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.'Professor Rumford nudged Romana.'And that's our Nine Travellers!'Romana leafed through the notes, 'Why should this particular Circle became a place of prophecy? You say here yourself, there are dozens of Circles in this part of the country.'Professor Rumford reached for a sausage sandwich.'If I knew that, my girl, I'd be Professor of Megalithic Archaeology, and not that fool Idwal Morgan.''Something else strikes me as curious,' said Romana slowly.Miss Fay looked up.'What?''Until recently, the land the circle stands on has always been owned by a woman.Have you noticed? Lady Montcalm, Mrs Trefusis, Senhora Camara.Even hack in the middle ages it was under the control of the Mother Superior of the Little Sisters of St Gudula.'Miss Fay shrugged.'What does that prove? Lots of convents owned land in the middle ages.''It's odd, though, isn't it? It was always women who owned the Circle.All women.''What are you suggesting, Romana?' Miss Fay gave one of her faintly scornful smiles.'Some kind of sisterhood that's been worshipping those Stones ever since the convent was founded in the twelfth century? A cult going back over seven hundred years! That's rather hard to believe, isn't it?''What other explanation is there?''What about De Vries? He doesn't exactly qualify as the head of a sisterhood!''Then maybe he isn't the real head,' said Romana steadily.She turned to Professor Rumford.'This convent - does it still exist?''Good heavens no.And it was man who saw to that! Henry VIII closed it down during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.''What happened to the convent records?''I should imagine they were all destroyed,' said Miss Fay carelessly.Professor Rumford took another swig of tea.'I suppose so.though some of them could be still at the Hall.''What Hall?''De Vries's house.It was built on the site of the convent.''Well, let's go and take a look, then,' said Romana.She stood up, scattering papers.'Come on, what are we waiting for?'Professor Rumford jumped up too.'Good girl,' she said approvingly.'That's the spirit I like.No time like the present, eh? But you've got to eat something first!'To appease her, Romana managed to force down a few mouthfuls of sausage sandwich and a swig or two of the tea, though it wasn't exactly the kind of food she'd been used to on Gallifrey.Professor Rumford was rummaging in her desk.Eventually she produced a large and fearsome club.'What's that?''A policeman's truncheon,' said Miss Fay.'When she went to lecture in New York, she took it with her in case she got mugged.''And did she?'Miss Fay smiled, 'No, she got arrested for carrying an offensive weapon!'Professor Rumford tucked the truncheon under her arm, 'I'll just get my bike.Coming Vivien?''No, you don't need me.Romana can borrow my bicycle.''Jolly good.You stay here and keep in a good fire, just in case the Doctor gets back first.Come along, Romana.Tally Ho!'Exuberantly, Professor Rumford swept Romana out.Miss Fay sat gazing into the fire, that faintly mocking smile still on her face.6 The CailleachRomana wobbled across the moor on her borrowed bicycle, struggling to keep up with the madly pedalling Professor.To her vast relief they arrived at the Old Hall at last and dismounted, propping their bikes against the gatepost.They walked up the front path, to the shattered front door.Professor Rumford was horrified.'Great Scot, what's happened here? What could possibly have done this?'Romana made no attempt to answer.Cautiously, they moved through the shattered hall and along to the wrecked altar room.They found the Doctor just inside the french windows, kneeling over the battered body of K9.Romana hurried forward.'Doctor are you all right? What's happened to K9?'Briefly the Doctor explained what had happened.'K9 drove the thing off.' he concluded.'There's no doubt about it, he saved my life.Unfortunately, he was rash enough to go chasing off after it - and as you can see, he caught it.By the time I arrived, the thing was gone - and poor old K9 was like this.''Poor little fellow,' said Professor Rumford sympathetically.'Is he badly hurt?''That's what I'm trying to find out.' The Doctor opened an inspection hatch in the automaton's side, and studied the mass of damaged circuits.To their astonishment, K9 spoke.In a feeble voice he said, 'Sorry, Master.I tried - but it was too strong.''What was it, K9?' asked the Doctor gently.With a trace of his old self-assurance K9 said, 'Scanners indicate creature silicon based - globulin dependant.' His voice became feebler.'Alien entity is possessed of enormous strength.Enormous.' The voice ran down into silence.'Will he be all right, Doctor?' whispered Romana'I don't know.There's massive damage to his entire circuitry.''But it is repairable? It is, isn't it, Doctor?'Briefly K9 revived, 'Initial damage report suggests negative, Mistress [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]