Doctor Who_ Empire of Death - BBC Worldwide [46]
`Thank you, ma'am' The Doctor took the paper from her grasp and bowed graciously, Nyssa following his lead with a curtsy. They retreated to the antechamber.
Nyssa was eager to know what the Queen had written.
`Well, Doctor - what is it?' she asked while he read the brief note.
Ìt seems that Queen Victoria has just appointed me as her Scientific Advisor.'
`Your Majesty I must object in the strongest of terms!' Doulton thundered. 'You cannot send two strangers of whom we know very little to lead a contingent of your troops. By all means have them conduct this investigation, but let it be under military supervision.'
The Queen raised an eyebrow at the general. 'We recall it was you, General, who first introduced the Doctor and Lady Nyssa to us'
`That is true, ma'am, and I have had no objection to their presence. But civilians cannot be given control of Her Majesty's armed forces!'
`What do you suggest?'
`Let me accompany them. I will provide the necessary guidance and ensure your troops are properly deployed'
`Very well. We have no further use for you here at Windsor anyway.'
Doulton smiled through this slight. 'There is something further, Your Majesty. If this gateway does prove to be a portal to the afterlife, I would like your permission to lead an expeditionary force through it. What greater glory could there be than to lay claim to that blessed land as a colony of your mighty British Empire?'
The Queen smiled at this notion. 'So be it. Draw upon whatever men and resources you judge to be necessary, general. But take a care before you act too precipitously'
Doulton bowed deeply before her. 'If you will excuse me, ma'am, I must away to make preparation for our journey into the north' Given leave to go by a slight nod of the Queen's head, the general strode to the door and made his exit.
Sir Henry Ponsonby conspicuously cleared his throat.
`Yes? Are you still here?' Victoria asked but got no words in return. With a heavy sigh she granted her private secretary permission to speak once more.
`Your Majesty, I would ask you permission to contact Scotland Yard. It would be best if the authorities were informed of the Doctor's whereabouts.'
`Yes, yes, of course. Now leave us. We have much to think on.'
Sir Henry nodded and withdrew. He was proud to be the Queen's private secretary but he had no intention of sending telegrams to Corra Linn on behalf of this Doctor - certainly not before he was satisfied that Scotland Yard knew of this upstart.
It was Hawthorne who found Ashe. The two privates had completed the arduous journey back from Lanark with Vollmer, Lieutenant Kempshall and the new equipment. But when the horse and cart could not cover the final mile because the trail ahead was so uneven, it was Kempshall who decided he should go on to fetch help. That left Vollmer, Johnson and Hawthorne to begin carrying one of the crates up and along the wooded hillside. The box was fiendishly heavy, driving splinters from the roughly hewn wood into their hands and arms. The trio had made little progress when a dozen of their fellow soldiers appeared. The combined efforts of all the men made the task much easier and the crates were safely delivered to the encampment before nightfall.
They arrived to find Kempshall examining the pontoon, but no sign of Ashe. 'What do you mean, he's missing - where is he?' Vollmer demanded.
`We don't know, Sergeant,' Lance Corporal Clark admitted.
He was a heavy lad with flaming red hair and broad shoulders. Despite having only been in the unit a few months, he was one of the few willing to stand up to the sergeant's gruff manner. 'Once we finished lashing the pontoon into position, the lieutenant gave us permission to have a swim in the water to cool off. Last time any of us