Nights were cooler, but not by much. For some reason, it was easier to think in the middle of the night. Not having proxies popping in every hour to break her concentration allowed her to focus on studying new combinations of things and new ways of combining known materials.

That and she couldn't sleep. It wasn't every day Lura secured herself a Time Lord.

As much as she wanted to experiment and play with her new acquisition, there was much at stake. Lura was crafty and had several ideas in mind, but she had to take her time and not spoil her opportunity to be the instigator of The Return.

Lura knew what the Ministers of Muramphe would say. Bring him here! Let us hex him, coerce him, bewitch him! Except that's not what they did, not really. Not without the power of words. Throughout their long history, they had studied and striven to emulate the power of the Carrionites. Their most prolific Scholars of Words had come closer than anyone, but in so doing had warped and shriveled their beautiful forms in the process. They were revered for their progressive efforts, but despite the common goal towards achieving Carrionite power the society as a whole shunned them, for no power was worth sacrificing physical beauty. Muramphe ached for perfection, but one could not find it if part of that perfection were compromised.

"Ambassador, I wonder if you might allow us to try a couple of korwi on them tomorrow?"

Lura sighed gently from where she stood over her bubbling cauldron. "Merchant Berr'ka. I've already explained to you how important the Time Lord is to Muramphe. I think you can find someone else to feed your korwi with."

The Bosthinat official stepped forward, just far enough to be a dark shadow at the edge of her view. "But if what Sariel says is true, they are most unusual with the korwi. Bosthinatia has a right to study it, too."

"Him, Berr'ka. The Time Lord is male, just as Sariel and I are female. You must learn to recognise gender if you are to do more successful business outside your world."

Berr'ka clicked in annoyance. "Even so. Sariel is under our employ, not yours. Sariel brought the specimen to us."

"At my request. You would be wise to not forget what I have supplied you, what I have done for your korwi."

"Psst. We can feed our korwi without you. You are not everything to us, Muramphian!"

Lura rounded on the official. The Bosthinat jumped back in surprise, his pendant swinging around his neck. "I may not be, but your trade is not everything to Muramphe, either! If you wish to keep our pact, you will do well to remember my position." She straightened and turned back to her brew. "We have tripled your serum profits. Unless you wish to endanger that gain, your place is to represent Bosthinatia as my aide."

Berr'ka was silent, at least for the moment. So much for avoiding distractions. Lura dipped the ladle into the cauldron and stirred. A smile spread across her face. While it would be a challenge to single-handedly gain the assistance of the Time Lord—no, the Doctor she must learn to call him—Lura assured herself that it was at least going to be entertaining.

-^^-W-^^-

Rose awoke feeling rested but cramped, the remnants of a delicious dream involving the Doctor fading from her thoughts. She was confused for a moment as to why she couldn't feel and hear the TARDIS humming around her. Had they gone home to visit her mum?

She opened her eyes and looked around. Why was she in a bathroom on a dingy old mattress? "Doctor?"

There were the sounds of someone shifting just past the wall by her head. "Good morning, Rose! You okay?"

Rose blinked as events from the past day came back to her. She was in a cell. Unwinding herself, she stretched out her cramped muscles. "Yeah." As good as the dream had been, it didn't compare to waking up to the real thing even though they were imprisoned, and separately at that. "So, when are we travelling to today?"

"Hrmph," the Doctor grunted. "I'll take you anywhere and anywhen but Bosthinatia."

"Mm, sounds good to me." They were silent for a few minutes as Rose thought about the night before. She frowned. "Doctor, why do you suppose she took bits of our hair?"

She could hear him pull in a deep breath. "I dunno, but I'm betting it's not good."

"Mm, that's all you got? It's not good..."

"Well I can't know everything, can I?"

"You try, though."

"I do try. That is true."

The morning stretched on, and the guards didn't come for them. "Lura must be busy taking care of business," the Doctor said. "Or letting me sweat on my 'decision.'"

Rose didn't need to ask him what his decision was. "What do you think she'll do to us?"

"I dunno," the Doctor began, "but at risk of repeating myself—"

"—It's not good, yeah. I worked out that much."

Finally, the prison door opened and Rose got to feet. Her heart beat faster as she anticipated being rejoined with the Doctor. A Bosthinatian jaunted towards them, and it wasn't until it was in front of her that she saw it was carrying two steaming plates of food.

"Ooh, I'm starved!"

The insect-like person folded the soft plate and passed it through the vertical bars to her. As it moved on to the Doctor's cell, Rose inspected her breakfast. Surprisingly, it looked and smelled appetising.

"Thank you," the Doctor was saying. "And hello. I'm the Doctor. That's Rose Tyler over there."

