Doctor Who_ Return of the Living Dad - Kate Orman [83]
‘We used to be warriors,’ said Albinex. ‘We were proud and strong. We believed in courage and honour and taking action. I still believe in those qualities.’
‘So you’re going to go home and bully the Navarinos into becoming your army.’ He actually laughed. ‘An army of Navarinos! Half of them would be on R and R and the other half would go AWOL looking for a good pub. Why would you bother with the Navarinos, when there are whole planets full of potential galaxy-conquering soldiers out there?’
‘They’re my people.’
The Doctor looked Albinex in the purple eyes. ‘They never liked you, anyway.’
‘What.’
‘They didn’t want to play war with you. So you stole one of their toys instead of sharing.’ He gestured around at the ballroom.
‘I never fitted in,’ said Albinex, proudly. ‘I never conformed.’
‘Bully,’ said the Doctor, ‘for you.’
‘Look,’ said Albinex. ‘Even if I actually set off the missile, less people would die than will die this year from tobacco.’
The Doctor rolled his eyes. ‘Do you really imagine you can so precisely predict the future? Perhaps you imagine that the web of time would protect Earth. Prevent it from being destroyed, because that’s the way that history goes. Well, it wouldn’t. Believe me. The balance is too fine.’
He sat back again. ‘Anyway, it’s academic, since you won’t have the codes.’
‘Why do you care so much?’ Albinex shook his head.
‘Why Earth?’
‘I’ll tell you this much for free. Most planets look like quarries. Earth is precious.’
Albinex got up. He glanced at M’Kabel, who was hovering behind the bar, pretending to read the bottle labels.
She exploded into life behind him, a surreal, floating sower. ‘Where have you been?’ Albinex said.
I CAN’T EXPLAIN, she said, after a moment. YOU
COULDN’T UNDERSTAND.
‘Never mind,’ said Albinex.
The Doctor didn’t flinch as she floated gently down and wrapped herself around him.
She unfolded his arms, holding them against the wall behind him, as they looked into each other’s eyes.
She expected him to struggle. She hadn’t realized yet that he didn’t need to.
‘All right,’ said the Navarino.
She was a sizzling tang all over his body, a lemon crush that soaked into his skin and burnt him. He tried to push back, reach inside her and find what was left of the human being. She had seen his TARDIS. Where was it?
‘Take him back. Find the moment.’
M’Kabel dropped the glass he was holding. The ghost was screaming.
‘Hold him there!’ Albinex shouted. ‘Hold him! Make it last!’
I CAN’T!
With a violent burst of movement, she rushed backwards and up from the Time Lord. ‘Why did you stop?’ shouted Albinex, over the frantic buzzing of her wings.
IT HURT ME! ME!
She moved back further, gently bobbing against the ceiling. Albinex looked at M’Kabel, jerked his purple head.
The Tzun carefully came out from behind the bar. He stayed close to the wall as he sidled up to the Doctor, keeping his large, black eyes on the ghost as she argued with her employer.
The Time Lord was lying on his side, curled up, his skin almost as pale as a Tzun’s.
‘Are you all right?’ M’Kabel said.
‘Of course I’m all right,’ said the Doctor. ‘I’m always all right.’
M’Kabel helped him to sit up. The colour was coming back into the Time Lord’s face. He glared up at Albinex.
‘Good help is so hard to find these days,’ he said.
‘She felt what you felt.’
‘Of course she did. We’re the same.’
I CAN’T STAND THE PAIN HE CAN STAND, said the ghost. Albinex turned away in disgust.
‘You’re only young,’ breathed the Doctor. He reached for the glass of water and knocked it over with a shaking hand.
‘He said he was going to find Albinex’s base,’ said Joel blearily.
‘How long ago was that?’ said Roz.
‘I’m not sure,’ Joel yawned. ‘I fell asleep at the computer.
Didn’t he tell anyone else?’
‘Never mind,’ said the Adjudicator. She snapped off the light and went back downstairs.
Benny was pouring herself a cup of tea behind the counter, while Jason and Isaac played with the little kid.
Weird.
‘Do you want a cup