The elder Doctor's calm statement was lost in the gale, a howling wind that tore the leaves from the trees and struck the three people in the clearing like a physical barrier. The others moved quickly to catch him as the old man was blasted from his feet and all three stared up at the rift in the sky bursting open into a great gash, a vast hole into nothing, from which streamed something that looked like light one second, darkness the next. The night sky rippled and flared, the ground shook, the very air quivered.
"The Skypig!"
Jasmine jumped to her feet as the wind subsided and scanned the distance in vain hopes of glimpsing her parents' ramshackle flying machine.
"They should be all right," the younger Doctor said, struggling up with his older incarnation's arm wrapped about his shoulders. "If there's one thing balloons are good for it's riding strong winds. As long as..." He paused as Jasmine turned on him, wide-eyed. "Well, as long as they managed to stay on."
"I'm sure they'll be coping," the elder wheezed painfully, leaning on his stick. "They always do, somehow. Meanwhile we have our own part to play. That widening of the split won't be the last, but it's all Krongeist needs. He's free."
"What will he do?" she asked, tearing her gaze from the skies.
"Well, he knows who trapped him in the first place," said the younger. "And he knows where the Tardis is. So it seems reasonable to assume he'll be coming here. And not with friendly intentions."
"Oh." Jasmine glanced about nervously at the surrounding woods. "Um, should we go and hide?"
"Yes and no," the elder replied. "You, yes, us, no. You see, if Krongeist notices what Jeff and Anna are doing then he'll stop them, and everything we've done will have been for nothing. We have to try and divert his attention."
"Divert his attention? Won't he just kill you?"
"It's possible," the younger admitted. "But after penetrating our reality to contact Temore, and breaking free just now, he'll be low on energy. By his standards, that is. With luck, we might be able to keep him occupied for a little while."
"Well, let me help."
The one ancient, short and stooped, the other taller and straight-backed, the Doctors nonetheless seemed to move with a kind of symmetry as they looked at each other, then back at her.
"No," the elder said, "I think this is something for the two of us. Please do as we ask now."
Jasmine drew breath to object, but the two sets of eyes looking steadily across at her were too much to combat. She retreated into the shrubbery and watched from behind a tree trunk as they turned away from her, two long black coats, one shabby and ill-fitting, the other sharply cut and pristine. The younger pushed his hands into his pockets, the elder leaned forward on his stick, and they waited patiently side by side.
"What's going on?"
Crouching in the shelter of her hiding place, Jasmine twisted to look round incredulously at the newcomer who leaned forward behind her and whispered conspiratorially into her ear. A young man, clean-cut, with tousled fair hair, curious brown eyes, and dressed in plain beige shirt and trousers. He straightened and waited politely for an answer.
"Who are you?"
"Oh, sorry." The young man stuck out a hand and Jasmine, bewildered, instinctively took it. "Krongeist. Pleased to meet you."
"You..." She snatched her hand back as if from a spider. "You're human?"
"Oh, no no no." He looked down at his own body with interest. "This is a, what d'you call it, manifestation. I actually sort of live a different mode of existence to yours, you know, so I don't really have a body as such. It's an interesting sensation, but I can't say I'd want to be stuck with it. No offence."
He smiled apologetically at Jasmine's wary look, and blinked sleepily. She collected herself.
"What are you going to do?"
"Oh. Well..." He peeped through the foliage towards the Doctors, still in position at the centre of the clearing. "I thought I'd kill that man there, and that one..." His eyes returned to Jasmine. "And I suppose probably you as well. Ah, not necessarily in that order."
He didn't move, but watched mildly while Jasmine backed away. She tore past branches and stumbled over roots and scrambled her way back to the clearing.
"Doctors!"
They whirled, and stared past her at the young man who strolled unhurriedly out of the woods.
"Krongeist!" came the younger's sharp exclamation.
