Doctor Who_ The Highlanders Part 15

The Colonel raised the lorgnette dangling from his lapel and inspected Polly, Ben, and the Doctor. 'And who are these vagabonds?'

The Doctor bowed very low, putting on his German accent. 'Doctor von Verner, at your service, Colonel.

Remedies for the ague, warts, the twitch, the colic, and...'

he glanced down at the Colonel's slippered feet, 'for the gout, sir.'

The Colonel leaned back, a little overwhelmed by all this. 'Gout, man? I haven't got gout.'

The Doctor rushed on quickly. 'But that's not why I'm here, sir. Oh no, I wouldn't waste your time with that. A fine healthy gentleman like yourself. It's just, this ring, you see, sir...' He held up the Prince's ring.

Algernon, his fuddled thoughts clearing, now saw an opportunity to get away from the Doctor without compromising himself. 'Uh, perhaps,' he coughed, 'we'd better get back to the game, sir. The night air, you know, and all that.'

'Blast the night air,' said the Colonel. 'Let me see that.'

He s.n.a.t.c.hed the ring from the Doctor. 'By gad,' he said, 'the Pretender's s.h.i.+eld. Where did you get this from?'

The Doctor stood back and waved his hand. Well, sir,'

he said, 'you go up there and over there, and then round to your left, and then a little to the right, and then, vell, we were taking the Lieutenant there, you see.'

Algernon put his hand to his head. 'Uh, the game, sir,'

he said.

'Confound the game,' said the Colonel, 'this is the Prince's ring. Now go with them, Ffinch, there's a good fellow. Take a detachment.'

'Ach, nein, sir, nein,' said the Doctor, putting his finger to his nose.

Colonel Attwood was not used to being contradicted.

'What man?'

The Doctor went on quickly. 'It would alarm the rascals, sir. We are enough to capture him. If we take some soldiers, he will see us coming.'

'Hmmm,' the Colonel considered for moment. 'You're right.' He turned around. 'What are you waiting for, Lieutenant, you have your orders.'

Algernon saluted weakly. 'But sir, this wench here,' he pointed to Polly, and as he did so, Polly, who was wearing Algernon's identification disc around her neck, started pulling it out. 'No, sir,' Algernon went on. 'No, sir, very good sir, very...' Again Algernon saluted, turned, and started moving off with Ben and Polly on each side.

The Doctor paused for a moment. The Colonel turned to him. 'Oh, when you have him...' he said.

The Doctor nodded and winked. 'Ve must bring him straight to you. Right, sir?'

The Colonel smiled and nodded. 'Good chap,' he said.

'Good chap.'

The Doctor touched his hat and scurried off to the others.

'Oh,' the Colonel had one final thought. He called after the Doctor. 'You don't play whist by any chance, do you?'

The Doctor turned back. 'Ach, unfortunately no, sir.

Vhy?'

'Oh, nothing, never mind. Later, perhaps.' And the Colonel turned around and went back into the barracks.

17.

A Return to the Cottage Several hours later, having retraced the weary miles from Inverness to Culloden Moor, the Doctor and his friends, still with Lieutenant Ffinch in tow, arrived back at the cottage. Polly, who felt that Algernon was her special charge, had tried to make the Lieutenant's load lighter by keeping up a ceaseless flow of chatter, only a quarter of which Ffinch had comprehended. But Ben and the Doctor noticed that while he resented taking orders from them, Polly could, as Ben put it, twist him around her little finger.

They arrived back at the cottage just as the early sun was warming the air on the moor. As they stood outside, Jamie and Ben looked up at the ropes still hanging from the tree.

'I won't forget this place in a hurry,' said Ben.

The Doctor turned to Algernon Ffinch. 'I don't know how we can ever thank you, Lieutenant. We could never have made it without your help.' Indeed, there had been four brushes with English patrols, at each of which the Lieutenant had concocted a story that enabled them to go on their way.

'I told him all about Mr Grey's activities,' said Polly.

Ben nodded. 'Yeah, you better nab him quick. He's slippery, that geezer.'

'In that case,' said Algernon, 'I had better start looking for the detachment I left down here under Sergeant Klegg.

Leave the British soldier too long to his own devices, and lord knows what can happen.'

Polly came forward, took the Lieutenant's identification disc from around her neck, and then rather tenderly brought out the lock of his hair from her pouch. 'Here,' she said, 'you deserve these back now.'

'Ah, yes,' said Ffinch. He took the identification disc from her a little embarra.s.sed, then handed her back the lock of hair. 'If you'd like...' he began.

Polly nodded, her eyes bright. 'I'd love to,' she said. She took the lock of hair and tenderly placed it back in her pouch, just as a line of red-coated soldiers appeared from around the side of the cottage with Grey at their head.

