The Relics of Time ( audio story ) The Relics of Time was the first story in the Demon Quest arc , a series of five audio dramas featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor . Publisher ' s summary . The Doctor ' s return to Nest Cottage lands him in trouble when a key component from the TARDIS disappears . Mrs Wibbsey is inadvertently responsible , but all she can offer in recompense is a bag containing four curious objects . It seems that each one is a clue , and the beginning of a chase through time . In ancient Sussex they are apprehended by primitive tribesfolk , and mistaken for wizards . Can the revered goddess Wibbsentia get them out of hot water ? Who is the fearful wizard in the neighbouring village , and why is the countryside littered with bodies ? The Doctor and Mrs Wibbsey are about to discover that all is not right with history . . . Plot . The Fourth Doctor returns to Nest Cottage , his “ vacation home ” of sorts in West Surrey , just before Christmas 2010 . He spends some time buttering up his housekeeper , Mrs . Wibbsey , who is from Cromer , 1932 ( having been rescued and brought here by the Doctor in preceding series " Hornet ’ s Nest " ) . He is here to relax , and to complete some repairs on the TARDIS ; as a result , he disassembles much of the console in the parlour . He gets into trouble , however , when she sells some things from the cottage at a church charity sale — and suspects that she may have put some TARDIS components in the sale . In fact , a stranger has bought some components — specifically , the spatial geometer — but he left a bag of odds and ends in exchange . The bag contains , among other things , a bit of mosaic tile , and a photo of the Roman - era mosaic of which it is a part . More shocking is the mosaic itself : it is the image of the Fourth Doctor ! Also , a cartoon is there , which also includes the image of the Doctor . Mrs . Wibbsey is upset at herself ; but the Doctor is intrigued by the objects . He patches the TARDIS back together as best he can , and has its navigational system analyse the tile . The tile was unearthed in West Sussex in 1964 , along with the rest of the mosaic , an apparent anachronism for the local Celts of its time period . He finds a reference to a local goddess named , oddly , “ Wibbsentia ” … Without the missing components , the TARDIS cannot travel in space , only in time . Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery , he takes Mrs . Wibbsey with him — bullies her , really — back in time . He admits that he has not been to that time period “ in this body ” , confusing her , but she goes along ; he tells her that the reference to “ Wibbsentia ” implicates her in the mystery as much as him . In the Roman era , they make their way overland to the nearest settlement , and are intercepted by a group of Celts . The Celts take them in and lodge and feed them overnight ; the Elders meet to discuss the Doctor and Mrs . Wibbsey . The Elders hope that the Doctor is a Druid , of the “ lost tribe ” . He at first denies it , but — as that hope is the only thing keeping them alive — he quickly introduces Mrs . Wibbsey as a prophetess and priestess skilled in reading goat entrails . They dub her “ Wibbsentia ” , and promptly sacrifice a goat for her to use in divination . She plays the part well , describing a rival group , a tribe from the hills that is raiding the Celts , and getting help from a powerful wizard with a monstrous pet … it begins to become clear that she ’ s not faking , but actually getting a message from somewhere . And the message prophesies destruction for the Celts . The Doctor confers with her about her message , but is interrupted by the Elders , who offer them freedom in exchange for helping them ; they want the Doctor and “ Wibbsentia ” to go to the other tribe … and kill the wizard . On threat of death , and with no options , they accept the mission . The next morning , the tribe sends them off , unaccompanied ; Mrs . Wibbsey comments on this , but the Doctor thinks they fear the other side too much to go along . They come upon a number of dead bodies , dessicated , but with clothes that indicate the deaths were recent . The bodies seem to come from the rival tribe . The Doctor reflects that nothing in this time can kill in this way . They reach the other settlement , which is a little better off than the Celtic village . The Doctor marches straight in and asks to see the wizard ; the woman who first meets him raises an alarm and draws a crowd . With some comical misunderstanding , they meet the alleged Wizard , who admits to being a foreigner himself . He ’ s a nervous and stuttering man , but he invites him to his dwelling … and also , casually , he has an elephant , affectionately named “ Nelly ” . The man appears to be from Rome ; his hut is decorated in Roman items , and he has trained a local Briton , Metafix , in mosaic - work . ( Metafix is making a mosaic of the wizard . ) Mrs . Wibbsey warns the man about the Celtic tribe , which will be attacking later today . However , he seems partly unconcerned . The Doctor outs him , however ; putting together several clues , he realises that the man is actually the Emperor Claudius , who should NOT be here in any circumstance ! History makes no mention of him being here . It turns out that he bolted , abandoning his duties when the opportunity presented itself , during a journey ; he just wanted to get away , and he ’ s done it . The Doctor assures him that he is , in fact , defying history , but can ’ t stay there ; at a minimum , the Celts are about to attack , and will overwhelm Claudius ’ s tribe . The Doctor urges him to go home , as his presence will change history drastically . He is stubborn , and won ’ t go ; the Doctor tries to prove he is from the future so as to convince him . Most of the Doctor ’ s odds and ends don ’ t impress him , but the Doctor plays an answering machine message of Mike Yates talking about travel plans . Claudius lets slip a reference to “ it all [ being ] on microchip someday ” , and then shrugs them off . The attack begins , and the Celts besiege the town . Mrs . Wibbsey finds a piece of the spatial geometer in the hut ; Claudius sneaks off and gives them the slip . The Doctor can ’ t deal with him now ; he goes to confront the two tribes and end the hostilities . The Celts want to kill him ; but he uses the recorded message from Mike Yates ( presenting it as a message from the gods ) to scare them into submission . This time , it works , and they cease fighting , and eventually collaborate to prepare for their midwinter festival . Mrs . Wibbsey has cornered Claudius in his antechamber . It ’ s an elaborate room , with additional mosaics ; but there ’ s a strange light inside , and something isn ’ t right . Mrs . Wibbsey suspects it might be a TARDIS , but Claudius says it isn ’ t ; the Doctor gets them out just before the room — and Claudius — disappears . His attempt at kidnapping them failed . The Doctor drops a suggestion that Metafix may want to change the subject of his mosaic ; but Metafix tears up the mosaic . Apparently the picture of the mosaic with the Doctor was a fake … but why ? And who did it come from ? They have a brief confrontation with the tribesmen over the elephant — the tribesmen want to eat it — and , after rescuing it , they take it with them . Along the way back to the TARDIS , they review the other items from the bag … and deduce a connection with Paris in the 1800s . That will be their next stop — the Moulin Rouge !