Chapter Three

"There's a Time Lord in there," said the Doctor.

"Is that bad?" Asked Sally.

"It could be. This stasis pod is definitely Gallifreyan, but it's not a standard model. In fact, it's a great advancement from the standard model, and there's battle scarring on it. That's unusual. My people aren't much into combat. Not anymore. Nor are they into technological improvements. This could be from my relative future, which would definitely mean trouble."

"You're a Time Lord?"

"Yes. Heard of us?"

"No."

"That's probably a good thing, Sally."

The Doctor stood up, and nearly fell back down. Everything around the time travellers seem to triple like a wave. Then it was fine as suddenly as it started.

"What was that?" Asked Sally.

"Ripples in time!" Cried the Doctor, grabbing his stomach like he was in pain. "This is bad. Very, very bad. Quickly, back to the Church."

Standing outside in the night air, the Doctor gasped for air like a marathon runner who just completed his run.

"Doctor," asked Sally, "are you alright?"

"No," replied the Doctor. "Look at the clock!"

A nearby by building with a clock on it showed the hour to be eight.

"It's eight o'clock. But, Doctor, it was nearly midnight when we entered in. If we were in there eight hours, it should be light out."

"It's not eight in the morning, Sally. It's Eight at night, the next evening. Twenty hours passed over us. Time's in flux. I fear we may be in the midst of a paradox, and I'm certain that stasis pod is directly related to it.

"Come on! We have to find Charley. Let's head this way."

Charley woke from her shallow slumber. She was in a cell at the local police station. She jumped to her feet from the bunk, and was so dizzy she feels back onto it.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she said to herself. Then looking at the filthy toilet in one corner of the little cell, she added, "but I don't want to get anywhere near that. Is this what the future holds? Filthy commodes?"

"Hey, you!" Shouted a police officer at the cell door. "What are you doing here?"

"This is where you put me," said Charley. "Remember, you arrested me."

"I've never seen you in my life," said the Officer. "Sarge says he's got no record on anyone in this cell. I don't know who you are, but we don't have room for you. We've got real criminals we need to put in this cell. Come on."

"I should demand to see your superior and complain of this unlawful detention, but I just want to get out of here and find the Doctor."

"The free clinic's down the block. We don't have any property to give to you. Like I said, there's no record of your arrest."

"It's alright. An Edwardian adventuress must often travel light."

Charley was astonished to see it was still dark out when she left the station. "I guess I didn't sleep that long. Or maybe I slept longer than I thought."

Charley had caught a glimpse of a clock atop of a building some distance off. "I'm completely lost. I suppose if I need to find a Time Lord, I should head in the direction of a clock.

"Looks like a party is going on," said the Doctor with a grin. He and Sally were outside of a large building. Through the spacious windows on the first floor, a massive group of men in tuxedos and ladies in evening dressed were assembled. A waitress came near the window they were standing at carrying a plate of hors devours. Hearing Sally's stomach rumble, he said, "How about little party crashing. You look like you could use a bit to eat. Besides what better place to find an Edwardian adventuress than a fancy party."

As they entered the party, a steward approached them, and said, "I'm sorry, but this party is by invitation only."

"I think you were expecting me," said the Doctor. "I'm Doctor Bowman."

"Just a second," said the steward, quite annoyed as he turned to another steward. "Do we have an invite for a Doctor Bowman?"

The steward, with a warm smile on his face and a look of recognition in his eyes, said, "I'm sorry, Doctor Bowman. John, Doctor Bowman is Doctor Holloway's plus one."

"Wait, wait, wait," said the Doctor. "Doctor Holloway? Doctor Grace Holloway?"

"Yes, sir. Of course."

"No, no, no," said the Doctor in a panic.

"This is a New Year's party," said Sally between bites of prawn, pointing with a free hand at a large banner. "We arrived a bit late in the year, didn't we. What's a Beryllium clock."

"We didn't arrive too late," said the Doctor with a look of absolute horror on his face. "We're too early. It's not the pod that's causing this paradox. It's me!"