Part 36 (1/2)

'Not now,' said the Doctor. 'Not now you've done this to her. She's gone further and further away from being human.'

'She's been exploring,' said Albinex. 'Discovering what she's capable of. Time doesn't limit her the way it limits me.

Or even you. I believe,' he breathed, 'she could do anything.'

The Doctor smiled. 'Except make me give you those codes.'

The Fury looked down at him.

He held his ground as she descended. The wind rushed through his body, not disturbing the air around him, not moving a hair on his head.

She reached out her hands to him, smiled at him with blind eyes. He took her hands in his.

M'Kabel imagined he could see s.p.a.ce-time straining around the Doctor and the ghost as they connected. The Doctor's mouth opened as her power poured into him. His eyes flickered and closed as his head fell backwards.

His hat fell off. M'Kabel jumped.

Take him back,' Albinex told the ghost. 'Take him back to when he first learnt the codes.'

M'Kabel had the impression of rus.h.i.+ng motion, hidden under some surface skin of reality. The Doctor's eyes opened again, staring blankly into the ghost's face, as she unwound his life.

There was a sudden ripple in the room, a grinding, tearing sensation. The Doctor cried out in an alien tongue.

M'Kabel couldn't tell whether it was pain or surprise or some arcane Gallifreyan emotion.

She pushed, pushed him down to his knees, fighting every step of the way. She was gripping his wrists, forcing them together, back against his chest. Their faces were an inch apart, not touching, their eyes locked.

The Doctor yelled again, turning his head sharply to one side, eyes tightly closed. She pushed pushed. He cried out in that dark language. She PUSHED. His mouth opened, but no sound emerged.

I CAN'T DO IT she said. M'Kabel flinched at the ripple of her voice through his viscera. she said. M'Kabel flinched at the ripple of her voice through his viscera.

'What's the problem?' said Albinex.

I CAN'T GET BACK BEFORE HIS DEATH.

'His what?'

HE DIED.

'You said the regenerations wouldn't matter.'

THIS ONE IS DIFFERENT.

She let go of him, suddenly, and he fell sideways onto the floor. M'Kabel hovered, alarmed, until she floated back and away. Keeping his eyes on the ghost, he crept up to the Doctor and checked that he was breathing.

'Do you forgive me yet?' said the Time Lord' in a tiny, distant voice' and closed his eyes.

For the first time' Isaac looked ruffled.

He was holding onto his grandson. Keith Brannigan Kane-Summerfield was a bright-eyed toddler, perhaps eighteen months old. He was wearing a dark blue pair of overalls and a stripey T-s.h.i.+rt.

He had burst into wails when he'd first arrived' but a few cuddles and a bit of warmed milk later he was quite happy to sit on granddad's lap and look around.

Not one of them doubted that it was Keith.

'How?' breathed Jason.

He held out a finger, and his son closed his tiny fist around it. 'Va va va va va,' said Keith.

'Well, we're not going to get any answers out of you,'

said Jason.

'The Doctor could tell us,' said Benny. 'Maybe Keith fell back through time, somehow.'

'But why? What for?' said Isaac.

Benny just shook her head. 'The Doctor could tell us.'

Roz came into the shop. She looked at the four of them.

'What's this?'

'This is our means of reproduction,' said Benny. 'We call it a ”child”.'

'It's my grandson,' said Isaac. He grinned, just for a moment, his eyes astonished.

Roz looked between Benny and Jason. 'What, did he bud off, or something?'

'The ghost gave him to us,' said Benny. 'We need the Doctor.'

'b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l,' said Roz. 'Well' why are you just sitting here? Isn't he upstairs?' She headed for the stairs, absently doing up a b.u.t.ton on her s.h.i.+rt.

'Va va VA va va!' said Keith, waving his hands around.

'I hope there's a twenty-four-hour place around here,'