PERILS
Chapter Nine
A.J. and the Doctor decided that the former should not go to the work site the next day, even to pick up his paycheck. Mrs. Salt let A.J. use her telephone to call some of his coworkers and ask them to pick up his check without making it obvious which one of them was doing so. Lou said she would take care of the eliminator (which she wrapped in two napkins, then encased in a Mallomars box) and the Doctor should leave everything to her; it was her turn, then, to use Mrs. Salt's phone to arrange her promised "everything." She and A.J. each left a nickel on the side table by the settee.
The next morning the drizzle had turned into moderate rain, and between that and the increase in already oppressive heat, New York City was a study in gray lethargy. Even A.J. seemed wilted, although he insisted he was fine and grumbled about having to stay out of sight. The Doctor, on the other hand, was a bundle of nervous energy. He wasn't sure what to do or where to go next, but he was eager to do it or go there. Mrs. Salt's parlor was pleasant enough but he needed to find his TARDIS, fly away from whatever new nonsense the Master had devised for him, and get back to Nyssa and Tegan.
Lou was out all morning but returned to meet a private student at noon. When the lesson was over she hastened to tell A.J. and the Doctor how her morning had gone.
"I took the gadget to Charlotte's house. She has indoor plumbing but they never took their outhouse down so I went out back and pretended to use it. I buried the do-hickey behind the outhouse. I am very, very sure I was not observed. I, um, borrowed a spoon to do this deed, and I buried it with the thing. Sorry, Charlotte!" She giggled. "Oh, and I brought the Mallomar box back out of the house, held it under my arm in fact, so if your enemy was watching he'd think I still had the thing. Yes, you may bow to my brilliance now."
A.J. and the Doctor bowed.
"Furthermore, I enlisted the aid of my friend Mary, who took the box from me, just like a relay racer. God knows where she took it but she promised to pass it on to a friend of hers, and that friend…. Well, anyway, they should lead your enemy a merry chase, and meanwhile the gadget is buried and gone, and maybe no one was watching at all. Maybe your enemy went to Central Park!"
"And maybe he is outside this house right now," said a morose A.J. "I want my clothes back." To the Doctor, he added, "What can he do without his weapon?"
"Oh," said the Doctor, "he is an accomplished hypnotist. He can put you under his power in an instant. In fact, if he hadn't needed your clothing, he probably would have had you pushing me off the girder for him."
"I would never do that."
"You'd be surprised what the Master can make you do."
"Master?" Lou was unimpressed. "What's he the master of?"
"Chaos," sighed the Doctor. "Evil. Destruction."
"Charming."
*0*0*0*
Lou taught only two more lessons that afternoon; most of her students were working adults who only had evenings free, and some only had weekends. Her evening lessons were to start after supper, which was a communal affair with Mrs. Salt, A.J. and the Doctor (who paid out of pocket, as they were not lodgers), and three legitimate tenants: Eugene, Martin and Sally, all employed in the garment district on an early shift. Mrs. Salt's meat loaf was tasty and filling. The only vegetable on the table was celery, which pleased the Doctor, who was ready to replace his boutonniere again, and the desperation pie did not taste of desperation, even though its lack of substantial ingredients were born thereof. Lou and Mrs. Salt dominated the conversation, sticking to such light topics as when the rain might end, whether ordinary people were physically equipped to tango or whether some sort of athletic training might be required, and whether Trehawke Davies – or any woman at all, for that matter - had any business flying an airplane. The Doctor largely kept his mouth shut, except to consume the hearty meal. Lou more than made up for that, expressing an opinion on anything and everything and keeping the table alive with laughter.
The laughter was interrupted by the appearance of the Master in the dining room, He was no longer wearing A.J.'s clothes; he was an impressive figure in black, and knew it. "Pardon me," he purred, "but no one came to the door. I hope you don't mind terribly. In fact, I am certain you won't mind because I am the Master and you will obey me."
"The hell we will!" cried Lou, and Mrs. Salt frowned. Sally merely looked quizzical.