"Ah, yes," replied the young man, frowning in concentration. "Now, you're not the Doctor I remember, and yet you remember me, and you, old-timer, you're the Doctor I do remember, but you've never seen me before. It's very confusing, isn't it? And I'm a timeless entity of pure temporal energy who really ought to be up to speed on this sort of thing."
"So, you're free," the Doctor said. "Congratulations. You think that means you've won?"
"I'm quietly confident, yes. Of course I was confident last time and, to your credit, you proved me wrong. But that trick won't work a second time. You can't trap me outside a reality which has a dirty great hole in it. Now, then." He tapped a finger thoughtfully against his temple. "There was something I was supposed to do to you both. What was it? Help me out."
"One moment." The elder Doctor spoke up. "Before you kill us, I want to explain to you why your plans are all ultimately doomed to failure."
"Oh? Well, I believe I have a century or two to spare. Please continue."
"Let me tell you a story." The Doctor placed his finger contemplatively to his lips and began. "Many years ago, on the planet Earth, there lived three hairy, clumsy but sentient creatures known as bears, who lived in a cottage in the woods. One morning, they had prepared for themselves a nourishing meal of grain mixed with milk, but it was served very hot, and they elected to take a bracing constitutional to allow the mixture to cool to the optimum temperature and so that they themselves might work up an appetite. Now, while they were out of their house, there arrived a young human woman, whose name is not recorded by history but who was nicknamed Goldilocks in honour of the unusually bright yellow colour of her hair. This individual, showing I fear the lack of respect for private property and societal norms so common amongst the youth of certain cultures, gained entrance to the bears' home and without a second thought elected to steal the food which they had so carefully prepared for themselves. She initially tasted the portion set aside for the father bear, the patriarch of the house as you might say, but..."
"I'm sorry." Krongeist raised a hand apologetically. "Is this strictly relevant?"
"If you'll let me finish my meaning will become clear."
"Fine, I'll let you finish. Oh, wait, on the other hand..."
In a flash of eye-searing electric blue light the Doctor was smashed back across the clearing to slam against the trunk of a tree. The old man collapsed like an empty sack of bones.
Krongeist took a step forward and found his path blocked by the younger Doctor, his thin face taut with controlled anger.
"That," he said levelly, "Was impolite."
Languidly rocking back on his heels, Krongeist gave him a dismissive look.
"Oh look, it's the other one. So, do you have a story for me too?"
"No," said the Doctor. "I thought I'd try this the old fashioned way."
In a spurt of blood Krongeist's nose flattened under the Doctor's fist. He stumbled back, catching the spitting red fluid in his hand and staring at in bewilderment.
"What... what was that? What just happened?"
"It's..." The Doctor struck him again, on the cheek, driving him backwards. "... All part of... being human. A... novel experience for you."
"You're right." Krongeist's battered, bleeding face was calm and amiable as he seized the Doctor's wrist in mid swing, and he pushed him down to his knees watching with pleasurable interest the gasp of pain forced by the crushing power of his grip. "You know, this sort of thing is exactly the reason I started all this in the first place. I can see why you corporeal types are always hurting each other, it really is most satisfying."
His free hand swung upwards in a slow, looping punch that lifted the Doctor clear off the ground, to slam down heavily on his back. He lay like a dead man.
"Any more for any more?" Krongeist looked at them expectantly, then shrugged with an air of disappointment. "No? Then I suppose it's killing time. Goodbye, Doc... er... oh."
With an air of puzzlement he inspected the bloodsoaked metal spike protruding from his sternum.
"I was told," Jasmine said behind him, hanging on firmly to the shaft of the harpoon, "To look after them."
"Good... good job." Krongeist tottered a little, eyes rolling dizzily skyward, buckling at the knees. Then with a hiss he whipped around, tearing the weapon from Jasmine's grasp and seizing her by the throat with a grip like a knotted rope. "Because they're going to live a few seconds longer while I kill you."