Now that Rose and the Doctor have had some opportunity to *relax*, I think it's time to throw them to the wolves. (No pun intended =P) Next on the itinerary: let's look behind the facade of the Palace and find out what secrets it hides. Oh, and I think we have to talk about what happened in the bathhouse. Happy reading! =)
CHAPTER 7. HE WHO SUPS WITH THE DEVIL
The dining hall was the grandest room Rose had seen inside the palace yet. It seemed a strange place for an informal dinner, even if it was in the company of royalty. Lady Nazerra had kindly provided them with the ins and outs of local politics. Even though the region was officially under control of King Senefy, his grandson prince Minkhebe held the title of 'Protector', which made him the City's de facto ruler. Apparently this wonder of creation had the final say in virtually everything, from politics to religion, to how people dressed. A recipe for disaster, Rose thought.
She and the Doctor were ushered to their designated seats. Most of the other diners were already present and Rose counted eight of them—quite the number of guests for a 'private' dinner. The first familiar face was Nazerra, seated at the opposite end of the table, wearing an even more splendid dress than before, her dark hair done up in elaborate curls.
Next to Nazerra was a man who literally outshone them all. Prominently seated at the head of the table, his lavish jewellery was almost all gold, including the relatively modest crown set with precious stones. Only then did Rose recognise him as the man they had seen earlier that day, at the ceremony. By now, his expression and body language were those of a bored lion, tired of the heat, annoyed with the insects buzzing in his ears.
As they were seated, Nazerra leaned into the Protector and whispered something. Minkhebe's expression shifted from lethargic to interested. He hadn't even been aware we were coming, Rose thought. She was unsure if they should be glad to have landed themselves within his immediate circle.
Nazerra stood up and her voluminous sleeves rustled as she raised her glass. 'Welcome to our guests. We sincerely hope that you will forgive us our foolishness and accept this apology.'
The Protector also raised his glass. 'To the Lord and Lady Foreman.'
Nazerra indicated the others. 'Let me introduce our other friends. This is his Lordship Oratis, High Chancellor.' The painfully thin man gave a barely perceptible nod. Another fan of strangers at the dinner table, Rose thought. Next to be introduced was Amenun, Senior High Priest of the Great Temple. An exact opposite to the gruff chancellor, this priest fitted every single stereotype associated with his profession. He was downright fat, his chubby hands bedecked in rings and more jewellery hanging from his neck. He also combined a staggering arrogance with a propensity to act jolly. Neither worked very well.
There were several others, whose names mostly escaped Rose as her attention was drawn to the man at the furthest end of the table, almost as if he had wandered in at the last moment and was forced to take the least popular seat. According to Nazerra his name was Asman, Lord of Thana, but Rose had already recognised him as the mysterious stranger who had warned them during the Trials the day before. He didn't acknowledge them and continued to sip his drink, watching and listening to the various guests trying to outshine each other.
Rose glanced over at the Doctor. He hadn't spoken much yet and was keeping an uncharacteristically low profile. 'Lady Rose,' the Protector said. Rose was jolted back to the conversation. She had no idea what they had been talking about so she gave the Protector a demure smile, feigning humility. If the Doctor had decided to keep a low profile, she wasn't going to throw a spanner in the works. These were horrible people. The sooner it was over, the better.
'Lady Rose,' the Protector repeated, his grin even more predatory now. 'How come you have wandered so far from home? Was it not to your liking in… Where did you say you come from?'
Damn it. 'A small town far from here, my lord, called Londinium.' She smiled sweetly. The Protector frowned. He was a spoiled royal. How good could his geography be?
'I have heard of it.' Everyone turned to look at the chancellor who now flushed scarlet at the realisation that he had spoken out of turn. The glass in his bony hand trembled ever so slightly. 'Never been there of course,' he quickly added. ´They say it's a rather dismal place. No match for our glorious City.'
The Protector produced another one of his less than comforting grins. Nazerra quickly motioned for the servants and a flurry of activity commenced as dish after dish was piled on the table and the eyes of the guests became greedy. Rose glanced at the Doctor. He was still acting remarkably demure, but as he caught her watching him, he raised an eyebrow. Rose returned the question with a subtle shrug, then pouted a little. The Doctor pulled a face. Under the table Rose clutched her napkin as she bit her lip to keep from laughing. A plate was put in front of her and she took a small morsel to nibble on.
