(DISTANT ALARMS. KNOCK ON DOOR.)

PERI: Come!

(DOOR OPENS. THROUGH IT WE HEAR:)

GUARD #1: (Off screen) I think I saw him over there!

GUARD #2: (Off screen) No! Over there! (THEY RUN)

WOLSEY: (CLEARS THROAT) Your Highness. I thought you ought to know, the Doctor’s here.

PERI: Thank you, Wolsey. I kind of guessed from the alarms and the shouting and the gunfire.

WOLSEY: I’ve got the men searching top to bottom. He won’t get far.

PERI: Good. Thank you, Wolsey.

WOLSEY: I aim to serve, Ma’am.

PERI: Oh, and Wolsey.

WOLSEY: Yes, Ma’am?

PERI: He’s really not a bad person, once you get to know him.

WOLSEY: I’m sure he’s not, Ma’am. (EXITS)

(DOOR SLAM. BEAT.)

DOCTOR: (MUFFLED) Has he gone?

PERI: Yes, you can come out now.

DOCTOR: I’ve never hidden under a wedding dress before. But it was bound to happen eventually.

DOCTOR: You know, Peri – in some ways Mandrake was my most dangerous enemy. He was loneliness. He was right when he said he was my first adversary – and he could well be my last, if I’m not careful.

PERI: Hey, you’re being morbid.

DOCTOR: No I’m not.

PERI: Now you’re being argumentative.

DOCTOR: Hah! I can’t think why you’d want to stay with me. If you do want to stay with me, that is. I might even let you borrow my body again from time to time, if you asked nicely…?

PERI: No, thank you, Doctor. Who knows, I might still want to marry one day. Settle down. Have kids. I don’t think I’d manage that in that your body, do you?