Doctor Who_ Foreign Devils - Andrew Cartmel [30]
Thor turned to the dresser and took a cigarette from a cylindrical pewter case in a pale brown pigskin cover. As he lit the cigarette Zoe scooped up his breakfast plate and quickly headed for the door. 'What are you doing?' Thor blew a lazy smoke ring. 'Put that bloody thing down and have a seat.' He spoke with a voice of absolute authority and Zoe found herself obediently setting the plate down on the broad stone shelf of the mantelpiece then looking around for a place to sit. There were no chairs in the room. Her only options were the bed, which was out of the question, or the low sofa, which wasn't much better.
She elected to perch on the very edge of the sofa. It looked to her like a purpose built seduction couch. And indeed Thor immediately came and sat down beside her, intimately close, exhaling smoke. 'There's a good girl. Now, you're new aren't you?' 'Yes.' 'What's your name?'
'Zoe.' Short answers – monosyllables if possible – seemed the best policy. Zoe judged the distance to the door in case she had to make a run for it. But Thor rose from the sofa and walked away, to one of the high book cases that lined the walls. Zoe began to relax a little again. But her relief was short lived. Thor quickly selected a book and came and sat beside her on the sofa again.
'Look at this,' he said. 'Isn't it fascinating?' The book was a heavy volume bound in red leather with silver decorations set into it. The cover featured a stylised image of what Zoe vaguely recognised as a Celtic knot. 'Can you read?'
'No,' lied Zoe. She felt this was by far the safest policy. But Thor
was unperturbed. 'That doesn't matter,' he said, leafing through the
book. 'There are plenty of pictures.'
He showed Zoe some of the pictures.
He was leaning close to her, the smell of him, a combination of eau de cologne, tobacco and raw animal musk thick in her nostrils. He caressed the leather cover of the book as he turned the pages for Zoe's supposed delectation. 'This is a very unusual volume,' he murmured. 'Rare and expensive.' He paused at a particularly graphic illustration and held the book open wide to show her. 'A limited edition.' 'Not limited enough,' said Zoe, averting her eyes.
Thor closed the book, set it down beside Zoe, and rose gracefully from the sofa. Zoe hardly dared look up at him. He stood in front of her, wafting the silken hem of his dressing gown as though to allow some unbearable enormous heat to escape. 'You know, you really are a pretty little thing,' he purred. 'I imagine that out of that dreadful maid's outfit, you're a right little cracker.'
'Well, I'm afraid that theory is going to have to remain in the realms of pure speculation,' said Zoe.
Thor roared with laughter. 'You little minx! Fancy talking like that and pretending that you can't read. You're an educated little confection, aren't you?' He kneeled in front of her, forcing Zoe to look him in the eye. His eyes were moss green with a mad sheen to them, as if this were a man who would observe no boundaries. 'I like a bit of education in a woman,' he said. His voice was a deep low rumble. His breath smelled of raw liquor. His mouth moved towards hers. The door suddenly opened and the Doctor peered in, smiling politely. 'Excuse me for not knocking,' he said. He stepped into the room, giving the mirror over the bureau a curious glance before turning to the couch where Thor was looming over Zoe. 'But I had the feeling that I was needed here.'
'Oh do come in,' murmured Thor, unperturbed. 'Everybody welcome.' He rose to his feet and went to escort the Doctor into the room, closing the door behind him. 'Now I believe