Pandora needed a break. Her eyes actually hurt from looking at textbooks for so long. She picked up her glass of lemonade and brought it to her lips before realizing it was dry. All the ice had melted long ago, and she'd drunk the meltwater too. Wondering how much time had actually passed, she looked at the clock, which didn't immediately come into focus. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.
Yup, four hours since she sat down. She stood up and took her glass back into the kitchen, realizing along the way that her tailbone had fallen asleep. She chuckled and filled her glass with ice from the fridge.
She opened up the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of lemonade. This made her chuckle again. Back in her days on the Tardis, she would have simply used the tap marked 'Lemonade' that sat between the one marked 'Earl Grey', and the one marked 'Buttermilk'. But that was months ago. When a group of aliens bounty hunters had kidnapped the Doctor, and he had gone away willingly.
She poured her lemonade and put the pitcher back in the fridge. Maybe that was unfair, but that's how it felt to her. She'd replayed it all in her head many times, and she was still unsure how long the Doctor had been working his own agenda, in the guise of helping out. The whole time? Maybe. There had been signs from the moment they left Puerto Rico, but that was probably only him rebelling against being treated like just another part of a team.
What would he have done if left to his own devices? He'd have taken that initial probe back onboard his Tardis, that much is sure. He'd have run his scans there and found out exactly what it was. If it had started broadcasting its position, he probably would have brought it far from Earth. The Earth would probably never have been attacked… Well who can say? But it's possible. And she would have probably been with him.
She took a sip of her lemonade and turned to look out the window. There was a squirrel making a mess of their bird feeder again. She watched it balance precariously on a device specifically designed to thwart it. Rather than stuffing the seeds in its mouth though, it was scattering them across the poorly mown lawn to be picked up later.
Is that what really bothered her? Not that he was taken, but that he went without her? She didn't think so. He believed it was too dangerous, and she trusted his judgement. But he was so adamant that no one made his decisions for him, and he had no problem making that decision for her. It was a little hypocritical. And of course, he hadn't come back.
She turned back around to look at her makeshift study station. The couch, which wasn't for sitting on, but for back support; the table, with her box stashed beneath it, and books open on top, with notes carefully arranged just so; and the carpeted space between, where she sat criss-cross with her clipboard on her lap, scribbling equations and solving for Delta t.
This is what she was left with. Solving for time instead of traveling through it.
She'd once wondered aloud if Marie Antoinette had really said that bit about cake, and the next thing she knew, they were in the Court of Versailles. Of course, she couldn't write any reports on the bit about Terileptils inciting riots amongst the working class with their 'emotion amplifier', but it was amazing nonetheless.
She sighed heavily. Alright. The break is over, she told herself. She didn't know if the Doctor would ever come back to whisk her off on another adventure, but until then, she had papers due on Wednesday.
Then she heard it. That unmistakable sound of the Tardis, echoing and groaning as it ripped through the time vortex to materialize in her reality. Her heart rate doubled. Speak of the devil, she thought.
She looked around for the source of the sound, and quickly realized where it was landing when she saw her carefully laid notes start to fly off in all directions. "No, no, no, not there!" She ran into the living room and set her drink down on top of two piles of notes, then began running around the room, chasing down the ones that were still airborne. "Wrong place, wrong time, Doctor!" she shouted, as the amazing blue box set down between table and telly.
The rest of her papers settled down, notes and answers, jumbled together. She turned and angrily faced the Tardis.
The doors flew open, and the Doctor leaned out, a broad smile on his face, and his psychic paper in his outstretched hand. "Peladon!" he said triumphantly.
"Or, 'Hello, sorry for the mess,' as they say in this time," Pandora said furiously.
The Doctor frowned at her. This was clearly not the response he had expected. He looked at his psychic paper and then tried again. "Peladon!" he said, somewhat less triumphantly.
"Fine then. What's a Peladon?" Pandora asked, setting her papers down on the couch.
"It's a planet, far off in an independent wedge of space on the border of the Earth alliance in your distant future. But that's not important right now. I have a long history with the ruling family going back generations, and I've just intercepted a communication requesting that I broker a new treaty there. There'll be a feast like you've never seen, and a castle with secret passages, and Aggedor! I can't wait for you to meet Aggedor."
