THE INVISIBLE HAND
CHAPTER TWO The seat was hard as a rock, and dust swirled around her in a tan coloured cloud, as Donna was jounced up and down, and swayed back and forth with the motion of the vehicle. Seated across from her, the Doctor didn't seem to notice. With his dingy white trainers propped up on the seat next to where Donna was sitting, the Doctor was grinning from ear to ear, and craning his neck this way and that, looking out of the windows. He didn't seem to pay any notice the thin coating of dust on his brown pinstripe suit. The stagecoach rocketed down a dirt road that ran along the rim of a canyon, where a mile-long drop awaited anyone foolish enough to venture too close to the edge, which in Donna's opinion, was that idiot stage driver. And, several times, she said as much to the Doctor. The Doctor pulled the white Stetson hat he was wearing, down lower over his eyes and pretended not to notice Donna's whinging. “Awww—just look at that view! How many people do you know, Donna, who've gotten to ride around the rim of the Grandest and Grander than Grand Canyon by moose-drawn stage?” he asked her. Outside the stage windows, deep purple, cobalt blue and shimmering gold canyon walls soared upwards to meet a rose-coloured sky. Donna glanced out the window, coughed on some dust and shrugged. “Yeah, nice view, lovely colours. Can we go somewhere that's not quite so dirty, now, please?” Outside, a whip cracked, the driver yelled something that sounded like a rude word, and a moose gave a loud, ugly bellow. Donna thought it sounded as if one of those giant Titan's of ancient Greece, was clearing his sinuses. The Doctor looked at Donna. She clearly wasn't into roughing it for fun. He sighed with resignation. “Alright, alright, uncle!” the Doctor said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I give in. A camping trip at the bottom of the canyon is out. So, where would you rather go, then, Donna?” The next morning, the Doctor was trailing reluctantly along behind Donna, hands jammed into the pockets of his long coat, among just a few of millions of colourful shops that were part of the planet-wide Indoor-Outdoor Mall and Perpetual Boot Sale, on the planet Hynderdum. Donna was smiling with joy at all the unusual and often beautiful trinkets, artwork, home decor and clothing on display. She flitted into and out of shops, chatting up the staff, admiring scarves, jewelry and various bits of bric-a-brac. “How about we take a little break from all of this shopping, and I take you this nice little restaurant I know of, on top of the Spiral Sky Sculpture?” the Doctor suggested eagerly. “We've only just got here!” Donna said, surprised. “Besides, didn't we just have breakfast an hour ago?” Before the Doctor could reply, she'd turned away to nip into another shop. The Doctor made a face, and watched as a mime came through the crowd, teasing the shoppers. Behind him, there was suddenly a bright, blue-white flash from inside the shop Donna had just entered. “Ugh! Not another mime!” the Doctor scowled. “I think I'd rather be shopping with Donna.” Walking over to the shop, the Doctor popped his head inside the door. “Donna?” Not seeing her, he called out again. “Donna?” The Doctor looked at the till clerk, puzzled. “Have you seen my friend, Donna? Tall woman, ginger hair, wearing a plum coloured top, blue jumper, jeans?” The clerk, a rainbow coloured female Retrosaurus, dressed in a flowing caftan, gave the Doctor a strange stare, and shook her head. “She's gone, sir.” “Gone? Gone where? I didn't see her leave.” He said, growing concerned. was his responsibility. He'd promised her grandfather, Wilf, that she'd be well looked after. Fine job he was doing of that, now. His face suddenly growing worried, the Doctor turned and called out the door. “Donna!” “You don't understand, sir.” the clerk explained, “She's gone, she's not here anymore. She vanished right in front of me.” The Doctor just stared at her, all of the breath suddenly taken out of him, as both his hearts turned cold with fear.
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