For each of us the road is clear and life has just begun;
The more we give, the more we love, the more we grow.
Cardinal Borusa had not changed since the Doctor had been at the Academy. He was still just as rigid, and just as set on plodding down the well-worn paths of Time Lord preconceptions. The Doctor almost smiled - It seemed not even a regeneration could change Borusa's mind about some things.
"The story you have told me is simply not acceptable." Borusa said, his thin hands clutching at the sides of his ornate desk chair.
"We're only telling you what happened." Sarah protested, eyes wide with indignation. Borusa looked at her
"That may be, but I cannot announce that one of the candidates to the Presidency - a well respected Chancellor, was in league with a despicable creature like the Master."
Spandrell nodded sagely, understanding. Engin looked nonplussed...and Sarah was almost spluttering with indignation.
"So, you're going to lie to people? Is that it?" The disgust in Sarah's voice was palpable. She had seen this practice on her own world - politicians desperate to keep their status quo intact would bend and twist things until they came out the way they wanted to.
"Miss Smith, sometimes in order to maintain the public confidence and prevent scandal, it is necessary to...adjust the truth."
"We Time Lords have a vital role in protecting the balance of space/time in the universe," Spandrell interjected, "We cannot be distracted from that by a public scandal."
The Doctor snorted in amusement...vital role indeed...
"A much more acceptable story would be that the Master assassinated the President. Goth discovered this and tracked him down and killed him before dying himself...yes, much more acceptable." Borusa looked up, "Spandrell, see that is the story delivered to all the information services."
"Yes sir." Spandrell saluted and walked out.
"You're going to turn Goth into a hero..." Sarah murmured quietly, shaking her head.
"Well, Borusa, now all this nasty business has been cleared up, am I free to go?" The Doctor asked, stepping forward.
"Of course, Doctor, as soon as you have assisted Coordinator Engin in compiling a new bio-data profile for the Master."
Sarah rolled her eyes. For a moment there, she had hoped she could finally go home...back to the TARDIS.
"Only in mathematics will we find truth." The Doctor quoted suddenly as he and Sarah followed Engin back to the records section.
"What?" Sarah asked, puzzled.
"Oh, Borusa used to say that all the time when I was in the Academy...now it looks like he's setting out to prove it."
The Doctor flung himself into a chair near the door, while Engin bustled about, setting up a blank bio-data solid for the Master's new profile.
"Now, Doctor," Engin began, "Can you describe the Master's personality for me?"
"Bad." The Doctor replied. Sarah fought down a laugh as Engin looked mildly exasperated.
"Can't you be a little more specific?" Engin asked, but the Doctor didn't seem to hear him. Sarah bent down next to him, recognising the distant, thoughtful look on his face - something was bothering him...a little niggle he couldn't seem to get rid of.
"Doctor?" She asked, "What is it?"
"Hmm...I was just thinking why The Master would need to control the President. After all, he's just an elected official who presides over the council..."
"He also holds the Relics from the Old Time, Doctor." Engin pointed out.
"Relics?" Sarah asked.
"The Sash of Rassilon and the Great Key..."
"Ah!" The Doctor exclaimed with a brilliant grin.
"What is it, Doctor?" She asked, though knowing full well he had been hit by one of those sudden flashes of lightning inspiration.
"I can feel my hair curling," He grinned, "And that means either it's going to rain, or I'm on to something." With a quick motion, he was out of his chair, peering over Engin's console.
"Who was Rassilon anyway?" Sarah asked, more to distract Engin from the Doctor's antics than anything else.
"Rassilon was the Founder of modern Time Lord civilisation. He created the Eye of Harmony, where our power to Time Travel comes from..."
"In his own time he was known mainly as an Architect and Engineer." The Doctor put in, looking up briefly.
Engin went to another console, "I have a modern transgram of the Book of the Old Time here if you would care to hear it."
Sarah and the Doctor both nodded. The Doctor wanted to refresh his memory, hoping the book might provide him with a few clues. Sarah was simply fascinated to hear more about the mysterious past of her beloved's people.
A soft, female voice began to filter through the speakers.
"And Rassilon journeyed into the black void with a great fleet. Within the void no light would shine and nothing of that outer nature continue in being except that which existed within the Sash of Rassilon. Now Rassilon found the Eye of Harmony, which balances all things that they may neither flux nor wither nor change their state in any measure; and he caused the Eye to be brought to the world of Gallifrey, wherein he sealed this beneficence with the Great Key. Then the people rejoiced."
"Neither flux...nor wither nor change their state..." The Doctor muttered, "Of course! A black hole!"
"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Sarah asked impatiently.
"Don't you see Sarah? Rassilon took a black hole and stabilised it so it wouldn't flux or change...the Master wanted to use that power to give himself a new regeneration cycle..."
The Doctor's excited explanation was interrupted when a uniformed guard walked in carrying a small object.
"Excuse me, sir," The guard said politely to the Doctor, "But we found this near where the Master's body was, and Castellan Spandrell said we should show it to you." He held out the object, which turned out to be a small syringe. The Doctor broke it open and cautiously sniffed at its contents.
"Tricophenylaldehyde," The Doctor identified it with a worried frown, "A neural inhibitor..."
"But, does that mean..." Sarah asked warily. The Doctor nodded slowly.
