Doctor Who_ Ghost Light - Marc Platt [49]
The Doctor winked. ‘Let’s just say I’ve made a deal with its agent.’
From the depths came the ominous clank of the lift machinery; the wheels began to grind.
‘That should be them now,’ added the Doctor. ‘Where’s Ace got to?’
There was no time to lose, so he had to lose some. The Doctor opened the glass cover of the grandfather clock and pushed the hands forward fifteen minutes to six o’clock.
‘It’s not dark yet, but I don’t want Josiah to miss the show.’
As the clock started to chime, the panels in the walls across the hall opened and the maids issued forth, swishing into their places on the stairs.
The lift cable twitched as the carriage rose nearer, but the clock, having completed six strokes, continued its chimes, soon passing twelve and content, it seemed to strike infinity. The maids sourly regarded the Doctor from their ranks.
Tiring of the chimes, the Doctor reached into the clock and stopped the pendulum. Nimrod stared in awe. ‘Doctor, you are as powerful as you are wise,’ he said.
‘Cut the homespun twaddle, Nimrod,’ was the reply.
‘This isn’t wise. I just lit the blue touch paper and found there’s nowhere to retire to.’ He turned and bowed to the scowling maids. ‘Good evening, ladies. I hope you like indoor fireworks.’
Above the stairs, the stained glass window began to hum and flicker.
‘The Burning One is coming!’ cried Nimrod.
‘Then I should keep well clear of the lift,’ advised the Doctor. ‘To catch a wolf, I may have unleashed a tiger!’
There was a scuffle on the landing above and Josiah appeared with Gwendoline and Mrs Pritchard who clutched the struggling Ace between them.
‘Doctor! What are you doing? Stop the lift!’ yelled Josiah.
‘Josiah Samuel Smith! So you finally evolved into a Victorian. How quaint.’ The Doctor was delighted and relieved to have an audience at last, no matter what shape it turned up in. ‘And Ace, you got here in time.’
‘Sorry, Professor,’ she called.
‘Don’t apologize. Come down and meet Josiah’s new guests.’
‘Nimrod!’ Josiah was pushing down through the advancing maids. ‘Stop the lift! Stop it!’
‘Much too late for that,’ smirked the Doctor. ‘It’s time to shed a little Light on your plans.’
‘No!’ Josiah yelled in the Doctor’s face. The clanking of the lift stopped and the Doctor turned to walk to the closed gates.
‘Hold him!’ called Mrs Pritchard. Immediately, two maids seized the Doctor’s arms and held him back.
‘You’ve made a pact with that creature!’ accused Josiah.
‘You don’t know what you’re doing!’
‘But I’ll soon find out.’ The Doctor looked towards the darkened lift and called, ‘You can come out now. We’re all waiting.’
The gates swung open and the ragged, grey apparition that was called Control stepped from the dark interior.
From under the veils, the half-moon face and animal eye regarded the onlookers and fixed upon Josiah, its hated enemy and opposite.
‘Control!’ whispered Josiah with utmost malice.
‘Quintessence of wickedness. Corruption incarnate!’ The two faced each other in mutual loathing.
‘Thank you for trusting me, Control,’ interrupted the Doctor.
Control drew back her veils to reveal her grey half-formed face. She pulled and twisted the material in her gloved hands in pride at what a clever Control she had been.
‘My half greeingment done,’ she revelled in her gravelled voice and pointed to the lift. Its doors had closed again. ‘You desiring. In the darkness, you find it.’
‘Don’t let it out!’ Josiah launched himself at the gates, but a blast of energy coursed through his very bones and tossed him aside.
‘Too late!’ gloried Control.
The gates flew open; a core of engulfing brilliance such as even the Doctor had never seen burst upon them.
The humans and would-be-humans screamed and shielded their eyes. Only the Doctor stared direct into the fierce, incandescent heart of Light.
10
Twice upon a Time
Wave upon wave of cold radiance flowed from the fierce crucible of white in the lift. Fizzing and hissing, the almost