Doctor Who_ Atom Bomb Blues - Andrew Cartmel [26]
‘What now man?’ Ray carefully placed the record on the turntable then shuffled wearily towards the door. He was back hardly a second later, walking backwards into the room with his hands held up tensely above his head. Major Butcher followed him into the room.
He was pointing a gun at Ray.
He said, ‘All right. Where is it?’
45
Chapter Four
Lady Silk
Ace’s first thought as she stood there looking at Major Butcher pointing a gun was bitter self-reproach that she hadn’t managed to at least drink some of her beer. No doubt the opportunity for that was long past now.
‘What’s she doing here?’ said Butcher, nodding at Ace. Ray shrugged as well as he could with both his hands held high above his head.
‘Beats me, man. She said the Doctor sent her.’
‘Well forget her and forget the Doctor.’ Major Butcher kept his gun aimed at Ray. ‘Where is it?’ There was a pause as Ray seemed to be formulating an answer. ‘And don’t try asking me what I’m talking about,’ added Butcher in a dangerous voice. ‘You know what I’m talking about.’
Ray shrugged his shoulders again and said, ‘Over there in that box.’
‘Over where in which box?’
‘Can I put my hands down, man?’ said Ray. Butcher gestured impatiently with the gun and Ray lowered his arms, went over to a box of records and took out the big square envelope he’d only just placed there.
‘Open it,’ said Butcher. ‘Play it.’ Ray shrugged once again, then tore open the envelope and extracted a record in a cardboard sleeve. He carefully took the Duke Ellington record off the turntable and lovingly restored it to its sleeve.
‘Get on with it,’ said Butcher.
Well at least I’m finally going to get to hear some music, thought Ace.
Ray took out the new record, which had a blank red label, and put it on the turntable. He switched the turntable on then lowered the tone arm and suddenly the room was full of music. Fast-moving boogie-woogie with an ethereal, insinuating female voice singing lush syllables above it. The voice was extraordinary, smooth and smoky, immediately catching and commanding the listener’s attention. But before Ace could begin to make out the words being sung, Butcher barked, ‘Turn it off!’
‘Play it, turn it off,’ muttered Ray. ‘Make up your mind, man.’ But he took the record off the player and returned it to its sleeve. He looked at it uncertainly for a moment, then reluctantly offered it to Butcher. The Major gestured with his gun for Ray to set the record down on a chair. Ray did so and now Butcher gestured for him to step away. Only when he had done so 47
did Butcher step forward and pick up the record, which he tucked under his free arm.
‘You’re stealing his record?’ said Ace. She was unable to contain herself any more. ‘You barged in here at gunpoint to steal his record?’
‘I’m confiscating it,’ said Butcher.
‘Why?’
‘That woman you heard crooning on that record was Lady Silk. A Japanese propaganda singer.’
‘She’s American,’ said Ray.
‘She’s a traitor seeking to subvert and undermine morale on the home front,’
said Butcher. ‘And it’s a criminal offence to be in possession of one of her recordings.’
‘But she’s got a great set of pipes, man.’
‘It’s illegal to play that record?’ said Ace incredulously.
‘To play it or own it,’ said Major Butcher.
‘But why?’
‘I told you. Lady Silk is a saboteur in the pay of the Japanese. A sinister seductive siren warbling to America through the long night of the war. Trying to lead this country off course.’
‘Sounds like the sort of tripe you put in one of your books, Major Butcher daddy-o.’ Butcher flashed Ray a look of hatred at this insult, but the gun in his