Several hours had passed since the Loran's & their weird companion had bothered Ogden. True night had fallen & the Shadowlands were blanketed in a murky darkness. A wind had picked up & now wailed & moaned as if a banshee was hurtling about the cottage, the shutters banging & crashing in protest. Little could be seen from outside his front window & for the first time he could not see the lights from the other farmsteads, far away on the hills. A momentary doubt entered the old man's head, but he shook it away as quickly as it had arrived.

"There's no trouble here." he muttered. "No aliens, just the Old Ones & Little People of Dargeth & I can deal with them."

He stroked a small medallion hanging around his neck & tucked under his night shirt.

"These Southerners are all the same. Head in the clouds & all they see is what's not there. But I sees what's here on the ground."

He chuckled & scratched his beard as he poured himself coffee. Sitting at the supper table, a roaring fire crackling & licking away in the fireplace to his right, he glanced out his window situated by the front door & thought for a moment he had seen a glint of something. Standing up, he cautiously made his way over to the window & peered out into the gloom.

"Nothing." he said shakily. "It don't do well to talk of the White Ones, not in the dead of night. Bloody fool Loran's have got me thinking when I should be doing. Theys come to a sticky end, or my names not Durban Ogden."

For another hour, he pottered about in the kitchen, cleaning his supper plates & stoking the dying embers of the fire. It was as he was preparing for bed, dousing the lamps & neglecting the fire, when he heard it. The rustle of grass, the faint mechanical whine & a husky, growling breathing of something. Frozen in place with his back to the door, Ogden turned slowly. His eyes first alighted on the window adjacent the front door & his soul almost left his body.

Framed in the window was a dark figure. The stranger was obscured by darkness, but Ogden could just make out a gaunt, grey face. The figure stood tall, it's head peering in from the uppermost part of the window. A disturbing yellow gleam was all Ogden could make out from where it's eyes should be. Occasionally, in time with the husky breathing, the window fogged up.

"How-how long you bi-bin standing there?" he stammered. He had not looked out the window for an hour & the thought that this creature had been watching him as he finished his day sent a cold shiver up the old man's spine.

"Get you gone!" he cried. "We wants none of your business."

Suddenly, the door crashed open with a splintering crack, slamming as far open on it's hinges as it could before it slowly & laboriously swung back. Instead of closing, the door swung outwards & halted when it met with the cottage wall. For a moment there was silence, except for the wailing of the wind. Peering into the blackness beyond his threshold, Ogden could see nothing that could burst the door open as it had been. He had begun to think it the wind or his window visitor, when a shape emerged from the darkness. Hurtling in through the doorway, a silver being glided deftly into the room bellowing as it did.

"You are my prisoner, do not move! DO NOT MOVE!"

The silver thing advanced on Ogden, a large sucker stick extended fully. The black protuberance on the extremity of the stick pressed into Ogden's chest, slamming him hard up against a large, free standing cabinet. Such was the surprising strength of the silver thing that Ogden, terrified & burbling curses, was momentarily winded.

Another silver thing, this time with a black dome, entered the cottage &, with only a short glance at it's fellow, began to search the room. Using it's black-tipped arm, the Black Dome, as Ogden called it, swept the kitchen table clear of it's contents, cups & bowls crashing to the ground. Cupboards were torn open &, failing to find what it was looking for, it opened the door leading to the other rooms & disappeared into the house, where further crashing could be heard.

Turning his attention back to the silver thing holding him, Ogden was surprised to find a fully red version of the silver thing framed in the doorway. It stood silently appraising them, it's white iris glowing menacingly in the darkness. Suddenly, it spoke with a deep voice that sliced through Ogden's head & made him desperate to curl up in a corner. There was an almost disinterested air about how it spoke.

"Interrogate the prisoner."

The silver thing, it's dome turned slightly to it's right, swivelled back to Ogden & spoke with a similar, croaking scream.

"I obey." it croaked. "Where is the Doctor! He has been to this place, you know where he is & you will tell us!"

Ogden, recovering from his winding, was struck dumb by the creatures appearance & sound. For a moment, all he could do was whimper.

"Answer! Answer! Answer!" screamed the silver thing.

"I don't know who you be talking of!" shouted Ogden in return. "I have no truck with anyone here abouts. Tell me what I has done, oh great White Ones."

The burbling & begging seemed to confuse the silver thing for a moment. It recovered quickly, it's dome swivelling slightly to address the red one.

"It's mind is diseased, Adjutant." it said.

"Continue interrogation." replied the red one, the same disinterested air evident in it's harsh voice. "It's mind is primitive, infected with superstition. It may not have known the Doctor's name." it added after a pause.

