Doctor Who_ Match of the Day - Chris Boucher [30]
Sometimes though, the Doctor had found, the only way to avoid an unavoidable manoeuvre was to accept and exaggerate it. He sat down in one of the chairs and stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles. As an afterthought he put his hands behind his head and leaned back slightly.
„That‟s better,‟ he said. „It‟s difficult to look up constantly without getting a crick in the neck, I find.‟ He widened his smile until it was at its most vividly beaming. „If everybody‟s comfortable why don‟t we begin?‟
„The Fight Replay Panel will present the record of its findings,‟ the High Referee said.
„Present findings?‟ the Doctor objected without moving. „I object, your refereeness, or should that be your refereeship?
Or just ref? What is the correct form of address? Is it ump?
I‟m new to this and I wouldn‟t want to give offence to the court.‟
„You will not address the Court of Attack until you are bidden to do so,‟ the High Referee said. „And you will not address the High Referee and Senior Umpire at all unless responding directly to a question or an instruction.‟
„I understand,‟ the Doctor said.
„The Fight Replay Panel will present the record of its findings,‟ the High Referee repeated.
„I object,‟ the Doctor said. „How can findings be presented when no evidence has been heard?‟
„The Fight Replay Panel will present the record of its findings,‟ the High Referee persisted in an even tone.
„Findings will be replayed and reviewed, action and reaction, move and countermove will be put to analysis, analysis will be assessed, assessment shall be agreed. The Rules of Attack must and will be satisfied. Is the Fight Replay Panel present and ready to present the record of its findings?‟
„It is present; the eight men replied in unison. „And ready to present the record of its findings.‟
„The record of the findings of the Fight Replay Panel are accepted,‟ the High Referee intoned solemnly.
„I object,‟ the Doctor said. „Defence does not have a copy.‟
The High Referee was finally annoyed it seemed. He glared at the Doctor. „Are you trying to insult the Court?‟ he hissed.
The Doctor was suddenly conscious of the two ceremonial handguns that hung in ornate holsters from the arms of the High Referee‟s chair. At least he had assumed up until now that they were ceremonial. The way the man was leaning forward and resting his hands on the guns seemed to suggest to the Doctor that he might have misunderstood their purpose. „I‟m trying to defend my client,‟ he said getting slowly to his feet. „Which I believe is my right under agent-fighter privilege and which I hope to argue is part of our first and second subsection rights under Kill Rule Two.‟
The High Referee took his hands from the guns and sat back in his chair. „Rule Two, first and second subsections,‟
he said. He thought for a moment then said, „In due time.
First the record of the findings.‟
„It is behind you, Doctor,‟ Leela said quietly before the Doctor could object again. The record of the findings they talk of is behind you.‟ She was looking back at the flat wall that was the diameter slice across the half arena.
The Doctor turned his head. The door through which they had entered the room had disappeared .Within the high wall Leela was fighting the security man, over and over again, normal speed, slow motion, stop-frame, from every side and every angle, close up and long shot. No movement, no facial expression had been missed by the cameras in the arena.
From any and every angle the fight was short and expertly brutal. The Doctor looked at Leela watching herself. He saw to his dismay that she was smiling.
Every alarm in the surveillance suite was going crazy. As last as the Shift Controller acknowledged and cancelled one, another klaxon would set up its electronic howl. There was no time to interrogate the system at each stage and get a reasoned analysis and some weighted options to choose from.
Three snatch squads were already scrambled