Part 34 (2/2)

'And what they did to you at that house...'

'Does it disturb you that I burnt it down?'

Benny swivelled her head to look at him. It was almost as though he was waiting for her approval. 'Yes,' she said, after a moment, 'but only because it was such a normal sort of thing to do. It was the sort of thing I might do, or maybe Ace.'

'I'm getting human in my old age,' sighed the Doctor.

'Are you okay?' she said. 'I mean, having to go back there...'

'I hated having to be rescued,' he said. 'I hated the helplessness.'

Benny sat up and put a hand on his arm. 'You're allowed to fall short of omnipotence, you know. From time to time. As required.'

He shook his head. After a moment, he said, 'You haven't even asked me where the two lookalikes came from.'

'Oh,' said Benny. 'I suppose I...' Didn't have to think about them, because they're dead now, she thought. 'What were they? Did Albinex decide to send in the clones?'

'They were genetically engineered shape-s.h.i.+fters from another dimension.'

'That would've been my guess.'

'They must have crossed over while Ace and I were visiting Llanfer Ceiriog. I expect Albinex found them and put them aside for a rainy day. Another loose thread, left untied because I didn't know about it.'

Benny leant forwards and pushed her fingers into her cropped hair. 'Jason and I should have done our own investigating using the time rings. I should never have contacted you.'

'I've missed you,' he said simply. 'It's been good to see you again.'

'Just like old times, eh?' she said. He smiled, and looked up as Isaac and Joel emerged from the treatment room.

'Send in the clones,' groaned Benny, as they got up.

'This whole thing is wrecking my finely tuned wit.'

It was late evening when they made it back. Isaac had ordered Joel to bed, so the boy had the Doctor help drag his desk over. He was holding the keyboard in his lap, typing one-handed, the bandaged arm resting against his chest.

The Doctor was sitting on the end of the bed, reading fanzines from the cardboard box. He clucked his tongue, absently. 'I see what you mean about the UNIT dating,' he said. 'Why don't any of these authors agree?'

'It's the D Notices,' said Joel, from behind his screen.

'You can get three different dates which all make sense, going by hearsay. I could write a killer article if you'd answer a few questions...'

'Ah,' said the Doctor, 'but would anyone believe that you'd interviewed me?'

'Point taken. Anyway, the Admiral would have a fit. Hey, look at this.'

The Doctor leant back so that he could see the screen.

'Ah.' His eyes flickered over the text. 'That's just what we've been looking for. Well done.'

He folded away the fanzine and got up. 'Where are you going?' asked Joel. 'Albinex's base,' said the Doctor. 'I hope.'

Tony met him on the landing. 'Did you have any luck with the bulletin boards?' said the Tzun.

The Doctor nodded. 'There was quite a detailed sighting posted about an hour ago. I'm going to go and take a quick look at the area.' He put his hands in his pockets. 'I think I'll borrow Albinex's car.'

'I'll come with you,' said the Tzun.

The Doctor looked at him, standing very still.

'Just you,' he said, after a long moment. 'And don't tell anyone else.'

'Oh,' said Tony. 'All right.'

Alekto

She appeared for the last time at eleven o'clock.

The crew were scattered about the town. Ms Randrianasolo was guarding Woodworth, who was curled on the desk, deeply asleep. Joel was at his computer, despite Isaac's insistence that he go to sleep. Graeme was soaking with the coffee pots in the sink.

Isaac was in the coffee shop, talking with his daughter and sonin-law. Jason had been expounding a somewhat Bowdlerized version of his adventures, while Benny watched the two men warming to each other. It was a boy thing, she thought. They'd been in combat together, so now they were buddies.

'Yeah,' Jason was saying, 'it happened to me on Christmas Eve. One minute I'm walking down Oxford Street, the next I'm flat on my back in an alien swamp.'

A bee landed on the table. Absently, she brushed it away, and yelped as it stung her.

'I thought I'd been abducted by Santa -' Jason stopped in mid-anecdote.

Isaac took Benny's hand and carefully brushed the sting off. 'We'll put some ice on that,' he said.

The three of them looked down at the table, where the bee was buzzing its last.

Jason jumped to his feet. 'The Doctor,' he said. Suddenly his hair was blowing, as though there was a draught in the shop. 'Where's -'

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