Menagerie Part 33

'Victory is often laced with tragedy and grief,' said the Doctor. 'The sadness of triumph is a feeling that I know only too well.'

'It sounds to me as if you need a holiday,' said Defrabax.

The Doctor smiled. 'They rarely work out as planned.'

'Then perhaps you've been travelling too long. It's time to journey home.'

'No,' said the Doctor firmly. 'That at least is out of the question.'

Defrabax turned towards the power station. 'I must attend to Cosmae's body,' said Defrabax. 'Please excuse me.'

The Doctor nodded and thrust his hands into his pockets.

He stood alone, staring at the dark canvas of the city's shadows.

Jamie pushed open the front door of the house and saw the young woman sitting at the bottom of the stairs, her head in her hands. She glanced up, smiled in recognition - and then saw the look on Jamie's face. 'What's happened?'

'It's all over,' said Jamie. 'Zaitabor is dead, and your city is safe.'

'And Cosmae?'

Jamie sat down next to Kaquaan and placed an arm around her shoulder. 'He died in the explosion. I'm sorry.'

Kaquaan blinked back the tears. 'I ... I wasn't able to rescue him again.'

'Zaitabor threatened to kill Cosmae to stop the android attacking him. But his death wasn't in vain.'

'Oh, Jamie, but it was. So futile! I hardly knew him, but he charged after me all the same.'

'I think Defrabax asked him to -'

Kaquaan wasn't listening. 'I've coped with too many deaths in my life! When will it end?'

'It ends now,' said Jamie, knowing that he was saying the first thing that came into his head. 'You'll see.'

'Everything sunny from here on? I don't believe it. I just don't believe it any more . . .' She started crying, and buried her head in Jamie's shoulder, turning Cosmae's name over and over on her lips like an evocation.

Jamie patted her back awkwardly. 'It's all right, my wee la.s.sie. Things'll be better now. You'll see.'

A sort of silence drifted over the old man's house, and for a long time Jamie just stared into s.p.a.ce, struggling with his own feelings of anger and sadness and not knowing how best to comfort the young woman.

'Stay with me for a few days,' mumbled Kaquaan through the tears. 'Please.'

'Well, I expect the Doctor will be keen to go. He usually -'

'Please.'

'Aye, well, the Doctor said he wants to do some tests, make sure I've not caught the disease. I suppose we could stay, just for a day or two.' He stroked the woman's hair.

'Aye, of course we'll stay.'

'I'd nurse you if you were ill,' said Kaquaan, forcing a smile. 'You too were very valiant in coming to my rescue.'

'Ah, well, I often rescue damsels in distress,' said Jamie.

Kaquaan ran a hand through her hair. 'Most have long, flowing locks, I'm sure.'

'Maybe. But Cosmae thought the world of you. And I think he was right to.'

Kaquaan blew her nose on the sleeve of her blouse.

'Things seemed so very different when I first came into this house. So much has changed - and so much that might have happened has been snuffed out.'

'Aye. Well, I'd better be getting back to the Doctor.

There's a lot of things to -'

Kaquaan grabbed Jamie's face and kissed him on the lips.

'I don't care how embarra.s.sed you are,' she said, noting his flushed cheeks. 'You'll stay with me for a while.'

Her tone of voice indicated that further argument would not be tolerated.

Epilogue.

This is it?' said Defrabax, pointing to the tall blue box in the alleyway. A broken gutter was dripping water on to its roof, and some street urchins had left a pile of scavenged bricks against its side. 'You travel to the stars in this?'

'Never trust appearances,' said the Doctor. 'You of all men should know that.'

'The next few days will seem very quiet,' said Defrabax.

'That's no bad thing,' said the Doctor. 'You must use your new influence wisely. Captain Oiquaquil will need all the help he can get if he is to negotiate successfully with the Rocarbies and the Dugraqs.'

'Rest a.s.sured we will do all we can to accommodate the creatures from the menagerie who wish to emerge into the light,' said Defrabax. 'That has always been my intention.

And those who wish to stay below ground - like the Taculbain - we shall strive to protect.'

'And the people of your city?'

'We will I am sure improve things - but the impetus, the desire to change, the technology will be ours.'

'A tutor of mine once said that sometimes it is more important to strive than to achieve. Dull chap, full of cliches. But perhaps he spoke the truth.'

'We shall see. Will you ever revisit us?'

'Ah,' said the Doctor, rubbing his chin. 'That's beyond my control. But if we ever come here again . . . I'll know which public houses to avoid.' He turned to look down the street.

'Where are those two?'

'Dawdling with the freedom that only youth allows,' said Defrabax. 'I sense that you, Doctor, are far older than you seem.'

'When one pa.s.ses the big three-oh-oh one doesn't discuss such things,' replied the Doctor sniffily.

Jamie and Zoe walked towards the TARDIS, followed by Kaquaan, the twins and the Dugraq scout.

'Have the days really pa.s.sed so quickly?' said Reisaz.

The Doctor smiled. 'The calm after the storm. Anyway, I expect Raitak is itching to get back and sort out the circus.'

'The thought has crossed my mind,' said Raitak. 'Real life beckons. But I shall miss you, Madam Zoe.'

'The Freak Show will never be the same again,' said Reisaz with a broad grin.

'Goodbye,' said the Doctor, shaking their hands. 'It sounds like Diseaeda was, in his own way, a fine man. I'm sure you'll keep his principles alive.'

The Dugraq bowed before the Doctor. 'Thank you, Traveller. You have done good things for our world.'

The Doctor reached down to pat the creature on the head.

'I was given a good deal of selfless help.' He turned to Kaquaan. 'I'm sorry to have to take Jamie away from you, but the time has come to continue our journey.'

Kaquaan smiled. 'I know.' She turned to Jamie, hugging him. 'Just think of me when you rescue all those other women.'

Jamie emerged red-faced from the embrace, studiously avoiding Zoe's amused look. 'Aye, well . . .'

Zoe shook hands with the twins and stepped into the TARDIS. 'Goodbye,' she said.

The Doctor followed her in, trying to prevent Defrabax from seeing too much of the TARDIS interior. 'Goodbye all.

Do come along, Jamie.'

Jamie waved from the doorway, and then the little door closed.

Defrabax walked up to the box and ran an inquisitive hand over its surface. He could hear the voices within above a low, resonant hum.

'So, Jamie, what have you been doing for the last three days?'

'You can refuse to answer her questions if you wish.'

'Och, now you're both laughing at me.'

'I'm sure it was all perfectly innocent. Doctor, that's the wrong control.'

'Is it? Oh yes, you're right. I was just thinking about the spirit of trans-racial cooperation that Defrabax and the others have shown. I wonder how long it'll last.'

Zoe's reply was lost as the machine began to groan and shake. Defrabax immediately darted away from the craft. As he did so it faded from his eyes with a grating sibilance. The flas.h.i.+ng light on top of the box left a slight imprint on his eyes, but soon that too disappeared from view.

Defrabax blinked in surprise. Still, this wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen recently and, in any case, he had his reputation to think of. He turned, finding himself alone with the twins and Kaquaan. He extended broad arms around their shoulders. 'Now then, ladies. I've not frequented the taverns of this part of the city for many a fine year, but fidelity to the wishes of my beloved Cosmae requires us to have a quiet drink of contemplation and celebration.' He steered them gently along the street. 'I think I know just the place . . .'