A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR
Chapter Eight "So… you're hanging around with monks now?" the Alternate Doctor asked Syril while he led them along a corridor. "No, they came here on their own," Syril said. "Really? Why?" "They want the Doctor," Syril said with a shrug. "Don't we all," the Alternate Doctor said dryly as he followed his comrade. They entered a room and the Alternate Doctor saw several people sitting in chairs at the back of the room. They were seated in a semicircle and all of them were wearing grey robes with their hoods up over their heads. The Alternate Doctor tried to see their faces and found to his surprise that he couldn't see a thing. "Are they wearing black cloth or masks over their faces?" the Alternate Doctor asked Syril. Syril was about to answer when the door opened behind him. The Alternate Doctor spun around and he whipped out a gun that had been hidden in the waistband of his trousers. The man that entered the room was wearing an identical robe but the hood was down and he could see his head. The man was Caucasian with a wizened face. He had a snow white beard and sparse white hair alongside the back of his head. The top of his head was bald and the light in the ceiling above reflected down onto it. The Alternate Doctor noticed an alien word was tattooed on the back of the man's right hand and he read it to himself. "Spokesman?" he said, pointing to the word. "Yes, I am Elias. I am the spokesman for the Headless Monks since they cannot speak for themselves," he said. "And why is that?" the Alternate Doctor said. "Because they have taken a vow of silence," Elias said. "They rely on me to speak to others, that's why I have this tattoo so everyone knows that I am not officially a part of the order." "And is that significant? You not being a part of the order?" the Alternate Doctor said. Elias gave him an enigmatic look before he asked him and Syril to turn around. They turned and were shocked when they saw the hoods were down and there were no heads, only part of the spine sticking up above the torso. "What the hell?" the Alternate Doctor said while Syril stared at them with his mouth nearly to the floor. "What the fuck happened to them?" "They did it voluntarily. The Headless Monks believe that the head gets in the way of the heart. In order to keep their faith alive, they must get rid of their minds. That's why I have been spared and why I carry the tattoo so I won't join them." "What's wrong? You don't have any faith?" the Alternate Doctor said mockingly. "I have plenty of faith but someone must speak for them," Elias said. "And why are they here then?" the Alternate Doctor said. "Because they hate the Doctor." "Like I said earlier, don't we all. But what makes them so special?" the Alternate Doctor said. "The Doctor is a heretic. The monks believe he is dangerous because he refuses to believe." "So…what? You want him to join your monastery then?" the Alternate Doctor said. "We wish him to die because he fights against everything we believe in. We believe in faith verses logic whereas he is the champion of logic. Our order is trying to convert everyone across the known universe. As long as he lives, we cannot do that. He is a threat to us and everything we stand for." "Ooookay, not sure I buy that but if you're willing to help me kill the son of a bitch, I'll welcome any help I can get. However…how are they going to fight the Doctor with no eyes or brain." "We have our ways," Elias said. "I told you they have no need for the head. They can function normally, just as you can." "So…they use witchcraft?" "That is blasphemy!" Elias snarled at the Alternate Doctor. "Okay, okay, sorry, no mention of witches or calling the monks witches or putting witch's hats on the spines, I get it." Syril sighed and shook his head when he saw the pissed off look on Elias's face. "You always did have a way with words, mate," he said to the Alternate Doctor. "Just saying….how do they function without the head? But…I won't ask. I'll just go on faith that they can see and function properly," the Alternate Doctor said, holding up his hand when Eilas got even angrier. "Now, how many of these people are there?" "You mean how many are in our order?" Elias said. "Yeah, how many people are willing to fight the Doctor?" "We have 200,000 in our order ready and willing to die to fight the Doctor." "But shouldn't you lot be dead anyway without the head and…sorry, won't say a thing more about that," the Alternate Doctor said when Elias sighed angrily. "I know when to stop while I'm ahead." Syril groaned when his friend looked over his shoulder and gave him a cheeky grin. "Sorry, couldn't resist," the Alternate Doctor said to Elias. "So, one more thing…I'm technically the Doctor. Are they going to pounce on me and take my head when my back is turned?" "You must get a tattoo like mine in order to protect yourself," Elias said. "And why is that since I no longer resemble the little bastard?" the Alternate Doctor said, pointing to his face. "What's wrong? Can't the monks tell the difference?" "They can feel the tattoo; it will be raised above the skin like mine." The Alternate Doctor felt Elias's tattoo. The words were slightly raised above the skin. "How is that accomplished?" he asked. "Small plastic rods will be instated under the tattoo that will slightly raise the skin up." "So it's like Braille. They feel my tattoo and they know I'm not the correct Doctor. Will they be able to restrain themselves long enough to feel for it or will they just cut off my head and feel for it afterwards?" "The monks are capable of restraint. Besides, your head wouldn't be removed. That would make you one of them and they don't want that." "So…what happens to the Doctor then?" "Unimaginable torture followed by vaporization." "Mmm, sounds good. What about Rose Tyler though and Donna Noble. Are the monks concerned with them?" "Who are they?" Elias asked. "Oookay, that just answered that question then," the Alternate Doctor said. "So, you get the Doctor, I get his pets and that little slut slave of mine." He waved his hand when he saw Elias's blank look. "Never mind, it's a revenge thing," the Alternate Doctor said. "The point is, if I let you have the Doctor, you let me have his companions." "If that is your wish, all we want is the Doctor," Elias said. "Fine, done. Now, can your monks send someone to find out where he's gone then?" "Already done, we have a spy determining his location right now and it will be reported back once he is found." "Good, I like people who take the initiative then. I want to know what you find out." "You are working with us. Of course, we'll keep you informed if you'll do the same for us," Elias said. "Yes, I will, you can count on that," the Alternate Doctor said. He breathed a silent sigh of relief when Elias accepted that with a nod. "Very well, we wish to be alone now. We will contact you if we find anything." The Alternate Doctor and Syril nodded and backed out of the room. They remained silent while Elias closed the door behind them and they kept their silence until they were well away from the room. "So, are you going to keep your side of the bargain then?" Syril asked him. "If you mean share information with them, hell no. The Doctor is mine and mine alone. If they want to help us find him, they can go ahead but I won't be cheated out of his death by some loony religious order. Having said that, let's recruit a few more friends of our own just in case these headless gits decide to stab us in the back before we do it to them. But whatever happens, we will find the Doctor and once he and his pets are ours, we will show them no mercy."
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