Doctor Who_ Dinosaur Invasion - Malcolm Hulke [2]
‘Time is relative.’ The Doctor locked the TARDIS, and pocketed the key. ‘My guess is that we have returned to Earth at much the time we left. Now let’s find a public telephone and inform the Brigadier that we’re back.’
The Doctor strode away towards some distant metal railings at the edge of the park. Sarah was about to follow, but paused when she heard a sound coming from the opposite direction. She turned and saw a clump of trees half a mile away. One of the trees came crashing to the ground. She caught up with the Doctor.
‘What made that happen?’
He shrugged. ‘Some disease that trees get, I imagine. Now come on.’
Five minutes later they reached the road that ran along the edge of the park.
Sarah said, ‘There’s no traffic.’
‘Can’t you imagine life without smelly motor cars?’ The Doctor started to cross the road, Sarah following. He was hurrying towards a public telephone kiosk.
‘It just seemed strange,’ she said.
‘Nothing seems strange,’ said the Doctor, opening the door of the telephone kiosk, ‘when you’ve seen the places I have been to...’ He stopped short. The telephone had been ripped from the wall, the coin box smashed open.
Sarah said, ‘It’s been vandalised.’
‘I wish people wouldn’t use that term,’ said the Doctor. ‘The Vandals were quite decent chaps.’
‘I suppose you’ve met them?’ Sarah asked, tongue-in-cheek.
‘As a matter of fact, yes. We’ll have to find a taxi.’ The Doctor turned from the telephone kiosk and regarded the deserted road.
‘How,’ asked Sarah, ‘do we find a taxi when there is no traffic?’
‘Perhaps it’s a Sunday,’ said the Doctor. ‘Great Britain always closes on Sundays. We’ll have to walk.’
Twenty minutes later they reached a suburban shopping centre. Sarah pointed across the street excitedly.
‘Look,’ she said, keeping up with the Doctor, ‘Woolworths! ‘
‘What is so special about Woolworths?’
‘Nothing,’ said Sarah, ‘but it’s nice to see. It means we’re back home.’
The Doctor paused. ‘Really, Sarah! I take you in the TARDIS to Outer Space, to another Time in the history of the Universe, and what really excites you?— Woolworths! ’
His words were drowned by the roar of a car speeding along the high street. It was the first sign of life they’d seen since their return to Earth. Sarah stepped out into the road, waving her arms, smiling.
‘Hey! Stop!’
The car kept going. Moving fast, the Doctor grabbed Sarah back to safety.
‘He almost hit me!’ she gasped.
‘Perhaps he doesn’t like hitch-hikers.’
They watched the car race down the street. At an intersection with dead traffic lights the driver swung the car to the crown of the road, then turned left with a screech of brakes.
‘Have you noticed there aren’t even any parked cars?’ Sarah said.
‘I agree,’ said the Doctor. ‘It is a bit odd. Let’s keep walking. There must be someone somewhere.’
They continued towards the traffic lights. Sarah stopped and pointed. ‘Look! That car! It’s stopped.’
The car was standing outside a jeweller’s shop. Without a word, the Doctor and Sarah ran towards it. The car’s engine was running, but there was no driver.
‘The driver must have gone inside,’ Sarah said, entering the open shop door.
‘Don’t be hasty,’ called the Doctor. But it was already too late. Sarah had gone into the shop. The Doctor followed.
Sarah was standing in the middle of the shop looking in wonder at the cases of expensive rings, necklaces, and the displays of wrist watches.
‘Look at all these lovely things,’ she gasped, ‘and the door wide open.’
‘The door has been forced open,’ said the Doctor. ‘Now come on, let’s go.’
The Doctor turned, and found himself looking into the twin spouts of a sawn-off shotgun. Holding the gun was the driver of the car, a young man with greasy black hair and badly bitten fingernails.
‘I got here first,’ said the man. ‘Turn round, put your hands against the wall.’
Sarah protested, ‘You nearly ran me down! ‘
The man waved the gun at her. ‘I said put your hands against the wall!’
The Doctor turned and spread out his hands on the wall. ‘Do as he says,