After the largest fires had been snuffed out, Virgil picked a carter he knew, named Murray, to steer one of the carts filled with grain donations. The convoy wasn't due to head out yet, so they spoke to an administrator. The bald-headed bureaucrat was all stares and smiles for Virgil, and didn't hesitate to check a box on his list, allowing them to move out before the rest of the convoy. Shortly after, an anteater-like creature – which was apparently called a "warbum"–was harnessed in front of the carriage, and Rose and the Doctor found a place among the grain stacks. From there, they watched Mary and Virgil standing in the shadows of a house corner, hidden from the eyes of the public. They were holding hands, and they spoke softly to each other. 'It's kind of cute,' Rose whispered to the Doctor.

He tilted his head at that. 'I suppose so. Could make a pretty decent rom-com.'

'But he's an alien, isn't he?'

'Actually, the Illantis are humans.'

'What?'

'Their genetic code has been modified by a scientist-gone-Frankenstein from the far future. Created all sorts of beings from stories and old lore, and put them into a zoo. Had a crack in his coconut, that one.'

'They were bred for a zoo?'

'In the forty-sixth century,' the Doctor said. Then he blew out a breath, looking thoughtfully.' Dragons, Illantis, humans, warbums... If there's a pattern, I'm not seeing it. This world seems to be connected, somehow, to completely random places.' Just then, Virgil and Mary kissed, his wings folding around her, enclosing them in a bubble of privacy. Rose looked away, rolling her eyes. The Doctor smiled. 'Yet here they are. A human and an angel, giving their past a slip, mingling despite everything.'

'Can they?' Rose asked. 'Mingle, I mean,' she added, very softly when the Doctor gave her a quizzical look.

'Of course they can,' he said. 'It wouldn't be good for the wings though. The genes that encode for them are recessive. If Virgil and Mary have a child together, it won't have wings. It'll be like a normal human.'

Virgil stepped out of the dark, leaping onto the haystack-laden platform with a flap of his pearl-white wings. It groaned under his weight. 'At your pace, Mister Murray,' he said enthusiastically.

'Aye,' said the carter, before he brandished a long staff with a brush on its end to rub over the warbum's slim front head. It started moving with a deep moan of satisfaction, and the wagon rumbled along over the dirt road. It was surprisingly smooth, evidence that the road was well travelled, and soon the heavy creature took on quite a bit of speed. It was the elephant-anteater's version of a horse's trot, Rose thought, wondering if warbums were able to canter, or even gallop.

The Doctor watched impatiently as Virgil and Mary waved their goodbyes. He managed to wait for a full second before he began. 'So, Virgil, that furiously fiendish Felgorn, when did he start showing up?'

'Pardon me?'

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. 'Why, what did you do?'

The angel gave himself half-scandalised, half-amiable. 'I failed to believe your tone, sir. Be reminded, you are talking to a prince, and you wish to talk to a king. If you are indeed to make an impression on my father, you will have to use proper manners.'

'Good point. Let me try again.' The Doctor drew himself up and cleared his throat. When he spoke then, he did so loud and clear. 'The wrathful skies gallow the very wanderers of the dark and make them keep their caves. Such sheets of fire, such bursts of horrid thunder, such groans or roaring wind–'

'You can stop it!' Virgil insisted. 'Do not attempt to charm the king with your poetry, Doctor. It is appalling.'

The Doctor's expression, as if Virgil had just kicked a puppy, made Rose cover up a snort.

Then the Doctor shrugged. 'Lots of people would disagree. But I get it, not everyone's a fan of Shakespeare. Anyway, when did Felgorn first appear, your Highness?'

Virgil nodded, satisfied at the Doctor's compliance. 'Better. Now let's talk about your meeting with the king. There is much to discuss.'

'I'm sure there is,' the Doctor said, and Rose was impressed at how the Doctor didn't seem irritated at all. 'But can we get back to my question before we do that?'

But the angel still outright ignored him. 'Listen: When you're in his presence, do not meet his gaze, do not speak without permission, and when you are announced, enter swiftly and in line next to me, and make a bow, like this.'

