"Doctor, this is ... This is awesome!" - shouted Sarah Jane Smith, leaning over the balcony railing. Although the weather this morning was not very pleasant, neither girl nor Harry Sullivan, who was standing next to her didn't pay attention to cold. They were both too excited about what they saw: all the city was flying on the sky!
I'm sure I had the same face expression as they have,when as a child I've seen something like this for the first time, thought the Doctor. My Rassilon, when was that? So long ago.So long...
He knew that by the standards of the Time Lords he was not an old man, on the contrary, but having a companionship of much more short-lived races, he could not do anything with fact, that sometimes he felt old. And additionally in such moments like this, he always overlap foreboding. Of course, history said that today's start will end a great success, but after all the time can be rewritten. At any moment the hiding Cybermen can emerge from the buildings visible below and announce using their metallic voices "You will be like us." Or the Dalek ships can always appear in the sky. Finally, it is also possible that there will be some ordinary malfunction and this wonderful day will turn into a living hell.
Of course, this last option was not too likely - to be sure, Time Lord had already thoroughly checked engines of flying city and had to admit that they are well constructed. He had absolutely nothing to complain about, it was the fancy footwork. But despite of it, he was worried.
"Now come on" - he said to his companions with a bit of forced gaiety. "The banquet starts in a moment."
All three of them came down by spiral stairs, and went to the main square, where elegant young man in bright suit with coat of arms showing two crossed daffodils on the chest was standing on the podium and speaking.
"Who is he, Doctor?" - Asked Sarah.
"Artemis Towerman. He is son of the originator and designer of a flying city."
"Is it that old man in the back?"
"Yes, that's him. In contrast to the junior, he does not like giving speeches"
"We are gathered here…" - announced Artemis audibly - "…to honor the greatest genius of our times! Whose success we are witnessing! My dear father, Darryl Towerman, the man who proved that nothing is impossible!"
The answer was wild applause.
Meanwhile, a little off the beaten track, on the podium, there was one more person, a young woman with long hair in color of auburn, tied in a so-called ponytail, and square glasses on her nose. As Doctor guessed, she was a secretary. At the moment, she was whispering some message that probably was addressed to other subordinates of the professor, residing outside the square, into the phone's receiver on her ear. She was speaking so quietly that no one heard, but the Time Lord was able to read from the lips movement perfectly.
" I repeat, slicked-back gray hair, Victorian clothes, grim face. No, he will not be in disguise. If he is going to show himself, he'll be looking as I said! Shoot him without warning!" - she commanded.
Something happens.Ah, the life, thought Doctor, focusing on the end of Towerman junior's speech.
"So we invite you, friends! Have fun and celebrate with us genius of this man, because thanks to him city can now fly into the clouds!"
The Doctor looked again at the professor's secretary. She took off receiver from her ear, but still something quietly said, this time looking in his direction. She knew he was listening?
The sentence she muttered apparently was addressed to him, but it seemed no sense. What did she mean?
"Music!" - shouted Artemis in the meantime. In a moment the whole town echoed the sounds of the instruments. The orchestra itself was not visible, but dozens of carefully placed loudspeakers allowed to feel that musicians are just around the corner. No matter in which part of the village is stayed.
"Tango!" - recognized Harry. "How about a dance?" - he turned to Sarah, doing funny nod. The girl snorted, but gave a hand to her friend.
Doctor meanwhile approached the secretary, temporarily free, also offering her dance. She did not refused.
"You overheard me, don't you?" - she asked at some point. - You heard my conversation with guards."
"Guilty" - smiled Time Lord. "Are you all in trouble?"
"I'm obliged to keep this information a secret, I cannot confirm nor deny."
" Keeping secrets is important thing. But that last sentence, addressed to me, is not a secret, isn't it? Could you explain what was it about?"
"Addressed to you? You're flattering yourself."
"Has anyone told you before, how pathetic liar you are?"
"Nobody dared. But actually yes, it was for you. But please, do not expect explanations. You do not look like someone who needs them. "
"And yet I need. Maybe you'll exchange them for a delicious jelly-baby?"
"No, not really. I do not eat sweets" - she smiled mischievously. That smile, as the Doctor thought, strangely did not fit her.
"It is a pity, but I think I'll be insisting. Let me ask you: I have to remember about what?"