Doctor Who_ Beyond the Sun - Matthew Jones [73]
Bernice thought of Leon and Scott and felt that she was failing them somehow by being unable to defend their beliefs. But what this woman was saying was all too plausible.
She felt the door open behind her. A middle-aged man stood in the doorway in a scarlet robe with gold trimming. His face was red and his eyes glassy. He stood swaying gently from side to side. ‘Iranda, dear,’ he slurred, ‘aren’t you coming back to the party? You did say that you weren’t going to be long.’
‘Run along, Samuel, I’ll join you in a minute.’
The man mumbled something unintelligible before retreating.
Iranda waited patiently until the door was closed before she turned impatiently to Bernice.
‘Samuel’s a leading figure in the New Administration. Thick as pig shit, but he’s well connected.
Listen to me, Bernice Summerfield, I’ve been honest with you. But if you try and cause me any trouble, I won’t have any qualms about handing you and your friends over to the Sunless. I don’t want to see or hear from you ever again. Is that clear?’
Bernice sighed with resignation. Short of torturing the woman, there wasn’t anything she could do.The drunken collaborator chose that moment to poke his head around the door for a second time. ‘Iranda,’ he pleaded, in a little boy’s voice.
Iranda gave Bernice a look of long sufferance. ‘All right!’
The drunken man seemed hurt by the harshness in her voice. ‘Please come down. I think that the next act is about to begin.’
Iranda turned to Bernice and took a moment to appraise her outfit. ‘That’s your cue, I believe.’
14
WE ARE FAMILY
Scott was dozing when Jock shouted for him to join him in the other room. Errol was taking his first tentative steps after his ordeal. The tall man had his arms tightly around Jock’s shoulders. His legs looked like matchsticks, trembling violently as he put one bare foot in front of the other.
Scott forced a smile. ‘Hey, that’s amazing.’
Errol laughed breathlessly. ‘Feels weird.’ Sweat was breaking out across his bald head, discolouring the bandage which covered his right eye. ‘But I’ll let you into a secret: I have done this before.’ He winked at Scott and then grimaced with the effort of taking a few short steps. ‘Just not for a while. But, yeah, kid, it’s good to be back on my feet. Never realized the ground could be so far away.’
He lurched as he tried to take another step, and Jock steadied him. ‘It’s OK, I’ve got you.
Maybe you should rest.’
Errol nodded, looking relieved. ‘Yeah, only a fool argues with his doctor.’
Jock smiled. ‘All my patients argue with me.’
‘Sounds like you need to learn to assert yo’ authority, Doc.’
Jock laughed. ‘I don’t think it’s your legs I should be worrying about, but your mind.’
In order to celebrate Errol’s achievement, Scott and Jock made a light supper. They sat around Errol’s bed, talking and drinking tea. Errol, exhausted by his exertions, quickly dozed off, snoring gently, a satisfied expression on his heavily lined face.
When Errol fell asleep, the two Ursulans switched from tea to wine. They talked generally for a while and then Jock asked where Michael had gone. Scott paused before answering. He gave an account of their argument, although for some reason he didn’t mention Michael’s cruel self-inflicted surgery.
‘So Michael doesn’t like the profiteers,’ Jock concluded. ‘What about you?’
‘I think they threaten him, somehow. I can sort of understand. I have had second thoughts about them, particularly after what Bernice did to you.’ The wine had clouded his head and he shook himself as if this might clear his thoughts. ‘They’re just so very different.’
Jock took a sip of his