Tooth and claw
The Doctor and Alyssa where standing in the console room of the Tardis, waiting for Rose who had gone to change her outfit.
"How long does it take to get changed?" Alyssa monaed in boredom" I never take ages when I'm getting changed."
"Maybe she's choosing what to wear, we are going to the late 1970s after all" the Doctor explained to her "she's probably trying to find something suitable." A little whilel ater, she arrived back in the console room wearing a short skirt denim dress with black tights and boots.
"What do you think of this? Will it do?" she asked, showing off her outfit to the Doctor and Alyssa.
"In the late 1970s? You'd be better off in a bin bag" the doctor told her before he went to the CD player "Hold on, listen to this." He switched the Cd player on and Ian Dury and the Blockheads hit me with your rythme stick began to play and the three of them where dancing around the console, singing along.
"You're a punk" Rose sang.
"It's good to be a lunatic" the Doctor sang as Alyssa and Rose giggled at him.
"That's what you are. A big old punk with a bit of rockabillly thrown in" Rose pointed out.
"Would you like to see him?" the Doctor asked.
"How'd you mean? In concert? " Rose asked.
"Cool, I've never been to a concert before" Alyssa piped up with a look of excitment on her young features.
"What else is a Tardis for?" the Doctor asked "I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think? "
"Sheffield it is" the Doctor beamed before setting the controls and the three of them clung to the Tardis as it flew through the vortex whilst Hit me with your rythme stick still played.
"Stop" Rose yelled and the Tardis came to a sharp halt, sending all three of them crashing to the floor, giggling.
" 1979. Hell of a year. China invades Vietnam. The Muppet Movie. Love that film. Margaret Thatcher. Urgh. Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb" the Doctor said as he opened the Tardis doors and stepped out, followed by the two girls " And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to" they suddenly found themselves at gun point by soilders in red coats on horses "My thumb."
"Excuse me Doctor, but what year is this exactly?" Alyssa whispered.
"1879. Same difference" the Doctor replied.
" You will explain your presence. And the nakedness of these two girls" one of the soilders ordered. Alyssa raised her eyebrow at him, she wasn't naked and neither was rose but then she remembered that they were in 1879 and that their kind of clothes hadn't been invented yet.
"Are we in Scotland?" the Doctor asked with a puzzled expression.
"How can you be ignorant of that? " the soilder asked.
" Oh, I'm, I'm dazed and confused" the Doctor replied, now putting on a scottish accent " I've been chasing these wee naked children and over dale. Isn't that right, ya timorous beasties?"
" Och, aye! I've been oot and aboot" Rose said, attempting to put on a scottish accent.
"Yah" Alyssa said, doing the same.
" No, don't do that" the Doctor whispered to them.
" Hoots mon" Rose replied, still talking in her fake scottish accent.
"No, really don't. Really" the Doctor whispered back.
" Will you identify yourself, sir?" the soilder demanded.
"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, from the township of Balamory. I have my credentials, if I may" the Doctor replied in his scottish accent again, taking out his phycic paper " As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself. "
"Let them approach" an upper class british accent said from behind them.
" I don't think that's wise, ma'am" the soilder advised, eying the Doctor and the two girls suspicioulsy.
"Let them approach" the voice said again.
"You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference" the soilder told the three before allowing them to walk over to a horse and carriage and in there, sat Queen Victoria herself.
"Rose,Alyssa,might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith" the Doctor said.
"Rose Tyler, Ma'am. And my apologies for being so naked" Rose said with a curtesy.
"Alyssa Benson your highness" Alyssa greeted, also with a currtesy "and I too apologise for being so...naked."
" I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me" queen victoria replied before turning to the Doctor "But you, Doctor. Show me these credentials " the Doctor grinned and handed her his psychic paper "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector."
"Does it?" the Doctor asked, looking at the paper with confusion "Yes, it does. Good. Good. Then let me ask - why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen? "
" A tree on the line" Victoria replied.
