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The main door of the chamber was flung open and a burly, broad-shouldered figure strode in. The newcomer
wore plain robes and a close-fitting helmet. He had a barrel-chest, big hands and a stern, weathered face with
a heavy jaw. He was Castellan Spandrell, Commander of the Chancellery Guard, and he was Gallifrey's
version of a tough cop. He and the Doctor were old friends.
"Good old Spandrell!" thought the Doctor muzzily. He wondered if he was dreaming.
Castellan Spandrell strode over to Zorell and swatted him, a bear-like backhanded blow that knocked him off
his feet. Zorell staggered back up, clawing for his blaster, and Spandrell clouted him again, so hard that he
went down and stayed down.
By now the two guards had drawn their blasters. Ignoring the weapons, Spandrell grabbed each one by the
collar and knocked their heads together with a resounding clunk, dropping the unconscious bodies to the
floor.
If it was a dream, it was quite a good one, thought the Doctor. Chancellery Guards were flooding into the little
room. "Clear out this rubbish and lock them up," ordered Spandrell. "Come along, Doctor." He released the
clamps and lifted the Doctor's limp body from the metal chair.
When the Doctor came round he was in a high-backed chair in President Flavia's office, with the President
herself holding a silver flask to his lips.
The Doctor took a refreshing sip and felt an almost miraculous sense of strength and well-being flooding
through his body.
He tried to push the flask away. "The Elixir of Life," he whispered. "Madame President, it is too precious.. ."
"Drink, Doctor," said Flavia firmly. "A little is kept for emergencies, and no one deserves it more."
The Doctor took a measured sip and handed back the flask. He looked up and saw Romana, Ace and
Bernice looking anxiously at him. He held out his hands and they crowded round him.
Romana said, "I hope you are somewhat recovered, Doctor?"
Ace touched him briefly on the shoulder. "All right, Doc?"
Bernice hugged him and burst into tears.
"Your friends' methods are vigorous but effective, Doctor," said Flavia. "They broke free of confinement and
told me of your danger. You owe them your freedom."
"I owe them my sanity," said the Doctor. "And very probably my life as well." He patted Bernice awkwardly on
the back. "Well, this is all very nice but we can't just sit here. There's work to be done."
"You need not exert yourself further, Doctor," said Flavia. "Castellan Spandrell has matters well in hand.
Before long the entire Special Security squad will be under arrest. Their leaders have fled, but the
transduction barriers are up and they cannot leave Gallifrey. Their capture is only a matter of time. All is well
now."
"Don't you believe it, Madame President," said the Doctor. "Our troubles are only just beginning."
30 RASSILON
In an anteroom of the Tomb of Rassilon, Morin and Elar were adjusting a complex but compact machine
which looked rather like an electronic cannon. Rath stood watching them impatiently.
Agonal appeared beside him. "What is this machine?"
"It's a Time Gun - a temporal force-field generator. If Morin's calculations are correct, it will disrupt the
temporal stasis around the Tomb itself."
"Why do we delay?"
"They need to build up the energy levels and fine-tune the field. It's a complex business." Rath gave Agonal a
look of agonized concern. "When we start to use the Time Gun, Rassilon will awake. None of us can stand
against him."
"None but I," said Agonal. "I shall make his strength my own."
President Flavia sat patiently behind her Presidential desk while the Doctor strode up and down the
Presidential office, watched by Romana and Castellan Spandrell. Ace and Bernice had gone to see how
Dekker was getting on.
"The trouble is, I still don't know what they're really up to," he said. "There's a hidden agenda, I'm sure of it!"
"A simple take-over, surely," suggested Spandrell. "I've had my eye on them for quite a while. These
movements crop up from time to time, Doctor - boils on the body politic. Calls for stronger government, for a
policy of more active Time Lord intervention in the affairs of the cosmos."
"You accuse us of wanting only to observe the universe, Doctor," said Lady Flavia. "We charge you with
wishing to meddle with it - with the best of intentions of course. People like this want to rule it, and order it to
their liking."
"Rath, Morin and Elar," muttered the Doctor. "You'd think even they must know they're not up to it"
He sat down by the Presidential desk, and Romana drew up a chair close beside him.
"Let's take it from the beginning," said the Doctor. "The Three leaked me that report from the Temporal
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