The Doctor stood with Telk on a ledge that overhung a high cavern. Far below, in the center of the cavern, stood an enormous brick hearth. It was formed into two concentric circles that surrounded a large hole in the cavern floor. Within the hole was a silvery fluid. Stron's men moved about the area. Two of them turned a crank pump which operated a gear driven bellows. Air moved into the trough and brought the fuel to a bright glow. Along the edge of the circular trough, an iron groove lay entrenched in the outer ring of brickwork. Within this groove, a bright yellow fluid bubbled.

"This is the lightening ring?" asked the Doctor.

Telk shook his head "No," he said softly. He moved carefully to the end of the ledge and pointed unmistakably to the fluid filled hole. "I have not seen it, but they say power emanates from it. Malik discovered it, then he built this..." Telk indicated the hearth.

The Doctor watched as a guard stepped up to the trough. In the guard's hands was a large sack like the ones the Doctor had discovered earlier. With a slow, smooth motion the man walked along the edge of the iron groove, emptying the salt into the bubbling fluid as he went.

"They're making it molten" the Doctor muttered "but why?"

Then, almost in answer, the men below moved quickly away from the hearth. Even the two men operating the bellows abandoned it and moved to the farthest reaches of the cavern. A hush fell over the workers as they waited in expectation They didn't have long to wait. A burst of light flashed on the surface of the silvery pond in the center of the hearth, then another. Soon the cavern was bathed a glowing white as spider-like bends of light crackled out from the fluid and danced over the surface of the hearth. Stray bolts of energy cut loose from the confining circle and ricocheted along the cavern walls. The Doctor and Telk dropped to the ledge as one of the bursts bounced off the wall behind their heads. It moved along the wall surface, turning and dancing like a living thing before rushing downward toward the hearth once more. Finally it ended. The crackling lessened, and the light dissipated. The men moved carefully toward the hearth. There, settled neatly in the iron groove, sat clusters of coal gray stones.

The Doctor smiled "Sodium."

"Soft rock" said Telk.

"Amazing!" the Doctor watched the hole with fascination "Malik has discovered an energy geyser, a natural battery that emits an electrical discharge at regular intervals... and he's using it to decompose molten salt." He exhaled sharply "Humphry Davy must be turning in his grave by now."

"Who?" Telk whispered.

"Sir Humphry Davy, interesting fellow. Well... when he wasn't on laughing gas anyway."

Telk looked at the Doctor in confusion.

"Never mind," he sighed "name dropping's pretty pointless when nobody knows who you're talking about." He tipped his head over the ledge and watched the men refuel the hearth. "Still, I can't see how Malik could use this as an effective weapon against the Toroth."

"It will not work?" asked Telk.

"I don't believe so."

Telk smiled with satisfaction "That would have pleased Corbek."

The Doctor turned to look at Telk "I was wondering when we'd come to that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well Malik made mention of a Toroth prince, and as you were partnerless when I arrived..."

Telk's face seemed to sag, he looked down at the chains binding him to the Doctor and let out a deep sigh. "Yes he was with me." He looked up at the Doctor "I had never seen his kind before, but he spoke just as I do, and there was no evil in him that I could see."

"What happened?"

"Malik tortured him... I watched him die."

The Doctor winced slightly, then returned to watching the guards far below. "Well, whatever Malik learned from him, it doesn't seem to have had much effect."

They were silent for several minutes, finally Telk spoke. "We should be getting back now."

"I'm not going back Telk, and neither are you."

Telk stared at him in disbelief "But the exits are guarded!" he pleaded.

"What, all of them?" The Doctor waved his hand around the cavern "With this veritable labyrinth of natural tunnels not one of them leads to an unguarded exit?"

Telk hesitated "There was a tunnel..." he said slowly.

"I thought there might be."

"The entrance is hidden, the guards know nothing of it."

"Perfect!"

"But what if we should be caught! No one who has used it to escape has been heard from again..."

The Doctor squeezed Telk's shoulder reassuringly "Can it be any worse than spending the rest of your days in here?"

