The morning dawned gray and cold. Heavy clouds foretold a damp day. The Doctor's mood was unaffected by the weather, however. He was eager to shown Gerran the work he had done in the foundry. The two men departed shortly after breakfast. Nyssa wanted to return Vuir's book, which she carefully wrapped in oilskin to protect it from the drizzle. Tegan thought she might see if she could help Cira. Adric arose late, just as the Doctor was leaving. The boy appeared tired still, blinking at the firelight and rubbing at his eyes.
"Come on, sleepyhead," Tegan chided good-naturedly. "I'm just about to go to Cira's house. Your little playmate is probably waiting for you.
Adric frowned. "He's not my playmate!"
The Doctor said, "He does seem to have taken to you. I'm sure he misses having an older male in his life."
"What are you talking about?" asked Adric.
"Oh, yes, you'd already gone yesterday when Gerran told us that Rannal's father died last year," the Doctor explained briefly.
"I didn't know that." Adric's tone was noticeably subdued. "He didn't tell me."
"Well, whatever time you can spend with him will mean a great deal to him, I'm sure," the Doctor said.
Adric nodded. "All right. Maybe I can show him the Pythagorean theorem or something simple like that today—"
Tegan sighed. "You don't need to show him any more maths! Just have fun with him—play a game."
"Like what? Do you think he has a chess board?"
With a dramatic roll of her eyes, Tegan took Adric's arm and began leading him toward the door. "Haven't you ever heard of noughts and crosses or hang man?"
She explained the finer points of these simple games as they hurried through the mist toward Cira's house.
------
Vuir was not in her home when Nyssa arrived. The door was open, however, and the young Traken woman entered, intending to return the book and then leave. She set the book on the table, next to several sheets of blank paper. Thinking that she would leave a brief note of thanks, Nyssa sat for a moment to dip a quill pen into ink. She wrote a few words of gratitude before the ink began to seep through the paper. Hastily she lifted the sheet to prevent it from ruining the one beneath it, recalling that Vuir had explained that paper-making was a relatively time-consuming process.
Under the top sheet Nyssa found a page of hand-written notes. She did not intend to pry, but the name Lara, listed between several others, caught her eye. She had begun to skim the words when the door opened and Vuir stepped inside.
"What are you doing?" the healer asked sharply.
Nyssa looked up. "Oh, I'm sorry! I was leaving a note for you—"
Vuir quickly reached for the page before Nyssa and snatched it up. "This is private."
"Of course. I didn't mean anything—"
Vuir set the page on a high shelf then turned back to Nyssa, who had risen and begun moving toward the door. "I am sorry," she said sincerely.
The healer's expression softened. "As am I. You've been very helpful to me and have taught me a great deal. Please stay. I'll make some tea."
Nyssa nodded. "All right. Thank you."
As Vuir prepared the tea, Nyssa asked gently, "Lara was Ellea and Gerran's child, wasn't she?"
"Yes. They told you about her?" The woman's tone conveyed surprise.
"No. I'm afraid that I found her blanket by accident. Tegan hurt her hands, and I was looking for the antiseptic you told me about… "
"Lara was very weak," Vuir responded softly, "ever since her birth. I prepared tonics for her and prescribed a diet rich in vitamins and minerals for Ellea, but it did no good. The child lasted less than three months."
"I'm so sorry. It must have been terrible for them."
"It was terrible for all of us. And she was my great-niece. There should have been something more that I could have done for her. If only I had more knowledge—"
"I'm sure you did everything that you could," Nyssa assuaged her.
"It wasn't enough." Vuir set a mug before Nyssa. "Where you come from she could have been saved."
Nyssa touched Vuir's hand. "You don't know that."
"But the equipment and facilities available there—the medicines created by scientists who understand all of the chemistry that you've tried to explain to me—the machines that can keep people alive— In your world she wouldn't have died. None of them would have died." The older woman lowered her head.
There had been several names on the list with Lara's. Nyssa wondered whether these were individuals who Vuir felt she had not been capable of saving. "There are some injuries and illnesses that even the most advanced medicine can't overcome," she said.
"But if we were back in your world, a baby like Lara wouldn't have died, would she?"
Nyssa hesitated, reticent to lie but aware that the truth would be devastating. "I really don't know," she finally replied. "Without knowing precisely what caused her illness I can't tell you."
