29

`Your eminence,` the Doctor politely hailed her and her entourage, bracing himself against the heavy telepathic static that buzzed through his brain despite his mental fire walls and that gave him an all too clear picture what this ceremony was all about. Embarrassed by the wave of affection from the gathered Shama that washed over him he took a deep breath. He was simultaneously awed by the harmony and taken aback by such a blatant lack of privacy as he watched them weaving vibrant patterns of thought into one massive sphere of consciousness, with their collective effort reaching out as far as they could to embrace every living thing into their communion. With growing concern he observed the almost gravitational pull on his mind, determined to be steadfast, not to be mesmerized into it.

`Honourable guests,` she greeted back, her thought iridescent and warm, fierce and tender, ringing in the Timelord's mind like a bell. It took just that one instant to realize with awe why her people used that honorary title, now she openly showed the full range of her abilities. Right at the epicentre of the whole structure of consciousness her mind burned bright like a sun, like a pillar and guiding force in this palace of mind that formed around her and the other Shama patriarchs and matriarchs. If she wanted, just one of her thoughts could do to him, a Time Lord of Gallifrey what Eldrad had done to Sarah. Easily. But she was gentle, cautiously avoiding to turn her power on them, protective like a mother hen guarding her newly hatched chicks.

Involuntarily he backed off, in the direction of the Tardis door, but to his big surprise he found his Tardis merrily humming along with the Shama, shyly, but with steadily growing confidence, just as if she had never done anything else in her whole long life. A wave of possessive jealousy washed through the Time Lord's mind as he watched his no longer so faithful ship.

`You needn't fear,` the matriarch tried to shush the Doctor when she sensed his revulsion, her voice in his head now tuned down to a soft whisper.

`Erm, yes... You see...` He formally replied, breaking out in cold sweat. She could even force him not to fear. Not that she had any intentions of that kind, but the fact alone gave him the creeps. Plus obviously she didn't even have trouble to win the Tardis over. His own, personal, beloved Tardis! He had to get out of this! A tug on his sleeve got his attention, Sarah was standing right next to him, the brightness of the head lamp she was wearing for a moment blinding him when his gaze rested on her face.

"Oh, come on, Doctor! I'll make it comfortable for us. And what was that, you don't meet the criteria?"

"It means what it means," he coolly replied. "That I haven't spent the last two days contemplating every last mishap in my life.."

"You didn't?"

"No."

"But that means..."

"It means that I'm a coward. But I suppose you know that by now," he cut her off.

"But maybe we can persuade the matriarch to make an exception for you," she suggested, her hopes fading when in the unsteady beam of light of her head lamp his features tensed as he slowly shook his head.

"Give me a minute, okay," he muttered, guilty for disappointing her once more, giving her arm an half hearted squeeze and turned to face the matriarch.

`You see, I don't meet your requirements so I'm not going to take part in this. I'm going to leave now and I'll take my friend here with me.`

The Matriarch hovered closer. A wisp of thought grazed him, so quiet and all encompassing that he froze.

`You have honestly tried,` the matriarch declared when she had scanned the Doctor's mind. `Even if you failed we value your efforts. You are very welcome to stay and honour our gathering with your presence. But we see that obviously you do not appreciate our ways. This is sad indeed.`

Sorrow rippled through the Shama's collective minds, he was the hero of the day and they were saddened to learn that he seemed to reject their generosity. Their eagerness to honour him made it even more awkward for the notoriously discreet traveller.

He turned to Jegor and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "You two can stay if you like. But I'll take Sarah with me."

"But why would you do that?" Sarah huffed, arms ostentatiously akimbo in an attempt to defy him.

"Because of the damage Eldrad did to your mind and I'm afraid curing it left your mental barriers even more brittle," the Doctor pointed out, making every effort to sound patient and understanding.

"But I feel as good as new. You are just patronizing me," she sulked.

"It will take a while to fully heal I'm afraid. If it ever does," he declared. "Teria, Jegor, can you sense anything special?"

Jegor considered the environment for a long moment, sniffing the . "It's .. I don't know...peaceful, somehow."

"And beyond that, nothing?"

"No. Should there be?"

The Doctor creased his face into a frown. "You see, Sarah?"

She swallowed hard, but she was not yet willing to acknowledge defeat. "And you can't protect me?"

For a moment the Doctor considered the matriarch's offer, bewildered by the extent to which Sarah seemed to over estimate his abilities. "No. I won't stay. And I couldn't protect anyone from …. that," he snarled and started to dig through his coat pockets. He produced a small, conical cylinder and handed it to Jegor who returned him a puzzled look.

"It's a firecracker," the Doctor explained. "Just in case this here is getting too much, place it on the ground, light the fuse and step back. I'll come and pick you up. If you don't, I'll come and get you tomorrow morning. So have a good time then."

He draped his arm around Sarah's shoulder and steered her to the Tardis door, ignoring her protest when with a thud the doors of the Tardis snapped shut right in front of the Doctor's nose. He stopped dead, staring at the blue fake wood for a few seconds a vein in his cheek dangerously pulsing.

Then the humans became witness of a temper tantrum of formidable proportions that was riddled with expletives in a language none of them could understand.