Back on the ground, Jenny took Clara, still dressed in her posh outfit, to Madame Vastra's home. Strax first met them before taking her to Madame Vastra in her thinking study. A study filled with trees, ferns, birds, and water fountains. A place that reminded her of her home. Jenny instructed Clara to sit in the wicker chair opposite Madame Vastra, to which she did. Clara was still amazed at the sight of Madame Vastra, however. She was green. A green woman with scales. Like a lizard.

"There are two refreshments in your world, the colour of red wine. This is not red wine," Madame Vastra said, placing her wine goblet down on the end table beside her.

"Madame Vastra will ask you questions. You will confine yourself to single word responses. One word only, do you understand?" Jenny asked Clara.

"Why?" Clara asked.

"Truth is singular. Lies are words. Words, words," Madame Vastra explained, still rather mysteriously. "You met the Doctor and his son, didn't you?

"Yes."

"And now you've come looking for them again. Why?" "Take your time. One word only," Jenny said. "Curiosity," Clara answered.

"About?" Madame Vastra asked. "Snow."

"And about them?" "Yes."

"What do you want from them?" "Help."

"Why?"

"Danger."

"Why would they help you?"

Clara thought about an answer to this before she finally answered. "Love," she said, thinking about the Professor.

Madame Vastra looked over at Clara, then at Jenny. "Would you care to explain?" She asked.

"The Professor," Clara began. "He loves me. I know he does. And I love him. And the Doctor … He seems kind."

"The Doctor is not kind," retorted Madame Vastra. "No?"

"No. The Doctor doesn't help people. Not anyone, not ever. He stands above this world and doesn't interfere in the affairs of its inhabitants. He is not your salvation nor your protector. Do you understand what I am saying to you?"

"Words," Clara said.

Madame Vastra furrowed her brows faintly. "He was different once, a long time ago. Kind, yes. A hero, even. A saver of worlds. But he suffered losses that hurt him. So now, he prefers isolation to the possibility of pain's return. Kindly choose a word to indicate your understanding of this."

Clara was silent again as she took all these words in. "Man."

"We are the Doctor's friends. We assist him in his isolation, but that does not mean we approve of it. So … a test for you. Give me a message for the Doctor. Tell him all about the snow and what fresh danger you believe it presents, and above all, explain why he should help you." Seeing that Clara was going to speak, Madame Vastra leaned over towards her, placing a finger over Clara's lips. "But do it in one word. You think it is impossible that such a word exists or that you could even find it. Let's see if the gods are with you."


Minutes later, Madame Vastra and Jenny had sent Clara on her way after being very pleased with her test results. But they knew that they had to tell the Doctor. She rang the phone on the TARDIS, and the Doctor picked it up. "Yes? What? I'm trying to read," the Doctor said, putting the book that he was reading down beside him.

"Miss Clara and her concerns about the snow," Madame Vastra said. "I gave her the one-word test."

"That's always pointless. What did she say? Well? Well?"

"Pond," Madame Vastra finally answered after a moment of silence. It was a word that the Doctor had never imagined he'd hear again. "Strax has already suggested where to start investigating. The Great Intelligence Institute."

The Doctor hung up the phone in shock and stood up slowly, just as the Professor and Belle walked in.

"Dad?" The Professor asked. "What's wrong?"

"Madame Vastra just called with Clara's one-word test results."

"Wait,… Clara?" The Professor asked, not believing what he had heard. He looked over at Belle, who smiled at him.

"Yes. We need to start investigating the Great Intelligence Institute," the Doctor remarked.