Doctor Who_ Human Nature Part 28

'You mean Joan?'

'Yes. She agreed to marry me. I have to save her. And I have to do it as me.'

Benny looked at him for a moment, and then resignedly laid her head on his shoulder. 'If there's one thing I've learnt in the past few weeks, it's that we don't get second chances. Do you need a bridesmaid? I've always wanted to be one, but everybody I've ever known has been scared to death of altars.'

'You mean you think I should?'

'I think you ought to go for whatever you think will work. I might even start to like her.'

Smith nodded solemnly. 'So we have to win, if only so you can expand your wardrobe. But we're going to do it as you and me. Smith and Summerfield. Will you come with me?'

Benny carefully planted a kiss on top of his head.

'You're beautiful,' she told him. 'Of course I will.'

Smith grinned, frowned and bit his lip at the same time.

'Erm, thank you.'

'You know, I think Rocastle got a bit of Doctorishness off of you before he died. It must be catching.'

'Perhaps. But does the Doctor have to sacrifice himself to win?'

'Sometimes.' Benny s.h.i.+vered, not knowing why. 'So,' she asked, 'shall we go and have this adventure?'

'The last adventure. Before I retire.'

'And do you have a plan?'

'Oh yes. Tell me, have you ever played poker?'

August checked the controls on the vortex tunnel. 'We can be ready to depart as soon as we have the Pod.' He glanced at the approaching dawn. 'If, that is, Serif and Greeneye get back.'

'I'm worried,' Hoff muttered. He was still squatting by the post, his gun jammed under Joan's chin. 'They're taking too long. And we heard an explosion.'

'That'll just be Greeneye over-reacting. Still, if they don't appear before Smith does, then I'll just use the Pod before we go to search for them. We'd be able to locate them in a moment with the services of a TARDIS at our command.'

'You're certain he'll bring the Pod?'

'Of course. We have the thing he holds most precious in the world.' August patted Joan's head.

'I'm not a thing,' Joan told him.

'Oh, in this game you are. We're all things when it comes to war. You see -' August realised that Hoff was staring out of the dome in surprise. He followed his gaze.

Smith and Bernice were wandering unconcernedly towards the dome, Smith wearing his white evening gloves.

The two of them walked straight in through the open doorway.

Hoff pressed his gun closer into Joan's face. 'John!' she cried. 'I hadn't dared hope -'

'What?' hissed Smith. 'Oh, of course - she thinks that I am Dr Smith. Greeneye and I succeeded in cornering his fleeing companion on the hillside. She and some of the boys had mounted a trap for us. We fooled them through my a.s.sumption of this form. That finger I consumed proved to be... very useful.'

'And I had some fun afterwards. Professor Summerfield put up quite a fight.'

Bernice wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, her other hand on her hip.

'Delicious memories, almost as good as that Auregan.' She wandered over to Joan and ran a hand through her hair.

Joan s.h.i.+vered. 'Does this mean that - Is John dead? Please tell me.'

'No. He wasn't about. Lucky for him.' Bernice looked up at August. 'Can I have some of this? It's always that way with humanoids: you have one and ten minutes later you want another.' She pulled a strand of hair from Joan's head and chewed on it thoughtfully.

Hoff relaxed, standing up and dropping his gun back into its holster.

August smiled at Bernice. 'Yes, of course, but don't do her too much damage, we need something to give to Smith. This Auregan you mention, do you mean Sola?'

Bernice glanced up from where she'd knelt down, starting to tap Joan's sides with her fingers like a skilled butcher. 'No, not him. Didn't I tell you about Kuala? Or was it Tuola? I just fancy some kidneys...'

Joan began to sob uncontrollably. 'Oh G.o.d, somebody save me, please...'

August turned back to Smith. 'You don't have the Pod, I take it?'

'No.' Smith shook his head. 'Smith must still be searching for it.'

August absently picked up a scanner and checked a reading. 'So why keep his form?'

'I can search for the boy like this, also. He will trust me.'

Joan gave a shriek. Bernice was working at something behind her. 'Finger,' she explained. 'That won't annoy Smith too much, will it? They'll be a matching pair.'

Smith idly picked up the control dart-gun from one of the benches and inspected the muzzle. 'Ready?' he asked.

'For what?' August frowned.

'Yes,' Bernice called cheerfully.

Smith spun the gun round and fired darts into August and Hoff.

Bernice threw aside the manacles she'd been cutting through and pulled Joan to her feet. She dropped the laser cutter back into her pocket. 'Sorry I burnt you,' she told Joan, 'but it added a touch of realism.'

August plucked the dart from his chest. 'I'm astonished,' he said. 'But those darts don't affect us.' He s.n.a.t.c.hed his gun from its holster and pointed it at Bernice.

A question mark umbrella handle plucked it from his hand and sent it spinning across the dome.

Hoff grabbed for Joan's shoulder, but she was already running, Bernice pulling her bodily out into the forest.

August swung a blow at Smith's head, but the little man ducked, rolled over and popped up again in time to trip Hoff as he dived for the door. He gave a quick bow and hopped over the sprawled alien, das.h.i.+ng off into the trees.

'No!' August shouted. He slapped a control on the wall.

Smith, Benny and Joan sprinted through the lightening undergrowth, Joan being virtually carried along between the other two. 'John!' she panted. 'You rescued me!'

'We're not out of the woods yet,' Smith gasped. 'Still-'

'Is it me, or are we slowing down?' Bernice asked.

