The Ravages of Time is a short story written by Mags L. Halliday. Released in 1998, it is part of the Doctor Who charity anthology Perfect Timing and tells of the Doctor's involvement in the death of Edgar Allan Poe.
Characters[]
- Eighth Doctor
- Seventh Doctor
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Bernice Summerfield
Plot[]
While at St. Oscars' University, Benny begins telling a ghost story. Some time beforehand, shortly after the Doctor regenerated into his eighth incarnation, the Doctor and Benny visited a graveyard in Baltimore. While the Doctor visits one of the graves, he gives Benny a parcel of papers.
These papers were written by Edgar Allan Poe and reveal that the author travelled with the Doctor in his previous incarnation. Two days into these travels, the two travelled to Baltimore and discovered that a group of time leeches were feasting on the inhabitants of the city. While the Doctor was able to stop the leeches, Poe was bitten by one of them. The leech's venom caused Poe to experience the past, present, and future before dying due to the effects of the venom.
Once Benny has finished reading the papers, the Doctor reveals that he leaves behind a half-finished bottle of port and three roses at Poe's grave somewhat regularly.
In-universe continuity[]
- Other explanations for Poe's death are given in Mark Michalowski's short story The True and Indisputable Facts in the Matter of the Ram's Skull, Lloyd Rose's novel The Algebra of Ice, and Andrew Collins' audiobook The Ultimate Poe.
- This short story is presumably set around the same time (for the Doctor and Bernice Summerfield) as Lance Parkin's novel The Dying Days.