A Fifth Doctor story

by

Clive May (clive@cj4386.demon.co.uk)

The BBC own the copyright of Doctor Who.


"Where's Tegan?" the Doctor asked, sliding into a chair at the table of the
pavement cafe.  Nyssa, who had her head in a book, ignored him.  The Doctor
dropped his hat on the table, frowning as he noticed the publication date.
He glanced around to see if anyone else had seen.  The almost empty square
was lined with tavernas and the usual tourist traps.  A few of the owners
were about, setting up for another day of "fleecing the tourists", their dark
eyes flashing at the prospect; but it was a bit early yet for the crowds of
foreign holiday-makers to be thronging the stalls.

The sky overhead was a perfect blue; the sun had not yet risen.  A cool
breeze ruffled the fringe of golden tassels of the bright red sun shade over
the table.  The Doctor sighed; it was going to be another hot one.

Reaching across the table, he snagged the book and drew the weighty tome from
under Nyssa's eyes.  He closed it with a snap.

"Nyssa.  How many times have I told you about this?"

"I know, Doctor.  But what harm can it do?"

"A great deal, in the wrong hands.  It's an anachronism.  Valentina's
Dictionaria Galactica will not be published here for another two hundred
years.  If someone should notice?..."

"That's hardly likely." Nyssa countered defensively.

"Best not take any chances," he told her, slipping the offending tome out of
sight in a plastic carrier bag emblazoned with a garish advertisement for
Metaxa.

He was aware that a holiday in twentieth century Greece was hardly the young
traken's idea of fun - least ways not the kind of Greek holiday Tegan was
intent on pursuing.  Nyssa sat across the table,looking uncomfortable in the
uniform of the young modern tourist.  No, he thought, Tee shirt and jeans
just didn't sit well on the girl.  She seemed made for silken robes, and a
stately glide.  Now Tegan, on the other hand...

"Where is Tegan?" he inquired again, a little more insistently.

"She got up early to go for a walk with her new friend." Nyssa said, looking
a trifle put out.

"Friend?" The Doctor raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"Yes.  They met in that funny little drinking house place last night.  Nyssa
wrinkled her nose at the memory of the noisy bar.  It was a horrible evening.
Tegan just sat huddled in a dark corner all night, cuddling up to her new
lesbian friend.  She ignored me all night."

The Doctor's eyebrow went up another notch.  "Ah?  Lesbian?" he questioned.
"Surely not Tegan?"

Nyssa nodded.  "Oh yes.  Tegan told me herself." Nyssa paused, frowning
thoughtfully for a long moment before going on.  "Only.  Only she said it in
a funny way, as if it was a joke or had...well...Other Meanings I was
supposed to understand.  You know that I still find it really hard to read
the nuances of meaning in human speech.  Which was why I was looking up the
word in the dictionary to see if I could work out exactly what it was Tegan
was trying to convey."

"And did you?" the Doctor asked with rare delicacy.

Nyssa nodded.  "Yes.  I know exactly what she meant now."

The Doctor tactfully limited himself to an uncertain "Ah!"

Nyssa pointed off across the square.  "Look!  There they are now."

Tegan was just emerging into the square, hanging on the arm of a tall, curly
haired Greek.  They both wore the ubiquitous jeans and tee shirt.  Tegan was
looking into the warm brown eyes of her companion, a wide, slightly adoring,
smile on her face.  Absently, the Doctor thought how good Tegan carried off
Tee shirt and jeans, while he looked her companion over.  The Doctor frowned.
There couldn't be any doubt about it - the jeans and tee shirt were stretched
provocatively tight over the lithe form for there to be any doubt whatsoever.

"Nyssa?" he began with some delicacy; "Nyssa?  Do you actually know what the
word 'lesbian' means?"

The girl nodded.  "Oh yes, Doctor.  I looked it up.  A Lesbian is an
inhabitant of the Greek Island of Lesbos," she announced.

"Of course," the Doctor smiled a trifle wryly.

Nyssa went on.  "There were subsidiary meanings but you snatched the book
away before I had a chance to see what they were."

"Rather silly of me," the Doctor admitted, rising with an amused smile to
greet the handsome, well muscled young man on Tegan's arm.

The end