Doctor Who_ Last Man Running - Chris Boucher [41]
Leela pulled her knife from the mess, and climbed down from the dead monster. She was tired now and there was no sense of victory, no feeling of elation as she went to the lake to wash herself.
‘There might be more of them, Leela,’ the Doctor shouted, extricating himself and Rinandor from their respective tongues.
‘I do not think so,’ Leela answered.
‘Neither do I,’ he agreed. ‘I’d say that was a pass, but be careful anyway.’
‘What do you mean that was a pass?’ Rinandor asked, groggily.
‘I think we’re in some sort of test programme,’ the Doctor said.
Rinandor smiled. ‘In the unlikely event that we were,’ she said, ‘“pass” would be on the generous side, don’t you think, as grades go?’
‘We’re still alive,’ the Doctor said. ‘No thanks to you two.
What was he doing in the water?’
‘He felt bad about losing the packs,’ she said. ‘He thought...’ She shrugged and shook her head.
‘He thought you’d be impressed,’ the Doctor finished for her.
‘I was,’ she said, crawling towards where Pertanor lay.
The Doctor nodded. ‘Stupid behaviour seems to be a universal problem with people in your situation,’ he said, not unkindly.
‘People in what situation?’ Rinandor demanded, reaching Pertanor and stroking his face, gently.
‘Pair bonding,’ the Doctor said. ‘Sexual selection? It’s basically instinctive. Such hormonally-driven responses seldom involve rational thought or intelligent behaviour in my experience.’
Rinandor looked back at him. ‘You are a very weird toody.’
‘That is very true,’ the Doctor said.
‘ Are you a toody?’ she asked, seriously.
The Doctor thought he recognised another universal: the police interrogator’s switch of emphasis. Maybe that was instinctive too. Before he could answer her, Pertanor groaned and then sat up coughing weakly.
‘You’re still alive,’ Rinandor breathed. She was grinning broadly.
‘I did a stupid thing didn’t I?’ Pertanor croaked. ‘I can’t believe I survived that. Some people are too stupid to live.’
‘Leela saved you,’ Rinandor said. ‘She saved all of us.’
Pertanor caught sight of the dead amphibian for the first time. ‘It was that?’ he gasped. ‘She killed that?’
Rinandor took his hand and stroked it. She could not stop grinning. ‘I think I’ll make a special effort to be nice to her from now on,’ she said. ‘Annoying her doesn’t seem like a promising survival strategy.’
The Doctor was examining the giant carcass for evidence of its origin. Six legs and four flippers. In all his travels he had not come across any of the creatures they had so far encountered. The aggressive use of subsonic waves. A suggestion of tele-hypnotics. The lack of odours. The sheer size of the thing... And perfect. These were all functioning adult specimens by the look of it. How many individuals reached that stage of maturity in perfect condition? Could it be that these things were engineered? Could it be that this whole world was engineered?
He looked up to find Leela walking towards him carrying the two equipment packs from the island. ‘How did you get those?’ he asked.
She dumped them down. ‘I swam across.’
The Doctor sighed. ‘Does that seem like a sensible thing to do?’
Leela looked at the dead monster. ‘I wanted something real to show for killing it.’
‘A trophy, is that what you mean?’
‘No. Trophies are for children and fools.’ She frowned. ‘A warrior is weakened by death without purpose.’
The Doctor smiled and said, softly, ‘Another entry from your trainer’s little red book?’
‘It was only looking for a meal,’ Leela said, staring up at the animal’s ruined eye. ‘You said so.’
‘I didn’t want you to be afraid.’
‘I know that.’
‘Fear gets in the way of thought. It can get you killed.’
Leela nodded. ‘It did help. The thought that it was just an animal looking for food did help. But now it is dead