Doctor Who_ Foreign Devils - Andrew Cartmel [51]
The bodies of Roderick and his monkey were both bright red now. As if affected by the new colour, they began to twitch and move strangely. 'Oh no,' said Jamie. 'They're getting bigger.' For a moment Zoe refused to believe him, but then she saw it, too. The man and the monkey were twitching and expanding, their bright red flesh flowing like warm red candle wax. They flowed together, coalescing, so that it was no longer possible to tell where the man ended and his pet began. The formless red shape rose up on two squat pillars of legs and stretched towards the night sky, lumpish arms extended, twin heads canted back in agony. 'What's happening Doctor?' said Jamie. 'It's transforming.'
'Into what?' demanded Jamie. But Zoe had already guessed, even
before the long tail, the sharp wings, and the predatory jaws began to take shape. It was a dragon.
Just like the one on the forehead of each murder victim. But bigger. Much bigger. Zoe stared up at it as it rose against the dark sky, towering over them, its scales bright as red lacquer, its fangs like carved ivory, its mad eyes gleaming with the fire of lanterns.
Carnacki seized Celandine's hand and turned and fled back towards the house, their feet crunching on the snow. The Doctor backed away, gesturing for Jamie and Zoe to follow him. 'It seems to be ignoring us,' he said. 'But I'm not sure how much longer that will be the case.' 'But all the Upcotts are dead now,' said Zoe. 'And I don't mean to be callous, but shouldn't that let us off the hook? Shouldn't the curse be spent?'
'Not necessarily,' said the Doctor. 'The curse might have been tailored to harm everyone in the household, merely starting with the Upcotts before moving on to destroy everyone else.' 'Oh marvellous.' 'Tricky things, curses,' said the Doctor.
The dragon was stretching, as if recovering from a long confinement. Its wings rose up against the black sky and blotted out the stars. Its claws spread in lethal sprays as it pawed the snow covered ground. It moved with a rustle and a thump, its tail sweeping a wide curved shape in the snow, throwing up an iridescent frosty spray. The Doctor and Jamie and Zoe were now a good distance away from it, and away from the edge, moving across the garden in the direction of the hedgerow maze. 'Is this where you left the TARDIS?' said Zoe, feeling a sudden warm pang of hope. 'The TARDIS!' exclaimed Jamie gleefully. 'Aye! Let's get in and get gone.'
'We can't just leave the others,' said Zoe. She was feeling a renewed confidence with the proximity of the TARDIS, and the distance they had put between themselves and the dragon. She looked back and saw it standing with its head thrown back, as if studying the stars. Then it raised its great wings and launched itself upwards. Zoe prayed that it was going straight up, to disappear into the heavens. But instead the wheeling red shape spun lazily over head and then came plummeting down, scattering snow as it landed directly in front of them. Its huge fiery eyes focused on them and it opened its wide jaws, exposing the rows of serrated fangs.
'Right, I've had enough of this,' said the Doctor. He took out the silver whistle, and blew a shrill piercing note at enormous volume. He took it from his lips and smiled with satisfaction at Zoe. 'There,' he said decisively. But nothing had happened. Zoe looked at the dragon. The sound of the whistle seemed to have puzzled it for a moment. It closed its jaws and rolled its big predatory head from side to side. 'What's the whistle for Doctor?' said Jamie.
'Nothing, evidently,' said the Doctor petulantly. He began to back
away. 'Come on.'