The Sands Of Time Part 34

Miss Warne turned away.

'Forgive me,' Atkins said, 'but may I address you as Susan for a moment?'

She looked back at him, puzzled. 'Mister Atkins, why?'

He smiled. 'It makes a proposal to have dinner together seem so much less formal, that's all.'

Kenilworth was not sure quite what the change in Atkins was. But certainly he had changed. He seemed more like he had been on the recent expedition than the sudden reversion to type after they had returned. But there was more to it than that.

Kenilworth waited for Atkins to show in his dinner guest, and reflected again on the events of the past few months, trying to put his finger on what was going on. His wife had mentioned that the housekeeper too seemed strangely distracted.

Atkins held the door open and stood to one side to let the guest enter. He was a tall, lean young man, with a hooked nose and dark hair that was already starting to recede. Kenilworth rose to greet the newest member of the Royal Society.

'Professor Marcus Scarman,' Atkins announced.

Addendum The Chronicler peered into the glowing embers of reality. Deep within the holosphere, a single quantum choice played itself out for him. He was at holosphere, a single quantum choice played itself out for him. He was at one with the world he watched, oblivious to the great hallway in which he one with the world he watched, oblivious to the great hallway in which he worked, not seeing the shadows and patterns cast by the sunlight shining worked, not seeing the shadows and patterns cast by the sunlight shining through the stained gla.s.s. through the stained gla.s.s.

The holosphere cast its own lights for him to follow, tiny bit patterns blitted into a replay of reality. He stared into the depths of time, aware of nothing into a replay of reality. He stared into the depths of time, aware of nothing in his world apart from the sc.r.a.ping of his quill across the parchment as he in his world apart from the sc.r.a.ping of his quill across the parchment as he noted the salient points and drew deductions. noted the salient points and drew deductions.

As the events reached their closure, he leaned back. The Doctor's solution was elegant. He had learned from his previous encounter with an Osiran. was elegant. He had learned from his previous encounter with an Osiran.

But while there was a certain symmetry and poetic justice in the events, there was also a niggling feeling that the Doctor had somehow cheated. there was also a niggling feeling that the Doctor had somehow cheated.

The Chronicler dipped his quill in the dark ink, and scratched a note in his book. Then he adjusted a pattern within the sphere and replayed the book. Then he adjusted a pattern within the sphere and replayed the sequence. sequence.

Somewhere within the universal scheme, a tiny quantum choice was played out. A slight variation introduced into the mathematical and physical played out. A slight variation introduced into the mathematical and physical structure of Time, and another universe split from the first. Or rather the structure of Time, and another universe split from the first. Or rather the last. Or rather the latest. The patterns spun and resolved themselves into a last. Or rather the latest. The patterns spun and resolved themselves into a new mosaic. new mosaic.

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'I think we're a little late,' the Doctor said. His voice was quiet, but everyone turned to him. Even Vanessa swung her head slightly. 'I'm afraid your calculations were slightly off. As you can see, Nyssa has actually been awake for quite some time. Or at least, in a sort of waking sleep. Just enough to continue the ageing process while she dozed.'

'No,' breathed Vanessa, her voice an exhalation of disbelief.

'You know it's true,' the Doctor told her. 'You just scanned her mind, looking for the reasoning, calculating, intelligent part of your own self.'

'It is not there.' Vanessa's voice was low, despondent.

'So, even at the instinctive level on which you're operating you can tell that the rest of the mind of Nephthys no longer exists. It was freed when Nyssa awoke, and you weren't here. Now it's lost forever.'

'How long ago did she wake?' Atkins asked.

'She woke up in 1926.'

'Seventy years,' Atkins murmured.

The Doctor nodded. 'I like good round numbers,' he said.

'Doctor.' Tegan's voice was accusing, shaking with emotion. Her face was set and she was glaring at him.

'I'm sorry, Tegan. If there had been any other way.'

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'How could you?' She was in tears now. 'How could you do this to Nyssa, after - after everything?'

The Doctor smiled sadly. 'Ra.s.sul knows. He asked if I could sacrifice a friend to save the universe, if I could make that choice.'

Tegan turned away. 'He didn't believe you could,' she said through her sobs. 'But I should have known better.'

Ra.s.sul too was shaking with anger. 'Doctor, I shall kill you for this.'

The Doctor returned his stare. 'I don't care,' he said levelly. 'The universe is safe now. All you have is a woman who hardly knows who she is and can't make a decision beyond the next instinctive moment. She can respond to circ.u.mstances, make impa.s.sioned speeches from the heart of the evil G.o.ddess she once was, but longer term than that she can never make up her mind.' He grinned suddenly. 'I hope you'll excuse the choice of phrase.'