"A treaty negotiation? You're gone for months, without so much as a note, and you come back to take me to a treaty negotiation?"
The Doctor's outstretched arm dropped to his side. "Months? I… hadn't realized. I'm sorry. I must have neglected the temporal drift rectifier… But anyway, I'm here now. And it won't be boring at all! Not if any of my previous visits are any indication."
"Yes, months," Pandora said. She gave him a moment to respond, but it looked as if he might apologize again, and she suddenly felt like she couldn't stand that. "How have you been, Pandora? What's been going on in your life these past months, Pandora?" she asked on his behalf. "Well thanks for asking. Worried about you at first, but I settled down into a routine, like you do, when you're stuck here day after the previous day. I've started college. I haven't declared my major yet, but it's going to be physics and astronomy. Oh, and I'm making a bit of dosh on my blog. That's helping to pay for things."
The Doctor slumped. "Look, I did say sorry. I haven't been in a good place lately, and I wouldn't have been glad company. I needed some time away to clear my head and remember what's important. Why we do what we do. For a while there, it just didn't seem worth it. Even when I was winning, it felt like a loss. But then this came to me!" He held up the psychic paper again. "I managed to snatch it before it filtered down through my past lives. This is truly a blast from the past. A place of memory and intrigue, where the good I've done was never tainted! Come with me, Pandora! Grab your box and come away with me, it will be just like old times."
A bit of that glee that he'd had when he first popped out of the box was back in his eye. Pandora saw it, and had to admit that this was just what she'd needed for some time. Now she could see that he had too. A smile began to creep onto her face. "Okay," she said, "But — I have questions about Mercury's orbit and frame dragging, and I expect you to answer them."
The Doctor's own smile widened. "Done," he said and stepped aside to allow her entry into the Tardis.
Pandora vaulted the couch and reached under the table to pick up her box. She stepped into the Tardis with it. "'A bad place?' Was it worse than where you were when I first met you?"
"In many ways, yes," the Doctor replied. He closed the door and ran to the console, failing to elaborate further.
"But somehow you didn't realize that months had passed," she persisted.
"Months had passed for you. Remember, I was operating in a different relative dimensional frame." He hit the lever to engage the engines.
"So, how long was it for you? How long were you alone with your darkness?"
"I didn't exactly time it," he said, hedging. "A while."
"Less than months? More? Weeks? Years? Ball park it for me."
The Doctor stood silently with his hands resting on the console controls, not looking anywhere in particular. In a voice barely audible, he finally said, "Decades."
"Decades?" Pandora repeated incredulously.
"Yes, decades," the Doctor said, turning to face her. "I gave them every option out, like I always do, and just like always, they didn't take it. So I did what I had to do, and ended up being responsible for an entire galaxy as a consequence. I couldn't just leave them alone. Their entire economy was based around indentured servitude and a single product. And I took that away from them. It wasn't the people's fault, and I had to make sure they didn't suffer for it. But no matter what I did, there was always suffering somewhere."
"So, your telling me that if I had gone with you, I'd be older than my mum now?"
Her intent was to make the Doctor smile, and it worked. He was immediately lifted from his melancholy. He stared at her for a while, smiling, then laughed genuinely, and said, "Pandora, I have missed you. Hugs?"
"Hugs," she confirmed. She set her box down and walked up to him. They embraced warmly. "At least I knew you were alive. Osgood came by and told me that you and Kate were back, having dealt with the Droge. She took me and my mum on a tour of the Tower of London. She says she works there, but hours passed and I didn't even realize, and we never got to see her office. It would've been nice."
"Hmm," the Doctor said. "You should've insisted. Next time."
Pandora threw open the doors, eager to set foot on another new world, once again. She was hoping to see a fairy tale castle on a hill in the distance, but she was disappointed. "You said castles and secret doors, not caves and torches." She had changed into a velvety, blue hoop dress with lace brocade over the bodice, and a matching lacy hairpiece. Now she hiked up her dress, worried about getting the hem muddy.
The Doctor poked his head out. "Ah! Pinpoint accuracy. Do you smell that? A layer of saltiness under everything, and a layer of wet dog over the top of it? We're in the mines beneath the castle. Trisilicate ore, the hardest salt in the universe, and the basis of a lot of the technology of this time. The planet is rich with it."
