SMOKE AND MIRRORS

CHAPTER TWO

The Doctor and his two companions were carefully making their way on snowshoes, down the snowy slopes of the hillside towards Benidorm's ruined city. They had to pause a moment while the Doctor studied a safe route across a narrow, deep crevice in the ice.

Amy shivered in the cold. She stared at the barren, lifeless landscape. In the stark silence of the snow, her breath drifted in puffs of white upon the still air. In the sunlight around them, almost infinitesimal ice crystals danced, sparkling in the air like thousands of tiny diamonds.

Further on across the snow field, the partial shadow of a towering mountain ran down the hill they were standing on, almost to the very edge of the city in the valley below.

The three of them were standing on what appeared to be an old glacier, which had a crack running down the middle of it. In places the crack was many meters wide, but in others it was mere inches.

"I have just one question, Doctor." Rory said, standing well back from the jagged edge of the crack in the snow. Somehow, it reminded him too much of the crack in time which had killed him. "Why in heaven's name do you keep snowshoes on a space ship?"

"Because like the Venusian Boy Scouts, Rory, I always like to be prepared...or was that the Andorian Girl Pirates?" The Doctor muttered, raising futuristic-looking miniature binoculars to his eyes and focusing them on the city below. "Besides, I'm wearing a toque, all snowshoer's were toques."

"Then you won't mind if I 'toook' that silly hat!" Amy said, coming up behind the doctor.

Without further ado, Amy pulled the knit cap off his head, and flung it down the crack in the ice. Mouth agape, the Doctor spun around and stared in the direction of his lost hat with a hurt look on his face.

"But...." the Doctor spluttered, "Grandma Moses gave me that...."

"Oh bravo, Amy, well done!" came a woman's voice from behind them.

"River!" Amy and Rory shouted with relief, going to her with glad hugs of greeting.

"Hello, Professor River Song." The Doctor said coolly, not bothering to turn around. "Still having hat issues, I see. Have you considered getting some therapy? I'm sure my old friend Sigmund Freud would have a field day analyzing you."

"Actually, unlike you...in this regeneration, old Siggy was more interested in my body than my mind, Doctor." River answered sweetly.

Like the others, she was wearing a parka and warm clothing, only River had a pair of skis strapped on to her boots and was holding a pair of ski poles in her left hand. Also, unlike the Doctor and his companions, she had a laser pistol belted around her waist.

The Doctor gave what sounded like an indignant snort and continued to ignore River. Amy and Rory made up for the Doctor's feigned lack of interest, by prying her with questions.v"Why did you send for the Doctor? Because of what happened to the city?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, what happened down there, River?" Amy said, nodding towards the ruins. "Was it like, some kind of intergalactic war or something?"

River was quiet for a long moment, casting a sad glance at the Doctor's back.

"Or something, Amy." Was all River quietly answered.

"Yes, why did you ask me to come here?" The Doctor finally said, turning around to face River.

"Ah. I knew your insatiable curiosity would get the best of you, sooner or later." River told him with a mischievous smile.

"Not at all." The Doctor sniffed airily--clearly lying, "I've always wanted to visit Benidorm."

"Yeah, 'cause it's so warm and inviting." Amy pitched in sarcastically. Rory snickered at that.

"I brought you here, Doctor, because there's something down there in the city, that I think you need to see with your own eyes." River said, seriously.

"Like what?" Rory asked her.

"Rory, bit of hush. Let me do the talking." The Doctor admonished, putting a finger to his lips. He turned back to River. "Like what?"

Half an hour of slogging through snow drifts found the four of them picking their way through the deserted snowy streets of Benidorm City. Often they had crawl over the charred rubble of scattered ruins. Professor River Song pointed towards a largely intact marble building.

"In there, Doctor." She said quietly. "It used to house one of the greatest art collections in three galaxies."

"What's in there now?" The Doctor asked cautiously.

"In this case Doctor," she replied, I think showing is far better than telling."

There were no footprints anywhere, save for their own. At the top of a long set of wide steps leading up to the museum entrance, The Doctor sonicked the entry door. Nothing happened.

"Doesn't work on wood, remember?" Rory reminded the Doctor.

"Yes, I know that, Rory. I'm middle aged, not senile." The Doctor retorted.

"Sorry." Rory apologized. "Guess we'll have to do this the hard way then, Doctor...use our muscles."

"Men!" Amy exclaimed. "Here, give me that." She told River, pulling the gun out of it's holster.

