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pluck the Great Crystal
of knowledge from between the Mara's jaws and set us free?'
(Lady Tanha leaned over and whispered, 'Lon?' Ambril shook his head. 'Not yet,
my Lady.')
'For the second time I ask,' bellowed the Voice. 'Who will challenge the
Mara?'
Another rattling of castanets.
'For the third and final time!'
Ambril tapped Lon on the shoulder.
Lon rose to his feet. 'I will!'
There was wild applause from the spectators.
'Bring the Stranger forward,' commanded the Voice.
Lon strode from the dais, an impressive figure in his white-and-gold toga, and
the helmet with its great jewelled sunburst. Two red-robed cat-faced Attendant
Demons took him by the arms and pulled him to stand before the Ceremonial
Snake.
'You dare to challenge the Power of the Mara?' boomed the Voice.
'I do.'
'And in whose name do you do so?'
'In the Federation's name, and in my own.'
Yet another burst of applause.
'First let the Stranger prove his worthiness,' commanded the Voice. 'Prepare
him for the Test!'
Lon drew the gauntlet from one arm - the unmarked one - and the Demons pushed
back his sleeve. He held out his arm.
'Stranger, are you ready to face the triple temptation?'
'I am ready.'
'The first temptation is Fear. I offer you fear, in a handful of dust.'
An Attendant Demon came forward, bearing a
human skull filled with dust. It poured the dust in a fine stream over Lon's
outstretched hand.
Lon made the ritual response in which Ambril had coached him before the
Ceremony. 'I do not fear. I spread my fingers and the dust trickles away.' Lon
suited the action to the words. 'I know that whilst I live, my hand is clean,
my eyes are bright. That is enough.'
There was more applause.
'I claim the right to strike the first blow.'
'Stranger, you have earned it.'
Lon struck the Ceremonial Snake a token blow on its papier-mâché head.
The Doctor and his two companions heard the chanting and the applause as they
climbed down the last few feet of the path.
Chela jumped down. The Doctor followed, and turned to Nyssa. 'Come on, jump!'
He reached out and took her arm, half-lifting her down.
'Thank you,' said Nyssa stiffly. 'But it wasn't necessary.'
They hurried into the Cave.
The Voice boomed, 'Are you ready for the second temptation?'
'I am ready.'
The second temptation is to Despair. I offer you despair in a withered
branch.'
A Demon thrust a withered branch into Lon's hand.
'I do not despair. I turn my hand, the branch drops to the ground.' Lon let
the branch fall. 'I know the sap will rise again, the roots will sprout. That
is enough.'
The onlookers clapped again.
Lon said, 'I claim the right to strike the second blow.'
'Stranger, you have earned it.'
Lon gave the Ceremonial Snake a second token blow.
The Doctor and his two companions heard the applause as they hurried down the
access tunnel.
'The ceremony must have started,' said Chela.
The Doctor nodded. 'Just so long as it hasn't finished!'
'Doctor, look!' Nyssa pointed down the tunnel.
A massive figure was striding purposefully towards them. It was one of the
Federation bodyguards. It was obvious that he had recognised them as
fugitives.
'The third and final temptation is to succumb to Greed. Stranger, you must
look into the Crystal.' The voice indicated the Crystal - a lump of coloured
glass - in the mouth of the Ceremonial Snake. 'Look into the Crystal without
greed for knowledge. I offer you greed, in the hidden depths.'
By now Lon was weary of the Ceremony. Shaking off the Demons he reached out to
take the fake crystal. There was a murmur from the onlookers, and Ambril
hurried forward. 'No, my Lord, you must not touch it yet.'
There was a whole complicated ritual of questions and answers still to be gone
through.
Lon pushed Ambril aside. 'Why mustn't I touch it?'
The Voice attempted to resume the ritual. 'Beware, Stranger. The Crystal of
Knowledge has hidden depths.'
'What do you mean? Hidden depths! Show them to me. It's just a fake. Your
whole Ceremony is a fake. Look!' Lon reached up and snatched the chunk of
glass from the Snake's jaws.
There were more horrified mutterings from the crowd. The sacred ritual,
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