Doctor Who_ Father Time - Lance Parkin [20]
‘Your daughter is also very knowledgeable,’ the Doctor said.
‘Thank you. We do our best. Buy her books, encourage her.’ Miranda wasn’t sure she liked being talked about as if she wasn’t there, but decided she didn’t mind as long as they were nice about her. Besides, she was looking at the steam coming from her mother’s mouth.
The Doctor nodded. ‘Have you considered extra tuition?’
‘We’ve not really thought about it, to be honest.’
‘I really think Miranda would benefit. I’d be happy to volunteer some of my time.’
Miranda frowned. She didn’t want to have extra lessons, but being with the Doctor wasn’t at all like being at school.
‘I’m not sure,’ Miranda heard her mum saying.
‘Muuuummm,’ Miranda said, tugging her mum’s sleeve. ‘You’ve not asked me.’
Her mum smiled at the Doctor. ‘It looks like I’ll have to talk to my husband.’
The Doctor and Miranda grinned.
* * *
Chapter Five
Contact
There was music in the background. David Bowie.
‘The Northwest has always been a nexus.’
‘Sixty-seven.’
‘Sixty-seven,’ a number of the other UFO spotters echoed.
‘Sixty-seven what?’ George the barman asked, barely hiding a smirk.
‘Nineteen sixty-seven,’ one of them corrected, keen to have found an audience. ‘There were sightings: Wilmslow, Glossop, St Helen’s. Pilots and policemen saw them. Trained observers.’
‘A policeman said he saw a cigar-shaped object, glowing at one end.’
‘Is he sure it wasn’t just a cigar?’ the barman said, straight-faced. A few of the regulars laughed.
The spotters glared at him.
‘The last few years, it’s all shifted to the Southeast,’ another piped up sagely, as if he was discussing regional investment. ‘Have you seen the photos from Brentford?’
He rummaged in his bag and the others huddled together to look at photographs of an angular, blurry shape which the owner told them was a UFO that had been tracked on radar and landed in Brentford.
Mrs Castle gave the barman a knowing look.
‘If I drank as much as they do, I’m sure I’d start seeing stuff,’ he whispered.
‘Not complaining, are you?’
‘Not at all, not at all. Business is booming. These ones are on the house.’
Mrs Castle was puzzled. ‘Why?’
‘For running that bloke over. There were a fair few of ’em here before, but since the weekend you can’t move for them.’
Mrs Castle knew the barman meant well. ‘A gin and tonic and a water.’
The barman frowned. ‘Water?’
‘Mineral water, you know?’
‘We’ve got some somewhere – your friend’s a southerner, is he?’ This was in the days before people drank water from bottles. Mrs Castle had read about ‘mineral water’, but had never bought any.
Mrs Castle glanced over at the Doctor. ‘I’m not sure what the Doctor is, to be honest.’
George looked thoughtful. ‘Still, if someone wants to pay me for something that comes out a tap, I’ll take their money. The customer is always right.’
‘Perhaps there’s money in it.’ Mrs Castle chuckled. ‘Charge five quid a pint and see what happens. After you’ve served me, of course. And if you make your fortune, then thank the Doctor.’
The Doctor had found a space in the corner, and was looking around as if this was the first time he’d ever been in a pub. He was watching the group of UFO spotters, fascinated by them.
‘Does Barry know about him? Or does he spend too much time down the Co-op?’
‘What?’ Mrs Castle blushed. ‘No. He’s just a colleague.’
‘Only teasing,’ the barman told her.
‘The Co-op?’ Mrs Castle echoed as George went off to serve another UFO spotter. She remembered that she’d never really understood the barman’s sense of humour, and went over to the Doctor. She squashed up in the seat next to him, then pulled away a little, in case anyone watching got the wrong idea.
‘Are you sure you’re all right with water?’ Mrs Castle asked.
The Doctor held the water up, inspecting it. ‘This should be fine,’ he assured her.
‘I’ll stick to my gin and tonic,’ she told him. ‘Cigarette?’
The Doctor shook his head. Mrs Castle lit her cigarette and puffed on it.
‘And it’s not the regular army,’ one of the UFO spotters said.
‘I’ve got a friend in the army,