possession is deep-rooted and the exorcism will be difficult and not without anguish,’ the Abbot added with fervour as the locksmith moaned again. ‘But the devil’s house must be destroyed before we begin,’ he announced, ‘no place must be left within which evil may hide.
Then he returned to the courtyard and, holding firmly onto the cross that hung around his neck, circled the TARDIS, studying it warily.
‘From the inferno of Hell, this fiendish engine came,’ he cried out when he had finished examining it, ‘so shall it return!’ He ordered the halberdiers to fetch straw and enough wood to surround and cover the TARDIS
completely. ‘Let it be burned at the stake,’ he shouted in religious ecstasy.
The officer in charge of the halberdiers approached and saluted him.
‘My Lord Abbot,’ he spoke deferentially, ‘his Majesty the King has expressed the desire to see what lies inside.’
‘Eternal damnation is within,’ the Abbot snapped back,
‘so do as I say: prepare this monstrosity for the stake. I shall deal with the King and return to light the cleansing fire that will rid the true faith of this satanic abomination.’
On that note the Abbot re-entered his carried and was driven away with Duval towards the Louvre.
As they approached le Grand Pont the carriage stopped.
‘What’s amiss?’ Duval called up to the driver.
‘Another carriage which comes in the opposite direction, sire,’ the driver answered.
The Abbot looked testily at Duval. ‘I am about God’s business, tell the other to yield the way.’
‘Yes, my Lord,’ Duval replied and descended from the carriage just as the driver called down that the other carriage had turned to cross over the river to Notre Dame and the way to the Louvre was now clear.
‘Who was it?’ the Abbot demanded as Duval clambered back into the carriage.
‘A prelate, by his robes, my Lord,’ Duval replied, ‘but I didn’t manage to see his face.’
Which was just as well, as the Doctor had recognised Duval getting out of the carriage and, watching surreptitiously, was relieved when the Abbot’s carriage continued on its way. His carriage drove past the auberge where Steven sat with his back to the square facing Anne who saw the carriage on the far side of the square.
‘Isn’t that your friend?’ she asked and pointed, ‘the one on his own in the carriage over there.’
Steven spun around and jumped to his feet. ‘Wait for me here,’ he said. As quickly as he could he forced his way through the jostling crowd and broke into a run towards Notre Dame. The carriage stood at the foot of the steps and Steven caught a fleeting glimpse of the Doctor entering the Cathedral. ‘Doctor!’ he yelled but it was too late. He took the steps two at a time and burst into the stillness of the nave. He looked about him, along the aisles, everywhere he could think of but there was no sign of him–the Doctor or the Abbot, whichever one he was.
Steven retraced his steps back to the auberge but Anne was no longer there. He asked a man who had been sitting next to them where she was.
‘She left just after you dashed off,’ the man replied.
‘Did she say where she was going or when she’d be back?’ Steven’s voice was urgent.
‘Not a word, just upped and went,’ the man said.
Steven looked desperately up and down the busy streets but he knew it was hopeless. Also he half-knew Anne believed he had found the Doctor and had gone back to the Cardinal’s palace to try and secure the release of her brother and her aunt.
‘A pretty little wench, she was,’ the man added with a sly wink and Steven turned away.
Both Lerans and Muss hung onto every word the Doctor recounted about his audience with the Queen Mother and when he had finished they looked at one another.
‘But who is Bondot and how will he bring about the Admiral’s downfall?’ Muss asked.
Lerans shrugged: ‘Nicholas, I have no idea. On neither side does such a name exist, at
Then he returned to the courtyard and, holding firmly onto the cross that hung around his neck, circled the TARDIS, studying it warily.
‘From the inferno of Hell, this fiendish engine came,’ he cried out when he had finished examining it, ‘so shall it return!’ He ordered the halberdiers to fetch straw and enough wood to surround and cover the TARDIS
completely. ‘Let it be burned at the stake,’ he shouted in religious ecstasy.
The officer in charge of the halberdiers approached and saluted him.
‘My Lord Abbot,’ he spoke deferentially, ‘his Majesty the King has expressed the desire to see what lies inside.’
‘Eternal damnation is within,’ the Abbot snapped back,
‘so do as I say: prepare this monstrosity for the stake. I shall deal with the King and return to light the cleansing fire that will rid the true faith of this satanic abomination.’
On that note the Abbot re-entered his carried and was driven away with Duval towards the Louvre.
As they approached le Grand Pont the carriage stopped.
‘What’s amiss?’ Duval called up to the driver.
‘Another carriage which comes in the opposite direction, sire,’ the driver answered.
The Abbot looked testily at Duval. ‘I am about God’s business, tell the other to yield the way.’
‘Yes, my Lord,’ Duval replied and descended from the carriage just as the driver called down that the other carriage had turned to cross over the river to Notre Dame and the way to the Louvre was now clear.
‘Who was it?’ the Abbot demanded as Duval clambered back into the carriage.
‘A prelate, by his robes, my Lord,’ Duval replied, ‘but I didn’t manage to see his face.’
Which was just as well, as the Doctor had recognised Duval getting out of the carriage and, watching surreptitiously, was relieved when the Abbot’s carriage continued on its way. His carriage drove past the auberge where Steven sat with his back to the square facing Anne who saw the carriage on the far side of the square.
‘Isn’t that your friend?’ she asked and pointed, ‘the one on his own in the carriage over there.’
Steven spun around and jumped to his feet. ‘Wait for me here,’ he said. As quickly as he could he forced his way through the jostling crowd and broke into a run towards Notre Dame. The carriage stood at the foot of the steps and Steven caught a fleeting glimpse of the Doctor entering the Cathedral. ‘Doctor!’ he yelled but it was too late. He took the steps two at a time and burst into the stillness of the nave. He looked about him, along the aisles, everywhere he could think of but there was no sign of him–the Doctor or the Abbot, whichever one he was.
Steven retraced his steps back to the auberge but Anne was no longer there. He asked a man who had been sitting next to them where she was.
‘She left just after you dashed off,’ the man replied.
‘Did she say where she was going or when she’d be back?’ Steven’s voice was urgent.
‘Not a word, just upped and went,’ the man said.
Steven looked desperately up and down the busy streets but he knew it was hopeless. Also he half-knew Anne believed he had found the Doctor and had gone back to the Cardinal’s palace to try and secure the release of her brother and her aunt.
‘A pretty little wench, she was,’ the man added with a sly wink and Steven turned away.
Both Lerans and Muss hung onto every word the Doctor recounted about his audience with the Queen Mother and when he had finished they looked at one another.
‘But who is Bondot and how will he bring about the Admiral’s downfall?’ Muss asked.
Lerans shrugged: ‘Nicholas, I have no idea. On neither side does such a name exist, at
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