He showed them, and the Doctor followed his movement for almost a full second, before he said, 'Got it, all saved up in the old noggin. Now let's talk about Felgorn.'

'Pardon me?'

'No, no, no, pardon me, your Highness. I keep forgetting for some reason.'

Virgil sighed. 'And why do you deem it necessary to discuss the great punisher?'

'Because he just killed five people?' said Rose. 'Nearly had you for dinner as well, your Highness.'

'Why are you so blasé about what just happened to the village?' added the Doctor.

Virgil's next sigh was so dramatic, it seemed just a little bit fabricated to Rose. 'It is a tragedy, for certain. But Felgorn has been around for over twenty years. What you saw today is sad, but nothing unusual.'

The Doctor looked at him critically. 'Nobody ever tried getting rid of him?'

'Felgorn is the great punisher, a divine instrument of justice. It is only by the king's grace that the gods' wrath is appeased.'

'Have you tried talking to it?' the Doctor went on.

Virgil's face then lit up with a realisation. 'Oh, you're a jester! Please, do make the king laugh, he will enjoy a good fool.'

The Doctor frowned a mock-hurt glance at Rose. She just pointed at his feet. 'Suit and trainers?'

'Fair enough,' said the Doctor, half-nodding. 'But that's not the point. Felgorn must have a reason to attack your villages. He must want something.'

Virgil scoffed. 'He is a godly punisher. His purpose is to punish the people.'

The Doctor shrugged. 'Just wondering if you tried anything at all to improve the situation. I mean, you never even tried killing him?'

'Of course not,' he laughed. 'He is a godly punisher.' Virgil looked at them as if he was wondering if it had been such a good idea bringing Rose and the Doctor with him. The Doctor, however, wasn't too happy with Virgil either; despite his heroism, the boy seemed to barely question anything he'd been told about his world. Someone had been doing a good job at brainwashing the people around here.

He didn't expect to get much useful information out of the winged boy, but he still had to try. 'What is the Dragon's Bane?'

The angel gave his best to remain polite, but his patience was clearly growing thin. 'A magic weapon, created by the king,' he said curtly. 'That's all you need to know. And now I forbid you to speak of the Dragon's Bane. The king constantly worries about saboteurs seeking to damage it, which would endanger the entire Dale. If the wrong person hears you talk about it in a suspicious way, it could mean your imprisonment.'

'He sounds like a fun guy,' Rose said.

The Doctor gave a broad smile. 'Not gonna mention it then.'

'All I need of you is to stand with proud countenance while I explain how you saved my life.'

'We didn't, though,' Rose said carefully.

'That doesn't matter now,' Virgil said, determined. 'The tale is told, and we must stick to it. We should use the trip to the castle to think up a good story, one they won't doubt. You should memorise it too, in case you are allowed to speak.'

'Absolutely,' the Doctor said brightly, before Rose could say anything. 'Between the three of us, we can invent the best cover story in the history of cover stories. I just have one teeny-tiny question: Why will we do this?'

'Isn't that obvious? I want him to see your courage, your value.' Virgil laughed. 'I want to do you a favour!'

'But what kind of favour would that be?' asked the Doctor.

Virgil was speechless at first; he clearly hadn't prepared to be interrogated like this. He squirmed uncomfortably on his seat, and the Doctor fully expected him to avoid his question again.

But surprisingly, he didn't. 'The king isn't all too fond of humans,' he admitted. 'But he has good reason,' he continued quickly. 'Since your race almost wiped out ours not too long ago, there aren't many of us left. He is merely peculiar about protecting his remaining kin.'

The Doctor glossed over his argument. 'When Felgorn attacked, you said the king didn't know you were here. Why would that matter?'

'D'you think he might have hurried up his business if he'd known?' Rose asked coldly.

'Or if he cared more about humans?' added the Doctor.

Virgil now became defensive, shaking his head a little too quickly. 'It is not your place to speak ill of the king.' But it was clear they had gotten it exactly right.

'What does the king think of Mary?' the Doctor continued the interrogation, and Rose leaned her chin on her fist, piercing him with her look.

