The Name Of The Doctor
Chapter 1: Do You Hear The Whisper Men?
Night had fallen in the Citadel. The higher timelords had gone off to study the sufferings of lesser species or polish Rassilon's rod, or whatever it was they did when in their time off.
But down in the engineering centre, two techs were unlikely to get any time off in the next few hours. Some genius had attempted to install a type 12 tachyon decelerator in a mark 3 travel capsule, or TARDIS as those kids in the academy were calling them now. Naturaly, this had wrecked the entire system and they needed to go over it with a fine toothed comb by tomorrow.
The technicians had stepped outside for a short break with a couple of neutri blocks when they heard an intruder alarm. Pleased at the distraction, they rushed to the security room to have a look at the screens.
When they saw what it was, they laughed slightly. "Someone's broken into the disposal yard! Why would anyone steal a derelict TARDIS?"
"Should we alert the guards?" Said his colleague.
"Why bother? They're not getting very far. Come on. Back to work."
In the yard, the Doctor prodded at the doors to each machine in turn. Finding one unlocked, he quickly shepherded Susan inside, only to hear a voice behind him call his name.
"Yes, what is it child?" He said, looking round, trying to look nonchalant.
"Doctor. You're about to make the biggest mistake of your life..."
Her name was Claraoswaldoswin. But it was only one of many names she was known by. She existed across time and space, popping in and out. She didn't know where she was. It was like she breaking into a million pieces and there's only one thing I remember. I have to save the Doctor. He always looked different. But she always knew it was him. From his earliest adventures back on Galifrey, right up to the end of his days, she was always not far away. Sometimes she thought she was everywhere at once, running every second just to find him. Just to save him. But he never heard her. Almost never. She blew into this world on a leaf and she was still blowing. she didn't think she'd ever land. She was Clara Oswald, the Impossible Girl, and she was born to save the Doctor.
In London, in 1893, the guards in Newgate passed Clarence's cell. As usual, he was curled up in the corner talking to himself. Since he wasn't screaming the place down, they moved on. The screaming was endlessly disturbing. If he wasn't due for the gallows, they'd have had him moved to Bedlam long ago.
"Do you hear the Whisper Men,
The Whisper Men Are Near.
If you hear the whisper men,
turn away your ear.
Do not hear the Whisper men,
whatever else you do.
For once you've heard the whisper men,
they'll stop... and look at you."
Hearing a distinctive set of footsteps approaching, he spun round to point at the woman. "One word from you could save me from the rope." He croaked.
"Then you may rely on my silence."
He scrambled up to the bar, more like an animal than anything. "I have information. Valuable information."
"You would bargain for your life? You who have the blood of 14 women on your hands!" She spat.
"The Doctor!"
That stopped her dead. Vastra stepped forward, out of the shadows for the first time.
Clarence grinned. "Ah! I know all about him. Your little friend."
"And how do you know about this?"
He tapped his skull and wriggled his fingers in the air. "There are whispers everywhere... if you know how to listen. The Doctor has a secret."
"He has many." Vastra frowned.
"He has one he will take to the grave. And it is discovered."
Jenny was certainly not pleased. "We can't let that horrible man go!"
"He lives until I can discover what is happening." Said Vastra. "We're goint to need a conference call. I'll send out the invitations. You fetch the candles."
"Yes Maam." Jenny went to fold her wife's coat, but spotted something odd in the window. The back end of a figure, with pearly white skin.
Before she could get a better look, Jenny broke her train of thought. "Where's Strax?"
"On holiday maam. It's his weekend off."
Vastra rolled her eyes. "I wish he'd never discovered that place."
"That place," as it turned out, was Glasgow. The honourability and hardiness of the folk there intrigued him. This evening, he was entertaining himself in The Bon Accord. A charming little pub, where a creature would go for a fight and if he was lucky, a drink might break out.
It wasn't long before he was crashing through a dividing wall, locked in combat with a very large Glaswegian called Archie.
Archie leapt to his feet and brandished a pan. "Come here while I kill ye, ya filthy wee midden!"
Strax brandished a spade. "Prepare to die in agony for the glory of the Sontaran Empire!"
