PERILS
Chapter Thirty-Six
Helen's associate, who owned a large private boat that sometimes, for a fee, accommodated automobiles needing to cross the Hudson from the Hoboken 14th Street Pier to Manhattan, was surprised to see Helen Olivia Brice herself driving the Silver Ghost on board. He was even more surprised when, halfway across the river, a large blue box materialized, groaning and wheezing, on the upper deck. From the surprising box emerged Ruth Cantor and Helen's chauffeur, Francis Cox (one arm in a clean cotton sling), both known to the associate, and a tall, fair-haired man in exceedingly strange but not unpleasant attire, who introduced himself as "The Doctor" and professed delight at being on a boat that was not being torpedoed.
"He really is a doctor," averred Francis, showing off his sling.
"I'm really not," said the Doctor, "but I do have some minor skills in that direction. The Master is not the expert shot he purports to be."
Forty minutes later, the boat docked at Pier 17 and Helen, Ruth and Francis were preparing to disembark. The Doctor gave each woman an Alzarian coin as a memento of their friendship, and presented Francis with the goose feather (but refused to reveal its origins or significance). "For luck," is all he would say.
"We want to give you a parting gift as well, Doctor," said Helen.
"You've given me my life, and my freedom. What better gift could I ask for?"
Helen laughed. "Ruth and I decided, so you can't say no. Your friends are women, right?" The Doctor nodded. "We did a bit of shopping in Washington, and we went overboard as usual." She opened the trunk of the Ghost and pulled out two large valises, handing one to Ruth, who extracted from it an art nouveau linen shawl in pale blues and greens, both floral and geometric; Helen took from her valise a flowing silk scarf of pale blue and gold. "These are for your friends, for their patience, waiting for you!" She added, "We got them at Erlebacher's for ourselves, but we really are spoiled, you know."
"Thank you," said the Doctor, holding the gifts awkwardly.
"And for you," Helen continued, withdrawing from her pocketbook a patterned green hardback book with small gold-colored letters and a small golden design on its cover, "I finished reading this on the way down. You might enjoy it. I did." She offered it to the Doctor, who took it and examined it.
"Tono-Bungay, by H. G. Wells," he read aloud. "Thank you. I am sure I shall enjoy it too." He held the book, the scarf and the shawl loosely for a moment, then carefully folded the cloth items around the book and put them into one of his pockets. "Thank you," he repeated.
Then, before anyone could hug, or cry, Francis got into the back seat of the Ghost, the two women slid into the front seat, with Helen behind the wheel, and the Ghost rolled off of the boat, down a ramp and onto the pier. The Doctor tipped his Panama hat to the owner of the boat and retired to the TARDIS, which shortly further astonished said owner by dematerializing with the same groans and wheezes that had attended its startling sudden appearance almost an hour before.
*0*0*0*
"Did you forget something, Doctor?" Tegan was standing just where the Doctor had left her. He looked around for Nyssa. "She's in the loo, Doctor. What did you forget, then?"
"I…." The Doctor found himself momentarily disoriented and even a bit dizzy. Tegan grabbed his arm and peered into his face.
"Doctor, are you all right? You literally dematerialized and then reappeared in the same instant but you look all worn out. Look at you! Even your clothing looks the worse for wear! Come on. Let's go into the TARDIS."
"But Nyssa…."
"She'll find us. You think she won't notice the TARDIS sitting here? Come on." She led the Doctor back into the TARDIS, past the console and into the interior, where the Doctor stopped at Adric's room and placed one hand flat on the door and his cheek against the hand. "I miss him too," Tegan said. "You want to go in?" The Doctor nodded.
A few minutes later, when Nyssa returned, she found Tegan waiting for her outside the TARDIS. "He's back already?"
"He's not right," Tegan told her. "Something's wrong."
The Doctor was sitting on Adric's bed, staring into space, but he looked up when Nyssa and Tegan came in. "Ah, Nyssa," he said, happy to see her. She sat by him on the bed and took his hand.
"Doctor, what's wrong? Why are you back so soon and why do you look so… I don't know how to say how you look. Different. What has happened?"
"Tired," said Tegan, standing back. "He looks tired."
"Yes," said Nyssa, "but something else, too."
"Did you try the omelette?" asked the Doctor.
"We literally just got here, Doctor! You were gone less than a minute."
"Tegan," said Nyssa, "it obviously was more than a minute for the Doctor."
"I'm not sure. About two weeks, I think. Maybe more. It seemed like a lifetime."
"Two weeks! Well, no wonder you're all tuckered out! Oh my God, Doctor, you were in nineteen-fourteen, right? Were you in the war?"
"Only a little bit."
"How is there any such thing as a little bit of war?
At this the Doctor laughed. "I take your point." He sighed and stood up so Nyssa stood too. "I have a lot to tell you. And I've brought you presents, too! They're not from me, actually. I'll explain later. I just have to organize my thoughts a little. First, I think I need a Xymrovnan omelette and a cup of tea!" Nyssa and Tegan were agreeable to that so they walked through the console room, but before the Doctor opened the door, he said, "Did you know there is a Hoboken on this planet?" Both of his friends responded with blank stares. "Oh, it's a city in New Jersey."
"Is that where you were?"
"Among other places, Tegan. Many other places. But I was thinking it might be interesting to see this Hoboken while we're here."
"Are we staying a while, then?" asked Tegan. "That is, can we?"
"I'd like that, too," said Nyssa.
"All right."
The three of them left the TARDIS and walked along a green boardwalk above the blue sand (somewhat littered with flyers but still exotic) stretching out to the milk-white sea. "I gave you lot all my rova," said the Doctor. "You can buy me a cup of tea and a nice omelette. Oh, look, darts!" He stopped and looked through the window of the Xymrovnan equivalent of a pub. Nyssa and Tegan looked at each other, and then followed the Doctor into the pub. He went straight to the dart board, hanging in a dark corner and not in use at all, and picked up a handful of darts. His first throw hit the bullseye. His second dart split the first dart. His third dart split the second. He never got to throw the fourth dart because the proprietor was averse to having his darts destroyed and asked the Doctor and his friends to leave the establishment.
Back out on the boardwalk, the Doctor, more and more animated as he walked (and sometimes skipped), led the way, observing everything around him with a delight born not only of the balmy weather, the charm of the seaside town and the comforting presence of his companions, but of no long being homeless, lost and mercilessly hunted down (and occasionally caught and tormented) by a psychopath. They passed three omeletterias before the Doctor chose one that appealed to him and in they went, sitting down on pillows around an oval table. While they waited for their omelettes, Tegan commented upon the Doctor's prowess at the dartboard. "You rocked, Doctor. I've never seen anything like it. I bet if you'd thrown a hundred darts you wouldn't have missed once."
"Tegan," said the Doctor, looking at his reflection in her eyes, "I never miss."
THE END