Doctor Who_ Cats Cradle_ Witch Mark - Andrew Hunt [30]
Ace was only half paying attention. 'Look, Professor, he's reached the circle. Look, Professor.' She shook him urgently and pointed down at the circle. Another light had appeared, but this one was unsteady, flickering and twinkling - firelight. As they watched, more and more points of light appeared, moving around the clearing.
‘Looks like quite a meeting, doesn't it, Professor?'
‘Quiet, Ace!' the Doctor muttered.
'Oh, come off it, Professor, you can't possibly hear what they're saying.'
‘Sssh!' The Doctor realized that unless he gave some sort of explanation Ace would continue babbling and drowning out the sound he was listening for. 'There's something about the way those torches are lighting up. It seems quite characteristic but I’m trying to listen for something to confirm it.'
What do you mean?'
'A characteristic air movement that ... No, it's no good, we shall have to go down there to check.
Come on, Ace.'
'Great!' Ace leapt up and started towards the slope. The Doctor caught her just before she went down.
'Not that way, not with all those people down there. We’ll leave it till tomorrow. Let's get back to Hugh and Janet.’
Janet looked up from her paper and gazed across the room to where Hugh was dozing in front of the fire.
A tuft of his white hair fell across his forehead and, judging by the way he shook his head to shift it every couple of minutes, tickled his eyes. She folded the paper neatly and laid it on the sideboard next to her chair. Easing herself forward, she rose and went to nudge Hugh s shoulder softly.
'Love, love, deffrwch!'
'Mmm, what is it?'
'Hadn't you better go and bring the sheep in? There was the warning about a dog on the loose don't forget '
'Oh, yes, I suppose I ought to. 'Doctor and Ace back, are they?'
'No, not yet. '
'Ah.' He seemed to sink back into a doze for a moment. Janet nudged him again. 'Right! The sheep!'
He rose and went into the kitchen. Janet followed him through and watched him pulling on his boots.
'I'll put the kettle on.'
'Good, nice cup of tea'd be wonderful.'
He went out through the back door and Janet watched him going up to the gate into the field. Then she picked up the kettle and turned to fill it with water.
Ace clambered over the low stone wall that ran alongside the road and lent the Doctor a hand to help pull him over.
‘So. the plan is that we go over there first thing tomorrow morning and have a dekko.'
'Ace! Where in the universe did you pick up that expression?’
'Perivale, I think. Why?'
'It doesn't seem quite you, that's all.' The Doctor paused to brush the accumulated lichen off his trousers and suddenly the air was pierced by a scream.
'That's from the farm!' Ace shouted, setting off at a run up the road.
‘Not from the house,' the Doctor called. He was ignoring the road and had leapt over the opposite wall and was heading across the field towards the small barn behind the house. Ace knew that he must be right and followed suit. The route they were taking would get them to the scream's source much more directly. She looked ahead and saw Janet standing at the gate to the field, one hand clasped across her mouth. Hugh was standing in front of the barn waving threateningly at something hidden by the intervening wall.
Ahead of her the Doctor vaulted the wall and Ace came to a quick halt against it, prepared to jump over should it be necessary. She now saw what they were up against.
On the ground lay a sheep, its fleece streaked red where sharp teeth had torn its flesh. It was still moving slightly and its face writhed to let out a muted, strangled bleating. Crouched over the sheep was . . . a dog? It was silvery-grey with a lithely muscled body, powerful and strong. A wide ruff of hair exaggerated its neck and gave its forequarters a bulky look. Eyes, deep, black and menacing, stared out fiercely above lips, pulled well back to reveal yellow,