I didn't want this to be too long but it's too late for that. The Shakespeare Code or Season 3 Episode 2 finished!
We found our way to a lodgings house called "The Elephant." Personally, the smell was stronger than I thought was possible. Also, this is where I began to think that the Doctor knew Shakespeare's scent like a bloodhound because he ran up to a room, knocked on the door and started up a conversation with Shakespeare. I stayed outside, I felt like the smell of beer wafting from the room was going to knock me out. That and I didn't want to offend Shakespeare by making him think his plays were memorable.
I heard Shakespeare groan about autographs and sketches. Apparently he liked Martha 'cause he kicked his friends out of the room once she'd walked in. I nodded to them when they walked past me. I held back a laugh once I heard Martha trying to sound like she belonged in the time period. I peeked my head through the door just in time to see the Doctor give Martha another funny look. I watched as the Doctor pulled out a little wallet with a piece of paper on it, after a short conversation he said it was supposed to be psychic paper. This man really was an alien.
I made a new list on a blank page. A list of strange gadgets that the Doctor owned. They weren't in any particular order but it would still be a fun pastime to take inventory of all the stuff he owned. One being a sonic screwdriver, sonic could mean anything but I guess he used it for scanning things. Like me. Next was a psychic paper, not sure what that was supposed to do. Maybe just make fake IDs or something.
I was in the middle of starting a list of things the Doctor made up, like Freedonia or John Smith, when I was pulled by the scruff of my hoodie. I looked up and there was a man wearing fancy clothes and a gold chain. He looked very cross with me. I wasn't sure why, I was just standing in the hall, minding my own business. Either way he pulled me into the room.
"Excuse me!" The man dropped his hold on me, "Hold hard a moment." He gestured to me, "Does this strangely clothed person belong to you?" I shuffled towards the exit again but the Doctor waved his hand.
"Yes!" The Doctor grinned, "This is my other companion, Charl Grey. Got lost at the show and probably didn't want to interrupt our conversation."
I sealed my lips, tucked away my book, nodded and walked to the side of Doctor. The man didn't seem too pleased with me, maybe mint color hoodies weren't a popular fashion choice.
He continued to speak, "Besides that, this is abominable behavior." I guessed he was talking to Shakespeare now. "A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."
"Tomorrow morning, first thing. I'll send it 'round." Shakespeare replied.
"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine." The man stated, "The script. Now!"
Shakespeare looked him dead in the eyes, "I can't."
The Doctor looked between each person as they rallied off each other. He seemed to be enjoying it. Martha looked a bit tense though.
"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled." The Master of the Revels informed him.
Martha tried to lighten the mood, "It's all go around here, isn't it?"
The man ignored her, "I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labour's Won will never be played." He walked out the door and down the stairs, leaving Shakespeare looking rather pleased with the ending of the conversation.
"Well then, mystery solved." Martha smiled, "That's Love's Labour's Won over and done with. Thought it might be something more - you know - more mysterious." She set down her tin cup.
A man's scream followed by a woman's shriek echoed from the courtyard. I sighed, she jinxed it. You never ever say anything similar to 'It's all going to be okay!' or even 'Nothing could go wrong.' The four of us dashed outside, the man who just talked to us was stumbling around with his hands around his neck while he spewed water.
"It's that Lynley bloke." Martha breathed, we watched a safe distance away.
"What's wrong with him?" The Doctor rushed forwards as Lynley spat up more water, "Leave it to me. I'm a doctor."
Martha followed him, "So am I...near enough."
They helped him to be steady on his feet but he continued to spew water, eventually clutching at his chest and stumbling to the ground.
Martha put her head to his heart, hearing nothing she mumbled something about something then said, "Mister Lynley, come on. Can you hear me? You're going to be alright."
The Doctor walked around, looking for something. I looked too, trying to be a bit helpful and noticed a girl leaning out a window. I guess it wasn't too strange but it was almost like she was happy this man was dying. The Doctor paced back to Martha and kneeled next to Mister Lynley as she almost started CPR.
The Doctor moved her away, it wasn't going to be of any use because water still filled his mouth.
"What the hell is that?" Martha exclaimed.
"I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water. He drowned and then - I don't know - like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." Doctor's voice was quiet, like he was thinking but really there wasn't much to think about.
I glanced back up to the area I saw the girl. Briefly, not too long otherwise she might have noticed me staring. She was still smiling. She was smiling at a dead man. A mysterious woman smiling at a dead man. I walked towards Doctor and Martha, her smile made me uncomfortable.
