The feeling of having slept too long was a familiar one, and that set off alarm bells that had Rose snapping to wakefulness.
She groaned as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. A part of her wanted to just roll over and go back to sleep, but last time she'd felt this way after waking up was when the Doctor had locked her in the TARDIS to go deal with the Master and that didn't bode well. "Bloody hell, if he's done what I think he has I'm going to wring his neck," she muttered, swinging her feet off the bed and stumbling toward the wardrobe.
Once dressed, she headed straight to the control room. "Doctor?" she called, only faintly hopeful that she would get an answer. As she'd suspected, he was gone. She sighed and opened the doors to the outside. Sure enough, the TARDIS was back on the grassy hill leading down to the city they'd visited the day before, parked behind a large boulder so it wouldn't be easily spotted. The sun was still blazing as brightly as it had when they'd left, and Rose wondered how long it had been since the Doctor had left the TARDIS.
Surely he hadn't intended for her to wake up before he was back ... did that mean she hadn't slept as long as he'd expected, or was it like last time and he'd gotten in trouble again? She'd seen the look in his eyes when they'd left the temple the day before and she'd worried that he would go back for the idol, but she'd hoped that he would give up on the idea after they left. But apparently the Doctor truly had gone mad, just doing whatever reckless thing he wanted without regard for the opinions of anyone else. And she was going to have to have a serious talk with him once she found him about what exactly he was doing to make her sleep so long - was he drugging her or something?
Rose paused. Come to think of it, did she really want to find him? Maybe this was her chance to get away; surely he wouldn't be able to chase after her if he was in the custody of this world's police. Of course, since she couldn't fly the TARDIS herself that would mean living out the rest of her - oh - well, the rest of forever on this alien planet and never seeing her friends again. And that wasn't something that Rose was all that keen on. Besides, if they were angry enough to execute him and she didn't stop it she'd just feel all sad about it afterward.
Sighing in aggravation, Rose started walking down the hill toward the marketplace which spilled haphazardly from the borders of the city. The crowd seemed thicker than when she'd been there the day before, and she wondered if this was the same day they'd left. She'd really rather get out before the fire.
It took longer than last time to reach the temple, and she was sweaty and very irritated by the time she she started up the stairs to the entranceway. A man in a robe stopped her at the door and asked for a ticket.
"Oh, right," said Rose. "Well, I suppose I haven't got one, but I, ah - look, I heard that there was a break-in here recently, is that true?"
The man looked at her suspiciously. "Yes, there was. How did you know about it?"
"Er..." Rose hesitated. If she said that she was looking for the Doctor they might think she was an accomplice, and that would be very bad. She thought furiously. "Well, I have a friend who works here, Myrik Mirstad, do you know him? He mentioned the break-in when I spoke to him earlier and he seemed a bit upset about it, so I wanted to make sure he's okay." Rose prayed that she'd got the name right, and that the Doctor hadn't taken them back to before that meeting had occurred.
Apparently the local gods looked kindly on her because the man's face relaxed and he smiled openly. "Ah, Myrik. He's a good lad; he's working in the library today. He seemed fine when I saw him at lunch, but if you want to see him go inside and up the stairs to the left. The library's through the big arch about halfway down the hall."
Rose thanked the man and tried to look confident as she headed inside. Now, which way to go? She had no idea what the people here did with criminals; it was possible that he'd already been hauled off to a prison somewhere. In the end she decided to just do as she'd said and go look for the man she'd spoken to the day before. At least he wasn't a complete stranger; maybe he'd be willing to give her some information.
The library was easy to find, and Rose quickly spotted Myrik leaning over one of several large tables situated in the center of the huge room. "Myrik!" she called quietly, and he turned to her with surprise.
He put down the scroll he was holding and walked over to her. "I knew that I'd see you again. Rose Tyler, right?"
Rose smiled. "You remembered. I actually came to see you because I need to ask you something; I think one of my friends has gotten into trouble and you were the only one I could think of who might be able to help."
"It must be destiny then," said Myrik, grinning mischievously. "The Twelve heard my prayers and arranged for us to meet again."
"You were praying to see me again, then?" Rose teased.
Myrik laughed, but made no move to deny it. "Come, let's go somewhere we won't be disturbed and then you can tell me what's brought you here."