"An accident?" the Doctor asked.
" I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned" Victoria inquired.
"An assassination attempt?" the Doctor asked.
"What, seriously? There's people out to kill you? " Alyssa asked.
" I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun" Victoria pointed out.
" Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow" one of the soilders informed.
"This Doctor and his timorous beasties will come with us" Victoria said.
"Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving - it's almost nightfall" the soilder informed.
"Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on! " Victoria ordered and her carriage began to move whilst the Doctor, Rose and Alyssa walked with the soilders behind.
"t's funny though, because you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her" Rose pointed out.
"1879? She's had, oh, six attempts on her life?" the doctor asked as Alyssa grabbed hold of his hand " And I'll tell you something else. We just met Queen Victoria!."
" I know!" Rose giggled.
"What a laugh!" the Doctor replied.
"She was just sitting there" Rose pointed out.
" Like a stamp" Alyssa piped up, grinning from ear to ear.
" I want her to say we are not amused. I bet you five quid I can make her say it" Rose bragged as they continued to walk through the moors.
"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of traveller in time" the Doctor inquired.
"Ten quid?" Rose offered as Alyssa giggled.
"Done" the Doctor replied. Soon they arrived at a large house where they were greeted by a man by the name of sir Robert.
"Your Majesty" he greeted.
"Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency" Victoria replied "And how is Lady Isobel?"
"She's indisposed, I'm afraid. She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her. The kitchens are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on" sir Robert replied.
" Oh, not at all. I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girls" Victoria replied, gesturing to Rose and Alyssa.
"Sorry" Rose apologized and Alyssa did the same.
"They're feral children" the Doctor said, putting on his scottish accent again "I bought them both her for sixpence in old London Town. It's was either them or the Elephant Man, so."
" It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?" Victoria asked before heading into the large house and the Doctor noticed one of the soilders bringing out a small box from the carriage.
"So what's in there, then?" the Doctor asked.
"Property of the Crown. You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir" the soilder barked. The Doctor and his two companions where then escorted inside the house and taken to a large room with a giant golden telescope.
"Wow" Alyssa said in amazement, staring at the large telescope.
"This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour" Victoria inquired.
"All my father's work" sir Robert replied "Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself."
" I wish I'd met him. I like him" the Doctor said before heading to the telescope "That thing's beautiful. Can I?"
" Help yourself" sir Robert offered. The Doctor then walked over to the telescope and began inspecting it.
" What did he model it on?" the Doctor asked.
" I know nothing about it" sir Robert replied "To be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say, eccentric. I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories."
" It's a bit rubbish. How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top. That's stupid kind of" the Doctor began before turning to Rose and Alyssa "Am I being rude again?"
"Just a little bit" Alyssa replied.
"But it's pretty. It's very pretty" the Doctor pointed out.
"And the imagination of it should be applauded" Victoria inquired.
"Mmm. Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily not be amused, or something? No? " Rose asked, trying to get Victoria to say we are not amused.
"This device surveys the infinite work of God. What could be finer?" Victoria asked "Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath, steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales. "
"Stars and magic. I like him more and more" the Doctor inquired.
" Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company. Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg" Victoria explained.
" That's Bavaria" the Doctor implied.
" When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported" Victoria said.
"So, what's this wolf, then?" the Doctor asked.
"Are you talking about werewolfs?" Alyssa asked " are they're actually real werewolfs here?"
"It's just a story" sir Robert replied.
"Then tell it" the Doctor urged.
" It's said that" sir Robert began before he was interupted by one of his servants.
"Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark" he informed.
"Of course. Yes, of course" Sir Robert replied and Victoria told someone to get some clothes from Rose and Alyssa as she was tired of their "nakedness."
" It's not amusing, is it? " Rose asked as Alyssa grinned away, hands in her skirt pockets.
"Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight" Victoria informed.
