A Magic Carpet Ride

The Disney movie, Aladdin, made me realize the Doctor would love a fez and a flying carpet.


Gauzy curtains floated in the breeze, it was a bright, starry night.

"River!"

River came out onto the huge marble balcony of their hotel suite to find the Doctor floating in midair beyond the railing.

She lifted a brow and sauntered over to look down. "Impressive, Sweetie. Where'd you get the flying carpet?" she asked.

"Antigravz-R-Us," he said, grinning hugely. The carpet floated up level with the railing. He held out a hand to her. "Come with me."

The Persian carpet rippled in the wind. His big feet were making dents in the floating rug. He was wearing a fez, and a short blue vest over his shirt and braces.

The Disney song, "A Whole New World" started emanating from the carpet. She grinned. "Wait right there, honey."

She sprinted back into the room, past the gauzy curtains.

Five minutes later she returned. The Doctor almost swallowed his tongue.

River, in harem pants, halter top, and gauzy sleeves highlighting her beautiful arms. A shining diamond tiara in her curls and transparent veils floating in the breeze.

Hips, stomach, legs... It was a good think he was sitting down.

The lights from the alabaster room behind her highlighted her curves through the veils and hid her face in mysterious shadow.

She held up a regal hand. He didn't move. He couldn't.

"Am I still invited?" she asked, in that warm, husky voice that haunted his dreams.

"Yes!" he jumped up and caught her hand, lifting her up as she stepped delicately from a cushioned bench, to the railing, to the rug. He settled her carefully in front of him and sat down behind her.

She turned, those silky curls brushing his face. He closed his eyes, and opened them to see her magnificent eyes glowing at him from above her veil.

"Hang on," he whispered. She leaned back into him, all solid warmth and silky softness.

He wrapped one arm around her waist and the rug sailed out into the dark night, rippling under them.

They took a leisurely, swooping tour of the city and oasis, they'd helped divert a meteor strike so that it landed harmlessly in the desert on this Arabic influenced world. It was a modern planet, lovely with a leisurely flow of life unusual for human colony worlds.

Automated mining served as the basis for the economy, and even now the cooling meteor was being mined for its valuable minerals and ores.

The local government had thanked them with a huge banquet and the invitation to stay free in their poshest hotel and enjoy an all expenses paid vacation.

It was a lovely world that prioritized art and had adopted all the best of the Arabic world's architecture and mosaic and textile arts. The main city was an oasis of palms and fountains and jewel-like buildings below them.

The night breeze was cool as they flew out over the desert, haunting cries of local wildlife punctuated the silence, a huge white moon rode above. Moonlight bathed them, turning River into a warm collection of alabaster glow and golden glints in his arms. The rug was still softly singing its looped track of Aladdin songs.

River turned in his arms and stood up. The rug dipped in unnerving ways under her weight. She held down a hand, a virtual goddess in the moonlight. "Dance with me."

His eyebrows jumped up, he leaned over and looked down at the desert thousands of feet below them. They were far from the city out here.

"Uh, are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked, gripping the carpet's weave.

She grinned. "We've got the music, and the moonlight. A perfect romantic night for a waltz." She beckoned with her fingers.

"Um..." He bit his lip and awkwardly climbed to his knees, then to his feet. The rug gave unnervingly underneath him, a forceful reminder that there was nothing under them but a thin layer of threads.

She stepped forward, altering the terrain. He stumbled and windmilled. "I'm not really good at this!" He yelped.

She yanked him firm against her, grinning in the moonlight. "Then you better hang on tight."