Doctor Who_ Last of the Gaderene - Mark Gatiss [24]
She got up and walked to the window, quite impressive in her dark suit despite her bulk. Her big dark eyes scanned the activity below with interest. ‘As a matter of fact, Constable, there is someone you can speak to.’
Trickett produced a pencil and licked the end. ‘Excellent, ma’am. If I could just take his name and telephone number...’
Bliss turned back. For a moment, as a long shaft of dusty sunlight poured through the window into his eyes, Trickett couldn’t see her face. ‘Oh there’s no need. He’s coming to Culverton. Coming very soon.’
Chapter Ten
‘For God’s Sake Get Away From Here!’
And now night comes to this place of almost perpetual darkness.
The ground boils like molten tar; an impossibly bleak landscape, pitted by great bluffs of volcanic rock. Pools of seething, viscous liquid belch and ripple over the steaming soil. Night smothers all; a sky of thunder-black cloud, lowering over the desolation.
But something is alive out here. Something is crawling across the ground towards a huge steel structure; as incongruous as a cathedral in a desert, this great shimmering building. Its once fine lines are scarred and bent, the metal pocked by the impacts of a million million meteorite strikes.
Inside there is still warmth. There is safety.
The thing moving painfully over the black dirt knows this.
It claws its way forward. There must be a way in. Must be.
Yet it knows it has not been selected. It is not one of the chosen.
It remembers a better time, a sweeter time when the darkness was pleasant and comforting, not this nightmare of storms and destruction.
A convulsive shudder rumbles through the ground, spewing volcanic dust high into the air and shaking the structure of the building. The huge glass frontage rattles and threatens to splinter. Within, a cyan-blue light throbs gently like a beacon.
The thing moves forward on its claws.
Lightning splits the sky open like a fissure in rock. The thing looks up, its round, black eyes swivelling in their sockets. Then it moves on, slowly, desperately, towards the steel palace...
‘Now don’t you worry, my dear,’ said Alec Whistler soothingly. ‘We shan’t be gone more than a couple of hours.’
Mrs Toovey’s face was creased with worry. ‘But I still don’t see why you think you’ve got to go up there in the first place. If this UNIT man’s coming down...’
Whistler nodded. ‘Yes, yes. But if young Noah and me can find out as much as possible, we’ll make this Doctor’s job all the easier won’t we? Now do stop clucking over me, Mrs T.
I’m quite capable of looking after myself.’
The housekeeper gave a little shrug, tears springing to her eyes. ‘And we’re to expect the Doctor tonight?’
Whistler nodded. ‘Lethbridge-Stewart says so. Make him comfortable and I’ll be along as soon as I can.’
He turned to go, but Mrs Toovey laid a hand on his arm.
‘What do you think’s going on up there, sir?’
Whistler blinked slowly. ‘Haven’t a clue, dear lady. But there’s something not quite right. You don’t get through the Battle of Britain without scenting evil, and there’s evil abroad up at that aerodrome, I’m certain of it.’
Mrs Toovey looked even more anxious. Whistler patted her hand. ‘Not to worry,’ he muttered.
It was only when the Wing Commander was long gone that Mrs Toovey saw something glinting on the table by the fire. It was the little tin case in which Whistler kept his good-luck charm. The old woman sighed, crossed herself, picked up the tin and made her way out into the garden. She knew a safe place to put it.
High, wispy red clouds like splayed fingers echoed the dying rays of the sun as the sky bruised into darkness. Whistler made his way swiftly along the old road to the aerodrome, his shoes scuffing on the dusty track. There was little other sound save for the familiar chittering chorus of insects.
Ahead, he could see the silhouette of the tall perimeter fence. Legion International had made no effort to set up security lights or alarms. All the better for he and Noah.
He slipped silently up to the fence and crouched down behind the oil drum he’d used