if your captain will give us his word, I'll leave my men on
my ship and merely bring my bosun. What do you say? I've
no intention of doing you further violence. But I think you'll
admit we have the advantage.'
Captain Snarri made a noise in his throat. He glared at the
screen, then at the Doctor. His shrug was angry.
Second Intermission
OUT OF THE DARKNESS and silence of the intergalactic void, breaking
through the thin membrane between one universe and the
next, the oddly shaped ship pauses, its engines cackling
faintly like distant geese, wisps of dark energy moving
around it like tentacles feeling its odd angles and appendages.
Within, faces sad, speculative, smiling, silently contemplate
the cosmos. Then comes the noise of raised voices, arguing
their position until a decision is reached and the ship warps
again, fading into the perpetual night. It makes a sound like
an angry donkey, suggesting to anyone looking out at it that
it is at least part organic, which in a sense it is.
Millions of light years away, more than one set of
instruments detect the ship and speculative minds debate its
origins, sending probes to examine it but in truth they are
relieved to remain in ignorance, at least for the moment.
The ship spins and vanishes again, registering on only the
most sophisticated detectors.
Bosun Peet Aviv of the star-dipper Paine relays the news
to her captain, murmuring of the Second Aether and those
who hunt between the worlds and in turn are hunted. They
speak of Lady Peg the Invisible, of Frank/Freddie Force and
the others who move between the worlds using atmospheres
which, passing from one gateway to another, make corridors,
whole universes, of breathable gasses. Their instruments
again pick up the ship, but its occupants are gone. Where?
What have they chosen to do? Are they already walking
between the worlds, leaving that strangely shaped vessel
adrift or anchored in some clever configuration which, like a
supernatural incantation, they can turn into speech and thus
return? Magic or science, it's all the same to the passengers
of that ship or her watchers, for this is the far future where a
spell can be a mathematical formula and a song can work a
miracle.
Peet Aviv relays her sightings to her master, reluctantly
admitting her mystification. But the pirate captain has other
business on his mind and pays poor attention to the matter.
He commands Peet Aviv to wear her red and blue formal
uniform and to be vigilant. They could be trapped still, and
their ship consigned to some other universe, a speck of heavy
dust travelling through the shadows of worlds too large for
their eyes or their instruments to measure.
Or are there plans to lure them down into the region of the
black hole where they will sail for ever in the same terrible
moment?
More than once the great starjammer has sensed a trap
and barely escaped it.
Captain Cornelius knows he is taking a great risk in
leaving his ship, but he would not do so unless the stakes
were the highest he had ever known.
Chapter 19
Conversation in the Captain's Cabin
WITH JUST A SUGGESTION of noblesse oblige, Ironface the pirate ducked his helmeted head beneath the lip of the airlock and raised
his hand in an old-fashioned peace gesture. 'I am grateful
for your hospitality. May I introduce my bosun in all my
adventures? Mademoiselle Peet Aviv, Captain Snarri, the
Doctor and...?'
'Mademoiselle Amelia Pond,' said Amy firmly. 'Enchantee,
monsieur.' She was delighted to see a glint of humour in the
Doctor's eye.
'If we're parlaying, well go this way into my state room,'
Captain Snarri said, with a sharp whisk of his tail.
Captain Cornelius and Peet Aviv fell in behind the
Gargantua' s commander, the Doctor and Amy bringing up the
rear. Amy was fascinated by the bosun of the Paine. Peet Aviv
was one of the strangest and most beautiful creatures Amy
had ever seen. She wore a copper and platinum exoskeleton
over most of her upper body. The exoskeleton resembled the
carapace of a gigantic locust but her elongated head had been
modelled on Modigliani's Woman with a Fan. Peet Aviv's legs
were elegantly curved steel springs so she moved in long,
bouncing, graceful strides. Her voice was sweetly musical.
Had she not worn a banned neutron pistol at her side, she
would not have been recognised as a pirate.
The captain's state room was luxurious but had the air of
being rarely used. A bot brought a fire to life in the elaborate
Style Liberty grate, and all five sat down in deep armchairs
with broad arms of oak and dark burgundy plush. The fire
threw warm shadows into the room, and Captain Snarri
raised and lowered his hands bringing the lamps to soft light.
His long legs carried him gracefully to the cabinet where he
poured their requested drinks and brought them personally
to his guests.
In his usual realistic, unemotional tone he opened the
conversation. 'We've survived the worst space-time storm
I've ever experienced. No doubt you've been listening
on your eavesbots, Captain Cornelius, so you know our
situation. We can't fight you. We can't outrun you. I've been
broadcasting signals, but the storm obviously wiped out
potential assistance from nearby. Any police help is days or
more away. So we're at your mercy, sir.'