It looked at and acknowledged her, its large, faceted eyes multiplying the soft torchlight into hundreds of pinpricks. A thin horizontal gap between its chitinous plates at the end of its short snout appeared to be its mouth, but when it spoke the plates separated along its face all the way back to its jaw. "Doktor and Roze Tyler."

Rose smiled. "What's your name?"

"Fla'ri'kikitch," the Bosthinat chirped. "You surprise me by asking." It turned its attention back to the Doctor and Rose gingerly picked up something meaty and nibbled experimentally as she stepped closer to the bars to better see the visitor.

"Fla'ri'kikitch," the Doctor returned perfectly. "Ooh, that's fun. Tell me, Fla'ri'kikitch, is this Bosthinatian food?"

Fla'ri'kikitch swayed from side to side. "It is, but I would not eat it. The ambassador requests special food to eat. The ambassador doesn't like what we eat. I was told to get similar food for you."

"It's good," Rose said before biting into a large piece, although she suspected her hunger was partly to blame for its welcome taste. The Bosthinat began to leave.

"Going so soon?" the Doctor said. Rose wished she didn't have a mouthful of food just then, in case she needed to speak to help him keep the visitor from leaving.

"I'm expected back."

"Understandable, yes, but would those expecting you mind terribly if I asked you a question first, Fla'ri'kikitch?" It stopped and turned, now in front of Rose, and the Doctor went on. "Tell me, these korwi. What are they?"

Fla'ri'kikitch immediately turned its head away from the Doctor, and Rose could see into its face. It was one of the more difficult species she had tried to read, but from its demeanor she would say it was reluctant to speak about it. "Korwi... are part of our past."

"How so?"

"The Bosthinats were not always so lonely, Doctor." Fla'ri'kikitch began to sway again. "I think it would be good to not be lonely anymore."

She could hear the pain in its cracking voice. Surprised at how quickly the Doctor had managed to illicit such a powerful response, Rose stopped eating and paid closer attention. "Why are you lonely?"

The insect-like head faced her. "Why do you care?"

Rose hesitated, and her heart rate increased. What she said to this creature could be very important, and she had to take the time to say the right thing. "Because I know what it's like. To feel like somethin's missing from your life. You don't know what it is, but it's there. And I've found it." Her eyes moved briefly to the wall, but of course she couldn't see the Doctor. "I want you to find the same thing, to feel what it's like to be whole."

Fla'ri'kikitch turned its head to the Doctor and back to Rose. It had stopped swaying as Rose was speaking, and now it stood very still, looking at her. "Bosthinats and korwi were once not lonely."

Rose puzzled at the Bosthinat, attempting to make sense of what it meant.

"They were together?" the Doctor offered. "The Bosthinats and korwi, not lonely if together?"

The insect creature twitched its head in response and pointed vaguely behind its head. "Bosthinats evolved. Korwi didn't. We are superior, but we are lonely. I think the korwi are lonely, too." It began to sway again, and its voice got louder, clearly more upset. "I think... I think I would like a korwi. Korwi won't speak to us anymore, though!"

The prison door opened, and Fla'ri'kikitch jumped rather magnificently. The Bosthinat hurried down the corridor, and Rose could hear angry clicks coming from the entrance.

After the slamming of the door echoed down the corridor and silence returned, Rose stood for several moments in thought.

"I'm thinking there are probably a lot of Bosthinats that feel the same way as Fla'ri'kikitch," the Doctor said finally. "Seems like a taboo topic. Did you get that, too?"

Rose nodded to no one. "Yeah. S'like they never talk about it. Maybe they should."

"You're right. Maybe they should."

Unfolding the forgotten plate, Rose picked up another meaty thing. "What do you suppose breakfast is made of?" she asked before popping it into her mouth. She was well aware by asking she was risking not liking the answer, but after visiting so many systems and their planets in varied points in time, Rose was pretty sure she could take even the worst news.

Rose heard the Doctor's own plate shifting. "Hm, let's see." A pause. "Definitely meat. Cooked. Although... no, not even remotely bovine. Reptilian?"

"Mm." She cocked her head. "Not bad for alligator. Or something equally as big by the look of it." She took a smaller bite so she could keep talking. "What do you think the Bosthinats eat?"

"Now that we probably don't want to know. Although it could be something as boring as grass, I suppose."

The pair concentrated on their meals for a few minutes before Rose picked up on their previous topic. "He seems nice, though," Rose insisted. "Flaury... Flah..."

"Fla'ri'kikitch," the Doctor pronounced clearly.

"Fla'ri... kikitch."

"And it's not 'he,' it's 'it.'"

Rose frowned. "Really? How can you tell?"

"Why'd you call it 'he'?" the Doctor asked, his mouth now clearly full.

