Doctor Who_ Island of Death - Barry Letts [25]
But now what? She wanted to find out two things - when the Skang was sailing, and where to. She took a deep breath and marched out of the shadow of the customs shed to the gangway, and straight up it, as confidently as she could manage.
Nobody seemed to be on guard; and the few people she could see on this deck, down nearer the bow, were far too busy to notice her. Now then... she needed to find the central hub of all this activity - the purser‟s office, perhaps? There‟d bound to be all the info she needed there.
Where would it be? For‟d, probably, in the area underneath the bridge... or might it be amidships, where the passengers would congregate? Feeling a little smug about her nautical expertise, she turned into the first doorway she came to, which was in fact about halfway down the deck.
„And where do you think you‟re going?‟
She swung round, her heart thumping. The speaker, a large female with close-cropped hair and a clipboard, who looked as if she‟d be more at home in a prison than a luxury yacht, stood behind the open door at a table covered with papers.
„How did you get on board?‟
„I... I just walked up the gangway. I‟ve... I‟ve come from the ashram.‟
„Is that so? What‟s the password then?‟
Oh, thank you, Jeremy! „Open your heart!‟
A grunt. She didn‟t seem to be taking the advice.
„Very well. What is it you want?‟
Sarah‟s mind was working so fast that she could almost feel the wheels going round. „Oh... I‟ve got a message.‟
„Give it to me, then.‟
„No, I mean, Brother Alex said I was to talk to the Mate...‟
Did she believe it? Didn‟t look like it, judging by the tight lips.
„So if you‟d just tell me where I can find him...‟Sarah went on desperately.
„The First Officer?‟ She looked over Sarah‟s shoulder and a gleam of spite appeared in her cold eyes. „You‟re in luck... Mr Gorridge!‟ she called out. „There‟s someone here who wants to speak to you. A message from... Brother Alex, was it?‟
Oh Lor‟!
Mr Gorridge came in from the upper deck. „What is it?‟ His face twitched. „Please be quick. We‟re behind schedule already. Who is Brother Alex?‟
A wild hope. This could be the chance she‟d been looking for. „Oh... Mother Hilda has put Brother Alex in charge of getting everybody on board...‟ What was the word? Oh, yes.
„Embarkation. You know? And he would like you to give him an idea of... well... when he can get going.‟
A snort of disgust from the prison warder; and the First Officer wasn‟t any more pleased.
„You‟d never believe it!‟ he said. „I‟ve made it perfectly clear from the start. I cannot accept any passengers earlier than two hours before we slip. And that means 1500, and not a second before. Okay?‟ He screwed up his face and pulled at his nose as if he was trying to stop himself sneezing. „Now, what was I doing? Oh yes...‟ He looked at his watch. „Oh, God!‟ he said and turned to go.
Well, that wasn‟t much use.
„At this rate,‟ said Mr Gorridge as he disappeared, „we‟ll be lucky to be ready by a week tomorrow!‟
Thank you, Mr Gorridge! Thank you very much!
„Don‟t you see? It must mean that they‟re going to sail away tomorrow afternoon. The whole batch. At five o‟clock!‟
„Very good, Sarah. Very good indeed,‟ said the Brigadier.
„And that means, Doctor, that your softly, softly, catch monkey approach is kaput.‟
The Doctor took another mouthful of chicken curry.
„Curious flavour,‟ he said. „I haven‟t tasted anything like it since a sneg stew I had in a little bistro on Sirius Two.‟
„What‟s a sneg?‟ asked Sarah, despite herself, her mouth full of buffburger.
„A type of hairy newt,‟ said the Doctor.
„Do you like the taste?‟ said Ron (who doubled as chef and waiter), as he passed by with a tray of dirty dishes from another table. He turned back at the kitchen door. „If you promise not to tell anybody... A large dollop of chocolate powder, that‟s my secret ingredient. Takes the edge