Doctor Who_ Bunker Soldiers - Martin Day [93]
It stood motionless, seemingly unconcerned by their presence. Only when the human shield that protected Dmitri moved a little, allowing the creature a glimpse of him, did its claws twitch as its gaze rested on him for a moment.
But it made no attempt to attack, and so Dodo was bored.
As long as she stayed in position, alongside Lesia, Nahum and Isaac, Dmitri was quite safe. He seemed not to know what was going on; he sat on the floor, facing away from the creature, whispering into his upturned palms.
Soon after the Doctor and Steven had left, the group had helped Dmitri to his feet and started to walk away from the crypt but the monster had shadowed them obediently, stopping when they stopped and keeping pace with them as they moved. They had concluded that flight was impossible, and returned to the casket to await the Doctor’s return.
Dodo turned to Lesia. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I am cold,’ her friend said with a thin smile. ‘But I am glad to be alive. When I think of the others, who have died...’ Dodo could see tears gathering in the corners of Lesia’s eyes. ‘Do you know, Elisabet used to save the finest sweetmeats for me. She was never blessed with a daughter of her own. And after my mother died...’ Lesia pulled the cloak tighter around herself.
‘I hope the Doctor returns soon,’ said Dodo, trying to cast a more positive light on their grim situation.
‘You feel more comfortable when he is with you, do you not?’
Dodo nodded. ‘With him around, everything is OK.
Somehow, he sorts things out.’
‘And yet he has failed the people of Kiev. If what you all tell me is true, we could be the only ones alive!’
Dodo was about to reply when Isaac suddenly exclaimed
‘I’ve got it!’ They all turned to the old man, prompting the creature to stare in their direction, its claws twitching.
‘Sorry?’ said Dodo.
‘I was mulling over what the Doctor said,’ Isaac continued.
‘Why does this beast not attack Dmitri when we stand in the way?’
Dodo paused, trying to remember the creature’s words. ‘I suppose it wants to keep us alive.’
‘But what do we all have in common? Or, what do all the victims have in common?’
‘The builder, various soldiers, the cook...’ Nahum counted the deaths out on his fingers. ‘They’re all...’ But his face was blank; he still did not understand.
Isaac turned to Dodo. ‘It’s as plain as the nose on your face!’
he said, with a smile.
‘They’re all Russians!’ exclaimed Nahum at last. ‘That’s why we’re able to protect Dmitri, why Steven was not attacked, why –
’ ‘Yes, yes!’ exclaimed Isaac. ‘It fits, does it not?’
Dodo mulled this over. ‘No, hang on a minute. What about Lesia?’
‘Ah,’ said Isaac, gravely. ‘Ah. I hadn’t thought of that.’
Lesia nodded. ‘My family has lived in the Russian principalities for centuries!’ she said. ‘We’re of pure stock.’
‘Let us talk of people as people, and not as cattle,’ said Isaac, shaking his head. ‘No, my idea is wrong. There must be something else.’
‘But would it not be ironic,’ said Nahum, ‘if the “saviour” of the city desired to kill only its citizens!’
Dodo sighed. ‘As for it being used as a weapon against the Tartars... Well, I can think of better!’
‘I wonder what is going on, up there,’ said Lesia, glancing towards the ceiling.
As if in answer, faint noises came from the tunnels – noises accompanied by a hint of torchlight.
‘The Doctor?’ she queried.
‘It is too soon,’ said Isaac.
‘And coming from the wrong direction,’ observed Nahum, pointing towards the passageways that led towards the cathedral.
The sound solidified, became more insistent – the noise of many feet, marching to a regular rhythm. The light grew brighter still. ‘Mongols!’ exclaimed Dodo.
XXIII
Bellum gerens in caelo
The Doctor’s voice was grave and I struggled to hear him above the hum of the control room. Having downloaded a vast amount of information from the controlling device, and crosschecked it against whatever data the TARDIS had access to, he stood by the scanner, his head turned away from me, gripping his lapels