Doctor Who_ Delta and the Bannermen - Malcolm Kohll [39]
She felt a warm glow in the pit of her stomach and smiled to herself. How ironic, she thought – at last she had found true love, but she might never live to enjoy it.
Outside the camp, the Doctor was on his hands and knees, drawing a circle in the dirt around the TARDIS.
When he was finished he gingerly poked a stick across the line; it immediately exploded.
The Doctor sighed and got to his feet, dusting himself down. This was going to be a lot more difficult than he had originally thought. Ray appeared at his elbow. ‘What are you doing, Doctor?’ she asked.
‘I’m marking out exactly where the sonic cone meets the ground,’ he said by way of an explanation. Ray looked dumbfounded. ‘Why?’
‘Because the beam comes from above it and casts a small
"shadow" directly around the base of the TARDIS. If we can tunnel under the cone and emerge in the shadow area then I can disarm it. Is there a spade back at the camp?’ he asked, peering with ferocious intensity at the sonic cone atop the TARDIS.
‘Uh... Doctor...’ said Ray, a tremor in her voice.
The Doctor started to brush aside her imagined objections, ‘I know it’s time-consuming but it’s our only choice... ‘ he muttered.
‘Uh... Doctor...’ said Ray again. This time a sense of urgency conveyed itself to theDoctor and he looked at her face. She was looking at something some distance away.
The Doctor followed the line of her eyes and sighed.
‘Sooner than I thought,’ he said in a resigned tone.
The Bannermen fighter had just landed at the far side of the camp and the hatch was already swinging open. ‘Plan B!’ cried the Doctor, grabbing Ray’s hand and running for the safety of the camp as fast as they could.
Inside the dining hall Mel had set up a human chain, ferrying buckets from the fire equipment room to the centre of the hall. Although Hawk was part of the chain he was still in something of a daze and would occasionally tip his bucket onto the floor, turn it end up and sit down, lost in thought. He was in just such a position when the door flew open and the Doctor burst in crying, ‘They’re here!
Delta, you and your daughter come with me. Everyone else remain in here until it’s safe to come out. Did you remember the beeswax, Goronwy?’
Goronwy dug in the pockets of his overall and produced a couple of yellow wax tablets, one of which he passed to the Doctor.
‘Thanks. Where are Burton and Billy?’ he asked.
‘They’re in Mr Burton’s office,’ said Mel.
The Doctor, Delta and the girl all ran from the dining hall. Mel immediately started barricading the doors with up-ended tables. Weismuller and Goronwy were doing their best but they really could have used some help from Hawk, who was still sitting on his bucket and staring into space.
‘Hawk! Do you think perhaps you could make an effort for once. You only suffered a few minor burns,’ said Weismuller irritably. Hawk completely ignored him. ‘I’m gonna put this down in my report, Hawk. And I might not even want to partner you, next time out.’ Hawk was like a marble bust.
Chapter Thirty
Inside Burton’s office things had taken on a distinctly militaristic appearance. Burton took his ancient ceremonial sword off the wall and carefully drew it out of its sheath.
Billy had expected to see a dull and rusty blade, but was impressed by the gleaming, razor-edged weapon with which Burton was energetically slashing the air. He finally handed it to Billy, saying ‘I haven’t used it in over 40 years but it’ll still put the wind up a Bannerman!’
‘I’ll guard the dining hall, Mr Burton,’ said Billy, feeling a rush of courage as the blade whistled through the air.
Burton seemed to have been transported back to another era, sniffing the air, trying to get the scent