Bonaparte bowed. 'If you will give me time to resume my uniform, Madame, and gather my few belongings, I shall be happy to join you.'
'An excellent idea,' said the Governor. He was clearly relieved at the prospect of getting rid of this important political prisoner who had given him so much trouble. 'Allow me to escort you, General.' He turned to the two soldiers who had been waiting to operate the guillotine, and pointed to Latour's body. 'Take this carrion away. Later we will try to identify him.'
Bonaparte shrugged. 'It is of no importance. Some assassin, hired by my enemies and I know who they are.'
He gave a general bow of farewell and headed for the door from which he had first appeared, the Governor trailing behind him. The two soldiers who had been his guards crashed to attention as he passed.
'I think we'd better be on our way as well,' said the Doctor.
'There's nothing more for us to do here.'
'There is nothing more for you to do anywhere, Doctor,'
said the Countess. 'I advise you to return to your own time and place, wherever that may be, and refrain from any further interference in my affairs.'
'My aim was to prevent interference,' said the Doctor mildly. 'Interference in the allotted course of human history.'
'As was mine on this occasion at least. We were on the same side for once fortunately for you.'
'And for you,' said Serena. 'Not to mention General Bonaparte. Without our help, you would have been too late.'
'I fully admit it, my dear,' said the Countess. 'Which is why I am allowing you and your comical little friend here to leave unharmed. But do not cross my path again. Next time we might be enemies.'
'We were enemies once before,' said the Doctor. 'Yet you changed sides.'
'Briefly and temporarily,' said the Countess. 'Occasionally I allow myself these little indulgences but I don't make a habit of them.'
The Doctor looked thoughtfully at her. 'I wish I knew what you were really up to. You preserved Napoleon's life what's your next move, I wonder?'
The Countess looked quizzically at him. 'To ensure his eventual victory of course.'
'Victory in Italy? That's due to happen anyway. He'll come home a hero.'
'Victory against England.'
The Doctor frowned. 'That sounds like serious interference. How do you plan to achieve it?'
'You expect me to tell you?' She laughed. 'Why not? It might be amusing. My young colleague has a plan that will ensure Napoleon's success.'
'How and where?'
'By land and sea, or rather, by sea and land. Victory by sea and land at a single stroke!'
'I'm afraid I don't follow.'
The Countess laughed, enjoying his puzzlement. 'You're not meant to. It's a puzzle for you, Doctor. But don't worry about it. Even if you solve it, there's nothing you can do.
Now, I'd better go and find the General.' She smiled down at the Doctor. 'Do remember my warning. I like you little man, I really do. But don't get in my way again, or I might have to kill you.'
With a nod of dismissal, she turned and headed inside the fort.
Serena was furious. 'Well, of all the arrogant condescending...How dare she talk to us like that!'
'Over-confidence, Serena. It can work to our advantage.
Look how much she's told us, all out of sheer conceit.'
'And did you hear what she called you? Little man!'
'Rubbish,' said the Doctor. 'I'm of average height. Just like Napoleon actually.'
'You two are rather alike altogether,' said Serena. 'Small, dark and conceited!'
'Don't you start,' said the Doctor. 'Come on.'
The Doctor and Serena crossed the courtyard, went through the archway, and retraced their steps to the main gate. No one tried to stop them.
Outside the gates a small carriage was waiting, presumably that of the Countess. A thin, elegantly-dressed young man was peering impatiently out of the window. As the Doctor and Serena emerged from the gates of the fort he called, 'I say! You there over here!'
The Doctor and Serena exchanged glances. Serena would have ignored him but the Doctor said quietly, 'No, let's see what he wants.'
They turned and walked back to the coach. The young man inside had classically handsome features, romantically curling hair and the petulant air of someone accustomed to getting his own way at all times.
He stared boldly at Serena, who gave him a look of blank disinterest, and glanced briefly and dismissively at the Doctor.
'I am Monsieur Valmont,' he announced self-importantly, looking at the Doctor as if he expected him to be impressed.
'I'm waiting for a lady we're supposed to pick up some general or other. Any sign of them in there?'
'I believe there has been some slight administrative delay, sir,' said the Doctor. 'The lady and the General will be with you shortly.'
'Well, they've been a damned long time about it. Pop back in and hurry 'em up, will you?'
He spoke with the air of someone who expected everyone else to jump to do his bidding.
'Why don't you pop yourself?' said Serena icily. 'Do you imagine we've got nothing better to do than run errands for you?'
Valmont stared at her in astonishment, but before he could reply the Doctor said humbly, 'I should be delighted to oblige you sir, but my time is not my own. I am late for an important appointment.'
He bowed, and led Serena away.
As they walked up the hill towards the park she said furiously, 'Why didn't you put that young popinjay in his place, Doctor or let me?'
