There was some sort of living creature there, but horrendously mutilated. The skin was burnt and blackened, parts of the skeleton exposed. The face was blistered and warped, the eyes large and studying him unblinkingly. Goth shied back in revulsion as he realised that this thing was somehow alive, despite the horrendous damage it had suffered, and the pain it must be going through. Was this the renegade? Perhaps he should kill it, to put it out of its misery…
‘Are you… are you in pain?’ he asked the creature.
‘Pain,’ it agreed, a rasping, dying voice. ‘Can’t remember… everything.’ It looked up at him, and it seemed to gather itself. ‘I need… newness. And you need… power.’
‘What?’ Goth stared at the creature, repelled and confused. How could it know what he was desiring.
‘I can help you,’ the thing promised. ‘I can get you the power you desire. And you can help me get what I need.’
‘You need death,’ Goth said with revulsion.
‘No,’ the creature whispered. ‘I need life. And you will help me to get it. We can help one another…’ It managed to sit up, grinning like a skull. ‘Do you agree?’
Goth stared at it. How could a burnt, dying thing like this possibly help him? And yet… If it was a renegade, it might have some skills that could prove useful And if it needed him, then it meant that he could control it.
‘Yes,’ he said softly. ‘Yes, I think I do…’
Second Epilogue
Becca looked up from the floor of the barn where she was teasing the kittens. Two of them were swiping happily at the straw she dangled. Serenity was watching from one of the rafters, still none too happy being so close to people. But she’d become a lot more sociable since Becca had rescued her litter a year ago. And now Serenity had grand‐kittens old enough to be weaned.
There was a movement at the door, and Becca looked up to see a face she’d been hoping would come. It was that pretty knight who had saved her life. She wasn’t dressed in her knights outfit now, however, but in a regular – if rather pretty – dress. She still had that mass of golden hair, though, and a peaceful sort of look on her face.
‘Hello, Becca,’ she said in greeting. ‘How are you doing? You’ve grown several inches, I see,’ She smiled, ‘I was promised a kitten, if you remember.’
‘Of course I remember,’ Becca protested. ‘I haven’t given any away yet. You get to have first pick.’ She giggled as one of the kittens tried to grab the straw from her forgers. ‘They’re very playful.’
‘Then that means they’re healthy.’ Donna walked over and flopped down into the straw beside Becca. ‘They’re all very pretty,’ she said, surveying the eight tiny bundles. ‘It’s going to be hard to decide.’
‘No rush,’ Becca said cheerfully. She looked up at Donna suspiciously. ‘Aren’t you somebody famous now?’
‘She’s almost queen,’ said a friendly voice from beside the door.
Donna looked around, her face lighting up. ‘Doctor!’
The stranger came in. There was something about him that made Becca like and trust him. He flopped down into the straw beside Donna, grinning. ‘Hello. I thought I’d just pop by and see how things worked out.’ He had a yo‐yo he’d removed from a pocket, and was teasing the kittens with it. ‘How is life with Barlow?’
Donna rolled her eyes. ’He lied to me, like every other man in my life.’
‘Really?’ The Doctor didn’t sound surprised. ‘And how did he do that?’
‘He told me our marriage was to be purely political,’ Donna growled. ‘And it isn’t.’
‘No!’ the Doctor said in mock protest.
‘No,’ she admitted, with a shy smile.
The Doctor grinned widely. ‘It’s nice to see that there can be happy endings after all,’ he said. ‘And no story with a mistreated girl who gets to be queen, marries for love and ends up with the pick of the litter can possibly be bad. Which one have you chosen?’
‘I’m still deciding,’ Donna admitted. ‘I like the smoky‐grey one. She’s got spirit. Did your story have a happy ending?’
‘She’s cute,’ the Doctor agreed. ‘But I’d choose the tabby myself. I’ve a weakness for tabbies. And my story hasn’t ended yet. Great happiness mixed with great sadness. The transmuter’s destroyed, the Master’s paid for his crimes with his life – well, one of them at least – and I think Susan’s all right now.’
‘And what’s the downside?’ asked Donna.
‘I still haven’t found Sam,’ the Doctor said. ‘A lot of very good people died.’ He sighed. ‘And my coat was ruined. But every progress has its price.’
Donna turned to Becca: ‘I’m going to take the grey one, and I shall name her after you,’ she announced.
‘All right,’ Becca agreed, thrilled as Donna picked up her chosen kitten.
‘Will it work, Doctor?’ Donna asked, turning her attention back to him. ‘You’ve seen the future, haven’t you? Will the reunification plan work?’
‘Tomorrow?’ The Doctor nodded. ‘Yes. The day after?’ He shook his head. ‘You don’t need to know. You’ll find out as it happens.’ He brushed the straw off his trousers and stood up. ‘Well, I have to be off again. I just stopped by to check on things and to reassure you that you didn’t have to worry about the Master or the transmuter.’
‘Or the Daleks?’ Donna asked.
The Doctor shook his head. ‘As I said, the Daleks are like cockroaches – no matter how many you kill, there always seem to be more. But they won’t be your problem.’ He gazed into the distance. ‘I wish I could say that they won’t be mine, but I know better.’
Becca scooped up the tabby the Doctor had been admiring. ‘For you,’ she offered.
The Doctor looked down at the tiny bundle and smiled. ‘I don’t know that I could give him a good home,’ he apologised. ‘But thank you for offering.’ He smiled at Donna. ‘That generosity of spirit is one reason why I like you humans so much.’
Becca didn’t understand what he was talking about, but she couldn’t help liking him. ‘You can give him love, can’t you?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ agreed the Doctor gently. ‘I think I could do that.’
Author’s Note
Many thanks to Jason C. Penny for his invaluable comments on matters Gallifreyan, and to Dave Becker, who helped out with Susan’s life story. Don’t blame them for any mistakes that may have managed to sneak in, though. I’m sure the real reason is a computer virus…
And thanks to Becky and Luann for tea, and Kate Nation for gracious hospitality and lots of amusing stories.
The Doctor continues his search for Sam in the following novels:
Dreamstone Moon
by Paul Leonard
(May 1998)
Seeing I
by Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman
(June 1998)
Published by BBC Books
an imprint of BBC Worldwide Publishing
BBC Worldwide Ltd, Woodlands, 80 Wood Lane,
London W12 0TT
First published 1998
Reprinted 1999
Copyright © John Peel 1998
The moral right of the author has been asserted
Original series broadcast on the BBC
Format © BBC 1963
Doctor Who and TARDIS are trademarks of the BBC
ISBN 0 563 40574 0
Imaging by Black Sheep, copyright © BBC 1998
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Mackays of Chatham
Cover printed by Belmont Press Ltd, Northampton