He led her down a few halls and through a set of double doors onto a small balcony open to the sun. He took both her hands in his and looked deep into her eyes in a way that would have been more exciting if she didn't regularly gaze into the most intense eyes on any man she'd ever met. Nevertheless, it felt good to be looked at like that by someone who didn't want anything from her. "Lovely Rose, what can I help you with?" he asked.
"Well you see, yesterday my friend and I went to the exhibition like you said - loved it by the way, very nice idols - only he's a bit funny in the head and he got really fixated on this one idol, the one representing Faila."
Myrik frowned and Rose gently slipped her hands from his grasp. "The one that was almost stolen? Surely you're not saying that your friend was the one who tried to steal it?"
"I, uh ... yeah," Rose admitted. "Look, I know this looks bad, but I swear he's not the sort of person who'd normally do something like this. He would never have done it if he were in his right mind."
"What's wrong with him?" asked Myrik, looking concerned.
"Wish I knew," she said sadly, looking over the railing at the people milling in the streets below. "See, he went on an, er, trip by himself, and I think something happened to him while he was gone ... something really bad. But he won't talk about it, and I don't know how to help him."
Her expression firmed and she tilted her head back up to look Myrik in the eyes. "But I still believe that he can be helped. He's done a lot of bad things recently, but deep down he's always been a good man, and I have to believe that if I just keep trying I'll find a way to bring him back to himself. And I can't do that if he gets locked up for something stupid he did while he wasn't in his right mind."
Myrik looked at her doubtfully. "I want to help you, but even if your friend is ill it was his choice to try to steal the idol. The high priests will want him punished, maybe even put to death."
Rose bit her lip. "Look, I know this is a lot of ask from someone I've only just met, but I promise you that if you help me get him released we'll leave the city and he'll never cause any trouble here ever again. He isn't dangerous or anything; he's just ... confused right now, and I can't just stand by and let him get killed. Even if you could just help me find out where he's being held, it would be a big help."
Myrik looked conflicted now. "If he had committed a lesser offense I would vouch for him, but for something like this ... I'm only an acolyte; I don't have much sway with the priests."
"Please?" begged Rose, batting her eyes at him prettily for extra effect.
"...I'll take you to where he's being held, but I can't promise anything more than that," he relented.
"Thank you," she said sincerely, smiling at him warmly.
"The holding cells are in the basement on the east side of the temple. Come on, I'll take you there."
They chatted about less serious topics as he led her deeper into the temple, though Rose tried to keep an eye on the path they were taking in case she needed to remember how to get back to the atrium. Two guards stopped them at the door to the holding cells.
"She needs to visit one of the prisoners, I'll escort her," Myrik assured them, and the guards let them through without any trouble.
Myrik glanced around uncertainly, but was Rose was immediately drawn to a cell on the right. She pursed her lips as she stepped up to the bars and took in the figure slumped on a cot at the back of the cell.
"So," she said quietly, watching as he raised his head and his eyes focused in on her like she was the only thing worth looking at. "You're a thief now, as well as a kidnapper, is that it? Y'know I ought to just let you rot here." In her peripheral vision she saw Myrik look at her oddly, but she kept her eyes on the man in front of her.
The Doctor sighed. "I'm so sorry, Rose. You were right, I should have just left it alone, but I screwed it all up and ended up here instead." He smiled self-deprecatingly. "I guess I should listen to you more often, eh?"
"You got that right," she replied, shooting him a pointed look. "So, you got any ideas on how you're gonna get out of here? Even if I could unlock your cell, this whole place is filled with guards."
"They took all all my stuff when they caught me, so I need to you get me my sonic screwdriver. After that ... well, I don't exactly have a solid plan yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something."
Rose rolled her eyes. "Myrik, do you know where they might have taken his stuff?"
The Doctor's gaze snapped to Myrik as if he hadn't noticed the other man standing there, and his eyes darkened the way they did every time she got within three feet of a man these days. Myrik shifted uncomfortably but said, "I think so; there's a room where they usually put prisoners' belongings until they can be catalogued or thrown away. I can take you there, but the guards might think it's strange if we leave the holding cells and then come straight back."
"I'm sorry, who's this now?" questioned the Doctor rather rudely.
"This is Myrik, he's the one who gave me the tickets yesterday and now he's very kindly helping me save your ass at great risk to himself. Myrik, this is my friend the Doctor."
"Nice to meet you," said Myrik. "though it's unfortunate that we had to meet under unpleasant circumstances. The Twelve must have a grand plan for you to send you such trials."
