To Be a Time Lord

Chapter 27 - The Wedding of Tabetha Pond

The Wedding of Tabetha Pond, part 1 -

London, 22nd April 2011, 5:02pm, always.

Steam trains were going through town, high up in the air on gigantic scaffoldings of train tracks, right through buildings. Cars, carried by hot air balloons, were in traffic jams all around. Pterodactyls made their way over Hyde Park as excited children played below. A headline said 'War Of Roses Enters Second Year', looked at by a Roman in a chariot, waiting at a traffic light.

On telly, Charles Dickens talked about his newest Christmas special story. The news anchor on another channel announced, "Crowds lined the Mall today as Holy Roman Emperor, Winston Churchill, returned to the Buckingham Senate on his personal mammoth."

Inside Churchill's office he was cooled by servants waving palm leaves while his blood pressure was checked by the Silurian scientist, Malokeh, "Not too many late nights in Gaul, I hope."

"Just the one", Churchill brushed it off, "I had an argument with Cleopatra. Dreadful woman. Excellent dancer."

"I can tell from your blood pressure", Malokeh discreetly rolled his eyes and packed his equipment back up.

"What time do you have, doctor?", he asked with a concerned glance to the grandfather clock in the corner.

Malokeh looked at his pocket watch, "Two minutes past five, Caesar."

"It's always two minutes past five. Day or night, it's always two minutes past five in the afternoon. Why is that?", Churchill shook his head with narrowed eyes.

"Because that is the time, Caesar."

"And the date", he pointed at the calendar on his desk, "It's always the twenty second of April. Does it not bother you?"

"The date and the time have always been the same, Caesar. Why should it start bothering me now?"

"I want to see the Soothsayer. Where is he?"

"In the Tower. Where you threw him the last time."

"Get him."

A tall, slim figure in rags with messy hair on top and in his face, chained up at his joints was brought into Churchill's office.

"Leave us", the Emperor demanded before turning to the figure, "Tick Tock goes the clock, as the old song says. But they don't, do they? The clocks never tick. Something has happened to time. That's what you say. What you never stop saying. All of history is happening at once. But what does it mean? What happened? Explain to me in terms that I can understand. What happened to time?"

The figure finally looked up, revealing his face. Winston Churchill looked right down at the Doctor as the so-called Soothsayer dramatically spoke, "A woman."

The Doctor proceeded to tell Churchill about how he tried to gather information on the organisation that was responsible for his planned demise.

"This is absurd", he interrupted and got up frustratedly, "Other worlds, carnivorous skulls, talking heads. I don't know why I'm listening to you."

"Because, in another reality, you and I are friends. And you sense that. Just as you sense there is something wrong with time."

"You mentioned a woman", Churchill lit a cigar.

"Yes", he sighed inwardly with a singe of disappointment, "I'm getting to her."

"What's she like?", Churchill took a drag and then pulled the cigar out of his mouth for a moment, "Attractive, I assume."

"Hell", the Doctor gave a half smirk, "But more intelligent than either of us can account for."

"Tell me more."