The Doctor stood up again, turning to the lady from the lodgings, "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humors. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away. I nearly ran to the side of Doctor once I saw the girl come down the stairs and say she'd call the constable. The Doctor looked at me strangely but I didn't look at him back. I only watched as the girl walked away again, then relaxed a bit.
The Doctor squatted again and I joined him. Martha didn't seem to agree with his lying. "And why are you telling them that?"
"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft." The Doctor looked the body up and down.
"Okay, what was it then?" Martha looked at Doctor for an answer.
"Witchcraft." He replied.
We returned to Shakespeare's room and the mistress of the lodgings told us about our room and left. I was out of it I guess, not a word of the conversation entered my mind. I only kept my thoughts trained on the girl that I saw. I didn't want to forget her face. My instincts jolted every time I remembered her and I guess that was a clue. She was probably the witch. I shouldn't decide that without proof though, then that would just be me going off of gut feeling and no one listens to gut feeling. I was pulled from my thoughts as Martha and the Doctor moved from the room, I followed them.
We walked to our room in a bit of silence, I was still trying to focus. I walked in after Doctor and he'd closed the door. I unconsciously leaned next to the window and started writing. The two of them started their own talk, with the Doctor looking over at my writings occasionally. I snapped out of my trance once I believed I wouldn't forget. The two of them lay on the bed, not exactly squished together but it would be more uncomfortable with three people.
"You gonna stand there all night?" The Doctor asked me, "Bit uncomfortable, sleeping on a wall."
I smiled, "Sorry, I'm a bit out of it."
"I was just saying I thought I was missing something." The Doctor restated, "Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it."
I frowned and walked to the side of the bed, sitting down at the foot of it.
"Rose'd know. A friend of mine, Rose." The Doctor smiled, "Right now, she'd say exactly the right thing. Still, can't be helped. You two are novices." The Doctor flipped onto his back, "I'll take you back home tomorrow, Martha. And run a few tests, Charls."
I leaned myself onto the bottom end of the bed and relaxed, "If it helps any you're allowed to read what I just wrote."
The Doctor sat up a bit and raised an eyebrow at me, "What'd you write."
I handed him my book, "Just some stuff I need to remember - I don't like Shakespeare, Shakespeare looks emo, a funny girl I saw, man drowning on land."
The Doctor read through the few new things I had written, "Why's there a whole page dedicated to a strange girl you saw?"
I shrugged, "Just thought it felt important."
The Doctor sighed and placed my book on the table next to the bed, "Well, maybe it'll help later."
"Great." Martha added and turned over to blow out the candle.
I didn't sleep, of course, I blinked and blinked. Looking at the difference between looking at the dark ceiling and the back of my eyelids. I didn't mind not sleeping, I think the Doctor couldn't sleep either. He shifted around on the bed too easily. I don't think I'd been blinking at the ceiling for more than 2 minutes when there was another scream from Shakespeare's room. Doctor definitely was awake because he jumped up and ran. I jumped too, Martha was a bit slow and sort of rolled out of bed.
We ran across the street and to Shakespeare's room. He was out cold, drooling on his work and sat up once we ran in. The Doctor took a quick look around and fell to the side of the mistress of the lodgings. He checked her pulse while Martha and I ran to the window.
"Her heart gave out." The Doctor muttered, "She died of fright."
"Doctor?" Martha called and he dashed over.
"What did you see?" He asked, looking at the horizon.
"A witch." I whispered, "It was a bit hard to see, it's night and my vision's all funny right now."
"Are you sure?" The Doctor asked us.
"Yes," Martha nodded, "It was a witch on a broomstick."
It was morning now, a rooster or some bird had signaled the sunrise. We were still in Shakespeare's room. Shakespeare, the Doctor, and Martha talked around his desk while I leaned against the wall, writing away. Taking in bits of the conversation - cackling witches, an architect that decided fourteen walls was a good idea, Shakespeare wanting to use a Dylan Thomas quote. Well, I guess that one was Doctor's fault for saying the quote.
My writing was halted again with sudden shouts about an architect followed by everyone running out of the room again. Being with Doctor required an awful lot of running.
We ran to the Globe Theater. Martha decided to look at the theater from the stage, the Doctor circled around in the pit - asking Shakespeare questions about the sides and muttering something about the number fourteen. Martha joined in a bit and the Doctor smacked his head a bit.
Apparently the smacking and the comments helped a bit because he began to piece together little bits. Words having power, changing people's minds, small box with lots of power, witches. Turns out the man who made the theater had lost his mind. Got sent to a place called Bedlam, a hospital or madhouse. And we ran off again, to visit Peter Streete - the architect and madman.
