Nick continued to struggle against his unseen bonds, but still he was getting nowhere. He had tried being patient for long enough. He was quite certain that the Doctor and Alf would be coming to his rescue soon, but he was surprised to discover that for once he could not be bothered to wait. Nick had come up with two reasons why: one, because he was sick to death of being tortured and abused by perverted men, and two, because he was sick to death of hanging around naked.

He screwed his eyes shut and pulled his arms.

‘Damn it!’ he yelled at the top of his lungs. He knew no one would be listening, but it still felt good.

‘Nick,’ a voice said.

Nick opened his eyes. No one was there. He strained to see, but through the dark he could see nothing. ‘Hello?’

‘Nick.’

He did not recognise the voice, no matter how close it sounded. Again it called his name. He almost jumped. The voice was coming from right in front of him.

‘Who are you?’

A figure formed before him. First it appeared to be a mist, and then it took on the solid form of a bizarre man-like shape. There was something alarmingly familiar about the grotesque figure. The arms and legs were off kilter, as if the body had been put together by Picasso. On top of its shoulders the head was lop-sided, like it was too heavy for the neck. The face looked like it had been painted on.

‘Tick,’ the Dommervoy said. One of the disjointed arms flopped up, pushing through the beam of light with ease, and landed on Nick’s chest. There was a flash of light. When the light cleared Nick was found to be lying on the floor all folded up. The Dommervoy leaned over the unconscious body and flopped its arm onto the top of Nick’s head. ‘Tock. It is time.’




Bradley placed his hand on Daniel’s forehead. The younger man looked directly at Bradley, the fear in his eyes minimal. For the first time since Bradley had promised to make Daniel immortal he felt proud of the young man. A shame it was too late.

Bradley looked out at the congregation. All eyes were watching him expectantly, and he basked in the attention. It was only fitting that so many humans were willing to acknowledge him as their prince. It was a pity that things had not worked on Styria, but the Earth was proving to be much more fun. Bradley wished he could share it with Nicholas. He allowed himself a slight smile, knowing full well that he had a way in which Nicholas could once again join in his fun.

‘And now is the time for Daniel’s communion with our Lord to be completed!’

Bradley turned away to pick up a small ceramic bowl. As his back was turned he failed to notice two figures slip into the hall. One was a woman dressed in white and the other was a large man dressed in a black suit, frilly shirt and fedora hat. The man spied Bradley immediately and began to push his way through the congregation.

Bradley returned his attention to his subjects. He lifted up the bowl and moved over to the altar. ‘Now we…’ His voice tailed off and his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the two people trying to force their way towards him. He pointed at them. ‘Stop them! They must not be allowed to interfere!’

Several Kuang-Shi jumped up and over the crowd and landed between the altar and the intruders. The Doctor and Alf came to a stop.

‘Where’s Nick?’ Alf shouted.

‘That doesn’t matter right now,’ Bradley said and carefully tilted the bowl over Daniel’s open wound. A substance similar to mercury poured out of the bowl into the blood below. Smoke hissed up from inside Daniel and the young man let out a howl of pain.

The Doctor span around and addressed the congregation. ‘This has to end now!’ His booming voice echoed throughout the hall. ‘Don’t you understand? This is no coming of God. This man,’ he pointed at Bradley who was smiling in pleasure, ‘is a monster! There is no salvation to be had here!’

‘You’re too late, Doctor!’ Bradley reached out and helped Daniel to his feet. The Prince of the Kuang-Shi looked down at Alf, anger in his red eyes. ‘You killed Nicholas. Now you shall die!’ Bradley addressed the Kuang-Shi baring the Doctor’s way. ‘Kill them both! And turn the rest. The redemption of the Earth is at hand!’

As if he were the lightest thing ever, Bradley scooped Daniel up and carried him out of the hall.

The Kuang-Shi advanced on the Doctor and Alf. The two companions turned to push their way back out of the hall only to find their way barred by many other Kuang-Shi. The Doctor took a deep breath, and yelled out to the humans gathered around.

