"This is all highly irregular. Under the terms of the shadow proclamation interaction with lifeforms at this stage of development is..."

"I am well aware of the terms of the shadow proclamation. The Silurians were one of the original signatories." Madame Vastra interrupted. "And as this is our home planet too, extradition of the prisoner is permissible within the terms of the proclamation."

"The Silurians are no longer planet Earth's dominant intelligent species." The Judoon commander protested.

"The Silurians are no longer the planet Earth's most numerous intelligent species." Madame Vastra corrected. "I can assure you that I am certainly still dominant."

The Silurian exchanged a glance with Jenny Flint, her companion. Jenny, the only human present at this meeting cast her eyes downward with her cheeks growing crimson and rubbed the seat of her ankle length black maids dress but made no comment. The Judoon officer scowled and drew a datatube from the pouch at his hip. Plugging the tube into the receiver set in the chest of his combat armour he reviewed the terms of the proclamation, his thick lips moving as as he followed the more convoluted passages searching for a flaw in Vastra's reasoning. At length he grunted and removed the tube.

"Agreed. We will take custody of the prisoner and return him to Raxacoricofallapatorius to answer for his crimes " He growled with bad grace. "The bounty will be paid into the standard galactic account following due process."

"Excellent. Strax, the prisoner if you please." Vastra commanded.

"Forward alien scum or be obliterated where you stand." Strax barked.

From the back of the room Strax, a former commander of the Sontaran empire, urged the prisoner forward with a shove in the back with the butt of his phase rifle. The prisoner, a Slitheen, lurched forward with his wrists encased in hitech handcuffs with flashing blue lights. Strax paused the Slitheen beside Madame Vastra, who entered the release code into the manacles and removed them from the Slitheen. The two Judoon troopers who were waiting silently behind their senior officer stepped forward and seized the Slitheen roughly by his upper arms before all three stepped back into position behind the commander.

"I believe that concludes our business and I am certain the inhabitants of Bognor Regis will sleep more soundly in their beds with this one safely removed." Vastra said to the Judoon officer. "You are of course welcome to stay for tea. I have some rather nice earl grey just off the clipper from India and I am sure Strax could prepare a small buffet from the kitchen. He is rather proud of his baking you know and his French fancies are particularly well received."

The Judoon commander snorted and raised his wrist and roughly stabbed at the controls to the transmat on his bracer. The Judoon and their prisoner shimmered and vanished, leaving only a tang of ozone lingering in the Victorian drawing room.

"How rude." Madame Vastra commented with a sniff. "Well, that is policemen the universe over I suppose."

"That was our last open case Ma'am." Jenny commented. "Should I purchase a selection of the newspapers, there's usually a story or two that might hint at unworldly interference?"

"No rush my love." Vastra replied, toying with the restraints in her hand. "I think we have all earned a short rest and I am sure we can think of some other activity to fill our time for a couple of days at least."

Vastra turned to Jenny and raised her fingers to the young human's cheek to brush a wayward lock of the girl's raven hair aside before stroking the soft blushing skin to emphasise her meaning. Jenny giggled, her eyes bright with anticipation.

"Will you be needing my assistance with this activity?" Strax queried, clearly puzzled by the interaction between the two females. "If so what level of weaponry would be appropriate?"

"Your assistance will most certainly not be required Strax." Vastra said with finality, provoking another fit of giggles from Jenny.

"Ahh good." Strax replied. "My lunar surveillance operation has been interrupted over the last few days. I should resume immediately in case there has been any sign that those damned moonites are preparing to strike."

"Splendid Strax, be sure to tell us how that turns out...in a day or two." Madame Vastra commented with an indulgent smile.

Taking Jenny by the hand the Silurian began to lead her companion towards the door that led to the stairs, but after only a few steps was halted in her tracks by an insistent beeping that emanated from a chest of drawers nearby. Three sets of eyes locked immediately on the source of the noise and a palpable excitement instantly filled the drawing room.

"It's him!" Jenny exclaimed in an awed voice.

Madame Vastra crossed to the drawer and opened it quickly and withdrew a temporal communicator which she set on the furniture surface before answering the call.

"Madame Vastra here, is that you Doctor?" The Silurian enquired.

"Hello,hello. Can you hear me?" The voice, while not the Doctor's was instantly recognisable to all the members of the paternoster gang.

"Clara? Yes my dear we can hear you." Vastra affirmed. "Is something wrong child, you sound distressed? Is the Doctor with you?"

"Well sort of." Clara's disembodied voice replied. "But he...it's kind of hard to explain...better if you see this for yourself. The Doctor said you could send a signal that the TARDIS could lock onto. We need your help."

"Of course Clara, initiating the beacon now." Vastra confirmed adjusting the communicator as she spoke. "You know how to lock on the TARDIS navigation?"

"Yes, the Doctor showed me how to do that. Locking the navigation to your signal now." Clara stated.

Almost at once a familiar wheezing and groaning filled the drawing room and in an empty space in a corner of the room a large blue boxlike shape began to materialise.