Cirrus@Austlit

'Anson sends for a Special Investigator, Ash Madai, to question Braxiatel and find out where his time machine is hidden. It's said that Ash can simply look at a person and know everything there is to know about them. After touring the Collection, Ash visits Braxiatel, who has been expecting his arrival and knows that Ash is in fact looking for something entirely different. Braxiatel has spent the last two days putting up barriers, and Ash finds that he can't read Braxiatel's future -- but this is why he toured the Collection first. He has read its future, and knows how the Fifth Axis will be defeated -- and unless Braxiatel gives him what he wants, he'll tell the Fifth Axis what he knows. Braxiatel's control slips just enough for Ash to learn that Benny is holding the object that he's looking for. He thus visits Benny, who has conducted some research and learned that "Ashmadai" was the King of the Demons who was forced by King Solomon to help build his temple. The ring Braxiatel told her to safeguard is the key with which Solomon bound Ashmadai to his service, and he needs the ring to escape this form. Whether a demon or alien, he does have extraordinary powers -- and he tells Benny that if she doesn't give him the ring, he'll tell the Fifth Axis where to find Peter. Realising that he's not bluffing, Benny hands over the ring, and Ashmadai vanishes, leaving the Axis to the mercy of the future.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/bs_n08.htm). Sighted: 19/5/11

'Spang catches a communications worker, Ken Genovese, sending encrypted messages in the standard weather broadcasts, and sentences him to hang without even bothering to decrypt the messages. Moskof speaks with Benny in Mister Crofton's garden after the hanging, asking her to suggest some way of improving morale, and Benny sarcastically suggests staging an art show in the garden. When Moskof takes her seriously, Benny decides to arrange a show of exclusively alien art. The display is examined beforehand and cleared for display, but the Axis puts up human artwork alongside the alien pieces; in some ways, the human art appears more accomplished, but this is because it's been designed for the human senses, unlike the alien artwork. Spang leaves the show to answer a call of nature, but is confronted by an alien artist, Bang Jorik, who'd originally planned to commit a very public suicide at the show before Benny talked him out of it. While Spang is distracted, Benny and Crofton overpower him and push him into a deep well to his death. Moskof is promoted into Spang's place, but Spang's "disappearance" goes unsolved. Benny has made her first serious strike against the Fifth Axis.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/bs_n08.htm). Sighted: 19/5/11

'Jason and Benny are now being seen together in public again, and Ms Jones invites them to dinner at her apartment with her and Moskof. After a few drinks, the conversation begins to get looser, and Benny has to guard her tongue carefully so as not to give away any of her secrets. However, the time slips away from them, and the curfew bell sounds before she and Jason can leave. As the night drags on and more drinks are consumed, the conversation becomes uglier; Moskof needles Jason about changing sides to save his own skin, and Jason, irritated, needles him in turn about his interrogation techniques. Angered at being called a war criminal, Moskof calls Jason on one of his more treasonable statements and threatens to have him shot unless he gives up one of his secrets. Benny fears that Jason is going to turn in Peter to save himself, but instead he gives away a lesser secret, the location of a hidden stash of wine that he's been selling on the black market to fund his private parties. Jason and Ms Jones pass out, and Benny tries to get through to Moskof and convince him that the Axis way is not the only way to live. He passes out before she knows whether she's getting through to him, and she takes the opportunity to steal and copy his all-access security pass. Ms Jones wakes and takes Moskof to her room to sleep it off, and Jason also wakes and promises that he'll take Peter from the Gemayal brothers and keep him safe in one of his own facilities. The next morning, Moskof and Jason apologise to each other for the harsh words of the night before, and part, apparently as friends -- or as close as they can get during wartime.'

Source: drwhoguide.com (http://www.drwhoguide.com/bs_n08.htm). Sighted: 19/5/11