"And the wet dog?"
"That would be Aggedor. The pen must be right around here somewhere." He stepped outside and locked the door behind them. "Still got your key?" he asked.
She lifted the chain around her neck.
"Good, now let's see if we can find her." He stepped around the Tardis and oriented himself. There were passages leading off in several directions. "Aggedor!" he called loudly.
An animalistic roar answered him, and he smiled, pointing toward a nearby passage. "There!"
"What the hell is Aggedor? A dragon?" Pandora asked, fearfully.
"No! Come on, Pandora. Dragons? Really?" He looked at her, disappointed. "Dragons are from Svartos. Aggedor is more of a pig-bear… thing. You'll see. They used to worship him around here, back in their more superstitious times. He was considered mythological, almost like your Bigfoot. Fierce and territorial, but with a gentle demeanor, if you know how to access it."
They stepped through the short passage, with Pandora clinging to the Doctor's arm. "There she is!"
The hairy, brooding beast stood up and faced them as they stepped into the chamber. It had a pig's snout, tusks protruded from it's lower jaw, and a single curved horn in the center of its forehead. It wasn't clear whether it's eyesight was good enough to see them, but it surely knew they were there, possibly by smell. It let out a terrifying roar and headed straight for them with clawed talons outstretched.
"Now what was that song he used to like so much?" the Doctor said thoughtfully.
"You keep switching gender! Are you sure you know this thing?" Pandora said, close to panic as Aggedor grew nearer, roaring.
"Ah yes!" the Doctor said. He cleared his throat and held one hand outstretched with his palm open toward Aggedor. He began to sing what sounded like a lullaby. "Klokeda, partha mennin klatch…"
Aggedor immediately responded. It's growls were replaced with a sort of snuffling noise, and it approached them more eagerly, in a comical sort of gait, almost as if skipping, or more like, a sort of a straight-line waltz.
Pandora let go of the Doctor's arm and carefully stepped closer. She was smiling broadly now. "He's amazing!" she exclaimed.
"She," the Doctor corrected, and went back to singing gently.
Pandora clicked her tongue and stepped closer with her arm outstretched. "Are you sure this time?"
"The first one I met was male, and believed to be the only one. This one is female."
"So there's more than one, then?"
"See for yourself. Aroon, haruuhn, haroon…" he continued his song. He placed his palm on Aggedor's muzzle, then pet her affectionately.
Pandora could see that there was a sort of a nest in the far corner of the chamber, made from rags, rocks and food scraps. From the nest, appeared five child-sized copies of Aggedor. They approached curiously, but cautiously, and Pandora bent down to their height.
"My, how big they've grown," the Doctor said gently. "You must be so proud, mother."
The children seemed enchanted with Pandora's hair, particularly the one silvery streak. One of them tried to taste it, leaving Pandora giggling.
Almost as soon as they'd gotten there, the Doctor said, "We should go and announce ourselves. It won't do to keep the rest of the ambassadors waiting."
Pandora stood up, gently brushing off the clingy Aggedors, and they moved on to cling to their mother instead, giving the Doctor and Pandora the chance to slip away.
"You think the other ambassadors are already here?" Pandora whispered once they were out of Aggedor's chamber.
"Earth is the only delegation in the Galactic Federation that doesn't keep a permanent representative on Peladon. There's also the hexapods from Alpha Centauri, and the Ice Lords of New Mars, as well as the Arcturans."
"From Arcturus, I bet. Why doesn't Earth have a permanent delegate like the others?"
"Who can say? Either they don't think Peladon is important enough, or they just know I can get here at the drop of a hat." He shrugged.
They walked on in silence for a while until the Doctor stopped in front of a torch bracket that looked just like all the others they had passed. "Ah, this looks familiar." He pulled down on it, and a section of wall clicked, and swung toward them.
"The Doctor, and Lady Pandora of Earth!" the herald announced as they entered the reception hall.
Pandora took it all in, with a look of joy and wonder on her face. Just as the Doctor had promised, it was a medieval-style castle, with all the grandeur and pageantry that Pandora had come to expect from years of watching telly. Granite walls and pillars were draped in rich tapestries, and the windows were textured-glass, woven with lead strips. Wrought iron chandeliers filled with candles, lit the room from the vaulted ceiling high above. The smells of exotic fresh fruits and rotisserie meats dripping with juices filled the air, and servants in medieval finery flitted amongst the guests, offering every comfort.