But as they roared and made to charge, a messenger boy stepped between them. "Mr Strax!"
"What is it girl? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" He looked up at Archie. "You don't mind?"
Archie had a look, like he was trying to process what was going on. "Be ma guest."
"Sorry mr Strax." Said the messenger. "There's an urgent telegram."
Strax took a look at the message and groaned. "Conference call. Archie, I'm afreaid I'm going to have to ask you to render me unconcious."
"Fine." Archie shrugged, raising his pan.
"Better use this." Strax handed him the spade. "It may take a while."
Archie swung. To Strax's surprise, it only took two hits.
Vastra and Jenny took their seats round a five sided table. The fumes from the candles wafted over them.
"Sleep well my love." Said Vastra.
"You too."
As they drifted off, they failed to notice the faces apearing in the windows, whispering:
"The trap is set for the Doctor's friends.
They will travel where the Doctor ends."
Jenny and Vastra found themselves in the middle of a Victorian gazebo, but with frosted windows all round. The colours of the windows shifted in time with the music, as did the rippling patterns on the wallpaper.
"Love the new desktop." Jenny grinned.
"Well, I was a bit bored of the Taj Mahall. The tea should be good, it's taken from one of my favourite memories." As she poured out the pot that hadn't been there before, she heard a thump and a groan in one of the empty seats. "Strax. How nice of you to join us."
"This had better be important." The Sontaran said moodily. "I was in the middle of destroying some very interesting primatives."
Vastra handed him his tea. "I apologise for the interruption, but there is urgent news concerning the Doctor."
Strax looked at the two empty seats. "Who else is coming?"
"The women."
As Artie and Angie sat doing their homework, they heard a crack behind them. They turned to look, and saw Clara whisking eggs.
"You're not going to try makeing soufflés again!" Argie groaned.
"My mum's soufflé, yeah. And this time, I'm going to get it right. This time' I'll be soufflé girl."
How can it be your mum's if you're making it?" Said Artie.
"Because my mum always said the soufflé isn't the soufflé. The soufflé is the recipie.
Angie raised an eyebrow. "Was your mum deep on puddings?"
"She was a great woman." Clara said wistfully. Her arm brushed an old envelope, with ink writing. "What's this?"
"Oh, it came for you today."
Clara opened the envelope in her room. Out tumbled a brown candle and a note. She twirled the candle in her fingers as she read.
My dearest Clara. The Doctor entrusted me with your contact details in the event of an emergency, and I fear one has now arisen. Assuming this letter will have reached you as planned, on April the tenth, 2013, please find and light the enclosed candle. It will release a soporific which will induce a trance state, enabling direct communication across the years.
Clara abruptly dropped the candle. She wiped her hand on her jeans as she read on.
However, as I realise you have no reason to trust this letter, I have taken the liberty of embedding the same soporific into the fabric of the paper you are now holding. Speak soon.
Clara felt a severe sense of annoyance as sleep spread over her. She passed out on her feet, only to land on a chair in a bizarrely decorated tearoom, with the Doctor's Victorian friends.
"So glad you could make it." Vastra casually handed her some tea.
"Where am I?" Said Clara.
"Exactly where you were. But sleeping." Jenny explained, in that tone of voice Clara herself usually used to translate for the Doctor.
"Time travel has always been possible in dreams." Said Vastra. "We are awaiting one more participant."
"Oh no." Strax groaned. "It's not that one with the enormous head is it?"
"It's hair Strax." Jenny corrected him once more.
"Hair." Said Strax, as though the concept disgusted him.
With a little puff of smoke, a woman Clara didn't recognise appeared on the remaining chair. "Madame Vastra."
"Welcome Professor." Said the Silurian. "Have some tea." She offered her a cup. The Professor took a flute of champaign from he hand.
"How did you do that?" Said Jenny.
"Disgracefully." The woman grinned.
"I don't believe you've been introduced." Said Vastra. "This is miss Clara Oswald. The Doctor's companion." The woman turned to peer enquiringly at her. "That is his current travelling assistant."
