The Feast (short story)

The Feast was the third short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: The History of Christmas. It was written by Stewart Sheargold. It featured the Second Doctor, Ben Jackson and Polly Wright.

Summary
The Doctor and his companions visit 17th century London, expecting to celebrate Christmas. However, at a local tavern, the White Rabbit, the landlord tries to keep them from mentioning Christmas, which has been declared illegal by Cromwell. However, they are overheard by guards and the three are arrested.

Meanwhile, Meg huddles in her house, waiting for a creature she knows is coming. It has already taken her husband. When it arrives, it calls itself "Saint Nick" and takes her away.

The Doctor, Ben and Polly are taken to the mayor, who suspects they are part of a conspiracy to revive Christmas. He orders them to be imprisoned. As the guards march them away, an explosion occurs. The Doctor and his companions run; Ben and Polly are separated from the Doctor, who is rescued by the tavern landlord. The landlord takes the Doctor to the tavern basement and tells him that the followers of Christmas have conjured up Saint Nicholas. The Doctor is horrified, and tells the man that they have conjured up some elemental force.

Ben and Polly make their way back to the tavern, which is now empty. As they huddle by the fire, "Saint Nick" arrives, dragging a bag containing the frozen form of Meg. Polly screams; below, in the basement, the Doctor hears and heads upstairs.

The Doctor confronts "Saint Nick", who is an alien that feeds on the energy of those who believe in Christmas. He intends to use that energy to get home. The Doctor offers to take him home, but he refuses and begins to take energy from the people he has captured, who have been caged in the cellar. Guards arrive and, when the Doctor stops the alien, they beat it to death. The Doctor convinces the mayor, who has also arrived, that he is working undercover for Cromwell and demands that the prisoners be freed. The mayor, after protesting, complies.

In the TARDIS, Polly is upset that the Doctor let the guards kill the alien. He consoles her by saying they saved the captives, and that in a few years it will be legal to celebrate Christmas.

Characters

 * Second Doctor
 * Ben Jackson
 * Polly Wright
 * Landlord
 * Meg
 * Mayor of London
 * Saint Nick

Worldbuilding

 * The Doctor wears his fur coat.
 * The Doctor and his companions try to order eggnog, but are given the choice of ale or spirits. Ben orders rum.
 * The Doctor begins to play his recorder but is stopped by the rescue.
 * Some of the townspeople tried to conjure Saint Nicholas.
 * The alien has timed his departure to coincide with the winter solstice.

Continuity

 * The White Rabbit pub, which the Doctor, Ben and Polly visit here, first featured in AUDIO: The Harvest.