Doctor Who_ World Game - Doctor Who_ World Game Part 30
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Doctor Who_ World Game Part 30

The Doctor and Serena jumped up but it was too late. They were already surrounded.

Another man walked up to join the group. He was smaller but better dressed and carried an air of authority. There was some kind of document in his hand.

He consulted it. 'You are the man known as Doctor Dupont? And you are the woman calling herself Lady Serena?'

'We are not calling ourselves anything,' said the Doctor with dignity. 'This is Lady Serena and I am the Doctor. What is your business with us?'

'I am Inspector Mercier and I have a warrant for your arrest. Issued upon the authority of Monsieur Joseph Fouche, the Minister of Police.'

'On what charge?'

'Information has been laid that you are English spies. You will come with me.'

'Come where?' demanded the Doctor.

'To the headquarters of Monsieur Fouche in the Quai des Augustins. There you will be interrogated. As soon as you have confessed you will be shot.'

Chapter Twenty-six.

Future Shock

His official duty over, the inspector turned away. 'Bring them along!'

Two of the plain-clothes policemen stepped forward and grabbed hold of the Doctor and Serena.

A cold and commanding voice said, 'Release my friends immediately.'

Immaculate as ever, Prince Talleyrand was strolling into the park. Recognising the voice of authority the policemen released their captives and stood back.

Outraged, Inspector Mercier bustled forward. 'What is the meaning of this interference? My men are carrying out their lawful duties.'

Talleyrand looked at him as if he was something you scraped off a shoe.

'Do you know who I am?'

Mercier stared at him, and then stepped back. 'Prince Talleyrand! I had no idea...'

'This lady and gentleman are personal friends of mine. I vouch for them.'

'But there is a warrant...'

'Show me.'

Mercier produced the warrant and handed it over.

Talleyrand gave it one contemptuous glance then ripped it in two, dropping the pieces in disdain. 'You will tell Monsieur Fouche that he has been misinformed. You will also tell him that if my friends are troubled any further he will incur my displeasure my severe displeasure. As will you. Now, be off with you.'

Mercier and his men hurried out of the park, climbed into their wagon and drove away.

'A very timely arrival,' said the Doctor. 'I can guess who arranged that little visitation for us. I told you she had a nasty look in her eye, Serena.'

'I am afraid the Countess has poisoned the Emperor's mind against you,' said Talleyrand. 'She told him she'd long suspected you were English spies, that you'd sabotaged Fulton's submersible and then fled Paris.'

'Thank you for saving us from arrest,' said Serena.

Talleyrand sighed. 'I can't protect you for long, I'm afraid.

Fouche will complain to the Emperor, another warrant will be issued and I shall be rapped over the knuckles and ordered not to interfere. If I were you, I should leave Paris as soon as you can and go as far away as possible.'

'We will,' promised the Doctor. 'But first we must give you your proof.'

'Very well. Do we have far to go? My carriage waits nearby.'

'We're already here.'

Talleyrand looked at the little fountain with its water nymph. 'Ah yes! Is this the fountain of truth, Doctor?'

'In a way. Serena?'

Serena produced the TARDIS key and leaned towards the fountain. Suddenly, impossibly, a door appeared, as if hovering in space.

The Doctor waved Talleyrand forward. 'If you please...'

Looking a little dazed, Talleyrand stepped through, followed by the Doctor and Serena. The door disappeared.

Talleyrand stood in the TARDIS control room, looking around him with surprise and delight. 'Now I understand, Doctor. You are a disciple of Doctor Mesmer, the fellow who died just recently. Animal magnetism, that's it, isn't it? You've mesmerised me!'

'I've done no such thing,' said the Doctor indignantly.

'Have you noticed me gazing deep into your eyes and making mystic passes? Have I swung a watch and chain in front of you, or urged you to stare into a crystal ball? No, this is all quite real, I assure you.' He rapped the TARDIS console. 'Real and solid, try for yourself.'

