Part 33 (1/2)

'Surprised, eh?' Iris winked.

'But it's...' the Turtle stammered.'It's the same size on the inside as the outside!'

”That's dimensional transcendentalism,' Iris called, moving rather clumsily down the gangway. 'Pushed into the next stage. The interior dimensions are even slightly smaller than the exterior. Isn't that ingenious! It's the latest thing.' She flopped down on to a sofa.

The bus was a dreadful mess. There were cus.h.i.+ons and books everywhere. To Iris, though, it looked lived in and homely and it was pleasant to have it all back to herself at last.

'I'm putting the kettle on,' said the Doctor, dodging through to the kitchen.'And then -'

'Oh, get the gin out first,' Iris called. ”There's some ice in the freezer.'

'And then,' said the Doctor firmly, 'I'm getting to work on your console.'

'You'll do no such thing!' She was scandalised.

'I'm getting this s.h.i.+p of yours back on the road.'

'You're not touching her! I've seen how you handle yours.'

He tutted.

'What does he want to do?' asked the Turtle, sidling closer to Iris.

'We're going straight to Hyspero,' said the Doctor briskly. 'We're going to catch up with the others and those pirates. And we're going direct.'

'We can drive along the ocean floor!' Iris protested. 'It won't take long.

We're quite watertight.'

Suddenly he was determined. 'No, Iris. We're flying, I mean, through the vortex. I mean - vworp, vworp: there in a flash. That's what I mean.

We're not wasting another moment. And this time you're going to listen to me.'

'Oh, Doctor,' she smiled, as he took out the tray of ice cubes and banged them out on to the kitchen work surface. 'You've gone all masterful.'

He rolled his eyes.

Gila decided he might as well put to use the thick, muscled prehensile tail he had recently grown.'Stand back,' he told the others and lashed it at the bolted door.'I might as well make the most of this... mutation.' The lock started to break away, flaking scabs and rust with each thud and thump he gave it. The door started to give way.

Angela struggled to her feet, clutching her wound. 'Why has your mutation started to accelerate?'

He growled and shouted in triumph as their prison door burst apart. 'How should I know?' He swung round his grizzled muzzle and Sam saw with a shock just how much he had changed during these past few days.

'Come on,' he said.

They hurried out into the lower decks of the s.h.i.+p.

Iris fell asleep with the Turtle watching over her. The Doctor worked busily in the cab of the bus, glad that Iris wasn't awake to see him disembowel the controls like this. He found her toolbox sadly depleted and lacking, and he kept coming across things like old lipsticks and pen tops.

'You're both Gallifreyan, then?' the Turtle asked him.

The Doctor looked guarded. 'You've heard of us?'

'Everyone comes to Hyspero, Doctor,' said the Turtle. 'Even Time Lords have come here to have an adventure.'

The Doctor didn't look as if he approved. He was soldering two bits of wire that were sticking up rather annoyingly from the console, just to get them out of the way, but then they went up in a green flash. He pulled his fingers away sharply and sucked them.

'This s.h.i.+p is even older than mine,' he said.

Suddenly the Turtle looked alarmed. 'Doctor, I think Iris is unconscious.

That doesn't look like natural sleep to me.'

'What?' He wafted away black smoke.

'Look.'

In the dim light of the bus Iris's dishevelled body was glowing a curious orange.

'Ah,' said the Doctor.'She's put herself into a kind of restorative trance.

We haven't much time.'

'Why is she glowing orange?'

'How should I know?' he snapped.'We all do things differently. Put the lights on if it disturbs you.'

The Turtle sighed and did as he was told.'What's wrong with her?'

'She's quite vague about it. But she's picked up some dreadful bug from somewhere and she's very seriously ill. It's the whole reason for this ghastly runaround. That's why I have got to get to the Empress.

Apparently she is the only one who can cure the old thing.'

The Turtle reached out to mop the old woman's brow.'Poor Iris.'

'Aha!' cried the Doctor.'I think we're on our way.' He stuck his head out of the cab.'I've almost fixed it.'

'Are we really going to dematerialise?'

'In a few minutes.”

'Is there anything I should do?'

'Your ears might pop. Have a jelly baby.' The Doctor was happy again.

He jumped into the driver's seat and started flicking switches.'And hold on to your sh.e.l.l. This might just be a little rocky.