Doctor Who_ Autumn Mist Part 15

'Perhaps that's what you tell yourself.'

'Is that what you seek from your pet mortal?'

Oberon laughed. 'My soul has always been complete. It needs nothing from others.'

'Then what?'

He hesitated, then wrapped an arm around her, his mind softly stroking hers. 'Taking our right. As we should.'

'We do take our right.'

'No.' He withdrew, irritated at her blindness. 'The humans no longer heed the terms of the truce '

'Their civilisation is mortal. These are different humans '

'Exactly! Ones who never agreed to the truce. Ones who we need not hide from. Ones who should be showing us our due respect.'

'And you expect to get that by interfering in their war?'

'If you really disapproved, you would stop me.'

'You know I can't do that!'

'Yes, I do,' he said happily. He came to her again. 'My Queen... I know that only I have the vision required to make things right between us and the mortal Men. That's why I am Amadan na Briona Amadan na Briona. You know that,' he added silkily, knowing just how to touch her mind to please her. 'So I will do this for you, because I know the laws constrain you from acting yourself.'

'More likely because you know they constrain me from stopping you.'

'That too,' he said quickly, with a grin.

Lewis had brought a new man in to take over security for the police station. He had been keen to find someone who wasn't gossiping about the oddities out there, and had finally found a suitably grizzled veteran with a platoon of men who had been attached to an artillery spotting unit.

Since their usual services were hardly needed in a besieged city, he had decided they would make an excellent defensive force for his headquarters. To that end, he and Sergeant Jeff Kovacs were currently supervising the installation of some anti-aircraft guns on the roof. There were two sets of .50-calibre quad guns that Kovacs had rescued from damaged half-tracks.

'The main thing,' Kovacs was saying, 'is to keep the planes from going over here. Artillery from outside we really can't do anything about, but they can't really see who's where from out there.'

'Good,' said Lewis. 'I don't want the Luftwaffe to disrupt my activities.' All things considered, he would rather make that the case by simply leaving the city. But he had waited too long, and now he was stuck here. 'If only it was so easy to stop the gossip,' he muttered.

'Gossip?' Kovacs echoed, in a tone that distinctly suggested such an activity was reserved for maiden aunts.

'The nonsense that's been going around about... weird stuff. You must have heard it. Things seen in the forest. Lights and shadows.'

Kovacs shook his head. 'Can't say I been listening. Sounds like people have got too much time on their hands.'

'Exactly,' Lewis said, pleased. Between Wiesniewski and what he'd been hearing from just about everyone at Garcia's hospital he had people monitoring it, naturally he was beginning to think the whole US Army had nothing better to do than chatter about things they shouldn't. Worse still, he couldn't tell them why they shouldn't without breaching more security regulations than he could count. It was the most frustrating situation he'd ever been in.

'Stories are stories,' said Kovacs. 'These guys are probably just reliving how they used to tell spook stories round the fire at summer camp. It's no big thing. It just helps them deal with what's going on in their heads. Besides, if I want to see things, I can always go get drunk.'

'Best way to do it,' Lewis agreed, readily. It was meant to be wise to find common ground with subordinates, though he'd rather he simply didn't have to deal with them.

'This looks secure enough,' Kovacs opined. 'The trick'll be to keep enough ammo on hand.'

'I'll see to that.' Lewis nodded to himself, or perhaps to his silent partner, whom he could feel at his shoulder. 'I could use a driver later. Meet me downstairs with a jeep at noon.'

'Yes, sir.'

Lewis ignored Kovacs's salute, and left.

He went back to his office, poured himself a whisky and sat back to flip through his private sc.r.a.pbook. He took it on every posting. It was far too sensitive to leave lying around at home, or even in his office in Was.h.i.+ngton.

