The obligatory awkward silence followed Jo Grant's question. She looked at each of the men assembled with the expectation of an answer from at least one of them. She turned first to the Doctor. He was visibly uncomfortable and shoved his hands into his pockets nervously. He avoided Jo's quizzical look. She sighed in exasperation. Next, she looked to Mr. Bond. James wore a slight smile and gave a tug to his shirt cuffs. She took a sidelong glance at the Master. He seemed amused by the Doctor's discomfort and Bond's practiced demeanor. Jo's accusation was apparently lost on Jiang Dehuai as the operative only stared hatefully at the British agent opposite him.

 Jo screwed up her face in determination and took a step toward Agent 007. 'Well, are you or aren't you a Time Lord?'

 Mr. Bond gave her his most disarming look. 'I do beg your pardon?'

 'Surely you heard Miss Grant quite clearly,' the cultured voice of the Master intoned. He rose from the headmaster's chair and stepped around the desk. He faced the agent. 'Don't be so egregiously obtuse, Mr. Bond, the act does not suit you.' He tilted his head in an admonishing fashion. 'Are you not a Time Lord?' The Master purred the words, but his eyes betrayed his antipathy for the agent.

 'Time is relative,' Bond demurred. He cast a sideways glance at his wristwatch.

 'As long as you're a relative,' the Doctor interjected jauntily.

 'You stole my line.' The Doctor shrugged beneath his cape and Bond looked over to Jo. 'Miss Grant is rather clever and insightful. I do believe that she can draw her own conclusions,' he said.

 Jo felt a blush rise from his remark. She swallowed hard to keep the crimson from her face and glanced shyly at the floor.

 The Master laughed quietly in recognition of Bond's skill. 'Quite slippery of you, Mr. Bond.' The Master turned to Jiang, who glared malevolently at the agent. 'Did you find Agent 007 to be as impertinent in Singapore, my dear Dehuai?'

 The right eye narrowed at Bond as Jiang bit off the words, 'No. I did not.'

 James was quite nonplussed. 'Oh, well, the hospitality was deplorable all around.' Bond gave the Chinese national a nod of acknowledgement. 'Judging by our last meeting, Jiang, you have been working on yor etiquette.'

 Jiang gave him a thin-lipped smile, one made all the more repulsive due to the extensive scarring on the left side of his face. 'I have, as the Americans say, given it a shot.' Bond's face visibly blanched and Jiang enjoyed the joke made at the agent's expense.

 The Master leaned against the desk and folded his arms. 'He does have such a dry sense of humour. It's become rather endearing to me,' he chuckled darkly. He looked to each of his visitors in turn as he addressed them. 'Ah, now, my dear Doctor, Miss Grant, Mr. Bond, I am afraid that the time has come for you to take your leave of Southbridge.'

 'But we just got here,' the Doctor retorted cheerily. 'There is so much for us to do and see, you know.'

 The Master exhaled slowly as he contained his impatience for the Doctor's foolishness. The Doctor's propensity for useless witticisms had not diminished since their last meeting at Devil's End. 'Certainly you will agree that a school filled with England's brightest future is not the place for our...discussions, Doctor.'

 'True,' he muttered with a frown. Quite unlike the Master to give the school children a thought of consideration. He knew the Master to be hiding something. The Doctor gave his old rival a contemptuous glare. 'Where exactly do you have in mind, then?'

 'If I told you it would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?' The Doctor was taken aback by the sardonic rebuke. The Master's voice then hardened as he said, 'Suffice it to say that neithe you nor Mr. Bond will need worry about either of your sentences any longer.'

 Both Bond and the Doctor looked to one another in alarm. 'What does that mean? What of Jo?' the Doctor demanded.

 'MIss Grant...knows too much, I am afraid.' The Master gave Jo an almost apologetic look.

 Jo's eyes widened. 'Doctor, what does he mean?' Then she covered her mouth with her hand as she realized the implication. 'Oh, no.'

 Agent 007 tensed his body and readied himself for a fight. 'Leave Miss Grant out of this,' Bond warned in a cold voice.

 The Master shook his head and sighed. 'You may blame the Doctor for this. He involved her in the first place.'

 A look of intense remorse crossed the Doctor's face. The casually made remark had the desired effect as it struck the Doctor soundly. The Master took delight as he played upon one of the Doctor's private regrets: risking the safety of his companions.