'It always helps to know the face of the enemy,' said the Doctor. 'It helps even more if he underestimates you.'
'Who was he, do you think?'
'Unless I'm much mistaken he's the Countess's young colleague the man with the plan. All we've got to do now, is work out what it is!'
Chapter Nine.
The Plan
In the void beyond Space and Time, the three voices were conferring once more. conferring once more.
'To kill one of our own was perhaps excessive,' said the cynical old voice reprovingly. 'And not for the first time as I cynical old voice reprovingly. 'And not for the first time as I recall.' recall.'
'The unfortunate Count Praetorius? His death was a regrettable accident my arm was jogged as I fired.' The regrettable accident my arm was jogged as I fired.' The Countess's voice was penitent, but an undertone of Countess's voice was penitent, but an undertone of amusement bubbled beneath it. amusement bubbled beneath it.
'The killing of the equally unfortunate Latour, however, was quite deliberate.' was quite deliberate.'
'I had no choice,' protested the Countess. 'He was a member of the opposing team and he was about to kill member of the opposing team and he was about to kill Bonaparte. He was acting in person, may I remind you, in Bonaparte. He was acting in person, may I remind you, in breach of our most important Rule.' breach of our most important Rule.'
'As were you, when you shot him.'
'As I say, I had no choice. With Bonaparte dead, the Game would have been already lost.' would have been already lost.'
'There will be other Games.'
'Perhaps. But I do not care to lose.'
'And this Doctor...why did you allow him to depart?'
'I felt that more than one killing might draw attention.
Besides, he amuses me.'
'He interfered in the Game of Hitler and Churchill,' the old voice reminded her. 'Later he, or another of his kind, brought voice reminded her. 'Later he, or another of his kind, brought the Game to an end.' the Game to an end.'
'All the more reason to let him live,' said the Countess arrogantly. 'He defeated us in the Game of Hitler and arrogantly. 'He defeated us in the Game of Hitler and Churchill. I intend to avenge that defeat by crushing him in Churchill. I intend to avenge that defeat by crushing him in the Game of Napoleon and Wellington.' the Game of Napoleon and Wellington.'
'If he does not crush you,' said the sulky voice of the man who called himself Valmont. 'Was it necessary to tell him of who called himself Valmont. 'Was it necessary to tell him of my plan?' my plan?'
'How can he compete if he does not know the moves?'
This time the mirth in the Countess's voice was undisguised.
'Besides, I gave him the merest hint. He may never interpret it.' it.'
'Probably not,' agreed Valmont. 'I got a good look at him and he didn't seem very impressive to me. Quite a timid little and he didn't seem very impressive to me. Quite a timid little fellow. Girl was a looker, though...' fellow. Girl was a looker, though...'
'The Doctor is a Time Lord,' said the old voice. 'The girl too, probably. They are a dangerous and devious race. Do too, probably. They are a dangerous and devious race. Do not underestimate them.' not underestimate them.'
'We need not fear the intervention of the Time Lords,' said the Countess. 'The Doctor is a renegade, a fugitive from his the Countess. 'The Doctor is a renegade, a fugitive from his own people. They will not seek to avenge him.' own people. They will not seek to avenge him.'
'You are sure of this?'
'I made discreet enquiries after our last encounter. Indeed, I have a useful contact. The Doctor is alone. I shall toy with I have a useful contact. The Doctor is alone. I shall toy with him for a while, before I destroy him.' him for a while, before I destroy him.'
The Doctor and Serena sat sipping tea in an elegant eighteenth-century drawing room, configured in the TARDIS by Serena at the Doctor's request. There was striped wallpaper, flowing drapery, spindly-legged chairs and tables.
'I hope the room is satisfactory, Doctor?' said Serena.
'It'll do, it'll do,' said the Doctor abstractedly. 'This affair seems to be concentrated in the eighteenth century, I thought it might put us in the proper frame of mind.' He put down his teacup and began striding about the room.
'Land and sea,' he muttered. 'By land and sea, that's what she said. But what did she mean?'
'She meant to lure you into a trap,' said Serena. 'Why else should she tell you anything?'
'Because it amused her. It's all a game to her, you see. In fact I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that it really is is a game.' a game.'
'What kind of a game?'
'A formal game with rules and human lives for pieces. A multi-temporal game with opposing players. Two teams of opposing players. That fellow Latour must have been from the other team.'
'Judging by the way she dealt with him, it appears to be rather a rough game.'
'Oh it is! A sort of chess, using real human beings as pieces, a ruthless interference with human history. I suspected as much during that business at the chateau, now I'm certain of it. It's the same technique, you see. Take out a key piece and the whole game changes.'
'And Latour wanted to take out Napoleon?'
'Precisely. That's why the Countess shot him.'