"The Master isn't dead..."
The more we give, the more we love, the more we grow.
Cardinal Borusa had not changed since the Doctor had been at the Academy. He was still just as rigid, and just as set on plodding down the well-worn paths of Time Lord preconceptions. The Doctor almost smiled - It seemed not even a regeneration could change Borusa's mind about some things.
"The story you have told me is simply not acceptable." Borusa said, his thin hands clutching at the sides of his ornate desk chair.
"We're only telling you what happened." Sarah protested, eyes wide with indignation. Borusa looked at her
"That may be, but I cannot announce that one of the candidates to the Presidency - a well respected Chancellor, was in league with a despicable creature like the Master."
Spandrell nodded sagely, understanding. Engin looked nonplussed...and Sarah was almost spluttering with indignation.
"So, you're going to lie to people? Is that it?" The disgust in Sarah's voice was palpable. She had seen this practice on her own world - politicians desperate to keep their status quo intact would bend and twist things until they came out the way they wanted to.
"Miss Smith, sometimes in order to maintain the public confidence and prevent scandal, it is necessary to...adjust the truth."
"We Time Lords have a vital role in protecting the balance of space/time in the universe," Spandrell interjected, "We cannot be distracted from that by a public scandal."
The Doctor snorted in amusement...vital role indeed...
"A much more acceptable story would be that the Master assassinated the President. Goth discovered this and tracked him down and killed him before dying himself...yes, much more acceptable." Borusa looked up, "Spandrell, see that is the story delivered to all the information services."
"Yes sir." Spandrell saluted and walked out.
"You're going to turn Goth into a hero..." Sarah murmured quietly, shaking her head.
"Well, Borusa, now all this nasty business has been cleared up, am I free to go?" The Doctor asked, stepping forward.
"Of course, Doctor, as soon as you have assisted Coordinator Engin in compiling a new bio-data profile for the Master."
Sarah rolled her eyes. For a moment there, she had hoped she could finally go home...back to the TARDIS.
"Only in mathematics will we find truth." The Doctor quoted suddenly as he and Sarah followed Engin back to the records section.
"What?" Sarah asked, puzzled.
"Oh, Borusa used to say that all the time when I was in the Academy...now it looks like he's setting out to prove it."
The Doctor flung himself into a chair near the door, while Engin bustled about, setting up a blank bio-data solid for the Master's new profile.
"Now, Doctor," Engin began, "Can you describe the Master's personality for me?"
"Bad." The Doctor replied. Sarah fought down a laugh as Engin looked mildly exasperated.
"Can't you be a little more specific?" Engin asked, but the Doctor didn't seem to hear him. Sarah bent down next to him, recognising the distant, thoughtful look on his face - something was bothering him...a little niggle he couldn't seem to get rid of.
"Doctor?" She asked, "What is it?"
"Hmm...I was just thinking why The Master would need to control the President. After all, he's just an elected official who presides over the council..."
"He also holds the Relics from the Old Time, Doctor." Engin pointed out.
"Relics?" Sarah asked.
"The Sash of Rassilon and the Great Key..."
"Ah!" The Doctor exclaimed with a brilliant grin.
"What is it, Doctor?" She asked, though knowing full well he had been hit by one of those sudden flashes of lightning inspiration.
"I can feel my hair curling," He grinned, "And that means either it's going to rain, or I'm on to something." With a quick motion, he was out of his chair, peering over Engin's console.
"Who was Rassilon anyway?" Sarah asked, more to distract Engin from the Doctor's antics than anything else.
"Rassilon was the Founder of modern Time Lord civilisation. He created the Eye of Harmony, where our power to Time Travel comes from..."
"In his own time he was known mainly as an Architect and Engineer." The Doctor put in, looking up briefly.
Engin went to another console, "I have a modern transgram of the Book of the Old Time here if you would care to hear it."
Sarah and the Doctor both nodded. The Doctor wanted to refresh his memory, hoping the book might provide him with a few clues. Sarah was simply fascinated to hear more about the mysterious past of her beloved's people.
A soft, female voice began to filter through the speakers.
"And Rassilon journeyed into the black void with a great fleet. Within the void no light would shine and nothing of that outer nature continue in being except that which existed within the Sash of Rassilon. Now Rassilon found the Eye of Harmony, which balances all things that they may neither flux nor wither nor change their state in any measure; and he caused the Eye to be brought to the world of Gallifrey, wherein he sealed this beneficence with the Great Key. Then the people rejoiced."
"Neither flux...nor wither nor change their state..." The Doctor muttered, "Of course! A black hole!"
"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Sarah asked impatiently.
"Don't you see Sarah? Rassilon took a black hole and stabilised it so it wouldn't flux or change...the Master wanted to use that power to give himself a new regeneration cycle..."
The Doctor's excited explanation was interrupted when a uniformed guard walked in carrying a small object.
"Excuse me, sir," The guard said politely to the Doctor, "But we found this near where the Master's body was, and Castellan Spandrell said we should show it to you." He held out the object, which turned out to be a small syringe. The Doctor broke it open and cautiously sniffed at its contents.
"Tricophenylaldehyde," The Doctor identified it with a worried frown, "A neural inhibitor..."
"But, does that mean..." Sarah asked warily. The Doctor nodded slowly.
"The Master isn't dead..."