Doctor Who_ Return Of The Living Dad Part 13

'He wasn't here when I arrived.'

'Well,' said Benny. 'Er. What can I do for you?'

'The TARDIS is gone,' he said.

'What? Do you mean pinched gone or dematerialized gone?'

'I woke up in the middle of the night, and she was gone.'

He shook his head, slowly. For someone who hardly ever slept, he looked as though he could use eight hours right about now. 'I don't think she dematerialized. I think someone has picked her up and carried her away.'

Benny was about to leap out of the bed and into action when she realized this would also mean leaping into conspicuous nudity. 'Right,' she said. 'What do we do?'

The Doctor didn't move, a shadowy shape in his chair.

'Benny,' he said, 'I think someone's trying to tell me something.'

'What do you mean?'

'I don't think I'm welcome here.'

'Of course you're welcome here. You and Dad have got to stop trying to second-guess one another. When are you going to realize you're on the same side?'

The Doctor just shook his head. 'I'm going to go and look for her, Benny.' He took the bleeping machine out of his pocket. The little black box's lights and noises were silent. 'I expect her to be somewhere in the area.'

'Hang on,' sighed Benny. 'I'll pull on some clothes and come with you.'

'No,' he said. 'I want you to stay here, with your father.'

He put the machine away in his pocket and stood up.

'They're having breakfast downstairs,' he said. 'I've been talking to Myn Jareshth. He screamed when he saw me, Benny.'

Screamed! 'Why?'

'I want you you to talk to your father, Benny.' He took her hand, suddenly, squeezed it tightly, standing beside the bed. to talk to your father, Benny.' He took her hand, suddenly, squeezed it tightly, standing beside the bed.

'You know me,' he said. 'Tell him what I'm like.'

Realization dawned. 'You think Dad took the TARDIS,'

she breathed. 'Why would he do something like that?'

'I'm going to go into Newbury,' he said. 'Just for a day or so. Ia Jareshth was terrified of me. I want to give her a chance to come back.'

Benny pulled his hand until he leant down, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He blinked. 'Trying to keep all these egos intact is wearing me out,' she said. 'I'll bet Jason is off somewhere having a good sulk.'

'I'll leave you to talk to Isaac, then...'

'I wish the two of you would talk to one another,' she said. 'At least come downstairs and have breakfast first.'

Joel was grinding his teeth on a chunk of gum which had long since lost its flavour. He was making mountains of toast and fried eggs (free-range, on Ms Randrianasolo's insistence).

The Admiral, of course, was making coffee.

The Doctor's other companions were talking quietly over their breakfast. The big blond guy, Chris, caught Joel's eye and smiled. He abandoned his third helping of eggs and wandered over to the counter.

'Do you guys want a hand or anything?' he said, reading Joel's CAFFEIND T-shirt.

Joel sc.r.a.ped the acc.u.mulated burnt gunk off the griddle.

'No, that's okay,' he said, around the gum. 'This is my job, this and the gas station. What're you guys going to do today?'

Chris waved his hand. 'That depends,' he said. Joel matched his glum look.

'Joel,' said the Admiral, 'could you give me a hand with this?'

'Sure.' Joel picked up a dishcloth and went to the sink.

'Um,' said Chris.

Joel looked up. The tall man was pointing behind him, at the cooker, his mouth slightly open. Joel turned around, expecting to see the stove in flames.

The white plastic spatula was moving by itself, continuing to lift the fried eggs off the cooker and pile them onto a plate.

As Cwej watched, the spatula flipped an egg out of the carton with its handle. It flicked the broken halves of the sh.e.l.l aside and hopped back to the counter, away from the heat.

'Oh,' said Joel, relieved, 'that's just Graeme.'

Chris looked at him. 'Graeme the spatula?'

The spatula gave a little bow.

'Right,' said Chris. He sat back down again.

Ms R and Albinex came in. They both looked like death warmed up. No one, thought Joel, had had a good night.

This morning Joel had been woken by a crash of thunder. He'd pulled the covers over his head and waited for his heartbeat to slow back down. At last he'd reached a hand out from under the covers, found the clock radio. He breathed out a sigh as a voice announced 'Synchronicity II.' Saved by DLT again.

