The Fires of Pompeii- Part 1
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The Doctor and Donna step out into the sunshine and I follow out after them. The streets are lined with vendors of various goods. I glanced up at the volcano in the distance and shivered.
"Ancient Rome. Well, not for them, obviously. To all intents and purposes, right now, this is brand new Rome."
"Oh, my God. it's, it's so Roman. This is fantastic." Donna said.
"Ha, ha." The Doctor said.
"I'm here, in Rome. Donna Noble in Rome. This is just weird. I mean, everyone here's dead." Donna said. I winced, knowing what happens to them, unfortunately the Doctor noticed and tensed.
"Well, don't tell them that." The Doctor told Donna with a glance at me.
"Hold on a minute. That sign over there's in English." Donna exclaimed. Painted on the side of a barrow is two amphorae for the price of one. "Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"
"No, no, no, no. That's the Tardis translation circuits. Just makes it look like English. Speech as well. You're talking Latin right now." The Doctor said.
"Seriously?"
"Yep." I said.
"I just said seriously in Latin."
"Oh, yeah." The Doctor said, smiling.
"What if I said something in actual Latin, like veni, vidi, vici? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said veni, vidi, vici to that lot, what would it sound like?"
"I'm not sure. You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?"
"I'm going to try it." Donna goes to a fruit seller and the Doctor looks at me and I look away, not wanting to answer his question.
"Afternoon, sweetheart. What can I get you, my love?" The Stallholder said to Donna.
"Er, veni, vidi, vici."
"Huh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy."
"Yeah." Donna walks away and back to us. "How's he mean, Celtic?"
"Welsh. You sound Welsh. There we are. Learnt something." The Doctor said. I followed behind the Doctor and Donna, as we walked down the street.
"Don't our clothes look a bit odd?" Donna asked.
"Nah. Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho, but bigger."
"You've been here before then?"
"Mmm. Ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit. But I haven't got the chance to look around properly. Coliseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus. You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything? Try this way."
We came out into a piazza as Donna said "Not an expert, but there's seven hills of Rome, aren't there? How come they've only got one?" One big, bare-headed mountain stood out in the distance. Then the ground shakes.
"Here we go again." A random man says. The vendors hang onto their stalls as pottery falls and breaks.
"Wait a minute. One mountain, with smoke. Which makes this-"
"Pompeii." I said stealing the Doctor's lines. "We're in Pompeii. And it's volcano day."
"You're kidding. You're not telling me the Tardis has gone." Donna said in a panic after we ran back to where the Tardis was originally parked.
"Okay." The Doctor said, then glanced at me. I rolled my eyes and the Doctor brought his focus back on Donna.
"Where is it then?"
"You told me not to tell you."
"Oi. Don't get clever in Latin." Donna said angrily.
"Hold on." The Doctor goes to the fruit seller. "Excuse me. Excuse me. There was a box. Big blue box. Big blue wooden box, just over there. Where's it gone?"
"Sold it, didn't I?" The stallholder told him.
"But it wasn't yours to sell."
"It was on my patch, weren't it? I got fifteen sesterces for it. Lovely jubbly."
"Who'd you sell it to?"
"Old Caecilius. Look, if you want to argue, why don't you take it out with him? He's on Foss Street. Big villa. Can't miss it."
"Thanks." The Doctor leaves the stall and walks back to us. "What'd he buy a big blue wooden box for?"
"Ha. I've got it. Foss Street's this way."
"No. Well, I found this big sort of amphitheatre thing. We can start there. We can gather everyone together. Maybe they've got a great big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?" Donna said frantically.
"What do you want a bell for?"
"To warn everyone. Start the evacuation. What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?"
"It's 79AD, twenty third of August, which makes volcano day tomorrow." The Doctor stated.
"Plenty of time. We could get everyone out easy."
"Yeah, except we're not going to."
"But that's what you do. You're the Doctor. You save people."
"It's a fixed point Donna." I said sadly.
"Says who?"
"Says me." The Doctor said.
"What, and you're in charge?"
"Tardis, Time Lord, yeah."
