Touch The Sky: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 3]

No Such Thing as a Quiet Ending

No Such Thing as a Quiet Ending

(Original Story: Part 8)

It was still dark when Mallory woke. She crept through the house, readying herself as quietly as she could. Matt was still asleep when she checked on him, as he'd been since sundown, but from what she could tell his fever had gone down just a little. She said a quiet prayer she was right and left a glass of water on the nightstand.

Not waking Donna was her hardest challenge—after Matt had wound up bedridden in Mallory's room, the two girls had switched, Mallory ending in what had been Donna's room and the latter on the couch. There were times, Mallory had to admit even to herself, that being pregnant did have its advantages.

It did slow her down, though, and instead of being mounted and ready by the time Cyndi arrived, an hour before they had agreed to meet, she was still tightening the girth of a bridleless horse.

"So you figured out I was going to leave early."

"I'm not stupid," Mallory said. "What better way to keep us out of the action than taking off without us?"

There was a long pause. "You're still not coming," Cyndi said flatly.

"Like hell I'm not."

"I can't guarantee your safety or your life if you come with me."

"So you are planning something else." Mallory gave the girth one last tug and turned toward Cyndi, only to see her disappear into a stall across the aisle.

Another silence passed. "I don't have time to explain."

"So tell me on the way."

"Fine." Cyndi poked her head out again and glanced around. "Where's Donna?"

"Still asleep."

Cyndi lifted a brow but didn't answer.

Neither spoke again till they were outside the boundaries of the village. "What do you need the coracil for?" Mallory finally asked. "And don't tell me testing, because I'm not buying it. Neither does Donna, by the way."

Cyndi blew out a breath and withdrew the glass bottle from her breast pocket. "Five drops cures ocher fever," she said. "I've got about three milliliters here." She tucked it back in her pocket. "That much will kill a man in ten minutes."

Her words took a long moment to sink in. "Eglon," Mallory finally murmured.

"Yes."

"...Why?"

"I told you that we're heading for civil war," Cyndi said. "And not just that. If he has his way, we're going to end up in interstellar war. You don't have a clue what that's like. Millions upon millions dead. Quite possibly billions."

"I think I, of all people, have a clue what that's like,"Mallory said.

Cyndi set her jaw. "I've seen the future. Eglon's forty-six in Earth years and if we're unlucky, he could live for that long again. He's got biological weapons in the form of the fever, and the time distortion field. The only way to stop that war is to destroy said weapons and remove him from power. Guess what, Mallory? We're a monarchy. The only way a king loses power is when he leaves in a casket."

"Who's in charge if Eglon dies?"

"His son Josiah. A decent man and a peacemaker at heart." Cyndi sighed. "I didn't see it when I first arrived, but there was something different at this place. Eventually, I realized it wasn't the planet. It was me. I'm the one who's got to stop him. And it may well cost me my life."