Doctor Who: Marco Polo (15 page)

'Redeemed?' the Doctor asked Marco.

'Redeemed,' Marco replied and handed
him the key.

Kublai leant back on the throne and
requested that someone close both gaming room doors before taking the
keys from Tegana's body and opening the others.

'We would not want the Empress to
know,' he said apologetically.

Later, they all stood in the throne
room before Kublai and the Empress. Kublai looked at the Doctor.

'We require a new personal secretary,
dear friend. Would such a situation interest you?' he asked with a
surreptitious glance at the gaming room wall.

'Sire, we are travellers and it is time
to move on.' Kublai touched his key.

'Does this really open your flying
caravan?' he asked.

'Lend it to me, Sire, and you shall
see.'

Kublai undid the clasp and handed the
chain and the key to the Doctor. He opened the door and gave back the
key. Kublai looked at the Doctor intently.

'Humbly we think, dear friend, that you
have the key to many worlds.' The Doctor inclined his head. 'And we
shall take your advice and diet.'

'Farewell, Sire,' the Doctor said and
turned to Marco. 'Goodbye, Polo, have a good voyage home but keep a
sharp look-out for the Genoese.'

He said goodbye to Ling-Tau and
Ping-Cho, then went into his ship. Barbara and Ian said their
farewells and Susan kissed Ping-Cho on both cheeks.

'Cherish her, Ling-Tau,' she murmured.

'I will, my lady, on my oath.'

Susan closed the door and the Doctor
crossed to the central control panel.

'Dematerialisation, at last,' he said
hopefully, rubbing his hands together before he pressed the button.

Outside, in the throne room, Ping-Cho
squeezed Ling-Tau's arm as the TARDIS became a shimmering shield of
light and then vanished.

'A flying caravan, Marco,' Kublai said,
'there's something for you to tell the Venetians when you reach
home.' Marco shook his head.

'No, great Khan. Half of all I have
seen in Cathay is difficult to believe. But to tell of this adventure
would be impossible.'

'We know it to be true,' the Khan
replied, touching the key that hung around his neck.

To this day, in what was the Imperial
palace at Peking and part of which is now a museum, there is in one
room a glass case with a gold chain and a key on a silk cushion. The
inscription, in Chinese, dates it from the Yuan dynasty of Kublai
Khan and describes it as 'The Key to the World'.

 

 

 

 

 

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