Chapter 8
In the room of the boarding house, the team investigated the cane.
"If we tune a scanner to the approximate frequency of triolic waves, and lay down a field burst… it might respond."
The Doctor nodded, and Carolyn set her scanner, then carefully pressed a button – not directly pointing at the cane – which created a field. It enveloped the cane, and it came to life as the time Slitheen, then went back to the cane.
"The Slitheen the aliens were carrying…"
A number of little 'time holes' opened up all over the room, then fizzled out. Carolyn and the Doctor had been looking at his sonic screwdriver in these brief seconds.
"What the…"
"Minute space-time distortions… like the one we saw on Griffoth."
"But they were so small… and they only lasted a second."
"The aliens seem to have the ability to concentrate the distortion – and direct it toward a specific time and destination."
"Maybe they have something… a – mechanism, that focuses it. Any device like that would produce significant levels of triolic waves… like the ones in the cavern where the sonic screwdriver was found."
"I have located that cavern – "
Before he could finish, there was a knock at the door. Then came Mrs Kosh's voice.
"I know you're in there! Open the door!"
Nita made a silent gesture to the others; they went in to a pre-arranged plan.
Michelle walked toward the door, opened it and smiled at Mrs Kosh. "Mrs Kosh… thank goodness you're here."
And before Mrs Kosh could speak, Michelle pulled her in.
"How, now, spirit! Whither wander you?"
"Over hill, over dale, through bush, through brier, over park, over pale."
The Doctor, Nita, and Carolyn were in a 'rehearsal' of Midsummer Night's Dream (which hadn't actually been written yet, but Mrs Kosh didn't know any different); Nita was the director. She turned and, seeing Mrs Kosh, gestured grandly. "Ah – just in time! We need someone to read a part." She pressed a playbook (which the Doctor had found in his pocket) in her hands, and pointed to a passage.
"Mrs Llewcots, I need to be talking to you…"
Ignoring her, Nita waved at Oberon to begin.
"Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania."
"Now, Mrs Kosh…" Nita pointed insistently. "Right there…"
"Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania."
Mrs Kosh looked at Nita, perplexed, and at the book. She took a breath and began to read woodenly. "What, jealous Oberon. Fairies skip hence. I have foresworn his bed and company."
"Well, I don't need to hear any more. That was – truly unique."
She glanced up at her. "Really?"
"I think we've found our Titania…" She turned to the others. "…don't you agree?"
The trio responded with nods and murmured of appreciation.
"Well… I did do a church play when I was a lass…"
"You see? We'll begin rehearsals tomorrow."
There was a long pause.
"What theatre did you say?"
Outside the boarding house stood the carriage in which the team had made their escape. The Alien Doctor and Nurse walked slowly toward it, looked at it, and exchanged glances… this was the one. Then they walked slowly on by.
Romana was in the Doctor's inn room, placing. She heard a key in the lock and whirled toward the door. It opened and the Doctor entered.
"There you are! I have good news – we can get into the Castle –" She stopped as Nita, close on the Doctor's heels, entered also.
"It's all right."
Nita smiled at the sight of this sixteenth century Romana in her finery. But of course, she didn't know her, and addressed the Doctor. "General Mallory is usually a stickler for the rules… but I happen to know that his wife thinks she's a singer. So I told him she simply must perform at my next gathering… and the rules just… disappeared." She felt Nita's look and turned to her, regarding her curiously. "You know me…"
"Very well."
"Do I know you?"
"Not yet. But you will."
She scrutinized her carefully… there was an instant chemistry between them, in this, their true first meeting.
Shakespeare stood among a few by-standers on Infirmary Street, listening to the end of a conversation.
"Thankyou for your help, Officer." The young reporter turned away and started reading through his notes. Shakespeare sauntered up to him.
"Hello, son."
The young reporter was a little surprised. "Mister Shakespeare… what brings you here?"
"A writer's curiosity." He glanced around to see if they were being overheard, and moved a little closer to the reporter. "I heard two people vanished into thin air in this infirmary."
The reporter checked his paper. "One of the patients said that, yes sir. But the police deny it."
"I will wager they do."
"They say a band of outlaws set off an explosion in the hospital… then escaped."
"What did these outlaws look like?"
"The carriage they escaped in was driven by a portly man."
"Ah. The Doctor."
The reporter stared at him. "You know him?"
"I do. You say there were others with him?"
"Yes – at least half a dozen."
"His accomplices… they have come from the future – my God, it is an invasion."
The reporter was increasingly amazed. Shakespeare turned away to hail a carriage. The reporter followed. "An invasion… from the future? Mister Shakespeare… what can you tell me about this? Do you have any proof?"
"Young man… when is your deadline?"
"Five o'clock, sir."
Shakespeare entered the carriage, and pulled out his pocket watch. "I will meet you at your newsletter office at half past four… with a story that will make your career."
"Thank you, Mister Shakespeare."
"Take me to the castle, driver. And don't spare the whip."
Carolyn and Nita were in one tunnel of the cavern, using their scanners.
"The triolic levels are as high as they were on Griffoth." Nita lowered her scanner. "But no indication of any control mechanism."
"I'm not so sure." Carolyn was pointing her scanner at the cavern wall. "My scanner is picking up crystalline fracture. These cavern walls have undergone some kind of selective molecular polarization." She moved along the wall, still peering at her scanner intently. "In fact, if I'm right… this whole cavern has been configured to focus the space-time distortion… just like a lens."
They had reached the part of the cavern where the others were scanning. Carolyn and Nita joined them.
"Doctor, we think we're on to something. The cavern itself seems to be acting as a focusing mechanism… and I'm betting the same is true of their habitat back on Griffoth."
"If we can get back there… and destroy that site… can we put an end to their time travelling?"
"We have the Slitheen…"
"But I don't know if it will work. The energy our scanners generate may not be entirely compatible with the Slitheen."
The Doctor hesitated for only an instant. "We have no choice but to try."
"An event I would most certainly enjoy witnessing…" came Shakespeare's voice. He gestured with a gun. "Move along… I suspect even time travellers are vulnerable to a Wheellock Pistol." He removed his watch, and glanced at it. "Let us go – I have made a young fellow a promise and I do not want to be late."
But before anyone could move, there was a blue phasing effect – and the Alien Doctor and Nurse phased in… the others didn't have a chance to react when the Alien Doctor snatched the cane from Michelle. They activated the slitheen just as the Doctor dived at them with his super speed – he grabbed for the slitheen just as it flared into action… there was a sonic boom and a hole of blinding white light began to open – right in the Doctor's body. The Doctor disappeared, his sonic screwdriver dropping onto the cavern floor.
Romana and Shakespeare were flung backwards by the force of the opening… Romana striking her head on a rock outcropping and falling unconscious… Shakepeare's pistol and watch went flying.
The Alien Nurse had been wounded and was lying on the ground. The Alien Doctor hesitated briefly… then plunged through the hole.
"Follow him!" Nita shouted to the others.
Carolyn and Michelle hurried through the hole; Nita started after them, then stopped and looked back at Romana. She went to her, kneeled by her side, realizing she was badly hurt, feeling her pulse.
Shakespeare stood up, staring at the time hole through which the others had vanished. He hesitated for an instant, glanced at Nita, and then, as the hole was beginning to close, he dashed forward and jumped through. The hole closed. The cavern was quiet. Nita was now trapped in the 16th century.