The Poison of Peladon (audio story)

 was the second story in the Peladon audio anthology, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Lizzie Hopley and featured Alex Kingston as River Song, Jane Goddard as Alpha Centauri and introduced Deborah Findlay as Queen Thalira.

Publisher's summary
River Song has infiltrated the court of Queen Thalira in the guise of a high priestess. With rumours swirling that Peladon is on the brink of a republican uprising, River joins forces with her new best friend, Alpha Centauri, to get to the bottom of the mystery

Plot
Queen Thalira is praying to Aggedor to heal her ill granddaughter, Solana, whom she is keeping hidden away from the Galactic Federation delegates after a galactic alert was sent to all of Peladon's neighbours. Her chancellor, Gobran, informs her that the Federation, who have failed Peladon in its recent inspections, are going to want stability and a male leader for the planet, offering himself as regent. River Song arrives, known to them as the High Priestess Cantica, and says that the mountain's rumbles are because it is angry with Gobran.

Alpha Centauri and Arcturan Ribble are heading to Peladon and are aware of Father Mendica, a member of the clergy, being sent there by Earth. Ribble, whose people have passed sanctions against Peladon, is concerned about the alleged plague and has had his dome reinforced.

Queen Thalira sends Gobran ahead of her and River, allowing them to talk privately. River says that Gobran feels pressured because he is not used to being outnumbered by women but that he is right to be worried, believing that somebody is indeed trying to ruin Peladon's image. Whilst the Queen reminds her that it is not River's responsibility to find out who it is, she says that a dear friend was fond of the planet and that she decided to stay to help after visiting to pray for the planet and the Queen. She encourages the Queen and, leaving Solana with the acolytes, they head to meet the delegates.

Present at court are Ribble, Father Mendica and Alpha Centauri, who seems to take an immediate liking to River. The inspection is to begin tomorrow so Gobran escorts Ribble and Father Mendica to their rooms; Alpha Centauri, however, asks River to escort them. The pair flirt. Meanwhile, the Queen returns to Solana at the temple and anoints her with water.

At dinner, Ribble complains of the shuddering of the mountain, which has been occurring for some time due to mining and storms, and suggests that it is recoiling from a republican future, referring to rumours of a republican uprising. River fills Ribble's imbibing tube with an excessive amount of wine and suggests that off-worlders are exploiting Peladon. This is, Father Mendica says, one of the reasons for the inspection. Alpha Centauri suggests to River that Father Mendica is interested in her.

Gobran tells the Queen that River should not be allowed to join the delegates' tour of the mines due to her outspokenness, but the Queen insists that she needs somebody to be "a thorn in Ribble's side". He does not like that River, a woman, had done background checks on the delegates, had accessed his own records and had risen so highly in such a short time. Her father, he says, never mixed politics with religion, something that she admonishes him for bringing up. She reminds him that she is the Queen and tells him that he and River will both report to her after the tour.

Gobran leads the tour through the mine towards Peladon Dam but, River notes, they are going the wrong way and suggests that she take over, angering him. River and Alpha Centauri discuss the supposed troubles with the people, troubles with River has seen no sign of.

to be completed

Cast

 * River Song - Alex Kingston
 * Queen Thalira - Deborah Findlay
 * Alpha Centauri - Jane Goddard
 * Gobran - Aaron Neil
 * Father Mendica - Ariyon Bakare
 * Ambassador Ribble - Justin Salinger

Uncredited Cast

 * King Peladon - David Troughton

Continuity

 * Thalira tells River that she learnt about women's liberation from Sarah Jane Smith. (TV: The Monster of Peladon)
 * Mendica and Thalira mention Thalira's father, King Peladon. (TV: The Curse of Peladon; AUDIO: The Prisoner of Peladon, The Ordeal of Peladon) Thalira gets a flashback to the day he died when she was a child. (TV: The Monster of Peladon)