Doctor Who_ Match of the Day - Chris Boucher [17]
‘You were there. You let her do it. What were you thinking?
That’s not a technical infringement, that’s not a terminated challenge that’s an unconsummated kill.’
‘Is that a technical term?’ the Doctor asked.
‘That’s a scuffling disaster,’ Fanson declared.
The Doctor smiled what he hoped was a calm and resolute smile. What he needed was information not comment. ‘Would there be case law on unconsummated kills?’
‘Oh there’ll be some. Not a lot and none of it will help your case. You realise she could be skullcapped. Gods, if it was really blatant she could be skullcapped and then cut loose on an open contract. Whatever happens to her you might as well get used to this place, you’re never getting out of here. Not with your feet and hands still attached anyway.’
‘Where would I find these references?’ the Doctor asked.
‘And some general material on the Court of Attack procedures.’
Fanson thought for a moment then sighed a theatrical sigh.
‘Come here and I’ll show you,’ he said, switching his computer console back on. ‘We agents should stick together I suppose.’
The Doctor smiled and said, ‘We must hang together or we will surely hang separately.’
‘That’s not bad,’ Fanson said. ‘I must remember that one.’
‘What is skullcapped?’ Leela asked suspiciously.
‘Where did you find her?’ Fanson shook his head in mock disbelief. ‘She really doesn’t understand anything does she?’
Leela pulled the knife and held it low and loose and casually threatening. ‘That is why I ask questions,’ she said, staring hard at Fanson. ‘The Doctor says there is no shame in ignorance, only superstitiously clinging to ignorance is shameful.’
‘I wasn’t joking about that knife,’ Fanson said. He glanced up at the Doctor, who was standing beside him peering at the computer screen. ‘Tell her will you. She obviously doesn’t know what’s good for her.’
‘I can’t tell her what to do,’ the Doctor said and thought: not if she realises that’s what I’m doing anyway. ‘She has a mind of her own.’
‘Well who else would want it,’ Fanson smirked.
Leela said, ‘I am making no movements that I have not made already without consequence. If the system is automatic then I am in no danger.’
Fanson looked at her in surprise and then gave a small nod of acknowledgement. ‘But you were bluffing in that case, so why take the risk at all?’
‘Never assume she’s bluffing,’ the Doctor murmured. ‘And if you do, never tell her so. She takes it as a challenge.’
Fanson looked from Leela to the Doctor, to Leela and back to the Doctor again. It seemed to the Doctor that he was looking at them critically for the first time and was suddenly unsettled by what he was seeing. ‘Where did you say you people were from?’
‘Does it matter?’ the Doctor asked trying to keep it cheerful.
Fanson did not respond cheerfully. ‘It might. I think it might.’
‘We’re not local,’ the Doctor admitted. ‘But we hang together or we hang separately, isn’t that what we said?’
‘It’s what you said.’ Fanson frowned thoughtfully. ‘Point is I’m innocent.’
‘Exactly,’ said the Doctor. ‘So are we.’
‘No you’re not, you did it.’
‘Technically,’ Leela offered.
Fanson half smiled and then shook his head and frowned again.
‘I’ve got problems of my own. Something’s gone wrong, I need to find out what it is.’
The Doctor said, ‘Maybe we can help you.’
‘That seems unlikely.’
‘You never know,’ the Doctor said. ‘We could be good friends to have.’
‘Oh spare me the threats,’ Fanson scoffed.
The Doctor was puzzled. ‘Threats?’ How was offering to be friends a threat? Of course if you lived in a society that was based on a code of violence that was enshrined in law, that
was the law apparently, you might well be suspicious. You’re only paranoid if they’re not out to get you and in this world it appeared everyone was. ‘I don’t think I understand.’
‘I’ve been threatened by the best,’ Fanson said.
‘People threatening friendship,’ the Doctor suggested. ‘Or if they were the best, threatening best-friendship presumably.’
If Fanson recognised the attempt at humour he gave no sign of it. ‘You could be good friends or bad