"Donna, human, no. I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself."
"You stand in the marketplace announcing the end of the world, they'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer. Now, come on. Tardis. We are getting out of here."
"Well, I might just have something to say about that, Spaceman."
"Oh, I bet you will."
The Doctor goes up and knocked on the big door. Donna and I were standing behind him.
"Whoa! There you go." The Doctor said.
"Thank you, kind sir." I snorted and the Doctor elbowed me in the side. "I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor." Caecilius said.
"But that's me, I'm a visitor. Hello." The Doctor insisted.
"Who are you?"
"I am Spartacus." The Doctor replied
"And so am I." Donna said.
"I'm not. Miss. Anderson. Pleasure to meet you." Both Donna and The Doctor looked at me untill Caecilius started speaking.
"Mister and Mrs Spartacus and Miss. Anderson" Caecilius.
"Oh no, no, no. We're not, we're not married." The Doctor said in a panicked voice.
"We're not together." Donna said sternly, looking pale for a second.
"Oh, then brother and sister? Yes, of course. You look very much alike."
"Really?" The Doctor and Donna said at the same time, surprised.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade." Caecilius said in an apologetic tone.
"And that trade would be?" The Doctor asked.
"Marble. Lopus Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man."
"That's good. That's good, because I'm the marble inspector." The Doctor said flashing his psycic paper to him.
"By the gods of commerce, an inspection. I'm sorry, sir. I do apologise for my son." Metella said. She pours away Quintus' goblet of wine and sighes.
"Oi!" Quintus.
"And this is my good wife, Metella. I must confess, we're not prepared for a-" Caecilius said until the Doctor interrupted him.
"Nothing to worry about. I'm, I'm sure you've nothing to hide. Although, frankly, that object looks rather like wood to me." The Doctor says pointing to the Tardis.
"I told you to get rid of it." Caecilius's wife told him, clearly annoyed.
"I only bought it today." Caecilius argued.
"Ah, well. Caveat emptor." The Doctor said.
"Oh, you're Celtic. There's lovely." Caecilius said.
"I'm sure it's fine, but I might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection."
"Although while we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?" Donna said. I coughed twice but Donna ignored it.
"Don't know what you mean, Spartacus." The Doctor said.
"Oh, this lovely family. Mother and father and son. Don't you think they should get out of town?" Donna said, trying desperately to save somebody.
"Why should we do that?" Caecilius asked.
"Well, the volcano, for starters." Donna stated.
"What?"
"Volcano." Donna said, trying to get them to understand.
"What ano?"
"That great big volcano right on your doorstep."
"Oh, Spartacus, for shame. We haven't even greeted the household gods yet." The Doctor said and took Donna aside to explain why they don't know the term.
I walked walked over to listen in. "They don't know what it is. Vesuvius is just a mountain to them. The top hasn't blown off yet. The Romans haven't even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow." The Doctor explained to Donna.
"Oh, great, they can learn a new word as they die."
"Donna, stop it." The Doctor said.
"Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flying round with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up. That boy, how old is he, sixteen? And tomorrow he burns to death."
"And that's my fault?" The Doctor asked. I winced, knowing it was.
"Right now, yes." Donna argued.
"Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the City Government." Rombus announced. A middle aged man wearing a cloak over the right half of his body enters.
"Lucius. My pleasure, as always." Facilities." Caecilius greeted.
"Quintus, stand up." Metella said sternly and Quintus obliged.
"A rare and great honour, sir, for you to come to my house." Caecilius holds out his hand, but Lucius does not take it.
"The birds are flying north, and the wind is in the west." Luscious stated.
"Quite. Absolutely. That's good, is it?"
"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow."
"There now, Metella. Have you ever heard such wisdom?" Caecilius asked his wife.
"Never. It's an honour." Metella said with a smile.
"Pardon me, sir. I have guests. This is Spartacus, er, Spartacus, and Miss. Anderson."
"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind." Lucius said to the Doctor.
"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark."
"Ah. But what is the dark, other than an omen of the sun?"
I smirked and said "I concede that every sun must set."