"Er--Wait, Amy!" An alarmed Doctor and Rory said simultainiously, hurrying out of her way, as Amy pointed the pistol at the door.

"I'll take that, thanks." River said, snatching the gun away from Amy. "Stand back all of you!" She cautioned them.

Waiting for everyone to stand clear, River adjusted the settings. Then, pointing the gun at the heavy wood and metal-studded door, she sent a red-hot energy beam at the centre of the door. It shattered open with a mighty blast, sending smoke & flames up into the air.

The quartet of time travelers soon found themselves inside a cavernous entry hall. Holes in the roof let in trickles of snow from the rooftop, and the sun poked through, shining on the black and white tiled marble floors like spotlights on an empty stage. The wind moaned through the deserted rooms like a lost and lonely ghost. The building appeared largely devoid of furnishings, but for a few bronze statues.

"They're not...." Amy asked, fear suddenly seeping into her eyes, as she gazed anxiously at the statues.

"Don't worry Amy," River told her, "They're just artwork...at least, I think they are."

The Doctor whipped out his sonic and pointed it at the statues. The tip glowed green and gave off a steady hum. The Doctor checked the readings.

"No worries, Amy." He pronounced, pocketing the sonic again. "River's right. They're not angels. I didn't think they were, actually. Weeping Angels never go about naked. For trancendental existentialist beings, they can be rather prudish about such things."

"Angels? What?" Rory asked, confused. "Why would statues be angels?"

"Oh, never mind. It's not important." Amy muttered. She'd never told Rory about the Weeping Angels, she never told anyone. Amy didn't want to remember, to feel the fear and helplessness and loneliness again. The Doctor and River both gave Amy a curious look, then, carried on walking.

River lead the way up a flight of stairs, which a sign on the wall indicated lead to the modern art wing on the second level.

"This way, Doctor." River told him. Before they ascended the staircase, River glanced at Amy and Rory, following close behind. "Maybe you two had better stay down here."

"What for?" Rory asked.

"To keep an eye out in case anyone comes." River told him.

"But, you said the place was deserted." he shrugged."Are you expecting someone, then?"

"Or, are you trying to keep us away from whatever's up there?" Amy said to River, her voice betraying her sudden distrust of the woman.

"Yes." River said, firmly.

"Yes to what?" Rory frowned. "My question or Amy's?"

"Yes." River repeated. Then jerked her thumb in the Doctor's direction. "Would it help if he also told you to stay down here?"

"Why would I want to do that?" The Doctor said, suddenly distrustful like Amy. River leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"River's right." the Doctor told them firmly, his face suddenly serious. River nudged him. "Oh. Manners. Sorry." The Doctor apologized. Then he smiled. "Please stay down here, I'll be back down as soon as I can, and I promise I'll call you if I need you."

Before Amy or Rory could object any further, River and the Doctor had bounded away up the stairs. With River still acting as guide, the two of them quietly made their way down a long hall, as if they wished to not disturb the dead.

Their soft footsteps barely echoing through the halls, River led the Doctor to a large room off to the left. Most of the artwork was gone. It had been either taken to safety, destroyed or carried off by thieves, there was no way of knowing.

Like the rest of the museum, this hall was also largely empty--except for an enormous red-orange ball, which seemed to be made of transparent perspex. It was so tall it reached almost halfway towards the arched ceiling. The exhibit was staged on a raised black platform in the middle of the room.

There was a broken skylight over the artwork, and the afternoon sun shown down, gleaming on the surface. Flakes of wind-blown snow trickled down through the hole, dusting the top of the globe with white.

"If that's the air conditioning unit, I think it's doing a brilliant job!" The Doctor remarked with a smirk on his face, as he felt a drifting snowflake land on his eyelash.

"You'd probably think a kitten painted on black velvet was high art." River laughed. Then, more somberly, she added, "However, I think you might view this particular work a lot differently, when seen from a closer perspective, Doctor."

Curiously, the Doctor followed River Song to the platform. There was a plaque near the base, giving the title of the piece and the name of the artist. The Doctor suddenly gasped.

"But...that's impossible!" he almost shouted, his voice echoing around the room. It was all Doctor could think to say. He was completely flummoxed by what he saw.

The Doctor bent down and stared down at the little brass sign mounted on the edge of the platform, disbelief etched upon his features. The words on the plaque read: 'TARDIS'.'

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