 Jo saw the Doctor's reaction and dauntlessly rose to the occassion. 'I involved myself in this, not the Doctor. I all but forced my help onto him. I want to help the Doctor, that's what I do, I'm his assistant. And I don't blame the Doctor for any of it.'

 'How very courageous of you. It will be a pity, then. Such promising nobility for one of your species.' The Master motioned for Jiang. 'I might even feel badly for this.'

 Jo's eyes widened in anticipatory horror.

 The Doctor gave her a look of assurance. 'Don't worry, Jo,' he said soothingly, 'we'll get out of this. You'll be fine.'

 'Indeed, Miss Grant, I wouldn't worry about this minor spot of trouble at all,' Bond offered as well. He took another glance at his watch.

 'Minor trouble? Are you running late for an appointment, Mr. Bond?' Jiang sneered.

 Despite her natural sympathy for the man's extreme scarring, Jo was still disgusted by his vulgar display.

 'Yes, actually, Dehuai. I've a date, a rather important one. I wouldn't want to miss it.'

 The Doctor noted that it was the second time that the agent had looked to his watch and noticed that Bond had slightly adjusted the watch's position on his wrist each time. He recalled that Bond did hold a fondness for gadgets back at the Academy....The Time Lord made eye contact with Jo and subtly motioned her away from the Master and Jiang. She made a small nod and carefully began to step away.

 The Master observed the exchanged and again motioned to Jiang. The assassin leapt forward and caught Jo by the arm. He roughly spun her around and held her against him by her neck. She made a tiny gasp of fright and pain.

 'Jo!' The Doctor made a feint for her but was stopped by Jiang as the operative reinforced his stranglehold. The tightening lifted Jo from the ground and she began to cough and gag from the increased pressure.

 'Now, now, Doctor, you couldn't have possibly believed that I hadn't noticed your little hand games with Miss Grant?' The Master shook his head in a negative and tutted his disapproval. 'Mr. Bond, your watch, if you please?'

 'My watch? Don't tell me you're a Time Lord who doesn't know the time?'

 'I am a busy man, Mr. Bond, there are moments when I do lose track.' He held a gloved hand out to the agent. 'Your watch?' he repeated, with a little more force.

 For effect, Jiang applied more pressure. Jo's feet kicked weakly and she loudly began to choke.

 'Release her!' the Doctor shouted at the Master. 'She's done nothing to harm you.'

 'A trade, then, if you will, Doctor, the watch for Miss Grant's continued well-being.' He looked at Agent 007 maliciously. 'Your watch, Mr. Bond, I will not wait any longer.'

 James stared at Jiang Dehuai and undid the watch's clasp. He held the time piece before him, his thumb on the outer dial, and took a step toward the Master. 'I suppose that time waits for no man, then.' He quickly pressed the outer dial, twice in rapid succession, and the watch fired a dart at the Master. The dart embedded itself into the Time Lord's gloved palm, which he had raised before him in a reflexive attempt to protect himself. The Master looked down upon the small projectile with incredulity. He slumped against the desk as the drug began to take effect.

 Bond moved swiftly and leveled the watch at Jiang. The Chinese assassin held Jo before him as a shield. The young woman's face was growing pale from the lack of oxygen.

 'Put her down, man, she's done nothing to harm you. Hurting her won't gain you anything,' the Doctor pleaded. He began to approach Jiang but he applied more pressure to the choke hold. The Doctor stopped and held his hands before him in supplication. 'You have no reason to harm her, dear chap. We'll let you go.'

 'Hah, why do I not believe you? I have every reason for this, Doctor. Just ask your Mr. Bond.' He grimaced and held Jo tighter. 'Stay back, Mr. Bond, you would not want me to hurt such a pretty girl, now, would you?'

 Bond thought for a moment. Then he shrugged and took careful aim. He activated the watch and fired another dart. This one hit Jo in the shoulder. She gasped at the sting of impact.

 'What have you done?' the Doctor yelled at Bond, his eyes wide and angry.

 Jo made another gurgle and then slumped in Jiang's arms. The dead-weight effect caused Jiang to lose his hold on her and the young woman fell from his grasp. The operative stared dumbfoundedly at Bond.