"I just wish I could know more." Vuir lifted the mug to her lips with a slightly trembling hand, her eyes focused intently upon Nyssa's earnest face.
------
Adric and Rannal were engaged in a heated noughts and crosses rematch. The little boy had shown a rapid grasp of basic strategy and, when permitted to take the first turn, was unbeatable. Adric was growing bored of the game, but the child's happy expression urged him to continue playing.
Tegan sat with Morra near the fireplace, helping the girl to weave a simple basket. Cira had shown their visitor what to do, and Tegan found the work relaxing. Morra asked her many questions, but, unlike the adults from the village, her queries concerned her new friend's family and various animals that Tegan had seen or knew about. Morra was particularly fascinated with kangaroos.
"I wish I could see one," the girl said wistfully.
"I can draw a picture for you," Tegan offered.
"But it won't be like seeing a real one!"
"No," Tegan conceded, "I suppose not, but it's better than nothing, don't you think?"
Rannal looked up from the game grid on his slate, catching his sister's eye. She shook her head and turned away.
"Tegan," said Cira, entering the room from the kitchen. "I need to get some milk. Do you mind staying here for a few minutes? I'm just going to walk over to the goat pens."
Pleased to have the woman's trust, Tegan answered, "Of course. I'd be glad to stay with the children."
Adric shot her a scowl, but she ignored him. Cira gathered up her bucket and left.
"How big are the kangaroo babies?" asked Morra, still interested in the topic.
"When they're born they're very, very tiny," Tegan began explaining. She lifted her hand and held her thumb and forefinger a few centimeters apart. "No bigger than this. That's why they have to stay in their mum's pouch for a long time."
"Do they look like their momma?"
"Not when they're first born—"
"I want to see a baby kangaroo!" the child announced, standing.
"I can draw one of them, too," Tegan began, but Rannal stood up, too, and addressed his sister.
"Look at one," he said, moving his eyes to Tegan then back to Morra.
The little girl's eyes widened. "No, Rannal! I'm not allowed!"
"No one will know. I won't tell," her brother assured her.
"But Momma says we mustn't—only at worship and to remember—"
An amused smile had formed on Tegan's face in response to this silly childish banter. She returned to her work on the basket. She did not see Rannal spear his sister with a challenging look.
"Go on," he urged.
Hesitantly Morra returned to Tegan's side. "What—what color are the baby kangaroos?" she asked.
Tegan began to reply, "Pink when they're first born," but when Morra placed her hands on the Australian's head she stopped speaking. Her eyelids lowered, and her mouth dropped open.
Rannal had positioned himself in front of Adric, who had ignored the children's conversation in favor of scratching out an equation on the slate. The little boy smiled gleefully and pressed his palms over Adric's temples. The chalky stone dropped abruptly from Adric's limp hand.
------
When Cira returned she found Tegan drawing as Morra watched her with a quiet smile. Adric and Rannal were just finishing another round of noughts and crosses, and Rannal was emerging yet again as the victor. Adric rubbed a hand over his forehead and eyes.
"You win," he said tiredly.
Noticing the expression on Adric's face, Cira said, "You've worn out our guests with your games and drawings. Adric and Tegan need to go now. Ellea will have lunch for them soon."
"But can't they stay, Momma?" asked Rannal. "They're showing us so many things! Tegan's making a kangaroo for Morra, and Adric showed me how to play this game."
"No, they've given you quite enough of their time."
With a grateful half-smile Adric stood. "Come on, Tegan," she said.
Tegan did not appear to hear him at first. He touched her shoulder, and she looked up. "What?"
"Let's get back to Ellea and Gerran's house. It's lunchtime."
Tegan nodded. "All right." She pushed the paper toward Morra. "Here you are. Now you can see what a kangaroo looks like."
Morra smiled sweetly. "Thank you."
Tegan and Adric hurried through the drizzle toward their hosts' home. However, the Doctor's voice stopped them as they passed the foundry. The Time Lord stood in the doorway grinning. He beckoned them toward him.
"You look pleased with yourself," Tegan said.
"Indeed," replied the Doctor. "As soon as the men can gather enough sand they'll be able to make glass."
Tegan was chilly and wet. "Good for you," she muttered. "But I'm more interested in getting inside where it's dry and warm. Excuse me." She hastened back along the path toward the edge of the village.
The Doctor took Adric's arm. "Come and see what we're going to do. I think you'll find it quite interesting."