"Assistant?" Clara raised an eyebrow.
Strax peered at Vastra. "Have you gone a darker shade of green?"
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Professor River Song." She shook the girl's hand. "I'm sure he's mentioned me."
" Oh, yeah. Oh yeah, of course he has. Professor Song." Clara said quickly. "Sorry, it's just I never realised you were a woman."
"Well neither did I." Said Strax.
"Let's get down to business shall we?" Vastra broke the awkwardness. She waved her hand in the air. Her memories of her visit to Newgate appeared for all to see. "Clarence DeMarco. Murderer, under sentence of death. He offered us this in exchange for his life." They watched as Clarence pulled a sheet from the floor, revealing a tile he'd covered in scrapings of Galifreyan writing.
"Space time coordinates." Said River.
"He said this was where the Doctor keeps his darkest secret." Said Vastra.
"And what's that then?" Said Clara.
"We don't know. It's a secret." Said Jenny.
"The Doctor does not discuss his secrets with anyone." Said Vastra. "If you are still entertaining the notion that you are in some way an exception to this rule, then tell me. What is his name?"
Clara sat there awkwardly. Across the table, Jenny was rubbing her face, but no one seemed to notice.
"Well I know it." Said River.
Clara boggled "He told you?"
"I made him."
"How?"
River smiled misgeviously. "It took a while."
"So you're a friend of his then?"
River raised an eyebrow. "A little more than that. From a long time ago."
"He's still never contacted you?" Said Vastra.
"He doesn't like endings." River shgrugged. "So what else did this DeMarco tell you? He didn't just buy his life with some coordinates. How did he prove their value?"
Vastra wound the memory on, to the point where she was asking him the same question. "One word only."
Clarence grinned. "Trenzilore."
Jenny shivered, but she didn't think it was from the memory.
"How exactly did he describe what he was telling you?" Said River.
Vastra waved her hand the other way to rewind. "He has one he will take to the grave. And it is discovered." Clarence said.
"You misunderstood!" River said, suddenly much less playful than seconds before.
At the same time, Jenny was trying to get their attention. "Maam. I'm sorry, but I forgot to lock the doors."
"It doesn't matter." Said Vastra. "What misunderstanding? Tell me."
"No, Maam. I should have locked up before we did the trance."
"It's not important!" Said Vastra, still looking at River.
"No Maam. I think someone's in the room with us!" Jenny said. "I can hear them!"
That got their attention. "Jenny, are you alright?" Said Vastra.
"No maam! I'm sorry maam. I'm so sorry. I think... I've been killed!"
Jenny abruptly flickered and began to fade. Vastra screamed her name.
"What happened to her?" Said Clara.
"Jenny can you hear me?" Said River.
"Speak to us boy!" Said Strax.
They each reached for her, but too late. The girl vanished completely.
"You're under attack. You have to wake up now. Do it!" River shouted, before slapping Vastra.
Vastra awoke at her drawing table, too see four figures in black suits and top hats gathered round Jenny. "Who are you? What have you done?" She challenged.
The figures turned towards her. If Vastra had been warm blooded their faces would have given her a chill. Their skin was a blank white. They had no eyes, just little craters where they would have been. Their noses similarly had no openings. The only opening in their faces was their mouths. Mouths lined with rows of extra sharp fangs.
Back in the dreamscape, River threw her glass over Strax. "You too!"
Strax awoke on the floor of the pub. Angus was gone. In his place, the Whispermen had gathered around him.
River turned to Clara, and was about to wake her too, when the Whispermen apeared round the table.
"Tell the Doctor. Tell the Doctor. Tell the Doctor."
"Tell him what?" Said Clara, before River could warn her not to.
The Whispermen waved their hands at Vastra's memory and Clarence came up once more.
"His friends are lost forever more,
unless he goes to Trenzilore."
"Angie? Artie?" The Doctor's voice echoed through the dream.
River was more insistent towards the Whispermen. "The Doctor can never go there. You know that!"
Clara was desperately trying to listen in, but the Doctor's voice was getting louder, calling her out of the dream. "Angie? Artie?" All around her, the conference room faded.