Telk stood, contemplating the Doctor's words, then he nodded. "I will take you there." he said, the determination growing in his voice. "But we must hurry, there is little time." Telk turned and led the Doctor into the darkened passageway from which they had come.

Alison took in a deep breath of the fragrant air. She stood at the entrance of a stadium sized building. In the distance, trees blossomed in fiery reds and pinks. Sweet smelling, neatly trimmed grass ran the length of ground. Brinbeck stepped up behind her. "The indoor gardens" he said softly "a place well conducive to healing." As soon as she'd been able to walk without feeling dizzy Brinbek had told her of the gardens. They were apparently his favorite place in all the world, and one of the Toroth's greatest accomplishments. "My people began building it twenty years ago," Brinbek spoke again "not long before I was born. Now it provides most of our food supply."

"It's truly incredible!" Alison watched as Toroth children played, calling out to one another and flitting from tree to tree. Most of the surrounding walls and the high dome overhead were constructed of glass. Outside the Toroth city was a mixture of gold and white. Structures with smooth marble sides topped with shining domed roofs dotted the landscape. As intricate as the city's construction was, it was still locked in the hazy cold of near winter. But inside the gardens all was warmth and light. "How is it powered?" she asked, holding out her arms and feeling them bathed in a sunny glow.

Brinbeck's chest puffed outward and he seemed to grow taller. "Hydroelectric energy" he stated proudly.

"Impressive" said Alison.

"Yes... we were determined to recreate the accomplishments of your own world but also to learn from your mistakes." He glanced at her briefly, concerned that he might have offended her.

Alison smiled "Well you've done a marvelous job" she said reassuringly

"We do not yet understand all that your people have given us, but with time..."

"About that," Alison interrupted "we... really didn't come to this planet to share new technology."

Brinbek seemed to loose some of his height, but he nodded understandingly. "I suspected as much, had you known we were here you would never have gone to the Antazi." A silence fell between them. With an outstretched wing Brinbeck guided her into the shelter of the building, closing the door behind them.

"You haven't found him yet have you?" said Alison as she walked slowly in the soft grass.

"No."

"Then I'll have to look for him myself."

Brinbeck turned to look at her. His feathers ruffled slightly. "Do not let their similarity to your own form take you in, they are savages."

"Some of them are, I'll give you that" she muttered.

"And you are not yet well enough to travel."

Alison sighed. "I have to assume that the Doctor is in the same condition, and I doubt that he'll get the same kind of care that you've given me."

"Then some of my people will accompany you... after you have had an audience with my father."

"Why does he want to see me?"

A chuckle rose from Brinbeck throat. "It's been ages since humans were last here, my father was a mere child then. I suppose... in a way, that he wishes to reassure himself that you actually exist."

Alison smiled "Getting up there in years is he?"

Brinbek nodded "He has ruled well, when the time comes for him to leave this world there will be little for him to be ashamed of."

"And I suppose when your brother rules he will continue with all of this." Alison waved her hand at the surrounding trees.

Brinbek stiffened slightly and stopped walking. He turned to face her. "No, my brother has been deemed unworthy. I shall rule in his place."

"Oh," said Alison, suddenly feeling that she'd stumbled into a private matter. "I'm sure you'll do well." Brinbek bowed his head slightly and continued walking once more. Alison followed. As she walked, a sweep of purple flowered vines brushed her hair. She reached out to pluck one of the blossoms when a loud blasting sound echoed through the building. It was quickly followed by a second blast, and this one could be felt in the ground beneath her feet. "What was that?" she started.

"Black powder rifles" said Brinbek. He waved his wing toward one of the windows. Alison moved in the direction of the noise and peered into the distance. Five Toroth stood in an adjoining courtyard, each clad in a deep blue vest and each armed with what appeared to be a gun. A third blast sounded as the Toroth again fired at a distant target. "We've only just recently been exploring the defenses of your world" he said as he watched them take aim again "As you can see we've become quite well advanced."

"Yes" said Alison quietly, uncertainty creeping into her voice "Yes I see."