The True and Indisputable Facts in the Matter of the Ram's Skull (short story)

The True and Indisputable Facts in the Matter of the Ram's Skull is the first story in the Big Finish short story anthology Short Trips: Zodiac.

Summary
The story is told from the perspective of Edgar Allen Poe who attends a séance at the house of Mr R___. Amongst the guests are the Doctor Ian and Barbara. After drinks the guests enter the back room which contains a Ram's Skull with a pentagram carved in its forehead. As the guests become transfixed upon the skull Abigail becomes possessed by the evil forces attempting to enter the world. At the Doctors suggestion Poe manages to knock over the candle next to the skull and both it and Abigail burst into flames. As the Doctor leaves Poe returns to his room to write his diary but realises only as he finishes that in doing so he is opening another doorway to allow the evil force to re-enter the world. The next day Poe is found wandering deliriously in the streets of Baltimore and is taken to hospital where he later dies. Following his funeral a mysterious figure leaves roses and cognac on his grave.

Characters

 * First Doctor
 * Ian
 * Barbara
 * Edgar Allen Poe
 * Mr R___
 * Miss Allardyce
 * Abigail
 * Colonel Caine
 * Doctor Parsons
 * Doctor Wolffson

Continuity
The story takes place between The Dalek Invasion of Earth and The Rescue.

The nature of the evil force attempting to enter the world is not specified and little information is provided about it. Although the Doctor has been invited to the house to prevent the evil entering the world he does not seem to understand the reasons for his invitation.

It is possible that Miss G___ is the same person as Countess Gallowglass who was first seen as the keeper of the Doctor's mail in the Past Doctor Adventures story 'Relative Dementias'

It may be that the First Doctor uses the Venusian algorithms provided by Trikhobu in 'Venusian Lullaby' to travel to this time period, however it may be that he simply landed here and took advantage of an invitation he had previously been given.