Part 15 (1/2)

'This doc.u.ment,' he said as he picked up the parchment, 'is your pa.s.separtout pa.s.separtout out of France, signed and sealed by the Abbot himself. It'll see you and your friends safely to Germany. out of France, signed and sealed by the Abbot himself. It'll see you and your friends safely to Germany.

'Thank you, Doctor.' Each one in turn gave him a Gallic hug before they rode off.

'What about Anne, Raoul and their aunt?' Steven asked discreetly.

The Doctor looked at him sharply. 'What about them?'

'Anne helped me, found me a room at the Hotel Lutece, and Raoul fought with us against Duval. Can't you help them as well?' he pleaded.

'They mustn't return home,' Lerans added. 'It's too dangerous.'

'Couldn't they come with us?' Steven ventured.

'Out of the question', the Doctor exploded and then looked at them in resignation. 'Oh, very well,' he sighed and pointed to one of the two remaining dog carts.

'Take that to the eastern outskirts of Paris and then go as quickly as you can on foot to Picardy.'

'Picardy?' Raoul asked. 'Why Picardy?'

'Because I say so,' the Doctor replied firmly.

'Then Picardy it is,' Anne said. She kissed the Doctor and Steven on both cheeks, and clambered into the dog cart with Raoul and her aunt.

'But what will I do in Picardy?' the aunt wailed.

'Try growing roses, ma'am,' the Doctor snapped in exasperation and slapped one of the Alsatians on his rump, sending the dog cart skittering off into the tunnels.

'And now, young man, I think it's time for us to go,' the Doctor said as he slipped the Abbot's habit over his own clothes.

'But you don't need those any more,' Steven protested.

'Officially, the Abbot of Amboise isn't dead yet,' the Doctor replied and took Lerans's hand between his. 'My best regards to Nicholas Muss.'

'He's with the Admiral,' Lerans replied.

'Where his duty lies,' the Doctor said and smiled.

'Please accept the word of a false Abbot when he says ”G.o.d be with you”.'

Lerans nodded and everyone watched in silence as the Doctor and Steven rode off into the tunnel.

They entered the Bastille by a secret door as the bells of Notre Dame began to chime and the Doctor handed Steven the key to the TARDIS.

'Open up the shop,' he said, 'I won't be a moment.' He went into the guardroom where the Officer of the Guard leapt to his feet.

'What would My Lord Abbot at this hour?' he exclaimed.

'Take me to the possessed locksmith,' the Doctor ordered and the Officer of the Guard led the way to the dungeon where the poor man still hung, chained to the wall. The Doctor went over to him, stretched out his arms and placed his hands on the locksmith's shoulders.

'Begone, foul demon,' he intoned with severity and jiggled his arms up and down for good effect, then ordered the luckless man cut down, fed and released.

'What about my betties?' the locksmith quavered.

'Make another set, ungrateful wretch,' the Doctor said and left.

In the guardroom he announced that he was about to exorcise the TARDIS but that no one should look at it whilst he did so. Obediently the guards all turned their faces to the wall as the Doctor went out onto the courtyard and entered the TARDIS, locking the door behind him.

While the Doctor was taking off the habit Steven asked him what the Abbot's last role had been.

'On his desk at the Cardinal's palace, I saw an exorcism order for the hapless locksmith so I executed it,' the Doctor replied, rearranging his cravat.

'And why Picardy for Anne?'

The Doctor smiled. 'Because the Governor of Picardy was one of the few who refused to obey the King's edict.'

Steven thought about that reply before he put his next question. 'And Lerans?'

'What would you have expected of him,' the Doctor replied, 'other than to fight to the last?'