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.'You're in no position to get lippy with me.''That was not my intention,' the Doctor said politely, struck once again by how uniform people's behaviour became when they put on a uniform.'I was merely answering your question.'The supervisor looked smugly threatening.'You do realise that this is private property,' he almost gloated.'There is no public right of access to the campus and unless you can prove you have legitimate business here you can be arrested.''The pursuit of knowledge is not legitimate business?' The Doctor was genuinely taken aback at the idea.'Depends on the circumstances doesn't it,' the supervisor remarked.Ever hear of competitive advantage investigation?'No,' the Doctor said.'Sounds distinctly dull.' He decided it would be sensible to cut his losses and look for Leela without the direct help of campus security.'Or else it's a convoluted way of describing something distinctly dull.'It used to be called industrial espionage,' the supervisor persisted.'Ah,' the Doctor said.'I have heard of that and I was right: competitive advantage investigation is a dull way of saying something dull.Look, can you give me any idea of the direction Leela took when she left you?''Nope,' the supervisor said flatly.'She hit you and left, is that it?' As soon as he said it the Doctor realised it was a tactless mistake.'She has been trained as a fighter,' he added hastily.'She's unexpectedly formidable.'The supervisor glowered.'How long have you worked with this Leela person exactly?'I don't think working with her is quite how I'd characterise our association.''How long have you associated with her?'The Doctor shrugged.All time is relative isn't it?''Relatively how long have you associated with her?'The Doctor stood up.'I wish I had time to discuss time with you.' He offered his hand across the desk.'It was good to meet you,' he lied.'Thank you for your help.'Ignoring the Doctor's extended hand, the supervisor pressed a button on the desk communications console.'Base to one four get your arse in here will you?' he barked into the mic.The security guard who had accompanied the Doctor from Parnaby's office, and whom he now knew was called Len Spart, came in with a cup of coffee in one hand and a sandwich in the other.'I'm on a break,' he protested.'You'll take your refs when I say you'll take your refs,' the supervisor snapped.'Get a grip, Fred,' Spart said.'You're not in the job any more.We're civilians, mate, nobody calls them refs.''Put this bloke under restraint until the cavalry arrives.''You want him locked up?' Spart asked.'Yes, Len.I want him locked up.''If this keeps happening to me,' the Doctor sighed, 'I shall have to start taking it personally'Spart looked dubious.'What's he supposed to have done this time? Apart from being an irritating loony?'Felonious trespass, criminal damage, assault with intent, actual bodily harm, how long a list do you want?'What him?' Span smirked.'When did he do all this? He's a fast worker for a nutter, I'll say that for him.''He's an accessory before and after the fact.And he's under suspicion as an industrial spy''Yeah right,' Spart scoffed.'Yours not to reason why, Len, yours but to do as I sodding well say!''You reckon?''It's called being in charge.It's what I am and you're not.Now are you going to do what I tell you or is employed also what I am and you're not?'And what's felonious trespass when it's at home?' Spart demanded, and took a bite out of his sandwich.The Doctor stuck his hands in his pockets and wandered casually towards the door.He was not sure whether Len Spart was on his side or whether he merely wanted to finish his snack, but either way it seemed like a good opportunity to leave the scene.'Where do you think you're going?' the supervisor challenged.'You've obviously got me confused with someone else,' the Doctor said, offering the most open and friendly smile in his repertoire.'I'm a harmless traveller nothing more: a harmless traveller passing through.''There you are, you see.' The supervisor was triumphant.'He's a harmless traveller.That means he's a didicoy or else he's part of that New Age convoy lot.You can probably add sheep-stealing to the list of charges.''Make up your mind, Fred.' Spart moved, though with a marked lack of enthusiasm, to block the Doctor's exit.'A minute ago you had him down as James Bond.Now he's some sort of hippie livestock rustler - which is it?''What am I talking here, some obscure foreign language?' The supervisor's face was suddenly flushed with angry blood.'Put the sodding sandwich down, put the sodding coffee down, put this sodding character in the SODDING LOCKUP!'Somewhere outside in the distance a siren could be heard getting closer.The Doctor assumed it was a police car coming in response to the call from campus security.He considered barging his way out before it arrived but decided this would probably make the situation worse.He reasoned that if there was some sort of malevolent force at work in the immediate area the police would be outside its influence and he would be able to reason with them.Or it could be the waterSpart was frowning at the supervisor.'I'm not surprised Zena chinned you [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]