CHAPTER 47

BUSTED

The Doctor and Jason exchanged a guilty look before turning to see Eustis enter the room. "Are you sure it's wise leaving the guard on the opposite side of the door, Doctor?" he asked as he crossed to the console.

Jason groaned audibly. He was sitting on the far side of the console and was partially hidden behind the Doctor. He threw a quick glance to his bindings that were still in a heap on the floor. There was no way he could get them back on without Eustis seeing. The Doctor was having similar thoughts and gave him an apologetic look.

"Busted," the Alterran observed quietly. He clasped his hands together and leaned on the console, waiting for the inevitable reaction.

The Doctor sat up, turning to Eustis just as he arrived at the console. "I didn't want him getting in the way," he said at last. "Guards have a tendency to do that."

Eustis' eyes were as wide as saucers when he saw the Alterran was free of his bindings and took an alarmed step back. Seeing this, Jason sighed heavily, putting a hand under his chin and leaning on his elbow. "I realize everyone thinks I'm some kind of deranged lunatic with homicidal tendencies," he said in an almost bored tone, "but, please, give me some benefit of the doubt."

The Cardinal stood staring, and again found himself questioning his decision to appoint the Doctor as defense council.

"We have a theory," the Doctor said suddenly, bringing the stunned Inquisitor back to reality.

"Theory?" Eustis repeated dully.

"Yes. Would you like to hear it? Or would you like Jason to perform some parlor tricks first?" the Doctor asked coldly. He watched as the Inquisitor finally got control of himself and turned an annoyed scowl in his direction. Beside him, Jason quietly prompted, "Doctor, eyes."

Eustis frowned and looked at the Alterran in bewilderment. "Eyes?"

"Yes, Eustis," the Doctor grinned. "Yours are brown."

"I am aware of that," came the irritated reply.

"Well, the man that we're after is an Alterran and has blue eyes." The Doctor nodded in the Prince's direction. "Like Jason and every other member of the Royal Bloodline."

"Blue eyes?" Eustis was at a loss as to where this was going. "That's your theory? You're looking for a shape-shifter with blue eyes. Isn't that rather pointless?"

"Cardinal, I can't change my eye color," Jason informed matter of factly. "No matter what form I or any other Alterran takes, they're always the same. They're just a disguised version of our sensors."

The Inquisitor gave him a baffled look, and threw a questioning look in the Doctor's direction. "Sensors?" he said in bewilderment. This reaction caused Jason to groan and he buried his head in arms on the console in utter disbelief. The Doctor gave him a sympathetic look. "I think it's parlor trick time," he said quietly.

"Are you sure he won't panic?" the Alterran asked knowingly as he sat up again.

Eustis drew himself to his full height. "Are you referring to me?" he asked indignantly.

"Yes," came the unrepentant reply. "You're already on the verge of panic, and I'm just sitting here. Now the Doctor wants me to revert to my true self and I'm not sure you can handle it at close quarters."

The bluntness of this response startled the Time Lord. He had to take stock of his feelings in the matter, realizing that he was giving in to his baser emotions rather than looking at the facts in the detached manner that was synonymous with his race. Eustis drew a deep breath and got hold of himself. "You're quite right, your highness," he said apologetically. "I haven't been acting very impartial, have I?"

Jason exchanged a dubious look with the Doctor before climbing down from his chair. He moved slightly away from the console and returned to his true form. He didn't have to look at the Inquisitor's face to pick his reaction, his sensors having registered his body going rigid and his body temperature changing a full degree.

"It wasn't some monster chosen at random you saw in the extracts, Cardinal. This is how I truly appear," the Alterran stated flatly. He gave his stunned audience several seconds to take it in before returned to his human appearance. "This imprinted form is how I chose to appear. I don't even have to think when I change between the two. It's automatic." A sudden thought struck him and he caught his breath, turning to the Doctor and leaning on the console as he spoke. "Which is probably why Trevor only used one other form."

The Doctor scowled. "One other? He was playing three parts."

"Yes, but he only had to change as Wythe. He used his imprint for the Benefactor. All he had to do was hide his face," Jason pointed out excitedly. "Clothes are a lot easier than a complete metamorphosis and they take less energy. And if he added the disguise to his imprint, it wouldn't take any effort at all."

"Really? That's very interesting," the Doctor replied thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair.

Eustis listened to this exchange in amazement. Could these really be the same individuals that he'd seen at each other's throats in the extracts? There were several chairs along the back wall and he pulled one over to the console and sat down. "I think I should hear this theory of yours, Doctor," he said finally.

oOo END PART FOUR oOo