The general noise of conversation only dipped slightly, but Pandora could see that their entrance got a lot of attention, as all eyes were on them. One of those eyes in particular took up the entire head of one avocado green creature, with six arms, and a plain, yet somehow ceremonial, full-length, yellow robe. The creature bowed slightly to its companion, and shuffled quickly toward them.
"Doctor!" it exclaimed in a comically high vice as it approached. It waved all six of it's claw-tipped arms excitedly.
"Alpha Centauri, my dear old friend! You haven't changed a bit!"
"Thank you, Doctor. But between you and me, neither of us is as young as we once were, are we? I'll admit, I've had a bit of work done around my eye, but there's something different about you too. New haircut, perhaps?"
The Doctor smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the arrival of another delegate. "Doctor," he said in a deep and angry-sounding growl. There were three of them, in thick, scaly green armor. The one in front wore a cape and a bullet-shaped helmet with a red visor that set him apart from the others in their scaly skull-caps. He placed one hand, which looked to Pandora like it belonged on a lego-man, on his chest in a sort of salute and inclined his head slightly. "I am Sslendak. I have heard much about you from my predecessor."
"An honor to meet you, Sslendak," the Doctor said, but was cut off again.
"Do not expect me to extend you the same deference that he did," the Ice Lord hissed. "Understand that I will place the concerns of Mars first, not your friendship, like he did."
The Doctor paused before replying. "I would expect nothing less, Lord Sslendak." He gave the same curt bow that the Ice Lord had done before him, with his right fist over his chest.
Sslendak seemed satisfied by this, and bowed curtly to a spot halfway between the Doctor and Alpha Centauri, then the three imposing green men turned and marched off toward another section of the room.
"I see the Ice Warriors haven't thawed any since I was last here, old friend," the Doctor confided.
Alpha giggled in response, raising all six of his stubby arms up toward his face. He leaned in confidentially and said. "I'm afraid, Doctor, Ice Warrior has fallen out of favor again. The perennial 'Martian' is preferred. 'New Mars' is also out. They call their adopted homeworld simply Mars."
"No offense intended."
"Of course. Would you care for some refreshments?"
The Doctor bowed again, and leaned toward Pandora. "Try the wine. Best in this sector. Sparingly, of course."
Alpha Centauri signaled to a waiter, who came by with a tray of hors d'oeuvres. "Wine?" he asked. The waiter nodded and snapped his fingers. A servant girl was there momentarily with a pitcher and three goblets.
As the Doctor raised a toast, and made Pandora's formal introduction, she was looking past him. The most hideous creature she'd ever seen was gliding in their direction. There was a metal box, about the size of a washing machine, with some sort of liquid bubbling through clear pipes on either side, and a plastic dome on top. Inside the plastic dome was a small head, barely more than a skull, with green skin, staring eyes and bare teeth, and a mass of waving tentacles protruding from it, Medusa-like. Its quavering, mechanical voice emanated from an instrument panel on the front of its chassis. "Doctor," it said by way of announcement.
The Doctor turned toward it. "Ah, Arcturus. I was about to introduce my companion, Pandora, of Earth."
"Lady Pandora," the creature said in it's odd voice, reminding Pandora somehow of Stephen Hawking. Lights flashed across its instrument panel, though the head didn't move as it spoke. "Erimem, the queen mother is from Earth as well. Perhaps you know each other?"
"Erimem?" Pandora said. "No, I don't think so."
"Erimem," the Doctor breathed, a distant smile on his face.
Arcturus's environment support module turned toward the Doctor. "Since you knew the previous ambassador as Arcturus; an association that ended in treachery on his part, you may refer to me by my informal name, Doctor."
"Yes, of course. …And that is?"
"The Nobility of Styne," Alpha Centauri said.
"Yes," the Doctor responded. "Very informal, indeed. You know, it might help to differentiate your kind if you varied the vocal modulation. You sound just like him, I'm afraid."