"I prefer to make my own plans, so I'd really rather they would have kept out of it," said the Doctor, rolling his eyes.
Rose elected to ignore him, looking at Myrik entreatingly. "Got any ideas?"
"Do you really expect me to help you come up with a plan to help a prisoner escape?" asked Myrik. His face was serious, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that suggested he was struggling not to laugh.
"Isn't there anything in your religion about helping those in need?" tried Rose.
"I don't think that Rithma's Oath of Charity really applies in this situation, but I do want to help. If you can come up with a way to get him out of here that doesn't cause too much trouble then I'll do my best to aid you. However, it will be very hard to do that without getting caught yourself, and the temple is especially well guarded right now because of the festival."
"Is there ever a time when they leave the prisoners unguarded? Could we escort him out of the holding cells to, say, give him a bath?
Myrik shook his head. "For prisoners a bath is just a bucket of water and a rag. The only time they take the prisoners out of the holding cells is when they're being taken for questioning and when they're being taken to get executed. If they decide to carry out a swift sentence they'll probably execute him tomorrow, but there are going to be loads of guards around during the escort."
"That's too late, anyway," added the Doctor. "Since ... you know." He looked at Rose meaningfully, and she nodded slightly in understanding. It would be most troublesome if the city caught on fire while the Doctor was still locked in that cell.
"Right. Don't suppose there are any secret passages that run through here, no hidden doors or the like?"
"Not that I'm aware of," said Myrik, smiling down at her with amusement.
Rose bit her lip, thinking quickly. "Have they taken you for questioning yet?" she asked the Doctor.
"No, just kicked me in the side a few times and threw me in here."
"They kicked you?" Rose ran her gaze over him in concern.
"Yeah but I'm fine, nothing broken," he assured her. "Wouldn't mind if you wanted to kiss it better though." He shot her a cheeky grin.
Rose rolled her eyes. "So then when will they take him in for questioning? Sounds like that might be our only chance."
"They won't," said Myrik. "If they haven't done it by now they probably consider it to be an open and shut case."
"Well that's not fair," she said indignantly. "He's got the right to a trial!"
"The church has the authority to deal out its own justice," explained Myrik. "Trying to steal an idol is a serious offense; I doubt they're interested in anything he has to say."
"Okay, but what if they were? Where would they take him?" asked Rose.
"Prisoners are usually interrogated in one of the secure rooms on the West side of the floor above us." He looked down at her with concern written upon his face. "But if you're thinking about trying to free him then, it won't be any less dangerous. At least two guards will be escorting him and there will be more in the halls."
"If we could cause a distraction while they were taking him to the interrogation room he might be able to get away in the confusion ... any ideas?"
"I've got one," said the Doctor, eyes glimmering with sudden understanding. "What if the temple caught on fire?"
Rose stiffened, and Myrik looked at him askance. "Fire is forbidden in the temple. Although the outer walls are built from stone, many of the inner walls and floors are made of wood. Parts of the temple are hundreds of years old and the wood has become very dry. Even a small fire could be devastating if it spread." His brow furrowed in thought. "However ... even the threat of fire might be enough to make the guards leave their posts. If we could make them think that there's a fire..."
Rose bit her lip. "What if we caused an explosion? But not a real explosion, just something that sounds like one. Doctor, can you think of anything we could make that would cause a loud sound?"
"A real fire would make a much better distraction," the Doctor said pointedly.
"As I said, this temple has stood for hundreds of years and there are many priceless scrolls and artifacts stored here. I really must insist that you don't light it on fire," said Myrik.
"All things come to an end," the Doctor said darkly.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean that we should rush to meet the end before it's time," Rose countered.
The Doctor rolled his eyes and Myrik glanced between them curiously.
"A noise bomb," said the Doctor after a moment. "It'll be hard to make one without any plastic, but..." He looked to Myrik. "The kitchens here, do they have baking soda and vinegar?"
"Yes, I think so..."
"And how is the food preserved? Jars sealed with wax, by any chance?"
"Some things, yes, though most fruit is dried since glass is so expensive."
"Okay, I'm going to tell you how to make a simple explosive that will create a lot of noise and smoke without doing much damage. Hopefully it'll distract the guards long enough for you to get me out of here."
The Doctor quickly instructed them on how to built the explosive, but after he'd finished he pointed out that they still didn't have a plan for convincing the guards to interrogate him in the first place.
