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Part 5 – The Master and the Student The two junior Time Lords sat, locked in deep conversation. The firm, handsome features of the first were framed by dark hair and a neat beard. "Come along Theta, reveal to me your score!" "Very well my friend," the second, Theta, said earnestly, and he laid out the shiny cards he was holding onto the desk before him. "A pair of Kings!" he announced. The first player threw his own cards down in disgust. "That cannot be! It is a falsehood!" he cried. "I swear Doctor, from this day forth I shall hound you to the ends of time for this!" "Hang on a moment old chap," said a new voice. "Marti Pellow?" said the Master in disbelief. "Why, I've seen you in cultural recordings from the planet Earth." "It doesn't matter who I am," retorted the Doctor, trying to ignore the piercing gaze of his past self behind them. "Just look. Look at your own hand. Three Queens, see?"
"Why... thank you!" said the Master in surprise. "By Rassillon, what must you think of me. A sore loser no less!" He turned to the other player. "Doctor, I'm sorry. Please, you must take this victory in recompense for my childish outburst. And, stranger, come drink with us at Omega's Fountain tonight." "I'm afraid I must fly," smiled the Pellow-Doctor. "Now play nicely!" "We shall never fall into disagreement again," announced the Master. "I guarantee it, stranger." -- "There are just a few days left Doctor," noted Adric, etching a thick chalk mark on the console room wall to join a shaky row of many more. "It's gone so quickly," the Doctor replied, rubbing his head gingerly. "What a three months it's been eh? Adric?" "I'll say!" piped up the boy. "But there's one amazing sight the Universe has to offer that you haven't yet seen." "Is there?" "Oh yes." Adric moved closer to the Doctor, tucking his fingers into the hem of his khaki bottoms and preparing to yank them down. "I find that hard to believe," interjected the Doctor, swooping over to a small side-table and picking up a thick album of photos they'd been scanning through earlier for reference points. "We've been all over history and all over the galaxy, unpicking my every last regret like a tapestry. I've beaten Kublai Khan at Backgammon, tipped the wink to myself about Bennett and sent baby Davros to a better nursery." Adric continued the roll-call. "I've sent the Borad a Valentines Card, put the Holy Ghanta in a safety deposit box, short-circuited B.O.S.S and patented Spectrox. But I still say we should do a few more of my choices. These are all your fantasies Doctor. It may surprise you to learn that I have a few too." "Perhaps you're right. I'm sorry Adric," the Doctor said gently. "I spent so many years handling the web of time with kid gloves, feeling afraid of the consequences of my actions. I guess I just went a bit crazy, like a child in a sweetshop." "Look. There's still three days left," the Doctor continued. "And frankly I'm exhausted. Why don't I give those days to you, and you can play with the Universe for a while." "Would you?" "You deserve it!" smiled the Doctor. "Just wake me when the White Guardian arrives. This has been fun, but I'll be almost relieved when the timelines have been sorted out. Right now they must be in a right old mess." -- The sound of the alarm clock cannon-balled through the Doctor's mind like a dentists drill. He snapped open his eyes, and instantly felt wonderful for his rest. It was just under two and a half days since he'd self-induced deep sleep - he'd allowed a little time to prepare for the white Guardian and make maybe one more visit to see Galleia of Atlantis before it was time to finally relinquish his last life. All was quiet, and the Doctor wondered what his companion Adric had been up to while he'd slept. He wandered drowsily into the console room and studied the instruments - he couldn't believe it. Earth, and most of the Milky Way had been completely destroyed. As he stared at the console in disbelief, Adric appeared behind him, dressed only in a towel. "Doctor..." he began nervously. "Things haven't gone quite to plan..." -- Next: A Life Without Consequence |
He picked
the Master's discarded cards up off the floor.