"So there is, Ma'am" Sir Robert pointed out before they all left the room. Later that evening, Rose and Alyssa where in one of the bedrooms and Rose was looking through a wardrobe whilst Alyssa was sitting on the huge double bed.
"You don't think there's an actual werewolf do you?" Alyssa asked "they're can't be, they're mkae believe."
"I'm not sure but from all the weird and strange creatures we've seen since travelling with the Doctor who knows" Rose replied before she closed the wardrobe door and opened another one to discover a young housemaid hiding in there and she didn't look much older than Alyssa,possibly three or four years older.
"You need to get out of here miss, you and the child" the young maid warned as she stepped out of the wardrobe "there's monks here and they've been taking people."
"Okay just tell me what happened" Rose said as she sat the maid on the bed next to Alyssa.
"They came through the house. In the excitement they took the Steward and the Master, and my Lady" the young maid explained.
"Listen. I've got a friend. He's called the Doctor. He'll know what to do. You've got to come with me" Rose told her gently.
"Oh, but I can't, Miss" the yound maid said nervously.
" What's your name? " Rose asked her.
"Flora" she replied.
" Flora, we'll be safe. There's more people arrived downstairs, soldiers and everything, and they can help us. I promise. Come on. Okay? Come on" Rose said before she, Alyssa and Flora slowly crept out of the room and down the Corridor. When they got halfway, they found a soilder lying unconcious on the floor.
"Oh my god" Alyssa whispered.
"Oh, Miss. I did warn you" Flora said in a scared voice as rose knelt down next to the soilder to check his pulse.
"He's not dead. I don't think, he must be drugged or something" Rose pointed out as Alyssa witnessed a man dragging Flora off and when she saw another man sneaking up on Rose she went to scream but a hand clasped over her mouth and she felt herself being dragged off and the Same was happening to Rose.
"Don't you hurt her" Rose threatened to the man who had hold of Alyssa who was struggling in his grasp.
"Shut it girly then maybe we won't hurt your little friend" the man who had hold of Rose threatened before she, Flora and Alyssa where taken into a cellar and chained up along with some other people who had been captured. Across the prisoners was a cage with a young monk inside and he had his eyes closed.
"What is that thing?" Alyssa asked, nodding at the person in the cage.
" Don't make a sound" a woman called Isobel warned "They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us."
"But he's in a cage. He's a prisoner. He's the same as us" Rose pointed out.
"He's nothing like us. That creature is not mortal" Isobel revealed as the young man in the cage snapped his eyes open, revealing them to be completly black. Rose slowly stood up and began moving towards the crate as far as the chains would let her.
"Rose" Alyssa said in a scared voice.
"Don't, child" Isobel warned as rose crouched in front of the cage.
" Who are you?" Rose asked the man in the cage.
"Don't enrage him" a man named Steward warned her.
"Where are you from? You're not from Earth. What planet are you from? " Rose asked.
"Oh, intelligence" the black eyed man hissed.
"Where were you born?" Rose asked.
"This body? Ten miles away. A weakling, heartsick boy, stolen away at night by the brethren for my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart" The man explained.
"All right, so the body's human. But what about you, the thing inside? " Rose asked.
"Rose come back please" Alyssa begged, she was getting a little scared now for her friend now.
"So far from home" the man whispered.
"If you want to get back home, we can help" Rose offered but the man in the cage just chuckled.
"Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose" he said in a sinister manner.
"How would you do that?" Rose asked.
" I would migrate to the Holy Monarch" the man said as though it was obvious thing.
"You mean Queen Victoria? " Rose asked.
"With one bite, I would pass into her blood, and then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf. Many questions" he hissed before lunging in his cage making Rose flinch back a little "Look. Inside your eyes. You've seen it too. "
"Seen what?" Rose asked, her voice shaking.
"The Wolf. There is something of the Wolf about you" he said in a sinister voice.
" I don't know what you mean" Rose replied.
"You burnt like the sun, but all I require is the moon" the caged man revealed before the cellar doors flew open and a light shone on the crate. Rose scurired back to the other prisoners.