"Leave that to me," said Myrik. "If I say that I have a friend who is acquaintanced with you and she saw you associating with some suspicious men it should pique their interest enough for them to take you up."
"Alright then," said Rose, "let's get started."
As they turned to leave, the Doctor suddenly stood and took a step forward so he was up against the bars.
"Rose ... if this goes pear-shaped and you run into trouble, just get out, okay? Go back to the TARDIS, you'll be safe there."
"It's my choice, Doctor," said Rose, looking him square in the eye. "I am choosing to risk my life trying to save your sorry behind, and if I get hurt in the process, at least it will be a consequence of my own decisions. Do you understand?"
"...Yes," he said after a long moment, looking pained. He pushed one hand out between the bars. She hesitated a bit, but he looked at her so pleadingly that her hand reached out to grasp his without a conscious decision on her part.
He looked deep into her eyes, jaw clenching as if he were holding back a great many things he wanted to say. But in the end all he said was, "Good luck."
Rose smiled faintly. "See you soon."
!.!.!.!.!
The plan had gone so smoothly right up until he had lifted the time box from its pedestal in the meditation room. He hadn't expected these people to have much in the way of a security system since they hadn't discovered electricity yet, but there had been a primitive pressure sensor on the surface of the pedestal and when he'd taken the time box it had released something into the pedestal's base that let out a series of loud noises like a little gong being struck. He had run into the atrium and the next thing he knew he was surrounded by guards pointing their primitive firearms at him.
Sitting in that cell all night, knowing that the hours until Rose would wake and find him gone were steadily dwindling, had worn his nerves to the quick. He had tried shouting for the guards over and over, insisting that there had been a misunderstanding and he needed to be let out, but all that had got him was a few very uncalled-for insults and a promise to tie him up and gag him if he continued making a ruckus.
A part of him hoped that she would stay away, stay in the TARDIS where it was safe, and yet there was another part that was desperate for her to come for him. Because if she didn't even try, well, that meant that what he had done might be truly unforgivable. That her desire to get away from him was so great that she would rather let him die in a fire than stay with him. And he wasn't sure he could live with that.
The dungeon was lit only by little glowing stones that were set into the walls, but he was counting the minutes and he knew when morning came. He had paced his cell restlessly for several hours before collapsing onto the hard little cot in the back of the cell. The fire was going to start soon and he was going to be trapped in here, right in the middle of it. Well, at least the walls and ceiling of the cell he was in were made of stone; it was possible he'd survive. The fire might not even reach the level he was on, though if the temple burned above him he could still die from the heat or smoke inhalation.
And then, around noon, he felt her presence drawing closer. He had waited anxiously, wondering what she would do when she found out he had tried to steal the time box after she had expressly told him not to, and in a bit under an hour he heard the guards admitting someone into the cell block. Seeing her walk into that dim little prison was like looking like everything beautiful in the world. She had come for him. She still cared enough to come. And that meant there was still hope for them. Furthermore, she was wearing a skimpy little outfit that made him want to take her straight to their bedroom, and he hoped that he would be able to convince her to wear it again in a more private setting.
He had been less pleased that she'd brought a friend, but at least the man was proving to be useful. He was a little glad the priest was doomed to die in a few hours, though; the looks he'd been giving Rose made the Doctor want to punch him in the face and he knew that there was only one reason a man like that would be so invested in helping a woman he'd only just met.
The three of them came up with a plan and then Rose and - Mirak, was it? - left to go look for his sonic screwdriver. It was hard to let go of her hand knowing that she was about to walk into danger, but this wasn't the first time they'd been in a sticky situation and he was determined it wouldn't be the last.
It took thirty-seven minutes and twelve seconds for the guards to enter the prison block and drag him out of his cell. They handcuffed his hands behind his back and half-shoved, half-dragged him up the stairs and into a little room down the hall. Nothing unusual happened on the way to the interrogation room, and the Doctor wondered whether they had changed the plan or something had gone wrong. He decided to have faith in Rose and wait until they took him back to his cell to worry about it, though he couldn't help but feel anxious at the thought of Rose getting caught.
The room was made of polished wood and some of the walls were cracked and dented a bit as if something had hit them with great force, but the wood looked thick and strong. In the center of the room was a small rectangular table with a chair set to either side, pretty standard for an interrogation room he thought. The guards pushed him down into the chair with its back facing the wall and secured him to it with heavy chains.
