• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

‘Martha, this is the future! Just accept that they can do things.’ He looked suddenly serious. ‘I don’t do white lies.’

I believed him. ‘Sorry,’ I said, and hugged him again. ‘And who knows how many other samples might just happen to drop out of my pockets…’ he said, as he unlocked the TARDIS door. ‘Hang on, pockets, that reminds me…’

He reached into his jacket and pulled out the ISpyder guide, but I didn’t hold out a hand for it. ‘All the stuff I’ve seen,’ I said, ‘and I haven’t got anywhere near enough points for a certificate. I think it’s impossible.’

The Doctor grinned. ‘Oh, I think there’s one elusive specimen that you might be able to track down…’ He scrolled through the index and pointed out an entry.

I laughed. ‘Are they joking?’

He shook his head. ‘No, just leaping to the wrong conclusion from the evidence.’

I did the sums. And couldn’t believe it, because I was still a point short.

So the Doctor pointed out another entry, and I smiled. ‘Of course!’

And then I smiled again, because this really was the end of the story. Well, apart from one last goodbye…

The Doctor was inside the TARDIS. Martha stood in the doorway, holding Dorothea. ‘So… you must have had pets on board the TARDIS before, right?’ she said hopefully.

The Doctor thought for a moment. ‘You never met Mickey, did you?’ Then he smiled and shook his head. ‘Being apart from your own kind for ever – that’s quite a burden to bear, you know.’ He looked straight at her. ‘However much you’re loved.’

Martha held his gaze for a few moments, then dropped her eyes to Dorothea. ‘Right,’ she said reluctantly. She walked over to the pen, and lowered the bird inside. Without a backward glance, it trotted off to join its fellows. After a few moments, it was lost among the crowd. Martha, staring wistfully at the dodo throng, tried to pretend she knew which one was Dorothea. But, really, she didn’t. So she thought instead of the future, of the planet where a dead species would live again. Then she thought of the past, of the last dodo that had been, to her, the first dodo; no longer doomed to a choice between a lonely life or a lonely death – and hoped that it was happy, wherever it was.

THE ISPYDER BOOK OF EARTH CREATURES

TIME LORD

Dominus temporis

Location: worldwide

The Time Lord is a rare bipedal, bicardial mammal. It frequently mingles with herds of Homo sapiens, but can be distinguished from them by its unique physiology and distinctive fearless behaviour. It is between approximately 1.5 and 2 metres in height, and can have white, black, brown or blond hair. It is most commonly found in Europe, especially the United Kingdom.

Addendum:

It has been suggested that the Time Lord is of non‐terrestrial origin. However, sightings spanning several millennia indicate that, even if it did not originate on Earth, it should now be classified as an immigrant species.

ISpyder points value: 8963400

THE ISPYDER BOOK OF EARTH CREATURES

Creature Points

Subtotal 8999999

Dodo 800

Megatherium 500

Paradise parrot 500

Velociraptor 250

Mountain gorilla 500

Aye‐aye 900

Siberian tiger 600

Kakapo 900

Indefatigable Galapagos mouse 1500

Stegosaurus 500

Triceratops 550

Diplodocus 600

Ankylosaurus 650

Dimetrodon 600

Passenger pigeon 100

Thylacine 250

Black rhinoceros 300

Mervin the missing link 23500

Tau duck 5

Dong tao chicken 4

Red‐eared slider 40

Chinese three‐striped box turtle 350

Forest dragonfly 150

Phorusrhacos 450

Steller’s sea cow 1000

Sabre‐toothed tiger 500

Megalosaurus 600

Time Lord 8963400

She was tired, so tired, and scared, and hopeless, but still she tried to run. It was no good. The leaf‐animals were both calm and fast, and seemed to be in front of her whatever way she turned. Suddenly she felt pressure round her waist, and she was raised from the ground. This was it; this was when she went the same way as her babies and her mate – but she didn’t give up, she desperately tried to turn her head, knowing her giant beak, hooked