We walked in what could have been silence. However, Shakespeare seemed to be a type of man that loved to flirt - mainly with Martha. He asked about Freedonia and how it could be possible for women to be doctors or writers. They halted in the small alley we were in - more flirting.
The Doctor paced back to them, "Come on! We can all have a good flirt later."
Shakespeare turned to Doctor with a grin, "Is that a promise, Doctor?"
I blinked and stared at Shakespeare. So he really was open to most anything. I wasn't sure if he was open to aliens but I guess he'd be open to anything that looked like a human.
The Doctor took a breath, "Oh. Fifty seven academics just punched the air. Now move!" The Doctor ran off again, not running but walking faster than I could. Causing the rest of us to set a small jog.
We arrived at Bedlam close to sunset. I walked as close as I could to Doctor, the air of that place was filled with distrust and tasted faintly of sweat. The man who led us chatted a small bit, asking if we wanted entertainment. When he explained that entertainment meant whipping the patients, I held my notebook closer to me. We rounded at least five corners before we reached the cell of Peter Streete.
The man told us to wait as he got Peter 'decent for the ladies.' I fiddled with the sleeve of my hoodie as I tried to avoid eye contact. The smell made my head spin and the voices rang too loud and my eyes were starting to hurt. We weren't able to go back to our room to sleep yesterday night. I wasn't able to sleep well the day before I went on this trip. I knew that I was low on energy. I could only lean back on the bars of an empty cell and the sound of blood rushing in my ears.
The man called us down to the cell, I was in autopilot mode at that point. I stared at the dirty floor and followed the footsteps of Doctor. We walked into the cell of Peter Streete. I managed to break my gaze at the floor and looked at him. I heard the Doctor raise his voice at the man and then keys jingling - signaling that he'd left. I inched closer to Peter, not really hearing anything and only watching his movements. The Doctor walked in front of him, calling Peter's name.
The Doctor continued with a frown, placing his hands on Peter's temples like he'd done to me. I watched as the Doctor asked Peter to walk back in his memories, telling him to forget all the things that had happened to him. Eventually Peter lied down on his small cot, telling us a story of witches whispering to him in the night. The design of the fourteen walls for the theater and how when he was done - they'd made him lose his mind. I opened my book, unconsciously, and began to write again. I wrote about poor Peter Streete, the broken architect. We had only gotten a location out of him when an old lady popped up behind Doctor. She made me jump, slamming my book shut and my quill flew back into my pocket.
"Too many words." She rasped. "Just one touch of the heart." She held up a finger and placed it on Peter's chest. He gasped and breathed his last breath. She looked over all of us, asking who wanted to be next.
The Doctor stepped forward, I thought he was being a fool. But normally doctors know what they're doing. "Well, if you're looking for volunteers."
Martha only shouted at him, "No! Don't!"
"Doctor, can you stop her?" Shakespeare asked through gritted teeth.
"No mortal has power over me." She boasted.
"Oh, but there's a power in words." The Doctor stated with confidence. "If I can find the right one. If I can just know you." He thought aloud, rambling about different species. "Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy. Ah! Fourteen! That's it! Fourteen!" The Doctor exclaimed loudly. "The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration!"
The witch looked shocked.
"Creature. I name you - Carrionite!" The Doctor pointed at her and she burst into light, disappearing.
I stared at where the witch was just standing and repeated the name in my head. Carrionite. I would need to write that down. Later though, later. I learned that Carrionites used words for power like humans used mathematics. They would use the power of words for the end of the world.
We returned to Shakespeare's room. It was getting dark and it was almost time for Love's Labour's Won. The Doctor rambled on about the Carrionites and I took small notes. Nothing big because I was worried that the quill would eventually run out of ink. Then again, it was probably an alien pen that could change form or something. Again the Doctor had worked out the situation in a frantic jumble of words. Something about Love's Labour's Won's ending being the final words because the Carrionite from last night had used Shakespeare. We were going to need to halt an entire play.
"All Hallows Street. There it is." The Doctor had found a map and put on his dingy glasses again, "Martha and Charls, we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play."
Shakespeare nodded and shook Doctor's hand, "I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."
Martha scoffed, "Oh, don't complain."
"I'm not." Shakespeare looked at Doctor, "It's marvelous. Good luck, Doctor."
The Doctor pulled on his coat and tucked away the glasses, "Good luck, Shakespeare. Once more unto the breach."
I hurried after them, closing the door behind me. The world definitely looked a bit darker when I stood up. Looking back on it, I shouldn't have gone with them. I could have passed out on the floor at any moment. But I am a stubborn being at times.