As the evening wore on, the Protector guzzled down one cup of wine after another, each refill further chipping away at his manners.
'Lady Rose.' As the Protector's attention suddenly swung her way again, so did every other pair of eyes around the table. 'You seem dull this evening. Are you displeased with the present company, or is there something else bothering you? The food perhaps? I can have the slaves flogged if you like.'
Rose straightened her back. She didn't dare look at the Doctor this time. 'No, Your Highness, the food is excellent. No need for any flogging. It's just been a long journey.'
'Ah, yes, the mysterious faraway Londinium.'
Rose took a small sip of wine and cast her eyes down. The duller she appeared, the sooner he would lose interest.
'Tell me, does Londinium have many attractive women? Or are your ravishing looks the exception?'
Rose almost choked on her drink. She carefully put down the cup and looked over at the Protector whose grin had turned into a smirk. He was waiting for her to say something stupid. She cleared her throat, then produced her broadest smile. 'Oh yeah, definitely. Top of the crop. No one to match me.'
The Protector's confidence wavered for a moment, then recovered. 'You are refreshingly frank, lady. I wish more of my wives were so candid about their assets.' Next to him Nazerra's posture had grown rigid. 'Of course,' the Protector continued, 'your particular charms would be a wonderful addition to my court. Maybe we can discuss this after dinner, in private, when you feel more inclined to be… persuaded?'
Rose stared back, not breaking eye contact. For a moment she felt like she was back on the estate, having to stand up against overly pushy boys who thought they owned the world—except this one did happen to own the world, with the power to kill at a flick of his hand.
She continued to smile. 'That sounds lovely, Your Highness, but in my culture the woman decides which man she chooses. Of course he can continue his advances if he wishes, but to prove his worth the suitor has to live as a woman for a year. You know, scrubbing the floor, doing laundry, preparing dinner three times a day. That sort of thing. Oh, and of course he needs to refrain from even looking at other women for the entire year. Only then will the object of his affection even begin to consider him as a possible mate.' She nodded sagely. 'Is all done for good reasons, you understand. We wouldn't want our men to get hurt unnecessarily.'
'Your culture sounds terribly… restricted.'
'Oh no,' Rose said, 'my husband and I are quite happy. Aren't we, darling?'
'Very happy, indeed,' the Doctor said. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he glanced from her to the Protector and back.
A servant moved in to refill the Protector's cup but an unintended jerk from the left made her miss the target and wine splashed onto her master's robes. The Protector cursed and slapped the young woman in the face. The force of the blow sent her spinning, and she lifted her hands in front of her face to protect herself. Two other servants rushed in to clean up the spilled wine and the Protector's attention shifted as he cursed at them. The young woman used the distraction to scurry off to safety.
Rose glanced at the Doctor. He remained silent as he stared at the Protector. Only she noticed the cold, hard edge in the Doctor's eyes.
~x~
As the final course was cleared away, the Doctor watched the chancellor as he began to fidget in his seat, his already thin face growing tauter by the minute. Outside the dining hall, darkness had descended and the unfortunate man kept throwing nervous glances at the window. Several courtiers were drinking heavily by now, hands twitching as they gripped their cups. Attempts at conversation had ground to a halt, but the Protector persisted in what was now little more than a monologue.
One of the courtiers made a hushed remark to his dinner companion. The Protector's eyes shot towards them. 'My Lord Tebhan, please tell me what is so interesting.'
'Your Highness, I beg your pardon. I said nothing.'
The Protector slammed his cup down on the table. 'Then why was your mouth moving? Do you have an ailment I was not informed about?'
'Please, Your Highness,' the man stuttered, 'I merely remarked that the hour is getting late.'
'If you worry about the hour so much, Lord Tebhan, that must mean you are not enjoying yourself. Are my best efforts to entertain you not enough? Have you grown bored with my company?'
The Doctor almost felt sorry for the courtier who practically quivered in his seat now.
'Of course not, Your Highness. Never. It would be impossible.'
'So you don't mind the hour, then?'
'No, Your Excellency, absolutely not.'
'And you would recommend that everybody stay until midnight?'
