CHAPTER 10

KRYSTOVAN

Marjora led the visibly recovered Jason from the meeting hall to her home. Despite the fact that the other villagers were all extremely curious about him, they kept a respectful distance, knowing he would need time to recover his strength before being able to withstand a barrage of questions.

"We're all very grateful to you, Krystovan," Laurel said as they entered the hut. "If you hadn't warned us, the entire party would've been captured."

"And if I hadn't been such an idiot," Jason countered, "I wouldn't've been captured, either."

"The hunters are very skilled," Dillon observed somberly.

"Especially when it comes to ganging up on people," Jason snorted.

Marjora was baffled. "Your words are so strange, young one. You speak more like the humans than the youth of our village, and yet…" She looked down at his obviously Terrellian form. "Where are you from? How came you to be here?"

Jason stiffened. How could he possibly explain himself? "That's a bit...complicated, I'm afraid," he replied slowly. "I was…I…" His voice trailed off as he reflected on the chain of events that had led him to the village. He had been searching, unsuccessfully, for the Doctor. His heart sank as he suddenly realized how much time had elapsed since he had last seen his friend. Now it seemed an absolute certainty he would never see him again, and he turned away in despair.

Fighting back tears, Jason managed to say. "I'm sorry. I can't…I can't talk about it just now."

"I understand," Marjora said gently. "The first time with the whitecoats is always difficult. You must rest. There'll be plenty of time for talk later."

The young man nodded, allowing himself to be led from the main room. He was taken into the same bedroom where the Doctor had been held captive and stopped dead in his tracks the moment he entered, staring wide-eyed across the room. Marjora followed his gaze, seeing the Doctor's coat and scarf still hanging from a hook on the wall.

The Alterran went over and touched the garments as if to make certain they were real. "Wh… where…did you get these?" he asked in a small awestruck voice.

Marjora took him by the arm and tried to gently pull him away. "They're not important. Please, you must rest now."

Jason was not to be put off, being in no mood for delays. He pulled away and took hold of the scarf, shaking it to make his point. "I want to know where you got these. Why are they here?"

"Please, we'll tell you everything later—"

"You'll tell me now!"

The forcefulness of the strange youth's words alarmed the unprepared Marjora. She exchanged a helpless look with Laurel, who stood at the door with Dillon. "You're going to have to tell him about the Doctor, Mother," her son said darkly.

Just the simple fact that they knew the Time Lord's name was confirmation enough that he was alive. Or at least, he had been when the Terrellians encountered him. The relieved Jason leaned back against the wall, suddenly feeling very shaky. Afraid he might fall, Marjora caught hold of him, and led him to the bed. "The Doctor…" he said quietly. "Is he here?"

"No," the puzzled physician replied.

"But…he was here, wasn't he?" Looking at the confused faces, the Alterran asked pleadingly, "He is alive, isn't he?"

Marjora nodded, not sure what to make of the suddenly subdued young man.

Jason closed his eyes and sighed in relief. "Thank God. I was sure he'd be dead by now."

Laurel could contain himself no longer. "You know him?"

Jason smiled weakly and nodded. "Yes." Getting hold of himself, he informed, "I know about Dr. Jordan's activities and I'm reasonably sure I know what she's up to. I don't know anything about your village, though. Or how the Doctor got here. If you could tell me that, I'd be most grateful."

"Then perhaps we should tell you," Marjora said practically.

"And then you can tell us about you," Laurel added sharply.

Thanks to Jasmine's excellent directions, the Doctor was able to find the Delta Vega settlement with ease. Some friendly yet bewildered colonists greeted him and were more than happy to take him to the administration building. As it happened, the Colony Leader was just outside talking with his Second-in-command.

"This is quite unusual for us," Graham remarked. "We so rarely have any visitors, and now we've had two in two days."

The Doctor grinned. "I suspect you're referring to my young friend, Jason Krystovan. Is he here, by any chance?"

Taylor blinked. "You're…the Doctor?"

"I am indeed. Is Jason here?"

