‘Hello? Yes. Yes, Major, I see. Very good. All right. See you then.’ He replaced the receiver just as a ragged alcoholic scream came from one of the cells.

Serif stalked out into the duty area, Aphasia skipping behind him merrily. He glanced at the carnage against the wall. ‘What took you so long?’ he mumbled, and carried straight on out of the doorway.

August smiled at Aphasia. ‘He could at least have said thank you.’

They marched up into the forest to the dome, Serif keeping his distance ahead of August and Aphasia.

Hoff was looking up at the moon, idly picking twigs off the trees and eating them.

He spun round as Serif stamped into the clearing, levelling his gun at the dark figure.

‘Don’t be so melodramatic,’ Serif grumbled, opening the dome.

‘Look who’s talking.’ Hoff smiled at August as he and Aphasia arrived. ‘Should have left him there. Any problems?’

‘No, except that I answered a communications link to an approaching military convoy. Quite wisely, they’ve come to the conclusion that events at the hospital were somewhat extraordinary and are on their way to investigate.’

Hoff shrugged. ‘Could nuke them. One mini-missile would do it.’

‘Yes,’ August tapped his chin, ‘but that would quickly bring the whole country down on us. At the moment, we’re free to search for the Pod, but things would really slow down if this becomes a battle zone. That, and Greeneye’s fears could come true. The Time Lords might notice a major conflict. No, I think we should just seal the place off. What have you got?’

‘Heat barrier?’

‘Bit showy.’

‘Fear barrier?’

‘We want to minimize panic and confusion, not create it.’

‘Time barrier, then. Wall of temporal displacement. Two layers, each with time on one side a second earlier than on the other. You can walk through one from either side, but not through both. Anybody short of a Time Lord who tries to go through, it’s like they’re walking through a wall. If they keep trying, all sorts of bizarre effects start happening, many of them fatal.’

‘Good.’

‘Glad you escaped the hospital.’ Hoff patted Aphasia on the back, and the nurse’s body went flying, landing on the humus a few feet away like a thrown paper dart.

Hoff laughed. ‘Sorry. Should have realized that body wouldn’t be very dense.’

‘Well, I’m getting rid of the ugly thing!’ Aphasia yelled. She leapt to her feet and ran into the dome.

‘Invaluable as always, Hoff,’ said August, following her. ‘Oh, and could you check the security systems on the dome? This search of ours is going on far too long.’

‘Perhaps Greeneye’s found something.’ August sighed. ‘Perhaps cats will fly.’