"As the ships and the steel
Slip away to the cry of 'compete.'"
(Aztec Camera, "Killermont Street")

 Kan-li had been left to guard the solid structure near the place the second demon had been found. He found it hard to suppress his apprehension as daylight faded and the structure began to emit a cold glow from its apertures.

 Despite his relative youth, Kan-li felt confident that danger was nearby. The events of the last few days were outside the experience of anybody he knew, and for his village change had very rarely signified anything good. A change in the weather more often brought famine than fertility, and unusual sightings of other tribes more often than not indicated imminent invasion.

 Yes, things were going to get worse before they got better again; that was the way. He just had to make sure he was ready.

 The Doctor smiled broadly. "I'm not," he replied. "But I'd say chances are we'll find something of interest." He disappeared into the hut.

 Carr sighed. After only a short time, he was beginning to realise just how infuriating the Doctor could be. The sooner he got back to his ship the better. He stepped into the hut and protested. "Doctor, we really must warn the others. They could be in a great deal of danger."

 "Ah, yes," the Doctor agreed. "But, from what?"

 Carr suspected that the Doctor didn't expect an answer, but he wasn't about to let the matter rest. "Well, the tribespeople, for one thing," he replied impatiently.

 "Yes..." the Doctor didn't sound concerned. "But is that all?"

 "What do you mean?"

 "Well..." the Doctor whirled, dramatically, to face him, his face suddenly serious, "This situation seems to me to bear all the tell-tale signs of my old enemies - the Daleks, the Cybermen and the Master!"

 "Daleks?" Carr's face dropped, somewhat confused.

 The Doctor laughed out loud. "Sorry, old chap. Just kidding. Thought I'd better keep you on your toes. You probably didn't get the reference anyway. You know, I'm rather enjoying having someone to talk to besides myself."

 "Now, look here" Carr began angrily.

 "There was, however, one thing I was curious about..."

 "What's that?"

 "You said you were trying to avoid any further first contact situations?"

 "Yes."

 "Then how do you explain..." the Doctor stalked over to a pile of items in the corner of the room and pulled something out "... this?"

 Carr squinted. The Doctor was holding a book. The page it was opened to revealed a picture of a dog running. Carr read the words printed beneath it out loud:

 "See Digger run."

 She cocked her gun and raised an arm, signalling her companions to be silent. Adrian drew his own weapon, Jensen merely glanced at her, then wandered off, disinterested.

 She swore under her breath. The crew was a mismatched bunch, thrown together at the last moment by those in control. There was very little unity among them, and she was well aware that many still resented her being in charge. Still, all she could do was manage her available resources as best she could.

 "Adrian," she whispered, "put out the fire."

 The young man obeyed her silently. Together they lay in wait, neither making a sound, until eventually they heard approaching footsteps. Chernev held her breath and prayed that neither Jensen nor the ship's geologist, Klein, would choose this moment to return to camp.

 At last she could make out the voices of those approaching. To her surprise, they spoke fluent English.

 "So, what do you make of their progress?" one of them asked.

 "Curious," a second replied. "The chemicals we added to their water seem to be making them a little more docile, although that little story about 'demons' leads me to have my doubts. Still, their leader seems quite happy to comply with our wishes, so I'd venture that if we can establish first contact"- the first man laughed out loud at this- "next month, we could be mining by early February."

 "Excellent, Joseph" the first man said. "I owe you for this one..."

 The voices began to recede into the distance. Chernev turned to comment on proceedings, and found herself facing the pointy end of a spear.

 Chernev flinched. They had been brought back to the village by the natives, only to be thrown into a cage with this maniac. Carr told her they had almost escaped the village, only to be captured when the Doctor had flown into a rage. Now, upon hearing her story, he seemed more maddened than ever.

 "Will you humans ever cease to amaze me with your arrogance and interfering?" he thundered. Great. Chernev didn't like the way he used the word "you" in front of the word "humans". She turned to Carr, an eyebrow raised. He simply lowered his gaze.

 "You set yourselves up as Gods before the natives, then, with a mixture of drugs and propaganda, enslave and domesticate them to trust you and to view all outsiders as 'demons'. And for what?" the Doctor continued to bellow despite the fact that no-one seemed to be listening to him anymore. "Rocks! That's what!" He paused to take a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Well, I hope you're happy," he murmured. "It seems your planet's xenophobia is about to rebound unfortunately upon us all." Chernev turned to follow his gaze. Outside the hut which imprisoned them, four stakes had been erected atop a pile of debris.

 "Ritual burnings" the Doctor pointed out - rather unnecessarily Chernev thought. "Ah, the customs of old England. How quaint."

 *Before burning demons of evil we hear from reading of Chan-Ri* he intoned.

 "Oh, marvellous," the Doctor muttered, turning his head to face Carrington, tied beside him. "What'll this be... Mein Kampf?"

 A tribesman, Chan-Ri presumably, stepped forward and began to read out loud:

 "I went to the Garden of Love
And saw what I never had seen:
A chapel was built in the midst
Where I used to play on the green."

 "That's Blake!" Carrington muttered out loud.

 "Most unusual choice of reading material," the Doctor agreed.

 "I'm glad you two are enjoying this" Chrenev muttered. "Anyone got any idea how we get out of this?"

 "And the gates of this chapel were shut,
And 'Thou shalt not' writ over the door;
So I turned to the Garden of Love
That so many sweet flowers bore,

 And I saw it was filled with graves
And tombstones where flowers should be;
And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars my joys and desires."

 The headman turned to them and spoke in perfect English; "You see, we are no fools, contrary to what your fellow Earthmen seem to believe. Now, as much as I abhor your barbarous ways, I am obliged to make a threat. Will you aid us, or shall we burn you, like the savages you would have us believe we are?"

 To be continued...

 *Poem quoted is from William Blake's Songs of Experience (1794)