Virgil's mouth opened, and closed again. He suddenly seemed a little overwhelmed, and utterly embarrassed. 'You are quite the interesting pair,' he then said, attempting to save himself by making compliments. When neither Rose nor the Doctor seemed particularly flattered, he sighed. 'He would not approve. Therefore I must beg of you not to say a word about Mary, not to anyone. Especially not to my father.'

'You sure he doesn't know already?' the Doctor asked, remembering the look on Brandomyr's face earlier. Virgil opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again, as if he'd only just realised the Doctor might be right.

'Don't worry, our lips are sealed,' the Doctor then said in a consoling way, and Rose mimed herself shutting her mouth using an invisible zipper, a gesture that seemed to confuse the angel a little.

'Tell you what, let's make a deal,' the Doctor said. 'We'll do our best to help with your idealistic efforts of mending the gap between angels and humans if you answer a couple questions for us. Nothing about the Dragon's Bane, I promise.'

Virgil just seemed happy the discussion was over. 'A reasonable deal, indeed.'

'Perfect!' the Doctor exclaimed so loudly it disturbed the warbum, making it grunt unhappily. The Doctor glanced mischievously at Rose, before turning back to the angel. 'Virgil, I promise you, we will impress the king as much as a three-legged pig dancing the Macarena.'

The warbum dutifully pulled the groaning wagon through the beautiful countryside of the Dale. The dirt road meandered through dense forests and scatterings of trees, past guard posts, stables, and farms. The wildlife was mostly indigenous, with herds of green and yellow-dappled deer-like creatures the Doctor recognised. But there also were many he didn't, like a family of giant blue bugs walking in single file. A couple of armed patrols met them, carrying round wooden shields and long spears. They strolled lazily over the roads, throwing wisecracks before bowing deeply at the sight of the angel's wings.

The Doctor finished their cover story basically by himself, after which their conversation quickly turned into a history exam, conducted by the Doctor. Surprisingly, Virgil did extremely badly. All he seemed to know were details of the brutal persecution the Illantis had suffered at the hands of the humans. He explained that everyone, angels and humans, was required to learn all about it from a very young age. Murray wasn't much help either. 'I do not know anything your Highness couldn't tell you as well,' he said, and the Doctor understood that Murray wouldn't be honest as long as Virgil was around.

Then Virgil finally remembered something useful. 'Mary shared a legend once. She said that something evil is lurking below the castle. The humans had built it to contain it, to protect the Dale from its evil influence. I thought it a rather amusing superstition.'

Rose and the Doctor exchanged a meaningful look.

'And?' the Doctor asked, raising his eyebrows at Virgil.

'Whatever do you mean?'

'Come on,' the Doctor chided, 'Someone says there's a bogey man underneath your bed, and you never considered taking a shufti?'

But Virgil shrugged weakly. 'I think the king would know if anything was down there.'

The Doctor rolled his eyes. 'At least we can agree on something.'

The dirt road shifted to a pavement of flat bricks over which the wooden wheels went quickly, but noisily. Soon, Castle Miramys came into view. To Rose, it looked like Conwy Castle in Wales, which she'd first seen in school, except the walls stretched out a lot further between the thick towers. Half a mile across, the castle occupied the entire hilltop, and there was a central spire in the middle. A number of square-shaped cages hung from metal bars at its side, suspended on chains, and swinging softly from the pull of the wind, giving it an ominous look. 'I don't suppose they sleep in those?' Rose asked.

The Doctor grinned. 'Winged humans, sleeping in bird cages? What a laugh. But no, those are for prisoners, I reckon.'

'OK, and that smoke?' she pointed at a plume of thin grey smog rising from a long metal shoot at the side of the central tower. Suddenly the whole image had the atmosphere of a stinking industrial site, or – thanks to the feathered wings flapping about the place – an advert against pollution.

The Doctor sniffed the air. 'Heightened concentration of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, benzene, soot... if I didn't know any better, I'd say someone has left their car engine running.'

Behind the gate, a wide courtyard unfolded. Virgil, Rose, and the Doctor descended from the carriage, and a pair of winged guards escorted Murray to the granary.

