Part 10 (1/2)

'Are you sure it is the Doctor, leader?'

The shorter of the two held up a device about the size of a packet of cigarettes, setting off a whole new round of cravings. There was a sickly*sweet smell.

'The control box indicates that the Doctor has one heart,' the alien says.

'Er... he's got two,' Fitz began. 'Oh no, hang on, as you were. Blimey, you keep your records up to date, don't you?'

'If you have one heart, then you must be the Doctor,' the man told him.

'Look, sorry to have bothered you, but I really need to get going. Places to go, people to get punched by, you know how it is.'

The man placed his hand on Fitz's shoulder.

'You don't understand. You are coming with us.'

And Fitz was rather alarmed as the whole universe disintegrated around him.

Roja stood still, watching the window through his spygla.s.s.

All four of them in there the Doctor, his companion, Baskerville and Dee Gordon were looking out of the window. That meant the spygla.s.s could read their lips without difficulty. He'd put the speaker on, so Jaxa could hear, too. All the voices sounded the same, of course, but it was easy enough to work out who was speaking.

' surely you can see how it would benefit the whole of mankind?'

'Perhaps she can see how it's a Pandora's box.'

'Doctor? As a man of science, the possibilities of time travel must intrigue you, surely?'

'It is him,' Roja said.

'We knew that,' Jaxa said irritably.

'We've caught him red*handed. We should get authorisation for a purge and destroy operation.'

'Not until we know all the details.'

'One thing, Baskerville, is that you've not named your price yet.'

'My price? Surely whatever price I asked, it would be '

'He's turned away from the window. Wait, wait, he's coming back.'

' simply require half an hour's access to your country's ULTRA computer. The computer used by your intelligence service.'

[Laughter]

'Why on earth would a man from the future need that?'

'I am trapped in this time. Returning home requires a precisely plotted course, and I need more computing power than is available in this time except for the most powerful computer in the world. And that is the ULTRA.'

'And then you'll hand us the secret of time travel?'

'Indeed.'

'Won't that interfere with established history?'

'You'll appreciate that I can't discuss future events.'

'But you can shape them?'

'Malady, have you considered that this might be the year my history books show that mankind developed time travel?'

'It's too early...'

'What was that, Doctor?'

'Mankind isn't ready. You said it yourself the Europeans and Americans are on the verge of the Third World War.'

'Fourth, surely?'

'Ah... yes, thank you Ms Gordon. Fourth.'

'Yet here I am, a man from the future. Mankind survives, Doctor I can tell you that much. The next century will see marvels, it will see mankind starting to reach its potential.'

Jaxa was looking puzzled. 'It's not the Doctor. He's involved, but it's Baskerville that's instigating this. The Doctor seems reluctant.'

'He's holding out for a better deal, Jaxa, that's all. We know Athens is destroyed in a couple of hours that's obviously our doing, to sterilise this area. We should call headquarters and get their authorisation for a low grade temp*pulse out at sea.'

'Possibly.' But she didn't seemed convinced. 'They've stopped talking.'

'The Doctor and that Asian girl have gone off somewhere to discuss something in private.'

'Can you find them?'

Roja shook his head. 'They're away from the window.'

The Doctor ushered Anji into the room, got her to close the door while he swept the room for bugs with the sonic screwdriver.

'It can do that?' Anji asked.

'Evidently. At any rate, it didn't find any. Now, quick, what did you find out?'

'I was in Brussels. It was far smoother than the TARDIS. More accurate, too.'

The Doctor looked displeased with the comparison. 'And it's a time machine?'