'Yes. Your Highness.' The man looked like he was about to faint and, the Doctor noticed, so did most of the others.
Attention was drawn away by a polite cough from the other end of the table. Lord Asman, who had spent most of the evening observing rather than partaking, now shifted position in his chair. 'Your Highness,' he spoke in a calm measured tone, 'we are all highly grateful for your hospitality, as are our new friends.' He looked over at Rose and the Doctor and smiled politely. 'But they have had a long journey and must be quite weary. Perhaps you will allow them to retire for the night? They need to be fresh enough in the morning to witness the Trials.' Lord Asman spoke humble words, but even though there was no trace of humility in his voice, the Protector seemed to take heed.
'Yes, yes,' he said, then waved his hand, 'go.'
The Doctor got up and waited for Rose to join him. 'Goodnight,' he said. The Protector was already busy on his next cup of wine, making sure that everyone in the room knew how inconsequential his 'guests' were. A steward appeared to escort them back to their quarters.
'Oh, Doctor Foreman,' the Protector said, a sudden mischief in his voice, 'Be careful on the way back to your rooms, will you not? This palace is a virtual maze. We wouldn't want you to get lost, or anything else happening to you and your lovely wife.' He smiled, but his eyes were hard like diamonds.
The Doctor nodded. 'Of course, Your Highness. We will be sure to pay attention. I'm very good at spotting anything amiss.'
They followed the steward out of the dining hall. The Doctor glanced at Rose, exchanging a knowing look. She gave a quick nod. In a few minutes they would be behind closed doors again, with a chance to talk safely. The steward held up a lantern to light their way through the dark corridors. Even though there were torches placed at intervals along the way, darkness seemed to rule supreme here. Evening had only just arrived, yet there were few people about. The light from the lantern occasionally wavered as the steward's hand trembled. The Doctor didn't scare easily, but there was definitely something going on here. He ached to investigate. He glanced over his shoulder into the darkness behind. For a second he thought he saw movement there. Probably a trick of the light, but part of him suddenly hoped service here included a room with bolts. Preferably on the inside.
~x~
Rose had expected to be returned to their original room, but clearly someone had decided otherwise. The new guest room was considerably smaller and, fortunately, also less garish. The steward beat a hasty retreat and they were alone again, the dinner from hell finally over. Rose stretched her arms to relieve the tension that had gathered in her neck and shoulders.
The candles were already lit and their old clothes had been cleaned and returned, even her dress which she had believed to be beyond repair. Someone had neatly laid them out on the bed. The single bed, Rose suddenly realised.
She looked around the room. It was indeed a single room with a single bed. Were they supposed to share? Over in the corner stood a daybed, really nothing more than a narrow sofa without the armrests. Rose glanced over at the Doctor. He appeared uncomfortable, even as he tried to hide it.
He cleared his throat. 'You can take the bed,' he said. 'I won't be sleeping much anyway.'
'You're not thinking about going outside, are you?'
'Nope. At least not tonight. If we outstay our welcome, we'll never find Adam.'
Rose put the clothes on a nearby chair and sat down on the bed. It was very soft. She already felt guilty for condemning the Doctor to the sofa, even with it being his own suggestion. On the other side of the room was a decorated screen. She got up and slipped behind it to remove the heavy dress, leaving her in only a top and light underskirt that could substitute for a nightie. In the sultry night air it was a relief to shed all those layers of fabric.
When she was done, she found the Doctor lying on the daybed, hands folded behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. She took away a few of the excess pillows from the bed and threw them on the floor before settling beneath the sheets. They felt soft against her skin and extremely comfortable. Maybe spending a night wasn't such a disaster.
'What you did earlier, that was quite risky,' the Doctor said.
'The Protector?' She scoffed. 'He was only trying to embarrass us.'
'He could also have decided to chop our heads off.'
'But he didn't, all right? Let's just forget about it.'
'Why? You were amazing.'
Rose turned on her side. In the shadowy room it was hard to make out the Doctor's expression. He probably couldn't see her face either, and she was glad of it. There was so much she needed to tell him, but the moment wasn't right yet. Saying the wrong thing now would ruin everything. She closed her eyes and fervently hoped he would catch on in time, before it was too late.
