Chapter 14
Even as the reassuring sounds of the TARDIS' engines filled the Doctor's ears, he was already planning the next few steps in his grand plan. First, he needed to return to ancient Egypt to retrieve Sam from the past. Then he and Sam had to go to 1957 and confront Ptah-Hotep and hopefully convince him to go with him to Lejani Proxis, the planet where Sekhmet was currently exiled.
"Shouldn't be too difficult, if Sekhmet's correct about him feeling the same as she does," the Doctor assured himself as he flicked the switch that would send the TARDIS into the time vortex.
The ship suddenly lurched violently, throwing the Doctor off his feet. "What the..." he complained, stabilizing himself with the console and looking at the screen. "Aw, bloody hell! Solar radiation interference is throwing us off course!" Quickly, he worked to correct the problem as the ship whipped through the time vortex like a leaf in a high gust of wind.
When at last the ship settled, the Time Lord again found himself on the floor of the TARDIS, not realizing that he'd been knocked unconscious by the temperament of the vortex. Groaning, he staggered to his feet again. "What happened?" he asked of his ship. Getting not even a feeling of an answer, he shook his head and started for the exit.
Opening the door, he stared at the scenery in front of him. "Where did you bring us, ay?" he complained, noting that the green grass and trees resembled nothing like those found along the banks of the Nile River. "This isn't Egypt," he surmised unnecessarily as he stepped out. "Looks more like England or France or..." He stopped speaking the moment when he realized that he wasn't alone. Turning around, he took a step back in surprise.
"Who are you and where did you come from?" asked a knight on a horse.
"Hello, big fella!" he greeted the knight, who was dressed in full armor. "Umm... I'm a bit lost. Could you possibly direct me to the court of Pharaoh Thutmose the First? Not much in the mood for the Renaissance Festival, I'm afraid."
"There is no court of Thutmose here, only Arthur. Who are you and where did you come from?" repeated the knight.
"Court of Arthur?" the Doctor questioned. "As in King Arthur? Camelot? But that's just legend, in'nit? Not that I mind a good Renaissance Festival. There's a lovely one every year in a little town in the United States. Little festival but love the minstrels there. Place called Larkspur." His words were instantly interrupted by the knight.
"Arthur is no legend. He rules the land with fairness and honor."
"I'm sure that he does," the Time Lord agreed. He hesitated for a moment. "I know this is a silly question but... where am I exactly? What year is this?" He knew the TARDIS would correctly convert the date into the Gregorian Calendar - utilizing the dating system devised by Dionysius Exiguus - that he used whenever he was on Earth.
"Are you daft, man? It's 516. Has been for several months. We are well into May."
"Anno domini 516?" the Doctor questioned with a slight frown. "Really? Are you sure?"
"I am an educated man," the knight said hautily. "I can read and speak Latin although I've never heard the year referred to in that fashion. But, yes, of course I'm sure it's 516."
The Time Lord looked at his surroundings before again looking at the knight. "Right. Definitely took a wrong turn." He pointed behind himself. "I'll just go along then. Wrong place, wrong time. Sorry about that." He started away from the mounted soldier.
"Where do you think you are going?" the knight said with an edge to his voice.
"Umm... back to the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt," the Doctor answered honestly. "Have a friend waiting for me there."
"Halt! You are not going anywhere. You will come with us."
The Doctor stopped in his tracks. "I will?" Seeing the knight draw his sword and aim it towards him, he raised his hands. "Of course, I will!" He paused thoughtfully. "I do need to point out that, since I will be going with you, I will - in fact - be going somewhere rather than going nowhere or, to use your term, not not going anywhere."
The knight looked somewhat confused by this oddly-dressed man's choice of words. "None of that is important," he responded, deciding that the man was likely brain ill from too much sun... or whatever it was that was in the odd blue box from which he had emerged. "What is important is that Arthur will want to meet you considering your mode of arrival." He growled. "If I hadn't stopped my horse moments before your magic box appeared, we would have been crushed by it."
