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carrying guards. ‘To disobey the will of the High Council
will attract the severest penalties.’
The Doctor bowed his head, apparently accepting the
inevitable.
‘Very well. Chancellor Flavia, you will go back to
Gallifrey immediately, and summon the High Council.
You have full deputy powers until I return. I shall travel in
my TARDIS.’
‘But Doctor,’ protested Chancellor Flavia.
‘You will address me by my proper title!’
Chancellor Flavia bit her lip. ‘But my Lord President – ’
‘I am the President, am I not?’ thundered the Doctor.
‘Obey my commands at once!’ He glared at the guards.
‘You! Return Chancellor Flavia to her duties!’
Instinctively the guards snapped to attention – and
escorted the unwilling Chancellor Flavia back to the
transmat booth.
The Doctor said, ‘Quickly, you – into the TARDIS!’ He
bustled them inside. They heard Chancellor Flavia’s
anguished voice. ‘Doctor – my Lord President – wait!’ The
TARDIS door closed behind them.
The Doctor dashed to the central console, and soon the
time rotor began its steady rise and fall. To Tegan, it
seemed he was acting with almost indecent haste. ‘It’ll
soon be goodbye then?’
The Doctor looked up from the controls. ‘Will it?
Why?’
‘You’re going off to Gallifrey to be President, aren’t
you?’ said Turlough sulkily. ‘I suppose your Time Lord
subjects will find us a TARDIS that really works and pack
us both off home.’
The Doctor looked at him wide-eyed. ‘Who said
anything about going to Gallifrey?’
‘But you told Chancellor Flavia – ’
‘I told Chancellor Flavia she had full deputy powers till
I got back,’ said the Doctor cheerfully. ‘She’ll be the
longest-serving Deputy President in Time Lord history!’
Tegan and Turlough looked at each other, then back at
the Doctor.
‘You’re not going back?’ asked Tegan.
‘Exactly.’
Turlough said dubiously. ‘Won’t the Time Lords be
very angry?’
‘Furious! said the Doctor happily.
Tegan gave him one of her disapproving looks. ‘You
really mean to say, you’re deliberately choosing to go on
the run from your own people in a rackety old TARDIS?’
‘Why not?’ said the Doctor cheerfully. ‘After all – that’s
how it all started!’
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