Doctor Who_ Last of the Gaderene - Mark Gatiss [95]
She recognised many of her friends. Miss Arbus, Mrs Garrick, even Commander Tyrell who looked most confused of all. He gazed through the fence at his beloved aerodrome and then down at the disgusting crab-like creature that was curled up on his chest.
Mrs Toovey frowned as she saw something unpleasant nearby. A skinny boy – Graham, she thought he was called –
was standing over another boy she didn’t recognise. Graham was kicking the boy repeatedly in the ribs.
Mrs Toovey raced up to Graham and pulled him away.
‘Really!’ she admonished. ‘I don’t think that’s very nice at all, is it?’
Anthony Ayre looked up from his prone position on the ground and then over to Graham Allinson. The bully remembered what had happened at the bottom of the garden and he felt suddenly cold and sick.
Graham smiled a natural but nicely smug smile. Somehow he didn’t think he’d be having much trouble from Anthony again.
It was Noah who saw the parachute first.
As his father ran up to embrace him, Noah glanced over Ted’s shoulder and saw the old-fashioned silk canopy as it floated gently to the ground. Wing Commander Whistler landed expertly and was gathering the ’chute behind him as the Brigadier ran up.
‘Alec, old man. Well done!’ he enthused, pumping Whistler’s hand.
Whistler waved away his praise and together they walked towards the airstrip. The old man paused by the great carcass of the Gaderene worm, its scales glittering in the dawn light.
The UNIT troops gave Whistler a hero’s welcome and Jo gave him a peck on the cheek.
‘Nice to meet you at last,’ she said.
Whistler smiled. ‘Charmed, Miss... er...?’
‘This is Miss Josephine Grant,’ said the Brigadier.
Whistler looked around. ‘Where’s this Doctor chap, then?’
Jo glanced across the airstrip.
The Doctor was standing where the column of light had been. There was nothing there now but a wide circle of scorched grass. His hands were thrust deep into his pockets as he gazed ahead.
Jo took Whistler over to meet him and the Doctor shook the old man’s hand. But he didn’t smile and soon detached himself from the little group. Jo followed and fell into step with him.
‘Are you all right?’
The Doctor gave a small, sad smile. ‘Yes. Yes, of course, Jo. We’ve won. The Earth is safe. The Gaderene have been defeated.’
Jo nodded. ‘And wiped out.’
The Doctor nodded. ‘I wish there’d been another way. In the end, they just wanted a home.’
Jo sighed. ‘And the Master? What happened out there on the airstrip?’
The Doctor looked into the middle distance. ‘He’s gone.’
‘For ever?’
The Doctor didn’t answer. He walked ahead, his head sunk low on his chest.
Jo walked slowly back towards the Brigadier.
Whistler was looking down at the scorched earth. He could just make out the remains of his lucky charm, projecting from the blackened soil just as it had all those years before.
He thought briefly of the girl again but pushed the memory aside. Time to move on.
He sniffed. ‘I say. Who was that chap I saw? He was down here when I made one of my passes. Dark-looking chap. With a beard. Assumed he was one of Bliss’s lot.’
‘Not exactly,’ said the Brigadier.
Whistler shrugged. ‘Oh. Friend of the Doctor’s?’
Jo and the Brigadier exchanged glances.
Jo watched as the Doctor walked slowly back towards his car, a tall figure against the rising sun, his cloak flapping in the fresh wind.
‘Just someone he went to school with,’ she said.
Document Outline
Front cover
Rear cover
Title page
Copyright
Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Prologue
1 - Summer Lightning
2 - AWOL
3 - The Visitors
4 - Cargo
5 - Escape to Danger
6 - Gogon of Xanthos
7 - Legion International
8 - The New Order
9 - The Control Room
10 - 'For God's Sake Get Away From Here!'
11 - The Beast
12 - Friends in High Places
13 - Missing
14 - Night Takes Bishop
15 - The Wind Tunnel
16 - Jo Alone
17 - Sleeping With the Enemy
18 - Returns
19 - Sleepers