The Lone Bow Tie

Nothing in a Name

Nova stormed back into the dark bookshop after the strange man.

"Just what do you think you're doing here?" she yelled furiously. "Harbringer will kill me if he learns that I let a their go off on his merry way. Get out of this shop."

The man turned around to face Nova and set his hands on her shoulders. He was much taller than her, maybe six feet. He had deep-set eyes that made it hard to see his eyebrows. A mop of wavy brown hair sat upon his head. His large feet were covered by leather lace-up boots. He was wearing a tweed coat and pants over a white shirt. Overall, he bore an odd resemblance to a young giraffe.

"I'm not stealing," he protested. "I'm retrieving what is rightfully mine. Where's the science fiction?"

"The-- The science fiction?" Nova stammered.  "Mr Harbringer will-- Oh alright, it's on the top floor." The man did not seem like a thief. He seemed like someone Nova wanted to know more about, and she was determined to do just that. The man bounded up the stairs, and Nova quickly followed.

"So what's your name? I don't want to let someone off the hook without knowing what to call him," Nova asked.

"The Doctor," the man replied.

"Just the Doctor?"

"Just the Doctor."

"That 'the' really bothers me. It makes it sound like you're the only doctor in the world, but there are so many more. I know a bunch already. What makes you so special?"

"I dunno. I suppose I'm not."

"There must be something, you just haven't found it yet. Anyways, all special things have a name. What's yours?

"I told you. The Doctor."

"Doctor who exactly?"

"Everyone always asks that. Like people can throw around names like they're rubbish and worthless. Names have power, you know."

"I do, I just haven't found one like that yet."

And on that note, Nova and the Doctor reached the third floor.