Mire and Clay (short story): Difference between revisions

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'''''Mire and Clay''''' was the second short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: A Universe of Terrors]]''. It was written by [[Gareth Wigmore]]. It featured the [[First Doctor]], [[Susan Foreman]], [[Ian Chesterton]] and [[Barbara Wright]]. It was a "character story", showing the brutality of war, and how it had such a lasting affect on [[Ian Chesterton]].
'''''Mire and Clay''''' was the second short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: A Universe of Terrors]]''. It was written by [[Gareth Wigmore]]. It featured the [[First Doctor]], [[Susan Foreman]], [[Ian Chesterton]] and [[Barbara Wright]]. It was a "character story", showing the brutality of war, and how it had such a lasting affect on [[Ian Chesterton]].
== Summary ==
== Summary ==
In 19th century Afghanistan, Ian is kidnapped by a vicious warlord, makes a friend for life, and endures a painful experience that threaten to change him forever, whilst the Doctor and Barbara witness the death of millions on a cold night during the biggest diaster in military history...
Ian is in a dungeon in [[Afghanistan]] in [[1842]]. The [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] crew had landed in Afghanistan during "one of the biggest disasters in military history". They had been captured by Gilzai tribesmen, and Barbara and Ian were sent to the [[British]] siege in Kabul. They were then evacuated with the other British under [[Akbar Khan]]'s promise that they would have safe passage to Jalalabad. When the group was attacked and Ian was captured, he saw that the Doctor and Susan had rescued Barbara, and they were in Khan's custody.
 
Ian's gaoler, [[Gul Zaheer]], brings Ian to a room with wooden platforms covering the center of the floor. He is nervous because Zaheer has been a cruel gaoler. Another British soldier, Lieutenant [[Symonds]], is brought in as well. He and Ian had met before, when Ian was pretending to be a captain. Zaheer taunts the British men, though Symonds can't understand him, and Ian tells Zaheer that a new army will retake the country from Khan.
 
Zaheer's men remove the platforms from the floor, revealing a pit filled with water and living things swimming around. Ian's and Symonds' tied hands are connected with a rope, tug-of-war style, and they are ordered to fight each other. Both men refuse, but when Symonds is tortured, he gives in to fear and tries to pull Ian into the pit. He is much larger than Ian, who struggles to keep himself out of the pit. Suddenly he finds himself with his face hanging over the pit, inches from death. He yells Symonds' name, and Symonds snaps out of his fear-induced hysteria. They both refuse to fight.
 
Two of Zaheer's men throw Symonds into the pit, and he is eventally killed by whatever animals are in the pit. Zaheer gloats that Ian is next, but suddenly a group of armed soldiers storm into the room. The Doctor is with them. Ian impulsively shoves Zaheer into the pit, killing him.
 
Back in the TARDIS, Ian has recovered physically, but he is haunted by the fact that he killed a man.


== Characters ==
== Characters ==
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