Adric stepped inside. There was a large fire blazing in the center of the room. It seemed terribly bright to him. He squinted, his eyes watering immediately in the glare. He had to look away.
"—will easily reach a temperature of 1,200 degrees, which will be sufficient to fuse the ingredients into glass," the Doctor was explaining enthusiastically.
Adric rubbed at his watering eyes, murmuring something rather incoherent.
"Pardon me?" the Doctor asked, finally turning from the brazier to glance at Adric.
"It sounds fine," Adric said, still rubbing at his eyes. The light was so intense; he couldn't imagine why it wasn't bothering the Doctor.
"Have you got something in your eye?"
"I don't know—the light's so bright."
The Doctor gently lowered Adric's hands. "Let me see."
Adric had squeezed his eyes shut automatically, but he forced himself to open them. The Doctor tilted his head upward as Adric blinked uncontrollably.
"Turn away from the fire," said the Doctor, urging Adric to move with a hand at his shoulder. Adric complied, but the light still seemed unnaturally glaring to him.
"I don't see anything on the cornea or conjunctiva. Your pupils are dilated though," the Doctor commented, studying his companion's eyes, "more so than this light should warrant."
"Which means what?"
"I'm not sure. It could be—" The Doctor stopped speaking for a moment.
Adric saw that his friend's gaze had lowered slightly. He touched his lip; it was wet. When he saw the blood on his hand he was only mildly surprised. "Not again," he muttered.
The Doctor reached into his pocket for a handkerchief. Adric wondered for just a moment where the Time Lord kept his seemingly endless supply of hankies. As the Doctor folded the cloth and brought it toward Adric's nose, the Alzarian huffed, "I know—head back."
"Yes." The Doctor's tone was neutral, but even through his watery gaze Adric saw the concern in his face.
------
Tegan was thoroughly chilled by the time she returned to the house. Her clothes and hair were wet, and Ellea immediately offered her a cozy dressing gown. Tegan went into her room to change, though she thought that she might have preferred to remain by the warm fire rather than hurriedly disrobe in the unheated chamber. She slipped off her blouse; the synthetic fabric felt like ice water against her skin.
There was a light tapping at the door, and Ellea entered with a pitcher of steaming water and a towel. She poured it into a bowl on the dresser, saying, "Bathing your hands and face in warm water will help you to warm up. I'm making some tea for you as well."
Tegan thanked her kind hostess and dipped her hands into the basin and permitted them to soak for nearly a minute. She bent down to splash some water on her face, closing her eyes tightly as she did so. She did not see the small trickle of blood that flowed from her nose toward her upper lip. Indeed, the water washed it away. The pink tinge was nearly invisible against the dark sienna-colored clay that had been used to make the basin. By the time Tegan had splashed her face again, the flow had ceased.
She straightened, drying her face as she did, then she donned the dressing gown and walked softly down the hall for her tea.
------
Tegan and Ellea had just sat down to tea when the Doctor escorted Adric through the front door with a hand on his arm. The boy was squinting and still rubbing at his eyes. His nose had stopped bleeding after a few minutes, but he was pale and appeared tired.
"You look terrible," Tegan commented.
"Thanks a lot," Adric replied tersely.
Watching the way the Doctor guided the young man through the room, Tegan asked, "What's the matter?"
"Something is irritating his eyes," the Doctor said. "Let's try flushing them with warm water."
Ellea had just taken a sip of tea. She coughed and set her cup on the table; her hand seemed unsteady, and some tea splashed out onto the polished wood. "I'll—I'll get it," she said.
The Doctor settled Adric in a chair near the fire, but the Alzarian turned his head away from the light. Tegan brought him a cloth napkin, which he accepted and used to wipe at his eyes.
"Gently," cautioned the Doctor. He took a small torch from his pocket and lifted Adric's chin to shine the beam of light into his left eye. Adric flinched and wrenched his head away.
"Do you mind?" he asked testily. "That's really bright!"
"That's the point, isn't it?" the Doctor responded perfunctorily. "If it weren't bright I wouldn't be able to see your eyes very well, would I? Hold still and this won't take long."
Adric acquiesced somewhat uncomfortably and attempted to remain still, but the light was excruciating, and he felt tears flowing uncontrollably from his eyes. After a few seconds he lifted his hand to push the Doctor's arm away. "Stop it—please," he said, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
The Doctor caught Tegan's worried look and shook his head subtly, lifting the napkin back to Adric's eyes. Ellea returned with a basin of water, which Adric used to splash his eyes lightly.