He waited a few minutes, idly attempting to engage the guard stationed by the door in conversation, and then a thin little man came in who wore a heavily embroidered robe and a series of long necklaces that probably cost more than most people in this country made in a year. He sat down in the chair on the other side of the table and started asking questions in a demanding tone that would have been really annoying if he wasn't waiting for Rose to come rescue him at any moment.
The Doctor answered the questions flippantly, unconcerned about the violence the holy man threatened or the guard shooting him nasty looks over the man's shoulder. At last, there was the sound of a large explosion from somewhere nearby and the priest turned sharply toward the door.
"Stay here, keep an eye on him," he ordered the guard before leaving the room.
The Doctor waited while people shouted outside the door and the the guard shifted anxiously. After about thirty seconds he heard a second explosion, causing the guard to turn toward the sound in alarm. Luckily, he didn't have to wait much longer before there was a frantic knock on the door. The guard turned around and quickly opened it.
Rose's priest friend was there, a panicked expression on his face. "I need your help!" he said urgently. "I think Bishop Petrell was trapped in the second explosion, and everyone's still gathered at the other one. Come on, hurry!"
The guard glared down at the shorter man. "I was ordered to guard the prisoner, I can't just abandon my post," he said uneasily.
"What's he gonna do, tied up to a chair like that? Please, hurry! He could be hurt!"
The guard glanced back at the Doctor uneasily. "Don't move, prisoner," he ordered.
"Couldn't even if I tried," he pointed out, rattling his chains. The guard stepped out into the hall and slammed the door, locking it behind himself.
Less than twenty seconds later there was the "click" of the lock turning again and the door burst open to reveal Rose, sweaty and disheveled but looking beautiful as ever. She rushed around the table and started tugging at his chains.
"Shit, I have no idea where the key for these is," swore Rose.
"Did you bring the sonic screwdriver?" he asked urgently.
"Yeah, right here," she said, pushing it into his hands.
He had to hold his wrists at odd angles to unlock the chains himself and he was all too aware of the seconds ticking by while he tried to do it by feel, but at last he was free of both chains and cuffs and he stood so quickly that the chair clattered to the floor.
"Let's get out of here," he said, grabbing Rose's hand. They ran out of the room but paused for a moment in the empty hallway.
"Any chance you know where the exit is?"
"This way!" she said urgently, tugging him down the hall to the right.
Rose led him down several corridors before they spotted her priest friend peering around a corner and waving at them frantically. "Hurry!" he called as they neared, then ran down the hall to the left. Rose followed after him and the Doctor followed Rose, his hand squeezing hers tightly.
They ran down a few hallways, went up one set of stairs and down another, and soon arrived at a corridor leading into the atrium. The priest stopped just before entering, panting for breath.
"I can't be seen helping you escape," he said between pants. "Run as fast as you can, I don't know how much longer it will be before the guards come back." He turned to Rose, his eyes softening. "Rose Tyler ... I'm glad that the Twelve granted me the opportunity to meet you. If you ever have reason to return to the city, my rooms will always be open to you."
The Doctor tensed, shooting the insolent little whelp the nastiest glare he could muster. "I'm glad to have met you too," said Rose, but she had to call it over her shoulder because he was already pulling her toward the exit.
They ran out of the temple and flew down the stairs with all the speed they could muster. Just as they reached the ground there was a cry from above and someone shouted, "The prisoner is escaping! Hurry, after him!"
The Doctor pushed himself to run even faster, slowing his pace only slightly when the speed made nearly made Rose stumble. However, it was the height of the festival and as they drew nearer to the marketplace the crowd thickened to the point that there were too many people to dodge. They were forced to slow down significantly, and the shouting of the guards was getting close very fast.
As they darted through a rare break in the crowd, Rose suddenly cried out and her hand was torn from his grasp. The Doctor stumbled as he tried to slow down, and he bumped into someone who shouted an insult before he was able to stop and spin around. Rose was attempting to push herself up from the ground, and his hearts beat even faster when he saw that one of her arms was bleeding from skidding across the dirt. The culprit, he quickly surmised, was not one of their pursuers but a rock that was sticking out of the dusty ground near one of her feet - and was the angle of her ankle a little funny, like it was twisted?
The guards were quickly closing in; he could see the crowd clearing down the street where the guards were commanding people to clear a path. One of the guards was pushing ahead, shoving people out of the way so enthusiastically that he would be upon them in seconds.
"Run!" shouted Rose. "I'll be okay! Go!"
