Doctor Who_ Last of the Gaderene - Mark Gatiss [90]
All of them, from across the globe. Enough to provide shelter for my people!’
She turned to the Master, a kind of sneer twisting her distorted features. ‘And now all that is no longer useful can be disposed of. Even a Time Lord.’
The Master’s face fell. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘I have been tolerant of you for too long,’ spat Bliss. ‘You have been a faithful servant, but you remain only a servant!’
The Doctor smiled slyly. ‘Trouble at t’mill?’
The Master ignored him. ‘You would be nothing without me! I made contact. I have saved your people!’
Bliss’s voice seemed to drop in pitch. A solitary, straw-like mandible began to creep its way around the wet corner of her mouth. ‘And you have taken every opportunity to humiliate me. Well, no longer... Master,’ she sneered.
The Master raised his pistol to cover Bliss. ‘Might I remind you that if only one of the encoders were removed, then your invasion force would be obliterated.’
Bliss shook her head. Great gobbets of saliva flew from her mouth. ‘That is no longer a concern. To enter the column now would mean certain death for anyone. It is finished!’
The Master swung round and covered the Doctor. ‘It seems they have me at a disadvantage, Doctor,’ he said blithely. ‘Therefore, you will enter the column and remove one of the encoders.’
‘No!’ cried Jo. ‘He can’t. He’ll be killed.’
The Master moved back so that everyone, including Bliss, was in his line of fire. ‘The Doctor won’t mind, Miss Grant.
What do you say, Doctor? Your life or the fate of the whole world?’
The Doctor looked the Master up and down, his face impassive.
Then he took a step forward.
Jo grabbed at his smoking jacket. ‘No, Doctor!’
He turned and grasped her hand. ‘I’ve no choice, Jo.’
Noah was shaking his head violently. ‘No!’
Bliss’s eyes bobbed in her loose flesh like grapes in a winepress. ‘You are too late! They are coming! ’
Jo looked up at the column of light. The dark shapes she had seen earlier were finally coalescing. Strange, hideous, twisting forms, like spiders washed down a huge, translucent drain.
The Master pointed the pistol directly at the Doctor. ‘If you would be so kind, Doctor.’
Bliss darted forward, her hands stretched out like talons, a gurgling roar belching from within her.
Suddenly, a strange droning sound cut across the roar of the blue column. The Doctor looked up. A shape zoomed overhead, like a great bird. He frowned, puzzled, and then smiled broadly.
‘Good grief!’
The shape came by again, its engines taking on a familiar drone. ‘It’s the Spitfire!’ cried Jo.
The old plane flew dangerously low and a downdraught of air forced everyone to scatter. The Master rolled over and shot a wild bolt of energy high into the air.
The Doctor kicked out and knocked both weapons from the Master’s hands. He grabbed Noah’s hand. ‘Come on!’
He, Jo and Noah began to pelt away across the tarmac.
‘Doctor!’ gasped Jo. ‘Where are... we can’t leave now...!’
‘Must get to the Brigadier,’ called the Doctor over his shoulder. ‘If we can get in touch with the Spitfire...’
Jo dragged on his arm and pulled him up sharp. ‘No need.’
‘What?’ he barked.
Jo pulled her own VI’ set from her bag.
The Doctor threw up his hands. ‘Well, why didn’t you say so?’
He grabbed the radio and immediately clicked to the correct frequency. The set crackled.
‘Trap one? Trap one, are you receiving me? Over.’
All three listened anxiously. Overhead the Spitfire was circling.
‘Trap one here, Doctor. Over.’
Jo sighed in relief.
‘Brigadier, you’ve got to get in touch with that plane. It’s armed. Over.’
The R/T set crackled. ‘Roger, Doctor. Over.’
The Doctor nodded to himself. ‘Tell him to concentrate his fire on the circle of light. Over.’
‘Will do. Over and out.’
The Doctor tossed the radio back to Jo. ‘Right. Let’s see if that gets us anywhere.’
The worm roared again and staggered backwards into the hangar, smashing the old glass roof and sending hundreds of deadly shards streaming to the ground.
‘It’s