 The Doctor ran forward and took hold of Jo. He dragged her away from the startled Jiang and checked her vital signs. As soon as the Doctor pulled Jo clear, Bond fired another dart. It embedded itself in Jiang's throat, in the soft flesh above the sternum. The operative gasped in alarm and scrabbled desperately at his neck. Jiang managed to loosen the dart and he pathetically flung it at Bond. The spent projectile fell several feet shy of the agent. Jiang made a final vengeful reach for Bond and then sputtered wordlessly. He hit the floor with a dull thud.

 'That's what you get for sticking your neck out for your employer.' Bond knelt beside the fallen assassin and turned out the man's pockets he withdrew a billfold (the contents included credit cards issued in a false name and several thousand in new, crisp notes), a golden lighter, a garrotte wire strung between two ornately carved ivory handles and a Walther PPK 7.65 with a spare clip. Bond arched an eyebrow in appreciation. 'Far better than the one he used to kill me.' He pocketed the items and stood. 'Don't worry, Theta, it's only a sedative,' he said to the Doctor. Bond calmly put his watch back on and turned to deal with the Master.

 He was not surprised to find that the Time Lord had made his escape.

 'Don't suppose you saw where he went off to, did you?' the agent asked the Doctor in a friendly tone.

 The Doctor glared up at Bond. 'You could have told me,' he said bitterly. He held Jo's still limp frame protectively. 'At least Jo had a right to know what you were shooting her with.'

 Bond knelt down next to Miss Grant and the Doctor. He looked into the young woman's face. 'You're right. I'm sorry, Jo did have a right to know that it wouldn't harm her. It needed to be done quickly, however, or not at all. Jiang would have done far worse to ensure the safety of his miserable hide.'

 The Doctor made a noise of contempt. 'I wonder, would you do the same?' He regarded Bond carefully and waited for a reaction. 'It would appear that you have become both accustomed to and proficient at killing during your internment here.'

 Bond's face and tone were equally sober. 'It is a savage planet that is home to a primative spcies in the throes of one of the most violent periods in its history. I find death and killing to be...an unfortunate but necessary evil that helps to maintain the balance.'

 'It doesn't lessen the fact that you kill for a living, James.'

 Bond avoided both the Doctor's mordant expression and his statement. 'Miss Grant will be fine,' he answered instead. 'I give you both my word as a Prydonian and as a Commander in Her Majesty's Secret Service. Jo should revive shortly.'

 The Doctor regarded the agent a moment longer. 'Well, that means that we should leave before your friend there wakes up. He looks to be the cranky type.' The Doctor scooped Jo into his arms and nodded to Bond. 'All right, then, we need to get Jo some place safe, where she may recover.'

 'Of course. What of the Master?'

 'He will turn up again. I imagine that dart did little more than temporarily stun him. Did you really think that would stop him?'

 'No, I had hoped that it would slow him down.' Bond walked to the office door. 'What do you think his plans are?'

 'I'm not certain, yet. I do know that this is definitely unfinished. This is merely an inconvenience to him, an irritant, nothing more.'

 'Indeed. Where are we headed?' Bond held the door open for the Doctor and his unconscious assitant.

 The Doctor grinned. 'Leave that to me.' He stepped through and Jo moaned softly. The Time Lord frowned and held her a little tighter. 'Shall I drive?' he offered in a light tone.

 Bond was slightly put off by the offer. 'Well, Doctor, if you insist....I do hope that you've improved your driving since the Academy....'

 A water-proofed nylon duffel bag was placed onto the rough-hewn table. Next to it was placed brick of a greyish putty-like substance, several slender yellow sticks that resembled candy, a number of multicoloured wires and a digital timer. As soon as the man had finished his arrangement, he folded his arms and looked across the table. 'Everything you asked for.'

 The man seatly directly across from him glancd at the array and tapped a gloved finger against his bearded chin.

 He wore a smile, but his eyes were like dead black coals in the pale face.

 'Where did you procure these items from?' he asked in a mellifluous voice.

 The supplier of the goods touched the duffel bag. 'Bag's from Dublin. The detonators,' he said, as he held them up, 'are from Belfast. The wires are from London and the timer is from Lourdes.'

 The man with the goatee nodded slowly. 'Acceptable. The plastique?'

 What was his accent? It sounded English, but there was an unusual refinement to it, a peculiar cadence to the phrasing.

 'It's a little Czechoslovakian confection called Semtex. Obtained from a research facility just outside of Prague. You probably won't need that much, though,' he prodded, a hopeful look to his mien. 'It's enough to take down a pretty good sized cathedral.' His customer simply smiled again. It sent a chill up the dealer's spine. He covered the reflex with a shrug and slid the accoutrements across the table. 'There you go.'