~x~
Rose had tossed and turned for hours and her skin felt sticky with sweat. At last she got up to find the window, desperate for a breath of fresh air. It was locked tight. She leaned her head against the frame. Wasn't it supposed to cool down at night, or was that only out in the desert? Whatever the case, she had to get some oxygen from somewhere or she would go bonkers. Rose groped around in the dark for her shoes. The clouds then disappeared and pale moonlight flooded the room. She glanced over at the daybed where the Doctor lay curled up, head on his arm, slow measured breaths showing he was fast asleep. Rose couldn't remember the last time she had seen him looking so peaceful; the temptation to touch him was overwhelming, but that would surely wake him up and she hated disturbing his chance at a proper rest, without nightmares. They'd never talked about it, but she knew perfectly well why he so often burned the midnight oil, afraid to surrender to sleep—the one thing he was unable to control.
Rose slipped on her shoes and sneaked out of the room. Earlier in the day they had passed a large open courtyard, if only she could find her way there. Torches had been lit along the length of the corridor, dispelling some of the darkness but leaving plenty of shadowy corners for anyone's imagination to run wild. In the dead-silence of these deserted corridors even her own careful footsteps sounded too loud.
After a few minutes of passing a seemingly endless number of columns, marble steps and gilded archways, she began to feel like an impostor. The statues that lined the walls became an audience, their watchful eyes drilling holes into her back. She began to doubt that this had been a good idea. She should probably have turned back a while ago, but the stubborn side of her refused to be defeated by shadow and tricks of the light. That's all they were, shadows.
To the left was another corridor, but this one lacked illumination altogether. It could have been the way to the south wing, the place where she and the Doctor had emerged from the tunnels. Rose stared into the darkness. She had to move on but something about that utter lack of shape or form mesmerised her. A sudden chill made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up; it might have been a breeze or the cold marble floor beneath her feet.
From the darkness came a single sound—a scratch. Nearly inaudible, but unmistakable. Rose felt herself rooted to the ground, unable to move, her eyes peeled on the darkness. Only a single strand of thought refused to settle down: she was a Torchwood agent. She couldn't afford to act like this. In the field, the entire team would suffer for this level of incompetence. Rose clenched her fists, overruling her body's instinctive response to play dead. The sensation of being watched faded and it became easier to think again. Her fears were irrational, brought on by sensory deprivation. The courtyard. She needed to find the courtyard.
Now that she had regained her focus, it took less than two minutes before she caught sight of her safe haven: a square space surrounded by a stone walkway. There was no roof and the garden at the centre was open to the elements. A light breeze carried the smell of jasmine and Rose breathed in deeply.
'This is a lovely place.'
Rose wheeled around. The Doctor stood a short distance behind her, admiring the garden.
'Sorry,' he said. 'Didn't mean to scare you.'
Rose shook her head. 'Just glad you weren't someone else. I'm not sure we're allowed to be here.'
'We never let that stop us before.' The Doctor had a naughty glint in his eyes. He was definitely up to something. 'Perhaps we should take a little tour,' he said. 'Find out what it is that they're so afraid of.'
And find Adam, Rose thought, but she didn't say it out loud. Although the Doctor was probably keener on investigating a mystery than he was in finding Adam, maybe it could just be them for a few minutes more. Rose tucked away the sense of guilt this idea brought on.
The Doctor gazed up at the night sky. 'Better hurry,' he said, 'only a few hours until dawn.'
A noise from the courtyard put them instantly on guard. The Doctor ducked down behind the balustrade and Rose dropped to her knees beside him. She glanced through the opening. At least two other people had entered. In the dim light she couldn't make out their faces, but she was sure they didn't mean to be overheard, their voices hushed, secretive.
Whatever they were talking about, the discussion quickly became more animated. One of them seriously disagreed with the other. He began pacing up and down, unfortunately still under the cover of the surrounding greenery. His partner was a man of fewer words. He stepped forward and used one hand to grab the other by his tunic. More angry words drifted up, something about new prisoners, one in particular. Did they mean Adam?
Rose looked over to the Doctor, intensely focused on the argument below. His hearing was better than hers. Perhaps he was able to pick up more details about this mysterious prisoner. The Doctor's face was half in the light, half in the shadows, almost making him two men at the same time. If it hadn't been for her and Adam, he would have found a way into the Temple by now and returned to the TARDIS. His eyes suddenly shifted and fixed on her, almost as if he was unable to look away.