The Doctor grimaced slightly. "Sorry about that. Can't seem to land on a pence these days. As for going to Camelot... my pleasure! Always wanted to meet ol' Art! I name horses after him a lot, you know."
The knight was obviously losing his patience. "You will refer to our king by his Christian name which, as I said, is Arthur."
"No nicknames? Art? Arturo? Artie? How do you say Arthur in Welsh?" the Doctor wondered.
"Silence, you impertinent foreigner!"
"Ooo! Nice word! Impertinent." Seeing the glare on the knight's face, he winced slightly. "Sorry. Silencing." With that, he pressed his lips together tightly and made a motion of locking them shut and putting the "key" in his pocket.
The knight looked at the Doctor for a moment before gesturing with his sword. "Move," he ordered with irritation. Seeing the strange man obey, he followed him slowly on horseback.
As they traveled the long distance across the land, it seemed the prisoner was incapable of keeping silent for more than a couple of minutes, constantly speaking up about this tree or that flower or those animals as they passed each. The knight couldn't have been happier to see the great castle's front gates simply so that he could be rid of the annoying creature walking in front of him. The castle itself gleamed in the bright sun, showing exactly how relatively newly built it was. Four tall towers greeted friends and warned away enemies at the front, telling of more towers on each side of the large structure. Flags furled at the great gates, showing the colors of the kingship to which the castle belonged.
"Camelot, I'm guessing," the Doctor stated with a grin. "Am I right?"
The knight answered in the affirmative. "Yes. The jewel of England. I hope for your sake you will hold your tongue better when before the King."
"Why's that?" the Doctor questioned. "Ill-tempered, is he? Well, I'm sure we'll get along famously. I even brought a banana." He patted himself down in search of the illusive fruit. "Well... somewhere."
"The King is not ill-tempered but he is the King. Impertinence is not an attitude to encourage."
The Gallifreyan gave a brief nod. "I shall be on my best behavior," he assured. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he marched towards the gates with an air of ease. "Come on, then. Let's not keep Artie waiting."
The knight looked heavenward as if to ask for strength and followed along. Once at the castle doors, he handed his horse off to his squire. "Be sure to take care of her, boy. A good brush down or your ears will ring."
"Yes, sire," the squire assured, taking the reins and gently guiding the horse to the stables.
The Doctor himself was already walking through the castle's courtyard in search of the throne room. "Let me see... medieval architecture... so..." He pointed to a particular building. "There!" With confidence, he strode towards the building a smile on his face. "Aw, this place is brilliant! Loving it!"
A rather lovely lady in a dress with worked silver thread walked by with a group of other ladies at her side. "Who is this man, Sir Hugh?"
The knight bowed. "We're not sure, Queen Guinevere. We're taking him to the King to question him. From his clothes, I'd say he must be some sort of wizard."
"Queen Guinevere!" the Time Lord exclaimed excitedly. He turned to her and bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, may I say that you are far lovelier than any imaginations can possibly do justice."
The woman smiled slightly. "Thank you..." She paused. "What is your name?"
"The Doctor," he answered amiably.
"Doctor? Merlin will want to speak with you."
The Doctor's smile widened. "Really? Oh, I'd love to have a chat with him. Him and His Majesty. Um... where is the King?" he queried.
"My husband is hearing the pleas of our countrymen."
"Good for him!" The Gallifreyan was obviously very pleased to hear her words. "Concern for the masses... can't argue with that." He felt a tug on his coat sleeve. "Apparently, Your Majesty, Sir Hugh here asks for my immediate attention. With your permission, I'll take your leave."
The woman nodded. "Yes. Sir Hugh is nothing if not single-minded."
Sir Hugh sighed, but said nothing to dispute her claim. To his prisoner, he simply requested, "On with you... um... Doctor... who?"
"Just the Doctor," the Time Lord informed him. Turning towards Guinevere, he bowed again. "Your Majesty. Ladies," he included the women with her. Standing tall, he gestured towards Sir Hugh with a smile. "After you, good knight!"
