'Indubitably,' agreed Sarah, as she sucked in the fresh night air. Then there was a barrage of firing as Fulbright and his men let the three attacking dogs have the full force of their guns. The animals howled in pain, but went down.

The Doctor dropped to the ground beside Sarah. For once he looked as if he had been through the wars, too. There was a gash down one cheek, and his deerstalker was missing. His scarf fluttered in the breeze, and there was a happy gleam in his eyes. 'Three cheers for the Seventh Cavalry,' he joked.

'Is it over?' Sarah asked. There was a ringing in her ears as Fulbright and his men fired a second time. All sounds and movements from the dogs ceased.

'No,' the Doctor informed her. 'It's far from over. But the war is done. Now we have the peace to negotiate. I have to stop Ross from doing anything foolish which isn't likely to be very easy.'

Coda arah stood on the stony beach as the sun began to rise. There was a chill in the air, but less of one in her heart now. It Shad been a long night, but the dawn promised to wipe a great deal of the pain and loss away. She glanced around as Alice came to join her in staring out over the choppy waters.

'Father says that the underground pa.s.sageways have flooded,' she said softly. 'They found the body of the last dog in the water there.'

'But not Doctor Ross or Breckinridge?'

'No,' Alice sighed. 'But Edmund Colonel Ross has finally explained everything to my father.' She shook her head.

'If only he'd told us some of this earlier.'

Sarah couldn't resist a smile. 'What did your father say when Ross told him he'd been the chief suspect for a while?'

Alice laughed. 'He was about ready to challenge him to a duel, I think. Then he saw the funny side of things, and they're getting along rather well now.'

'He's not such a bad person, is he?'

'Edmund?' Alice shook her head. 'Only he's so secretive, even when it's not needed.'

'I guess it comes with the job,' Sarah replied. 'He's a little like the Doctor in some ways, you know. They both keep secrets, sometimes too well.'

'I've been meaning to ask you,' Alice said, 'where is your friend? n.o.body's seen him for a while, and everyone has questions that they want answered.'

Laughing, Sarah said, 'That's why he's not around. He hates explaining things. Besides, he's gone to fetch the TARDIS.'

'The TARDIS?' Alice frowned. 'Is that your carriage?'

'Something like that,' Sarah agreed. She just hoped that the Doctor was right, and that he really could make the short hop from Dartmoor to the beach. He'd probably have to go via Mars to make it, though. She'd had to trust him, because she had been too worn out from her adventures to accompany him back to the s.h.i.+p.

Another figure stumbled down the path from the town towards them. Sarah winced as she realized it was Kipling. She couldn't help liking the boy, but sometimes he could be such a nuisance. 'How are you feeling?' she asked him.

'Like I've got a hangover,' he admitted. 'I missed out on all the fun, I gather.'

'You were almost a part of it,' she told him. 'Breckinridge had a change in mind for you. Luckily, it didn't come about.'

She smiled at him. 'Do you recall anything about last night?'

'After the graveyard?' He shrugged. 'All I know is that I dreamed of wolves, howling all about me.' He shook his head.

'Odd. Oh well.' He looked up at her. 'Will you be going now?'

'Soon,' Sarah admitted.

'Pity.' Kipling suddenly leaned forward and kissed her cheek. 'It's been fun, though. I won't forget you, Sarah Jane Smith.'

'Nor I you, Rudyard Kipling.' She laughed. 'You're going to make lots of people proud of you.'

He waved, nodded at Alice and then started back up the path. 'School's going to be ruddy dull after this,' he muttered.

'Wolves, graveyards, mermaids . . .' He disappeared, still muttering to himself.

'Not a bad sort, really,' Sarah said. She glanced at Alice. 'You're going to hear a lot more about him, you know. I'm glad I got to know him.'

Alice stared at her uncertainly. 'Are you . . .' she began. Then she screwed up her courage: 'Are you really from the future? The others were talking, and . . .' She gave a quick gesture of uncertainty with her hands.

'Yes,' Sarah admitted. 'I am.'

'Then you know what becomes of us all?' asked Alice.

