Mount
Lœng has been mentioned several times in the various story sets as
being a tall mountain on the boundary of the Lœngbærrow estate on Southern
Gallifrey. The monastery near the top has also been mentioned more than
once. This was an opportunity to bring the mountain and monastery into sharper
focus, and explore some of Chrístõ’s history. The fact
that he was a rather unhappy student when he first went to the Prydonian
Academy has been emphasised before. But only a few hints were given about
how he managed to rise above the bullying and become the accomplished young
man he was.
Enter Maestro. A character who we learn a lot more about
in 
later
stories. Here, he actually seemed a bit of a surprise addition to Chrístõ’s
list of friends and acquaintances. I really should have introduced him,
if only by inference, before now, so that readers would not be faced with
an entirely new character.
Anyway, he had to come in now, because he is needed to play a much fuller role in later stories. So we have the dual story of Chrístõ as the accomplished Prydonian graduate returning to the place of his youth, and his memory of the first time he climbed the mountain, angry, rebellious, hopeful of an answer to his problems up there at the monastery, and the curious conversation he has with the robed man who refuses to help him when he is in trouble.
Of course, Maestro is right when he makes Chrístõ work out the mountain for himself. The only way he could achieve anything was by his own effort. He would have plenty more mountains to climb, literally and figuratively, and he couldn’t give up at the first difficulty. The scene on the mountain tells a fair bit about the formation of his character, and just possibly explains why the Second Doctor played a recorder.
Some people have questioned the idea of Chrístõ
living with Maestro, an old man and a young boy. All I can say to them
is, don’t have such dirty minds.