"The modules are, sadly, standardized for efficiency. I hope you will not judge my species, and indeed, me, by the actions of one rogue individual, Doctor?"
"Never. I can't tell you how many times my own species has said those exact words regarding me," the Doctor said, smiling.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished dignitaries and guests," came the booming voice of the herald again. "King Pelagor of Peladon now grants audience. If you will please proceed through these doors…" He bowed and stepped out of the way, as two guards pushed open a pair of heaven wooden doors on the far side of the room. A servant was once again at her side with an empty tray, and Pandora set her wine glass down, untouched.
The Martian delegation rejoined them, and Pandora and the group of ambassadors waited for the room to empty. The nobility of Peladon filed through the door first to take up position in the throne room. Once it was only them and the waitstaff, light chamber music began, and the delegation walked down the aisle. The Nobility of Styne went first, setting the pace as his module glided forward on unseen wheels, then the Ice Lord and his bodyguards, then Alph Centauri, and finally the Doctor and Pandora.
On the throne sat a young man, perhaps a couple years younger than her. He had the same hair that all the locals seemed to, with radial black and white stripes, but his skin was dark while everyone else's so far had been quite pale. A simple crown rested on his head, and he sat stiffly on the throne, regarding each of them regally, as they passed in front of him, then took their spot along one wall.
Standing next to the throne was the king's identical twin. Pandora kept looking back and forth between them, but other than the crown on one's head, she could see no difference.
Pandora curtsied when she reached the front, and moved quickly to the right to stand next to the Doctor. He was leaning toward Alpha Centauri, and whispering, though Pandora could hear him well enough. "Twins? I didn't think twins ran in the royal family."
The hexapod leaned back toward the Doctor and spoke quietly in his high voice. "They didn't. Pelagor and Peltanan are the first in the long history of their family. We believe it is their mother, Erimem, who carries the gene."
"So, how did they decide which of them would be king? Or do they trade off when no one is looking?"
"The chief advisor was very concerned as well, when it was learned they would be twins. It was unprecedented, and he gathered the council. They met for five days, going over the ancient texts, and praying to Aggedor's Great Spirit for guidance. In the end, the only law they had to go on was that the first born male would be king. So when he was first out, Pelagor was marked immediately, before Peltanan was even birthed. That way there could never be any deception."
The music continued to play, covering the ambassador's discussion of the lineage of the king. The Ice Lord, Sslendak, leaned in to join them. "As time went by, it became obvious that this was an unwise decision. Peltanan proved himself both wise and capable, though Pelagor seems to be neither of those."
Alpha Centauri shushed the Martian ambassador, then leaned in even closer toward the Doctor. Pandora leaned in from the other side, and could barely make out his next words. "Sslendak may be indelicate, but he only says what everybody knows. The wisest thing that Pelagor has ever done was to appoint his brother as Chief Counsel."
The music ended, and the large doors at the back of the room boomed closed. The ambassadors straightened up, and the king addressed the gathered crowd.
"To the noble families of Peladon, to the Doctor, our long-time friend, and representative of Earth, and to our other friends and partners who have remained with us through the years: Welcome. Today we enter into a new era for Peladon, and for the Galactic Federation. As you are all aware, our planet's wealth of trisilicate has brought us prosperity, and the vast majority of our deposits are yet untapped. However, access points close to the surface become harder to locate, and as we dig deeper, we run into other issues that prevent mining the rich deposits still there."
His voice was week, and the king's demeanor was of someone nervous to be speaking publicly, but he spoke the prepared speech from memory, and forgot none of the words.
"Today we receive a new faction, which applies for partnership in the Federation, whom you will all be meeting at the feast. They propose to help us with our problem, and suggest there may even be a way to profit from it. An enticing prospect, but sometimes the details change the story, and I caution you all to enter these discussions with wisdom and consideration."
He paused, looking around the room, and his brother rested a hand on his shoulder. The king nodded. "Let us retire to the banquet hall. The feast awaits, and our guests will be joining us soon."
He stood up from his throne, and the large wooden doors that they had come in through, opened up.
The room beyond was transformed. It was brightly lit, with candelabra in every corner, and all along the sides. Running down the center of the room was a massive wooden table with carved figures of Aggedor at the corners. The table was heaped with foods of every sort, many of which Pandora didn't recognize, but sleeping rough for as long as she did taught her to eat almost anything, and everything here looked and smelled delicious. A trio stood in the corner, playing instruments that looked like a lute, a harp, and a fife. The music was both light and quiet.