'My word's given, sir.' Cornelius sipped his Vortex Water.
'I'll demand a small enough price. Matter of professional
honour.' Again a shadow smile. 'But that wasn't my reason
for requesting your permission to board.' He gestured to
Peet Aviv who apologetically unbuttoned her neutron gun's
holster and rose to put it on the mantle beside the Scottish
clock. As she sat down again she raised her VW in a genial,
unsmiling toast.
Amy found her mind growing more alert but was not really
sure why. The rest of her was very much relaxed, enjoying and
admiring the room. The big cabin was beautifully furnished
with large, comfortable chairs, mostly in the style, or so the
Doctor whispered when she mentioned it, of Morris and
Stickley, the old Arts and Crafts designers. All dark oak and
glinting copper, the furniture reflected the light from the fire
basket in the grate. Amy was grateful for the luxury. This was
the first time since the storm she had been able to sit down
and, as far as it was possible in the circumstances, unwind.
The huge bowl of old-fashioned pink and white roses on the
centre table looked real and their scent was gorgeous, adding
further to her sense of wellbeing.
'You won't hear the faintest buzz from our Mann and
Robersons, captain, no matter what ensues today. I'm
unarmed. You'll hear no intended threats from us, and I
apologise for and withdraw any unintended threats. Save in
; one small matter, which I'll announce in due course.
'I'm glad to see you, Doctor. You knew I'd recognise
you, I suspect.' He chuckled. 'Do you find it as hard as I
do to discover suitable intellectual company, these days? I
remember our last meeting with pleasure, for you, too, are a
sensitive like me. I hope you have a little time to spare me.'
'I'll happily spare as much as necessary, if you'll help our
ship, Captain Cornelius.'
'Then let us discuss just that. Will anyone mind if I smoke?
I have a splendid Meng and Ecker's heavy tobacco.' Having
received their permission, he stuffed his long-stemmed
meerschaum. 'It's obvious you've seen a storm or two by
the look of your ship. I never thought one of these G-class
monsters could be caught by man or force of nature. They
said she could go into a black hole and come out unscathed.
Yet here she is.' Captain Cornelius placed his pipe in a pewter
ashtray. 'It seemed to me that you were off course when we
sighted you.'
The Doctor crossed his gangling legs, his long fingers
pushing back a flop of hair from his face. 'Exactly right,
captain. Did you also encounter a storm? You're some
distance from your preferred routes.'
'Indeed we are, sir. The dark currents swept in and caught
us just after we'd left our home port in Canis. We'd only seen
the currents from a safe distance. As you may know, there
have been many more such storms beyond the Rim than near
the Hub. Even so, they appeared to be threatening deeper
space only and, until recently, we had little to fear. We have
been extremely lucky up to now. You can imagine what those
currents mean to us. We depend on light. Light is even more
important to us than it is to colour-fuelled vessels. Without it,
we could not move at all. We could, I suppose, convert solely
to colour. But the prospect of the galaxy going dark is one
guaranteed to alarm any intelligent creature.'
The Doctor smiled. 'Dark means cold. Cold means death.'
He leaned back in his chair admiring the paintings on the
walls. He was doing his best to show no emotion. 'What was
your course, may I ask, when you saw the tide?'
'I was heading for Miggea, at the Hub. She orbits the
Schwarzschild Radius, as you know. The Ghost Worlds? I'm
a keen Tournament watcher, and I gathered the three finalists
were going to be playing on Flynn this year. I had hoped
to be there.' His smile was self-mocking. 'Not as myself, of
course. I used to have a certain amount of skill with the bow.
I had no plans to take part in the Tournament proper, but
there are archery contests arranged around the perimeter.
I'd imagined perhaps I could try my luck at one or two of
those,'
'That would have been dangerous,' the Doctor observed
with an answering smile, 'given that there's a high price on
your head. You must know that.'
'I'm rather flattered, in fact. But I'm an incorrigible
romantic and have to admit I relished the risk.'
'Like Robin Hood,' said Amy suddenly.
They both turned to her enquiringly.
'Robin Hood, the outlaw archer. The Sheriff of Nottingham
put on an archery match and Robin Hood went there in
disguise to see if he could win. They show it all the time -
well, they used to. Flynn! That's it! I knew that was ringing
a bell. Errol Flynn. Basil Rathbone. Olivia de Havilland?
Galloping through the Green Wood? Trigger?'
'Trigger?' exclaimed the Doctor. 'Really? The horse? Roy
Rogers?'
'I recognised him,' she said. 'I was rather proud of myself.
It was Aunt Sharon's favourite film.'
'Film?' murmured Cornelius enquiringly.
'Twentieth-century Earth art form,' the Doctor told him.
'An early type of V drama.'
'So...' The Dutchman showed a deeper interest in Amy.
