The Price of Conviction (short story)

The Price of Conviction was the sixth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: The Quality of Leadership. It was written by Richard C. White. It featured the First Doctor and Susan Foreman.

Summary
The Doctor and Susan land in Worms right before the trial of Martin Luther. As they explore the city, they become separated and Susan overhears a plot between two men to kill Luther. They discover her and attack, but she is rescued by Rudolf von Slesinger, who invites both Susan and the Doctor to stay with him. They politely decline, despite his insistence.

Later, the Doctor and Susan are arrested. It turns out that Rudolf is the magistrate, and he wants to keep them safe by having them stay at his place. Once there, they meet Martin Luther, who is also staying there. Susan tells them the plot she overheard.

Plans are made to safely get Luther to the trial, which will be conducted by Johann Eck. Susan, however, is finding events to be a little suspicious and makes her concerns known to her grandfather, who is pleased that she also saw through Rudolf's machinations. They recognise that he has set up a trap and make plans to get around it.

The day of the trial, Rudolf takes the Doctor, Susan and Luther through the tunnels to keep him away from the dangers of the crowds outside. They are accosted by the same two men that Susan overheard, and Rudolf explains that this is a trap. Just in time, however, Eck arrives with his men, who had been summoned by the Doctor and Susan. Rudolf and his men are taken away.

The Doctor and Susan remain in Worms to attend Luther's trial.

Characters

 * First Doctor
 * Susan Foreman
 * Martin Luther
 * Karl
 * Willie
 * Innkeeper
 * Rudolf von Slesinger
 * Guard
 * Johann Eck
 * Paul
 * Eric
 * Gunther
 * Albert

Continuity

 * The Doctor considers spending time in one place in the near future. (TV: An Unearthly Child, et al.)
 * Aldebaran IV was previously mentioned as part of 's alias in PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War.