Just like that he dropped his gaze again, settling back a little. 'We have to move closer,' he said.
'No way, I'm not getting caught.' Rose resisted the Doctor's pull. 'Listen.' Below them, the courtyard had lapsed into silence again.
Quickly but quietly they made their way down from the gallery. Moonlight once again lit the way, making it much easier to follow the layout of the garden. On the lower level of the octagonal courtyard every other side had an arch with a door beneath it, presumably leading to other corridors or passageways. Rose tried out the one closest to her. It was locked. The Doctor had similar bad luck trying out several others. Neither of the four thick wooden doors could be opened from their side.
The Doctor joined Rose at the place where the two mysterious figures had disappeared from sight. 'None of these doors have been opened in a long time,' he said. 'So either our conspirators are ghosts, or they have some other way to leave unseen.'
'There can't be any hidden doors. We would have heard them. Nobody can be that quiet in this place.'
'Except,' the Doctor said, 'If there weren't any physical doors to open.' He pointed the sonic at one of the ivy-covered walls in between the two nearest doorways. The ivy shimmered and disappeared.
'A holographic screen!' Rose exclaimed. The Doctor switched off his sonic and peered into the passageway stretching in front of them, then stepped inside. Rose followed and the Doctor restored the illusion behind them. From this side the holographic doorway was transparent, allowing a good view of the courtyard. It was the perfect place to spy from.
The corridor behind the now-revealed doorway was quite like the tunnels below the palace dungeon. Only the first few metres were made of stone, after that the walls abruptly changed to polished metal. The only thing different was that as soon as they entered, motion-detecting lights in the ceiling came on. By now Rose was eager to find out what other technology was hidden beneath the streets of this city. Then she recalled staring into the black void and the feeling of being watched. It had been a trick of the mind, she knew that, but at the back of her mind a warning still flashed. What if it hadn't been her imagination?
After a few hundred metres, the corridor opened up into a larger space. To the left was what looked like a sizeable cargo lift. Further up ahead the corridor was flanked by two rows of doors, Alcatraz-style. Each of the doors had a latch that could only be opened and closed from the outside. There were ledges welded to the doors containing some sort of biological scan charts.
Rose yanked open the nearest latch and peered inside. The cell was empty.
'Look at this.' The Doctor had walked ahead to examine the rest of the complex.
At the end of the row of cells was a circular platform with a view of several other cell blocks. The platform could be adjusted to face either of the four corners of this prison-complex. It was all very far removed from the classic dungeon they had enjoyed earlier. The Doctor was playing with the computer monitor. He pressed several keys at once and the screen beeped and came to life.
'These are prison records,' the Doctor said. 'Everything from appearance to medical status.'
Rose scooted up beside him and viewed the records, which seemed to go on forever. She pointed at a right-hand column. 'These say which prison they're in, but they're all empty. Must be why there are no guards here.'
'Or we already triggered a silent alarm, and they're coming for us right now.'
'No, wait.' Rose indicated a row of data at the bottom of the screen. 'There are still people here.' She sprinted towards the cell indicated and pulled open the latch. There were two male prisoners huddled in a corner, looking as if they had been there for a long time. At the sound of the lock, one prisoner opened his eyes and automatically tried to make himself as unobtrusive as possible, crawling back against the far wall. The second man didn't respond at all. The Doctor quickly unlocked the door and rushed inside. The scared prisoner began to cry.
'No, no,' the Doctor said in a hushed tone. 'We're not here to hurt you.'
Rose kneeled beside the unconscious man. He was still alive, but his wounds looked severe. As Rose touched his leg, his eyelids cracked open and he started trembling. The Doctor sat down next to Rose and scanned the unfortunate prisoner with the sonic.
'He won't make it if he stays here for much longer,' the Doctor said.
Rose turned to the other prisoner again. 'What's your name? Who did this to you?'
The man swallowed. 'Imman… ' His voice was raspy from lack of use. 'I'm Imman.' He glanced at his friend. 'His name is Nady. Please help him.'
She nodded. 'I'm Rose and that's the Doctor. Don't worry. We'll get you out of here.'
