The sea was wine-dark.

Underneath the pink sky this simile seemed sort of accurate to the Doctor, more than it normally would. For the last couple of days he'd been looking at this sea a lot, he still wasn't tired of it, but wine was the last thing he would think of comparing it to. Turquoise, yes. Sky overhead, why not. But wine?

"See, was I right?" a merry voice said behind his back.

"The box is where it was, so it follows he must be around. Elementary logic, my boy."

With a smile, the Doctor turned to the new arrivals.

"I thought you'd sleep till noon."

The younger of two men, sporting an impressive beard over herculean chest, rolled his eyes. The other giggled, with a sideways glance at his friend.

"Aristocles never went to sleep" he said.

Aristocles, in a show of dignity, brushed some speck of dust off his chiton, then joined the Doctor, resting his elbows on the chalk stone parapet.

"I wanted to ask you some details about these superstrings." The Doctor blinked. He couldn't remember saying anything on the subject last night.

The older, white-haired Greek perched unceremoniously in the closest crenel.

"Mmm, pleasant place" he murmured. "Unless you've got a headache, eh?"

"If I drunk too much" Aristocles's growl startled the Doctor out of his reverie "I did so to forget you were there."

"And you still remembered the superstrings?" the Time Lord smiled.

"Any party you can walk away from is a good party" said the older man with authority, his forearm on the merlon.

"Have you no shame?" hissed his colleague, and he closed his eyes like a cat basking in the sun.

"What would I need it for?"

Aristocles shook his head.

"Strings. Doctor. You said they made up the Universe."

"The Universe can be considered as made up of strings" corrected the Doctor, unthinkingly. "Errm..."

"It can also be considered as a jug of wine" the other Greek muttered, to an indignant snort from Aristocles.

"Leave it, boy."

The Doctor seized the opportunity to change the subject.

"We all seek the same truth" he said "there's no reason to fight."

"Who's fighting? Apart from this fool here."

"Oh," the older man's eyes remained comfortably closed "I'd agree with anyone, me."

"As long as you can mooch off them" Aristocles snapped.

"Stop it, both of you."

"Mhm... careful, Doctor, he might get you to cough up these strings yet."

But Aristocles just rolled his eyes.

"We'll speak of this later" he said, eyes on his colleague. "Away from the coarse crowd. Right now I need a nap."

He spun and left, and the Doctor sat down with a sight, resting his back against the cool stone wall.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. He's, all in all, a kid. Shouldn't show him new toys."

"Makes you dread the direction civilisation is heading, eh?" The Doctor chuckled.

"It's heading where it always has been" replied his companion serenely.

A cool breeze ruffled their hair.

"Aristippus..."

"Mmm?"

"What do you think, is it worth the effort?"

"No. What exactly?"

The Doctor pulled his knees up to his chest.

"I could stay with you, drinking wine and avoiding discussion about strings..."

"Not for long" Aristippus said in a sober voice. "Stay if you want to. Dionysius will have to put up with it."

"The government's going to change in a couple of years" muttered the Doctor, but before he had a chance to realise he had said it, Aristippus snorted.

"Won't be much of a surprise."

The Doctor gave him a nod. "The moment will go."

"So?"

"So what?"

"That's my line. You know what I always say, Doctor. Smooth motion."

"Yes, I know."

Aristippus slid off the wall and stretched himself on the stone floor, hands under his head.

"Your problem" he said " is that you want something that doesn't exist."

"I do?"

"You're not alone in this. Pleasure is a smooth motion. You're trying to fix it when its essence is change."

"I'm not. I am a wanderer, as you know."

"So go and wander."

"What about the common good?" But the Doctor's sly-toned question only made Aristippus laugh.

"You've been listening to Aristocles too much."

"I'm not alone in this."

The clouds on the horizon were slowly turning white and more sheep-like. At the feet of the citadel the city was waking up, the first vendors, guards, artisans were walking out of their houses, but none of the noise reached the top of the watchtower.

"Just like he does" Aristippus said, propping himself on his elbows "you take everything too seriously."

"Everything is serious. And it's not."

"The kingdom belongs to a child, huh?"

The Doctor glanced at him. "You don't put pleasure foremost, either."

"Oh?" the philosopher raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Mhm. You said yourself, the key thing is to master it. Be able to let it go."

"But you need an occasion to do this. All you let go of when hiding in that box of yours, avoiding the world, is common sense."

"I'm not avoiding the world."

"No. You're unable to, in the long run."

"Does that mean the world has mastered me?" the Doctor asked, and Aristippus took a moment to think on this. "Guess so."

The Doctor nodded. The sea they saw from the tower was turquoise. On the horizon a sail appeared, like a purple blot.