Following Virgil through the courtyard was like a stroll through Heaven - or a set from some reality-TV show in which models or A-list celebrities were forced to dress up as angels. She saw gorgeous men and women everywhere, their wings white, red, and purple, their clothes loose fitting cotton and sturdy leather straps.

A few small groups sauntered over the lush grass, but most lounged on wooden balconies that had been fixed to the stone sides of buildings and towers. Some of the balconies were quite large, and they could see dozens of wings reaching over the lip of the platforms. Narrow cobblestone roads crisscrossed between tall, wooden structures, supporting broad cabins but not stairs or ladders. Homes for winged people. The Doctor looked at the stone buildings that lined the castle walls. Large chunks had been replaced by square wooden doors to accommodate their broad wings. In many cases the roofs had similar openings, allowing for entry by air. Most buildings, however, still hinted at the previous inhabitants of the castle with regular slim doors. 'They haven't built this castle,' the Doctor said, 'but they've surely made it their home.'

A group of small children flapped their wings in a wild chase, dashing closely past the humans, and Rose's hair got caught in the gust of wind in their wake. 'Oh my god!' she blurted with delight, grabbing the Doctor's arm.

'Enjoy this, Rose,' the Doctor grinned. 'This was never meant to be. We're walking straight through a seventeenth-century adaption of the Christian Heaven, at least if you remove that weird exhaust pipe from the picture.' He held a hand in front of the long metal shoot that was still billowing out clouds of sickly grey fumes. 'Still a rare sight, even in the multiverse.'

Rose's eyes fell on a group of Illanti women sauntering aimlessly through the court, and she felt a bout of envy. They were more than just beautiful; dressed in nothing but colourful silk that cascaded down their immaculate figures. Each had a £500 haircut, and a face that could have easily made its way onto the cover of Glamour. 'They're… pretty,' Rose said quietly.

'Part of the genetic enhancement,' the Doctor said. 'They were made into the main attraction, the prettiest animals in the zoo.'

Rose's eyes locked onto a flock of barely dressed males, walking past the other way. 'Leather harness,' she muttered to herself.

But then she noticed the look they were giving her.

All of them, every single angel, were shooting them glances that were full of arrogance and even disgust. Light-hearted conversations turned into clandestine whispers, and Rose felt herself tense as more and more eyes followed them. 'What are they staring at us for?'

'Best to keep moving,' the Doctor said.

They came to a broad building with stone steps and golden roof ledges; the throne room, Virgil explained. He spoke to one of the guards at the entrance, and they explained that the king was teaching the children. Rose would have loved to have a look at the throne, but it seemed their journey would be taking them elsewhere.

They proceeded around the edifice toward the central spire. It was broad as a building, and seemed a little like an oversized bell-tower for the large church that had been built directly adjacent to it.

'This is the Sanctuary,' Virgil announced grandly, gesturing at the church. 'The humans used to congregate here for worship and ritual. Now it serves as the king's quarters and a place of festivities.'

The Doctor was more interested in the tower. He shielded his eyes against the sun as he glanced to its top, past the metal cages that were softly creaking in the wind. 'The king's up there?'

'No. This spire houses the Dragon's Bane.'

'And who's living in there?' The Doctor was pointing at a small wooden cabin hugging the base of the tower and the Sanctuary, like a pet draping itself along its owners' feet. The building was squat and pointy-topped with a chimney, out of which rose a small pillar of smoke.

'That's the home of the king's advisor,' Virgil explained airily. 'He's in charge of the Dragon's Bane.'

'Ah!' the Doctor said with delight. 'Can we pay him a visit?'

'I need you to focus on the task at hand.'

'But I don't have to worry, do I?' the Doctor said, 'You'll do a great job, I'm sure of it.'

'I don't need your encouragement,' he said, proudly. Then, a little quieter: 'But I do appreciate it.'

The task at hand, of course, didn't involve anything from either the Doctor or Rose except bowing before the king and looking pretty while Virgil told the story they'd come up with. So really, it was Virgil who needed to focus, if anything.

Perhaps that was why he seemed so incredibly nervous.