"Er…no," Graham replied. "He left us early this morning."

"We all thought…well, assumed, that you were dead," Taylor injected.

The Doctor was unfazed by the men's reactions. "Ah, yes, well…to use the words of Mark Twain, 'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.' As it happens, that's precisely why I'm here, Mr. Taylor. I need to speak to you on a matter of some urgency."

Taylor glanced in the direction Jason had taken. "Don't you want to go after the boy first? He said he was returning to your ship. He could abandon you without realizing."

"Oh, I shouldn't worry too much," the Doctor replied dismissively. "He'll turn up sooner or later. It's not like Jason to just give up and leave without having a little scout round first. No doubt he's just wandered off somewhere." He also doesn't have a key to the TARDIS, he thought in relief. This fact alone would make it impossible for the boy to strand him.

Ellis arrived just in time to hear the last portion of the conversation and was quickly introduced. The Hunt Leader eyed the Doctor suspiciously before saying, "I'd better go look for him, then. Your young friend could find himself in a lot of trouble in those woods."

"I rather doubt it," the Time Lord said airily. "He's very good at looking after himself."

Taylor held out a hand and led the Doctor inside. Graham smiled weakly at Ellis and then excused himself, going in the opposite direction. Once they were gone, the Hunt Leader's face darkened considerably. Turning on his heel, he headed straight for the Research Center.

"So…it really was you who carried him off," Jason breathed unbelievingly.

"How is it you know the Doctor, when he doesn't know you?" Dillon wanted to know.

Jason gave him a baffled look. "What're you talking about?"

"When you were brought here," Marjora explained, "the Doctor gave no indication that you were known to him."

"He what? But, why would he…?" Jason's voice trailed off. He put a hand to his face and closed his eyes, feeling rather annoyed with himself for being so obtuse. "Of course! I'm such an idiot. He wouldn't've recognized me in this form." He opened his eyes to see three blank faces looking back at him and smiled self-consciously. "I'm sorry. It's very complicated."

"So you have said," Marjora sighed helplessly.

"Just where is the Doctor anyway?" the Alterran asked. "I'm sure if you bring him here, we can straighten this all—"

"The Doctor left the village some time ago," Dillon interrupted. "He went to the human settlement to talk with the…colonists. And to find his traveling companion."

"Oh no…" Jason moaned in disbelief. "This is getting ridiculous. First I'm there, and he's here. Now I'm here, and he's there. I don't believe this!" Resting was now out of the question and he got to his feet, going out into the main living area where Willa and Dahlia were shelling nuts. Three very confused Terrellians followed after him.

"The Doctor was going to contact the leader of the humans," Marjora was saying. "He believes the humans in the colony do not know what the whitecoats are doing to us."

"I'd say that's a very distinct possibility," the Alterran replied. "Those colonists are so wrapped up in their own ideals it'd never occur to them that something improper could be going on. And Gordon Taylor seemed to be—" Jason broke off when Willa caught her breath. "What's the matter?"

"This…Gordon Taylor? He's the leader of the humans in the settlement?" the child asked hesitantly.

"Yes, he is. Why?"

Willa told him that, while she was in the cage she overheard Taylor and Dr. Jordan arguing just outside the main lab. He had been very upset over something she didn't understand. Something about Dr. Jordan interfering with official messages, undermining his authority and engaging in criminal activities. Willa could not hear the response to the accusations, but she did hear Dr. Jordan offer Taylor money for his silence, which he accepted.

"Oh no!" the appalled Jason cried. "That means the Doctor's walking into a trap!" He turned towards the door, not quite certain what to do next. "I've got to stop him."

The Terrellians exchanged a look of mutual disbelief.

"Yo…you would…go back?" Dahlia breathed in amazement. "Of your own free will?"

"Of course, why n—?" The disguised Alterran cut himself off, looking down at his Terrellian appearance. "Ah, yes, well…" he said slowly, "I can't exactly go like this, now can I?"

"How else can you go?" Dahlia asked reasonably.

"Oh dear," Jason sighed, "now this is getting complicated."