The Singing Sands

Dear Diary,

I shall have to apologise for my delay in writing to you. It has been nine days since my last entry, and a very difficult nine days at that! Even still, my entry today must be cut short due to my overall lack of energy and strength.

This trek across the Gobi Desert has been, as one might guess, quite treacherous. Add to this my displeasure at Marco's plan to bargain away my TARDIS to the Khan, and my mood has been most foul.

On the third night of our journey, I stopped dining with the others in the evening. I simply could not sit there smiling and making conversation whilst Chesterton played chess with the man who is stealing my TARDIS!

On that night Susan and the young girl Ping-Cho wandered off and were caught in a terrific sandstorm. Chesterton described the sound as that of all the devils in Hell laughing at you, and I must agree. They may call them the singing sands, but I would certainly prefer another tune!

Tegana was out about some mysterious business and rescued the girls. I have grave misgivings about the man, but I am grateful for that.

Unfortunately, the next day we found someone had sabotaged our water gourds, destroying all but one.

We hadn't enough water to complete our journey to the Khan, and so Marco followed Chesterton's suggestion and we are now journeying north to the nearest oasis. The first day we travelled 20 miles, then 15, 10, and 8 each day. Today we made it a mere 2 miles before the water gave out.

We are in quite the perilous situation. Tegana has ridden ahead to try to reach the oasis and bring water back to us. I fear we may not make it. In fact, the lack of water and stress finally overtook me and I fainted dead away. Marco was going to put me on one of his wagons, but Miss Wright has persuaded him to allow Susan and myself to ride inside our "flying caravan," providing she and Chesterton say out.

Now I must rest.


Based on the teleplay by John Lucarotti, first broadcast on BBC 29th February 1964