Washington Burns

Short Trips #6.3

Released: 24 March 2016

Listened: 11/22/20

This one is a short semi-historical, which seems to have more plot than most Short Trips, a trick that’s pulled off by making this the epilogue to an unseen adventure. The Doctor and Ace are pursuing an evil psychic entity that can hide in the written word, and take over anyone who reads it. Lucky for them, the entity has fled to Washington in 1814, which is about to be burned by British troops. It’s remarkably accurate for such a short story, including Major General Robert Ross and Rear Admiral George Cockburn, down to Cockburn burning the National Intelligencer and destroying all the lead type with the letter “C,” so that the paper could no longer slander him. President Madison doesn’t come off so well, but it’s an English story, so what can you do? It’s a clever concept, some nice history, and a fair chunk of plot, in addition to being set during an event I’m familiar with. That all makes for a nice Short Trip.