Doctor Who_ Alien Bodies - Lawrence Miles [143]
As she watched, something else floated out of the shadows. It was the casket, Bregman realized. The moment it appeared, the Doctor’s body went stiff as a board.
‘The Relic,’ Trask said. ‘It’s ours. Paid for it. Rules of the auction. We won.’
“Rules”? “Won”? The Doctor turned to Bregman again. ‘You see how the Celestis think? Whatever happens in the real world, it’s all a game to them. Without their bodies to hold them down, all they’ve got to worry about are their own little political feuds. They don’t care who wins the war, as long as it makes life more interesting for them.’
‘Yes,’ said Trask. ‘Games are important. Rules are important. Always obey the rules. Always honour agreements. Always keep deals. Cheating, otherwise. Like you cheat.’
The Doctor sniffed petulantly. ‘I never cheat. Admittedly, I do sometimes make the game more complex, but I never cheat.’
‘The Celestis had a deal. With you. You broke it.’
‘Deal? What deal?’
Ancient muscles cracked and flexed inside Trask’s face. ‘The Celestis agreed. To let you conclude the battle on Dronid, in your own way. Without interference. In return, you promised. Promised your body. Now you want to steal it back. Cheating.’
‘Not true,’ the Doctor protested. ‘I’ve never even met the Celestis, I’ve certainly never made any deals with them.’
‘You will. One day.’
The Doctor looked alarmed. ‘You’re trying to hold me to a promise I haven’t actually made yet?’
‘Yes.’
‘But that’s not fair!’
‘You promised. You made a deal. In your future.’ And as one, the other figures on the stairway began to move again, those at the back of the formation turning to flank the Doctor. Trask kept croaking. ‘We need your body. The Celestis need your body. To give you the mark. To make you ours. Our agent.’
Bregman hopped down another couple of steps, but the Doctor stayed where he was, his head held high. ‘You can’t have the Relic,’ he reiterated, obviously doing his best to keep his voice steady.
‘Don’t want it. Don’t want your body. Not the body in the coffin. Not any more. Something better.’
‘I’m sorry?’ said the Doctor.
‘Dead body would make a good agent,’ Trask went on. ‘Not as good as your live body, though. No need for recorporation. Five regenerations left. Useful.’
All of a sudden, the Doctor seemed nervous. ‘You can’t have me, Trask. Not while I’m alive. You said so yourself. The Celestis’ agents have to agree to be given the mark, of their own free will. It’s the rules. And I don’t agree.’
‘Already have. You made a deal. You said we could have your body. You agreed. We never specified. Never said it had to be dead. Within the terms of the agreement. We never cheat.’
‘You’re going to try and give me the mark?’ the Doctor spluttered. The dead had arranged themselves in a tight cluster around him, and the men in black had moved into position behind his back, to stop him retreating. As far as Bregman could tell, though, he didn’t look like he was going to make a run for it. ‘That doesn’t make sense. If you thought you had the right to mark me at any time in my life, because of a promise I haven’t even made yet, then why haven’t you come for me before now?’
‘We were waiting. For you to come to us. More powerful here. Here in Mictlan. Our territory. No way out.’
‘I demand to see the Celestis personally!’
‘No. Not yet. Not time. We can give you the mark ourselves. Make you one of us.’
‘You can’t –’
‘We can,’ said Trask. ‘Feel.’
And that was when, at long last, the Doctor tried to get away. He turned to run, but the alien with the black carapace snapped one of its claws shut across his shoulder, and the Hispanic thugs reached out to grab his arms. There was no point struggling, after that. Seconds later, every part of his body was being pinioned by the dead.
The living fur wrap barked excitedly. The black man’s smile became a blur of brilliant white. The Doctor’s eyes met Bregman’s, and in that one moment, Bregman was sure she was ready to wake up and find herself back