Read Online Doctor Who: Festival of Death: 50th Anniversary Edition by Jonathan Morris - Free Book Online Page B

yet.’
    ‘I think I can guess about Metcalf,’ said the Doctor. ‘The man’s an incompetent. He’s just using us as scapegoats to save his own petty skin. Like any politician, he’s quite happy to accept the credit, but never to take the blame.’
    ‘Straight up,’ said Evadne, munching on a jelly baby. ‘He’s supposed to be in charge, but you won’t find him thanking us for saving the G-Lock.’
    ‘Us?’ said Romana.
    ‘Oh, you must remember how you did that,’ said Evadne. ‘In the necroport. You, the Doctor –’
    ‘Stop!’ The Doctor bellowed, slamming his hands over his ears. ‘Shush! Don’t tell us! I don’t want to know!’
    Evadne gaped at the Doctor, confusion writ large over her face. ‘Eh?’
    Romana took her patiently to one side. ‘As far as we’re concerned, we haven’t saved the G-Lock yet. So you can’t tell us how we did it, because then we would have foreknowledge we shouldn’t have. If we knew what our futures would be, we might behave differently, and things might not end up happening in the way that you say they have happened. Understand?’
    ‘But you’ve done it, it’s happened.’
    ‘Not for us it hasn’t. We mustn’t know too much about our future actions. It would create all sorts of dangerous paradoxes,’ said Romana.
    ‘And it would spoil all the fun of finding out,’ added the Doctor.
    ‘Quite,’ seconded Romana, before she realised what the Doctor had said. ‘Aside from that, it could cause serious disruption to the time stream.’
    ‘Hang on,’ began Evadne. ‘It’s happened, so it doesn’t matter what I say now, because you’re going to succeed anyway. Am I right?’
    ‘Unfortunately time doesn’t work like that,’ said Romana. ‘Because we’re Time Lords, we’re not bound by history. We have the ability to change our pasts.’
    ‘But a responsibility not to,’ said the Doctor.
    Evadne blinked in concentration. ‘But how do you know that I’m not supposed to tell you stuff? Me not telling you might mess up this time stream thing too.’
    The Doctor and Romana looked at each other. ‘Just take our word for it,’ suggested Romana.
    Evadne sniffed. ‘All right. I don’t understand, but I’ll keep quiet. Say no more.’ Her face brightened. ‘I’m just relieved to see the Doctor alive and well again, anyway.’
    ‘What do you mean?’ said Romana, and immediately wished she hadn’t.
    Evadne turned to the Doctor. ‘The last time I saw you, you were dead. You sacrificed your life to save the G-Lock.’
    Dunkal handed over two sheets of paper: Metcalf’s witness statement, plus a copy. Metcalf gave each a flamboyant signature. ‘I trust that everything is to your satisfaction?’
    Dunkal jangled the change in his pockets. ‘Pending further investigation, it seems we have no choice but to consider the Doctor and Romana guilty as charged.’
    Rige collected the statements. ‘Guilty.’
    ‘Most satisfactory.’ Metcalf’s desk intercom buzzed. He pressed the reply button. ‘Yes, Executive Metcalf speaking?’
    ‘Sir, this is the prison guard. You know those two you had brought down here?’
    The two Investigators listened with interest. ‘The saboteurs. Yes?’ answered Metcalf.
    ‘It is my unfortunate duty, sir, to inform you that they have escaped.’
    ‘Escaped?’ Metcalf could hear himself going high-pitched. ‘Escaped? You let them escape – again?’
    ‘It wasn’t my fault, sir. I was overpowered by a third party and rendered insensible.’
    ‘I do not believe I am hearing this. Insensible? I doubt you were ever sensible to begin with,’ said Metcalf. ‘What is your name, guard?’
    ‘Dudley, sir.’
    ‘I see. In the face of overwhelming incompetence, you give me no choice but to fire you, Dudley. Please collect your belongings and leave.’ Metcalf switched off the intercom and swirled in his chair to face the Investigators. He drummed on the desk. ‘As you heard, it transpires our two convicts are once more