"I dunno. I guess... 'it' didn't look like a 'she.'"

The Doctor made an amused sound in his throat.

It was difficult for Rose to judge how much time passed before their two guards came for them. She stood and couldn't help wondering if she'd be able to sneak a hug before facing whatever fate awaited them. They weren't given restraints, Rose was happy to see, but she did note that her guard was careful to keep a firm hold on her arm as she and the Doctor were marched down the corridor towards the main chamber.

-^^-W-^^-

The Doctor was eager to see the Muramphian again. He wanted to get the confrontation over with one way or another as he had been going half crazy in his cell just waiting. Part of him was eager, though, because she was just so interesting to watch move.

Lura was off to the side of the chamber at one of the long tables piled with herbs and spices, dried grains and flowers, bundles of fibers and pouches of powders. The Doctor was quite sure he saw the feet of some sort of fowl hanging off the side halfway to the floor.

"Ever consider opening an apothecary, Lura?" the Doctor announced, and the Muramphian woman turned fluidly to face them. "From what I can tell, you'd be quite successful. Lots of rarities you've got here. Make's Sariel's look like a toy shoppe. Are those vacuum figs?" he wrinkled his nose at her. "Good for the hearts, but don't eat too many with beans on toast or your skin'll turn purple!" He beamed as if Lura were his best friend. "Who knew fruit could grow in space, hey?"

Lura smiled tolerantly and squinted. "You're used to controlling the conversation, aren't you?" she said smoothly.

"Yes I am, and d'you know why?" The Doctor bounced on his heels, feeling full of energy after having sat around for so many hours. "Although I have to ask, Ambassador Lura, why would you want to resurrect the Carrionites? You've got such a good thing going here, you must admit." He shook his head collaboratively as he spoke. "Wouldn't they just be competition? They'd no doubt muck up your entire operation."

"Oh but this operation has one ultimate goal," Lura paused, as if remembering what to say next, "Doctor. She began to wander. "All Muramphians want the return of those we follow, those we seek to learn from and aid in their progress so that we may learn even more." Lura turned and began to saunter towards him. "Speaking of aiding a cause, I gave you the night to think on your decision. I know that what you want most is to be released and left alone, so if you help me, I will be most grateful and would be willing to let you go." She stopped in front of the Doctor. "Have you had enough time to consider?"

The Doctor briefly turned his eyes upwards. "Ooh, way too much time."

Lura narrowed her eyes. "And?"

"That's the thing, though. I am a good listener, aren't I, Rose?" the Doctor pivoted, and despite being caught off guard, Rose nodded supportively. "When I need to be, and frankly right now, I think I know all I need to know. I'm so very good with conversation as you put it because I'm usually right, just like I was last night." He shoved his hands into his pockets and dipped his chin as he stared Lura in the eye. "The Carrionites don't belong in this universe. Take it from a Time Lord. The answer is still no."

Ambassador Lura stood very still, then sighed slowly with disappointment. "That is a shame, but I think we must not rush things," she said with a surprisingly pleasant tone. "I believe with a bit of perspective, you'll come to see things my way." She waved a delicate finger at the Doctor's guard. "Take him to the courtyard."

The Doctor was pulled by the arm and his eyes went to Rose. Her guard wasn't moving. "What about her? Rose stays with me."

"Oh, I'm not finished with her just yet."

Alarms sounded in the Doctor's head. "No!" He pulled at his guard's hold. "Leave her alone!"

Rose struggled, too, her eyes wild with fright. "Doctor!"

"Please!" the Doctor begged, feeling helpless in the Bosthinat's strong grip. "Don't hurt her!"

Lura held up a hand, and the Doctor's guard stopped its pulling. "Are you saying you wish to reconsider?"

The Doctor stared at her and swallowed thickly. His eyes moved to Rose. She stared back at him, her beautiful big brown eyes telling him she was very afraid. He loved her, though, because they also told him not to betray himself.

He looked back to Lura and frowned in resignation. "I can't."

Lura nodded slightly, as if expecting nothing less. "Very well." Her hand moved again.

The Doctor struggled, but the grip on his arms only tightened. "No! Let me go!" the Doctor yelled, his voice cracking.

"Doctor!"

Taking a moment to calculate, the Doctor aimed a kick at the Bosthinat's knee, and the guard rattled a cry and collapsed. Now free, he ran for Rose, but he was intercepted by a guard from the doorway. The Doctor's fist landed squarely in the guard's abdomen, but it was a very well naturally-armored abdomen. He cried out in pain and frustration as the guard restrained him.

"Put him down!" Lura ordered.

The Doctor barely had time to whip his head around to see the blow coming. His head snapped back the other way, and within a second he was out cold.