Names
"Alvin, why did we need to leave? We're meeting Mom and Dad at Rizo's for dinner and then a movie," Daphne said. "In two hours."
"She's working with the enemy spy," Alvin said. "You were going to tell her everything!"
"She's a fairy princess, Alvin," Daphne said. "She's not working with the awesomely evil witch. And she even had a guard dog."
"She's not a fairy princess," Alvin said. "There's no such thing. Science says so."
"She has pointed ears and looks just like a princess should look in normal clothes," Daphne said. "I bet she's trying to keep the evil witch away from Mr. Link's puzzle."
"You're wrong," Alvin said. "Right Shoie?"
"I don't know, old bean," Shoie said. "She was really nice, for an old person."
"Well, I think we should warn Mr. Link, but first I need to go to the library and research puzzles," Alvin said, shaking his head.
"Alvin, you owe me another sundae for this," Daphne said.
"Don't worry, Sis," Alvin said. "We'll protect you from the evil witch."
Daphne stomped her feet in frustration, but followed Alvin and Shoie. Her brother was awesome, most of the time, but some times he got into so much trouble, and Mom had told her to stick with him this afternoon. And they were going to see 'Doctor Doolittle'!
"We should have tried this from the beginning," Joyce said, stepping out of the TARDIS behind Romana and K-9. "How long can Idris keep Missy from finding out we're here?"
"She's down in the Hold 5 lab, working on one of her experiments," Romana said. "She shouldn't notice we've moved for at least an hour or two. We'll be done before then."
"The probability is forty percent," K-9 said.
"The probability of what?" Romana said, looking down at him.
"That the Master will be here when we return," K-9 said.
"Is that with the TARDIS?" Joyce asked, curious. More often than not, K-9 was able to predict what Missy would do.
"There is a thirty percent probability that the mast will not take the TARDIS when he leaves," K-9 said.
"We're going to be stranded, in Riverton Indiana in 1967!" Joyce said, eyes wide. "I'm expected home by eleven, on Christmas Eve. The same age I was when we left Dayton."
"We aren't going to be stranded in 1967," Romana said. "You aren't going to have to take the long way home."
"This is Missy we are talking about," Joyce said, trying to keep the TARDIS within view as if it was going to disappear right then. "You can't guarantee that."
"Idris will come back for us," Romana said. "Don't worry."
"This is a nice small town, isn't it," Joyce said, changing the subject. Romana tended to be more optimistic when it involved Missy, but Joyce knew better. "All the houses have character."
"There are towns where it looks like they were all made in the same mold," Romana said. "I much prefer this."
"The last time Missy tried to go home we ended up in Little Whinging in that other dimension," Joyce said. "All those cookie cutter houses on Privet Drive were horrifying. I can't believe any self respecting architect approved them."
"We weren't there very long," Romana said. "But the uniformity was something a Dalek would love."
"Think we'll end up in another different dimension when Missy finishes building that thing this time?" Joyce said.
"Unlikely," Romana said. "That was due to a slight calculation mistake. I've double checked her math for this attempt. No mistakes this time."
"So, you think she'll be able to go home?" Joyce said, as they walked up to the door. "This time?"
"Mistress?" K-9 said, staring up at them from the bottom of the steps. "Assistance is required."
"Oh, right," Romana said, going back down the steps to pick K-9 up and bring him onto the porch of Mr. Links house. "We need to install those levitators, K-9."
"Yes, Mistress," K-9 said, moving to a protective position on the porch.
"Do I think it'll work this time?" Romana said, knocking. "Unlikely, but as long as it keeps her busy? The math is actually sound but she would need the resources of a team of Time Lords, no matter how smart she thinks she is."
"Can I help you?" A small grey haired woman said from behind a screen door.
"Yes, my name is Romanadvoratrelundar, and this is my traveling companion, Joyce. We would like to discuss something important with him."
"Mr. Link is not seeing any visitors at this time," the woman said firmly.
"It's about something currently in the possession of an eight year old girl, Daphne Fernald," Joyce said. "It's important that we talk with him."
"Just a moment," the old woman said, frowning and disappearing into the house. She was back in less than five minutes. "Mr. Link can give you several minutes of his time. Come in."
"Thank you, we appreciate it," Joyce said, passing her in the door. The followed her directions to the first room on the right, where a large man lay in a bed.
"So, you're Daphne's fairy princess," he said, keenly looking at Joyce.
"Fairy princess?" Joyce said, surprised. "I'm from Dayton, mostly."
"And your robot dog. Alvin was very impressed. I suspect he's already working on a new deign for his own robot," Mr. Link said.
"You, I can't place," he said, looking at Romana. "Or, unfortunately, pronounce your name."
"We all call her Romana," Joyce said. "Much easier than those rolling vowels."
"Missy has no problem with my name," Romana said, sighing. "It isn't hard."
"For you or her, maybe," Joyce said. "But that's not why we are here. Sorry."
"No, I rarely get such pretty visitors, especially one who our resident genius rushed over to warn us about," Mr. Link said.
"Told you he was suspicious," Joyce said.
"And now that the pleasantries are out of the way, why don't you explain your interest in that puzzle box. I can guess but would rather hear it from you," he said firmly.
"An associate of ours has been looking for it," Romana said. "I believe you know her, though I'm not aware of who she told you she was."
"Your associate," Joyce said. "I prefer to consider her to be like that slightly demented distant relative you avoid at family events."
"If this is the same person, she referred to herself as Agent Koschei during the war," Mr Link said. "I've always assumed that wasn't her real name."
"Her real name is lost in time," Romana said. "She doesn't use that now."
"You said this concerned the puzzle box that Koschei wants, and Daphne," Mr. Link said.
"She calls herself Missy," Joyce said.
"Yes," Romana said. "It isn't clear what she want it for, other than it hides something she needs to go home."
"Home?" Mr. Link said.
"We're travelers," Romana said. "From a distant place. She is from even further away, and really needs to go home."
"We really aren't from around here," Joyce added, removing her hat to reveal her pointed ears.
"Ah... the fairy princess moniker now makes more sense," Mr. Link said, nodding to himself. "But I'm not sure I can give the puzzle box to you. It is an interesting device but it really isn't more than a puzzle. I'm currently editing a book containing essays about it."
"If we could examine it, it would be helpful," Romana said. "I can't promise that Missy won't try to take it, but it is safer for all of us, especially little Daphne, that she examine it under supervision."
"Much safer," Joyce said. "She seems to be fascinated by Daphne, which is not something anyone would want."
"I'll have to think about this," Mr. Link said. "If you can provide additional information about the puzzle box, I would be interested, but not if there is any danger to the children."
"We understand," Romana said, nodding. "We'll contact you tomorrow for your decision. Come along, Joyce, K-9."
Glancing back at the house, where the old woman watched them from the door, Joyce tried to appear as if in no hurry. "That could have gone worse," she said.
"I'll need to discuss the need for that puzzle box with Missy," Romana said. "She said it is disguised but is it a puzzle box with something hidden inside of it or is the puzzle box the thing but in a different form."
"That is going to be an interesting discussion," Joyce said. "Right K-9?"
"Yes, Miss," K-9 said, before speeding up to get to the TARDIS first.