"Any better?" asked the Doctor, peering carefully at the subjects of his inquiry.
"I don't know—maybe." Adric brushed his hand over his wet cheek.
"Here, let me," Tegan offered, taking the napkin and beginning to wipe a dry corner over his face.
Adric frowned. "I can do that myself!" He plucked the cloth from her hand and began to stand. However, the floor seemed to sway beneath him, and he wondered for an instant if there were an earthquake. Hadn't the Doctor said something about a temblor causing the rockslide?
"Adric?" The Doctor's voice sounded rather fuzzy. It took Adric a moment to realize that he was sitting back in the chair. The room seemed very dim for a few seconds. Someone's hand was on his shoulder.
"What happened?" he asked. "Was it an earthquake?"
The slight pause before anyone responded told him that he had been mistaken. It was Tegan who finally answered him. "No, Adric. You began to fall."
The Doctor took his arm and urged him upward. "Come on. You're going to lie down for a bit."
"But I'm—" he began to protest automatically, always resistant to being treated like a child. And now the Doctor was sending him off for a nap… But he did feel tired. Perhaps a few minutes of sleep would help. He allowed his friend to lead him down the hallway and into the bedroom, sinking gratefully down onto the mattress with an involuntary sigh.
When the Doctor returned to the living room a few minutes later, Tegan immediately asked about Adric.
"He's sleeping," the Time Lord replied shortly.
"But what's the matter with him? Is he sick?"
"I don't know. Illness in an Alzarian is very unlikely; his immune response capabilities should prevent any diseases from developing."
"He was dizzy, right? Maybe he got hurt somehow when he was playing with Rannal, though they were just working on his slate today—"
The Doctor was pacing the room, hands clasped behind his back. "Yes, head injury was my initial thought—the pupillary response indicated concussion or other brain trauma at first—although his autogenous healing should quickly mend any damage. Anyway, I can't find any external evidence of head injury. And the nosebleeds—"
"Do you think it's related?"
"I'm not sure, but he's had three in the last three days."
The front door opened, and Gerran entered the house, shaking water from his hat. The rain was falling heavily now, darkening the village as thick, black clouds blanketed the sky.
"Ah, Doctor, Tegan," Gerran greeted his guests. "I'm glad that you're back inside. It's a bad afternoon to be out." He quickly lit a small stick from a basket near the fireplace and used this to light the lamp that hung outside the door. When he stepped back inside, he asked, "Where are the boy and Nyssa? They shouldn't be out in this dark weather."
Ellea came out of the kitchen when she heard her husband's voice. She watched the visitors silently from the doorway, eyes flitting to Gerran's face frequently.
"I think Nyssa's still with Vuir," Tegan replied, "and Adric's lying down. He's taken ill."
"Ill?" Gerran frowned deeply. "How so?"
"Dizziness, sensitivity to the light," began the Doctor. "I need to get him back to the TARDIS."
"That's your ship?"
The Doctor nodded. "Yes."
"And you have medical equipment and supplies there? Like they have in the large cities on the populated planets?"
"Yes."
Gerran leaned against the door for a moment. "Is Adric also having nosebleeds?"
The Doctor looked up in surprise. "Yes. How did you know that?"
Gerran smiled, though to Tegan it appeared more like a grimace. "It's a common affliction among the young people here."
"You mean like some sort of childhood disease?" asked Tegan.
Gerran nodded in affirmation. "It's not serious."
"Is there a remedy?" asked the Doctor.
Gerran's smiled faded. "Yes—well, there's a tonic that helps. I'm afraid that the best thing for him is rest. He'll have to recover mostly on his own."
"Vuir is familiar with this malady?" the Time Lord inquired.
"Yes, of course. I can get her if you like."
"Yes, I'd like to speak with her so that I'll know what to look for when he's back in the TARDIS."
"Doctor, you really don't need to take him all the way back there, and certainly not in this weather," Gerran said.
"I can bring the TARDIS here," the Doctor replied.
"Just—just let me get Vuir before you do anything. All right?" Gerran's tone bordered on pleading.
The Doctor glanced at the ceiling. Rain drummed heavily on the roof. "All right."
