Doctor Who_ Cat's Cradle_ Warhead - Andrew Cartmel [128]
‘My parents are back at the cabin,’ said Brodie, approaching the Doctor. ‘We’re going to be here every weekend until Thanksgiving.’
‘Well, you can go anywhere you want in the woods now. No one will bother you.’ The Doctor sat on a wide stump beside Ace, leaving enough room for the small boy to join them. But Brodie was eyeing Ace with shyness and now he fell silent and remained where he was standing. The only sound was the stir of bare autumn branches and the occasional chattering of a squirrel.
‘We’d better check on the cop.’ Justine took Vincent’s hand and they turned and started back up the path. They walked slowly through the deep fallen leaves, kicking red and yellow shapes aside with each step. As they moved away Brodie edged forward and hesitantly sat on the stump between the Doctor and Ace. He reached into the big pocket in the front of his jacket and drew something out. Two pieces of wood and a length of black rubber.
‘It’s the slingshot you made for me,’ said Brodie.
‘So it is,’ said the Doctor.
‘It’s broken now.’ The boy looked up at the Doctor hopefully.
But the Doctor wasn’t looking at the little boy, or at the broken weapon in his hand. He was staring after Vincent and Justine as they walked away through the slanting sunlight, disappearing among the trees.
‘It’s probably broken for good,’ said Brodie.
‘Yes, but it’s served its purpose,’ said the Doctor. ‘So that’s all right.’
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First published in Great Britain in 1992 by Doctor Who Books
an imprint of Virgin Publishing Ltd
338 Ladbroke Grove
London W10 5AH
Copyright © Andrew Cartmel 1992
‘Doctor Who’ series copyright © British Broadcasting Corporation 1992
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Cox & Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire
Typeset by Type Out, London SW16
ISBN 0 426 20367 4
Cover illustration by Peter Elson
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed upon the subsequent purchaser.
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Table of Contents
by Andrew Cartmel
Prologue
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
19
20
21
22
23