He turned straight to the photos surrounding a news clipping about a bar-room brawl at which the sailors involved had literally vanished into thin air. No one with half a brain had believed the story, of course, but Lewis knew better. The technology he had been experimenting with had been primitive, and he certainly hadn't expected knock-on effects like that to last for days. But those were the good days, he recalled. Being an army observer to a navy yard back in the States was infinitely preferable to being stuck in a frozen battlefield halfway round the world.

But as not all had gone well at Philly a year ago, he and the others had been lucky to escape with their jobs and ranks. The USS Eldridge Eldridge had escaped, too, in a way disappeared, anyway. Disintegrated by the strains of the energy field that was used on it, he deduced. Just like those sailors in that bar-room. had escaped, too, in a way disappeared, anyway. Disintegrated by the strains of the energy field that was used on it, he deduced. Just like those sailors in that bar-room.

It had been a d.a.m.ned waste. The s.h.i.+p might not have been a good test bed, but she was good enough at her normal duties. And what an work of art she'd have been if the tests had worked out. He wouldn't be sitting in this Belgian dump now, that was for sure.

He felt the laugh before he heard it, and looked up to find the Amadan Amadan perched on the corner of his desk. As always he had a golden skin not just tanned, but literally like liquid gold, glowing faintly. perched on the corner of his desk. As always he had a golden skin not just tanned, but literally like liquid gold, glowing faintly.

'Why, Colonel,' the Amadan Amadan said mock-disapprovingly. 'Not busy with the affairs of running your army?' said mock-disapprovingly. 'Not busy with the affairs of running your army?'

'It's not my army,' Lewis reminded him. 'I'm just stuck here because I didn't get out quickly enough. Besides, I have the best mechanics hard at work on our project. There's not a lot I could do there other than get in the way.'

'Oh, I understand... But what a shame you don't see the fun there is in getting in the way.' The Amadan Amadan grinned magnificently. 'I know I would find it more fun if I could see you working to fulfil your part of our bargain,' he continued, with more of an edge in his voice. Lewis could imagine such an edge against his throat. grinned magnificently. 'I know I would find it more fun if I could see you working to fulfil your part of our bargain,' he continued, with more of an edge in his voice. Lewis could imagine such an edge against his throat.

'I've finished the designs and schematics. Sergeant Kovacs will take me to view the finished test beds at noon.'

'Test beds? What curious phrases you humans use. You have such little poetry in your souls.' The Amadan Amadan snapped his fingers. 'That reminds me. Why didn't you tell me he was here?' snapped his fingers. 'That reminds me. Why didn't you tell me he was here?'

'He? Who?'

'The Evergreen Man the Doctor.'

Lewis's ears p.r.i.c.ked up. The Amadan Amadan knew of the Doctor? 'He's out of the way ' knew of the Doctor? 'He's out of the way '

'Fool!' the Amadan Amadan spat, then recovered himself. 'Still, what ought I to expect from a mortal.' He took Lewis's head in his hands, and for a horrible, fearful moment Lewis felt sure he was going to try to twist it off. Instead, he simply brought his face closer. They were almost close enough to kiss, and yet Lewis could feel no movement of breath from the spat, then recovered himself. 'Still, what ought I to expect from a mortal.' He took Lewis's head in his hands, and for a horrible, fearful moment Lewis felt sure he was going to try to twist it off. Instead, he simply brought his face closer. They were almost close enough to kiss, and yet Lewis could feel no movement of breath from the Amadan Amadan's nose or mouth. 'The Evergreen Man will interfere with us. It is what he does.'

'What do you mean by interfere? Attack us?'

'No. That, I could understand. But he will protest and take a moral stand. So boringly predictable he just doesn't know how to enjoy himself. He feels the weight of the world on his shoulders but won't put his feet up and rest.'

'And what do you expect me to do?' Lewis asked.

The Amadan Amadan's skin burned rather than glowed. 'I expect you to kill him.'

Bearclaw had returned from standing a s.h.i.+ft on watch at one of the city's roads. He had hoped to thank the Doctor again, and now found him looking a little dazed in the street. 'Are you lost?' he asked.

