Doctor Who_ Enlightenment - Barbara Clegg [30]
‘Let me stay,’ he said. And then, as the Doctor did not respond, he added in an aggrieved voice, ‘Or don’t you trust me yet?’
‘You couldn’t cope.’ The Doctor was kind but firm.
‘These creatures have vast powers. That’s why none of them must win. To achieve further power would be disaster.’ And as though that was his final word, the Doctor started opening the door.
‘But what about the other ships?’ Turlough could not help exclaiming. ‘We can’t stop all of them winning.’
The Doctor smiled at him. ‘We can try,’ he said.
And then the door was at last open, and they walked out into the safety of the corridor – and straight into the arms of Mansell and two officers. There was no time to think of excuses. Without a word, the two officers grabbed the Doctor. He struggled, briefly, while Turlough watched, paralysed with fright. But he was no match for the power of the Eternals, and very soon they had him pinned to the floor. Mansell’s cutlass was an inch from his throat. ‘Resist further and you will regret it,’ the buccaneer said. His expression seemed to indicate that he personally would positively enjoy the bloodshed to follow.
Tegan stood silent and still. There was not the slightest movement from a ribbon on her gown, or a stray wisp of hair. She did not even seem to breathe. Wrack sauntered over and surveyed her. She looked at the crystal gleaming in the centre of the tiara, and then she said pleasantly,
‘Where were we? Oh yes – Have you heard of time standing still?’ and she snapped her fingers. Immediately Tegan clicked out of her frozen state and went on talking as though nothing had happened.
‘... Yes... It’s just an expression. It means –’
She suddenly broke off and looked around her. ‘Why have you brought me here’ she asked. Everything seemed strangely disconnected, as though she had just woken from a dream.
‘I wanted you to meet someone, but they seem to have gone,’ Wrack smiled at her. There was something gloating in those heavy lidded eyes that Tegan did not care for. ‘I’d like to rejoin the party please,’ she said, rather haughtily.
Wrack’s smile grew blander. ‘Of course,’ she purred. And then, with a sly sideways look, she added, ‘And I would like to speak to the Doctor. The image of him in your mind is quite intriguing.’
There was no sign of the Time Lord in the stateroom.
Tegan stood in the entrance, surveying the scene, Wrack at her side.
‘I can’t see him anywhere,’ she said anxiously.
‘But there is Marriner,’ the other woman murmured in her ear. ‘Longing for your company.’
Tegan was not interested. All she wanted to do was find the Doctor. But Wrack watched the young man pushing his way eagerly towards them through the crowd, and she seemed amused. ‘Don’t let me detain you,’ she whispered, and moved away, a second before the First Mate arrived at Tegan’s side.
‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere,’ he said urgently.
‘I was worried. Where did Wrack take you?’
Tegan found his concern slightly irritating. ‘To the wheel-house.’ She tried to sound as noncommital as possible, but Marriner was not diverted. ‘You’re unharmed?’ he asked, even more fiercely. Tegan gave him a bored look. ‘Of course.’ Marriner made the mistake of inexperience – he tried to explain himself. ‘I – I was concerned for you,’ he muttered. For the first time, Tegan felt that she could cope. There had been other young men boringly concerned about her in the past. She was on home ground.
‘Thank you. You needn’t have been’ she said, dismissively.
The squelch did not work on Marriner. He ignored it, and simply continued to state his own feelings, which appeared to be quite impassioned.
‘I missed you’ he said, hotly. ‘I was concerned.’ He looked into her eyes. ‘I am empty without you.’
That was enough for Tegan. ‘Please go away,’ she said firmly.
But none of