Jamie and Ben reached for the pistols stuck in their belts, but the Doctor stopped them quickly. Resistance was useless. The troops who had been concealed around the cottage, now came out of hiding, some twenty of them with levelled muskets. The Doctor put his hands up in the air, followed by Ben and Jamie.

'I thought you would return here, Doctor,' Grey's voice was precise and silken with menace.

He bowed to Algernon with just a touch of irony in his manner and voice. 'May I congratulate you on having caught these rebels, Lieutenant. I'm sure it will lead to promotion for you.'

The Sergeant in charge of the detachment came over and saluted. 'Lieutenant Ffinch, sir.'

Algernon looked at him. 'Ah, Sergeant Klegg, I'm glad to see you.' He looked around. 'And my men,' he said.

'Good work, Sergeant.'

Grey had been standing somewhat impatiently while the Lieutenant and the Sergeant exchanged courtesies. Now he came forward, speaking curtly to the Lieutenant. 'You can escort them back to Inverness with me, Lieutenant. We'll see that this rogue,' he pointed to the Doctor, 'and his confederates do not escape the gallows this time.'

Polly turned to him. 'We spared your life, Mr Grey,' she said. 'Don't you think you owe us one for that?'

Grey stepped past Ffinch and the sergeant and looked at her. 'Certainly, my fine lady,' he said. 'I'll spare you the gallows. Instead, I'll have you whipped at the tail of a cart from one end of Inverness to the other.' His eyes glowed.

'I'll have you whipped until '

'Enough!' Grey turned in surprise. Algernon Ffinch stepped forward, furious.

Grey looked back at him, coldly. 'Were you talking to me, sir?'

'Yes, sir,' said Algernon, 'I've heard the whole story of your schemes from this young lady here.'

'What?' Grey stepped back.

The Doctor stepped forward. 'Wicked times we live in.

A prison commissioner using his office to smuggle rebels out of the country.'

Grey turned back, his eyes more snakelike than ever, almost hissing as he spoke. 'You're wasting your breath, Doctor, it was all perfectly legal. The prisoners chose to sign the contracts of transportation to the Colonies.'

'Contracts?' said the Doctor. 'I don't believe I saw any contracts. Did you, Ben?'

'Wouldn't know what they was,' said Ben. 'Would you?'

he turned to Jamie.

'I ken nothing about contracts,' said Jamie.

For the first time, Grey appeared a little fl.u.s.tered. 'A lie, Lieutenant,' he said. 'The contracts were signed, and I have them right here.' He felt in his pocket... then his face changed colour. He patted the other pocket, then the other.

'I know they were '

The Doctor shook his head. 'Tut, tut,' he said. 'Sad, isn't it? Once a promising legal talent, too.'

Grey turned desperately, seeing the game was up. 'I warn you, Lieutenant, if you '

'I've had enough of your warnings, and your threats.'

Ffinch turned to the Sergeant. 'Gag him, and take him to prison under escort.'

The Sergeant saluted, then hesitated. 'Uhm... and these prisoners, sir?' he said.

'I'll take care of them,' said Algernon. 'After all,' he said, 'they are Crown witnesses against that rogue.' He pointed to the fuming Grey. 'I'll rejoin you later, Sergeant.'

The Sergeant saluted, turned around, called his men to order and, with Grey marching between them, the Redcoats set out down the track away from the cottage. No one spoke until the last Redcoat had turned the corner.

Then Polly, wide-eyed, turned back to Algernon.

'Algy,' she said, 'why did you do all this?'

Algernon stiffened, his eyes looking above her head. 'A chance to put paid to a villain, ma'am.'

Polly went up to him and put her hand on his tunic. 'It wasn't just that was it?'

Algernon cleared his throat. 'Uh... not quite, ma'am.'

'Polly,' said Polly softly.

'Polly,' said Algernon. 'I must go.'

'Thank you, Algernon Alfred,' To the Lieutenant's intense embarra.s.sment, Polly put her arms around his neck and kissed him goodbye. As she did so, a string of musket shots burst from the moor.

The Lieutenant, his face scarlet, turned to the Doctor. 'I wouldn't linger here, you know, they're still scouring the moors for rebels.' He saluted, gave one last look at Polly, and then marched quickly after his men.

'Whoopee!' Ben yelled. 'Now let's get back to the TARDIS.'

'Do you know where it is?' said Polly.

Ben nodded. 'You bet, just over the hill there.'

'TARDIS?' Jamie looked at them.

Polly smiled. 'You'll understand in time.'

'Aye,' Jamie shook his head, 'there's much I do not understand. Where did those contracts vanish to?'

'Yes, Doc,' said Ben. 'Where did they go?'

The Doctor backed away from them. 'I haven't the foggiest idea,' he said, 'unless...' he felt in his pockets.

Ben and Polly looked at each other. They knew exactly what was coming.

'You old fraud,' said Ben.

'Well,' said the Doctor, 'imagine that.' He extracted three large parchment sheets from his pocket and proceeded to tear them into shreds.