Doctor Who_ Ghost Light - Marc Platt [52]
‘You are interfering,’ it growled.
The Doctor was seized by a force that made his body ache. He fought to resist the searing penetration of Light’s cold eyes.
‘Interfering, just like you,’ he said. ‘Only I didn’t get caught napping!’ He tried to stop himself from shaking, but could not look away. ‘Forget your survey, Light. Just go!’
The Doctor and Ace were suddenly alone in the silent room. She took his arm for reassurance and said, ‘Has he really gone?’
Released from Light’s attentions, the Doctor took a deep breath, scowled and said, ‘No.’
The house was full of its energy. When he planned to release Light, he should have known it would be a creature cold in heart and mind. It might deal with its renegade experiment, but probably cause untold damage in the process. All things responded to the right influences; he thought of Ace and congratulated himself on how well she was turning out. Control, however she evolved, must be found before either Light or Josiah crushed all the raw potential she embodied.
The rocking horse creaked as Gwendoline swayed to and fro in its saddle, but it was Mrs Pritchard who stood mechanically pulling the toy back and forth by its mane.
Josiah had rallied his troops in the upper observatory while he desperately searched for a solution with which to procure his freedom.
‘The Doctor is no more human than Light is,’ he ranted. ‘He’s not even British! I wonder which of them is lower in cunning.’
For all the reaction he got, he might as well have talked to the toys. He snapped his fingers in Mrs Pritchard’s sullen face.
‘But they can both be lured into traps,’ she responded.
‘Preferably together. The collection is short of predators.’
Staring ahead as she swayed on the horse, Gwendoline said, ‘Let me deal with them, uncle. I like traps.’
As footsteps sounded on the stairs, Mrs Pritchard added,
‘And Nimrod must be punished for his
disobedience.’
‘I am here, sir.’ The manservant shepherded the bewildered Redvers Fenn-Cooper up into the chamber.
‘So you came sneaking back looking for favours,’
commented the housekeeper.
Nimrod addressed only his master. ‘I know where my allegiance lies, sir.’
‘Redvers is here on my instruction, madam,’
reprimanded Josiah. He directed Redvers towards the bullet splintered lectern; the explorer smiled in recognition, nodded and gazed at the target that had been set up there. Josiah chuckled. Nothing would stop his plan for the Empire. With luck Light and the Doctor would be at each others’ throats before they even noticed.
‘Mrs Pritchard will organize dinner and deal with that interfering policeman.’
‘Very good, sir.’
‘Gwendoline.’ He slipped his hands around her waist and lifted her gently down from the horse. ‘Time for Miss Ace to leave us.’
Looking up into his eyes, the girl replied, ‘I’m sure she’ll enjoy Java, Uncle, once she gets there.’
‘Not as much as you’ll enjoy sending her, my dear.’ He turned to the explorer, still engrossed in the target. ‘And Redvers Fenn-Cooper?’
‘Redvers kicked over his traces and lost himself in the bush. Lord knows if he’ll ever find his way out.’
‘And your other quest, Redvers?’
Redvers began to stutter in confusion. ‘I don’t recall...
the heat haze... is dazzling.’
‘I need you, Redvers. Stay out of trouble. We’ve a royal appointment to keep.’
An Asian Atlas moth, attracted by the light, flapped gracefully into the gas flame and burned to death. Redvers returned to his feverish contemplation of the target; behind him, Josiah was wracked with silent laughter.
Beyond the confines of Gabriel Chase, where time had not frozen with a jolt at a minute past six o’clock, the last streaks of day had fled before the relentless march of night.
In the house, the stylized green foliage on the drapes and wallpaper of the upstairs passages, glowed in the soft gaslight. Cicadas cree-creeked their night song.
Control sat in an alcove surrounded by stuffed finches and tanagers which spread their gaudy wings and flew nowhere.