Doctor Who_ Father Time - Lance Parkin [14]
Mrs Castle quickly swallowed her Polo and put the rest back in the drawer.
‘So who’s giving you trouble?’ she asked, pushing out a pawn.
‘Stephen, Daniel, Stacey and Rachel,’ he replied without hesitation, moving his castle.
‘You know their names?’ she asked, moving her castle out.
‘Of course.’ Knight move to keep the castle in check.
‘How?’
‘They told me when I asked,’ he replied, confused by the question.
Mrs Castle was impressed. Faced with a new class, it would often be a week before she could remember what they were all called.
She moved another pawn out. ‘What about Miranda?’
The Doctor glanced over to the tiny blonde girl, sitting at the last table, deep in thought. ‘Not really.’
‘Watch out for her,’ Mrs Castle warned. ‘She’s smart.’
The Doctor smiled. ‘Thanks for the warning.’
He moved his castle’s pawn forward two spaces and stood up to go about his rounds. Mrs Castle sipped at her coffee and looked down at the board, unable to believe what a poor position she was in already. She pulled herself away from the Doctor’s theatrics and decided to concentrate on her game. It had been years since she’d had a proper opponent, and Mrs Castle was out of practice. The Doctor was back before Mrs Castle had put her coffee mug down.
‘Not moved?’ he asked.
‘Thinking it through. How are you getting on?’
‘Stephen’s not planning far enough ahead, but he’s good. Daniel... he’s not seen my rook yet: he’s too hung up on the theory. Stacey’s being clever, playing a long game. Rachel can see what I’m doing, I’m not sure she knows how to stop it.’
‘Miranda?’
He hesitated. ‘I’m not sure. She doesn’t look like a threat.’
Mrs Castle looked over. Miranda was an odd mix. She was small for her age – nearly eleven, but looked more like an eight-or nine-year‐old – but was very confident: two things that rarely went together. But that was hardly the oddest thing about her.
Mrs Castle moved her castle, trying to press forward.
The Doctor took a pawn with his knight. ‘Check.’
‘So, did you ever play chess professionally?’ she asked.
‘No.’
‘University team?’
‘No.’ She had hoped for a hint of his background – that was a clear invitation for him to discuss his past – but none was forthcoming. He wasn’t being evasive: he just didn’t take the hint. Mrs Castle took the castle back to take the Doctor’s knight. The Doctor brought the other knight forward.
‘Check. Mate in thirty-four,’ the Doctor announced.
A couple of the other players looked up.
‘You can’t say that,’ Daniel announced knowledgeably.
Mrs Castle wasn’t so sure. She looked around the board. Everything seemed OK. There was the threat from the knight, but she could get that with her bishop.
She looked again.
‘My God,’ she said. Then, louder, ‘Gather round, everyone.’
‘Mrs Castle?’
‘Look at this,’ she told the children as they huddled around her desk. A couple of the brighter ones were already working out what would happen. It was a beautiful trap – sheer clockwork: to get out of check, she’d move a piece that would expose her king to further danger. But she wouldn’t have a choice – the attacks would keep coming and coming, move after move, her pieces would swirl around the board, most of them falling into danger as they moved to defend. She couldn’t see thirty-whatever moves ahead, but she could see far enough to recognise that the Doctor had her beaten.
Miranda and Stephen were looking at each other, unable to believe what they were watching.
Mrs Castle went through the motions for the others, let the Doctor spring his trap. She explained with every move that she didn’t have a choice – a different move would place her in check or even checkmate. As the Doctor took her last castle and the game, there was even a small round of applause.
‘Let’s see if you lot can do any better,’ Mrs Castle told them, ushering them back to their own tables.
The Doctor returned to the main task, working his way around the tables.
Three fell