Doctor Who_ The Stone Rose - Jacqueline Rayner [53]
‘Did you have it before?’ Marcia asked, curious. ‘I don’t remember…’
‘Er, yes, I did,’ said Rose. After all, their memories had already been messed with once, so a little white lie couldn’t hurt. ‘But it was asleep a lot.’
Vanessa climbed out of the cart and stood there silently. Almost as soon as they’d crossed the property’s threshold she’d returned to her shy ways – not that she’d been much of a chatterbox in the meantime.
‘Anyway,’ said Marcia, turning to go back inside, ‘I must return – a number of friends have come to visit. We had invited them to view our statue of Optatus – it would not have been polite to withdraw the invitation, despite the circumstances. You must both come inside and join the party.’
‘Wow,’ Rose whispered to Vanessa, ‘things must be good. She’s treating you like a human being.’
Vanessa gave her a quick wry smile. ‘I think she was talking about you and the monkey…’
Rose handed over the cardboard box. The GENIE was peering over the rim, drinking in its surroundings like a dog with its head out of a car window. ‘Here,’ Rose said. ‘You can be my official monkey carrier. They can’t complain about you being at the party then.’
Vanessa accepted the burden. ‘So… you still disappeared, then? If Marcia was worried about you.’
Rose shrugged, lost for answers. ‘I guess so.’
‘But if your friend the Doctor was never here…’
‘If the Doctor had never come here, I’d never’ve come here at all,’ Rose pointed out. ‘Oh, my God! I shouldn’t be here! I shouldn’t be here at all! So… it must be one of those paradox things. Maybe time’s trying to heal itself and keeping me here’s part of it.’
As they followed Marcia inside, Rose muttered again, ‘I shouldn’t be here…’
A number of people were in the villa, apparently Marcia’s nearest neighbours. There were several couples, one clearly barely on speaking terms; a young girl who appeared to be the daughter of the warring couple; an ungainly looking middle‐aged woman whose bright yellow silk robe did not suit her at all; an elderly lady, dripping with jewels, whose vividly red hair was clearly not her own; a good‐looking young man in a green cloak: and three or four nondescript men who had already had a bit too much wine, judging by their raucous laughter.
Rose had been expecting it to be standing around with drinks and chatting, like the duller dos from back home, but instead everyone was lying down on couches like at dinner, while a troupe of scantily clad African girls danced around.
‘Where’s Gracilis?’ Rose asked, as she gingerly lay down on the couch that Marcia indicated.
Vanessa stood behind Rose in the manner of the other slaves in the room, still holding the box containing the GENIE.
‘Oh, my dear – he has gone to Rome to find you. We were so worried…’
Rose frowned. She detected the Doctor’s hand in this. ‘Has he gone on his own, then?’
Marcia looked puzzled for a moment. ‘But… but of course. No – no, I think… Of course, the slave Vanessa went off to look for you, and when she didn’t return my husband said – well, I don’t remember exactly what he said… Oh, yes, I had to send a message if Vanessa returned. I suppose I had better do that…’
‘A message to who?’ Rose asked.
‘To… why, to my husband, of course.’
Marcia seemed so unsure of herself that Rose felt a bit sorry for her. Obviously time hadn’t been healing itself that well. It seemed to have simply stuck a plaster over the wound and hoped for the best. The occasions when the Doctor had been present were now just sort of blurry for everyone – except her. That stupid GENIE and its wishes! If she never heard that ridiculous thunder sound again she wouldn’t be sorry…
Crash!
Rose jumped. She was no longer lying on the couch next to Marcia, but was alongside the green‐cloaked young man.
He jumped too. ‘Oh!’ he said.
‘Don’t tell me,’ Rose said with a grin. ‘You were just wishing you could get to know me a bit better.’
‘Well, now