'Let's go,' the Doctor said. Rose helped Imman up while the Doctor took care of Nady. 'I've closed up the worst of his wounds,' the Doctor said, 'but I can't do much more here.'
Imman tried to help carry his friend, but he was far too weak himself. 'Be careful,' Rose told him, 'the Doctor will take care of that.'
As they began leading the prisoners out of the cell complex, Rose refused to think about their next move. They didn't know who these people were or who locked them up and why. There was no guarantee they were making things better. At each turn, new problems presented themselves. She had no idea where they could go after leaving the cells behind, but it seemed like the Doctor had a plan. Provided they made it that far. One of the prisoners, Nady, kept muttering random words and fragments of sentences and was probably hallucinating.
At last they reached the end of the tunnels and re-emerged into the courtyard. Nady gasped in pain and the Doctor had to sit him down before they could go on.
Imman turned to Rose. 'We have friends here, inside the palace. If you could only hide us until they find a way to free us…'
'It's coming.' Nady suddenly sat up, eyes wide with fright. He tried to stand up and clutched the Doctor's coat. 'You were taken by the Witch. I saw you, before, but it wasn't really you. How can that be? Adam, he said Adam. Over and over again.' He winced. Rose tried to help sit him down again but Nady's grip was unmoveable. He turned to Rose. 'It's coming for us,' he yelled. 'Rip you apart, eat you up.' Nady's eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed.
'We have to get them out,' Rose said. 'It'll be crawling with guards here in a minute.' The Doctor hoisted up the unconscious Nady and together they began an awkward dash back toward the corridors.
A figure blocked the path. Rose gasped, expecting a large force to descend on them. There was only one guard, a young man looking barely out of his teens, clutching his weapon with one shaky hand. His eyes darted from one to the other.
'Sorry,' Rose muttered. She lunged forward, knocking the guard off his feet and sending his weapon clattering to the floor. Before the confused boy could recover, Rose darted past. She doubted that he'd recognise them in the darkness of the courtyard. If he did, they were in deep trouble. They quickly entered the relative safety of the corridors.
The attack came without warning.
Before Rose knew what was happening, she was thrown back against the far wall, the impact knocking the air out of her. She lay gasping for several long seconds, forced to watch the darkness come to life around them. Rose tried to get to her feet but the pain from the impact spiked through her. The darkness swirled all around and she lost sight of the others. It was like being inside a pitch-black tornado. Screams sounded from inside the vortex—Imman, Nady, the Doctor. Rose charged into the darkness. A hand grabbed her arm and she wheeled towards the attacker, a tangible enemy to fight at last. Two strong arms dragged her down just as something whisked over her head; then there was the dull thud of a body hitting the wall behind them.
'Stay down.' The Doctor gripped her arm tighter as the courtyard exploded into chaos.
There was nothing they could do. Rose was held by the Doctor, his fierce grip forcing her to stay down as a war raged above them. It only lasted mere seconds, then the crashing and howling disappeared, almost as suddenly as it had begun. The cold from the stone floor was seeping into her body; she could tell by the stiffness in her joints, but she felt no chill inside her veins, only the rush of adrenaline. The air smelled like singed meat and she could taste it on her tongue.
Someone pulled her up to her feet. 'Come on,' the Doctor said. His hands were much warmer than her icy skin. He took her head between his hands. 'Are you okay? Just breathe.'
Rose inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with fresh oxygen. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off she began to shiver.
The courtyard was as sparsely lit as before, but even in the gloomy dark it was clear that victims had been made. Imman's crumpled body lay only a few feet away and there was nothing to be done for him. The young guard sat against the wall, looking dazed, his legs stretched out in front of him. The Doctor quickly checked him over but he wasn't physically hurt, only shocked.
'Where's Nady?' Rose said.
The Doctor looked around, but the wounded man was nowhere to be found. By now the courtyard had begun to fill up with soldiers. The Doctor was already raising his hands, almost out of habit, but instead they were pushed out of the way. The commander of the guard was a burly-looking man, perhaps in his fifties.
'Remove the body,' he ordered. His men obeyed without question. The commander then turned to the young guard who had scrambled to his feet by now, anxiously awaiting his superior's judgement.
