Among The Stars

The Shakespeare Code (Part 2)

"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey." Shakespeare sighed and sat at the table in his room. It was early morning and they were all still tired. "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light." The Doctor muttered.

"I might use that."

"You can't, it's someone else's."

"Lynely drowned on dry land," Lorelai tiredly said as she leaned against the Doctor. "Dolly died of fright, and they were both connected to you."

Shakespeare turned to her. "You're accusing me?"

"Not at all." Martha jumped in quickly. "But I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches."

"I have? When was that?"

The Doctor leaned towards her. "Not... not quite yet."

"Peter Streete spoke of witches." Shakespeare told them.

"Who's that?" Asked Lorelai.

"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect..." the Doctor muttered and his face slowly lit up. "The architect... the architect! The Globe! Come on!" He grabbed Lorelai's hand and ran off with her as the other's quickly followed.

~~~

"The columns there...fourteen sides." He said as he looked around the inside of the empty theatre. "I've always wondered but I never asked. Tell me, why fourteen sides?"

"It was shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well." Shakespeare said. Him and Martha were stood on the stage while Lorelai sat on the edge, kicking her feet.

"Fourteen....why does that ring a bell? Fourteen."

"There's fourteen lines in a sonnet." Martha brought up.

"So there is." The Doctor nodded. "Good point. Words and shapes, following the same design. Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets...oh my head." He ran his finger through his hair. "Think, think, think. Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

Shakespeare sighed. "But this is just a theatre."

The Doctor turned to him. "Oh, but the theatre's magic!" He walked up to the stage. "You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with just the right emphasis at the right time. Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy. Change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place." He turned around to face the empty theatre seats. "And if you exaggerate that..."

"It's like your police box." Martha brought up. "Small wooden box with all that power inside."

"Oh..." he looked back at her with a smile. "Oh, Martha Jones, I like you."

"Peter Streete would know." Lorelai spoke up and turned around to look at Shakespeare. "Can we talk to him?"

"You won't get an answer." Shakespeare told them. "A month after finishing this place... lost his mind."

"Why? What happened?"

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

"Where is he now?" Asked the Doctor.

"Bedlem."

"What's Bedlem?" Martha asked him.

"Bethlem Hospital. A madhouse."

"We're gonna go there." The Doctor stated and helped Lorelai off the stage. "Right now. Come on." The three time travelers walked out of the theatre, passing two actors.