'No,' the Doctor said, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes, as if trying to ward off a headache. 'Quite the opposite, in fact.' He jumped to his feet. 'It's time we sorted this mess out. I shall need to speak to Garcia and Wiesniewski...'

'Whatever it is,' Bearclaw said firmly, 'count me in, too. I owe you one.'

The Doctor shook his head. 'No, no one owes me '

'I do.' Bearclaw wasn't going to let this one go. 'You Brits. I should probably introduce you to that secret agent, Bond, who just turned up. You'd get on like a house on fire.' do.' Bearclaw wasn't going to let this one go. 'You Brits. I should probably introduce you to that secret agent, Bond, who just turned up. You'd get on like a house on fire.'

The Doctor looked up. 'Bond?'

'James Bond. We picked him up at ' He broke off as the Doctor laughed hard enough to need to steady himself with a hand on a bollard. 'Is something wrong?'

The Doctor recovered enough to shake his head with a wondering smile. 'Actually, I'd be very glad if you did bring him along. It sounds very much like I've made his acquaintance before...'

Fitz was in the back of an American half-track, wrapping himself around a hot coffee and wis.h.i.+ng it was a large Scotch. The top of the vehicle was open to the air it was cold, but at least it wasn't raining.

Before he could react, the Doctor suddenly vaulted into the half-track from the street outside and hugged him briefly. 'Good to see you again! I was so so worried!' worried!'

Fitz coughed, delighted but a little discomfited by this physical affection. 'No need to worry,' he said in his best Dr No Dr No Sean Connery. 'I was just doing my bit. Sorry I'm late.' Sean Connery. 'I was just doing my bit. Sorry I'm late.'

'I doubt you had much choice.'

'Actually,' Fitz admitted, 'I did. I had a stolen uniform and could have walked out of the German lines a couple of days ago.'

'Why didn't you get out when you could?' The Doctor sounded pleasantly surprised at Fitz's actions, but was looking at him approvingly. Fitz found himself feeling strangely pleased at that, but then told himself not to be. Surely the last person he wanted to impress was a nutty idealist with a martyr complex. Wasn't it?

'I saw something I thought you'd be interested in.' The Doctor, to his credit, looked suitably intrigued, and Fitz leaned in conspiratorially. 'There's a team of SS troops out there who aren't attached to the main attack. They've got a set of armoured cars, with these weird aerials on them.'

'"Weird" as in "anachronistic"?'

'Not exactly, I don't think. But weird as in too sophisticated to be just for radio or even radar. But they were definitely designed to detect something, and I think I know what.'

'Go on.'

It felt great to be the one explaining things to the Doctor for a change. He almost let himself slip into doing Andre Morell from Quaterma.s.s Quaterma.s.s. 'They had a prisoner at Lanzerath, but he wasn't just kept in by bars. They had to wire up some electrical generators to keep him locked up. I'm not sure how that works, but it was something to do with generating a field, because the bars weren't actually electrified. I got him out, and when we escaped into the woods he vanished.'

'Ran off?'

'Vanished,' Fitz repeated firmly.

'Tell me about this "prisoner" you helped escape,' the Doctor said.

Fitz s.h.i.+vered in spite of himself. 'Weird bloke. If it was a bloke. I mean, I don't know what he was or why they were holding him, but I do know he wasn't human.' He broke off, reluctant to go any further than that.

The Doctor wasn't put off in the slightest. 'What do you think he was?'

'I dunno, you're the expert.'

The Doctor smiled. And you're my man in the field.'

'OK. I reckon they're elves.' There, he'd said it, and he'd belt anyone who ha.s.sled him about it. 'I mean, I know it sounds b.l.o.o.d.y daft, but I dunno what else they could he. Well, apart from aliens pretending to be elves, which I suppose is what they really are. But even that would amount to the same thing, wouldn't it?'

