The Fall of Arcadia (Book ONE)

Chapter 41

River:

The phone was ringing. That phone never rang, not unless someone wanted me. "Cell four two six. The Doctor? Do you mean Doctor Song?"

Oh, my parents, what were they up to right now? I moved to the bars, that I could open, but I played good for now, and held out my hand. "Give me that. Seriously, just give it to me. I'm entitled to phone calls." He gave it to me, for once. "Sera, Doctor?"

"No, and neither are you. Where are they?"

Was that Churchill? Who is there that mum and dad don't know by this point? "You're phoning the Time Vortex. It doesn't always work. But the TARDIS is smart. She's re-routed the call. Talk quickly. This connection will last less than a minute."

We spoke fast, and then the connection ended. I stood there with the phone in my hand for a moment, wondering what to do. And then the guard snapped me back into reality. "Doctor Song. Are you finished with that?"

I handed it back with a smile. "You're new here, aren't you?"

"First day."

"Then I'm very sorry." I pulled him into the bars, kissing him hard, hard enough to give him a decent amount of hallucinogenic lipstick into his system, and then packed up, leaving a stick drawing, with lovely hair, on the wall with a bubble saying hi. I could write like anyone, but when it came to drawing? I'll leave that to Jack.

DW

Empty frames hang in the empty hallways, the Royal Collection, and I was being Catwoman for a night. Theft, not really my specialty, but I could do it. I found the picture I looking for and tore it out of its frame. I tried to get back up the stairs, but the lights came back on.

"This is the Royal Collection, and I'm the bloody Queen. What are you doing here?"

Crap. But I got a snapshot of her life when I looked at her, and smiled, knowing she knew mum and dad. "It's about the Writer and the Doctor, Ma'am. You met them once, didn't you? I know they came here.

"The Doctor and Writer?" She sounded surprised.

"They're in trouble. I need to find them."

Liz hesitated for a moment, then nodded to the item in question in my hand. "Then why are you stealing a painting?"

I unwrapped it, passing it to her. "Look at it. I need to find the Doctor and the Writer, and I need to show them this." Her eyes widened, and I knew she was in on my plan.

DW

The Maldovarium, what an honor. Well, I'd already been here before, not on purpose, Jack got lost, but this time, this time I was invited. And I was talking to Dorium himself. "Well now, word on the Belt is you're looking for time travel."

"Are you selling?"

Dorium snapped his fingers and an alien brought a box out. Well, it was slimline, whatever it was. "A vortex manipulator, fresh off the wrist of a handsome Time Agent." What? That was impossible. He opened the box and sighed. "I said off the wrist." Please, please tell me that it was John Harts, not Jacks. "Not cheap, Doctor Song. Have you brought me a pretty toy?"

I took off one of my, well, mums, earring. She never wore them, and she never would, her ears weren't pierced. "This is a Calisto Pulse. It can disarm micro-explosives from up to twenty feet." It was also one of my favourite toys.

"What kind of micro-explosives?" He on the line now, and I just had to pull back on the hook.

Smirking, I looked at his glass. "The kind I just put in your wine." And now he was a fish out of water.