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page seventeen

I summon the raw energy, shape it with my anger, direct it by my will. I flex, push and –

(Not so fast, Princess Party-Pants.)

--the psychic blast is diverted and rips into my son. Like a screaming meteor he flies and explodes against the distant wall.

(Wicked! Let's give him another one, Peace!)

(He's fighting us, Ace! He's strong but he won't win!)

My energies are summoned without my consent, but the control is weak and slippery. It is driven by their glandular anger, which is of the body, which is weak and uncertain. My righteous anger, which is of my mind, is strong and precise. I retaliate, almost gently, and my two little puppets stagger.

'I shot her through time? And you contacted the Professor through time? And did all those other things?'

'Is this relevant? Luuna rallies below!'

I rummage in my pack. There!

'Yes, it's relevant! If I can shoot a bullet through thirty-five years, what do you reckon I can do with this?'

'Ah.'

As I am distracted I see the Gallifreyan leap and roll to his feet behind the girl Ace. He draws the device from her storage pouch. I summon a strike that will explode his body from within.

'Ace! I know you can hear me! Everyone ate the psychic enhancer in the turkey but the antidote was in the potatoes! Use your anger! Fight her!'

He powers the device and the young ones attack. 

'Dorothy on the mountain!' shouted the Doctor, 'I know you can hear me! Use it! Use it now!'

He presses a hidden button and I am pierced by grasping hooks of psychic vacuum. Desperate, I try to knit the attacking energy from the young ones to a new configuration. I feel my tactic succeed, my strength grow, as I feed their anger into mine. My unstoppable will focuses on the Time Lord.

(Oh, no, you don't! Eat this, turkey!)

I am rocked by an unexpected attack. 

(Peace! Don't be mad! Hit him with this!)

I will not be imprisoned!

I press the hidden button, and the spirits on the mountain lend strength to the transference. Doubled in time, the device sinks its hooks into the mighty Luuna and pulls. 

I am Luunaaa...! 

The Lemurian, or Zillotian, whatever you please, is drawn through the Professor's device, through the intervening years, and into mine. It plays a fanfare and beeps. I regard it; such a small, unremarkable  thing, but so much power within. Like Ace.
***

Finally, the Professor couldn't take my smug satisfaction anymore. 

'All right, Ace,' he growled as he busied himself sending the remaining Stolings home, 'Will you please tell me what you and Peace did?'

'What do you think, Peace?'

'I don't know, Ace. He's not been too forthcoming with us, has he?'

The Professor frowned as he summoned the pilgrim's spirits back from the mountain. 'I've already explained why I couldn't tell you about Luuna, Ace.'

'Not everything. Tell you what. You answer, oh, three questions of mine and I'll tell you. Fair enough?'

He sighed, beaten. 'Fair enough. Now, if you two are feeling strong enough, we need to get these men out of this building. I don't know if you've noticed, but your nitro-9 and Smokey's flames have set the rafters afire. Come on now, one pilgrim each.'

At the bottom of the stairs, I asked him, 'So, what was Luuna planning, anyway?'

'Oh, the usual. He thought if he could plant colonies of pilgrims around the world, he could convince his fellow Lemurians to possess them en masse, creating an army to conquer the galaxy.'

'What a prat. That's a right boring plan.'

'He did fund it by means of tourism. That's pretty original, right?' said Peace.

After leaving the pilgrims to fend for themselves outside, I asked him, 'Who were those guys, anyway?'

'Oh, that was Ren Orion, Luuna's Stoling business partner, and two pet thugs. I believe Smokey meant for them to kill us, but they had other ideas. There are ancient families out there who still remember the Empire, and blame the Lemurians. Their thirst for vengeance, no matter how abstract, could have put a lot of money into Mr. Orion's coffers. Don't worry about the Lemurians. Ren and his cronies are in the mountain.'

'Well, that was properly illuminating,' I laughed.

Halfway there, I ask, 'Hey! Who cut the ladder leg?'

Peace said, 'I did! Or I will.'

'What?'

'Keep up, Ace!'

After trotting past the diner and into the alley, I asked, 'Hey, what happens now? What's Peace supposed to do?'

As he unlocked the TARDIS door, the Doctor said, 'Peace?'

She looked at me and then at the Doctor. He nodded. 'Well, I'm coming with you.'

'What? That's wicked! I think...' I was torn. It could be fun to have a mate in the TARDIS, but me and the professor were a team...

She smiled at me, understanding immediately. 'Don't worry, Ace. It's just one short trip.'
***

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