Chapter Two

Arrrrrrgh!

Rule number one! How many times must I tell her that? Rule number one! Rule number one! I've said it so much, it should be ingrained in her mind. I've said it over and over like a Buddhist mantra and still she disobeys me! I finish talking to Uris. I turn around expecting to see her standing behind me…and she's not behind me! I don't mind her looking around, but a heads-up would be the polite thing to do, so I don't go crazy searching all over the planet for her.

Which is what I'm doing right this very moment. Going through the crowds, looking left and right, hoping to see her familiar face standing at one of the booths buying something. My panic increases when I don't see any sign of her.

Damn, damn, damn.

As far as I know, Winter is a benign planet. There are no major threats here. Most of the time it's so cold, people couldn't carry out evil schemes if they wanted to. But still, I've been alive too long to know that even the most peaceful planet could harbor a maniac. And if there's one person who has a knack for finding the nutters, it's Rose.

I speed up, darting around the people who are obviously not concerned with finding missing loved ones like I am. Some of the shoppers give me dirty looks when I bump into them or step on their feet, but I don't care. Rose is the only one who matters to me, at the moment. If I step on a few toes searching for her, then that's too bad.

While I'm searching, I'm suddenly aware that someone is shadowing me. Someone who looks vaguely familiar, although I can't place the face. He has yellow skin with brown spots, a cat-like face and he's wearing a purple bodysuit. He's been following me for the last five minutes, I'm sure of it. Every once in awhile, I hazard a glance at him and notice that he's not looking at the booths, his eyes are solely on me. This sets off a warning buzzer in my brain, but I can't jump to conclusions. I have to be certain he really is following me and not someone who happens to be going in the same direction I am. I decide on a little test. Turning a sharp right, I head through a couple of booths towards a nearby hill. Reaching the top of the hill, I turn…and kitty cat is right behind me. Well, I guess there's no doubt now that he's following me. Especially since he's just whipped out a blaster and is pointing it at my head. Yup, definitely following me.

"Let me guess. You were sitting in a pub knocking back a few pints with your mates and one of them said, "I wonder if one of us can capture a Time Lord?" and then you said. "Leave it to me, I'll get em!" and then you ordered another lager and you got completely pissed and ended the night passed out between two rubbish bins. Am I close?"

He glares at me. Course I figure out immediately what is really going on. Cause I'm completely brilliant, you know.

"I guessing I'm wrong. Then, how about this? You captured my companion, Rose, and you're holding her hostage and I must surrender to you, or she meets a horrible, sticky end, how's that for deductive reasoning?"

"You don't know who I am, do you, Time Lord?"

"Um…You're an angry cat alien who loves the color purple and wants to kill me?"

"I am Tarsus!"

"Okay, you're Tarsus, the angry cat alien who loves the color purple and wants to kill me."

Clearly, he is not amused. Pity, I rather like my witty banter. It's one of my many specialties. In all seriousness though, I really have no idea who he is. Like I said, he does look familiar, but I've met thousands of bad guys over the years and unless he's someone major like a Dalek, or a Cyberman, or a Sontaran, then I have no clue of his identity, and I am Tarsus is just not going to cut it. Rubbing my earlobe, I inquire politely how I know him.

"You killed my brother!"

'Kay…that still doesn't help me much, lots of people have died over the years. And…lots of people have accused little ol' me of killing such and such when I really didn't. I tell him he's gonna have to give me more information than that. Instead…he comes closer and practically shoves the blaster up my nose.

"I have no time for this! You will come with me or your companion dies!"

Ah, there it is! The old, tired obligatory threat. Why do they always say the same old thing? Can't these evil people come up with an original way to threaten me? Still, Rose's life is on the line and I can't afford to call his bluff. Sighing, I put my hands up, walk down the hill, and let him lead me to wherever Rose is.