Chapter 20

Exploring

Turlough noticed that the Doctor seemed disappointed with what they found in the seemingly endless tunnel system. The caves were illuminated by a strange sort of natural phosphorescence, which the Doctor had dismissed as being "nothing out of the ordinary." Apparently he had been expecting something a little more, well, out of the ordinary.

Eventually Turlough sat down on a boulder while the Time Lord explored further. After several minutes, his mind started to wander. "Doctor, have you ever wondered—?" The instant the Doctor looked up Turlough realized what a stupid question he was about to ask and broke off.

"Have I ever wondered what?" the Doctor asked.

"Never mind. Silly question."

The Doctor gave him a dark look. As his companion had surmised, he was more than a little disappointed. He had read about a cave of unparalleled beauty near the Palace of Joining and had even seen references to it in the Tel-Shyen legends he had encountered in the library. He was hoping it was more than a myth. Now it seemed this was not to be, and his companion's dangling question only added to his annoyance.

"What is a silly question?" he asked irritably

"Well…" Turlough began self-consciously. "I was going to ask if you'd ever wondered what it would be like to change your appearance like the Alterrans."

The Doctor blinked. Then he chuckled, finally having to turn away in an unsuccessful attempt to conceal the fact that he was laughing.

"I told you it was a silly question!" Turlough exploded, thinking it was quite possibly the dumbest thing he had ever asked. Here he was asking someone who could regenerate if he wondered what it would be like to alter his appearance.

"I'm sorry, Turlough," the Doctor grinned. "I'm not laughing at you." His companion looked less than convinced. "As a matter of fact, I have wondered what it would be like. I've only a limited number of regenerations, you know. And watching Jason shift from one form to another in the blink of an eye has always been rather fascinating."

Turlough smiled halfheartedly, hiding his embarrassment with the suggestion that they return to the mansion for some lunch, or at least something cold to drink. With any luck Jason would be back soon.

Tegan and Shadra's excursion had proved far from disappointing. They were given the Royal treatment wherever they went and Tegan reflected on how nice it was to be surrounded by such friendly people. It was a welcome change from armed guards snarling out death threats.

As they were preparing to return to the Palace, Tegan suddenly realized that she had never thanked the Doctor for giving in to her pleas and accepting the King's invitation. Now that she knew of their touchy relationship, she made a mental note to thank him the moment she returned.

As he exited the caves, the Doctor spotted an unusual formation of crystals near the entrance and went over to examine them. He wondered why he hadn't noticed them before and knelt down to get a better look, only to have his companions pull impatiently at his sleeve.

"Come on, Doctor. We've seen enough rocks today."

"Hmm? Oh, you go on ahead," the Doctor said absently, not taking his eyes from the glittering stones. "I'll catch you up."

Turlough sighed heavily, resigning himself to the fact that he was on his own again. Turning, he started plodding his way back up the beach.

A moment later an old man appeared. He was hunched over with age, his white hair and beard only accentuating his antiquated appearance. He had watched the pair emerge from the cave and only came out of hiding when the Doctor was alone, ambling over to where the Time Lord knelt before the crystals. "Good day to you, sir," he said urbanely. "Are you a spelunker, by chance?"

"Of a sort," came the vague reply.

"So? You've seen the Crystal Cavern, then?"

Intrigued, the Doctor finally looked up. "Crystal Cavern?"

"At the end of the path," the old man said, pointing to a footpath at the base of the cliff. "There's a round stone door that moves easily to the touch." With a smile, he added tantalizingly, "The Cavern is most beautiful."

Rising to his feet, the Doctor looked up to see his companion trudging up the lawn to the Palace. He thanked his unusual guide and then set off in the direction indicated. Surely Turlough wouldn't mind if he took a quick peek.

Within minutes the Doctor found himself in a large cavern exactly as the old man had described. The floor was intricately inlaid with a spectacular sunburst that was flanked on either side by a circular half-moon. The black polished stonewalls glistened with thousands of crystals that bathed the vast silent chamber in a rich multicolored glow.

Momentarily overcome by the Cavern's exquisite beauty, the Doctor stood at the entrance in awe. "Breathtaking," he whispered. This was the place he had been searching for. He stepped slowly and reverently inside, feeling as if quick movements might upset the Cavern's almost tangible serenity.

Gazing up at the hundreds of crystals as he crossed the room, the Doctor stepped onto one of the circular half-moons and it immediately rose half a metre out of the floor. Before he had the chance to absorb this curious phenomenon, a shaft of white light streaked down from directly overhead, holding him in its midst and rooting him to the spot.

The Doctor immediately decided that panicking would not only be pointless, but also counter-productive. He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath in order to clear his mind and steady himself. It was then that he heard a familiar mocking laugh coming from the shadows in the far corner and cursed himself for having let his curiosity get the better of him. If he'd had his wits about him, he would have suspected the appearance of the mysterious crystals and the peculiar guide as being just a little too convenient.

"You're so easily led, Doctor," the Master needled as he stepped from the shadows to face his immobilized adversary. "Like a lamb to the slaughter."