Doctor Who_ The Algebra of Ice - Lloyd Rose [94]
Ethan regarded her admiringly. What stamina she had. He felt as if he’d been through ten lifetimes, all of them unfortunate.
‘Sometimes it’s fun,’ she said, as if reading his mind. ‘Honestly. I wish I could show you some of the stuff that’s fun.’
He smiled. ‘That rather depends on the Doctor’s success.’
Chapter Twenty-three
193
‘Not to worry,’ she said comfortably. He was both moved and disturbed by her faith. ‘And he says you’re to help him. So with the two of you, I don’t see how things can cock up.’
She’s a child, thought Ethan. He felt suddenly tender towards her, and suddenly far away. What would happen when this was over? – presuming it ended well. On the one hand he wanted things to go on and on, wonderfully, as they had. On the other, he knew that eventually they’d drive each other mad. How she’d exasperate him, and how he’d bore her. He’d block out her sun, stunt her.
The Doctor, whatever his faults, would never do that.
‘Penny for them,’ she said.
‘No. I’m only being morbid.’
‘Then cheer up,’ said the Doctor, appearing in that sudden way of his. Ethan was almost positive he never actually entered, just popped into being like an elusive particle. ‘We’ve work to do. Not you.’ He nodded at Ace and Molecross.
‘I need Ethan.’
Ace sulked but didn’t object. Molecross was disappointed, but also kept quiet.
The Doctor took Ethan’s arm. ‘Come along now.’
‘How did that salve work?’ he asked as they walked through the TARDIS
corridors. These all looked identical to Ethan: white walls patterned with con-cave hexagons. He couldn’t imagine how the Doctor and Ace found their way around.
‘Seems to have taken care of things.’
The Doctor nodded, satisfied. They were passing one of his odd little contrap-tions and, without pausing, he scooped it up to carry under an arm. He opened the next door, which led into yet another room containing several computer stations. A huge monitor covered a wall. ‘Now,’ the Doctor escorted Ethan to a numerical keyboard, ‘here’s the code that broke through the first level of the TARDIS’s security system. You said you think it’s based on primes?’
‘It certainly looks like it.’
‘Then break it down for me.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Ethan. ‘You’re from a far superior mathematical culture, why do you need me to do this?’
‘Because I have other things to do.’ The Doctor set his device on a table and began to poke around in it with what looked to Ethan like a pencil. The Doctor caught him watching and made a shooing motion. ‘Don’t you have something to do?’
Well, thought Ethan, yes. And he set to work.
∗ ∗ ∗
194
The Algebra of Ice
‘Bourneville Fruit and Nut!’ said Molecross.
‘Yeah.’ Ace glanced at the chocolate bar in his hand. ‘So?’
‘You can’t get these any more. They stopped making them in the eighties. But the food machine has dozens of them.’
‘Have fun.’
Molecross chewed happily. He had brought several bars into the kitchen of the Allen Road house, and he sat with them in front of him on the table. Ace watched him sourly. All right, like she’d said, you had to give Molecross credit.
But you didn’t have to find him interesting. In fact, you couldn’t.
‘Are all your adventures this fraught?’ he said.
‘What? Don’t talk with your mouth full.’
Molecross swallowed. ‘Sorry. Fraught. All your adventures. I mean, do you do anything, well, less intense than saving the universe?’
‘Yeah, of course.’
‘Such as what?’
‘Lots of things. The first time I met the Professor, it was only a dragon causing trouble.’
‘A dragon?’ Molecross stopped chewing and gazed at her happily. ‘A real dragon?’
‘Well, sort of. It was on this ice planet –’
‘An ice planet!’
He looked like a five-year-old ready for a story. Ace sighed and drew a chair up to the table. ‘Yeah, you see, I was working as a waitress. . . ’
‘That was quick,’ the Doctor said approvingly.
‘All I did was create a program to do the heavy lifting. It ought to finish in about an hour. So what’s that you’re working on?’
‘A thing.’
‘And what is it when it’s at home?’
‘Still a thing. Thank you for your help. You