Lucius paused and starred at me with an open mouth, clearly not expecting that a women would answer.
"And yet the son of the father must also rise." The Doctor said to reduce tension.
"Damn. Very clever, sir, ma'm. Evidently, a man of learning."
"Oh, yes. But don't mind me. Don't want to disturb the status quo." The Doctor said.
"He's Celtic." Caecilius stated.
"We'll be off in a minute." The Doctor told everyone.
"I'm not going." Donna argued.
"It's ready, sir." Caecilius told Lucius.
"You've got to." The Doctor said, not yet used to Donna's stubbornness.
"Well, I'm not." Donna said.
'The moment of revelation. And here it is." Caecilius said dramatically. As the Doctor takes Donna to the Tardis, he looks back to see a stone tile carved as a circuit board has just been unveiled.
"Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?"
"As the rain pleases the soil." Lucius said.
"Oh, now that's different. Who designed that, then?" The Doctor asked, very interested.
"My Lord Lucius was very specific."
"Where'd you get the pattern?"
"On the rain and mist and wind." Lucius answered.
"But that looks like a circuit." Donna stated, confused.
"Made of stone." The Doctor agreed.
"Do you mean you just dreamt that thing up?" I asked.
'That is my job, as City Augur." Lucius told me.
"What's that, then, like the mayor?" Donna asked, clearly not bying his story.
"Oh, ha. You must excuse my friend, she's from Barcelona. No, but this is an age of superstition. Of official superstition. The Augur is paid by the city to tell the future. The wind will blow from the west? That's the equivalent of ten o'clock news."
Evelina enters the room, swaying and pale. "They're laughing at us. Those two, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us."
"No, no, I'm not. I meant no offence." The Doctor said hurriedly.
"I'm sorry. My daughter's been consuming the vapours." Metella said. I glared at her.
"Oh for gods, Mother. What have you been doing to her?" Qunitus asked.
"Not now, Quintus." Caecilius snapped.
"Yeah, but she's sick. Just look at her." Qunitus argued.
"I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift." Lucius said.
"Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions." Metella said happily.
"The prophecies of women are limited and dull. Only the menfolk have the capacity for true perception." Lucius said.
"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." Donna said angrily.
A small tremor occurred.
"The Mountain God marks your words. I'd be careful, if I were you." I rolled my eyes.
"Consuming the vapours, you say?" The Doctor said.
"They give me strength." Evelina said.
"It doesn't look like it to me." The Doctor stated.
"Is that your opinion as a doctor?" Darn. I thought. I forgot about this part.
"I beg your pardon?" The Doctor asked, stunned.
"Doctor. That's your name."
"How did you know that? The Doctor asked, clearly shocked.
"And you. You call yourself Noble. And you Susan."
"Now then, Evelina. Don't be rude." Metella said.
"No, no, no, no. Let her talk." The Doctor said.
"You three come from so far away."
"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries." Lucius said.
"Oh, not this time, Lucius. No, I reckon you've been out-soothsayed." The Doctor said.
"Is that so, man from Gallifrey?" Lucius said back,a triumphant smile on his face.
"What?"
"The strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?"
"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna asked.
"Sh. " I hissed.
"And you, daughter of London."
She turned to me. "Funny were you are from is hazy to me. But it's getting clearer... daughter of New York." I paled.
"How does he know that?" Donna asked, scared, looking at the Doctor for answers.
"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth." Lucius stated.
"That's impossible."
"Doctor, she is returning."
"Who is? Who's she?" The Doctor asked.
"And you, daughter of London. There is something on your back." I immediately grabbed Donna's hand, thinking of the episode Turn Left. Unfortunately the Doctor noticed and his eyes narrowed.
"What's that mean?"
"Even the word Doctor is false. Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars, in the Cascade of Medusa herself. You are a Lord, sir. A Lord of Time."
Evelina gasped and then fainted.
A/N: Some notes on reviews:
copperdragon 2: Thanks!
EdwardAnthonyMasenCullen1918: Don't worry, Jack will be here soon. :)