‘Run! All of you!’

The sound of locks turning echoed throughout the hall, and heads turned to see more Kuang-Shi barring the only doors leading outside.

Alf turned to the Doctor. ‘What now?’

‘This looks like it could be the end,’ the Doctor replied glumly.




Bradley entered the dark room and placed Daniel gently onto the floor. He looked at the wound on the young man’s chest and nodded with satisfaction. The wound was closing up, which meant that the human body had accepted the liquid time.

Bradley straightened up, sensing a good boasting session coming on. He looked over at the beam of light and his smile dropped. Instead of seeing Nick still strung up in the beam of light he found Nick curled up on the floor. Bradley raised an eyebrow.

‘Still full of surprises, then, Nick.’ He began to walk across the room. ‘Not to worry, I have a surprise or two up my sleeve.’

Once he reached Nick, Bradley crouched down and rolled Nick over. As the light caught his face Nick began to stir. He opened his eyes, squinting at the light. He raised a hand, trying to block the light out.

‘Wha…’

Bradley gently brushed the hair off Nick’s face. ‘Nick, I was going to wait to bring you back to me, but after my little encounter with the Doctor I have decided why put off such a happy occasion?’ Roughly he grabbed Nick’s neck and lifted it towards his mouth. ‘As I said at your wedding, I do so hate being interrupted when I am eating!’

Bradley opened his mouth and covered Nick’s neck. He bit down and the sharp teeth pierced the soft flesh beneath. Nick convulsed in pain. For many minutes neither of them moved as Bradley continued to drain the blood out of Nick’s body. Once done, Bradley gently lowered Nick’s head back onto the ground.

‘Now, it’s your turn,’ he said softly and slit open an artery in his wrist. He lowered his arm towards Nick’s open mouth. Without warning Nick lifted his own arm and clamped a hand around Bradley’s wrist. He opened his eyes, which glowed with a previously unseen radiance.

‘Dream on!’ Nick grabbed Bradley by the neck with his other hand and rose to a standing position. Bradley was held out before Nick like a rag doll. ‘You should have turned me before, when you had the chance.’ Without further ado Nick flung Bradley across the length of the room. He looked around. ‘My, it is dark in here, isn’t it? How about some light!’ He threw his hands into the air and the whole room was illuminated.

Nick was no longer naked. Instead he was clothed in soft black materials, with a long leather coat over the top. Bradley struggled to a sitting position and looked at Nick in surprise.

Nick, too, was surprised, but he quickly realised what had happened. The multiple voices in his head told all he needed to know. ‘Well, I’ll be buggered. I’m a God again. And I have a very important mission.’ He smiled at Bradley as realisation dawned on him. ‘First I think it is about time I tidied up this one loose end for my old friend and mentor.’

‘You’re a God again?’ Bradley spat. ‘This is the second time you’ve done this to me.’

Nick winked. ‘What can I say? You and I were not meant to be. Sorry. No bringing Nicholas back for you.’

Bradley glanced down at Daniel’s body. ‘Fine. Then let a God destroy you!’ He ripped open his wrist further and splattered the blood over Daniel’s sealed wound.

Daniel’s skin started bubbling. Nick looked on, doing his best to look interested. Slowly the bubbling subsided and Daniel lifted himself off the floor. He lifted his head and opened his eyes. The eyes were pure liquid time. Daniel’s lips curled into a smile.

‘You’re one of the Millennium People,’ he stated. ‘Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ashgotoroth. I am Liquid Time!’ The body that was once Daniel indicated Bradley. ‘I created the Kuang-Shi. What a challenge it will be to create of new breed from your People.’

Nick laughed. ‘You have no idea, do you?’

As if in response Ashgotoroth launched himself at Nick. Nick was powerless to respond. Within seconds he was trapped beneath Daniel’s body, and no matter how hard he tried he could not move. Ashgotoroth opened his mouth to reveal teeth that squirmed like the mercurial liquid time. With great force, Ashgotoroth clamped his jaw over Nick’s neck.