Part 46 (2/2)

'Sorry about that,' says Joel. 'Had to change the battery.'

The camera moves around again and focuses on a small, dark-haired man' sitting at the table closest to the front of the shop. Admiral Summerfield has joined him. They are drinking coffee together.

The man reaches up to tip a hat that isn't on his head, and settles for a shy wave at the camera. 'This is the Doctor,'

says Joel, 'who's going to tell you how I ended up in nineteen eighty-three. Aren't you, Doctor?'

''Scuse me,' says someone behind Joel, accidentally jostling him as they squeeze past.

'We think the time distortion was caused by one of Albinex's attempts to repair his faulty engine,' says the little man. There's a definite burr in his voice. 'We're going to have to pop forward to nineteen ninety-three to see if anyone or anything else was displaced. It might have been a Fortean Flicker, or a natural phenomenon... stranger things have happened.'

'Absolutely,' says Admiral Summerfield. He raises his mug to the camera, as though toasting it. 'For example' the Doctor has just worked out how to make the best cup of coffee on Earth.'

'Okay,' says Joel. 'I'm nearly out of tape' so I better finish up now.'

The radio is playing loudly in the background. He sits back on the bed, knocking a half-empty cigarette packet onto the floor.

He arranges himself so that he's framed by the camera's point of view. 'I'm going to send this tape along to C19 tomorrow,' he says. 'If they do their job right, you should receive this the day after I go missing in nineteen ninety-three.

'We're going to pretty much keep on doing what we're doing. There are still going to be aliens who need help, not to mention plenty of humans who no one else is going to believe.'

The music on the radio cuts out, replaced by a shouted countdown. 'Ten!'

'So don't worry about me.'

'Eight!'

'I can't come and visit until I'm not there, if you see what I mean, but I promise I'll walk in a day or two after you see this tape.'

'Four!'

'Of course, I'll be kind of older... anyway, this thing's really about to run out. See you soon. Happy-'

34 The bits not on Joel's video

Benny stepped out into the cold air. It wrapped itself around her, soaking immediately through her jumper, refres.h.i.+ng and sharp.

Ms Randrianasolo was standing in the street, holding the ends of her woollen scarf, looking up at the Christmas lights hung outside the Pyramid. 'I found her,' she told Benny.

'How is she?'

'She'll be fine.' Ms R blew out a long, white breath. 'All Jacqui wanted was some acknowledgement of what had happened to her. No one she'd ever told had believed her.

So she told me' when I found her. And I believed her.'

'Come inside,' said Benny. 'It's freezing out here.'

Ms R shook her head. 'I can't come back,' she said.

'Listen' this is going to sound awful' but...'

'You can't trust Dad,' said Benny.

The black woman shook her head. 'I'd never be able to trust him again.'

'Try it,' said Benny. 'I've been down this path. You can build up the trust again.'

'I'd be wanting to peep inside his skull all the time,' said Ms R. 'And I can't do that. Besides. I'm just not a soldier any more. 'Where will you go?' 'The peace camp,' said Ms R.

'They could use another regular. I need some practice in non-violence. And I want to keep an eye on Jacqui until she's ready to move on.'

'Are you sure you want to do that? Really sure?' Benny leant on the rail, gazing down at the Malagasy woman. 'They won't listen, you know. They'll lie about you and put you in prison and beat you and... and even kill you.' She stopped, shuddering in the cold, not sure if she'd said too much.

'I know the history,' said Ms Randrianasolo. 'And I plan to be part of it.'

'You know the strange thing?' said Chris.

Roz was eating a pile of mince pies. 'What?'

'I realized that when we were on board the sky yacht, running around, I didn't worry about you at all. I just got on with the job.' Chris frowned. 'It's been bugging me. Why wasn't I thinking about you?'

'Nah,' said Roz. 'Same reason I can work with a red smear and a walking fish and just get on with the job. There's no room in the middle of a firefight to think about stuff like that.'

Roz glanced over to where Benny and Jason were sitting' holding hands. 'That's why Benny can't do this anymore. I guess... I guess that's why the Doctor doesn't have anybody.'

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