Post by John Darnacan on Mar 14, 2011 0:30:10 GMT
Part 5 – Confused Destinies
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Hurley tried to escape Deiter’s grip. It didn't help that Dieter was wobbling back and forth in his hammock.
“What’s the matter with you!” Hurley yelled. The sailors quickly came to Hurley’s aid. Deiter was barely aware of what had happened.
“Damn Hessian,” Hurley spat.
Mr. Creighton was quickly summoned.
“What is going on here?” he demanded.
“The Hessian attacked me.”
“From his hammock?” Creighton asked incredulously. He turned to Deiter. “What is your accounting of this?”
“I was asleep. I woke up with him on top of me.”
“Does anyone else know what happened?” No one had anything to add.
“I suggest that you get some sleep, Mr. Hurley. That goes for all of you.” Hurley skulked off, but keeping his eye on Deiter.
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“Where is this island?” Faye asked.
“I know not. Thus, the reason for my foolish expedition. I thought if I sailed the seas, I would find sailors who would know, or at least have heard, of the illusive island.”
“Does this island have a name?” inquired the Doctor.
“Gallifrey,” Lady Catherine answered.
Faye and the Doctor looked at each other in shock that a woman from the eighteenth century Earth would utter the name of the Doctor’s home planet. They each thought it must have been a phonetic coincidence.
“Well, what’s so special about this island?”
“Gallifrey is the home of the greatest clockmakers in the world,” Lady Catherine bragged.
“Clockmakers?” Faye asked.
“Yes, the story goes that the inhabitants of Gallifrey were the most extraordinary clockmakers. In fact, they were sometimes referred to as the Lords of Time.” The Doctor and Faye both felt a chill up their spines.
“Who told you about this island?”
“My mother,” replied Lady Catherine. “Doctor, from your tone, and your questions, this seems of some importance to you. May I inquire why?”
“No,” he lied. “Just naturally curious, I suppose.”
“Did your father approve of this expedition of yours?” Faye asked.
“My father died over a year ago. I mentioned it to him after my mother died, but he forbade me from engaging in any of what he called ‘reckless adventurism’. He thought it unbecoming of a Lady. I honoured his wishes, but after his death, I felt more drawn to Gallifrey than ever before.”
“Drawn to Gallifrey?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes, I felt it was my destiny. So, I engaged a crew at great expense, and we sailed off on what many saw as my fool’s errand.”
“What happened?” Faye asked.
“We were intercepted by Blackbeard and his crew. Captain Hardcastle, who apparently had some experience with pirates, surrendered immediately. He said if we didn’t resist, pirates were less likely to kill anyone.”
“Yes, actually killing off crews would have been bad for business,” the Doctor explained. “Better to have witnesses to tell the tale, maybe even have a few of the crew join him.”
“Captain Hardcastle was right except for one problem. As an expeditionary vessel, we weren’t carrying enough plunder for their troubles. So Blackbeard decided I would be his treasure. That’s when the Captain resisted, and died. That black-hearted pirate laughed as he slashed the poor old man to death.”
“I’m so sorry,” Faye comforted her. “But, the Doctor is here now. And he’s a fantastic protector.”
“I see nothing to prevent that pig from slaughtering the Doctor and us,” she shot back.
“Perhaps it would be better if we all retired for the evening, eh?” the Doctor suggested.
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After Lady Catherine had fallen asleep, Faye got up to find the Doctor on deck.
“Couldn’t sleep?” the Doctor murmured. Faye nodded. “Me neither.”
“Gallifrey? Clockmakers? Lords of Time? Could it be a coincidence?” Faye asked.
“No, it’s obvious Lady Catherine’s mother knew about the Time Lords. But how?”
“Could some Time Lord have taken her mother to Gallifrey, the way you took me?”
“Not likely. The Time Lords disapproved of my allowing non-Gallifreyans travel in the TARDIS. I’m sure I would have heard about another Time Lord doing so. Although, it’s not like I can check the records,” the Doctor sighed. “It was obvious her mother was explaining it in a way a child could understand, ‘an island of clockmakers’. But why tell a child at all?”
“Maybe she was telling Catherine about Gallifrey as a bedtime story or something.
“Do you still believe any the bedtime stories you were told as a child?”
“Well, no.”
“Clearly Lady Catherine’s mother knew of Gallifrey, and wanted her daughter to know about it. Perhaps if her mother had lived, she might have explained it in more adult terms. I don’t know.”
“You’ll have to tell her,” Faye said.
“What?” asked the Doctor with puzzled look.
“You’ll have to tell her Gallifrey doesn’t exist anymore. Otherwise, she’ll keep looking for something she can never find.” The Doctor just stared at the deck.
