Now they were in the air, the Half Faced man seemed to not care about the Doctor. The Doctor inspected the control panel and removed an unimportant looking fuse. He looked at it. Inscribed on the side of it was the name SS Marie Antoinette.

"Out of control repair Droids cannibalising human beings. I know that this is familiar, but I just can't seem to place it." The Doctor said, putting the fuse back.

"How would you kill me?" The Half Faced man asked.

"Sister ship of the Madame De Pompadour. No, not getting it." The Doctor continued to muse.

"How would you kill me?" The Half Faced man asked again.

The Doctor poured two fresh glasses of whiskey and walked over to the table where the Half Faced man sat. He put one glass down in front of the robot and sat opposite him. "Why don't you have a drink first. It's only human."

"I am not human."

The Doctor shrugged "Neither am I." The Doctor looked out of the window as the drifted over the Cathedral "What do you think of the view?"

"I do not think of it."

"I don't think of it. I don't." The Doctor corrected "Droids and apostrophes, I could write a book. Except you are barely a droid any more. There's more human in you than machine. So tell me, what do you think of the view?"

"It is beautiful." The Half Faced man replied after a short pause.

"No it's not. It's just far away. Everything looks too small. I prefer it down there. Everything is huge. Everything is so important. Every detail, every moment, every life clung to." The Doctor said solemnly,

"How could you kill me?" The Half Faced man asked.

The Doctor frowned "For the same reason that you're asking me that question, because you don't really want to carry on. What'll happen to the other droids when you die? You're the control node, aren't you? Presumably they'll deactivate."

"I will not die. I will reach the promised land." The Half Faced man said, almost sadly.

"There isn't any promised land. This is just. It's a superstition that you have picked up from all the humanity you've stuffed inside yourself." The Doctor said.

"I am not dead."

The Doctor smiled suddenly "You're a broom." The Half Faced man turned to face the Doctor and tilted his head, confused "Question. You take a broom, you replace the handle, and then later you replace the brush, and you do that over and over again. Is it still the same broom? Answer? No, of course it isn't. But you can still sweep the floor. Which is not strictly relevant, skip that last part. You have replaced every piece of yourself, mechanical and organic, time and time again. There's not a trace of the original you left. You probably can't even remember where you got that face from." The Doctor reached to the table behind him and picked up a silver tray. He then held it up so the Half Faced man could see his reflection. In the back of his tray he saw his own reflection. There was something so familiar about this face. Why had he chosen this face?

The Half Faced man stood. "It cannot end."

The Doctor dropped the tray nosily and stood "It has to. You know it does. And there's only one way out." He opened the doors.

"Self destruction is against my basic programme." The Half Faced man said, joining the Doctor at the door.

"And murder is against mine." The Doctor said.
_

Despite their best efforts, Vastra, Jenny, Strax and Aderyn were unable to hold off the army that surrounded them. Vastra's sword had been knocked from her hand, Jenny's sword arm was being held in a tight grip and Aderyn had been surrounded so closely that she had no space to swing the staffs she held. Each robot held up a blade and they all moved the blades closer to exposed throats.

"Hold your breath!" Clara said suddenly. "They're stupid. Everybody hold your breath."

There was a sudden stillness as they all held their breath. The robots paused and lowered their weapons, but none of them retreated. Out of the corner of her eye, Aderyn could see that she and Vastra were the only ones who weren't struggling. Already tired and in a state of panic, Clara's eyes were already starting to water. Exhausted from battling, Jenny wobbled precariously. Aderyn knew that Vastra could store oxygen in her lungs. She would be fine for a while. But she would keep Jenny alive. And that would deplete her supplies. She looked away from Jenny and Vastra as Vastra pulled Jenny closer to her. Aderyn's own respiratory bypass was proving useful. She didn't have to take breaths as often as humans. But more often than Time Lords. Though she would be alright long enough to help the others. She slipped her hand into her pocket and withdrew her sonic screwdriver. For someone so tall, she was able to get through alarmingly small spaces. She carefully picked her way through the confused robots and walked across to the door. She looked back. Clara looked fit to collapse and Strax was turning his gun on himself. She quickly sonicked the door. When it opened she positioned herself in front of it and took a deep, loud breath. The robots turned to her. She stood in the archway, taking long deep breaths until the robots began to move towards her. She walked backwards, keeping the robots in her sights while making sure they could see her. When they had all made it through the archway, the door closed. Instantly, Clara took several shuddering breaths before coughing violently. Strax lowered his weapon. Vastra ran to the door and looked through the small window. But she could see neither Aderyn or the robots.

Jenny picked up the staffs Aderyn had dropped. She pocketed one before pointing the other at the door. There was a whir and a few seconds of a pale blue glow before the door opened.

"They're a bit sonic." Jenny said when Clara frowned at her.

When they emerged from the remains of Mancini's family restaurant, they followed the crowds until they came across the wreckage of the escape pod. Vastra and Jenny searched through the wreckage but there was no sign of the Doctor.

Strax collected the carriage and drove the women home.

"You're sure he'll be there?" Clara asked.

"Where else would he go?" Vastra said.