Part 13 (2/2)

When he'd emerged from his bedroom, he'd found the Admiral in crisis mode, making phone calls in the dim light of the coffee shop.

Isaac's daughter was coming down the stairs, followed by a grumpy-looking Doctor.

He didn't look like much, really. A short man of indeterminate age wearing slightly odd clothes. It must be camouflage, Joel decided. The clothes looked ordinary until you got close enough to take a look. The man looked ordinary until your invasion fleet unexpectedly dropped into the sun.

He gave Bernice a smile. 'Eggs?'

'Yes,' said the Doctor, 'they are.'

Bernice smiled back at Joel. He handed her a plate.

'Have you seen Jason?' she asked. Joel shook his head.

The Doctor stood at the counter, one hand tapping out a preoccupied rhythm, looking up and down the cafe as though he was missing something. Joel glanced between him and the Admiral, feeling that uncomfortable feeling when you're sandwiched between two people who aren't talking.

Benny looked as though she was going to lean over the counter and kiss the Admiral, but instead she said, 'Morning, Daddy.'

Joel glanced at his fearless leader, who was taken aback, fighting down a smile. 'Has there been any news about Ia Jareshth?' Benny asked. The Admiral shook his head.

'I have only one thing to say,' said the Doctor.

Everyone turned to look at him. If there'd been a piano it would have stopped playing.

'Jasper,' he said.

Ms R said, 'Stewart.'

The Doctor stopped drumming.

'Oh,' said Ms Randrianasolo. 'What a giveaway.'

The Admiral was looking at Ms R, his face unreadable.

Even though he'd been here only a few months, Joel could see the quiet anger in the slope of his shoulders. 'What's this?' he said.

'Last night,' said the Doctor, 'someone tried to read my mind while I was sleeping. I implanted a small post-hypnotic command so I could identify them. Every time they hear the name Jasper -'

'Stewart!' hiccuped Ms R.

The Doctor walked up to her. 'I gather you're the resident psychic.'

'What have you done to me?' she said softly.

'Nothing that can't easily be fixed.' He reached up suddenly and tweaked her earlobe. 'There.'

Ms Randrianasolo rubbed her ear. 'I'm sorry,' she said.

The Doctor walked to the door, plucking his hat from one of the hooks. 'You know,' he told Isaac, 'it's possible you haven't found your missing alien because you've been looking in the wrong place.'

He left.

Joel let out the breath he'd been holding. He and the Admiral exchanged glances. Isaac walked around the counter and peered at Ms R. 'Are you all right?'

'I'm fine,' she said shakily.

'Jasper and Stewart?' said Joel.

'Um,' said Chris. 'They're teddy bears. We won them at the Sprunge festival on Vas.h.i.+g.'

'I shouldn't have asked you to do that.' The Admiral looked up at his daughter. 'What did he mean, looking in the wrong place?'

'The Doctor thinks that Ia Jareshth might have run away because she was frightened of him,' said Benny reluctantly.

'He's going to stay away from Little Caldwell until the Lacaillan transport arrives.'

Roz Forrester spoke up. 'If he thinks the Lacaillan's going to come back, that would mean she's holed up somewhere nearby.'

'Somewhere,' said Chris suddenly, 'where a slightly odd woman travelling by herself wouldn't be noticed.'

'Oh, hey!' said Joel.

Ms R said, 'Oh my G.o.d. Why didn't we think of that before?'

'Perhaps,' said the Admiral, 'because we were too busy looking in the wrong direction.'

Jacqui was squished into the back of the car between Ms Randrianasolo and the Doctor, with his black lady companion in the front and Joel driving as usual.

Jacqui looked at the Doctor, who was staring out of the Window as they drove along. The trees were big skinny black shapes against the dead white sky. It looked spooky.

The Doctor wasn't very spooky or weird-looking. Well, maybe a bit weird, but not scary. Actually he looked a bit like an uncle of hers. He did seem a bit cross, though, frowning from time to time as he thought of things that made him angry.

She said, 'Have you seen me somewhere before?'

He turned to look at her with his sad blue eyes. He thought about it, seriously. 'I don't think so,' he said. 'I'm sorry, should I remember?'

<script>