'You're a time traveller, then? Like the Doctor?'
'Errol Flynn and that,' said Amy, feeling awkward. 'I'm
from...'
'Old Old Earth,' put in the Doctor hastily, turning back.
'Her subject at university. Dark Age studies. You know what
we Terraphiles are like with our love of minutiae.'
'I, too, must study this Robin Woods. Prowling through
the jungle, eh? He sounds like something of a tiger. Forgive
me for my rudeness, Captain Snarri. I only want a small price
for helping you reach your next destination. Part of that is one
thing you're carrying which I learned about from a mutual
acquaintance. General Force. Frank/Freddie Force came to
me a while ago and suggested he and I combine our energies
to take it. I have to admit, I was tempted. Then I decided that
would be unsporting, since I had already decided to claim it
for myself. Also, to be perfectly honest with you, I don't like
the fellow. I don't think I'd want to do business with him. He
was looking, as you surely have guessed, for the legendary
Arrow of Law. The Silver Arrow for which your teams are
competing.'
The Doctor carefully set his glass of Vortex Water down
on the wide arm of his Stickley chair. 'The Arrow? You think
we have it on board the Gargantua?'
Captain Cornelius looked surprised by the Doctor's
reaction. 'You don't know you're carrying it with you?'
'I'm not sure what game Frank/Freddie Force is playing
with us both,' replied the Doctor, 'but we are not carrying the
so-called Arrow of Law. It's in a travelling time vault which
will only arrive when the last game's played on Flynn. We
can't get it until then. That's precisely to stop it being stolen
or the presenter being tempted to nick it themselves. I saw it
placed in the vault. Many of us did.'
'Surely you know what that arrow is? Or what it represents,
Doctor?'
Amy wondered if the Doctor intended to tell Captain
Cornelius about the message he had received from the Hub
of the galaxy, or whether he intended to play what few cards
he held close to his chest.
The Doctor's face was expressionless when he replied. 'Of
course I do.'
Captain Cornelius broke into a spontaneous laugh. 'Of
course you do! Then perhaps you can tell me where it comes
from and who now possesses it?'
'It's the prize for which teams of Terraphiles play a series
of archaic games. The games are played once every quarter-
millennium. The team which wins those games receives the
Silver Arrow of Artemis from the previous winners. Until the
last game, it remains kept out of time and space. The team
who last won it are known as the Visitors and are probably
already on Flynn. Surely you know all this?'
The captain ignored the question. 'Your reason for joining
the team?'
'To have a bit of fun, you know. Get some exercise. I can
always do with that.'
'So you crossed time and space in your TARDIS, risked
your life more than once, just for a bit of fun? To get some
exercise?'
'You know that one, surely? A person
gets bored...'
'That's your entire reason? I doubt you're being entirely
frank with me, Doctor. My instruments detected no sign of
your TARDIS. As for the Arrow.
In the ensuing silence Amy looked from one man to the
other, wondering who would speak first.
Eventually the Doctor said: 'This is all I know. I got a
long-distance message from someone who understood how
to contact me. The message was broken. Partly common
galactic from this period. I half-recognised the voice, but
I can't say for certain who it was. I didn't recognise all the
language. Their signal came from Miggea's Schwarzschild
Radius. They mentioned Tom Mix, an ancient actor, Flynn in
Miggea and the Cosmic Roogalator or Regulator. Then they
mentioned Frank/Freddie Force's name. That worried me,
because Force is crazy enough to bring about the death of the
multiverse - all time and space, matter and antimatter. The
death of everything. That would suit his ego. He's one of the
few creatures I can believe mad enough to destroy us all.
'I also knew from my own observations that the dark
tides are running - running through time and space - which
suggested something had gone wrong, since they were
already moving at unprecedented speeds. The message came
from the centre, so I decided to go there and see if I could
find out what was causing all this. And I wanted to fix that
irregularity, if I could. From what signals I could decipher,
that Silver Arrow is somehow linked to the dark currents. I
thought if we won it I could examine it and see exactly what
it was...'
Captain Cornelius broke into easy laughter. "That's "all", is it, my dear Doctor? You speak of a horrifying ego! Yet you
crossed vast distances of space and time on the off-chance
of being able to fix something at the centre of the multiverse
without knowing exactly what you were going to remedy?'
'Well, yes.' Awkwardly, the Doctor straightened in his
chair. 'Not for the first time. That's what I do. Does it amuse
you to patronise me?'
'Forgive me, but it does sound unlikely. If you detected
irregularities why didn't you try to adjust them there and
then?'
'I followed the signal. It led me into that sector. I think you
know me as well as I know you, captain.'
'Indeed. Don Quixote. Righter of wrongs. Rescuer of those
in distress. A man driven by infinite curiosity.' He raised his