 elieved to have himself back into his fellows' confidence, Marlok had a renewed vigour. He took a small black box from his pocket. He opened the lid a fraction and removed a cover slip, concealing the words written upon it. 'For Use In Emergencies Only'. There in the box sat a small silver ball. Without reluctance, Marlok handed it to Quinn. Then the stranger appeared again:
The Doctor supported by Peri, staggered through the crowd of villagers and roughly thrust aside Marlok, the butt of the Doctor's anger.
'You interrupt the course of justice again, stranger.' growled Quinn.
'If you're going to kill him you'll have to shoot me at the, the...' The Doctor winced, blood was beginning to cascade once more from the wound upon his head. He staggered and Peri tugged on his sleeve.
'Come on, Doc., keep it together. You're Leon's only hope.' she hissed into his ear.
Seeing what seemed to be, two Quinns facing him, as well as four times as many villagers, the injured Gallifreyan rocked back and forth and began to scramble for something to hold on to. He dropped, leaving Peri empty handed. It was up to her now.
Peri took up the stance shielding Leon's form. She heard him screech angrily, 'Get out of the way, Peri! It's time for me to rest in peace.' Her bottom lip quivered and a tear streaked her face; a tear both for Leon and the Doctor. She faced Quinn shivering and stuttered.
'You, you wouldn't want to kill an unarmed girl, would you?'
Quinn's answer sickened her. 'To me, you're just another trouble maker and if you're to die with that scum behind you, then so be it. I'll shoot this bullet straight through you if need be!' He brought the rifle level with Peri's heart, then jerked the weapon upwards catching her under the chin.
Peri's head snapped backwards, crying out she flopped towards the still form of the Doctor. She sank to her knees sobbing.
The action inflamed Leon. He leapt for Quinn's throat, hands outstretched, ready to squeeze the soft flesh and crush the sizable Adam's apple. He never reached is desire.
Quinn squeezed the trigger, smoke from the carbine clouded the air between Leon's gurgling, writhing body and the smoking barrel. With the greatest satisfaction Quinn admired his handiwork, as he watched a scarlet stain spread its liquid fingers across Leon's white shirt.
With the agility of a dead fish, Leon crumpled and fell backwards upon his thorny death bed.
Quinn raised the rifle over his head and brandished it high. ' 'tis done, the evil has been purged. Burn the abomination!'
A yelling, jostling tide of villagers crashed past him and their leader, followed by others, applied torch, after blazing torch to the growing pyre. The flames reached Leon's body and charred it beyond recognition in an instant. They stood in a ring, like a cult offering a sacrifice to appease their gods, as two bedraggled figures heaved themselves from the Earth to walk, wounded both physically and in spirit away from the scene of carnage. Little did they realise it was not over yet...at least Peri did not know that.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 hey sat in solemn silence in Leon's deserted cottage as the chill air wafted the scent of the dead towards them. 'I'm sorry, Peri. I tried.' The Doctor hung him head low, trying to ease his conscience and his headache at the same time.
'Don't...' Peri began but was interrupted.
'Blame yourself?' The Doctor sniffed. 'I can't. Leon wanted death. He was happy to die, but there's something nothing quite right about his death. For a start, it was all very methodically planned for and, all the villagers were suddenly very enthusiastic about it. They could have killed him before and yet...and yet obviously they didn't want to. That's it!' The Doctor slapped his brow. 'Marlok said Leon killed one of the Justices. He was after revenge.'
'So, what does that prove? Marlok incited the village against Leon, that's all.'
'Yes, yes but he could have done it at any time before now, the trigger was the death of a Justice. Obviously they are of great importance to each other. And another thing. While I was crawling about, I got a good look at the Justices' boots...'
'So?'
'So, my dear Peri, they're made of a substance not of nineteenth century Earth, The smell of them was all wrong, not leather at all. We're sitting on top of the biggest anachronism, but I don't know why, and won't until we've sniffed around a bit more.'
Peri turned, watering eyes to him. 'Can't we just leave? There's too many memories here.' She gazed mournfully towards Leon's writing bureau, noticing the leather bound diary still sitting there; the last personal link with Leon. She took it into her hands and opened it. But she dared not read the contents. 'Can I keep this, Doctor?' Her pleading eyes begged.
 
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cursed pt2 page2
