Doctor Who_ Divided Loyalties Part 27

You remember that feeling, Tegan Jovanka. Remember those emotions, that incident and everything a.s.sociated with it.

Why?

Because the Doctor lied. He's about to perform that kind of separation on someone else - not the father of his travelling companion, but someone he hasn't considered rescuing in centuries.

And I'm afraid we must stop him, because if our G.o.d loses his power Dymok will be destroyed.

Why?

Chant, my brethren, chant! Louder than ever!

And Tegan? Here's that little secret I promised you...

4.

Never Turn Away

Where the h.e.l.l have they got to?' Oakwood threw a look at the Doctor, suggesting it was all his fault.

Which, upon reflection, it probably was.

To be quite fair, Commander, I didn't ask Dieter to go after Nyssa.'

I could go and look for them,' Desorgher suggested, but Braune put a hand on his shoulder, restraining his enthusiasm as well as his moving. No, lad. Two missing is enough in this place.'

The Doctor looked hard at Braune. Did the security man also blame him? And if he did, well, why not? He had brought them here - even if the psychic call of the Toymaker/Rallon was the reason he did so.

The dream he'd had in the TARDIS came back to him. Had the Toymaker or Rallon mentally trapped him? Placed co-ordinates in his mind so instead of actually getting to Heathrow for Tegan, he took them all to Little Boy II. Little Boy II.

Oh, finally it falls into place,' said the Toymaker from the arched doorway. I see my faithful have all gone - no doubt to listen to the treacherous words of the Observer. He amused me for a while, as did all the Dymova, but perhaps it is time to cleanse this planet of vermin. I grow weary of their demands.'

He raised his hand as if to perform a spell.

No! Wait,' the Doctor stepped forward. It's me you want, no one else. Leave the Dymova. Leave these people and face me.

Alone.'

Oakwood stepped forward too, but the Doctor turned to him.

Er, Commander. I rather think this is best left to me, if you don't mind.'

Oh really?' Oakwood looked less than impressed.

Begone,' muttered the Toymaker, and the Little Boy II Little Boy II party were, indeed, no longer there. You are wrong, Doctor. They do have a part to play. Oh, and take that look off your face. They are perfectly safe. Some of my a.s.sociates from the toyshop are finding something interesting for them to do.' party were, indeed, no longer there. You are wrong, Doctor. They do have a part to play. Oh, and take that look off your face. They are perfectly safe. Some of my a.s.sociates from the toyshop are finding something interesting for them to do.'

That's what worries me,' confessed the Doctor, and the Toymaker laughed.

Come, Doctor. Old friends such as you and I have much to discuss. Time has pa.s.sed and I have readied a new challenge for you.'

No more trilogic games?' In a previous battle with the Toymaker, the Doctor had barely escaped the realm. The Toymaker had used a game based around building three pyramids without letting a smaller triangular block rest atop a larger one and the Doctor had resorted to trickery to escape.

Cheating, I called it,' the Toymaker interrupted, disturbing his reverie. You spotted my clue above?'

The Toymaker raised a finger and pointed upwards, towards the surface of the planet.

Of course. The black pyramid, the indentations and the two stumps on either side. A giant trilogic game - that's what gave it away.'

The Toymaker smiled. You gain a few bonus points for that deduction, Doctor.'

Like what?'

Like I shall not destroy the Dymova nor, by a.s.sociation, your wilful friend Tegan.' He gestured expansively. Not yet, leastways!'

And the Doctor was back in the realm.

There was no sign of Rallon. Instead a grubby-looking man was standing on one side of the Toymaker He looked the epitome of malicious intent.

Presumably he was one of the Toymaker's previous victims, allowed to serve his master as a human rather than a toy.

Say h.e.l.lo to the Doctor, Stefan.'

Stefan did no such thing.

Poor Stefan has endured my stories of you for many... well, for rather a long time.'

And you do go on so.'

The Toymaker chuckled. It has been said, Doctor, it has indeed been said. Now, of course you remember my Magic Robot, I'm sure. A product of the planet Kapekkca. I use it and thus Kapekkca still exists. Toys that amuse me survive, as do their homeworlds. Some toys bore me. Some of those no longer have a homeworld. Your three friends amuse me.

Tegan Jovanka and those from that s.p.a.ce station orbiting dear Dymok are from Earth - a planet whose inhabitants I delve into frequently as the sheer scope of imagination there is a never-ending well of excitement. Nyssa is from Traken. It no longer exists, so I have no need to see whether she amuses me.

