Doctor Who_ World Game - Doctor Who_ World Game Part 15
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Doctor Who_ World Game Part 15

Serena shuddered and hurriedly looked away. 'Who is that Doctor? Why is he watching us? He looks like a vampire!'

'Worse than a vampire,' said the Doctor. 'I rather think that's Joseph Fouche, Napoleon's Chief of Police he must have been travelling with the Emperor. They say Fouche has thousands of spies in Paris alone.'

'Why?'

'To keep track of all the plots and counterplots. Napoleon is a very new Emperor you know. He gained power by a series of coups. He could lose it just as quickly.'

'And Fouche protects him?'

'For the time being. Fouche betrayed his last two political masters. He'll betray Napoleon just as quickly if he starts to weaken. Meanwhile he does an excellent job. In Paris they say if three people gather to plot treason, one of them will be Fouche's agent.'

'Why is he interested in us?'

'He's interested in anything that concerns the Emperor.

He'll want to know who we are and all about us.'

They saw the red-haired man say a few words to a respectable-looking man in a grey coat, a man who might have been a small tradesman or a clerk, and then hurry away. The man in the grey coat stood waiting.

'That'll be one of his spies,' said the Doctor. 'He'll follow us home.'

'Whatever for?'

'Just to make sure we're who we say we are and live where we say we do. Then he'll start questioning the neighbours.' Serena looked worried. There was something oppressive in the thought of being under constant scrutiny.

'What are we going to do?'

'Nothing. Ignore him, it's just routine. Come along Serena, we must get home and put on our glad rags...'

'I'm really not happy about this fancy dress, Doctor,'

whispered Serena.

'How do you think I feel? I like to be comfortable, you know.'

'You may be uncomfortable, but at least you're covered up!'

It was several hours later. The Doctor and Serena, surrounded by a fashionably dressed, excitedly chattering crowd, were climbing the grand marble staircase of the Tuileries Palace.

The Doctor wore a beautifully cut black coat, black breeches and a frilly white shirt with an elaborate black cravat. He looked, thought Serena, remarkably impressive in a sombre kind of way.

Serena herself was wearing a high-waisted gown of diaphanous white muslin. It was flimsy, close-fitting and low cut. Serena, used to the more modest fashions of Gallifrey, felt that she was scarcely dressed at all. She wore a cashmere shawl about her shoulders, but it was too filmy to offer much protection.

They followed the crowd up the marble staircase and along a mirrored corridor. There were huge bunches of exotic flowers and flickering candles all around. They emerged into a long gallery illuminated by five enormous chandeliers.

Two figures stood on a raised dais at the far end and the crowd turned into a receiving line and filed slowly towards them. As the Doctor and Serena drew nearer they could see that the Emperor, out of uniform for once, wore a gold-embroidered crimson coat and an ornate ceremonial sword with a huge diamond glittering in its hilt.

Beside him stood a small woman in a gown even thinner and more low cut than Serena's. Her luxuriant black hair blazed with priceless jewels. Not classically beautiful, she had an attractive, piquant face and an air of irresistible charm as she smiled and welcomed her guests.

'That's the famous Josephine,' said the Doctor in response to Serena's enquiring look. 'They married over ten years ago when he was just a rising young officer. Now she's an empress and lucky to be here.'

'And why is that?'

'A few years ago, when Napoleon was away fighting in Italy, she had an affair with a handsome young lieutenant, and Napoleon found out.'

'I'm surprised at you, Doctor,' said Serena severely.

'Recounting celebrity gossip.'

The Doctor looked hurt. 'It isn't gossip, it's essential historical background. Look out, it's nearly our turn.'

They reached the dais at last, the Doctor bowed and Serena curtseyed.

'Ah, Doctor!' said Napoleon expansively. 'Good of you to come.'

The Doctor bowed again. 'How could I not? An invitation from the Emperor is a royal command.'

He glanced at Captain Charles, who was standing just behind the Emperor, and saw his lips twitch in a hastily suppressed smile.

'Regard it as an invitation from an old friend,' said Napoleon, who was evidently in an expansive mood. 'You may present your charming companion.'

The Doctor bowed yet again. (Much more of this bowing and scraping and he'd be getting backache, he reflected.) 'Your Imperial Highnesses, allow me to present my companion, Lady Serena.'

Serena curtseyed, and Napoleon and Josephine smiled graciously.

'You must come to one of my informal soirees, my dear,'

said Josephine. 'It will give us a chance to talk. Impossible in such a crush as this...'

'Your Highness is very kind,' said Serena.

'As you see, Doctor, I am much occupied at present,' said Napoleon. 'I should like a chance to talk to you later, in my study perhaps. My aide will find you.'

'I am at your service, sire,' said the Doctor. He bowed, Serena curtseyed, and they moved away.