"What's happening?" Alyssa asked.
"I think he's going to change" Rose pointed out.
"Moonlight" the caged man said as an unatural wind filled the room and he removed his cloak with the prisoners looking on in horror.
"All of you! Stop looking at it!" Rose warned "Flora, Alyssa,don't look. Listen to me. Grab hold of the chain and pull! Come on! With me! Pull!" the caged man was now begining to transform "I said pull! Stop your whining and listen to me! All of you! And that means you, your Ladyship. Now come on, pull!." The Prisoners then began to pull on the chain as the caged man almost reached the end of his transformation.
"Come on Pull, Pull" Alyssa urged.
"One, two, three, pull! One, two, three, pull!" Rose urged also as the man fully transformed into a werewolf " One, two, three, pull!." The chain then broke off the wall freeing the prisoners just as the Doctor and Sir Robert kicked their way in.
"Where the hell have you been?" Rose asked the Doctor as he set his sites on the werewolf.
"Oh, that's beautiful" he said in amazement as Sir Robert ushered the others out of the cellar as the werewolf broke free from his cage.
"Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! " the Doctor yelled to Rose and Alyssa and the the two girls ran out of the cellar whilst the Doctor stared in admiration at the werewolf who roared and chucked a piece of crate at him but he ducked in time and ran out of the cellar, locking the door with his sonic screwdriver. He soon joined the others who were in the living room and The Steward was handing guns out to the men.
" Arms, and you five. Ready, everyone?" he asked before turning to Isobel "Take the girls. Get them out through the kitchen. "
" I can't leave you. What will you do? "Isobel asked.
" I must defend her Majesty. Now, don't think of me, just go" the Steward told her.
" All of you, at my side. Come on! " Isobel said before she and the maids headed out of the room but Rose and Alyssa stayed behind.
" It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted? " the Doctor asked.
"The Queen, the Crown, the throne - you name it" Rose pointed out.
"It said something about creating an empire of werewolfs or something" Alyssa implied just as a crash came from the wooden door and the Doctor went to out to investigate and saw the werewolf at the other end of the passage way. He then slammed the door shut and grabbed Rose and Alyssa just as the werewolf burst through the room.
"Fire! Fire!" the Steward yelled and the soilders began shooting at the werewolf before retreating further into the room.
"All right, you men. We should retreat upstairs. Come with me" the Doctor told them.
" I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault" the Steward informed.
" I'm telling you, come upstairs! " the Doctor said sternly.
"And I'm telling you, sir, I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall" the Steward replied as he stepped out into the corridor and looked back " It must have crawled away to die. " Suddenly he was hoisted up into the ceiling and Alyssa shrieked and covered her eyes.
"There's nothing we can do!" the Doctor told the soilders who had moved to help him. They then ran out of the room and into the corridor where they saw Victoria.
"Your Majesty? Your Majesty! " Sir Robert said.
"Sir Robert? What's happening?" she asked " I heard such terrible noises."
"Your Majesty, we've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here? " Sir Robert asked.
" Captain Reynolds disposed of him" Victoria informed.
"The front door's no good, it's been boarded shut" the Doctor explained as he investigated the front door before cturning to Victoria " Pardon me, Your Majesty. You'll have to leg it out of a window." The group then retreated into the Drawing room and Victoria demanded to know what was going on.
"There's a huge werewolf chasing us" Alyssa pointed out.
"Oh don't be silly child" Victoria replied.
" Excuse my manners, Ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress" Sir Robert offered as he walked over to the window.
"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh" Victoria replied.
"Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" the Doctor asked now getting impatient. Sir Robert opened the window and saw that there was more monks outside and they began shooting at them, causing Sir Robert to quickly shut the window.
" I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside" the Doctor pointed out.
"Do they know who I am?" Victoria asked.
"Yeah, that's why they want you. The wolf's lined you up for a, a biting" Rose pointed out.
