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'There will be a horse prepared for you.'

'Thank you, Chulainn.'

'And now, Doctor, you can do a favour for me. Tell me about Earth, tell me all about it. '

Bathsheba awoke in the darkness - something was wrong. When she had last looked the Doctor had been sitting atop the pile of rugs reading a book by the light of a small burning stick. But now, even though it was dark, she could sense that he was no longer there. She felt that he was still near and so she got up.

Ace was still lying asleep. Bathsheba trod carefully as she left the tent.

A light was burning over where the horses were corralled. Bathsheba limped over in that direction because something told her that was where the Doctor was. He couldn’t be leaving, not leaving her. She had known, ever since he had called her by the same name that Rush had used, that she must stay by him, that he would lead her out of the nightmare that this world had become. Why was he leaving so secretly?

She peered into the enclosure. The Doctor was sitting atop a magnificent black horse with a pack of supplies slung over its back. He was gazing over towards the tent where Ace lay. Suddenly the horse began to walk towards the gate. A solitary figure let the Doctor's horse out and then vanished away to his bed.

Bathsheba snuffled to herself and sank down against the fence. She found herself looking amongst the forest of horses' legs, lit from overhead by the swinging lantern. And there, lost amongst the treelike legs, was a midget – a midget horse. Bathsheba gasped. This was her chance.

She crawled under the fence and wormed her way through the massive bodies towards the dwarfling pony. She scooped up a handful of straw and offered it to the pony. It munched on the dried grass speculatively and didn't resist when Bathsheba flopped over it and tried to pull herself on. It was a struggle, but eventually she was aboard. She knotted her hand into the pony’s mane and then nudged it forward. It worked its way to the gate and nudged it forward.- luckily the gatesman hadn’t been terribly conscientious. Bathsheba felt glad that she was able to secure the gate properly behind her. She didn’t want the Clyr’s horses to escape.

She still seemed to be able to sense that the Doctor was moving slowly and so she kicked the pony into the equivalent of a gallop. It was a bouncy ride for someone unused to riding but it paid dividends, for she soon caught up with the Doctor. But she hung back, afraid that he would return her to Chulainn’s people.

And the night moved on.

'Professor?' Ace called out. 'Professor where are you?’ She stood outside the tent and looked around. A sleepy figure emerged from a nearby tent and looked at her blearily.

'What are you shouting about?' it asked, 'Oh, you're the girl we rescued last night. Thought Chulainn had been hiding you away from us. I'm Baddawd. Can you keep the noise down, please?' He retreated back into his tent.

Ace saw another figure standing under a flaming torch at the far side of the camp. She hurried over to it. It was Chulainn. 'Chulainn, where's the Doctor?'

Chulainn put a hand on Ace's shoulder. 'He asked me to tell you, Ace, that ...'

'He's gone, hasn't he? He's left me here. I knew it, I knew it.’

'Ace, he did it because he was worried about you.'

'I'll have to go after him. '

'What?'

'I'll have to go after him, of course.'

Chulainn grabbed hold of her arm.

'Get off me!'

'Now listen, Ace. The Doctor left you so that he could go and see Goibhnie. He thought that it'd be too dangerous for you.’

'Oh yeah, so why'd he take Bathsheba with him?' She shook him off and ran over to her tent. She snatched up her rucksack and her jacket. Chulainn was waiting outside for her.

'Ace, you're my responsibility. I can't let you go.'

'Bog off!' She pushed past him and ran out of the camp.

Chulainn cursed her and the promise he had made to the Doctor. He wheeled round and went through the camp to find his deputy. He didn't bother looking in the man's tent, but went instead to what had been his own tent. He entered quietly, with reverence,