A passing footman offered them champagne. They took the glasses and found a quiet corner where they could survey the glittering crowd.

'Who are all these people?' asked Serena. 'I thought they'd executed all their aristocrats during the Terror.'

'So they did, most of them anyway. These are the replacements. The B team you might say.'

'How do you mean?'

'For a start they didn't kill all the aristocrats,' said the Doctor. 'Some saved their necks by changing sides. The Duke of Orleans gave up his title and started calling himself Phillip Equality. Talleyrand suddenly stopped being an aristocrat and a bishop and became a convinced revolutionary.'

'And they got away with that?'

'Some did, and some didn't. Poor old Phillip Equality got his head chopped off anyway, in the end. Talleyrand survived and he's now one of Napoleon's chief ministers. Napoleon's about to make him a prince. He'll be here tonight, I imagine.'

'What about the others?'

'Some got away in time and went into exile, in England mostly. A few were even rescued from Madame Guillotine.

Some chap called the Scarlet Pimpernel was very active around that time.'

'And now they're back?'

'Some of them. The Revolution is definitely over. You won't lose your head just for having a handle to your name these days. And now that Napoleon's a nice respectable-sounding Emperor, and he's declared an amnesty...Quite a few of the survivors have decided to come back and take a chance on the new regime.'

'And the rest of the people here?'

'The new aristocracy created by Napoleon. After all he made his wife an empress, his sister a princess, and there's a rumour he plans to make his brother King of Italy. What are a few extra titles after that!'

'Don't people mind?'

'Why should they?'

'After all the trouble they went through to get rid of the aristocracy here they are back again.'

'Let's ask them,' said the Doctor. He waved to the nearest footman, a strapping, red-faced young man, who looked far from comfortable in his white wig and fancy uniform.

The footman hurried over. 'More champagne, sir, my lady?'

'Why not?' said the Doctor. They put their empty glasses on the footman's tray and accepted two full ones.

'I wonder if you could help us,' the Doctor went on. 'We're visitors from abroad, curious about your country and my friend has a question.'

The footman looked baffled but willing. 'I'll do my best sir.'

'It's just that you went through so much suffering to change your society,' said Serena. 'So many deaths. Now it's all changed back again, as if it was all for nothing. You've even got an emperor, a royal family again. The only difference is the name.'

The footman said, 'That's where you're wrong, miss.

There's a difference. That other lot was like forced on us, see? We chose this emperor he's our our emperor.' With that, the footman gave them a quick bow and moved away. emperor.' With that, the footman gave them a quick bow and moved away.

'You see?' said the Doctor.

Serena shook her head. 'Humans are strange.'

'Humans not only humans but most sentient beings like to form hierarchies,' said the Doctor. 'All that seems to change is the titles. Revolutionary commissioners or kings, there are always the rulers and the ruled. You should know that, Serena, you're an aristocrat yourself.'

'That's quite different.'

'Is it?'

'Aristocracy on Gallifrey means moral obligations, public service...'

'Combined with wealth, universal deference and the best of everything, of course.'

'Well, if there are always aristocrats, there are always rebels you should know that Doctor! Or have you changed sides like everyone else here?'

'I do what I can,' said the Doctor angrily. 'And what seems best to me at the time.'

What looked like quite a promising quarrel was interrupted by a mellow contralto voice. 'Doctor! And Mademoiselle...

Mademoiselle... Now what was it?'

They turned and saw the Countess, resplendent in a red silk dress. Her blue eyes shone, and her dark hair, like Josephine's, was ablaze with jewels.

'This is the Lady Serena,' said the Doctor. 'And since titles are no longer out of fashion I take it that you are...?'

'Countess Malika Treszka,' said the Countess. 'My friends call me Malika.'

'Then I shall call you Countess,' said the Doctor.

'And so shall I,' said Serena.

Ignoring her the Countess said, 'Yet I should like us to be friends, Doctor despite all the trouble you have caused me.

So many promising schemes ruined.'

'How can we be friends, Countess, when I never know where you stand?'

'Am I such a puzzle?'

'You were my ally in 1915 when you helped my friends to escape.' The Doctor held up his hand. 'On a whim, if you like, but still, you helped them. It seemed we were on the same side at Fort Carre.' He nodded towards the figure on the dais.

'Otherwise our imperial friend would not be here.'

'In England,' said Serena, 'your associate tried to murder two of that country's greatest heroes, presumably to ensure Napoleon's victory.'

'Yet this very afternoon it seems you tried to blow up Napoleon,' said the Doctor. 'Now here you are a guest at his reception! Why do these things?'

'For the sake of the Game,' said the Countess. She laughed. 'No wonder you are confused, Doctor. The situation is confusing and fluid. Now it has changed yet again. I have changed it.'

'Enlighten us!'