Doctor Who_ Delta and the Bannermen - Malcolm Kohll [22]
A few miles away the Doctor was clinging limpet-like to the back of Ray’s scooter as she threaded a path through the bracken. Ray hooted wildly at loosely scattered clusters of sheep, to warn them not to stray into her path.
Eventually they arrived in a leafy dell. ‘It’s called Fern dell.
We used to play here as children. But I don’t see his bike anywhere,’ said Ray.
The Doctor peered through the tangled foliage. ‘It couldn’t be hidden anywhere, could it?’ he asked.
‘Not the Vincent,’ said Ray. ‘It’s much too big.’
‘Then let’s not waste any more time,’ said the Doctor brusquely. Ray managed to turn the scooter around in the clearing and they were soon off across the open moorland, divots of earth flying in all directions.
Chapter Nineteen
Murray was standing beside the bus holding the glowing crystal regeneration cylinder in his hand. Furrowing his brow, he attempted to beam mental energy into the jar, thereby accelerating the growth of the silvery Quarb crystal. He wasn’t having much success. Brain power was never his strong suit.
Mel trotted up from the camp, somewhat out of breath.
‘Fortunately they don’t have much packing to do,’ she said to Murray.
‘No,’ he replied, ‘It’s well known that Navarinos travel light. I suppose it’s because in our natural habitat we don’t have much call for clothing.’
‘How’s the crystal coming?’
‘I’m trying to use mind power to make it grow faster,’
said Murray, scowling into the jar. Mel decided to make herself useful. Scowling like Murray she concentrated all her energies on the crystal.
An old bus chugged up the road and stopped with a clatter before the camp. Moments later Burton marched through the gates, leading a column of staff and campers behind him. He gestured for them to get onto the bus while he strode over to Mel and Murray. ‘I’m doing this with grave misgivings, but I can’t risk my staff,’ he said.
‘Just like a captain, eh Burton,’ said Murray with some sympathy. Burton nodded, ‘Well, I’m still not sure what I saw in there,’ he said pointing at the TARDIS, ‘but I can’t risk my people for it.’
‘You’re doing the right thing,’ said Mel.
Burton crossed to the bus as the last of his staff disappeared on board. Only Vinny remained, a lonely figure on the tarmac.
‘Remember, Vinny, you’re in charge now. You’re responsible for the staff in my absence,’ said Burton encouragingly.
‘Yes sir!’ said Vinny saluting Burton and briskly boarding the bus. Burton smiled one of his superior smiles.
He was extraordinarily fond of Vinny and always knew how to get the best out of him. Vinny would sometimes behave very stubbornly if he thought that he might be missing out on the action. But on these occasions all Burton had to do was to appeal to his strong sense of duty and Vinny would immediately tow the line. Burton shut the door firmly, and waved the driver on his way. He didn’t know when, or if, he’d ever see them again.
High above them, aboard the Bannerman cruiser, the flight deck was a hive of activity. Gavrok swaggered about, barking his orders and watching with satisfaction as his men scurried to obey.
A glowing grid-map of Wales had just appeared on Gavrok’s vid screen. In the centre of the map was an orange pulsing square. ‘She is somewhere in this quadrant.
It’s a pity that we had to destroy the beacon when we killed the mercenary. We’ll have to scan the whole area until we can find some sort of advanced technology emissions,’
growled Gavrok, staring at the light patterns dancing before his face.
At the edge of a wooded copse, smoke kept drifting into Weismuller’s eyes as he attempted to cook a sausage over a dying fire. Finally, when the sausage had turned black, Weismuller withdrew it from the embers, blew on it repeatedly and took a large bite.
He quickly spat out the mouthful of charred meat, and held up the remains of the sausage – inside the burnt exterior the meat was raw. The small brown pup tent was pitched in the background, next to the Morris which was intended to act as a kind of windbreak. In a fit of