'She will be whole,' Ra.s.sul insisted. 'We shall find a way.'

Vanessa stood watching them, listening to the exchange but taking no part.

Her face was impa.s.sive.

The Doctor shook his head. 'Nephthys' reasoning intelligence is gone forever, evaporated into the ether when Nyssa woke up and you weren't there. There is no way you can recapture it.' He smiled thinly. 'None.'

Ra.s.sul's lip twitched, his face contorted in rage. 'There is,' he hissed.

'There has to be.' Behind him, Vanessa stood silent and still. A motionless mummy stood ma.s.sively by her side. The other two mummies still held the bandaged form of Nyssa, her ancient wizened face turned slightly so she could see the Doctor. He looked across at her for a moment, then returned his attention to Ra.s.sul.

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'Well, apart from the odd conjuring trick,' the Doctor said quietly, 'like bringing the near-dead back to life, I don't see there's much mileage left in the power of Nephthys.'

Ra.s.sul frowned. He looked as if he might be about to say something in return, but then he turned away, stared at Vanessa.

'Doctor,' Tegan said again, 'what about Nyssa?' Her eyes were dark.

The Doctor's brow creased slightly. 'Not now, Tegan. Not now.'

'Not now?'

But before her anger could increase further, or the Doctor could reply, Atkins cleared his throat. 'Er, what will they do now, Doctor?'

'I'm not sure. There are a couple of possibilities.'

Ra.s.sul turned back to face them, and his voice rang across the tomb.

'Indeed there are, Doctor.'

'Ah. I take it from your tone of voice that you are not tending towards the let-us-all-go option.'

Ra.s.sul laughed. 'When you yourself suggested we could raise the dead?'

He snorted his derision. 'Come now Doctor.'

The Doctor's eyes opened wide. 'Oh no. Not that. Even you can't be that desperate, Ra.s.sul.'

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Ra.s.sul nodded to the mummies holding Nyssa. As one, they let go of her and lurched across the tomb towards the door leading to the inner chamber.

'I suggest you join us, Doctor. You and your friends may witness one final miracle before your lives are snuffed out forever.' He gestured for them to follow the mummies.

Atkins went to Nyssa's aid, lifting her out of the sarcophagus. Tegan glared at the Doctor, then went to help Atkins as he pulled the bandages from her friend. Underneath, Nyssa was wearing a simple linen gown, crumpled and creased but surprisingly clean and well-preserved. Nyssa said nothing the whole time, but her eyes held the Doctor's.

Ra.s.sul shuffled impatiently as the Doctor led Atkins, Tegan and Nyssa after the mummies. Then Ra.s.sul, Vanessa and the third service robot followed.

'What does he intend, Doctor?' Atkins asked quietly. He had helped Tegan to support Nyssa, but she seemed well able now to manage on her own.

'There is a ceremony,' the Doctor replied, 'an ancient Osiran rite for raising the dead. I'm rather afraid he's going to try to awaken the pile of bones that was his daughter.'

Atkins stopped dead for a split second. Tegan and Nyssa both paused at the Doctor's words.

'Of course,' the Doctor continued, 'the mummified remains could never live again, could never walk or breath. The ceremony is for the recently deceased, not the long-departed.'

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'You are quite right, Doctor,' Ra.s.sul said as they reached the doorway. 'But we do not need to reanimate the bones of Nephthys.' He reached out and placed his hand on the Doctor's shoulder, gripping it tightly. 'Her mind will be quite sufficient.'

'Why didn't you do that before, if it's so simple?' Tegan demanded.

'He's bluffing,' Atkins suggested. 'Isn't he, Doctor?'

'They didn't try it before, as there's no guarantee it will work,' the Doctor said. 'He's gambling that some vestige of the conscious side of Nephthys'

mind is still buried in there somewhere - that Horus suppressed it totally rather than split it away entirely. Because of that, and for another very good reason, it was better to be patient and work through the foolproof plan that has just failed.' The Doctor stopped on the threshold of the inner chamber.

He turned to face Ra.s.sul. 'It may just work. There may be just enough of the reasoning side of Nephthys character buried deep within the memories of the girl, even after the mind was ripped apart, to harness the forces held in the relics and release some semblance of her. But the real reason you never considered this before, is your own fear.'

Ra.s.sul stared at the Doctor for a second. Then he looked away. 'But now, Doctor, you leave us no choice.'

'What's he afraid of?'