Doctor Who_ Island of Death - Barry Letts [50]
He didn‟t often address her by her first name. Depended on the circs. When formality was appropriate it was „Miss Smith‟.
Like the junior officers saying „sir‟ to the Number One on the bridge, and calling him „Pete‟ in the wardroom.
With the Doctor, anything could happen at any time. Time loops, for example. That‟s what made him so exciting. On the other hand, you knew where you were with the Brigadier. It made you feel sort of safe.
Alex was pretty certain that the Smith girl would start her walkabout just after seven o‟clock, as usual. Certainly she seemed to have established a routine for herself that hadn‟t varied for the past three days. It had been tricky, keeping an eye on her without it being noticed. But, bit by bit, Alex had managed to build up a picture of her activities - or lack of them; she seemed to spend a lot of her time lying in the sun, or reading in the shade.
The trouble was, she was hardly ever out of sight of somebody or other. It was supposed to be a skeleton crew, but the number of seamen on board was surely excessive, far more than you‟d get on a merchant ship. Even when she was sunbathing on the upper bridge, all by herself, there was no way up there that wasn‟t in view of somebody most of the time.
On the other hand, before breakfast, people were either in their cabins or else had very specific jobs to do. And the upper bridge area was always deserted at that time of the morning, as it was most of the day. It must be used only when they were going into action, or entering harbour or something. If he got up there early enough on the fourth morning, nobody would know. He‟d be able to slip up there -
and down again - quite safely. This would be his last chance.
According to the Navigating Officer, they would probably arrive at Stella Island the next day.
So, on the fourth morning, he slipped out just when it started to get light, and established himself in the after corner of the open bridge, where the starboard searchlight was rigged. He peeped over the edge. Just as he‟d estimated from his quick recce the previous day, the overhang was immediately above where she came out of the door in her clockwise perambulation.
Keeping well down, just in case, he loosened even further the large butterfly fastening of the bracket that supported the heavy searchlight, unscrewing it until it was hanging by a thread.
This time he had to be certain.
Everybody on board knew better than to wake up the Skipper unless it was really necessary. If he didn‟t turn up for his watch, it would be quietly covered by either Pete or Bob, who, although he was only a sub-lieutenant, already had his Watch-keeping Certificate and was fully qualified to be in charge.
It wasn‟t that he woke with a hangover. His body was long habituated to a bloodstream that could have been used to make a passable cocktail without the addition of further alcohol. But until he‟d knocked back the half-tumbler of gin that always stood by his bedside, he had such a filthy temper that whoever had woken him would be lucky to live to regret it.
Sarah‟s first invasion of his territory had made no impression on him. His snoring didn‟t falter for a second. Nor did he stir on the second day.
On the third day, however, she was becoming rather care-less. As there‟d been no reaction from the cabin, her passage through the little corridor was getting faster and faster, and the click of the doors as they closed was becoming a small thump as she let them swing to. On each circuit he half woke up, blearily saw her going by with a sort of obscure irritation that subsided as soon as she disappeared, and fell back into the heavy torpor that now passed for sleep.
But on the fourth morning...
The footsteps were unmistakable. Quicker than ever, and much faster than anybody would normally walk on board, they alerted Alex Whitbread at once; and the sound of the door below, which had become almost a slam by now, told him when she‟d passed beneath the corner of the bridge.
It was essential to get the timing right. He was in no hurry.
He would be able