"Look, this is all some kind of misunderstanding," the Doctor protested. "And oi, could you all let me up, please? I'm not too fond of having daggers stuck at my throat—ouch!" He yelped as one of the guards standing over him thrust his knife under the Doctor's chin and broke the skin.

"Doctor!" came a familiar shout, and the Doctor twisted his head in the direction of the voice. A wide grin split his face.

"Donna!" he greeted. "Mind telling these great lumps of guards to let me up? Oh, hold on. Why're your hands tied up?"

Before Donna could reply, Korsak stepped through the growing crowds of villagers brought out of their small houses by the commotion. "Enough!" he shouted. "Let the man up, but don't let him escape. Bring him into the town meeting hall. The woman, too."

The Doctor was pulled roughly to his feet and his arms pinned behind his back. Donna was grabbed in the same way, and they were marched side by side into the same building that Donna had just exited. "You all right, spaceman?" Donna whispered as they stumbled along.

"I'm fine, you?"

"Not too bad, considering. You're bleeding, though," she added concernedly.

The cut on the Doctor's neck was stinging, but he shrugged it off. "It's just a scratch. Don't worry about me."

This time, Korsak didn't sit. The guards forced Donna and the Doctor to take their seats in the two chairs stationed by the table, and they tied the Doctor's hands just as they had tied Donna's. Korsak waved them away after that, and they left reluctantly.

"Hello," the Doctor said quickly as soon as they had left. "Listen to me, I promise, this is just a sort of misunderstanding. I can explain."

"Do." Korsak glared at them with a sort of tired hatred in his eyes. "Do. Explain to me what reasons you may have had to abduct and possibly kill many of our villagers. Tell me where you came from, and where you are keeping them. Are they even alive?"

The Doctor's eyes widened, and Donna sighed. "Oh…" the Time Lord said slowly. "Oh, that's what you would think, isn't it?"

"Answer the questions."

"Well, you technically only asked one question, you know. The other requests were simply statements. Though not simple statements, if I remember correctly. Compound ones."

"Doctor…" Donna whispered warningly.

Korsak shook with rage. "Shut up!" he exclaimed, slamming a fist down onto the table. "And answer!"

When the Doctor did reply, he tried to make his voice reasonable and calm. "Look, we didn't do anything. We're just here to help."

"If you insist upon lying to me, we will find ways to loosen your tongues," Korsak threatened.

The Doctor was not impressed. "Oh, I think you'll find that won't be necessary. And it certainly won't be very effective."

Lord Korsak turned to Donna and slapped her hard across the face. He was a strong man, and she flinched, but she didn't cry out.

"That wasn't necessary." The Doctor's voice was ice, now, and he stared unblinkingly and intensely at Korsak, who met his gaze. "I believe you will regret it. Donna?"

"I'm fine."

"Good." The Doctor inclined his head. "Now, since you obviously don't want our help, we'll be going."

Korsak was obviously growing uncomfortable. He clearly was losing control of the situation, and he didn't like it. "You aren't going anywhere."

Donna and the Doctor looked at each other and a silent exchange took place in less than a second. "Yeah," Donna said. She stood up. So did he. "We are."

"Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause."

"Not really, cos you're thick, but you get the picture." At that, the Doctor rolled his eyes.

"I was going to leave it at 'sorry for the inconvenience.'"

"Right. Sorry."

"Okay" the Doctor continued. "You, whatever your name is (sorry, never did catch that), we really aren't here to hurt anyone, so I'm not going to try and convince you of that anymore."

"Didn't you just do that?" Donna muttered.

"Yes, thank you, Donna, for the technicalities."

"Just doin' your job for you, spaceman."

Lord Korsak watched this very quick, familiar exchange with an air of utter confusion. "But, you can't go anywhere."

The Doctor perked up. "Now, that's where you're wrong. In fact, we're going to be leaving. In three."

"Two." Donna smiled.

"One." The Doctor flicked his wrists, and the rope fell away. Taking advantage of the moment of surprise, he grabbed Donna's hand (somehow she, too, had slipped her bonds) and they ran out of the building.

Racing out along the narrow, dusty path separating the rows of tiny houses, the two friends laughed at their ridiculous escape. Any villagers they saw were too shocked or scared to try and stop them, and they were very quickly out of the village.

"Allons-y!" the Doctor shouted, and they didn't stop running until they had gotten over the hill and could see the TARDIS, standing tall and blue in the field. A very welcome sight she was, too.