Doctor Who_ Atom Bomb Blues - Andrew Cartmel [2]
‘The moon reflecting in the water?’
‘The moons. The two moons.’
There was silence for a moment in the small room. Then Henbest said,
‘Two. I see.’
‘What the hell?’ said Butcher.
‘They call it the Two Moons fishing station because it’s got two moons,’ said Ace.
‘Fascinating,’ crooned Henbest, leaning close towards the girl. ‘I’ve never seen two moons myself.’
‘That’s because you’ve never left this planet,’ said Ace.
At this point Butcher took Henbest by the shoulder and dragged him out of the office. The two men stood in the corridor, looking at each other.
‘Fascinating,’ repeated Henbest.
‘She’s making a fool of you,’ said Butcher. ‘And she’s making a fool of me.’
‘She isn’t capable of doing anything of the sort. She’s in a highly suggestible and tractable state thanks to the injection I gave her.’
3
‘This is 1944. We don’t believe in rockets to the moon or little green men from Mars.’
‘But we do believe in doomsday weapons,’ said Henbest.
‘Watch your mouth, Professor.’
At the moment Butcher said this, someone came around the corner and started walking straight towards them. Butcher cursed under his breath. It was the last person he wanted to see right now. But the small man was already cheerily lifting his hat in greeting.
‘Gentlemen!’
‘Ah yes, hello Doctor,’ said Henbest. He moved hastily, trying to block the door to his office.
The little man joined them. ‘Hello Major Butcher. How are you?’
‘I’m fine,’ said Butcher. ‘I’m not the one who got shot this afternoon. I just got shot at. And missed.’
‘It was a terrible incident,’ agreed the Doctor.
‘Did you come here to talk about it?’
‘No I came here looking for Ace.’
‘Ace?’
‘I mean Acacia. My assistant. I left her here earlier. Is she still around?’
‘No,’ said Henbest.
And at just that moment the Doctor sidled past him and leaned casually on the office door, which had been left slightly ajar. The door swung open under his weight while Henbest was still in mid-lie, revealing the girl lying there on the yellow leather sofa. Butcher winced.
‘No mystery there at all,’ said Henbest hastily, in what Butcher had to admit was quite a nifty save. ‘She’s indeed here in my office.’ Henbest addressed this remark to the back of the Doctor’s head, as the small man moved briskly past him into the room and stood over the girl.
‘Very understandable,’ said the Doctor. The poor thing’s fallen asleep.’ He glanced around at the men, who had hurried back into the office with him.
‘After all. She’s been through a lot this afternoon.’ The Doctor shook his head. ‘I’ll look after her. Come along, Acacia. You can’t just fall asleep here in Professor Henbest’s office.’
‘No, Doctor,’ said the girl.
‘Come along now.’ The Doctor insinuated an arm under the girl’s shoulders and lifted her head from the pillow. Behind him John Henbest twitched as though he wanted to stop him, but thought better of it. Butcher just stood there watching.
The Doctor had the girl sitting up on the sofa now, her eyes still shut. ‘Up-sadaisy,’ said the Doctor, and he half-lifted, half-guided the girl to her feet.
4
She seemed to stand up steadily enough, and he took her hand and began to guide her towards the door, as though he was leading a sleepwalker.
He flashed a brief, lopsided grin at Butcher and Henbest. ‘I do apologise for the inconvenience gentlemen. I’ll see that Acacia takes her naps in more suitable venues in the future.’ He led her out into the corridor, glancing back one final time to smile at the men in the office and shut the door on them.
‘She was moving pretty good for a girl with her eyes shut,’ said Butcher.
‘Do you think he suspected anything?’ whispered Henbest.
‘He would have to be pretty stupid not to suspect something.’
‘Well then why didn’t he say anything? Accuse us? Confront us?’
‘Because whatever we’re guilty of doing, he’s guilty of worse,’ said Butcher.
‘How maddening that he should turn up at just the moment when we were beginning to make real progress.’
‘You call that progress?