"Stand up," ordered the Master. A.J., Eugene and Martin stood. The Doctor gripped A.J.'s arm but A.J. seemed unaware of his presence until the Master continued, "Bring the Doctor to me." Lou leapt up to protest, but A.J., being the nearest, ignored her and ushered the unresisting Doctor to the Master. "Make him kneel." A.J. pushed the Doctor to his knees. "Very good. You may sit."
Mrs. Salt and Lou tried to interpose themselves between the Master and the Doctor but the Doctor said, "Stay back. There is nothing you can do."
"Very wise, Doctor. Now tell me where my tissue compression eliminator is and I won't have to harm any of these people."
"Let them be. They have nothing to do with this."
"Be that as it may, I shall be compelled to destroy them if you do not cooperate."
"How? You're unarmed."
"I have allies now. A.J., my good friend, what is the name of that ravishing young woman with the dark hair?"
"Lou."
"Lou. What a charming name. A.J., would you be so kind as to smack Lou in the face as hard as you can?"
A.J. smacked Lou across the mouth. She cried out and fell against the table, but caught herself. She didn't even bother to raise a hand to touch the blood pooling at the corner of her mouth, nor did she cry out a second time. The Doctor, on the other hand, did cry, "No, stop! Just take me! Leave her alone!"
"Tell me where it is Doctor."
"I don't know. I don't have it."
"A.J. do you know where my tissue compression eliminator is?"
"Yes, Master."
"Where is it?"
"It is buried behind an outhouse."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"Do you know who buried it?"
"Yes, Master."
"Who buried it?"
"Lou, Master."
"A.J., bring Lou to me." A.J. brought Lou to the Master, but she broke and ran.
"Run, Lou, run!" shouted Mrs. Salt.
"After her!" shouted the Master. A.J. obeyed. The Doctor threw himself at the Master, pushing him back against a wall, then grabbing his legs and pulling him down to the floor. Mrs. Salt was on him in an instant, and by that time Sally had figured out at least that the Master was an enemy, so she helped Mrs. Salt to subdue him as the Doctor fled the house and pursued A.J. and Lou. The Master tried to call out an order to the two remaining men, but Mrs. Salt put her hand over his mouth. He bit her hand but she kept it there anyway, loosening a scarf from her neck with the other hand, and, with Sally's help, gagging the hapless villain. Since he was otherwise unhampered, the Master immediately reached for the gag, compelling Mrs. Salt to sit on him, holding both of his hands.
"Marty! Gene! Snap out of it!" she cried. The two men looked around, dazed. "Come help me!" The two women and Martin got the Master stretched out on the floor, face down, and secured his hands and ankles with some measuring tape Eugene got from his room. "Don't let him talk and don't let him go!"
The four of them hauled the Master out through the kitchen and out the back door, into the rain and the muddy yard, and finally into the outhouse, where they sat him down, then (as an afterthought from Eugene) stood him up, pulled his pants down and sat him back down again, closing the door on him and repairing back to the house, where Mrs. Salt called the police.
*0*0*0*
Lou was athletic and ran fast but A.J. was taller, just as athletic and faster. He caught up with her a few blocks west of Mrs. Salt's place and grabbed her in full view of a number of people coming up from the subway; no one approached to help her. She broke free and sped down the subway steps, and down bounded A.J. after her, followed closely this time by the Doctor. Lou jumped the turnstile and A.J. jumped it after her. The ticket booth attendant yelled and went after them, and the Doctor found himself at the back of that particular parade, but was just able to see Lou duck out of A.J.'s grasp; A.J. flew over the edge, onto the track.
Lou screamed, the attendant stopped and pulled out his walkie-talkie and the Doctor leapt onto the track, avoiding the electrified third rail. A.J. had miraculously missed that rail as well, but a train was hurtling toward them. The Doctor grabbed A.J. and pressed him into the trough, flattened himself atop A.J., made sure both of their heads were turned to the side and closed his eyes. The train, an express, roared over them without touching them.