Broken: A Time Lord's Story (Doctor Who Novel)

Epilogue

For two weeks after the demolition, filth, blackness and the charred remains of the compound marred the landscape. Then -- it started to snow. Staring out of his office window, H'Tarle wondered how bad this new storm that was coming down out of the mountains would be. The right amount kept the idiots home; too much snow and the off-worlders suffered from something called cabin fever. It was a term the humans introduced into the vocabulary. The word described a condition unknown to Reguluns. At least the off-worlders added something besides prisoners to the local culture. He swallowed down his neshema and thanked the Gods that at least his overcrowded cells were empty. Well -- mostly empty.

In the days since the trial, most of the prisoners were shipped off-world to Tbril or to the Dazif centre. The few guards who were found innocent were given the choice to leave the planet or find gainful employment elsewhere; most left. The three rapists that now resided at the Provincial government's holding prison were awaiting their execution. The fact that NaV0 managed to escape execution was a disappointment. H'tarle didn't understand that decision at all. That the request came from the Doctor made less sense. Why did the man want that piece of human trash saved? The stories he'd always heard painted a far different picture of the strange man from the man he met. He took another swallow of the hot drink and watched a fat snowflake land against the window pane. The landscape was turning clean almost by the minute.

H'tarle thought of her victims. He knew that the Doctor had not forgot about their suffering. He personally watched over and assisted in their relocation after the trial. Their suffering had a huge impact on the citizens of Borel which certainly helped keep the crime rate down. Of course, he thought, the new anti-crime program was proving effective. Pictures of NaV0, her cohorts and that bombed out compound were posted all over the H'rau district in stark warning to any future criminal enterprise. Both residents and newcomers alike heeded  the powerful message. . A good portion of the alien criminals that inhabiting the H'rau district took the hint and fled for less oppressive surroundings. Now there was a word H'Tarle liked -- o-ppress-ive. There was a lyrical quality to that word.

There were still a few drunks to deal with and then the one idiot who thought he could rob the Mayor's house, but in general, life was... boring. H'Tarle loved it. He turned away from the window, pulled his desk drawer open and reached for his hidden bottle. While he poured a healthy slug into the neshema, he wondered just how long it would take for the snow to wipe the filth away from what remained of that damnable compound. H'tarle finished his drink, gave up his attempt at philosophy and decided to head for home. C'Kuk would let him know if anything came up. The man smiled as he pulled on his heavy cape for the flight home. The girl was turning out to be one hell of an officer.

o0o

By morning, the town's inhabitants woke to an all-out blizzard that lasted for days. When it finally wound down, Borel settled in for a brutal winter. For the law, it was a blessing. T‬he residents spent the rest of the winter snowbound, expending their energy on just getting to work, leaving little time to get into trouble.‭ Most of their calls were related to people sick of each other and getting into fights. H'Tarle's focus went on keeping businesses, and much to the dislike of kids, the schools open. The non-native children sloshed their way through the snow ‬while their Regulun counterparts took to the sky to use their wings. As the winter progressed, three interesting things happened at the Justice Centre. One, C'Kuk finally passed her weapons exam, earning herself a promotion; two, H'Tarle went on a date, and third -- well... The third thing actually happened twice. A strange blue box appeared outside the government buildings. It went unnoticed by everyone but the government and barely left an imprint in the snow when it disappeared.

Spring came a bit late,‭ ‬but finally the bitter cold of winter receded, replaced by the first warm days the season. It wasn't long before the locals complained of the muddy mess left behind by the melting snow.‭ ‬It was still weeks before the ground thawed,‭ ‬and then dried out enough for the ground to be worked.‭ ‬ The late spring delayed the planting season,‭ ‬slowed street repairs,‭ ‬and made improvements to the town's park system difficult.