'Not all,' Sarah admitted. 'Just a few of you, the ones I happen to have heard about for one reason or another in my time.'

'Oh.' Alice stood quietly beside Sarah, staring out to sea.

It was pleasant, standing here, with nothing much to think about. Sarah felt happy, just watching the sun rise and hearing the sound of the seagulls wheeling overhead. In the distance she could see several small boats. 'The fis.h.i.+ng fleet's coming back,' she murmured.

There was a roaring, cras.h.i.+ng, grinding sound that slowly began to fill the air. It appeared to be coming from a spot about ten feet down the beach. Alice went white and clutched at Sarah's arm.

'It's okay,' Sarah rea.s.sured her. 'I think that's my cab arriving.'

The air s.h.i.+mmered as the familiar outlines of the TARDIS formed and then solidified. There was a final thump and the sound died away, then the door was flung open and the Doctor stormed out. He was back in his usual costume, his hat rammed down over his curls, and the scarf trailing free once more instead of being tucked inside a cape coat.

'Right,' he said briskly. 'Time to finish things. Come along, Sarah, don't dawdle.'

Pulling a face at his retreating back, Sarah followed him up the pathway and back to the factory. Alice, fighting down the questions she obviously wanted to ask, struggled to keep up with them.

The factory had been closed for the time being, until decisions could be made about its future. There was a small knot of men there, talking in animated fas.h.i.+on. Sarah recognized most of them: Colonel Ross and Abercrombie, Sir Edward Fulbright and Roger Bridewell, Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Alexander Cromwell, Constable Faversham and Doctor Martinson, and the one-armed fisherman, Brackley.

'Ah,' Fulbright growled as they joined the party. 'Glad you're back.'

'So am I.' The Doctor turned to Ross. 'Now, I a.s.sume the main problem left is the children?'

'Yes,' he agreed. 'We've agreed that everything else can be kept quiet. There's certainly no need for any of this to come out. The salve is destroyed, I hope?'

'I believe so,' the Doctor answered. 'It doesn't mix too well with salt water. Even if it's not gone, it's so diluted now as to be useless.'

'Splendid.' Ross nodded briskly. It was obvious that he'd taken charge by virtue of his office as special agent to the Queen. 'But the children are a distinct problem.'

'Why can't we just leave them alone?' asked Doyle. 'They didn't ask for this, and they're harmless, surely?'

'No,' replied Ross and the Doctor, almost as one. The Doctor glared at him, and then amplified his response.

'The human race isn't ready to share this world with another species, Doyle.' The Doctor looked grim. 'And that's what those children have become. They can't stay here.' He glanced at Ross. 'There are always people who wouldn't rest until they were destroyed or worse. I've a friend called the Brigadier who's a bit like that. He means well, but sometimes jumps the wrong way.' He stared at Ross. 'One of your failings,' he added candidly.

'Possibly,' agreed Ross. 'But this is a real problem, and unless you have a better solution, I'm going to have to have those merbeings hunted down and killed.'

Doyle frowned. 'A brigadier who means well . . .' he mused. Then he blinked and stared at Ross. 'What you propose is nothing short of murder,' he snapped.

'Don't you think I'm aware of that?' asked Ross. He looked very pained. 'But I cannot allow those creatures to exist.

They may be children now, but one day they will grow up and breed. Then we will have a nasty mess on our hands. Who knows how their minds will work?'

'Those creatures are, as you say, children.' The Doctor frowned. 'And I cannot condone your solution. I propose instead that I remove them from this planet and take them to another where they can set up their own society in peace.'

'Another world?' spluttered Sir Alexander. 'Are you out of your mind?'

'No,' Ross answered. 'He isn't.' He nodded to the Doctor. 'An admirable solution. As I say, I've no wish to harm them.

Do you think they'll agree to this?'

'Given their options,' the Doctor answered, 'how can they refuse?'

'Quite.' Ross held out his hand. 'Well, Doctor, I wish you luck. As soon as everything is tidied up here, I'll be returning to London. Then who knows where?'

The Doctor considered for a moment, then shook the offered hand. 'Try to restrain that itchy trigger finger of yours,' he advised.