When he'd emerged from his bedroom, he'd found the Admiral in crisis mode, making phone calls in the dim light of the coffee shop.

Isaac's daughter was coming down the stairs, followed by a grumpy-looking Doctor.

He didn't look like much, really. A short man of indeterminate age wearing slightly odd clothes. It must be camouflage, Joel decided. The clothes looked ordinary until you got close enough to take a look. The man looked ordinary until your invasion fleet unexpectedly dropped into the sun.

He gave Bernice a smile. 'Eggs?'

'Yes,' said the Doctor, 'they are.'

Bernice smiled back at Joel. He handed her a plate.

'Have you seen Jason?' she asked. Joel shook his head.

The Doctor stood at the counter, one hand tapping out a preoccupied rhythm, looking up and down the cafe as though he was missing something. Joel glanced between him and the Admiral, feeling that uncomfortable feeling when you're sandwiched between two people who aren't talking.

Benny looked as though she was going to lean over the counter and kiss the Admiral, but instead she said, 'Morning, Daddy.'

Joel glanced at his fearless leader, who was taken aback, fighting down a smile. 'Has there been any news about Ia Jareshth?' Benny asked. The Admiral shook his head.

'I have only one thing to say,' said the Doctor.

Everyone turned to look at him. If there'd been a piano it would have stopped playing.

'Jasper,' he said.

Ms R said, 'Stewart.'

The Doctor stopped drumming.

'Oh,' said Ms Randrianasolo. 'What a giveaway.'

The Admiral was looking at Ms R, his face unreadable.

Even though he'd been here only a few months, Joel could see the quiet anger in the slope of his shoulders. 'What's this?' he said.

'Last night,' said the Doctor, 'someone tried to read my mind while I was sleeping. I implanted a small post-hypnotic command so I could identify them. Every time they hear the name Jasper -'

'Stewart!' hiccuped Ms R.

The Doctor walked up to her. 'I gather you're the resident psychic.'

'What have you done to me?' she said softly.

'Nothing that can't easily be fixed.' He reached up suddenly and tweaked her earlobe. 'There.'

Ms Randrianasolo rubbed her ear. 'I'm sorry,' she said.

The Doctor walked to the door, plucking his hat from one of the hooks. 'You know,' he told Isaac, 'it's possible you haven't found your missing alien because you've been looking in the wrong place.'

He left.

Joel let out the breath he'd been holding. He and the Admiral exchanged glances. Isaac walked around the counter and peered at Ms R. 'Are you all right?'

'I'm fine,' she said shakily.

'Jasper and Stewart?' said Joel.

'Um,' said Chris. 'They're teddy bears. We won them at the Sprunge festival on Vashig.'

'I shouldn't have asked you to do that.' The Admiral looked up at his daughter. 'What did he mean, looking in the wrong place?'

'The Doctor thinks that Ia Jareshth might have run away because she was frightened of him,' said Benny reluctantly.

'He's going to stay away from Little Caldwell until the Lacaillan transport arrives.'

Roz Forrester spoke up. 'If he thinks the Lacaillan's going to come back, that would mean she's holed up somewhere nearby.'

'Somewhere,' said Chris suddenly, 'where a slightly odd woman travelling by herself wouldn't be noticed.'

'Oh, hey!' said Joel.

Ms R said, 'Oh my G.o.d. Why didn't we think of that before?'

'Perhaps,' said the Admiral, 'because we were too busy looking in the wrong direction.'

Jacqui was squished into the back of the car between Ms Randrianasolo and the Doctor, with his black lady companion in the front and Joel driving as usual.

Jacqui looked at the Doctor, who was staring out of the Window as they drove along. The trees were big skinny black shapes against the dead white sky. It looked spooky.

The Doctor wasn't very spooky or weird-looking. Well, maybe a bit weird, but not scary. Actually he looked a bit like an uncle of hers. He did seem a bit cross, though, frowning from time to time as he thought of things that made him angry.

She said, 'Have you seen me somewhere before?'

He turned to look at her with his sad blue eyes. He thought about it, seriously. 'I don't think so,' he said. 'I'm sorry, should I remember?'