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'Well, that's no good for you, is it? You'll get an ulcer.'

'Probably.' He nodded towards the forlorn group clustered on the bank thirty yards away.'Shall we go back? Rally the troops?'

'Yeah,' she sighed, and walked squelchingly back towards the group with him. 'Sorry for getting upset,' she said. 'I know it doesn't help.'

The Doctor put his arm around her and squeezed her briefly. 'Sam, believe me, you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.'

As they walked up to the group, Emmeline hurried towards them, her wet hair flapping about her face, her underwear sticking to her skin. With everything that had been happening, Sam had barely noticed before, but she now realised how clearly the outline of Emmeline's breasts could be seen through the wet material. She glanced at the Doctor, feeling a sudden confusion of emotions: possessiveness, jealousy, embarrassment, and even a measure of relief that the Doctor appeared to show no reaction whatsoever to the older girl's semi-nakedness.

Nevertheless, Sam positioned herself as surreptitiously as she could between the Doctor and Emmeline, as Emmeline said, 'Doctor, a number of us have just seen something break the surface of the water not forty yards away,'

'A body?' asked Sam.

'No. It could have been a submersible of some kind, though it looked more like a very large creature.'

'A Skarasen,' said the Doctor grimly, and turned to address the group.'Excuse me everybody, could I say something?'

Faces turned towards him, expectant, eager, looking for direction.The Doctor had no words of succour to offer, however. He told them that they were not safe here, that even now Skarasen were emerging from the Thames and rampaging through the city. He told them that they should find somewhere safe and warm to hide and pray that the nightmare would soon be over.

'And what, may I ask, are you going to do, Doctor?' asked Nathaniel Seers, water still trickling from his impressive sideburns.

'I'm going to try and stop the Skarasen. Goodbye, everybody, and good luck.' He turned and began to walk away, Sam falling into step beside him.

Emmeline hurried after them. 'But Doctor, you can't simply abandon us!'

The Doctor sighed and turned back. 'I can't take you all with me either. If we travelled as a group we would be too slow and too conspicuous.

Besides, Sam and I are going to have to put ourselves in considerable danger -'

'As usual,' said Sam.

- and I simply can't expose you all to that. No, your best course of action is to follow my advice and find somewhere to hide. Believe me, you would have a far better chance of survival on your own than you would with me.'

'All the same,' said Emmeline firmly, 'I would like to come with you.'

'I too,' said her father, standing behind her.

The Doctor looked heavenwards, then said, 'All right, all right. But don't expect me to take responsibility for your safety.'

'Of course not,' said Emmeline indignantly.

'Good. Come on then.' He started to stride rapidly along the towpath before anyone else could decide that sticking with him was a better option than striking out on their own.

'Do you have a plan, Doctor?' panted Sam, jogging to keep up with him.

'Well, an inkling of one.'

'Like to share it with the group?'

'Not just yet if you don't mind.Time is of the essence.'

'Isn't it always?'

They came to a set of steps leading up to a sloping cobbled street lined with what appeared to be warehouses. The Doctor leapt up the steps two at a time.

'Could you not at least inform us of our present destination, sir?' gasped Seers.

'We're going back to the TARDIS,' said the Doctor, 'and before either of you ask,' he added, glancing at Emmeline, 'I really don't have time to explain what that is just now.'

'It's a big blue box,' Sam confided to Emmeline and her father. 'We live in it.Though the last time I saw it, it was being nicked by a couple of Zygons.'

She turned to the Doctor and asked pointedly,'How come you know where