Gerran lit a second lantern and turned toward the door, but Ellea's soft voice stopped him. "Be careful," she said.
"Of course. Vuir should be here in a few minutes."
Ellea hurried toward him. "Aren't you coming back with her?"
"I have to speak with Cira," he said in a low voice.
She leaned forward to kiss his cheek, whispering something in his ear.
He replied, "Don't worry, I won't do anything—I just need to let her know."
With a touch of his lips to her furrowed brow he stepped out into the dark, cold afternoon.
------
Nyssa was about fifty meters from the house when she saw Gerran hurrying along the pathway through the pouring rain. He carried a lantern beneath the oilskin cloak he wore. Vuir had given her a similar garment, but still Nyssa was damp and chilled.
"Nyssa!" Gerran called, recognizing her quickly.
She waved in acknowledgement as he neared her.
"Did you come from Vuir's house?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes. But she had to go visit an elderly woman—Perna, I think her name was."
"Yes, that's right. Thank you—I'll be able to find her quickly now."
"Is something the matter?"
Gerran glanced back in the direction of his house. "There's been an accident."
"Oh dear! What happened?"
He gestured out toward the batholith just to the south of the village. "Your friends—they went out to the hills again, and there was another rockslide."
Nyssa gasped and pressed her hand over her mouth. "All three of them?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
"Are they—do you know how badly they're hurt?"
"I'm not sure. There's a great deal of rock—I'm going to take some men with me to help—"
"I have to go out there," Nyssa said quickly. "Where are they exactly?"
"Just beyond my house—up by the first big hill. I know that at least Tegan is conscious. If you call her she can call back so you'll know precisely where they are. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Nyssa gave him a curt nod of acknowledgement then hastened off toward the dark hills.
------
"Tegan! Doctor! Adric! Where are you?"
Nyssa's voice seemed muffled by the rain pounding down to the ground all around her. She could barely see through the deluge, and the afternoon was nearly as dark as a moonless night. She stumbled along at the base of the batholith, listening for any response to her calls.
A thin, melancholy wail drifted through the rain. Nyssa stopped moving for a moment to listen. She heard it again, just ahead of her. She hurried forward, calling her friends' names again. Through the rain she saw a figure moving toward her with outstretched arms. She could not see clearly, but from the person's height she assumed it was the Doctor. He must have managed to dig himself out of the rockslide.
"Doctor!" she cried. "Are you all right?" She blinked at the water that washed over her eyes, reaching out for his hand.
When he was only a few meters away from her she realized that she had mistaken the person's identity. Like the Doctor, he had light hair, but it was plastered against his shoulders in long clumps. A thick beard covered the man's face. For an instant she recalled that the men she had seen in the village were clean-shaven.
The man lumbered toward her. Nyssa watched him in abject fascination. He was moving peculiarly in awkward, jerky steps. His arms remained extended before him, almost as though he needed them to maintain his balance. Perhaps he had been hurt in the rockslide, too.
"Are you all right?" she called.
He responded with a moan and continued trudging toward her.
"What's the matter?" she shouted over the din of the rain. "Were you caught in the rocks? Are you injured?"
He did not reply but continued shambling forward. It was not until he stood less than a meter away from her that Nyssa's heart began to pound in alarm. This man was completely unkempt with long, ragged fingernails and squalid clothing. He squinted at her, his mouth moving but producing only incoherent groans.
Nyssa turned to flee, instinctively knowing that she must get away. She ran a few steps before her feet slipped in the mud and she stumbled forward, falling to her hands and knees. She scrabbled to right herself, her palms sliding over the slick rock and mire. Something caught at her shoulder, hold her firmly. With a gasp she turned her head. The man had gripped her tightly and was now tugging her upward. He was much larger than she was, sturdier than the Doctor, and he pulled her to her feet with seemingly little effort.
"Please," she beseeched, "I have to get to my friends. They've been hurt—there was a rockslide. Can you help me to find them?"
He seemed to peer at her for a long time before he uttered several low cries. His hand remained wrapped around her shoulder, the nails pressing painfully into her skin. She clasped his wrist and tried to push his hand away.
"Please let me go!"
He grunted and dropped his hand for an instant. Nyssa took a step back, but his hand closed around her arm firmly. He turned, dragging her with him as he plodded back toward the edge of the batholith.
Nyssa's screams were drowned out completely by the drenching rain.