Doctor Who_ Delta and the Bannermen - Malcolm Kohll [42]
The Bannermen were all tied in a neat bundle outside the TARDIS. Weismuller was walking along the line of captives, shaking his head. ‘You’re as sorry a bunch of Bannermen as I’ve ever seen!’ he said smugly.
Just then Hawk wandered up, looking puzzled.
Weismuller saw him and called him over saying, ‘Hawk, come here partner. You wanted to get even and now we are.
About as even as we can get, I reckon. They don’t look much do they, all trussed up like Thanksgiving turkeys,’
he said, trying to coax a reaction from his partner.
Delta and her daughter emerged hand-in-hand from the camp. She stopped beside the TARDIS and addressed everyone present. ‘Thank you for your help and courage.
All of you,’ she said.
‘Are Billy and the Doctor all right?’ asked Ray.
‘Yes,’ said Delta, ‘Billy’s just changing...’
Ray bit her lip and looked sad. Mel put a comforting arm about her. Ray knew that she was about to lose Billy for ever. All her hopes and plans would come to nothing.
She also knew that Billy had no choice but to follow the dictates of his heart, and being a basically decent person, Ray bore neither him nor Delta any ill will. She had to be practical. She would just have to organize her life differently, that’s all. The hardest thing of all to bear was the probability that she would never again be able to see Billy.
She didn’t know where Chumeria was, but she was wise enough to know that it was too far to travel for a weekend.
She was happy to have made such good friends with Mel and the Doctor and thought that they were very special people. Although it wouldn’t be long before they too were taking off in their funny little spaceship, to strange planets she had never even heard of. Ray sniffed a couple of times and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Ah well, Wales wasn’t that bad...
Billy was indeed changing. His eyes and hair had become recognizably Chimeron. The Doctor stole a sideways glance at him as they entered his cabin. The room was identical to the others, except that it had been decorated by the addition of posters of large motorbikes.
They covered every door and all available wall space.
Billy’s portable record player had ‘Gamblin’ Man’ on the turntable. His suitcase was open on the bed as he packed his few remaining possessions.
The Doctor was pacing restlessly. Finally, he stopped and faced Billy. ‘It’s true that they need a male or the race will die out. But I haven’t seen many examples of species-crossing. There could be the most dreadful mutation.’
Billy opened another tube of the high-protein food and squeezed it into his mouth. ‘But it’s our only chance, Doctor,’ he mumbled through the gooey slime.
‘That’s exactly why it shouldn’t be squandered on reckless experimentation!’ said the Doctor with mounting exasperation. Exasperation because he knew that whatever he said to Billy would have no effect in changing his mind.
Still, the Doctor had a responsibility to try and warn him of any pitfalls.
‘Well, I reckon it’s too late now,’ said Billy with a cheerful grin. He removed the seven-inch single from the turntable and put it into his suitcase. He closed the record player and reached under the bed for his guitar case.
The Doctor finally sat down on the bed and gave a long sigh. ‘I can’t condone this foolishness – but then love has never been noted for its rationality,’ he said. Billy gave him a wide grin. The Doctor noticed how the sunlight bounced off his skin, which now had a silvery-green hue.
They left Billy’s cabin and went to the boatshed. The Doctor waited impatiently while Billy fiddled around inside before finally appearing with a box full of mechanical bits. The Doctor hopped into the sidecar and Billy kicked the Vincent into life. ‘Did you manage to get it all?’ shouted the Doctor above the roar of the engine.
‘Uh-huh,’ nodded Billy, ‘Cables, chain, plugs, points, condenser, rings, brake shoes and a spare clutch.’
‘That should do it,’ muttered the Doctor as Billy slipped the bike into gear. ‘I can’t think of anyone