Doctor Who_ World Game - Doctor Who_ World Game Part 7
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Doctor Who_ World Game Part 7

Serena showed him to a vast, mirror-walled dressing room, where an astonishing variety of clothes hung in long racks. 'You should find something suitable here. The documentation files are in the adjoining room. I'll meet you back in the control room.'

The Doctor strode into the control room wearing white breeches, a neatly tailored, long-tailed black coat with frilled shirt and cravat, and gleaming black boots, the whole ensemble completed with a short travelling cloak.

Serena appeared moments later wearing a long, high-waisted gown, a travelling cloak and bonnet. 'Very becoming,' said the Doctor. 'Shall we be off?'

'I take it you have provided yourself with suitable documentation?'

The Doctor patted his breast-pocket. 'I am Citizen-Representative Henri Dupont, a special investigator for the Committee of Public Safety, authorised to go practically anywhere and do practically anything.'

'How nice for you,' said Serena.

'What about you?'

'I have papers identifying me as Marie Lebrun, occupation seamstress, residing in Paris.'

'That's very unassuming of you.'

'I assumed that since we are about to enter an immediate post-revolutionary era, with the Terror not completely over, the assumption of too aristocratic an identity would be unwise.'

'Quite right, my dear, mustn't lose your head,' said the Doctor. 'Citizeness-Seamstress Lebrun, a good honest name and a good honest trade. That should do very well.'

'Won't people be curious about me? About why I'm with you, I mean. If you're so important, why are you dragging a humble little seamstress around with you?'

The Doctor paused, choosing his words. 'For a start, you don't look much like a seamstress, you're much too beautiful.

And well...'

The Doctor spoke completely matter-of-factly but Serena found that she was pleased by the compliment, and annoyed at herself for being pleased.

'Go on, Doctor.'

'Believe me, it's not at all unusual for important political figures to be accompanied on their missions by attractive and unexplained young ladies. No one will ask any questions, especially in France.'

'I see,' said Serena icily. She touched a control. The TARDIS doors opened and they emerged into the sunshine of the park.

The park stood on a little hill. Below them, the narrow streets of the small town stretched down to the harbour, where the massive shape of Fort Carre was outlined against the clear blue sky.

The Doctor sniffed the warm, flower-scented air. 'Very pleasant. What about the TARDIS?'

'What about it?' said Serena.

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder. The TARDIS was nowhere to be seen. In its place stood a small, ornamental fountain.

'Jumping Jehosaphat!' said the Doctor. 'It's so long since I had a working chameleon circuit...Let's hope we recognise it when we get back. Come on!'

'Where to?'

'The fortress,' said the Doctor. 'Napoleon was briefly imprisoned there about this time.'

'What for?'

'Some trumped-up charge. The Revolution was starting to implode and everybody was arresting everybody on suspicion of everything.'

'What happened?'

'The charges collapsed and he was released.'

'Then why are we here?'

'It was an unstable period,' said the Doctor. 'He could just as easily have been guillotined, lots of innocent people were.'

'So if somebody wanted to intervene in history...' said Serena.

'Exactly,' said the Doctor. 'This would be a very good time, with Napoleon at his most vulnerable. And the scan showed temporal interference at just this period.'

They began walking towards the park gates.

Napoleon Bonaparte sat at the little wooden table in his room at the fort. He was writing to Representative Saliceti, one of the men responsible for his arrest. He knew Saliceti wouldn't listen after all, he was the one who had dreamed up the fake charges in the first place. But it was politically important to keep on proclaiming one's innocence as loudly as possible.

You have suspended me from duty, arrested me and declared me suspect. I am disgraced without being judged, or declared me suspect. I am disgraced without being judged, or judged without being heard... judged without being heard...

He looked up as he heard the door to his room open. A voice whispered, 'Citizen-General!'

He looked up and saw one of the sentries who were always stationed outside his door. The soldier put a finger to his lips and came into the room.

'Forgive the interruption, Citizen-General.'

'Well?'

'There is a plan to free you, Citizen-General, this very night. Colonel Junot, your aide, has recruited several of the garrison, we are all agreed...If the sentries on duty refuse to co-operate there are enough of us to overcome them.'

'No! I forbid it.'

'But Citizen-General, once you are free, back at your headquarters and surrounded by your soldiers, let them try to rearrest you if they dare.'