"See I told you" Alyssa said.
" Stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf" Victoria implied before there came a howl from the corridor.
"What do we do?" Rose asked.
"We run" the Doctor replied.
"What is that it?" A shocked Alyssa asked.
"You or Rose got any silver bullets?" the Doctor asked.
"No we don't, not on us" Rose replied.
"There we are then, we run" the Doctor replied before turning to Victoria "Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigourous jog. Good for the health. Come on!." They then began to run up the stairs as the werewolf burst it's way out at the bottom of the stairs and began to pursue them. It was almost upon them but one of Victoria's guards began shooting at it, causing it to retreat but they wasn't enough to kill it.
"Bullets can't stop it!" the Doctor warned him.
"They'll buy you time. Now run!" he told them before the werewolf pounced on him and began ripping him apart. Alysa stood frozen on the spot screaming but the Doctor grabbed hold of her and carried her into the Library along with the others.
"Barricade the door" Sir Robert said and the Doctor and Rose did so.
"Are we going to get ripped to pieces?" Alyssa asked in a terrified voice.
"Wait a minute. Shush, shush, wait a minute" the Doctor whispered as he put his ear up against the door as he heard the werewolf outside howling before it stopped " It's stopped, I think it's gone."
" Listen" Rose whispered as they heard the werewolf growilng and moving around outside the room.
" Is this the only door?" the Doctor asked.
"No" Sir Robert replied pointing to another door that was wide open and the Doctor quickly shut it and barricaded it.
"Quiet, listen" Alyssa whispered as the werewolf continued to move around outside the room.
"I don't understand. What's stopping it? " Rose asked.
"Something inside this room. What is it? Why can't it get in? " the Doctor wondered.
"I'll tell you what, though" Rose said.
"What?" the Doctor asked.
"Werewolf" Rose replied.
" I know" the Doctor replied before looking at his two assistants " you two okay?"
"yeah we're fine" Alyssa replied "arn't we Rose?"
"Yeah, we are" Rose replied.
" I'm sorry, Ma'am. It's all my fault. I should have sent you away" Sir Robert told Victoria " I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff? ."
"Well, they were bald, athletic. Your wife's away, I just thought you were happy" the Doctor pointed out, talking about the monks.
" I'll tell you what though, Ma'am, I bet you're not amused now" Rose said to Victoria.
"Do you think this is funny?" Victoria asked in a slightly annoyed tone of voice.
" No, Ma'am. I'm sorry" Rose apologized.
"What, exactly, I pray tell me, someone, please. What exactly is that creature?" Victoria asked.
"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform" the Doctor explained.
"And should I trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?" Victoria asked, noticing that the doctor was no longer speaking in his scottish accent.
"Oh right, sorry, that's" the Doctor began to explain but Victoria interuppted him.
"I'll not have it. No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world" she declared. The Doctor then noticed that there was a carving of mistletoe on the door.
" Mistletoe" the Doctor muttered before turning to Sir Robert "Sir Robert, did you father put that there? "
" I don't know. I suppose" Sir Robert replied.
" On the other door, too. No, a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder" the Doctor pondered as he licked the door.
"Doctor, what are you doing?" Alyssa asked, looking at him in a weird way.
" Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe. It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your dad? I love him. Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins" the Doctor explained.
"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose asked.
"Well, it thinks it is. The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things" the Doctor explained.
"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon" Sir Robert pointed out.
"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?" the Doctor asked.
"Being rude again" Rose pointed out.
"Good. I meant that one. You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have" the Doctor pointed out as he threw a book at Rose which she caught " Arm yourself."
"You are so clever" Alyssa piped up.
"Well thank you for the compliment young lady" the Doctor beamed at her.
"Biology, zoology. There might be something on wolves in here " Rose said as she flicked through the book she was holding.
" Hold on, what about this?" the Doctor asked, picking up another book "A book on mistletoe".
"A book on magic" Rose pointed out.