 His customer meticulously placed the wires, the detonators, timer and plastic explosive into the duffel bag. The dealer watched him as he did so. The other man was older than he, appearance-wise, by at least fifteen years. Grey was streaked into his hair and beard. The man's eyes were dark and deeply set and had a hypnotic quality to them. His manner of dress was professional and nondescript, head to toe in black, even the leather gloves. The dealer was surprised to see that there was a small hole in the palm of one glove. Everything about the peculiar individual was immaculate, so the tiny hole was like a beacon. The bearded man's behaviour was also off. He clearly evidenced breeding and education, but his words, despite the clipped accent, were slurred, as if he were tipsy or even drugged. It was altogether out of place on an individual who exuded such control and power. The dealer shuddered again. The sooner the transaction was complete, the better.

 The man with the goatee proffered a plain white envelope from a pocket and tossed it onto the table. The dealer pulled out a pair of lovely tortoise-shell rimmed horn spectacles and put them on. He picked up the envelope and felt it out gingerly. Satisfied that the envelope was not rigged, he opened it and examined the contents. He managed to hide a grin.

 The man with the black eyes watched the procedure with a detached amusement.

 'Very good, Mr. Hallinan, you're careful. I quite like that. Very prudent in that you have neither dealt with me nor the Planners previous to now,' he lightly chuckled. It was an unmistakably evil sound and the dealer jumped again. 'You are rather skittish, Mr. Hallinan,' he added as he cast a sly glance at the supplier. 'Is there something you would like to say?'

 Hallinan glanced up quickly from his examination. He raised his eyebrows and adopted an expression of bravado. He shrugged non-committally. He finished counting the notes and placed them back into the envelope. He tucked the payment into an inner jacket pocket and looked over the tops of his glasses to his arcane customer.

 'Well, I'm not really one to question, now, am I? Or to trust. To have faith in the veracity of the medium of exchange, yes. To take sides, hmm, perhaps. Life *is* worth more than money.'

 'Wise philosophy to live by, Mr. Hallinan.' The man with the goatee took the duffel bag in hand and stood. He stealthily moved toward the door in a manner that reminded Hallinan of a cat. Every move was planned and precisely executed. There was no waste. 'I thank you, Mr. Hallinan.'

 Hallinan felt a sudden impulse to make a joke, to lighten the situation. The tension that he felt throughout the meeting had twisted his stomach into a knot and he had to find a way to release the pressure. 'Mention it, will you? To the discreet, of course,' he said in partial jest.

 The man paused and turned to face Hallinan. Those coal black eyes stared at him, through him, harsh and unforgiving. 'You wish for me to mention our meeting?'

 'I meant it as a joke, really,' Hallinan explained in a small voice. He suddenly felt far worse than he had before.

 'Ah, I see. Of course.' He opened the door to the flat and began to depart. He stopped again and looked at Hallinan. 'Please take off your eyeglasses, Mr. Hallinan.'

 'What? I'm sorry?'

 'Please remove your glasses.'

 Hallinan swallowed hard but he felt as if he should comply. He removed the spectacles nervously. The man with the goatee stepped back into room and peered into Hallinan's eyes. 'Mr. Hallinan, I must insist that upon my leave of you that you contact two people: Brigadier General Lethbridge-Stewart and M at the numbers listed inside the envelope I gave you earlier. Do you understand?' Hallinan mutely nodded. 'Excellent. Should either an individual calling himself the Doctor or a gentleman by the name of James Bond ask if I have been here, you will tell them of our meeting in great detail. You will also provide a young woman by the name of Jo Grant with this slip of paper.' As he said it, the man with the goatee gave Hallinan a note folded neatly in two. 'You will tell them of our initial conversation and of all the items that I have purchased and you will remember at exactly what time and in which direction I departed. Do you understand me, Mr. Hallinan?' The dealer nodded again. 'Very good. You have been most helpful. You may replace your eyeglasses if you'd like, Mr. Hallinan.' The man turned and began to exit.

 'Who should I say you are if they ask me?' Hallinan asked in a tremulous voice.

 The man chuckled again and began to descend the stair case. His reply floated back to Hallinan from the stairwell. 'Just say that I am an old friend, Mr. Hallinan, a very old and dear friend indeed.'

 TO BE CONTINUED