the Doctor and his party stepped from the TARDIS, they couldn't believe the devastation before them. It was as though a nuclear explosion had taken place.

The ground was scorched and black. What was left of the trees looked like skeletons that had been gnawed and ravaged by sharp-toothed scavengers. In spite of the barrenness of the planet, a heavy obnoxious stench hung in the air, reminiscent of a particularly unpleasant compost heap.

Although the Jacondan sun shone, it seemed to offer little warmth, as though the desolation absorbed the life-giving heat, jealous that it was unable to utilise its energy, but determined no-one else should enjoy it.

Cautiously, the Doctor moved around, examining first the stripped trunks of the trees, then the heavy, impacted soil. Everything was covered in a thick, mucus which hardened into a concrete-like substance, making close examination difficult.

As the Doctor continued his exploration, he caught sight of the frightened, timid face of a child staring at him from a nearby hill.

The Time Lord waved and smiled, but the boy scurried off to whatever pa.s.sed for safety in such a lifeless place.

Peri and Hugo watched the painfully thin child and wondered how anyone managed to survive in such a place.

'Can't we help him?' asked Peri anxiously.

The Doctor shook his head. 'The only way we can help him is to destroy what has caused this desolation.'

'That will hardly help him survive,' snapped Peri. 'He needs food now!'

Ignoring her outburst, the Doctor continued to examine the terrain.

He knew only too well that the child would probably die, but where there was one hungry boy, there would be many others in just as much need. Although there was food aboard the TARDIS, there wouldn't be enough to keep anyone alive longer than their current condition would permit. The Doctor knew this and considered their time better spent searching out Mestor.

'What caused this devastation?' asked Hugo, crumbling a dry, lifeless twig.

'Gastropods...'

Peri and Hugo looked at each other. Slugs did this?

'Giant gastropods...' added the Doctor, reading their thoughts.

'Look at the slime trails if you don't believe me.'

As they returned to the TARD1S, the Doctor briefly related the myths and legends surrounding the gastropods of Jaconda.

It went something like this: Hundreds of years earlier, a then queen of the planet had offended the sun G.o.d, who in his revenge had forced her to give birth to a half-human, half-slug creature. (The reasons for this rather unpleasant retribution weren't certain.) Before long the gastropod had multiplied until its offspring had become numberless, ravaging and plundering the planet until every living plant had been eaten and everyone was on the verge of starvation.

It wasn't until the planet had been devastated that the sun G.o.d relented and sent a drought to destroy the slugs.

'But that's all myth,' said Peri. 'Outside is real devastation!'

The Doctor started to set the navigational coordinates. 'As you well know,' he said, glancing over his shoulder, 'myths are often embroidered stories that contain more than a grain of truth. Forget about sun G.o.ds and offending queens. Just concentrate on the fact that somehow giant slugs found their way to Jaconda.'

'But you said they had died out.'

'My dear Peri, use a little of your not inconsiderable imagination.

The beast itself may have died out but it seems fairly obvious that it left a heritage in the form of many clutches of eggs. Somehow they must have

hatched.'

'Starting the whole cycle again?'

'Correct.'

'Pity there isn't a sun G.o.d to relent and send a drought nowadays,'

said Hugo.

Peri glared at him. Why didn't he keep his mouth shut, she thought.

With the current state of the Doctor's mind, all it required was such a silly suggestion to set him off again. Cautiously, Peri glanced at the Time Lord. If he had heard what had been said, he hadn't reacted.

At least not yet.

Peri hoped this indicated the Doctor was beginning to stabilise.

With the coordinates set, the Doctor operated the master control and the time rotor started to oscillate. If his calculations were correct, as they often were nowadays, they would soon arrive at Azmael's palace where they could delight in the company of Mestor and his friends.

From their rude, sarcastic remarks, the Doctor reckoned his companions could barely restrain their eager antic.i.p.ation ...

Upon arriving on Jaconda, Azmael had been summoned before Lord Mestor. Again he had been subjected to a ranting tirade.

This time, though, Azmael had felt doubly embarra.s.sed, as Mestor had insisted on insulting him in front of his courtiers, many of whom had served the elderly Time Lord when he had been President. Although some remained silent, Azmael hoped as a mark of respect, many others had joined in the jeering and general abuse.

After being dismissed, Azmael dejectedly made his way back to his laboratory. There he found the twins staring through the gla.s.s wall that separated his work area from Mestor's hatchery.

Fascinated, the boys watched the technicians as they loaded gastropod eggs onto a conveyor belt system which then took them deep into the heart of the incubation area.

'So many eggs,' said Remus, noticing Azmael. 'Will they all hatch?'