Doctor Who_ The Room With No Doors - Kate Orman [95]
Kill. The. Doctor?
The one thing the Daleks had never done, the Cybermen had never done, the Zygons and the Kraal and the Autons had never done? The one thing that bullets and lasers and explosions and poison had never done? Joel Andrew Mintz, with a borrowed sword?
Joel made himself look at the Doctor.
The Doctor looked back with utter, utter calm. Not faked calm, meant to freak him out or defy his enemies. Real calm. No panic, no apprehension, no fear at all. Whatever happened happened.
God, I can’t do this. I have to do this. If I don’t do this, I’ll die. The Doctor didn’t have to come here; he didn’t have to interfere; he knew they might kill him! If I don’t use the sword, one of the samurai will, first on me, then on him we’ll both die!
Joel raised his heavy sword, shaking with the exertion. The Doctor didn’t react, just gazed up at him, waiting. Not trying to talk him out of it, not trying to hypnotize him. Just waiting.
Joel felt the sword leave his hands. It fell, point down, into the soil.
Joel flung himself on to his hands and knees before the daimyo and pushed his forehead into the dirt. ‘Great lord,’ he said, ‘will you hear what I have to say?’
Gufuu-sama audibly sighed. ‘What is it, Mintsu?’
Joel peeked up at the daimyo, whose katana was halfway out of its scabbard. He realized he was so frightened he wasn’t even registering it any more.
‘Lord,’ he said, ‘I know you value those who speak their minds honestly. Look at him!’ He glanced towards the Doctor. ‘We’re about to kill him, and he isn’t frightened at all!’
‘He is brave,’ said Gufuu-sama. ‘Unlike certain people.’
‘Listen to me, lord,’ Joel raced on. ‘I know a lot about this man, about his adventures. He’s clever. He always has a plan. He always knows more 194
about what’s going on than his enemies know. He’s calm because he knows something we don’t! ’
Gufuu-sama considered. ‘Go on, Doctor,’ breathed Joel. ‘Tell them.’ He pushed his face back into the dirt.
‘It’s true,’ said the daimyo, ‘that he shows uncommon calm in the face of certain death. But no matter what his plan, his execution can hardly help him!’ Joel trembled as he heard the katana leave its scabbard. ‘His cleverness is all the more reason to kill him. What do you say, Doctor?’
‘Good morning, Miss Gate,’ said the Doctor.
Joel looked up so fast his glasses nearly went flying. ‘Oh my God,’ he said.
Penelope was standing behind the daimyo, holding a smoking matchlock, the muzzle aimed right at the warlord’s head. A mutant version of her time machine was standing on the ground, a foot from her.
The samurai with Gufuu reached for their swords. ‘Don’t,’ said Penelope.
‘You couldn’t possibly kill me before I shoot him. I have only one bullet, so I will be sure to make it count.’ She didn’t take her eyes off Gufuu. ‘Cut the Doctor free.’
‘I think you had better do what she says, Mintsu,’ said Gufuu mildly.
Joel wobbled to his feet and crouched beside the Doctor. He fumbled the short sword out of his belt and started sawing at the Time Lord’s bonds.
‘Do hurry up, Joel,’ said Penelope.
‘I’m doing the best I can,’ squeaked Joel. ‘There!’
The Doctor stood up, rubbing his wrists to get the circulation going again.
‘Come over here, Doctor,’ said Penelope.
The Doctor went and stood on the other side of the time machine. ‘Er,’ said Joel.
‘I think you had better accompany us, Mr Mintz,’ said Penelope.
The three time travellers made a rough landing in the monastery courtyard, right next to the pod.
The monks were quietly standing, watching, the Roshi and Chris at the front of the small crowd.
‘Welcome back,’ said Chris quietly.
The Doctor went up to him and put a hand on his arm. ‘Chris –’
‘Sorry about burying you,’ said the young man. ‘We couldn’t carry you, and I didn’t want the samurai having a go at you. They were cutting off the heads of corpses.’
‘Not to worry,’ said the Doctor brightly. ‘Now I know how a sprout feels.
What’s the situation?’
195
‘The pod contains a Kapteynian