The Doctor took a step toward her, but before he could do anything else a hand grabbed him hard around his right forearm and yanked him back. The Doctor spun, ready to go down fighting, but he stilled his fist when he saw that it was the young man who'd helped them moments earlier. "Come on!" shouted the priest, grabbing his arm again and pulling him desperately toward one of the stalls. "You can't help her right now!"
The Doctor resisted a bit, but he was slightly winded and as soon as he stumbled out of the street the boy let go of his arm and shoved him through a tapestry that separated the front of the stall from the back. The Doctor fell to the earthen floor of the flimsy structure and the priest dived in after him.
The Doctor leapt to his feet as quickly as he could, staggering slightly before regaining his balance and spinning to face the priest. "What did you do that for?" he shouted, balling his fist and punching the other man across the face hard enough to send him back to the ground. "They're going to capture her!"
The boy pushed himself up with one hand and pressed the other against his quickly swelling cheek. "If you go back for her now they will capture you both," he said with an infuriatingly calm expression. The Doctor shoved the tapestry aside and ducked behind the counter at the front of the stall. He peered over its surface and searched for the opening in the crowd where she had fallen, but he couldn't see her anywhere. However, there were several guards standing around the area and scanning the crowd. Scanning the crowd for him.
The whelp's hand closed around his forearm again and gently drew him back behind the tapestry. "They'll take her back to the temple for questioning," he said. "I know a few shortcuts so if we hurry we could probably get there before them. Once we're alone we can come up with a plan to save her, but you won't be able to help her if you get caught again yourself."
He grit his teeth and glared at the young man furiously for a few moments, but finally he had to force out the words, "Fine. Take me there as fast as you can."
!.!.!.!.!
The Doctor was gasping for breath by the time they exited the maze of market stalls and stopped to recover at the back of the temple. "Tell me you have a plan," said the Doctor between labored pants.
"They'll probably take her in for questioning right away and decide her sentence based on what she tells them," said the priest after he'd caught his breath. "If I vouch for her I might be able to persuade them to accept a pledge of servitude to the temple rather than putting her to death, but she'll be closely watched until she's released into the custody of the priests who train new initiates."
"Look, Priest, it would take longer than we have to explain why, but it's very important that Rose and I leave the city as soon as possible. I don't have time to wait for them to turn her into a damned nun."
"I'm just an acolyte, actually," said the boy, "and I should hurry inside before I'm missed. I can't afford to have any suspicion on me if I'm going to help your Rose. I'll come back as soon as I can and we'll come up with a plan together, alright?"
The Doctor's fists clenched uselessly, desperate to have a plan of action while Rose was in so much danger. "What was you name again?" he asked.
"Myrik," said the whelp, raising an eyebrow. "And your name is 'Doctor', right?"
"Close enough," he said absently, then continued, "Myrik, I need you to listen carefully: Rose is very important to me. If anything happens to her I will be very upset, and if I find out that you could have helped her but were too much of a coward to do anything then the judgement I will bring down on your sorry hide will be more severe than any punishment your backworld gods could come up with. Your god of Wrath is known for roasting her enemies alive in a pit of tar, isn't that right? Well, if anything happens to Rose you will beg for a torture that banal by the time I'm done with you. Do you understand, Myrik? Do you understand how important she is?"
Myrik's eyes had widened throughout the Doctor's speech and his expression showed a hint of fear. He swallowed thickly, but his voice was calm when he said, "Yes, I understand. She's very important to you. I like her a lot, too. I won't let her get executed if I can help it."
The Doctor searched his face to judge the sincerity of Myrik's statement then stepped back, reluctantly satisfied. "Go on, then," he said, nodding to the little door which he guessed was a servants' entrance. "Help her."
Myrik pointed to a cluster of thick bushes at the edge of the park which surrounded the temple on three sides. "Hide over there so you aren't seen. I'll come back as soon as I can."
The Doctor jogged over to the bushes and awkwardly situated himself within them before crouching down. He watched Myrik knock on the door, and someone within promptly opened it and spoke to him in an irritated tone. Myrik went inside, leaving the Doctor to wait by himself once more with nothing to do but pray for Rose's safe return.
!.!.!.!.!
A/N: I'm pretty sure you couldn't actually make a noise bomb with the materials mentioned, and you certainly couldn't make one that creates much smoke. But I figure the Doctor might know a few tricks I don't, so just go with it.