Doctor Who_ Cat's Cradle_ Warhead - Andrew Cartmel [91]
Ace began to feel a little guilty. It was cruel to attack someone’s beliefs. Sometimes they were all a person had.
‘Just words to cover the truth,’ said Justine. ‘You’re saying he chose those words because he knows they’re a necessary illusion for me.’
‘That’s right,’ said Ace.
‘That’s the way a sorcerer behaves,’ said Justine.
Ace sighed. ‘Sorcerer, sure. I thought we were beginning to make some progress here. There aren’t any sorcerers, there aren’t demons. There is no black magic. I’m sorry if that hurts. I’m sorry if it scares you. But why don’t you try wrapping your tiny brain around the concept?’
‘He is a sorcerer. He makes realities to accommodate belief systems. He knows you couldn’t stand the truth. That’s why he had to invent that story about Vincent’s powers. All those words like telepathy and telekinesis. Do they explain anything? Those powers are clearly a black blessing. They’re conferred by the Lords of Hell for use on this plane of reality.’ Justine sat on the bed and took the sleeping boy’s hand in hers.
‘Plane of reality, right,’ said Ace. ‘You know, I just feel sorry for you.’
‘Don’t try and make me angry.’ Justine brushed a strand of hair away from the boy’s face.
‘It seems pretty easy to do. I suppose you believe in elves and unicorns, too.’
‘Of course not.’
‘Why not? You believe in everything else. You go dancing in the moonlight naked, don’t you? Where do you go? Down in Deptford every midsummer? Up on the Isle of Dogs?’
‘Have you been there?’
‘No. And I haven’t been to the masses in Blackheath, either. I just read about it in the Mirror. I think they’re just a bunch of kids with nothing better to believe in. And you’re just like the rest of them except maybe you haven’t quite gone the full leather‐and‐death metal trip. You sit around listening to Kate Bush in the forests and oathing to the earth mother. I feel sorry for you.’
‘You’re right. It is quite easy to make me angry.’ Justine looked up and Ace could see for the first time just how upset the girl was. Once again she began to regret what she was doing.
‘You didn’t have to do this to me, did you?’ said Justine.
‘Look, all right, I’m sorry.’
‘A person’s belief system is their world. And it can be a delicate thing.’
‘I know.’
‘It can be devastating to have your view of reality challenged.’
‘I know. All right. I’m sorry.’
‘And now you’ve made me angry. So that’s what I’m going to do to you.’ She looked up at Ace and Ace found it hard to meet that unwavering dark stare. ‘The Doctor. Your friend. He has powers.’ said Justine.
‘Listen, I think maybe it would be better if we just stopped talking,’ said Ace.
‘He has power and you know it. How did he account for that power? What did he tell you he was?’
‘Let’s talk about it in the morning.’ Ace went to the window. ‘It must be bloody nearly morning now.’
‘You have your necessary illusions as well. But in your case they involve science. You don’t believe in magic but you believe in machines. So when he explained himself to you, he used your terms of reference. That’s the way a sorcerer behaves.’
Ace yawned. ‘Why don’t you just try to get some sleep?’ she said. ‘It’s been a long night.’
‘Let me tell you something about yourself,’ said Justine, speaking quietly from the bed behind Ace. ‘When you were a kid your favourite reading was science fiction. Maybe books, maybe comics. Space ships, time travel, that sort of thing.’
Standing by the window Ace felt a cold chill along her spine and in the pit of her stomach.
‘You work from a paradigm of technology. So when he encountered you he offered a description of reality which worked with your terms of reference. Let me guess… He said he was some kind of eccentric scientist? A mad inventor?’
Ace said nothing. She didn’t shake her head. She didn’t dare move at all. Maybe if she didn’t move, Justine would stop speaking.
But Justine didn’t stop.
‘Did he say he was