'A theatrical illusion then,' said Talleyrand desperately.

'There are restaurants in Paris where one dines surrounded by glittering mirrors and candles, seeing oneself reflected a thousand times. Walls and ceilings melt away and half-naked nymphs descend on velvet swings.'

'I know, we've dined in one,' said the Doctor. 'Though I don't recall any naked nymphs. I promise you, this is neither a mirage nor an illusion. This is real.'

'Then what is it?' asked Talleyrand helplessly.

'It's a ship,' said Serena. 'A ship that travels through Space and Time.'

'A ship inside a fountain?'

'A ship concealed by what appeared to be a fountain,' said the Doctor. 'The fountain was an illusion, in a way. The ship is real.'

'But it's impossible.'

'I'm going to ask you to believe several impossible things, Prince Talleyrand.'

Talleyrand waved a hand. 'No titles, please. They seem meaningless here. Please go on.'

'Serena and I come from another world, another time.'

'And the Countess?'

'I'm not sure what she is,' admitted the Doctor. 'I think she is another kind of being altogether. Not human, certainly, perhaps not even truly physical. She can assume human shape, but that's all it is, an assumption it's not the real her.'

Talleyrand shook his head wonderingly. 'You're saying she's a ghost or a goddess?'

'If you like. What I do know is that she and others of her kind like to interfere in human history for their own amusement. For some reason she has chosen the time of Napoleon. She's protected him from harm, boosted his career, stage-managed this victory at Waterloo. Now she is urging him on to new excesses, more and more wars and conquests.'

'But why?' asked Talleyrand desperately. 'What's her final aim?'

'I have a theory about that,' said the Doctor. 'We're about to test it. Serena, I want you to take us forward fifty years in time.'

'Only fifty years?'

'If my theory's correct, fifty years will be enough.'

'No physical displacement?'

'It's not necessary. I want our friend Talleyrand to see the Paris of the future to see what the Countess has made of it.'

'Very well, Doctor.'

Serena busied herself at the console and the central column began its rise and fall. The Doctor turned to Talleyrand.

'This is going to be very hard for you, I know. I've hit you with too many new things all at once, and even someone of your intelligence will find it hard to take in. All I ask you to do is trust the evidence of your eyes and ears and accept my assurance that I haven't altered your perceptions in any way.'

'Very well, Doctor. I'll do my best.'

The central column came to rest. 'We're here, Doctor.

Paris 1865.'

'Right,' said the Doctor. 'In 1865, Paris should be peaceful and prosperous under Napoleon the Third a nephew of your Napoleon by the way. Lots of new buildings, Manet and Monet painting away, Offenbach at the opera. Let's see, shall we?'

Serena opened the TARDIS doors, and they went outside.

They were still in the pretty little park that they had left but it wasn't pretty any more. It was a patch of rubble, surrounded by shattered buildings. Even the fountain from which they'd emerged was shattered and broken now. The stone nymph was headless and had lost one arm as the TARDIS adapted to its new surroundings.

Talleyrand looked round in unbelieving horror. 'What's happened?'

'Take a good look, Prince Talleyrand,' said the Doctor.

'This is the Countess's brave new world.'

Chapter Twenty-seven.

War World

'Let's see a bit more of it, shall we?' said the Doctor.

They went out into the rubble-strewn streets. There was nobody about, no evening crowd out for a stroll. No cafes, no shops. Most of the houses were in ruins, though one or two seemed to have been patched up to make them habitable.

It grew darker as they walked on. There didn't seem to be any lights anywhere, except for flames lighting the sky somewhere in the distance.

After a while they came to a vast open space. It, too, was strewn with rubble. At its centre stood part of a great broken arch, only half of it left now, arcing upwards to the night sky.

'The Emperor's triumphal arch,' said Talleyrand sadly.

'Started in 1806, still not finished.' He laughed harshly. 'Well, someone's finished it now. Let us go back, Doctor, I have seen enough.'