Fixing The Problems

Minuet in Hell - Part Two

"Spoilsport, Doctor." Marchosias said.

"So, what is a psionivore?" Brigadier questioned.

"A demon, by the look of it." Charley said.

"Not at all. Marchosias has just adopted that name and form because it suits him." The Protector explained.

"It's what Dashwood wanted to see most, to influence his Hellfire Club." Celestia agreed.

"They're really cosmic parasites, usually inhabiting ionised clouds of comet generated dust where they can weave their energy patterns into a spurious semblance of solidity." The Doctor finished off.

"You three missed out the important bit." Marchosias said.

"Oh yes, that's right. Their diet. They feed on the negative neuronic emissions of sentient beings. Pain, fear, anxiety, jealousy. A psionivore battens on it like maggots on rotting fruit." The Doctor explained.

"So they use people's bad thoughts and desires?" Charley questioned.

"And this Hellfire Club was perfect. A ridiculous charade which brought people together in one place with enough negative energy to draw the psionivores into becoming a gestalt entity." The Doctor explained.

"That'll be me, then." Marchosias said.

"The Hellfire Club has contacted Lucifer and his demons for centuries. My ancestor, Sir Francis Dashwood, was" Dashwood was cut off by Celestia.

"A cultured, amiable scholarly man. His so-called Club was simply a group of chums who spent weekends with him at Medmenham from time to time." Celestia explained.

"No doubt they drank more than was good for them, but the nearest thing they had to a manifestation of the devil was one of their inebriated number sticking horns on his head and jumping out of a bush yelling boo." The Doctor said.

"Certainly Sir Francis was interested in reinventing the ancient Greek Eleusinian mysteries, but that's a far cry from human sacrifices and pacts with anyone called Lucifer." The Protector finished.

"You lie." Dashwood denied.

"Dashwood, the Hellfire Sir Francis was a fictitious caricature of the real man, dreamt up by his political enemies, reinforced by centuries of sensational writers who never bothered to check their facts." The Doctor explained.

"I won't accept that. I believe Marchosias. Tell them of Lucifer, of Hell. You showed me Hell. I saw it once." Dashwood denied again, turning to Marchosias.

"Sorry, but this three people are right. Hell is just a physical manifestation, like me." Marchosias agreed.

"That place I went to, then. The other demons. They were all just these psionivore things then?" Charley questioned.

"Absolutely. They can be living forms, they can be brick walls, deserts, waterfalls, anything they want. Very clever beings, actually." The Doctor praised.

"Then, Marchosias, I'll send you back from whence you came." Dashwood said.

"Bwahahahahaha! Give it up, Dashwood. It's all over." Marchosias said, evilly.

"Mister Dashwood, what you are doing is feeding Marchosias. Your fear is refueling him." Celestia tried to reason.

"I fear nothing." Dashwood denied as the machine was powering up.

"Er, Doctor." Crane said.

"I fear nothing!" Dashwood shouted.

"Well, I'm getting mighty fat on something, and it's not coming from these guys." Marchosias said, pointing to the Time Lords, Charley, Crane and Brigadier.