We ran to All Hallows Street and looked around, we realized we didn't actually know what we were looking for.
"All Hallows Street, but which house?" The Doctor whirled around in circles. I looked up at the windows, for the girl.
"The thing is, though, am I missing something here?" Martha went to Doctor with more questions. "The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me. I'm living proof."
The Doctor continued to look around, "Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?" He almost sounded sarcastic, "I know! Back to the Future. It's like Back to the Future."
"The film?" Martha asked.
This time the Doctor definitely responded with sarcasm, "No, the novelization. Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history."
Martha nodded, "And he starts fading away." She paused, "Oh my god, am I going to fade?"
The Doctor looked serious, "You and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?"
I walked up to the closest door and was going to knock when it creaked open.
"Ah. Make that witch house." The Doctor joked. They strolled towards the door, I wondered how Martha managed to get through the past few days wearing heels. At least I think they were heels.
We walked through the door and it shut behind us. A very squeaky door. There were drapes hanging over the doorway to another room. We pushed past those and met with the girl that I had seen. I smiled, I guess I had good instincts. The Doctor nudged me and smiled.
"I take it we're expected." The Doctor had shoved his hands in his pockets, maybe trying to look casual.
The girl spoke, "Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time."
Martha waved her arm around, "Right then. It's my turn. I know how to do this. I name thee Carrionite!" She pointed her finger at the girl and she gasped. A fake gasp. She smirked and Martha was confused, "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?"
The girl inched closer to us and pointed at Martha, "The power of a name works only once. Observe. I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones."
Martha closed her eyes and fell backwards, like she was asleep. She also nearly tumbled onto me, the Doctor caught her and laid her on the ground without much sound.
He shouted, "What have you done?!"
I guess that power works both ways. Should have been obvious. Maybe we should duct tape her mouth.
The girl looked down at Martha, "Only sleeping, alas. It's curious. The name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time." I checked her pulse just to be sure. She was only sleeping. I looked up at the girl, she gave me shivers. "I wonder if it's the same for your other companion?" She began to point her finger at me. My first instinct was to launch myself at her, of course that wasn't a reliable option so I just glared.
The Doctor stood up quickly, "Don't."
The girl took a small step back and then pointed at Doctor, "And as for you, Sir Doctor. Fascinating. There is no name." It had no effect on him, "Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."
"The naming won't work on me." The Doctor shook his head, he seemed furious.
"But your heart grows cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant...Rose." The girl leaned forwards, waiting for a reaction. The Doctor spoke about Rose once, she seemed brilliant from the few words he spoke about her. Like she knew what was right and wrong and if the Doctor ever needed help - she was there.
That name only made the Doctor stand taller, it made him full of fire, "Oh, big mistake. 'Cause that name keeps me fighting." He walked up to the girl and stood in front of her, "The Carrionites vanished. Where did you go?"
The girl whipped around, "The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."
"Then how did you escape?" The Doctor stood in place as the girl walked to the window.
"New words. New and glittering, from a mind like no other." She smiled.
I stood up, wary. "Shakespeare."
"His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance." She looked at a cauldron to the left of us, an image of Shakespeare crying in his hands gave us a bit of the full picture.
"How many of you?" The Doctor asked.
"Just the three." She continued to walk, by that point she was at the other end of the room, "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic."
"Sound like a party?" I commented, getting closer to her.
"Sounds like a busy schedule." The Doctor strolled alongside me, itching at his head, "But first you've got to get past me." He glanced at me, "Well, us."
The girl was face to face with Doctor, she said everything wistfully, "Oh, that should be a pleasure, considering my enemy has such a handsome shape."
I smirked, "Well, thank you for the compliment. I have been wearing a new binder. Do you like it? I need to take it off though. Been running around all day. Not good for me."
She frowned and ignored me, snipping some hair off of Doctor's head. He barely felt it but still put his hand to his head, "What did you do?"
"Souvenir." She smiled and flung the windows open, somehow floating outside.
"Oi! That's cheating!" I said, nearly launching myself out the window to go after her.
"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionties are nothing but puppets." She smiled and pulled out a straw puppet, sticking the hairs of the Doctor on top of it.
"Now, you might call that magic. I'd call that a DNA replication module." the Doctor griped and pulled me away from the edge of the window.
"What use is your science now?" She shrugged and pieced the heart of the doll. The Doctor screamed and fell to the floor, she laughed, "Right! You!" She pointed at me, "I burn your soul to ash straightaway and now I name thee Charlie Grey." I saw the windows slam shut and heard Martha run to Doctor's side. I didn't feel any different. I wasn't going to pass out any more than when we first arrived and I certainly didn't feel any new pain.