"Some form of explosive" Sir Robert said.
"Hmm, that's the sort of thing" the Doctor replied.
"Wolf's bane, what about that? " Alyssa asked.
" Look what your old dad found. Something fell to Earth" the Doctor explained.
" A spaceship?" Rose asked.
"A shooting star" Sir Robert stated before reading from the book he was holding " In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit. That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the monastery. "
"But that's over three hundred years ago. What's it been waiting for? " Rose asked.
" Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host" the Doctor explained.
" But why does it want the throne? " Sir Robert asked.
"That's what it wants. It said so. The, the Empire of the Wolf" Alyssa pointed out.
"Imagine it. The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake' the Doctor pointed out.
"Sir Robert. If I am to die here" Victoria pointed out.
" Don't say that, Your Majesty" Sir Robert pointed out.
"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me. But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself" Victoria explained.
"Hardly the time to worry about your valuable" the Doctor told her.
" Thank you for your opinion, but there is nothing more valuable than this" Victoria said before revealing a large white diamond.
" Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose asked, looking at the large jewel.
"Oh, yes. The greatest diamond in the world" the Doctor replied as he examined it.
"Given to me as the spoils of war. Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die" Victoria explained.
"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough. Can I? " the Doctor asked and Victoria handed him the Diamond so he could continue to examine it " that is so beautiful."
"How much is that worth?" Alyssa asked, leaning over to have a look.
" They say the wages of the entire planet for a whole week" the Doctor replied.
"Good job my mum's not here. She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing" Rose inquired.
"And she'd win" the Doctor pointed out, knowing that Jackie would probably not be scared of the werewolf.
"Where is the wolf?" Rose wondered "I don't trust this silence."
"Why do you travel with it?" the Doctor asked Victoria, gesturing to the Diamond.
"My annual pilgrimage. I'm taking it to Helier and Carew, the Royal Jewellers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting" Victoria replied.
"Oh, but it's perfect" Rose pointed out.
"My late husband never thought so" Victoria replied.
"Now, there's a fact. Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting" the Doctor explained.
" He always said the shine was not quite right. But he died with it still unfinished" Victoria implied.
"Unfinished. Oh, yes" the Doctor pointed out as he handed the stone back to Victoria "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research, and your husband, Ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond. Hold on, hold on. All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected. Oh, my head, my head. What if this house, it's a trap for you. Is that right, Ma'am?."
"Obviously" Victoria replied.
"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But, what if there's a trap inside the trap?" the Doctor pondered.
"What does that mean?" Alyssa asked.
" Explain yourself, Doctor" Victoria demanded.
"What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true, and they planned against it, laying the real trap not for you but for the wolf" the Doctor suggested as plaster dust fell from the ceiling and the group looked up at the Dome skylights to see the werewolf " That wolf there" the glass in the Dome began to crack as the werewolf began to claw it's way in and the Doctor ushered everyone out of the room as it entered.
"Get to the observatory!" The Doctor yelled as they began to run with the werewolf in hot pursuit. It caught up with Alyssa and she screamed but before it could strike, a pan of hot liquid was thrown over it, causing it to retreat. She then saw Flora standing in front of her, holding an empty pan.
"Good shot" the Doctor complimented.
"It was mistletoe" Flora pointed out as Sir Robert went over to Isobel who turned out to be his wife and the pair of them kissed.
"Now, get back downstairs" Sir Robert told her.
" Keep yourself safe" Isobel told him before she and the maids headed back downstairs to the kitchens.
"Where do we go now?" Alyssa asked.
"To the observatory, now come on, get moving" the Doctor said and they carried on up the staircase just as the werewolf recovered and carried on pursuing them. When they reached the door to the observatory, the Doctor began to examine them.
"No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside. I just need time" he explained "Is there any way of barricading this?"
"Just do your work and I'll defend it" Sir Robert told him.
"If we could bind them shut with rope or something" the Doctor said.