They all looked down. Beneath them, the humus was slipping away from their feet.

A great wind rose against them, and suddenly they were pus.h.i.+ng to make headway, the air around them as thick as treacle. A buffeting hurricane of leaves and twigs thundered by.

Smith swung his umbrella in a slow arc and the handle caught around a tree branch a few feet ahead. He pulled on the umbrella itself and managed to haul them forward a little way, the wood stretching and creaking with the effort.

Bernice got a hand on the umbrella, too, and helped to pull.

'They've got us again, John.' Joan's voice was calm and strong. 'Promise me one thing. Don't give them what they want, even if it means my life. They've told me what they intend to do with it. Do you understand? Don't be unfaithful to who you are. Promise me.'

'They're not going to - '

'Promise me!'

'Yes, I promise. I love you.'

'I love you. Thank you for coming back for me.' The umbrella started to stretch.

Bernice made a mighty effort. She slapped a hand forward, and worked her way up the shaft, hand over hand.

She managed to get hold of the tree itself and hauled herself past it.

She tumbled down a slope on the other side, free of the force. She scrambled quickly back up the bank. Supporting herself against the tree, she poked her head over the ridge.

It was like being hit on the back of the head with a hammer. The force grabbed her skull and tried to haul it off her shoulders. 'Doctor!' she called. 'Get down here!'

She reached out a hand, but Smith and Joan were still clinging on to the umbrella and each other. Joan began to slip from Smith's arms and his fingers grew white on the umbrella handle.

'No...' he said, despairing.

And then he was torn from the umbrella.

Smith and Joan shot off backwards towards the dome, the umbrella spinning after them.

Bernice watched as they went. Hoff and August caught them neatly by the dome and threw them inside. Then the force that had captured them was switched off, and all was quiet again in the forest.

'Do you think you're dealing with children?' August pulled Smith to his feet.

'Children would be better behaved,' Joan told him. She smiled proudly at the aliens.

'John came to rescue me, against all the odds.'

'We have similar ethics, then.' August let go of Smith and motioned to Hoff. The gruff alien grabbed Joan and secured her to one of the benches. 'We both look after our own. Where are Serif and Greeneye?'

Smith glared at him. 'The first is dead. The second we've taken prisoner. I'll swap him for -'

'No. If you had the stomach to harm him, that would have been your initial strategy.' He picked up the scanner again and checked the readings. 'You're swamped with the kind of radiation we've learnt to a.s.sociate with the Pod. It's not on you, but you do have it hidden somewhere.' He pointed to Joan. 'Our offer still stands. Give us the Pod and she lives. Go and get it.'

Smith looked into August's eyes. 'If she's hurt, there will be nowhere in the cosmos that you can hide from me.'

August inclined his head. 'I believe you. One hour.'

As Smith left the dome, he caught sight of the expression on Joan's face. Pride and quiet determination. He paused for a moment, then, imperceptibly, he nodded to her.

When he'd left, Hoff turned to August, his eyes closed in grief. 'Serif too...' he whispered. 'This trip has been costly.'

'They'll both be avenged.' August patted his shoulder. 'Before we go, we'll reduce this world to ashes.'

The others were waiting in the forest, sitting in a great circle in a clearing, too shocked or nervous to make their way home. Alton had started a fire and Hutchinson was staring into it morosely. Anand and Tim were talking in whispers, going over Tim's adventures.

'The thing is,' Tim was saying, 'I thought that I knew how Rocastle was going to die. The Pod told me. But he blew himself up to kill Serif.'

'Then that means that the future's wide open. We can change it,' Anand whispered.

'Isn't that wonderful?'

The other boys were huddled together, some of them sobbing, others just slowly calming down, ridding themselves of the tension and the fear of death that had been with them for the last few hours. It didn't help that Greeneye was tied to a tree near by, under the watchful gaze of Alexander and Hadleman. After he woke up, the prisoner had started shouting threats and curses, but after a while, these had changed into pleas and requests for food. Once it was certain that he wasn't going to get any, he slumped into an angry silence.

The sky overhead was getting lighter. It had been a warm night, but they were all ready to welcome the dawn.

'So,' Alexander broke the silence. He'd been looking at Richard and wondering if he should tell him. He mustn't do that. The only thing he could do was to enjoy every moment they had left. 'Does anybody know any good stories?'

'Oh, shut up,' muttered Hutchinson.

'You shut up,' Tim told him.

'You can't tell me that, bug.'

'Yes I can, and don't call me bug.'

'Who thinks' - Hadleman raised his voice - 'that Tim should shut up? Raise your hand.'

No hands appeared.

'And who thinks that Hutchinson should shut up?' A lot of hands appeared.

'There. Tell us a story, Tim.'

'It doesn't work like that,' Hutchinson sighed wearily. 'I'm his Captain, so I can tell him to shut up.' There was a murmur of discontent around the circle. Hutchinson looked up, suddenly bemused. 'What?'

'I think...' Hadleman picked up the red sphere that Smith had left with him and stood up. Alexander watched him worriedly. He'd advised Richard not to hold on to the Pod, to leave it by the fire. Now he was throwing it lightly from hand to hand. 'I think that democracy will soon be everything. You lads just got your first vote. If the balloon goes up this year, or the next, maybe the generals will finally realise that, in the end, a soldier fights for his conscience. He isn't an animal to be herded to the slaughter.'