Doctor Who_ Nightshade - Mark Gatiss [71]
monastery below but now that, and the accompanying light,
‘Wait!’ It was Vijay’s voice. Holly sighed with relief. Two seemed to have subsided.
candle flames bobbed across the room like will o’ the wisp.
They had staggered up the final flight of spiral stairs and Dark figures flashed by. Trevithick frowned in confusion.
emerged through a trap door into a long, empty room, its 198
199
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
corners sheathed in dusty shadow. A solitary window was
‘You said “You should see him now”. What did you blank and open on to the night outside.
mean?’ He smiled, no malice intended.
In a voice cracked by emotion Robin had told Ace about
‘I’m not from round here,’ was all she managed to say.
his stepmother. She’d pulled him close to her, letting hot,
‘I gathered that much. Who is the Doctor anyway? Your salty tears flood over her shoulder. Unable to think of the dad?’
adequate words, she had simply kissed him, feeling him She laughed, a funny, snuffly laugh. ‘Oh, that’s a good relax into her arms. Desire swept over her and she ran her one. He’s worse than a dad sometimes. But mostly he’s just hand through his hair, pressing her lips to his quaking face.
my friend.’
He tasted like sugar.
Robin rested his head on one hand and looked Robin pulled away, adding little kisses to her cheeks and thoughtfully into the corner. ‘Ace, whatever’s going on here, neck, breathing haltingly as his sobs died away.
you seem... you seem to know more about it.’ He shook his
‘Thanks,’ he said.
head hastily. ‘No, I don’t mean that. You just seem to take it Ace smiled and stroked his forehead. ‘No problem.’
all in your stride. Like you’ve seen it before.’
She held him for several blissful minutes.
Ace sighed, wondering whether to make a clean breast of
‘Dorothy?’
things there and then. She thought of something the Doctor She tensed, then laughed. ‘The Doctor told you?’
had said and whispered, with as much gravitas as she could Robin nodded, shifting to lay his head in her lap. He muster, ‘I’ve seen some things in my time.’
gazed up at her face, side-lit by the frosty blue night outside.
‘That’s what the Doctor said.’
‘Hello.’
They both laughed.
She looked down at him and brushed the fringe from his eyes. ‘Hello.’
The Doctor was halfway to the monastery when the There was a gentle bleep from Ace’s watch. She touched illumination faded, the light bleeding from the monastery the mechanism with her finger and silenced it. ‘What’s windows falling back like a retreating tide. There was a that?’ said Robin, his brow creasing.
disquieting silence and then the low moan of the wind Ace shrugged. ‘Some alarm call I forgot about.’
returned.
‘You have an alarm on your watch?’
The looming monastery tower was now indistinguishable
‘Yeah.’
in the dark night.
‘Where did you get it?’
The Doctor stopped and stared at the building, his breath
‘Camden Market.’
shimmering in clouds. Gradually, he became aware of the Robin frowned again. ‘What was it you said earlier on?
sound of running feet slip-slapping across the moor. He When the Stones were on?’
peered into the night and made out Jill Mason, haring across Ace felt a little uneasy. ‘Nothing. I didn’t mean...’
200
201
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
the blasted landscape with mud belching underfoot. She ran Trevithick sat in a swivel chair, twiddling his thumbs straight into him and the Doctor held her arms firmly.
anxiously. Holly stood by herself at the window, chewing
‘Doctor!’ she cried. ‘Oh God, Doctor. They’re all dead!’
her fingernails down to the quick. Vijay realised she would The Doctor’s face froze. ‘Who? Who’s dead?’
need some time to get over the shock of seeing James, or Jill bit her lip, her voice broken into hiccough-like sobs.
whatever it was that had appeared in her room. She was
‘My old folks. My responsibility...’ she wailed.
shuddering involuntarily, her eyes twitching as though
‘And Ace?’
pained.
‘What?