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To Be Continued
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Hurley tried to escape Deiter’s grip. It didn't help that Dieter was wobbling back and forth in his hammock.
“What’s the matter with you!” Hurley yelled. The sailors quickly came to Hurley’s aid. Deiter was barely aware of what had happened.
“Damn Hessian,” Hurley spat.
Mr. Creighton was quickly summoned.
“What is going on here?” he demanded.
“The Hessian attacked me.”
“From his hammock?” Creighton asked incredulously. He turned to Deiter. “What is your accounting of this?”
“I was asleep. I woke up with him on top of me.”
“Does anyone else know what happened?” No one had anything to add.
“I suggest that you get some sleep, Mr. Hurley. That goes for all of you.” Hurley skulked off, but keeping his eye on Deiter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Where is this island?” Faye asked.
“I know not. Thus, the reason for my foolish expedition. I thought if I sailed the seas, I would find sailors who would know, or at least have heard, of the illusive island.”
“Does this island have a name?” inquired the Doctor.
“Gallifrey,” Lady Catherine answered.
Faye and the Doctor looked at each other in shock that a woman from the eighteenth century Earth would utter the name of the Doctor’s home planet. They each thought it must have been a phonetic coincidence.
“Well, what’s so special about this island?”
“Gallifrey is the home of the greatest clockmakers in the world,” Lady Catherine bragged.
“Clockmakers?” Faye asked.
“Yes, the story goes that the inhabitants of Gallifrey were the most extraordinary clockmakers. In fact, they were sometimes referred to as the Lords of Time.” The Doctor and Faye both felt a chill up their spines.
“Who told you about this island?”
“My mother,” replied Lady Catherine. “Doctor, from your tone, and your questions, this seems of some importance to you. May I inquire why?”
“No,” he lied. “Just naturally curious, I suppose.”
“Did your father approve of this expedition of yours?” Faye asked.
“My father died over a year ago. I mentioned it to him after my mother died, but he forbade me from engaging in any of what he called ‘reckless adventurism’. He thought it unbecoming of a Lady. I honoured his wishes, but after his death, I felt more drawn to Gallifrey than ever before.”
“Drawn to Gallifrey?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes, I felt it was my destiny. So, I engaged a crew at great expense, and we sailed off on what many saw as my fool’s errand.”
“What happened?” Faye asked.
“We were intercepted by Blackbeard and his crew. Captain Hardcastle, who apparently had some experience with pirates, surrendered immediately. He said if we didn’t resist, pirates were less likely to kill anyone.”
“Yes, actually killing off crews would have been bad for business,” the Doctor explained. “Better to have witnesses to tell the tale, maybe even have a few of the crew join him.”
“Captain Hardcastle was right except for one problem. As an expeditionary vessel, we weren’t carrying enough plunder for their troubles. So Blackbeard decided I would be his treasure. That’s when the Captain resisted, and died. That black-hearted pirate laughed as he slashed the poor old man to death.”
“I’m so sorry,” Faye comforted her. “But, the Doctor is here now. And he’s a fantastic protector.”
“I see nothing to prevent that pig from slaughtering the Doctor and us,” she shot back.
“Perhaps it would be better if we all retired for the evening, eh?” the Doctor suggested.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Lady Catherine had fallen asleep, Faye got up to find the Doctor on deck.
“Couldn’t sleep?” the Doctor murmured. Faye nodded. “Me neither.”
“Gallifrey? Clockmakers? Lords of Time? Could it be a coincidence?” Faye asked.
“No, it’s obvious Lady Catherine’s mother knew about the Time Lords. But how?”
“Could some Time Lord have taken her mother to Gallifrey, the way you took me?”
“Not likely. The Time Lords disapproved of my allowing non-Gallifreyans travel in the TARDIS. I’m sure I would have heard about another Time Lord doing so. Although, it’s not like I can check the records,” the Doctor sighed. “It was obvious her mother was explaining it in a way a child could understand, ‘an island of clockmakers’. But why tell a child at all?”
“Maybe she was telling Catherine about Gallifrey as a bedtime story or something.
“Do you still believe any the bedtime stories you were told as a child?”
“Well, no.”
“Clearly Lady Catherine’s mother knew of Gallifrey, and wanted her daughter to know about it. Perhaps if her mother had lived, she might have explained it in more adult terms. I don’t know.”
“You’ll have to tell her,” Faye said.
“What?” asked the Doctor with puzzled look.
“You’ll have to tell her Gallifrey doesn’t exist anymore. Otherwise, she’ll keep looking for something she can never find.” The Doctor just stared at the deck.
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To Be Continued