Doyle pulled his watch from his pocket. 'Well,' he said, reluctantly, 'Captain Gray sails within the hour. I'm sorry to miss out on the last bit, but I think I've done as much as I can.'

'You've been a marvellous help,' the Doctor replied. 'And I'm sure you'll have no problem with the writing.'

Doyle smiled. 'If nothing else, I've had a few ideas for stories from all of this.'

Ross glared at him. 'You'd better be certain that the incidents are very much disguised if you use any of this.'

'Otherwise,' the Doctor explained solemnly, 'her Majesty will not be amused. Take care, Doyle. I'd hate to think they'd reopen the Tower just for you.'

With a cheery wave, Doyle headed back towards the docks and the waiting Hope Hope. Sarah turned back to the Doctor.

'These mermaids,' she said. 'You think you can talk to them? Can they still speak English?'

'I doubt it,' the Doctor informed her. 'I suspect they use a modified sonar method for speech, derived from the dolphin base. Fortunately I speak dolphin fluently.' He strode off towards the beach.

'Is he joking?' asked Alice.

'Haven't the vaguest idea,' Sarah answered. She wouldn't be too surprised if he were telling the truth. On the other hand, it could have been one of his jokes. 'Well, I guess it's time for me to say goodbye. Take care, Alice. It's been fun.'

'That's one word for it,' replied Alice. 'But it's not the first one that springs to my mind. Take care, Sarah. Shall we see you again?'

Sarah gave her a grin. 'Save me a slice of the wedding cake,' she suggested. 'I'll see if I can't pop round to eat it.

Cheerio.'

'Are you coming, Sarah?' called the Doctor, without looking around.

With a final wave, Sarah dashed after him.

Back in her room in the TARDIS, Sarah changed into her borrowed swimsuit. The iridescent fabric moulded itself to her body again. Then she grabbed a towel and set off down the corridor towards the bathroom.

The TARDIS was in flight once again. Soft hums filled the corridor, just on the threshold of audibility. The Doctor had set the co-ordinates and vanished off in one of his mysterious mood swings again. Sarah didn't care how long the flight took, or even really where they were going. Some water planet in Andromeda was all the Doctor had bothered to explain.

She pushed open the door to the bathroom and walked in. A large beach-ball bounced off the tiles in front other. High-pitched squeaks came from the pool. Laughing, Sarah chased the errant ball and tossed it back.

In the pool, twenty merchildren were romping and enjoying themselves. They were splas.h.i.+ng, mock-fighting and laughing in squeaky voices. It was self-evident that they were happy. They had accepted the Doctor's offer of a new home without hesitation.

Sarah slipped into the water to join them. It was warm and there was the tang of salt. The Doctor had tipped in a buck-etful to enable the merchildren to survive in the pool. Sarah pushed off from the side and swam out to join her new friends.

The leader, Lucy, came to join her with a nimble flick of her tail. She held up her hand, palm forward, and piped a happy greeting.

Holding her own palm flat against Lucy's, Sarah smiled. 'h.e.l.lo, friend,' she replied.

It didn't matter how long this voyage lasted. It was going to be a lot of fun.

Semi-Historical Notes

ir Arthur Conan Doyle went on to become the writer he'd always dreamed he'd be. Aside from creating the bad-Stempered man of science known as Professor Challenger (who the Doctor insists is not based on him), he also became the scribe of choice for a private consulting detective who preferred to be referred to as Sherlock Holmes. To further aid in this mysterious man's quest for obscurity, Doyle had his ill.u.s.trators depict the detective in a deerstalker and cape coat.

Alice Bridewell went on to become one of the founders of the Women's Suffrage Movement, backed by her husband Roger and her ageing father.

Rudyard Kipling turned his hand to writing; first as a journalist and later as a novelist. Some of his tales dealt with time travel, and others with a child brought up with wolves.

Colonel Edmund Ross and his man Abercrombie continued in service to the Queen, having further strange adventures that may perhaps be safely related at a future date.

Lucy, Joshua and the others moved to a small world whose star is hardly even visible from the Earth.

The Doctor continues to travel.