The knight led them to a rather large room. A group of peasants were milling about in the hallway awaiting their time before the King.
As they moved past them, a courier stopped them at the door. "Sir Hugh, unless you have urgent business such that would mean grave danger to the realm, you will have to wait. The King is hearing a dispute at the moment."
"I can wait," the Doctor assured. "Patience of a priest. That's me."
Sir Hugh guffawed. "If your patience is as well tempered as your silence, I sincerely doubt it." He felt it was a waste of time to hear these disputes. His business, though not grave, was surely more important than some argument over a mule or a piece of land. Still, he knew how much stock Arthur put into hearing his subjects... all of them.
"Are you saying I talk too much?" the Time Lord questioned. He shrugged. "Well... you got me there. Still, you can talk a lot and still be patient."
The courier, wanting nothing more than to do his job, nodded. "I will assure you are heard at the earliest possible time."
"Thank you," the Doctor told the courier with a smile. Ignoring the expression on Sir Hugh's face, he turned his attention to the peasants waiting for an audience with the King. They all seemed to be good folks, most obviously extremely poor but still well-cared for. One in particular caught his attention. Her elf-like features struck a hard chord in his hearts, making him swallow tightly. Before he could even think of going to speak to her, Sir Hugh pulled him into the throne room.
"We'll go in and wait there. This hallway may be good enough for the likes of them," he said nodding to the peasants, "but we will join the court."
The Doctor glared at the knight's callousness as the two walked into the room to wait until the current case was heard. It was a dispute between two farmers. One farmer had allowed the other to use his bull to get a heifer with calf. That had occurred and the union had produced two calves. The farmer with the bull felt that they should each get a calf while the other felt they were his since they had come from his cow.
Arthur listened attentively. He found that for the use of the bull, the one farmer had received payment of two gallons of mead, which had been consumed. "Was this the only payment you were to receive?" asked Arthur of the farmer with the bull.
"Well, sire, if'n I's knewed that there'd be two calves, I's 've asked for one, but how was I's t' know that would 'appen?"
Arthur gave the man a smile. "Yes. It is impossible for most men to know the future. I know of only one that does it accurately and he speaks in riddles. Still, you can't make a new contract when the payment has been paid in full without both parties agreeing."
The farmer with the two calves nodded enthusiastically. "That were what I sayed to him, sire."
Arthur looked to the farmer with the bull and gave his final judgment. "You are not entitled to a calf, sir. I suggest that if your bull is fertile enough to create two calves as a rule that you set that as a contingency should it occur in the future when you use him for breeding."
The farmer was not happy but he understood that Arthur was always fair. "Yes, sire. Thank ye."
As the two walked out of the hall, the courier announced Sir Hugh. "Sire, I am told that Sir Hugh has a case he feels is important to the realm."
Arthur nodded. "Come forward, Sir Hugh."
The Doctor grinned broadly as he followed the knight to stand before Arthur, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet with excitement at being where he was. "Aw, this is brilliant! Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I must say that... well, I'm impressed. Well and truly impressed."
Sir Hugh glared at the Doctor for speaking before he was given permission to do so. "I've told you, silence is a virtue you should learn to cultivate." He turned his attention to his sovereign. "King Arthur. As I was out hunting, a strange blue box dropped in front of us..."
"Actually..." the Doctor interjected, a finger raised in protest. "The TARDIS materialized. It doesn't drop from the sky. Well... not unless it's making a crash landing, which it wasn't. It just sort of went off course."
Sir Hugh ignored what he considered the prisoner's prattle. He'd decided during their long trek back to the castle that there really wasn't much the man said that was worth hearing. Continuing, he told the king, "Not only did it scare off the stag we were tracking, but it almost crushed me and my horse. A moment later, this man came out of it. One can only assume that this... person... is a wizard. I decided I should bring him before you for judgment."
"What is your name, sir?" asked Arthur, intrigued by the energetic man in front of him.
"The Doctor," the Gallifreyan answered. "Just... the Doctor."
"And what type of doctor are you? One who practices the black arts?" The King paused. "How else can you explain the appearance of your box?"
