very long time ago, by a civilisation that was out travelling between the stars before life even put in an appearance on this world.' He stared intently down at the metal, as if he might somehow catch sight of that distant, ancient species and learn something about them. 'Think about it. This was an empty world back then. No people. Leaving the dragon here was like burying your treasure under a tree in the corner of a quiet field. But that was aeons ago. I doubt its owners will be back for it. In the meantime, it's not doing anybody here any good. We need to get rid of it.'
He put the panel back into place and used the sonic screwdriver to reattach it. Amy walked slowly round the dragon, admiring the curves of its wings, the long sweep of its tail. Knowing that it was so old, so alien, made it even more fascinating. 'I wonder what made them leave it here. Why would you do that? It's so...'
'Go on,' said the Doctor. 'It's so...?'
'So beautiful,' Amy said honestly. 'I think it's 61
DOCTOR WHO
the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.'
'It isn't, though. It's only making you think that it is.' He pulled a face. 'Although, having seen Leadworth, this could well be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. But mostly what you're feeling is the effect of Enamour. When it wears off, this will be—'
'A completely ordinary big gold dragon of uncertain alien provenance.'
The Doctor grinned at her. 'Precisely that.'
'So why abandon it? If it's so special to them?
Why give it up?'
'Why does anyone bury their treasure? Perhaps they were in trouble and they couldn't carry it with them. Trying to escape trouble. Big universe, plenty of trouble.'
'A war? An invasion?'
'That's the kind of thing. Or maybe they stole it and hid it so that they weren't caught with it when the bill turned up.'
Amy began to laugh. 'A heist gone wrong!'
'Maybe! Why not? Jewel theft, Amy,' he said grandly, 'is a universal constant. But chances are we'll never find out the full story.' He leaned his elbow on the beast casually, almost too casually.
Amy gave him a questioning frown. He raised an eyebrow and jerked his head slightly, gesturing behind him. Someone there, Amy guessed, 62
THE KING’S DRAGON
listening to them talk. How much had they heard?
'But there are a few things we could learn,' the Doctor went on. 'Very easily.'
'Oh yes?' Amy kept her tone light.
'Yes.' He draped one arm proprietarily over the dragon. 'Such as - where did Beol and the Teller find the dragon? Who were they before they turned up here in Geath? How did they find out how to make it work for them? And are they anything more than a couple of conmen?' Without turning his head, the Doctor called back over his shoulder. 'So why don't you stop lurking in the shadows like a bad stage villain, come out here, and start telling the truth rather than spinning a pack of lies?'
63
Chapter
4
'A chord,' Rory said with confidence, as he walked along the empty criss-cross streets of Geath, 'is the line between two points on a curve.' Truly, as the Doctor had promised, the universe was full of marvels. Here, on an alien world in a strange city under the spell of a mysterious substance not entirely within his comprehension, Rory had finally found a use for GCSE maths. Without it (and Hilthe's map, to be fair) he would be literally walking round in circles.
'You'll find a use for it one day, Williams,' Rory muttered, in a passable imitation of Mr Swallow, Head of Maths, which would have made Amy laugh, if Amy hadn't been half a mile away and 65
DOCTOR WHO
behaving weirdly. More weirdly. Even more weirdly than running away with a charismatically chaotic time traveller the night before her wedding.
Their wedding. That was already weird enough for Rory. And yet still he found himself picking his way round said strange city in the middle of the night in search of a little old lady. And why?
Because the Doctor had asked him to. Talk about Enamour. 'So if I go up these steps...
He put the panel back into place and used the sonic screwdriver to reattach it. Amy walked slowly round the dragon, admiring the curves of its wings, the long sweep of its tail. Knowing that it was so old, so alien, made it even more fascinating. 'I wonder what made them leave it here. Why would you do that? It's so...'
'Go on,' said the Doctor. 'It's so...?'
'So beautiful,' Amy said honestly. 'I think it's 61
DOCTOR WHO
the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.'
'It isn't, though. It's only making you think that it is.' He pulled a face. 'Although, having seen Leadworth, this could well be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. But mostly what you're feeling is the effect of Enamour. When it wears off, this will be—'
'A completely ordinary big gold dragon of uncertain alien provenance.'
The Doctor grinned at her. 'Precisely that.'
'So why abandon it? If it's so special to them?
Why give it up?'
'Why does anyone bury their treasure? Perhaps they were in trouble and they couldn't carry it with them. Trying to escape trouble. Big universe, plenty of trouble.'
'A war? An invasion?'
'That's the kind of thing. Or maybe they stole it and hid it so that they weren't caught with it when the bill turned up.'
Amy began to laugh. 'A heist gone wrong!'
'Maybe! Why not? Jewel theft, Amy,' he said grandly, 'is a universal constant. But chances are we'll never find out the full story.' He leaned his elbow on the beast casually, almost too casually.
Amy gave him a questioning frown. He raised an eyebrow and jerked his head slightly, gesturing behind him. Someone there, Amy guessed, 62
THE KING’S DRAGON
listening to them talk. How much had they heard?
'But there are a few things we could learn,' the Doctor went on. 'Very easily.'
'Oh yes?' Amy kept her tone light.
'Yes.' He draped one arm proprietarily over the dragon. 'Such as - where did Beol and the Teller find the dragon? Who were they before they turned up here in Geath? How did they find out how to make it work for them? And are they anything more than a couple of conmen?' Without turning his head, the Doctor called back over his shoulder. 'So why don't you stop lurking in the shadows like a bad stage villain, come out here, and start telling the truth rather than spinning a pack of lies?'
63
Chapter
4
'A chord,' Rory said with confidence, as he walked along the empty criss-cross streets of Geath, 'is the line between two points on a curve.' Truly, as the Doctor had promised, the universe was full of marvels. Here, on an alien world in a strange city under the spell of a mysterious substance not entirely within his comprehension, Rory had finally found a use for GCSE maths. Without it (and Hilthe's map, to be fair) he would be literally walking round in circles.
'You'll find a use for it one day, Williams,' Rory muttered, in a passable imitation of Mr Swallow, Head of Maths, which would have made Amy laugh, if Amy hadn't been half a mile away and 65
DOCTOR WHO
behaving weirdly. More weirdly. Even more weirdly than running away with a charismatically chaotic time traveller the night before her wedding.
Their wedding. That was already weird enough for Rory. And yet still he found himself picking his way round said strange city in the middle of the night in search of a little old lady. And why?
Because the Doctor had asked him to. Talk about Enamour. 'So if I go up these steps...
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