Doctor Who: Ribos Operation (18 page)

And the two tricksters stood staring at the useless lump of
flint under the bleak midday sun like a pair of freshly made
snowmen.

In the quietly humming control room of the TARDIS the Doctor
unwrapped the nugget of Jethryk and gave it a thorough polish
with the spotted handkerchief. Then he placed it carefully on
the side of the instrument console, and, stepping hack a pace
with a gallant flourish, he invited Romana to carry out the
transformation of the nugget into its true form.

Romana hesitated. ‘Thank you, Doctor, but I should not
wish to appear presumptuous,’ she smiled.

‘I absolutely insist,’ replied the Doctor, nodding at the
Locatormutor Core in Romana’s hand. ‘You operate the
gadgetry, my dear—I’ll stick to the old conjuring tricks.’

Still Romana hung back. ‘I am only your assistant, Doctor,’
she murmured.

The Doctor arched his eyebrows in mock surprise and
glanced hurriedly round the control room as if to ensure that
they were not being overheard. ‘Really?’ he muttered. ‘Well, I
shouldn’t boast about it if I were you.’

For a moment Romana looked as though she were going to
smash the Core down onto the Doctor’s head, but she managed
to swallow her fury at his mischievous taunting.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly approached the console
and held out the Locatormutor so that it just touched the
Jethryk’s glittering surface. She could not help glancing at the
Doctor and he gave her a warm smile of encouragement.
Cautiously, Romana switched the Core to mutation mode. They
waited.

At first nothing happened. Then the filigree silver veins
branching through the nugget began to pulse gently and to
drain it of its intense indigo colour. Gradually the nugget
became completely colourless, and then it began to glow so
intensely that Romana and the Doctor were forced to avert their
gaze as the glare increased to a searing, buzzing climax.

When at last they were able to look again, there on the
console lay a large crystalline object clear as water with exact
knife-edged facets and angles reflecting the light brilliantly.

Romana switched off the Core and sighed with relief.

‘The first Segment of the Key to Time...’ the Doctor,
murmured approaching the console almost reverently. He took
out his watchmaker’s eyeglass and began to examine the
Segment very thoroughly.

Romana suddenly gave a brilliant smile and put the Core
away in her belt. ‘Yes, the first Segment... at last,’ she said.

After a while the Doctor took out his eyeglass and put it back
in his pocket. Then he rubbed his hands briskly together, and
with cautious delicate movements wrapped the Segment in the
spotted handkerchief.

‘One down and five to go,’ he chuckled. ‘What about some
tea?’