The Doctor started to speak, but Fitz cut him off and continued. Might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb. 'Yeah, I know, you don't believe in magic, elves, fairies or Santa Claus. But Leitz is conducting research into exploiting the abilities of Light and Dark Elves. Those are the words he used. All the methods of whoever they are fit some folk tales or other. I rescued one from Leitz's camp, and it fitted every story my old mum used to tell me. What else do you want?'

'Actually, Fitz,' the Doctor said, 'I was just about to say well done. For want of a better word, they are, as you say, elves.'

'But naturally you know a better word, I suppose?' The Doctor always did.

'Naturally. It would probably be just as accurate to call them psychomaterial constructs from a parallel evolutionary path. But Sidhe will do well enough, since it's what they most commonly call themselves.'

Fitz opened and closed his mouth several times, like a goldfish. 'You mean I'm right?'

'One hundred per cent.'

'But that's ridiculous,' Fitz protested, aware of how typical this was. Even when he he was giving the explanation, he couldn't really believe it. 'Push off, I can't be right. Elves can't really exist.' was giving the explanation, he couldn't really believe it. 'Push off, I can't be right. Elves can't really exist.'

'The next time you see one, tell him that.' The Doctor suddenly c.o.c.ked his head. 'Leitz, did you say?'

'Yes. "Sturmbannfuhrer Jurgen Leitz." Bit of a ponce if you ask me.' Jurgen Leitz." Bit of a ponce if you ask me.'

The Doctor groaned and slapped himself on the forehead. 'That's what he said. Not "lights" but "Leitz". If I were this Sturmbannfuhrer Sturmbannfuhrer of yours I'd be worried. Lewis knows who he is, how far he's got, and has a local helper very much in the know.' of yours I'd be worried. Lewis knows who he is, how far he's got, and has a local helper very much in the know.'

'One of the Sidhe?'

'Oh yes. A very particular one, I suspect. Oberon. The Amadan na Briona Amadan na Briona. The only one who could dare act so openly.'

Fitz had never heard that phrase before. 'What's so special about him?'

'Basically the Sidhe pay homage to the two great forces in the universe: chaos and order. Their Queen personifies order, but that means they need a personification of chaos, too. So he can do anything he likes, and not be held responsible for his actions, because it's part of nature. His nature.'

'What's to stop him just knocking off the Queen and taking over?'

'Because that's not part of his nature. Chaos and order can only coexist. You can't have one without the other, because you need the other to judge it against. To define it against, in fact.' The Doctor looked into the distance. 'The same basic conflict can be seen time and time again throughout the universe...'

'What about us?' said Fitz, not feeling terribly metaphysical in this freezing weather. 'We're not Sidhe; can't we hold him responsible?'

'Yes we can,' the Doctor agreed. 'Their laws don't apply to us, when they're confining themselves to our level of reality. Come on!'

Kovacs didn't mind driving Lewis around. It wasn't real soldiering, but then he wasn't bothered one way or the other about fighting Germans, anyway. So one duty was as good for killing time as another.

Lewis had got him to drive out to a large farm at the edge of town. There, just within the defences, was the biggest barn Kovacs had ever seen. Mind you, there hadn't been a lot of barns in Brownsville East, back in New York.

There were six Sherman tanks here new ones, untouched by the dirt and dents of combat. Their dark-green paint was factory-new and unblemished. Kovacs had never seen a tank so clean outside an a.s.sembly plant itself, let alone half a dozen of them.

'Wait here,' Lewis said, his eyes bright with excitement. He looked like a kid on Christmas Morning, and Kovacs wondered what was so special about these Shermans. Then he noticed other differences, in addition to the fact that they were newer models with longer barrels and better-shaped armour. Strange circular plates hung down over the road wheels, but Kovacs couldn't guess what they were for. Since they just hung there on springs, they couldn't really be for extra protection in the way that a lot of German tanks had armoured skirts over their wheels.