Doctor Who_ Corpse Marker - Chris Boucher [46]
Once she had got a good look at the position of the house Leela had offered her view that they were probably safer walking about the Sewerpits no matter how dangerous it was to be out there at night. Padil had taken this to be a joke and Leela did not bother to explain further since the woman did not seem capable of understanding any of the basic principles of being a warrior.
Instead she asked Padil if there was any part of the Sewerpits where most people went, a place of importance to everyone.
Padil suggested the Roof over the World, the main thoroughfare and market which ran across the top of the Sewerpits. It was a long walk to reach it, she said, and most of the way would not be busy and well lit like this but if she really wanted to go there...
Leela and Padil had been striding up through the better lit of the back streets towards the Roof over the World for perhaps ten minutes when they came to a junction with a narrow pitch-dark alley, little more than two black clefts between high windowless walls. By the time they had crossed it the first of the nightstalkers had begun to shadow them. Padil, who was busy trying to explain the layout of the Sewerpits complex, had noticed nothing but for Leela the signs could hardly have been more obvious.
The street they were heading for ran several miles along the top of the Sewerpits and the route they were walking took them up a series of slopes and stone staircases which linked the streets on different levels. They were in one of the lower roofed-over sections where the open street above was briefly covering the alleyways below when Leela heard and smelled several more of the predators joining the first one. They were moving through parallel alleys dogging them step for step, and at least two had dropped back into the alley they were walking through and were following just out of sight. She was not sure how many of them it would take before they had the courage to attack but they would have to do it soon if they were going to do it. They must realise the noise they were making could frighten their prey. And if any more of them joined the hunt they would get in each other’s way. Padil still seemed to have noticed nothing. ‘How far is it to the next climbing steps?’ Leela asked.
‘Round the bend there I think, Padil said. ‘What’s the matter? Are you getting tired?’
The bend was at least two hundred yards away and curved sharply upwards into the gloom. Leela forced the pace, gradually lengthening her stride. From what she had seen so far the steps would be better lit and easier to fight from but a sudden increase in speed might trigger the attack too soon. She could probably outrun the attackers but she doubted whether Padil had the speed or the agility to do the same. Padil, almost trotting to stay at Leela’s shoulder, said, ‘All right, you’re not tired. I’m convinced. Can we slow down?’
‘No,’ Leela said without emphasis. She pushed the pace a little harder. ‘Is the stun-kill ready?’ she asked quietly Padil was beginning to breathe harder. ‘Ready?’
‘Is it ready to use?’
They were halfway to the bend. The predators were still matching their pace. They were still not ready to attack, Leela thought, but she could hear that a third individual had dropped back to join the ones following directly behind them. The smell of rotten flesh, sour sweat and urine was getting stronger and the stealthy sounds of pursuit were louder too so Leela concluded the alleys they were using