Chapter 1

"Excuse me," the man at the door pushed past George into the small end-terrace maisonette.

"Er, do you mind", George stuttered, thrown off balance by the abrupt manner of the arrival of the man.

"No, of course I don't, George," the man replied with a flippancy George had rarely encountered. "Are you going to shut the door then, I mean, its cold out there; and besides you never know what strangers might be hanging around". With that he turned his back on George and proceeded into the living room. Following him into the room George found the stranger already sat on the old leather sofa he had inherited when his step-mother had passed away. The man seemed totally at ease, indeed he had his feet up on the coffee table, his old plimsolls slightly out of place against the pin stripe suit he wore. "Erm, do you mind", George repeated, thoroughly off balance by the strangers' apparent ease in his home.

"Now, I've already answered that one, I think. But if it needs clearing up then let me say categorically that no, I certainly don't mind, why would I? It's your house after all. Me, I'm just a guest, although I must say that your talents as a host are sorely lacking. You haven't even offered me a drink yet, and this old sofa used to be a lot more comfortable as I remember". George, his head now spinning, was more than a little confused. He knew he'd never seen this man before, and yet on the other hand he did seem somehow familiar, added to which he certainly seemed to know George. He had called him by name and, even more surprisingly, the man apparently was not only familiar with George, but with his sofa too. Snapping out of the confusion, George gathered his thoughts. Turning to the man he addressed him in his most formal tone. "I'm afraid we have never met, Mr….?" He trailed off expecting the man to supply him with his name and maybe to throw some light as to why he was here. Answered only with silence, George continued. "You seem to know me, sir, and in that you have me at a disadvantage." The man turned to George and smiled.

"So you don't remember then. I wondered if, after so much time, the memories may be returning, but obviously not. Let me clear things up for you. I'm not a Mister as you addressed me, neither am I a Sir as you next thought. I, George, am the Doctor, and you? Well, besides me, you're the most important man in the universe."