Melody waited with patience as Smith spoke into the telephonic device, seemingly passed on from person-to-person as he went from the likes of Shaw, to Grant and even to a Tyler. She was therefore pleased when he finally placed the cone of the thing back to its original position next to the disc by which had been speaking into and looked back up at her with a grin.

"Well that's sorted!" he exclaimed jovially, leaning back in the chair and running a hand through his lank black hair.

Melody looked on with curiosity as she decidedly asked; "But what's sorted? How did all… that" she indicated the telephone "help with sorting out Saxon?"

"Sorting out Saxon'? We're not some sort of postal service!"

"You know what I meant!" Melody snapped with annoyance at the man's vagueness, moving closer to the table to show she wasn't going to stand for it this time.

"Okay, okay, well those were my friends at the Front; they owe me a few favours, like I said, and this helps us even the score. Of course it was a big favour on my end to get the telephone in the first place, to be honest, but I still call that a gift."

"…the Front?" Melody asked, folding her arms and cocking her head. "Do pray tell me what this new thing of yours is."

"Thing? It's not a thing! Since when have I ever had a thing? No, this is a thing that's been about for ages, over twenty years to be precise and I've been at the helm – well, I mean I've been… well, I was there at the creation with Her Majesty herself. Nice lady might I add! Although lacking soap… No, this is an army; not the Army, but at least an army, put together especially for this type of thing."

"So it is a thing!" Melody laughed harshly, Smith smiling at this as Melody added, "but what exactly is this precise type of thing? Capturing a criminal?"

"No – tracking, finding and capturing a madman and his own army. It's what they're paid to do you know and why I'm even here now."

"So does that explain why you're rogue?" Melody changed tact suddenly, hoping the altered course of conversation would startle a response from the man. When no reply came bar a raised eyebrow and a smirk as he interlinked his fingers, Melody tried to verbalise what she had now learned with what she actually knew: "okay… so you worked for these 'Front' people, managed to grab a few favours and then, what left? Started this 'detective agency' but never officially signed off so became rogue?"

Still Smith didn't respond as he leant back in the chair, the smirk constant upon his face until he finally replied, "If that's what you want to believe…"

"So that's a yes then?" Melody asked with a smile as she walked back from the desk to observe the odd objects upon the shelves to her left.

"If you want to believe that" he practically repeated before adding quickly; "Don't touch that! You don't know what it is or what it does!" as Melody reached for, then removed her hand from, some odd black sink plunge, she looking back to the Detective with a curious expression before shrugging.

"Okay then" she stated a sigh and looked to the telephone, "what next?"

"Next?" Smith stood suddenly before heading around her and towards the door, "Next is time for tea!"

"Time for… Hang on!" Melody, flabbergasted at the odd response, ran after Smith whom was already on the staircase calling for his manservant, "But there's a Highwayman on the loose and an Army on the way – and you want tea?"

"Of course I want tea! Never been a best time for tea! Come along Pond and join me in the hot brew; it's always good to stimulate the brain, get you thinking widely and positively, besides, being cooped up in that small room for so long…"

"What?" Melody asked as the man's voice faded away, now following him into the large dining room, wooden-chic decorating the place as bookcases took up all the walls what weren't doors, windows or arches. Taking a place on the two-seater flowery chair as Smith collapsed upon a large red-leather-lined armchair, Melody waited as the manservant placed a silver tray containing two flowery cups and an equally flowery tea pot before asking, "So where are we meeting these 'Front' people?"

As Smith took a sip from more most flowery of the two cups, he contemplated the reply, waiting for the irate Melody to take a sip from the other cup until finally replying, "For a start, their full name is 'Her Majesties Defensive Front' and when you address them face-to-face you will have to call them such – I just call them 'Front' out of sheer rebellion. Oh! And don't forget to salute. Everyone deserves a salute, except for me of course – who'd want to salute little old me?" he winked as he took another sip.

"And that answered practically nothing to what I asked" Melody stated sarcastically as she placed the cup down with a shake of her head and a smile, "but nevermind, I assume I'll find out soon enough."

"But to answer your question anyway," Smith stated as he gulped down the rest of the scalding hot liquid without even a wince, "the Plana Temple, just ten miles down the road; a half an hour journey via horse and carriage and a rather nice place, albeit crumbly and dangerous. And before you ask, it's that location because it's the current base of operations for the Front– or at least it will be when they arrive there… speaking of which!" Jumping up suddenly and almost practically throwing the cup back upon its saucer, the Detective called out for his manservant once more.

"Idris? Your manservant's name is Idris?" Melody asked as aforementioned man entered the room with a bow.

"Wilfred Idris, yes" Smith stated, adding, "You've known me for how long and you didn't know ol' Wilf's name? He's been serving my family for… How long is it now, Wilf?"

"Long enough" Mr Idris the Manservant replied, Smith smirking to both the man and Melody as he patted the former upon the shoulder.

"Good man! Now, we require a carriage to the Temple, you can drive but we need to leave in say, oooh, five minutes ago…."

"Wait, five minutes ago?!" Melody asked, as Mr Idris bowed out, "But we've been having tea! We needn't have had it should we have needed to leave before we started…"

"Nevertheless it did clear my mind and besides, why make an entrance when you can be late?" Smith smirked yet again with a wink, now leading her through the kitchen and out into the stable where several horses, along with Melody's own, stood eating some hay. By the entrance stood a small blue, wooden carriage attached to another horse, this one too grazing on some hay.

As Mr Idris took his place upon the driver's side, Smith opened the door and indicated to Melody, "Ladies first" he was grinning.

"Why is there a lantern atop this carriage?" Melody asked as she slipped within, Smith too looked up to the top of the blue box where a lantern stood securely perched.

"One can't have decorations these days, Ms Pond?" He enquired, taking place opposite her within the vehicle and closing the door himself.

"It makes this thing look… I don't know, unfitting" Melody admitted with contemplation.

"Decorations don't have to look pretty – remember that" Smith simply stated, thumping upon the wall to indicate that they were ready. There was a cry from Mr Idris and then the carriage lurched, their journey beginning.