The silver thing pressed Ogden harder into the cabinet. He could here it creak in protest at the pressure.

"A stranger arrived here, you will tell us what he wanted & where he went!"

Realisation spread across Ogden's bearded face at the question & he stammered a reply eagerly.

"Oh, oh you mean the weirdo." he said

"Weirdo?" replied the silver thing vexedly

"Yes, the weirdo with the long scarf. He came here with the Loran's a while after dinnertime & spouted some rubbish about the planet being in danger & aliens. I sent him off with a flea in his ear."

"Where did he go!?" screamed the silver thing

"I dunno, they headed off west towards the other farms."

The silver thing turned it's dome again, this time fully to look at the red one. The Red One seemed to perk up at this information, moving forward to just behind it's fellow.

"Is there anything else in this land of importance?" it questioned.

Ogden searched his mind desperately, if he could placate the White Ones & get them to leave, he would only have to spread salt to be safe.

"There is...well there is Bolet. Old University town further west, they mays have gone there."

The Red One stared at him, it's white eye burning into Ogden's own. Slowly, it began to reverse without turning around. Once at the front door, it spoke one final time.

"We are finished here, leave the prisoner."

The silver thing relaxed it's grip with an "I obey.", turned without glancing at Ogden & left, seemingly being absorbed by the inky blackness beyond the doorway. The Black Dome glided into the room again & left, another quick glance at the old man as is it too was absorbed by the darkness. For a time, there was only the whistling of the wind as Ogden sunk to the ground, kissing his amulet fervently.

"May the Saints & Farlings be praised. Togereth keep this house save & you humble servant-"

Ogden stopped short, the breathing he had first heard before the White Ones entered had returned, this time more ragged & slobbering. Looking up, he saw a nightmarish visage framed where the Red One had stood. So tall was the thing that it had to stoop to enter & when it stood to it's full height, it's bald, grey head scuffed the ceiling. It's face disturbed Ogden most, row upon row of jagged, violent teeth jutted out from a mouth seemingly too small to contain so many. It's face was gaunt & it's eyes indiscernible save for an unnerving yellow light, gleaming out from under a heavy brow. It's body emulated it's face for gauntness, as well as it's arms which terminated in long, sharp talons. The Grey Thing stood perfectly motionless in the doorway, one taloned hand clasping the side of the door frame, as it silently regarded the old man. Ogden, horrified by it's appearance, finally found the power to speak.

"No...No, you can't...I gives you all you wanted." he blabbered.

The Grey Thing's mouth split at the extreme edges into a horrible grin as it moved slowly forward, it's husky, gurgling breath echoing off the walls of the cottage.

"Goes after the stranger, leave me be!" cried Ogden futilely

Looming over Ogden as he sat paralysed on the ground in terror, Tarlok Elm growled one word, lengthily & exultantly .

"Huuuungggrry."

Ogden screamed in pure terror as the Grey Thing fell on him.

A little ways off from the cottage, the Red Dalek had finished informing the Supreme of the information gathered when the old man's harrowing scream echoed forth from the cottage, cutting through the night air & being carried away on the howling wind. The Supreme & his Adjutant Lieutenant turned their domes as they followed the sound of the scream.

"Let the Abomination eat." commanded the Supreme. "When it finishes...….burn this hovel to the ground."

The Red Dalek turned, silently acknowledging it's orders. Conveying this to three silver Daleks, the black sucker on the end of each of their right sides collapsed & was pulled into the tube of the silver stick attachment. Whirring & clicking could be heard as a segmented silver tube pushed out of the end & expanded out.

"Flame Units ready." they chimed in unison

"Await the command to begin." said the Red Dalek

The thing that had been Tarlok Elm, emerged from the cottage, it's face & body covered in dark stains & dark red blood dripping slowly from it's many talons. It's stomach, now grossly distended, jiggled & wobbled revoltingly as it lumbered over to where the Red Dalek stood. Inside the Red Dalek machine, the mutant eyed the Abomination with obvious disdain through it's computer screens. It was a useful necessity, but the creature repulsed the Adjutant, all the more now that it had been made the things handler.

Swivelling it's red, gleaming dome, the Adjutant Lieutenant croaked it's orders.

"Flame Units, destroy."

The silver Daleks obeyed silently & three large gouts of flame burst forth from their attachments, covering the cottage rapidly. Soon, Ogden's cottage was raised, the flames reaching high into the sky.

The Dalek Supreme, seeing it's orders carried out & flanked by it's Dalek subordinates, disappeared into the darkness of the Shadowlands.