The Doctor stepped forward. 'I do hope you will reward this brave man,' he said. The soldier looked taken aback. The Doctor continued to talk, feigning shock. 'We were simply sitting here, enjoying the scenery, when that… ' the Doctor pointed towards the dead man, 'that criminal tried to jump and rob us. Only your man's heroic actions stopped him from killing us.' The Doctor took Rose by the arm. 'I'm terribly frightened. We're going. Goodbye.'
Rose let herself be dragged along until they'd turned the corner. The moment they were out of sight she pulled her arm free. 'What the hell happened?'
'No idea. But whatever killed that man, it wasn't anything local.' He held up the sonic. 'I scanned Imman's body. There's definite traces of another species. And the same traces are on the puzzle box.' He gritted his teeth. 'If we had the TARDIS I could do a proper scan.'
'But that... thing wasn't even humanoid, right? How can an animal be after a puzzle box?
'Maybe the animal has an owner. If there's anyone in charge of this thing, I want to find them. And maybe he'll lead us to Adam…'
~x~
He came around slowly. The darkness inside his head had been long and unrelenting, but it hadn't been as cold as it was right now. A bright light prevented him from seeing anything around him. He tried to move his arms, but couldn't. He managed to raise his head a few inches before a hammering pain forced him to stop moving again. He seemed to be strapped to a table, arms and legs restrained. A memory surfaced.
His name was the Doctor.
So why did they keep calling him Adam?
Someone approached from the corner of his eye. He wanted to ask for help but the words got caught in his throat and he was only able to produce a painful rasp. The unknown person brushed past. Was it a man or a woman? He couldn't tell. He winced when the cool metal of a hypodermic device pressed against his arm and a high-pressure injection forced liquid to penetrate his skin. Within seconds the darkness returned. His last thought was that at least the cold had gone.
There was a woman there, dressed as a queen, her jewellery shimmering like the sun reflecting on gold. She didn't acknowledge or even look at him, but he knew she was important. Now she turned around and he saw there was someone else with her.
The next time he woke, it was from sheer nausea. A hint of panic made him shiver. If he needed to throw up, he wouldn't be able to move his head and he might choke. He clenched his jaw and focused on his breathing. Trying to control this human body still felt like a crazy car ride, with him in the backseat unable to reach the steering wheel. In desperation he lashed out against his restraints, only to discover they weren't there anymore. Neither was the bright light. He was alone on the floor of a dark room.
'Don't move.'
Adam startled. The voice came from the other side of the room. He blinked to clear his blurred vision. There was a small opening in the opposite wall, not exactly a window but large enough to see the dark silhouette of a woman peering at him. 'You cried out in your sleep,' she whispered. 'They drugged you, but it'll wear off in a while. Try not to move too much until then. It will make you feel sicker.'
Adam tried to get up but another dizzy spell made him reconsider.
'See?' The woman sounded a tad smug.
Adam looked up at her from where he was sitting. She had lit a candle of sorts, the flickering light allowing him a glimpse of her long dark hair and eyes to match. 'Who are you?' His voice was still raspy.
'When they come back, don't fight them. If you resist, they go for the people you love.'
'But what is this place?' Adam breathed in deeply, dispelling another wave of nausea. The pitted concrete floor felt cold beneath his touch. The entire room smelled of mildew and metal. He wiped a hand across his mouth, leaving the taste of dust on his lips. Only now did he noticed the chafe of the ankle cuffs. If only he had his sonic right now.
There was no furniture in the room, only a thick iron door and a small recess in the opposite wall containing a candle, almost burned up. Even if he could have reached it, the alcove was protected by an iron framework, locked tightly.
He glanced up at the window again. The woman was gone.
~x~
Once they arrived back in the room, the Doctor lit a lamp and took out the puzzle box. 'What is it about this thing?' he said. He turned the box over in his hands, hoping for a sudden spark of genius. None presented itself.
'Don't you think it's weird,' Rose said, 'that only the prisoners were attacked? Whatever that was, it could have easily taken us all out, but it didn't. Almost as if they were the target.'
The Doctor put the box down and looked over at Rose. 'Our attacker was definitely flesh and blood.'
'There must be at least two different monsters here,' Rose said. 'That thing in the courtyard has to be different from the one who abducts people. It was absolutely ferocious. Monsters like that don't just go about abducting people without a trace.' She sat down next to the Doctor and picked up the puzzle box.
