Doctor Who_ Delta and the Bannermen - Malcolm Kohll [14]
‘How do you like it, Doctor?’ he asked. ‘I built it myself.
With spare parts form the war.’ The decibels were already rising.
‘How appropriate,’ shouted the Doctor through the cacophony.
‘What?’ said Billy, cupping his ear.
‘I said, for a primative piece of technology, it certainly can deliver the decibels!’
‘That’s what rock’n’roll is all about,’ said Billy, jumping up onto the stage and picking up this guitar.
The band launched into their first number, ‘Singing the Blues’, and almost immediately the floor was filled with writhing, swirling, sweating bodies. The Doctor pushed his way through the throng towards the cool air coming from the open door.
Murray, jiving with a lopsided grin on his face, collared the Doctor before he reached the door. ‘This is great,’ he enthused, ‘the 50s nights on Navarro were never like this!’
Just then Mel and Delta appeared, both dressed to the nines. Murray needed no further encouragement. He grabbed Mel by the hand, dragging her into the centre of the dancefloor and the writhing mass of bodies. Murray, a look of pure ecstasy on his face, proved himself to be no mean dancer and whirled Mel around at a giddy speed.
Delta, suddenly left alone, felt the Doctor’s gaze on her.
She held his eye for a long moment, then was gone, pushing through the crowd to the front. The Doctor watched her go, a frown on his face. Gradually he became aware of someone standing at his side.
Ray, wearing a rah-rah skirt and scarlet top, had been transformed. She smiled at him. ‘See Doctor, it’s not all that bad now, is it?’
The Doctor was momentarily at a loss for words, ‘I...
uh... no, not at all. It’s rather nice, in fact.’
‘Come on, let’s go to the front. I can’t see Billy from here,’ said Ray.
‘Have you and Billy known each other for a long time?’
asked the Doctor.
‘Since we were kids. I even learned all about motorbikes in the hope that it’d make him notice me. But it doesn’t seem to have made a blind bit of difference,’ said Ray, looking at her shoes.
The Doctor smiled. ‘I thought we were going to the front,’ he said, taking her arm and guiding her through the crowd.
The song had ended and everyone was applauding. Billy stepped up to the microphone. ‘Thanks folks. And now a romantic number from across the pond – for a very special lady in the audience, ‘Why do fools fall in love?’’ He winked at someone in the crowd.
Ray, who was standing near the stage, felt her heart slip a beat. Then she noticed that his glance was directed elsewhere – towards Delta who was looking straight up at Billy. It was clear he was singing to her and her alone.
Ray felt hot tears rising and started pushing her way across the dancefloor towards the door. Someone grabbed her arm and she turned – to see the Doctor, looking awkward. ‘I was wondering, Ray... ’
‘Thank you, Doctor, I’d love to!’ Ray smiled appreciatively and pulled the Doctor onto the dance floor.
Even if the Doctor had no intention of asking her to dance, he was far too gracious to admit any other possibility.
Meanwhile, at the front of the stage Billy and Delta were drowning in the pools of each other’s eyes.
Chapter Thirteen
A small orange pup-tent had been erected in the lee of a nearby hill. A fire danced outside, throwing leaping shadows onto the thin canvas. Inside the tent Hawk and Weismuller were trying to get comfortable. ‘Hey Hawk, go and put some more wood on the fire.’
‘Why don’t you, Weismuller?’ came the indignant reply.
‘Because you’re next to the flap, Hawk,’ said Weismuller wearily.
‘Yeah, well take your feet out of my face first,’ said Hawk peevishly, unable to argue with the logic of Weismuller’s request.
The tent lurched forward as Hawk struggled to get through the flap. He emerged into the frosty night air, shivered once, and threw another long onto