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There, lying drunkenly and sprawled in an awkward position was a crumpled male body in tattered shreds of trousers and bare-chested; skin smeared with dried blood. Feeble groans were issuing from the man’s side, while Peri supported his head with her hands. The Time Lord fumbled in his pockets and withdrew a tiny opaque bottle. Unscrewing the cap he wafted the neck under the man’s nostrils.
Coughing, the man began to revive, a rattling sound issued from the back of his dry throat. ‘Wolf...damned wolf....’ he murmured, sounding very confused.
‘Don’t worry, you’re alright now. The wolf’s gone, it’s gone.’ comforted Peri, stroking the man’s fevered forehead.
Shaking his head the Doctor was still frowning, ‘I don’t understand...still perhaps when you’re over 750, one’s eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be.’ He gazed into the man’s moaning face. ‘Come on then old chap, we’ll get you back to your village. Heave ho, Peri,’ The two, shouldering the clumsy burden, began their unsteady trek in the direction the Doctor had seen Marlok head towards.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 ively was the only adjectively for the village mid-morning. Low slung sandstone cottages and narrow dirt tracks, interconnecting the various wider streets, all leading to the central dominating, imposing bulk of the timber-frame Courthouse. This was where Marlok and his companions worked each day.
Adjoining the Courthouse was a sprawling many roomed Inn; serving ale and meals around the clock ( if anybody except the wealthier members of the village owned one ). People hurriedly bustled about carrying milk churns and herb filled baskets, passing idle gossip while children ran around screaming their protests because they were bored or ill.
Marlok met Quinn in the village Inn. The two sat in huddled silence in a gloomy corner at the woodworm riddled table, draining tankards of ale with great ferocity. Then the conversation began.
‘You disposed of Quebus’ body?’ Marlok’s voice was but a whisper, thou it would not have mattered if the villagers heard. They were sadly oblivious to the work that went on in the Courthouse.
Wiping his bearded face of froth, Quinn replied triumphantly, ‘Aye, he’s gone.’
‘I lost it. I could have been killed if it weren’t for the stranger!’ Marlok was trembling with fear or rage, he didn’t know which.
Suddenly, Quinn was alert. He leant forward. ‘A stranger? We don’t want strangers coming here, you know that as well as I do. Why didn’t you bring him here...we have orders to detain any new comer that aren’t listed.’
Marlok scowled, ‘Don’t dictate our orders at me. I know ‘em well enough.’ He sat back, relaxing for a moment. ‘Anyway, the chances of him finding the village from where I left him…’ Nearly chocking on his own words, Marlok rose shakily to his feet as he saw the Inn door slam open.
There, holding an unconscious body in his arms, was the stranger he had left a few hours ago. Marlok noted the eccentric looking fellow looked particularly mean at this moment.
Surveying the room with a scrutinising eye, the Doctor’s gaze fell upon Marlok and Quinn huddled up in the corner. He gave them the coldest stare he could muster, before he was distracted by the appearance of whom he was holding upon one of the unsteady Inn tables.
‘Where’d you find him?’ asked the twitching uncouth Inn Keeper.
Obviously the Inn Keeper knew this person both Peri and the Doctor surmised immediately. Remaining dignified, the Doctor managed to sound indignant. ‘If you know who he is and knew he was lost, then why did you leave him to die on the moors?’ He thrust the body towards the startled Inn Keeper. ‘Perhaps you’ll take better care of your own next time.’ The Time Lord advanced upon Marlok and Quinn who were a little surprised at the stranger’s authority. ‘And what are you two sitting around here for? From your manner of dress I’d say you’re Justices of the Peace. Am I right?’
A nodded affirmative was all the dumb struck pair could manage.
‘Well, what are you doing here? There’s a crazed wolf out there or so you’ve said. My companion and I saw you chasing it with as much determination as a faster after a steak, then you gave up the chase all of a sudden. That puzzles me…’ He frowned, staring deep into Marlok’s eyes as if he were trying to draw the man’s thoughts away from him.
‘Ain’t no concern of yours,’ Quinn suddenly entered the fray, ‘we don’t discuss our affairs with strangers. This is a happy village, we don’t want no interference. And I warn you, whoever you are, that as Justices we have to keep the people happy and if you make ‘em unhappy, we’ve got the power to punish! Come Marlok!’
Left fuming ( and counting slowly to ten ) the Doctor watched as Marlok and Quinn strode past him, Marlok visibly unnerved by his new authority that had suddenly arrived in their village.
Peri joined the Time Lord and took him to one side, whispering urgently into his ear: ‘Doctor, I think we should get out of here. You’ve played the good Samaritan for today.’
The Doctor looked down his nose at her. ‘Come child, don’t you see they want us to go and when someone wants you to go, there’s invariably something going on they don’t want us to find out about. It’s all perfectly logical.’
‘And it’s all perfectly logical to split before we get our hands cracked open. You heard that man, they’re gonna come down on us the first chance they get.’
‘What we need, Peri, is to change our tactics and anyway, we can’t get away until I repair the TARDIS.’
‘God, you’re so stubborn!’ she stamped her foot with such a loud crack, that everyone in the room looked around.
 
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