Doctor Who_ Halflife - Mark Michalowski [77]
If he was, then it certainly wasn’t going to be this bloke. He was Caucasian, strongly built, with a square frame and a rather blocky head. The swoosh of blond hair that crowned it looked somehow feminine, yet the man’s voice was deep and decidedly masculine. A confident man, thought Fitz. A man that he could very quickly grow to dislike. In fact: poof! There – it had happened!
‘My name is Mr Trove,’ the man said, as if that explained it all, and descended the steps slowly and purposefully. His face was wreathed in a sar-donic smile – the smile of someone who knows something that no one else does, and is determined that everyone is going to realise it. ‘What brought you back here?’ he asked simply.
‘This is my home and I can bring whoever I want back here,’ said Sensimi suddenly, out of nowhere.
‘I think you’ll find it’s your parents’ home,’ Trove corrected her softly.
‘I think you’ll find,’ said Fitz, ‘that it’s her parents’ house – and Sensimi’s home, actually.’ Yab boob! to you, Mr Trove.
Sensimi glanced at Fitz and gave hint an encouraging little smile.
‘Yeah,’ she nodded. ‘What Fitz said.’
‘Actually,’ said Calamee, ‘the Palace is the property of the state, so in a very real sense it’s as much mine as it is anyone else’s.’
Trove threw her an almost admiring look before smarming on: ‘Well, regardless of whose home or house it is, I have full permission to be here from Imperator Tannalis himself.’
‘Don’t care,’ snapped Sensimi (rather childishly, thought Fitz). ‘These are my friends and I won’t have you interrogating them.’ She gave a considered 139
pause and her eyes drifted pointedly towards Calamee. Well,’ she added sullenly. ‘Apart from her.’
Calamee gave Sensimi the visual equivalent of a growl, and Fitz found himself grinning, before realising that they were probably all in a very serious position here. Trove, whoever he was, clearly had the Palace Guard on his side, and although they had Sensimi on theirs, Fitz knew who held the upper hand.
‘Discussions about ownership of this magnificent palace aside,’ the Doctor said, ‘I take it that the fly camera was your little toy?’
‘I have you to thank for its demise?’
The Doctor gave a theatrical bow. ‘It was spoiling my meal,’ he said apologetically, and began patting his pockets. ‘I’m sure I have it on me, somewhere, if you’d like it back, although it might need a little repair work. They don’t go well with custard, do they?’
‘Keep it as a souvenir, Doctor. I have plenty more.’
The Doctor stopped patting. ‘And, if my logic isn’t at fault – which I have to confess it occasionally is, these days – I’m beginning to suspect that you’re also the person behind that little lock-him-up-and-let-him-go charade when I arrived. Did you find out what you wanted to know before your surveillance device got its just deserts?’
Trove smiled again, but this time it was a harder, colder smile.
‘I am close, Doctor. Very close.’
‘Oh, I am pleased. Does that mean that you can tell us what it’s all been about? I mean, if you’re so close that the interference of us pesky kids won’t stop you from getting away with it?’
Fitz grinned.
‘If you mean,’ replied Trove icily, ‘that there’s now nothing you can do to stop me, then sadly, no.’
The Doctor frowned. ‘Would that be a “No, you can’t stop me” or a “No, you can stop me”? These double negatives always confuse me.’
Trove took a breath and raised a hand to the two Palace Guards standing behind him.
‘Lock them up,’ he said. . .
‘Don’t you dare!’ seethed Sensimi, drawing herself up. The sound of Sensimi’s shrill voice must have woken Nessus, because, out of the corner of his eye, Fitz saw the little creature sit up and stretch on the night beast, and then amble casually over to Calamee. She pulled him up to her chest, hugged him painfully tightly, and began telling him off.
‘I don’t know who you think you are,’ Sensimi continued to Trove. ‘You’re a guest here in the Palace.’ She stared at the Guard. ‘And you two. . . ’ Fitz suddenly felt inexplicably