Part 30 (2/2)

Cat Heaven

The Doctor stepped into the circle of boys. 'h.e.l.lo. I'm the Doctor.'

'Are you?' Bernice leapt to her feet and grabbed him, looking joyfully into his eyes.

'So- '

'I used the Pod before I got to the dome. August didn't know that. He was prepared to fight off Time Lord biodata, not human nature. Smith took over his body.

August and Hoff are now in the Pod themselves, off to safekeeping.'

'And what about Joan?'

The Doctor's face clouded. 'Smith died saving her. I think he was fond of her. I sent her back to her house.'

Tim ran forward and beamed up at the Doctor. 'So you beat them?'

'Yes. And I didn't kill them. So I won. Talking of which...' He wandered around the tree and smiled gawkily up at the naked Greeneye. 'What are we going to do with you?'

'I don't care. You can torture me -'

'No. I think I'll have you locked up. I did that once to an immensely powerful other-dimensional sorceress. She got out immediately, but the experience left her feeling sheepish.'

'But we can't have him getting away,' Hutchinson objected. 'He ought to be b.l.o.o.d.y well hung!'

Bernice raised an eyebrow and Alexander burst out laughing.

Alton wandered up. 'I appreciate how you feel, but don't you think that this man's powers go beyond the army's ability to hold him? We could just shoot him and bury him here.'

'Don't be barbarous. Oh, he might get away' - the Doctor tapped his umbrella handle against his chin - 'but what will he do? He's got no weapons, no technology, and a life span of, what, ten more years at the most? That's the thing about such powerful biosystems. They burn themselves out.' His face darkened. 'I think killing him would be far too merciful.'

'You dog!' Greeneye spat. 'You took away our last chance!'

'Did I? I only just got here.'

Hadleman tapped the Doctor's shoulder. 'Erm, Doctor?'

The Doctor turned, suddenly beamed and pumped Hadleman's hand with two of his. 'Richard Hadleman! Pleased to meet you!'

'We've, ah, already met.'

'Yes.' The Doctor's face fell. 'But you shouldn't know about that. Oh, you mean Smith. He wasn't me. Much. If at all. What?'

Hadleman laughed, bombarded by the Doctor's swift collection of thoughts and postures. 'I just wanted to tell you, there's an army convoy outside the village. We could give him to them.'

'Yes, now the barrier's down, that's very apt. Very neat.'

Hutchinson had been watching the conversation, his hands on his hips. 'I'm just wondering, Smith, or Doctor, or whatever you're calling yourself, how you're going to answer to that same convoy for what you did to the school.'

'Me? I'm going to answer in the same way I answer every message that I don't want to hear. I'm not going to be at home.' He flipped up a finger and pressed a spot above the boy's nose. 'Now fall over.'

Hutchinson did, out cold. Anand and Merryweather looked down at the body, then shook hands.

Smith glanced around the group. 'Well, I'll leave it to you two' - he indicated Alexander and Hadleman - 'to hand our villain over to the authorities; tell them he mustn't eat meat, by the way. And you boys can take yourselves down to the bakery in town.' He threw a bagful of coins on to the ground. 'That's a train fare home, a bun and probably a hug each... Then we can go home.'

Bernice peered at him, but decided not to mention it at the moment. She went to Alexander and Hadleman. 'I hope you'll be very happy,' she told them. 'If Alex's womanising doesn't get in the way.'

'Your what?' Hadleman frowned.

'My protestations...' the bearded man muttered. 'They may have been a little too successful.'

'And have you considered an American holiday?' asked Bernice. 'Very soon?'

Alexander kissed her cheek. 'We won't run away, loved one. Give my regards to the future.'

Hadleman shook her by the hand. 'Am I going to understand any of this?' he asked.

'Quite possibly.'

Merryweather approached Bernice cautiously. 'Will we meet again?' he asked hopefully.

Bernice framed an uneasy smile. 'Time will tell.'

The Doctor was shaking Tim's hand earnestly. 'Thank you for keeping things safe for me.'

'Thank you for being brave. I've decided that I'm going to be brave too.'

'So what are you going to be when you grow up?'

Tim glanced down at Hutchinson's body. 'Not a soldier.'

They finished their goodbyes, and Benny handed the Doctor the TARDIS key. She wasn't sure just what his intentions were, but, when he began twirling it around his finger and whistling as they walked away, she thought she had a pretty good idea.

When they'd walked far enough from the clearing not to be heard, she disengaged herself from the Doctor's arm. 'Right,' she said.

'What?' The Doctor stopped. 'Is there one thing you don't understand?'

'I'll say. You said that you ”sent Mrs Redfern home”. Are you leaving it at that?'

The Doctor frowned. 'I thought we'd slip away. It's usually best.'

'Usually, but not when you've promised to go and see somebody and explain everything to her.'

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