Doctor Who_ The Bodysnatchers - Mark Morris [110]
Tuval stared at him blandly. 'I do not feel proud of disobeying the orders of my commander, Doctor, though neither do I believe in taking another's life simply for revenge.'
'And a good thing for me too,' said the Doctor. He looked around.'I take it Balaak is dead?'
'Yes,' said Tuval simply.
'I'm sorry,' said the Doctor. 'For all that has happened, I'm truly sorry.'
'I too,' said Tuval.'I am sorry that the Skarasen are laying waste to this world. I am also sorry that I was forced to injure you, Sam, the last time that we encountered each other. I trust that you sustained no permanent damage?'
'Nothing that a few weeks in traction won't cure,' said Sam, and then seeing Tuval's puzzled face: 'Nah, I'm joking, don't worry about it. It was a fair scrap.'
Nathaniel and Emmeline Seers were looking around them in awe, their mouths open. Nathaniel was swaying a little as if about to pass out.
'It's quite... quite impossible,' he said in a weak, tired voice.
'Yeah, it gets everyone like that at first,' said Sam.'In the end, though, you just have to accept it. Either that or go stark staring bonkers.'
'Why don't you both sit down?' suggested the Doctor. 'There are plenty of seats knocking about. Sam, would you be kind enough to put the kettle on?'
She sighed.'I suppose it is my turn. Is that what we're going to do now we're here? Have a tea party and wait for it all to blow over?'
'We'd be waiting a long time,' said the Doctor.'No, I think a little direct action is called for.'
'What do you propose to do, Doctor?' asked litefoot.
'It's more a case of what Tuval and I can do. Tuval, using my equipment, do you think we could replicate a Zygon summoning signal for the Skarasen?'
Tuval glanced at the console. 'It is possible, Doctor. Despite appearances, your technology is very advanced.'
'Thank you,' said the Doctor, straight-faced. He peeled off his damp coat and dropped it at the base of one of the leaning metal girders that supported the time rotor.'Let's get to it, then.'
He began to flick switches and twist dials on the console. 'I'll just prepare the way. We don't want you burning your fingers, Tuval.'
'May I ask a question, Doctor?' asked Emmeline.
He nodded.
'What precisely will this... this summoning signal do?'
He looked up and grinned. 'It will draw the Skarasen to the TARDIS:
'All of them?' said Litefoot, turning a little pale.
'Oh yes,' said the Doctor cheerfully.
Nathaniel Seers, slumped in a swivel chair made of some strange, pearly material, said, 'Forgive my insolence, sir, but wouldn't such a course of action be a little unwise?'
'Oh, probably,' said the Doctor, and then before anyone else could comment, he looked up and said, 'Ah, here's Sam with the tea. Excellent.
Once you've drunk that you can all have a bath and put on some clean, dry clothes if you like. Sam will show you where everything is. This is going to take Tuval and me a bit of time to set up.'
He was not wrong.As he andTuval set to work at the console, coaxing it to produce a variety of bleeps and burbles, Sam led Emmeline and her father to the warehouse-sized TARDIS wardrobe and encouraged each of them to select a change of clothes for themselves.That done, she showed them where the TARDIS bathrooms were, provided each of them with soap and towels, then went off to have a shower in her own en-suite bathroom, telling them she'd see them back in the console room later.
She stood under the hot water for a long time, wreathed in steam, her eyes half closed.Though her body longed to sink in to her warm, soft bed and drift off to sleep, her mind wouldn't stop nagging at her, urging her to hurry up so that she didn't miss anything important.
Finally, reluctantly, she turned off the shower, dried herself and dressed in jeans, boots and a Greenpeace T-shirt. The Victorian clothes had been OK, but it was good to be wearing her own stuff again.