"Black arts?" the Doctor questioned with a frown. "Oh, not in the least, Your Majesty. I'd never dream of it. I'm a doctor of all the proper sciences." He hesitated. "As for my box... well... that's a bit complicated."
"Well, if you're not a sorcerer, why do you dress in such a manner?"
The Time Lord looked down upon himself and then back to the king. "I admit it's a bit out of style for the time but I'm rather fond of it."
"Then, since you throw off the mores of the day so easily, shall I take you for a philosopher?"
"Philosopher, historian, doctor of medicine... pretty much a doctor of everything! Except sorcery, though some of what I know may appear to be magical to you."
"You sound like Merlin!" the King said laughing. "He will certainly want to meet you." The King turned to his squire. "Go to Merlin's cave post haste. Tell him there is a man like unto him at the court." Once the boy ran off, he turned back to the Doctor. "I dare say that Merlin will want to talk with you."
"Really? Can't wait to meet him!" the Doctor proclaimed with a wide smile. "Sir Hugh here..." he tilted his head slightly to indicate the knight standing beside him. "A bit morose, isn't he? I mean, I really didn't mean to scare your stag off. Didn't even know there was a stag there or anywhere near my box for that matter. And I certainly wasn't trying to kill him or his horse."
Hugh gave the man a withering glance but Arthur seemed genuinely enjoying the conversation. "Yes, Hugh's been like that since he came to court," the King agreed. "Lives for the chase. You don't look like you're much of hunter."
"Oh, looks are deceiving, Your Majesty. Not fond of shooting innocent lower species for the thrill of it but I don't object to a thick steak every once in a while. More of a hunter of knowledge than of stags and wild beasts." The Gallifreyan tucked his hands into his pockets gracefully. "I think knowledge is far more fulfilling a victory than taking down a helpless animal. Wouldn't you say so, Your Majesty?
"Yes. Merlin instilled in me a love of knowledge." Arthur's grin expanded. "I would like for you to join us for dinner tonight. Such discussions shall be entertaining to the court. And no doubt Merlin will attend as well and you can speak with him then."
The Doctor scratched the back of his head. "Um... if you don't mind... your kingship... ness... I really can't stay long. I mean, it would be lovely to meet Merlin and all but I'm rather late..."
"Certainly you will not turn down my hospitality? I took you for a chivalrous man."
"Well... you know... obligations... and... and... and... duties... and..." The Doctor turned his head to see the hard look on Sir Hugh's face, the latter's hand resting on his sword. "Well, I wouldn't want to seem impolite, now, would I?" he finished, his eyes focused on the sword.
"Then you'll stay." Arthur turned to Sir Hugh. "Will you see that our guest is provided with a place to rest before supper? I must finish my duties and I have many more disputes to hear before we can dine."
"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed, suddenly searching his pockets. After a moment, he pulled out a banana. "I know that addressing the concerns of state can be rather taxing. I highly recommend eating bananas to keep up one's energy. Bananas are great for just about everything. And they really are very tasty." He stopped as he saw everyone in the court staring at him. "Oh... right... probably never had one before, have you." He bowed low. "Sire, I offer you this banana fruit from the tropics of... Thebes. Please take it with my sincere thanks for your dinner invitation and hospitality."
King Arthur could do nothing but smile at this man who was so like Merlin. He took the pro-offered fruit. "Thank you. I'm sure I will appreciate it." He turned once more to the knight. "Please see to the Doctor's needs."
"Of course, sire," Sir Hugh affirmed with a bow. "This way, Doctor." He gestured the man, whose fortune had quickly morphed from a prisoner to an honored guest of the court, to accompany him out of the room.
The Doctor smiled slightly before turning to follow Hugh. He had taken a few steps before he turned back. "Oh. Need to tell you. Don't eat the peel. It's... icky." With that, he continued following the irritated guide from the room. He sighed slightly. Okay, so he was a bit stuck in medieval England instead of being in ancient Egypt to retrieve Sam. But there was one good thing on his side. Time.