тнє ℓαѕт qυєєи // тнє ∂σ¢тσя

The Shakespeare Code

"Whoa, you don't mean. Is Shakespeare in there?" Martha asks as she turns to us in awe and laughs, "Oh, yes. Miss Jones, will you accompany us to the theatre?" I asked her with a laugh of my own, "I will." She nodded reaching for Theta's arm but he had already started forward, grabbing my hand. "When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare." He laughed as he pulled me closer, "Then I could get sectioned."

A performance has just finished, and the packed audience of about three thousand are applauding the actors. We have been watching with the rest of the ordinary folk in the pit. "That's amazing! Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?" Martha asked jumping around in happiness, "London never changes." I mused causing him to chuckle. "Where's Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare. Author! Author! Do people shout that? Do they shout Author?" I was about to warn her not to do that but it was to late. "Author! Author!" And the crowd take up the chant, "Well, they do now." I grunted, Shakespeare comes onto the stage, very full of himself, to rapturous applause.

"He's a bit different from his portraits."

"Genius. He's a genius. The genius. The most human human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him speak. Always he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words." Theta smiled brightly, I watched him with a smile of my own. I love that he gets so happy with things like this, the small adventures and the history of famous people. "Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" Laughter, I winced slightly. "Oh, well." Theta pouted, his bottom lip jutting out. "You should never meet your heroes." I pointed with a raised eyebrow causing him to roll his eyes, "Ok. Queen Victoria." He grunted back at me causing me to chuckle as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a gentle kiss.

"You've got excellent taste, I'll give you that. Oh, that's a wig. I know what you're all saying. Loves Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." Shakespeare suddenly goes rigid and blank, I frowned at him. "When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Loves Labour's Won." Theta stares at him silently as my head turns upwards to a women dressed more for a party then here. She was holding a doll and smirking causing me to frown in thought.

A short while later, everyone is filing out of the theatre.

"I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of Loves Labour's Won." Martha spoke turning to us, "Exactly. The lost play. It doesn't exist, only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. And no one knows why." Theta explained with a shrug, "Have you got a mini-disc or something? We can tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint." I glared at her, she obviously didn't either understand how things like that works or she doesn't know how to listen. "No."

"That would be bad."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?"

"Well, I was just going to give you a quick little trip in the Tardis, but I suppose we could stay a bit longer."

We made our way up to Shakespeare's room in the inn, "I've just got the final scene to go. You'll get it by morning." His voice echoed as we approached the doorway, Theta leaned in the doorway with a knock. "Hello! Excuse me, not interrupting, am I? Mister Shakespeare, isn't it?" Theta waved with a smile, Shakespeare sighed and shook his head, "Oh, no. No, no, no. Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove" Shakespeare spots Martha and I. "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me. You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."