Multidimensional chess is something I invented in the Unfinished Business series and it has been a nice little recreational activity for all of my Time Lords in their various generations. The opening of this story with Li and Kristoph playing a game of chess using their mind is a prequel to several such scenes in other stories. For Marion it is a reminder of how incredible the two Time Lords she knows are. I think we all need to be reminded now and again that Time Lords are incredible beings. Especially when a lot of these stories are romances.

The Truthtaker who comes to question Marion about Li is called Bolar Lundar. This is, of course, a reference to the House of Lundar, from which Romana, The Doctor’s future companion comes. More of the Lundars in later stories. But at this stage he appears to be the enemy, coming for Li.

The false memories in Marion’s head are a cruel thing to do, and gives this story a very sinister edge, but again, a little sinister stuff is no harm now and again.

This story also introduces Remonte de Lœngbærrow, Kristoph’s brother. More about him at a later time. But in this story he is a government official who is prepared to do something slightly corrupt for the best of reasons. The impression that Gallifreyan politics are a little bit shady is completely in context with everything that Doctor Who episodes have ever shown us of the Time Lord government.

But after all of that, the story ends with cocoa and bed. Everything is rounded up nicely in Marion’s mostly pleasant life. These are not meant to be hard hitting stories. In a little short of 2,000 words the bad stuff is resolved and happiness prevails. That might not be high literature, but it is what the readers want.