A servant came over and curtsied to Pandora, then led her to a seat near the end of the table, pulling the chair out for her, then pushing it in once she was seated. Another servant filled her silver goblet with wine. She tried to take Pandora's box, but didn't insist when Pandora resisted. She placed her box instead beneath her heavy wooden chair. The Doctor was seated next to her, and the Martians next to him. The two seats across from her were left empty, and Alpha Centauri and the Nobility of Styne were positioned next to them.
Once everyone was seated, the king entered the room, and everyone stood up again. The king took his seat at the end of the table, next to Pandora, and his brother continued to stand at his right shoulder. As his chair was pushed in for him, the rest of the guests sat down once more. The king's goblet was filled, and he raised a toast. Everyone drank.
The Doctor was right. Though Pandora was by no means a connoisseur of wine, she found it quite pleasant. It was sweet, but no dessert-y, and it had just a breath of spice to it that she couldn't quite place.
The feast was also excellent. They brought her meat of a deep chocolatey-brown color in a sort of au jus, breads fresh from the oven, and course after course of vegetable, including something like rosy mashed potatoes. They never let her plate go empty. There was always more of something. Toward the end, there were nuts and candied fruits, one dish served flambé, and then there was dessert. She was stuffed already, but they brought pastries so delicate and beautiful that she just had to taste each, and lastly they brought out a pudding on a cart, which they scooped out onto plates and served to everyone. She felt she mustn't refuse.
After her first glass of wine got immediately refilled, she sipped carefully for the rest of the evening. Still, she felt quite pleasant as the meal wore on. The king also opened up a little, once the formalities were over and the meal had begun, and Pandora found him surprisingly charming, if a little shy.
Once the meal was complete, the food and the dishes were cleared, and the table cloth removed. Servants took half the light fixtures away, and the chamber musicians left.
"Tell me of your mining troubles," the Doctor said, leaning forward.
The Nobility of Styne began. "There have been delays in production, even as the demand for trisilicate grows."
"There have always been occasional delays," Alpha Centauri added, "Tunnel collapses, veins that peter out…"
"But now we've had to abandon plentiful veins due to toxic seepage, and even flooding," the Arcturan continued.
"Toxic seepage? What kind? Are the miners at risk?"
"Madame Velsine, of the Pursuit," the Herald boomed, interrupting their discussion.
The group stood, as a woman in a high-collared black dress entered the room. She had black hair with red highlights done up in a severe bun. Her dress was tight and lacy, down to the waist line, where it split, revealing deep red underskirts. It draped across the floor behind her as she walked briskly to the open seat. She stood with her hands on the back of the chair, while she surveyed the group through eyes painted dark by a streak of kohl from temple to temple.
"King Pelagor, it was our understanding that our meeting would be more… intimate."
"And the negotiations will be, I assure you," Peltanan said, placing one hand on the king's shoulder. It was the first time Pandora had heard him speak. "The nobility are here for the feast in your honor, which I may add, you were late for."
"My apologies, your majesty. Setting up our equipment took more… supervision… than I had initially allotted." She took her seat, and the rest of the group took theirs.
"Madame Velsine," hissed Lord Sslendak, "we have been waiting patiently to hear your proposal. Our patience is at an end. We know that you want entrance into our agreement here on Peladon, and you know of our problems. What is it that you offer."
"I appreciate both your bluntness and expediency, Lord Sslendak. Peladon's chief export is the trisilicate ore, but you can no longer reach many of the richest veins due to the large deposits of naturally occurring acid."
"Acid?" the Doctor asked, surprised.
Madame Velsine gave the Doctor a scathing look. It appeared she was unused to being interrupted. She looked him up and down. "Yes. Acid. The Pursuit has developed a means of safely extracting acid from mines, exposing more trisilicate for your miners to collect."
"Who is this Pursuit that you represent?" the Doctor asked. "I've been around the universe, and I've never met a species going by that name."
"The Pursuit is not a species, but a religious order, Mister…?"
"Not mister. Doctor," he replied.
