Doctor Who_ Empire of Death - BBC Worldwide [63]
`Well, how is he?' the sergeant demanded.
`He's been better,' Hawthorne replied, holding open the tent flap. Vollmer caught sight of Kempshall's sallow features and hurried inside. A brief examination of the corpse indicated the lieutenant had been dead for some hours.
Ì don't fancy explaining this to General Doulton,' the sergeant muttered as he left the tent.
Èxplaining what to me?' bellowed a bullish voice. The general strode into the encampment, flanked by two civilians and two dozen soldiers carrying an assortment of large boxes and equipment. 'Well, what don't you fancy explaining, Sergeant?'
Vollmer snapped to attention and saluted Doulton, Hawthorne reacting almost as quickly. The general acknowledged their salute and told them to stand easy.
Vollmer took a deep breath and briefly recounted events at Corra Linn, concluding with the discovery of Kempshall's corpse. Hawthorne was grateful his name was not mentioned in connection with either death. Doulton was more interested in knowing why Kempshall had gone ahead with the dive in express defiance of orders sent by telegram.
The sergeant said no such communication had been received. The general scowled at this and went into the tent to see the lieutenant's body for himself. 'Seems like a rum do and no mistake!' Doulton announced. 'Doctor, perhaps you could have a look and see if you can deduce what did for this poor fellow?'
Hawthorne stepped aside to let the male civilian into the tent. The private decided this new arrival could not have been much older than thirty, judging by his unlined face and almost boyish demeanour. But there was a self-assurance and natural authority that suggested the Doctor had wisdom beyond his apparent years. Certainly the general seemed happy to let him take charge of ascertaining the cause of death.
The private was just as intrigued by the other civilian, a diminutive woman with striking eyes and an aristocratic air.
She looked about herself with undisguised curiosity, unabashed at being so near to a dead body. Her clothing was most unusual, a dark crimson jacket and trousers of a fabric Hawthorne had never seen before. The garments demurely covered her arms and legs, but it was still surprising to see a woman dressed like a man. The private found himself wondering what her relationship was to the Doctor. They had an easy familiarity but gave no sign of being married.
`Nyssa,' the Doctor called from the tent. 'Come and have a look at this.' She walked inside, smiling at the private as she passed. Doulton led the sergeant away to inspect the rest of the troops already stationed at the encampment. The general was busy berating Vollmer for the loss of two officers to some unknown enemy and insisting they increase the number of sentries around the camp. Hawthorne remained on guard outside the tent, straining to hear the low, whispered conversation between the two civilians.
`What do you make of this?' the Doctor asked.
`Dead for some hours, as rigor mortis has set in,' she replied. `No signs of violence or any obvious cause of death.
His white hair belongs to an older man but he has no matching characteristics that would confirm such a hypothesis. His eyes - as if he had seen something utterly terrifying...'
Às if he had been scared to death.'
Ànd this was the person we detected entering the rift yesterday?'
`Yes, judging by what that sergeant just told Doulton. He must have been ejected from the rift when I imposed the dimensional buffer. But I don't think that is directly connected to his death. This man suffered coronary failure after seeing something so shocking, his heart simply gave out from the fear.'
`Why didn't the soldiers get the telegram warning them not to dive? Could someone have intercepted it?' the young woman asked.
`Perhaps. It's more likely the telegram was never despatched'
`You think Ponsonby held back from sending it -