I said I'd find you time, Sir. Now get inside" Sir Robert inquired, ushering them all inside and once they were all inside, the Doctor asked Victoria for her Diamond.
"For what purpose? " Victoria asked with a puzzled expression.
"The purpose it was designed for" the Doctor replied and Victoria handed him the Diamond before he headed over to some giant wheels on the wall "Rose, Alyssa, I could use some help here." Rose and Alyssa ran over to the giant wheels and began to turn them, raising the telescope upwards.
" Is this the right time for stargazing? " Rose asked.
"Yes it is" the Doctor replied.
"You said this thing doesn't work" Alyssa implied.
"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is. It's a light chamber. It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up" the Doctor explained as he continued turning the wheel.
"It won't work" Rose pointed out " there's no electricity. Moonlight. But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight. "
"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown. Come on! Come on!" the Doctor urged as the moon shone down on the telescope, magnifying across the walls just as the werewolf came bursting and headed straight for Victoria. The Doctor slid the Diamond across to where the light had hit the floor. It retracted upwards and lifted the werewolf up from the floor, transforming him back into the young man from the cage.
" Make it brighter. Let me go" he commanded. The Doctor then adjusted the magnification on the eye piece causing the man to turn back into a wolf shape before he howled and vanished into thing air. The Doctor then ran over to Victoria and noticed she had a small scratch on her wrist.
"Your Majesty? Did it bite you?" the Doctor asked her.
" No, it's, it's a cut, that's all" Victoria insisted.
"If that thing bit you? " the Doctor asked but Victoria still insisted that it was a Scratch, caused by a splinter from the door when it broke.
"Let me see" the Doctor said.
"It is nothing" Victoria still insisted.
"So, I guess it's all over now, the wold if really gone" Alyssa said and Rose nodded in agreement. The next morning,everyone had gathered in the drawing room and the Doctor, Rose and Alyssa where kneeling down in front of Victoria as she knighted the three of them.
" By the power invested in me by the Church and the State" she said " I dub thee Sir Doctor of Tardis. By the power invested in me by the Church and the State,I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell Estate and I thee Dame Alyssa of London, you may stand" the three of them stood up.
"Many thanks, Ma'am" the Doctor said with a grin.
"Thanks. They're never going to believe this back home" Rose pointed out.
"This is so brilliant" Alyssa piped up.
"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, Ma'am, from beyond the grave" the Doctor told her with a smile.
" Indeed. Then you may think on this also. That I am not amused" Victoria declared.
" Yes!" Rose said as she and Alyssa did a little high five.
"Not remotely amused. And henceforth I banish you" Victoria declared.
" I'm sorry? " the Doctor asked with a confused expression on his face.
"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor, and now you are exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the three of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death, and I will not allow it. You will leave this shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good, and how much longer you will survive this terrible life. Now leave my world, and never return" Victoria declared and the three of them where escorted out of the building and taken by coach back to the highlands. When they arrived, the coach man stopped the cart and the Doctor, Rose and Alyssa got off.
"Cheers, Dougal" the Doctor said.
" Walk on" Dougal said and the three of them turned around and carried on walking.
"No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood. It's historical record. She was haemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere" the Doctor pointed out.
"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose asked.
"Well, maybe haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism" the Doctor replied.
" For werewolf?" Alyssa asked.
"Could be" the Doctor pointed out.
"Queen Victoria's a werewolf? " Rose asked with a hint of suprise in her voice.
"Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip" the Doctor pointed out.
" So, the Royal Family are werewolves?" Alyssa asked.
"Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century?" the Doctor pondered.
"Nah, that's just ridiculous! Mind you, Princess Anne" Rose said.
"I'll say no more" the Doctor replied as the three of them reached the Tardis.
" And if you think about it, they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting!" Rose said as the three of them headed into the Tardis "they love blood sports. Oh my God, they're werewolves!." As the doors closed and the Tardis began to dematerilise, laughing and howling could be heard from inside.