I looked to my right and saw the Doctor clutching at this chest. "Ah! I've only got one heart working!" He pounded his chest and I jumped up, "How do you people cope?" He gasped, "I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!" Martha hit the lower right side of his chest, I guess that's where the second heart was. "Dah! Other side!" He breathed and I slammed my fist to the upper left of his chest, "Now, on the back, on the back." Martha hit his back on the same spot, "Left a bit," Martha hit him again, "Dah, lovely." The Doctor stood up fully and stretched. "There we go. Bah dah boom ba! Well, what are you two standing there for? Come on! The Globe!"
We ran off again, I sighed - running wasn't my strong suit. It didn't help that we went down the wrong street a couple times. We halted at a corner, in the distance a red storm covered the top of the Globe. The play was over and the Carrionites were arriving.
We rushed in from backstage and saw Shakespeare laying on the floor, rubbing his head. I focused my eyes onto the stage, where screams grew louder. We ran through the door and onto the stage. The three Carrionites were very surprised to see Doctor, alive and well. Carrionites began to circle around the tornado that was in the center of the pit. I think they were Carrionites, it was hard to tell because they just looked like flying bits of cloth in smoke.
The Doctor pulled Shakespeare to the front of the stage, asking him to reverse it. It took a bit of rambling from the Doctor but Shakespeare was able to come with the right words. It was a bit cringy, watching the improv, but it was beautiful to watch a genius at work. Also, using Expelliarmus was a funny yet sudden way to end the Carrionites. And with the end of the Carrionties came the end of the play. The audience seemed to like the show, the amount of clapping they did made my ears hurt again.
That's when I felt that something was off. Maybe the fact that I needed some sleep or maybe the words that the girl said from earlier were finally taking effect. I wasn't sure. It was sunrise and I could see what was wrong when we got back to the TARDIS. I spread out on the stage, watching the bare wisps of clouds float past. The Doctor had rummaged through the props and came back with a few items. One being the funny ruffly thing that Shakespeare wears in most portraits of himself. All copies of the play were gone, went with the Carrionites. I also discovered that Hamnet would eventually become Hamlet, a fascinating fact.
"Anyway, time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity." He picked up the purple orb that held the Carrionites, "And I've got to take Martha back to Freedonia."
"What about your other companion?" Shakespeare glanced at me, laying on the stage.
"I would like a nap." I sighed, "A long nap and maybe some food."
"There's plenty of that back on the TARDIS." The Doctor smiled, "We'll get going now."
Shakespeare looked at Doctor, "You mean travel on through time and space?"
The Doctor looked a bit shocked, "You what?"
Shakespeare kept a steady face, "You're from another world like the Carrionites, Martha is from the future, and so is Charls. It's not hard to work out."
The Doctor nodded, "That's incredible. You're incredible."
"We're alike in many ways, Doctor." Shakespeare turned to Martha, and began to flirt again. Reciting a sonnet for her. I steadied myself and walked over to Doctor, glancing at the Carrionites.
Two people ran in the theater, "Will!"
"Will, you'll never believe it. She's here! She's turned up!" The shorter one exclaimed.
"We're the talk of the town. She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again." The other man beamed with pride.
"Who?" Martha asked.
"Her Majesty. She's here." Repeated the taller one.
Horns signaled the entrance of a lady with a heart shape around her head. Red hair to match it too.
The Doctor smiled, "Queen Elizabeth the First!"
The Queen looked up at Doctor and her expression turned sour, "Doctor?"
"What?" The Doctor asked.
"My sworn enemy." She growled.
"What!?" The Doctor lost his smile and added a bit of confusion.
"Off with his head!" The Queen rasped.
"Wot?!" The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows.
Martha butted in, "Oh never mind what, just run! See you, Will, and thanks."
I dashed backstage and ran with Doctor and Martha to the TARDIS. We ran through the streets, chased by soldiers telling us to stop in the name of the Queen.
"Doctor, what did you do?" I asked, panting for breath.
"How should I know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you." The Doctor pulled out a key and unlocked the door of the TARDIS, "Still, can't wait to find out."
Martha jumped in and I followed, the Doctor took one last look and closed the door before an arrow shot him. I took a deep breath and relaxed. We escaped with everything intact. Next stop would be Earth, Martha's time. But before that, I needed a bathroom, a nap, and a snack.
I am enjoying this but this chapter was definitely too long. Personally, I wanted one episode to be 2 chapters but that might change. Next chapter's gonna be about the thing with what the Carrionite said to Charls.