Zap!
"Doctor?"
"What is it Sadie?"
"Why do Lokeens remove your skin? Why don't they, like, eat you all at once or something?"
"Skins are full of nutrients. It's more beneficial to them to only eat the skins."
"That's disgusting!" Sadie wrinkled her nose. "How much further til we get wherever it is we're going?"
"About ten minutes less than the last time you asked," The Doctor replied. "Honestly, you have to be one of the most impatient people I have ever met, and let me tell you, I've met quite a few people."
"I can't help it I have a short attention span!" Sadie declared. "Actually, that reminds me of a horrible but really funny joke…how many-"
"Don't." Sadie sighed.
"You're no fun."
The small group reached the garrison about an hour after Tynan had been taken from them. Gethin stood watch at the door, making sure everyone was safely inside before he shut and bolted the heavy iron door. Sadie thought it was even darker inside the garrison than it was outside.
"Is it safe now, Gethin?" Princess Ilona asked.
"Not yet," Gethin replied. When he spoke again, his voice came from a different location. "Let me check to be sure everything is still sealed." The group heard him rapping against the metal walls all around them. Finally, he spoke again. "Now it's safe."
"Good," the Princess exclaimed, throwing the hood back from her head. "This thing is heavy and very hot." She shrugged the rest of the cloak off from her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. She seemed to be debating kicking it for a moment, but refrained. Once the cloak was removed, light flooded the room. Sadie and the Doctor could finally get their first clear look at the Princess. She had light brown hair that hung in waves over her shoulders, and big blue eyes. She wore a simple, soft looking dress that was the same shade as her eyes. She was beautiful, Sadie thought, exactly as she'd always imagined a princess. "This garrison is sealed off entirely from the outside. The Lokeens cannot get in. We can't stay here forever, but we can stay long enough to devise a plan," Princess Ilona explained. She then turned to the Doctor, who was looking around the room with great interest. "Doctor, you've promised to help us. Is there anything you can do?"
"This place is fantastic! Brilliant craftsmanship on these walls, Princess, absolutely brilliant!" the Doctor exclaimed, running his hand along one of the cold iron walls.
"She asked you a question, Doctor," Gethin sneered.
"Gethin, stop it," Princess Ilona ordered. The Doctor stuffed his hands into his pockets and strolled back to the group.
"Well, like I said, there aren't many ways to stop Lokeens. It's not impossible, mind, but it's highly unlikely…" he said. "I've only known it to happen once or twice."
"So you don't have a plan at all?" Princess Ilona looked worried.
"No, I don't. Not yet anyway." Sadie was fairly shocked. She'd never known the Doctor to be without at least a partial plan. She didn't quite know what to think about the situation. Gethin, however, was absolutely furious. He was giving the Doctor a look of seething anger.
"What good is it to promise to help when you can't even think of a plan?" he shouted. "You're completely useless!"
"Now just hold on a minute…" The Doctor began. The Princess sighed.
"Please don't start again," she pleaded. "You two are incorrigible, honestly!" She tried to keep the two apart, but it was clear she was having no effect on them. Suddenly, inspiration hit Sadie with an almost audible ting-ing sound, and she ran between Gethin and the Doctor.
"Wait! Don't kill each other! I have an idea!" Immediately, all eyes were on her. "Okay…that's weird. Anyway, these Lokeens…they're attracted to light, like moths and insects and stuff, right Princess?" Princess Ilona nodded. "So why can't you build something to attract them and catch them? Sort of like a big bug zapper?" The Doctor's face broke into a huge grin.
"Sadie Mitchell, you are brilliant!"