Doctor Who_ The Taint - Michael Collier [27]
'Here y'are, mate,' said the cabby, loud and cheerful.
Fitz jumped. 'Right, mate. Thanks.'
The cabbie chuckled. 'Put yer lady friend to bed and give her a couple of raw egg yolks in the morning. Works every time.'
Fitz looked again at Sam. Put her to bed... If only things had turned out differently! If he hadn't tried to kiss her she wouldn't have gone off like that, wouldn't have...
He smiled wearily at the cabby. 'Good advice. Thanks.'
***
Roley was struggling to keep up with the Doctor as he marched along the landing to the staircase and took the stairs three at a time.
'Doctor, where are you going?'
'I need information,' the Doctor informed him without turning round, 'hi particular the Kreiners' address so I can check Sam's all right. I am therefore going to your study to peruse the files on your guests.'
'You most certainly are not,' said Roley, his voice going squeaky as it always did when he was indignant. 'You have no right to do so.'
At that, the Doctor did turn to face him, his eyes furious. 'On the subject of rights, Dr Roley, I fear you may be treading on very thin ice.'
'And you yourself, Doctor,' Roley said. 'You are a guest in my house and yet you act as if you have the run of the place.'
'I'll settle for the brisk walk of the place,' said the Doctor, walking off again, briskly. 'You're viewing your guests as objects, as things... They're human beings, Dr Roley, not pet people for pet theories.'
Roley dashed on after his wayward guest. 'You wrong me, Doctor. My theories may appear a trifle extreme to the uninformed.
Again, the Doctor abruptly stopped and turned to his flustered pursuer.
'What's it for, Dr Roley? What's all this really about?'
Roley felt himself deflating, as he always used to when confronted by his father. This Doctor looked younger than be was, but the authority his voice carried, the demanding tone... Roley felt weak and self-conscious as he answered. "Think of the possible gains to our understanding of the mind.
Imagine if we could ascertain the way the neurons and dendrites have been rerouted in these people. Imagine if we could harness the positive features of manias: heightened awareness, strength, instinct... Think of the new potential we could unleash in the mentally afflicted! Imagine the possibilities if we could control, channel, make sense of the fundamentally senseless...'
The Doctor smiled thinly. 'The ancient Greeks believed that madness was due to the actions of the gods in taking away the mind.'
Roley nodded, enthusiastically. 'Plato thought mental disorder was a sign from the gods, that the afflicted person was being punished for some kind of wrongdoing.' He leaned closer, confidentially, still a little out of breath.
'We could cheat the gods, Doctor. Set their prisoners free.'
The Doctor looked at him. levelly. 'And can you cheat the devils too, Dr Roley?'
The Doctor turned and strode off again. Just as he passed the telephone on its ornamental table, it rang, and he snatched up the receiver. 'Charles Roley is unavailable at present,' he said politely, 'as he is chasing argumentative guests around his house. Please call -' He broke off, to Roley's obvious relief. 'Fitz? Where's Sam? Sam , Sam, Sam, where is she?' His face fell. 'She's what ? How did it...? What were you...?'Then it darkened. 'You did what ?
***
'I put her to bed,' Fitz repeated, as casually as possible. ‘She's sleeping now.'
Jesus, what a night this was. Fitz's heart was racing. If he hadn't been so bloody scared, it would've been great back then, being so flash with the cabby's tip. Sam was minted! He could do with a bit of that. He considered pinching her wad - he'd be able to blame its going missing on her attackers, no problem...
The Doctor's concerned