"Doctor? Not the Doctor?" her eyes narrowed, and a smile touched the corner of her lips. She leaned across the table and rested her chin on one fist. "I don't suppose you'd just tell me your name, right now, would you?"
Two figures, which Pandora hadn't seen previously, stepped out of the shadows behind Madam Velsine. They were tall, and dressed in black suits and thin ties. They had faces like elongated skulls with no mouths, and a sort of echoing rattle came from deep in their throats as they leaned across the table toward her.
Pandora gasped, drawing in breath to scream.
The Doctor jumped out of his chair and turned toward the king. "Silence!" he yelled.
A moment passed where nobody spoke. Everybody was too shocked to speak.
"How dare you?" the king demanded.
The Doctor was mortified. "I'm so sorry. I have absolutely no idea why I said that. I humbly beg your forgiveness."
The king was shaking with rage. "You may be an ambassador, Doctor —" the king began, livid.
His brother spoke. "Peace, brother. Please forgive the Doctor his unaccustomed outburst. Remember that he has been a friend to our family for many generations. He has, after all, apologized."
The king's rage was mollified, somewhat, and he silently nodded for the Doctor to return to his seat.
"Are you alright, Doctor?" Pandora whispered to him.
"I'm not certain. I have no idea why I did that. I don't like not knowing."
"Yes, that, and you've rolled up your sleeves. I'm bloody freezing in here, and you're hot?"
"No, not particularly. I must have done that without noticing." He absently pulled his sleeves back down.
Madame Velsine watched them with a look of amusement on her face. "If I may continue, I was just about to get to the part where the Pursuit is willing to pay you for any acid we extract. So to sum up, we pay you for the acid, clear it out of the way, you can get to deeper, richer areas of the mines, increasing profits and introducing more trisilicate to a hungry market. Win-win." She sat back in her chair.
Peltanan cleared his throat, and the king stiffened. "Yes," he said. "Discussions are to begin in two hours, giving each of the representatives time to contact their homeworld and consider your proposal. Servants will show you to your rooms."
"Your majesty," Madame Velsine said quickly. "Could we be allowed to perform some exploratory surveying in the meantime, to ensure the composition of the acid is suitable to us, as well as prove out our capabilities to your miners?"
The king, who was caught mid-way to standing, looked nervously toward his brother. "Yes," he said, cautiously, then more firmly. "Yes, that should be acceptable. We will expect a report of your initial findings when we reconvene."
With that, everyone stood.
The same servant who had served Pandora during dinner, led the Doctor and her out of the dining hall and down an old stone corridor.
She noticed the Doctor's sleeves were rolled up again. "You did it again," she said, then she noticed he was holding a marker in one hand. There had been nothing to write on during the feast. "Doctor, what does one hundred eleven mean?"
The Doctor looked at her strangely, and saw she was pointing to his arm. He turned it for a better look. "It's not one hundred eleven, it's three ticks. Silence! How could I forget?" He wrote silence on his arm just below the three ticks.
"What does that mean, Silence? You yelled that at the king too."
"The Silence are these alien creatures, nobody knows what they look like. I've fought them before, and even I don't know. As soon as you see them — even just an image of them — if you look away, you forget them completely. There must have been Silents in there. Three of them. But what do they want? Is that who Madame Velsine represents? We need to tread very carefully, Pandora."
The servant stopped in front of a door. This door was identical to many others that they had passed, except this one was next to a portrait claiming to be of King Peladon II. "This is your room," she said.
They thanked her and dismissed her, and opened the door. There were two simple beds, a dressing partition and a washing bowl, as well as a familiar blue box.
"Hey, what's the Tardis doing here?" Pandora asked.
The Doctor glanced up at it, deep in his own thoughts. "They must have moved it up here from the mines during the feast," he said absently.
Then the Tardis door opened, getting the Doctor's full attention. Out stepped an elderly gentleman in a velvet tuxedo and matching cape with red lining. His shirt front was ruffled, and he was concentrating on some small device he was working with.
"You!" the Doctor said in surprise.
The man turned, startled. Now looking straight at them, they could see he was wearing a sort of stylized eyepatch over his right eye. He dropped his hands to his sides when he saw the Doctor. "What the devil are you doing here?" he asked.