'I tell you no! I am touched by your loyalty by all your loyalties. But to escape would be to admit my guilt, and I am guilty of nothing. I must be cleared, cleared by the authorities and released.'

'But what are your soldiers to do, Citizen-General? How can we help you?'

'Tell Junot and the other officers to continue to urge my innocence to General Dumerbion and the Representatives.

That is how they can serve me best.'

'I urge you to reconsider, Citizen-General,' said the soldier urgently. 'To escape may be your only chance. Even tonight may be too late.'

'What do you mean?'

The soldier lowered his voice. 'Today the Governor received a visit from a member of the Committee of Public Safety. Voices were raised...After his visitor left, the Governor ordered an inspection of the guillotine in the rear courtyard. It is to be placed in full working order...'

'No doubt some poor fellow is to be executed,' said Bonaparte. 'One of the other prisoners. It is very sad but...'

'There are no other prisoners, Citizen-General,' said the sentry. 'Only you.'

There came the sound of footsteps in the corridor and the sentry moved hurriedly to the door.

The Governor entered, his face grave. He banished the sentry with a gesture and turned to Bonaparte.

'Citizen-General Bonaparte, I must ask you to prepare yourself. I bring grave news.'

The Doctor and Serena were enjoying a pleasant stroll through the narrow streets of Antibes. The sleepy little southern town basked peacefully in the afternoon sunshine and the streets seemed almost deserted. 'Nice to see the Riviera before it becomes fashionable and over-crowded,'

said the Doctor. 'First the English aristocracy came, then old Scott Fitzgerald and all those rich Americans. By the time Brigitte Bardot settled in San Tropez you could hardly move.

And then there were the Germans with their beach towels.'

'It's quiet enough now,' said Serena. 'Where is everybody?'

The Doctor produced a Breguet watch from his fob-pocket and consulted it. 'Lunchtime,' he said solemnly. 'Every good Frenchman is at lunch from twelve till two. It takes more than a revolution to change that!'

They arrived at the imposing pile of Fort Carre, looming over the harbour, and the Doctor marched straight up to the sentry at the main gate.

'I am Citizen-Representative Dupont of the Committee of Public Safety,' he said authoritatively. 'I wish to see the Governor immediately.'

The sentry called the Sergeant of the Guard and the Doctor repeated his demand.

The sergeant looked harried. 'I regret, Citizen-Representative, the Governor is engaged.'

'My business cannot wait,' snapped the Doctor. 'Engaged with what?'

'With the, er, the ceremony...' said the sergeant evasively.

'What ceremony?'

'The execution, Citizen-Representative. If you could just be patient, I'm sure the Governor will see you as soon as it's over...'

'Whose execution?'

'Citizen-General Bonaparte. It'll be over in a few minutes.

It may be over already...'

'What!' roared the Doctor. 'This is exactly what I was sent here to prevent. Take me to the place of execution immediately!'

Serena was impressed, almost in spite of herself. Such was the force of authority emanating from the Doctor that the sergeant obeyed as if hypnotised.

'This way, Citizen-Representative.'

The sergeant led them through an arch, across a central courtyard, through another arch and into a smaller courtyard behind the fort. In the centre of the courtyard rose the sinister shape of a guillotine. A little group of soldiers and civilians stood at its foot. Two shirt-sleeved soldiers were on the scaffold, operating the machine.

Just as they entered the yard the triangular blade of the guillotine came crashing down.

For one ghastly moment the Doctor thought he was too late. With enormous relief he saw that the execution platform of the guillotine was empty. This had been a test. A final test.

One of the civilians, a tall, hawk-faced man dressed in black, called, 'Satisfactory. Bring out the prisoner.'

A man entered the courtyard from a nearby doorway. A smallish man in shirt and breeches. His hands were bound behind him, and his lank black hair was tied in a tight queue at the back of his neck. He was flanked by two soldiers.

The sergeant marched up to the little group by the guillotine. 'Gentleman to see the Governor on urgent business.' He glanced at Serena. 'Gentleman and lady.'

'Not now,' snapped the hawk-faced man.

The Doctor strode forward. 'Yes, now! My business will not wait. Are you the Governor?'

A worried-looking grey-haired man said, 'I am the Governor. What can I do for you, sir?'

'For a start, you can explain what is going on here.'

'We are about to execute Citizen-General Bonaparte.'

'On what authority?'