Doctor Who_ Beyond the Sun - Matthew Jones [39]
Tameka and Emile were somewhere on this world. Probably somewhere nearby.
She watched Scott wander into the crowds, where a few of the inhabitants welcomed him, slapping him on the back or kissing him on the cheek. Bernice thought they looked friendly enough, until an elderly woman who walked with a stick became agitated when she saw that the yellow stripes were missing from the front of his uniform. She hit him around the head and swore at him.
Scott didn’t fight back, but only protected his head. He looked outraged that she had hit him. No, not outraged. Shocked. Two people nearby immediately dragged the woman away from him. They didn’t even hesitate before they involved themselves in the conflict.
People started to congregate around the scene. Bernice moved forward to the edge of the wood, until she was as close as she could be while remaining under cover of the trees.
Voices were raised in indignation and anger. The older woman, who had now been released, was still shouting at him and was waving her stick threateningly. Bernice could only hear fragments of her conversation. Picking out strange terms of what sounded like abuse. Other voices quickly joined in, siding either with Scott or with the woman.
Everyone who had stopped, and that included almost all of the people on the street, was actively taking part in the scene. Some appeared to have taken the role of mediators, shushing those who interrupted and making sure Scott wasn’t hit again. Others were loudly shouting their views. It took Bernice a moment to realize that there were no bystanders to the conflict at all. It was so different from life on Dellah. If a fight broke out on the streets there, most people would just hurry past, pretending that they hadn’t seen anything or, worse, move to a safe distance to watch.
It was frustrating not knowing what the argument was about. Bernice was itching to get closer, but she kept her curiosity on a tight leash. She wasn’t going to be any use to Errol if she managed to get herself locked up in a police cell. Locked up or executed.
The crowd began to disperse. The woman with the stick had moved off with a group of sup-porters. Scott was standing with a taller reptilian humanoid who appeared to be comforting him.
Bernice wondered if they were somehow related. She had met several reptilian races, and while she was sure that their biologies were not compatible with humans, that didn’t rule out all such cross-species breeding. Apart from a slight paunch around the waist, the tall reptile man’s body was slender and covered with the same kind of dark-green scales which coated Scott’s shoulders and upper arms. His head was bulbous, with large oval eyes and two dark vertical slits for a nose.
Long thin arms tapered away to three thin claws. Despite the loose-fitting grey uniform, it was obvious that his legs were back-jointed like a bird’s. His ankles were lower than a human’s, located behind the foot rather than above it. He walked with a gentle, bobbing movement, reminding Bernice of a chicken. It occurred to Bernice that the dispute might have been racially motivated.
She was lost in her thoughts and was only aware of the two newcomers as Scott and his companion turned to look at them. Bernice’s heart sank as she saw Tameka and Emile wandering down the dusty road, looking like tourists who had become separated from their tour party. They were the only two people in the street not wearing uniforms and were attracting attention; a tall feathered male had walked over and was staring at them intently.
Bernice had already broken cover of the trees and was heading towards them when Scott waved her back. She was left hovering near the roadside, unsure of what to do.
‘What are you looking at?’
The bird man who was doing the staring seemed surprised at her remark. ‘You, of course,’ he said, as if the answer was obvious.
Tameka was momentarily taken aback. ‘Oh, well don’t,