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him.
    ‘All right, all right,’ said Dunkal and, with some effort, pushed himself upright. He would reward himself with a cigarette later.
    ‘No rest for the justice. Let’s get on with it, then.’
    *
    The lizard watched Romana unwrap the burn dressings. It had been supplied with water and was now propped up on its side, a picture of bemusement.
    ‘Now, this may hurt.’ Romana raised the lizard’s cloak and applied the dressings, squeezing them on to the open wounds. A medic mopped up the seeping juices.
    ‘Aah! Freak me!’ shrieked the lizard. ‘Totally ungroovy! This is beyond agony – this is agony two, the sequel!’
    Romana drew back. ‘I’m being as gentle as I can.’
    ‘Everything’s gone all soft focus and swimmy,’ whimpered the lizard. ‘Can’t you administer me a shot of the old mellow medicine? Just a little something to smooth off the corners?’
    Romana shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, there’s no painkillers left. We’re doing what we can, but…’
    The creature slumped back on to its pillow. ‘Painkillers.
Indigo Glow
.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘The
Indigo Glow
. My spacehopper,’ confided the lizard. ‘The interplanetary supernova convertible parked out on docking bay two. Shark-red exhaust trim. There’s all the “painkillers” you’ll ever need on board.’
    ‘You have anaesthetics? Drugs?’
    The lizard smiled to itself. ‘It is a fully equipped medicine wagon. Anaesthetics, cardiothetrics, psychogens. Placators, dilators and hallucinators. Uppers, downers and in-betweeners. Glycerat, Novovacuous. A pill for every chill.’
    ‘You certainly came well stocked,’ Romana remarked.
    ‘“Be prepared” is the motto.’ The lizard rummaged beneath its kaftan and presented Romana with a small ident key. ‘Check out the cabin stow-locker. You’ll find enough painkillers to knock out an alabast elephosaur.’
    Romana turned the key over in her fingers. If she left for the hopper now, she thought, she could be back with the medicine before the Doctor and K-9 returned. ‘Docking bay two?’
    ‘Indeed.’ The lizard collapsed back to sleep.
    Romana slipped the key into her pocket and hurried out of the medical bay.
    *
    The Doctor leaned over a parapet and gazed into the gloom. K-9 had led them to a vast chamber, a shaft sinking into the depths of the ship, overlooked by tier upon tier of balconies. ‘Do you know, K-9, there’s something that’s been preying on my mind.’
    ‘Master, sensors indicate…’ K-9 wheeled to the Doctor’s side.
    ‘Normally, when I arrive somewhere, people point guns at me and throw me in prison. Within about twenty-four and a half minutes of arriving, usually,’ said the Doctor. ‘But this time everyone’s pleased to see me. I mean, it was bound to happen one day, but it still strikes me as, well, odd.’
    ‘Master, urgent warning…’ There was a fizzling and K-9 went silent.
    ‘I’m not used to it. After all, how am I supposed to know who the baddies are if no one will capture –’ The Doctor didn’t finish his thought. Instead, he raised his arms into the air and revolved on the spot, attentive to the rifle butt that was pressing against the small of his back. ‘I believe that is what is known as speaking too soon.’
    Two men in silver-and-black tunics – some species of policeman, the Doctor presumed – were levelling their rifles at him. The larger one fixed him with a world-weary glare. ‘Stay very, very still. We don’t like having to shoot suspects, but we’re quite prepared to do things we don’t like, aren’t we, Rige?’
    ‘We certainly are, Dunkal.’ The other policeman sidled to where K-9 stood. ‘We take a professional pride in our work.’ The metal dog was motionless, his head drooping. The policeman kicked him, and K-9 gave a feeble splutter. ‘The weapons unit has been rendered inoffensive.’
    ‘Well done, Rige. Now –’
    ‘Inoffensive? You dare to call K-9 inoffensive?’ The Doctor realised what he was