THE MAN WHO FORGETS, doctor who [book 02]

x. beware the images of angels

     "Is River Song your wife? Because she's someone from your future, and the way she talks to you, I've never seen anyone do that. She's kind of like, you know, heel, boy," Amy muses with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "She's Mrs Doctor from the future, isn't she? Is she going to be your wife one day?"

     "Yes, you're right. I am definitely Mister Grumpy Face today."

     "Doctor! Doctor?" River calls from the drop module, making Violet look over and take note that her wife has changed into combat fatigues. "Violet, come on! Father Octavian."

     "Why do they call him Father?" Amy asks as they make their way over to the drop ship.

     "He's their Bishop, they're his Clerics," the Doctor dismisses.

     "It's the 51st Century," Violet adds, looking over her shoulder and back out onto the eerily familiar beach. "The Church has moved on."

✩

     A GRAINY IMAGE OF a Weeping Angel with its back towards them is on a monitor on the far wall.

     "What do you think? It's from the security cameras in the Byzantium vault. I ripped it when I was on board," River explains. "Sorry about the quality. It's four seconds. I've put it on loop."

     "Yeah, it's an Angel," the Doctor confirms. "Hands covering its face."

     "You've encountered the Angels before," Octavian notes.

     "Once, on Earth, a long time ago. But those were scavengers, barely surviving."

     "But it's just a statue," Amy protests.

     "It's a statue when you see it," River replies.

     "Where did it come from?" Violet asks, unable to take her eyes off the screen out of pure instinct.

     "Oh, pulled from the ruins of Razbahan, end of last century. It's been in private hands ever since. Dormant all that time."

     "There's a difference between dormant and patient," the Doctor retorts.

     "What's that mean, it's a statue when you see it?" Amy asks, seemingly not keeping up with the rest of the conversation.

     "The Weeping Angels can only move if they're unseen," River tells her mother. "So legend has it."

     "No, it's not legend," the Doctor dismisses. "It's a Quantum Lock. In the sight of any living creature the Angels literally cease to exist. They're just stone. The ultimate defence mechanism."

     "What, being a stone?" Amy says with a laugh.

     Violet finally looks away from the screen, only to raise an eyebrow at Amy. "Being a stone until you turn your back."

✩

     "THE HYPERDRIVE WOULD'VE SPLIT on impact," the Doctor muses. "That whole ship's going to be flooded with drive burn radiation, cracked electrons, gravity storms. Deadly to almost any living thing."

     "Deadly to an Angel?" Octavian asks hopefully.

     "Dinner to an Angel. The longer we leave it there, the stronger it will grow. Who built that temple? Are they still around?"