Similarly, Adric. His adopted world of Terradon, or his true home Alzarius, are in Exo s.p.a.ce and are frankly too much bother for too little reward. So none of them intrigue me greatly. I could just erase them, but I feel that would upset you, so I won't.'

Thank you.'

The Toymaker laughed. Oh you are so charming, Doctor.

So... beguiling to have around. Observe my memory mirror - it shows us an image that I'm sure you'll agree is quite entertaining.'

The Doctor stared at the sculptured gla.s.s mirror, oval and man-sized, that hung effortlessly in the air. Beside it stood another man - eighteenth-century dress, probably some small-time con artist from the American mid-West. Paddle-steamers and all that.

Allow me to present Monsieur LeFevre. Sleight of hand is his speciality.'

LeFevre nodded to the Doctor, who responded in kind, albeit with an exaggeration that bordered on irony.

In the mirror, or maybe through it, the Doctor could see green fields. As his viewpoint s.h.i.+fted away and up, he realised the fields were in fact squares on a vast chess board.

Behind you Doctor, dear Stefan is showing you a blank frame.'

Indeed, Stefan was. He held a tin out to the Doctor.

Humbug, Doctor?'

Are you?' the Doctor retorted, refusing the tin.

Oh very droll,' snapped the Toymaker. Just take the tin, Doctor, my patience is not absolute.'

The Doctor took the tin but turned again to regard the Toymaker. The transformation was quite remarkable - he was scowling and his whole demeanour, indeed his physical look, had darkened.

Keeping Rallon's essence inside him active was causing these schizoid moments.

The Toymaker's face was gone. In its place was Rallon's, grimacing with the effort of taking momentary control. If you separate us - maybe he'll finally die. And I certainly will.

That's why I called you here. To kill me. Us. To finish what you started.'

I can't,' the Doctor shouted desperately. Don't you understand, I don't know how. I don't think it's even possible.

I can only give you the same answer I gave Nyssa when she asked about her father and the Master. It cannot be done.'

The Toymaker was back in control, although he staggered slightly with the effort. I do want to be rid of Rallon, Doctor.

That's the reason I summoned you. He wants to kill me but I'm too strong for that. A guardian cannot die. But I need a replacement body, Doctor, and you will be that replacement.'

The Doctor shook his head. Why should I give in so easily?'

The Toymaker had regained his original demeanour now, all smiles and gestures. Oh, it'll be a battle, Doctor. A two-p.r.o.nged a.s.sault. You and all your friends are free to go if, and it's a big if I have to say, your white team beats my red team at chess and and you complete the jigsaw puzzle within the humbug tin.' you complete the jigsaw puzzle within the humbug tin.'

The tin burst open and four thousand jigsaw pieces flew up and positioned themselves in an empty frame floating in the air.

There, I've made it a bit easier for you.'

The Doctor looked at the jigsaw - the picture was clearly of him. It was also on the reverse, but upside down and back to front.

I said easier, Doctor. Not easy.'

Oh, thank you very much.'

But you must complete the puzzle at exactly the same moment as your chess team wins or you become mine.

Complete it a moment before or a moment after and all this disappears.'

The Doctor nodded. But I, of course, stay behind and build a new realm as your new... co-host, yes?'

Precisely. I grow bored of white, Doctor. Next time, I might go for a more rustic look - wooden beams, a coal fire. Something that would fire your imagination. Rallon's has got weary, Doctor.

A white void is the best he can do. Pitiful, really.'

Why not bond with one of your pets here - Stefan for instance?'

He's human, Doctor. Most of the creatures I beat at my games are ephemeral. They could not survive the replacement process. That's why I took Rallon from you in the first place. A Time Lord. Such possibilities, such promises... The Toymaker stopped suddenly and gazed into the monitor on the Robot's chest. Oh look, the last dregs of your team are arriving!'

Adric was still running. Why he was no longer on the s.p.a.ce station, but in a meadow complete with cows and daisies (weren't cows black and white rather than green and yellow and wearing bowler hats?) he didn't know. Or care. Nor did he ponder the fact that he was adult again.

All he knew was that he was running from... something.

He looked again at the cows.

Morning,' said one in a feminine voice, raising a bizarrely well-jointed leg to doff its hat at him.

Good morning...' he began to reply. This is silly. Cows don't talk.'

Maybe not on your world, little pink creature, but we do.