Doctor Who_ The Room With No Doors - Kate Orman [75]
There was silence for several seconds. Chris listened, as hard as he could, but there was nothing.
Another little piece of dirt flew up into the air.
He sighed, and went to dig the pod back up.
The chief monk was a wizened old fellow with a stare that made Penelope want to blink a lot. She knelt on the floor of his large, empty room. The monk had helped her carry the time conveyance here.
‘Why are you here?’ he said.
‘Is this a philosophical question?’
‘No.’
‘Oh.’
Penelope put her head in her hands for thirty seconds.
‘Very well,’ she said. ‘I’m here because Gufuu-sama asked me to break into the monastery and find the secret entrance. This is because an alien pod is being brought here by a time traveller from the thirtieth century.’ She began to count on her fingers. ‘Gufuu-sama wants the pod, Umemi-sama wants the pod, the Kapteynians want the pod, the Caxtarid wants the pod, and the Doctor. . . ’ she trailed off. ‘He doesn’t want the pod – he just doesn’t want anyone else to have it.’
The old monk nodded, as though she’d just commented on the price of rice.
‘The reason I’m telling you all of this. . . ’ she said. ‘Actually, to be honest, I’m not sure why I’m telling you this. I’m not entirely sure why I’m doing any of this.’
‘Perhaps that is why you are telling me about it,’ said the old man.
Penelope folded her hands in her lap. ‘I am at a loss,’ she admitted.
Kadoguchiroshi considered. ‘What do you want?’
Penelope said, ‘A divorce.’ And broke into a huge smile.
‘Then what steps must you take to accomplish that goal?’
I need to go home,’ she said, in a small voice.
‘And how can you return home?’
149
‘I can’t use my time conveyance,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t work properly. I’ll have to. . . ask the Doctor to take me home.’ She put a hand over her face.
‘Oh, no.’
‘You can trust him,’ said the monk firmly.
‘Who is he?’ Penelope breathed. The Roshi didn’t answer. ‘What must I do?
What is the right thing to do?’
The old monk said nothing.
‘Then I must ask the Doctor,’ she said. ‘Swallow my pride, put up with his pride, and ask him.’ She sighed. ‘If he has a redeeming feature, it is that he always knows what to do.’
Te Yene Rana had dragged the Doctor down from her horse. He lay on the damp grass in the shadow of the ridge. They were a little distance from Umemi’s army, the soldiers lined up in neat rows, paralleling the enemy.
‘Aren’t you going to join in the fight?’ said the Doctor. Te Yene Rana was an angry silhouette against the sun, stalking back and forth. ‘I would have thought wholesale slaughter would be just your cup of tea.’
‘Don’t be stupid,’ she said. ‘You might like getting mixed up in their damned politics, but I’ve got more important things to worry about. Thanks.’
‘Yes. This pod of yours. I expect your superiors will be very annoyed if you don’t return with it.’
‘Nah,’ said the Caxtarid. ‘This is personal.’ She crouched down beside him, tugging his bonds to test them. ‘Those scrawny flea-ridden Kapteynian slaves almost destroyed my ship. I want them. And they want the pod. If I find it, I find them.’
‘But what if they use it against you?’
Her pointed teeth flashed in the afternoon light. ‘Once they get to it, it’ll be useless. Assuming they still have that Technician bird with them. He’s first on my list. I’m going to fricassee him.’
‘Is that SO?’ said Talker, landing on the Caxtarid’s head.
The Kapteynian knocked Te Yene Rana flat, kicking her gun away. The Doctor snaked out of his ropes and snatched the weapon up. In a moment he had ripped loose the power source and smashed it under his heel.
Talker was screeching, battering her enemy with powerful blows from her wings. The Caxtarid was swearing mightily, bruising her knuckles on Talker’s beak.
More of the Kapteynians arrived. ‘Stay back!’ Talker squawked, ducking a punch. ‘Mine mine mine!’ The other birds hovered at a distance, watching the fight.
‘What’s happening?’ The Doctor caught the attention of