Doctor Who_ Empire of Death - BBC Worldwide [26]
Mary retrieved Nyssa's gown from the wardrobe and various undergarments from the drawers of the dresser.
'They've all been cleaned and pressed, miss. I made a few repairs to the dress, too. I hope that suits you.'
'That sounds fine. It was a little big for me, anyway. Could you help me put it on? On Traken we don't wear such formal clothes.'
'Of course, miss. Traken - is that on the subcontinent?'
Nyssa was about to correct the young woman but remembered the Doctor's urgings. In some cases total honesty was not always necessary to achieve one's ends.
'Not exactly. It's in another part of the empire,' she replied.
Getting dressed proved to be a lengthy process with Mary insisting Nyssa wear several more undergarments than before. Most cumbersome of these was a metal cage fastened around her waist, apparently called a crinoline. This was covered with several petticoats, so that Nyssa's gown billowed out to twice the width of her hips. The maid seemed to take delight in all the flounces and fabrics, admitting that she had once wanted to become a seamstress. But the death of her father had forced his daughters to go into service.
Mary did not seem to mourn his passing, confiding he had been a bitter, violent man. Finally, Nyssa was ready to venture out into the rest of the castle.
'Where do you think I would find the Doctor?' she asked.
'Do you need a physician, miss?' Mary replied.
'No, my travelling companion, the Doctor - I arrived with him last night,' Nyssa explained. The maid smiled, despite herself.
Òh, him. That gentleman's been all over the castle, miss.
If you stand still long enough he'll probably find you.'
Nyssa nodded. That certainly sounded like the Doctor. 'In that case, I think some lunch would be best. Can you show me the way?'
Mary shook her head. 'No, miss. My duties restrict me to the bedchambers. If you ask one of the other household servants, they will be happy to escort you.'
It was noon when Lieutenant Ashe finally gave the order for the soldiers to break camp and move upstream. Sergeant Vollmer had been politely urging his commanding officer to set off sooner but Ashe refused to be rushed. Any suspicions Vollmer had about the lieutenant's fragile physical state remained unspoken. Ashe had spent several hours in the company of the Walker brothers, who owned and operated the New Lanark cotton mills. When the lieutenant had staggered back to where the troops were settled, his steps were unsteady and his speech slurred. Vollmer had helped his commanding officer into bed, rather than have the lower ranks see Ashe in such a state.
The contingent was slowly making its way upstream, the sound of rushing water growing steadily until it was a roar ahead of them. Eventually the greenery parted to reveal the source of the cacophony. Ahead stood a mighty stone dam over which fell a steady torrent, the water crashing down the height of three houses to rocks below. Spray bounced up into the air, creating an ever-present rainbow. Vollmer called a halt to their progress, giving him a chance to consult with the lieutenant. 'Is this what we came to guard?'
Ashe shook his head. 'No, our orders take us further upriver, to Corra Linn.' He pointed at the dam. 'Magnificent, isn't it, Sergeant?'
'Yes, sir. But what's it for?'
Ashe began to mop his brow with a white cotton handkerchief. Despite the spray created by the dam's overflow, the air was close and humid. 'Two gentlemen hatched a scheme to create power by damming the river. The Walker brothers explained it to me last night - something involving turbines and steam. Dashed complicated and clever, if you ask me. All very scientific. Anyway, they built the dam and flooded the valley upstream, right back to Corra Linn, but ran out of money before they could install the equipment to harness this power. Dissolved their partnership and went their separate ways. One of them claimed the project had been cursed and threw himself