He watched her turn it over in her hands, brow furrowed in concentration. Her face was free of cosmetics, making her appear younger and deceptively fragile. Of course Rose was anything but fragile, but he had begun to wonder what her life had been like for the past few years. Part of him yearned to learn more, another part rejected any such knowledge, perhaps for fear of finding out things he shouldn't.
Rose suddenly yawned. 'Perhaps we should get some sleep,' he said. 'It'll be morning soon.' The Doctor briefly glanced over at the sofa behind him and sighed. He hated to tell Rose that it was actually a torture-sofa, probably put there with the specific purpose of destroying his lumbar spine.
'It's alright,' Rose said. 'We can share the bed. As long as you don't hog the covers.'
The Doctor said nothing and only watched as Rose extinguished the lamps, leaving only a small candle burning. He liked watching her move across the room, the candlelight throwing a shine on her hair, making it appear almost golden. She sat on the bed and he looked away for a moment, giving her the time to prepare for bed properly.
'You can look now,' she said. 'I'm still decent. Did you really think I was going to undress again after what happened tonight?' She lay down on the covers and the Doctor followed her example. 'Whatever happens next, I'm ready.' Her voice sounded resolute.
The Doctor stifled a laugh. On second thought, it didn't seem like such a bad idea, though. This palace—no, the entire city—was surrounded by darkness and secrecy. They had landed themselves in quite a pickle.
'Doctor?'
'Yes?' His voice sounded a bit loud in the darkness. He wasn't used anymore to her being so close.
'I'm sorry about before.'
'Before?'
'The bathhouse. I shouldn't have teased you like that.'
'Might have had something to do with that apricot drink. Quite a punch.'
'You drank it, too?' She sounded surprised.
'Just a sip. Nothing more. Okay, maybe two. It's a bit vague.'
'Still no excuse for me embarrassing you.'
The Doctor turned on his side, facing her. 'Oh, I don't know.' His voice dropped an inexplicable octave. 'Didn't exactly mind the view.'
In the silence of the room he could hear Rose swallow. 'I liked you watching me.'
He wanted to say more, continuing this game of truth-or-dare in the dark, but he suspected they were on the verge of attempting a dare. So, for once, he wisely kept his mouth shut.
~x~
It waited.
Out there, the last shards of sunlight fled for safety, only to be swallowed up by the encroaching shadows. The day passed away. Darkness had come. ShelaghDaah. Its very name was like a serpent, poised, the harbinger of sudden death. Sometimes it longed for such an end. Just a brief pain, then silence. No more of this unholy existence.
It had been waiting for a very long time, but tonight it sensed a new presence had arrived and the Reckoning was near.
Crouched in the dark passage, it felt the icy cobblestones beneath its hands. Tracing the lines between the smooth surfaces, it scratched at the edges with broken nails until it found a crack in the masonry. There was order in chaos. It was living proof of that. Whatever went on outside, in its own mind it represented the beginning and end of all. Mental fingers followed the web it had woven with such precision, such care, all the threads in place, ready and waiting, silently quivering like a virgin lover. Finally the long wait would be rewarded, not that it cared much for the passage of time. It was too withered to take pleasure from anticipation, or to recoil at the thought of what was about to happen. It was simply a matter of patience. That, and her.
For a moment, the hold on its aching mind slackened. It remembered what it didn't know. It had never possessed her, never touched her essence. Still, it could feel the warmth of her skin, become lost in her scent and drown in her soul forever, never having to resurface into the real world again.
Its thoughts snapped tight again. Oh, the trap was ready, it had made sure of that. Seeing in its mind what awaited was enough to tear a gasp from a ragged throat.
There came a noise from the chamber, a flurry of movement that interrupted the labyrinthine flow of its thoughts. He hated them; slavish and subservient, the very warmth and light of their living flesh was offensive. Their fear was greater even than its own hunger. So they left it alone, blissfully unaware that instinct had already saved their petty little lives many times over.
Sometimes it wandered around in these shadows for days on end, just letting the grains of time slip through its fingers, but time really was of the essence now. Whatever had been or ever would be, it had no desire to dwell on the nature or purpose of things anymore.
All would be revealed. Soon. So very soon.
