Back in the Fantasy Factory, the junior Mr Popplewick had been busy in the office of his senior partner, trying to file the forms that he had just completed, when the Doctor and his two young companions came striding in.
"Oh, it's you again, sir," Popplewick said wearily.
"Yes, can't seem to be able to stay away," smiled the Doctor pleasantly. "I was actually hoping to have a quick look about the forms in Mr Popplewick senior's office as a matter of fact."
"I'm sorry sir, but that is out of the question," said Popplewick firmly. "Without a form of permission from a senior member of staff, I cannot allow you to go through any of our files."
An idea popped into Peri's head. "Hey, what about this?" she asked as she held out the Matrix key that she had snatched from the Keeper earlier. "I mean, this gives us access to the whole of the Matrix. Doesn't that also give us the right to poke around your books and things?"
Popplewick examined the key for a moment and then meekly nodded in agreement. "Yes, that seems in order, young lady. Very well, you may have a look around, but do please try not to make a mess. As I'm sure you've been informed, order is everything in this establishment."
"I assure you, we'll endeavour to leave this place as gloomy and dull as it always has been," guaranteed the Doctor. With a courteous nod, the junior Mr Popplewick left the room to focus on some other tasks at hand. As soon as the clerk was out of sight and earshot, the Doctor began to search the room, rummaging through the old desk and dusty shelves.
"I still reckon we'd be better off outside the Matrix," remarked Mel. "It seems to me we should try and draw the Valeyard out to where the odds would be more even."
"And how do we do that?" asked the Doctor, only half-listening as he rummaged through some documents in the drawers of the desk.
"I hate to say this but, er, use you as bait," suggested Mel a little awkwardly.
"Oh come off it, we saw the Master try to use that trick already a few minutes ago," pointed out Peri. "This Chambers guy isn't likely to fall for it a second time."
"Indeed," agreed the Doctor. "Besides, we are rather assuming that I'm the only one he's after."
Peri and Mel exchanged puzzled looks. "Huh?" said Peri at last.
"Well doesn't it strike you as rather odd that my trial has been taking place on a derelict space station and not on Gallifrey?" said the Doctor. "For such a major show-trial, why would the High Council have it take place in a particularly remote part of space and time?"
"Don't ask me," said Mel. "I'm finding all this crazy enough as it is."
She noticed the waiting room door and went over to take a look inside. She took hold of the handle, pulled it open...
"Don't go through that..." the Doctor began in alarm.
Too late. No sooner had Mel opened the door, she found herself facing a giant scaly red dragon! With an angry roar, the dragon hissed flames at Mel, causing her to scream in alarm, while Peri hurriedly ran over and slammed the door shut.
"...door," completed the Doctor weakly before he resumed his search.
Meanwhile in the empty adjoining office, Sabalom Glitz was conducting a vigorous search of his own. Unwilling to simply play along to the Master's tune, he had decided first to have a rummage around the Factory for anything valuable that he could nick and sell off at a very high price. Turning his attention to the junior Popplewick's desk, he lifted the lid to have a peek inside. What he saw inside made his eyes widen and his jaw drop in delighted surprise. Slowly and carefully, he removed from the desk an object resembling a large brown metal cassette box. Glitz could not help but tremble with glee as he examined the object in his hands. A treasure box was a fairly large payment in itself, but this...
"Sticky fingers, Mister Glitz?" came a dry voice from the main door. Glitz looked up to see that the senior Popplewick had quietly entered the room, an old fashioned top hat held firmly in his hand.
"The Matrix memory bank," said Glitz at last, looking back down at the data storage box in his hand. "I thought this was destroyed on Ravalox."
"That was a duplicate. This is the master tape," explained Popplewick as he strode into the room.
Glitz looked over the box with all-too obvious greed. "Phase three, four, five and six. All the secrets of the Matrix."
"Not all," admitted Popplewick. "The primitive phases one and two have been relegated to the archives. Now kindly put it back and do as you're told."
But Glitz did not put the box back. Instead, he held the object firmly to his chest as though it was one of the most valuable treasures in the universe. Which indeed it was.
"I'd give my soul for this," breathed Glitz truthfully, unwilling to lose the secrets of the Matrix a second time.
"You would? Would you, indeed?" said Popplewick coldly as pulled out an old nineteenth-century ball pistol from the inside of his hat and aimed it point-blank at Glitz.
Glitz gave a nervous laugh and drew back a few steps. "Heh, you'd like to negotiate, Mister Popplewick? Sir?"