Doctor Who_ Nightshade - Mark Gatiss [72]
Vijay rose from his position on the floor and stepped over
‘My friend, Ace...’
the sputtering candles. He put out his arm to hold Holly,
‘Oh, I don’t - I don’t know. She was OK. I don’t know! The withdrew it uncertainly and then tried again. She shrugged place is full of ghosts!’
him off at once.
The Doctor thought for a moment and then took Jill’s
‘No.’
hand kindly. ‘Go back to the village and find that policeman He sighed. ‘Come on, Hol. You’ve got me.’
friend of yours. Get as many people as you can and stay She looked at him unsteadily, her eyes flicking about.
together. Somewhere safe. Everyone is at risk! Do you Vijay touched her cheek. ‘I don’t want you to suffer this on understand?’
your own. There’s no need.’
Jill looked dazedly at him.
Holly frowned. ‘I’m sorry. I just can’t.’
‘Do you understand?’ The Doctor shook her violently.
Vijay let his hands fall to his sides, helpless. He wandered She nodded repeatedly and put an unsteady hand to her out of the control room to the coffee machine which was still, forehead.
miraculously, functioning. Then he fumbled through the
‘Very well,’ said the Doctor determinedly. ‘I’d better get darkness to Trevithick, holding two plastic cups in his up there.’
hands.
He strode off into the night.
The old man yawned and stretched, peering about as
‘Good luck,’ Jill called, her voice scarcely a whisper.
Vijay approached.
The Doctor didn’t look back.
‘Ah, tea. Smashing.’
‘Coffee, I’m afraid. All we’ve got.’
Vijay was sitting, eyes closed, in a ring of candles. He Trevithick took the cup gratefully. ‘Never mind. I love reminded himself of the icons and embroidered pictures his coffee, I love tea, I love the Java jive and it loves me, eh?’
mother used to dot around the house back in Pakistan: Vijay smiled indulgently. ‘You’re Edmund Trevithick, angular, mystical faces full of wisdom and heavenly virtue.
aren’t you? I heard you were in the village. Always meant to But there was no such atmosphere of stillness now.
come down and see you. Big hero of mine, you were.’
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DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
Trevithick shrugged. ‘Yes, it’s been lovely having all this Vijay’s lip turned down in a grimace of puzzlement.
attention again, I can tell you.’
Trevithick’s eyes lit up. ‘Well, don’t you see? They’re all Vijay took a swig of his coffee. ‘I remember all the kids at elements from our past. Our memories. Things we probably school used to want to be the monsters. But I wanted to be haven’t thought about in years, come alive!’
Professor Nightshade. I suppose it got me started on physics Vijay folded his arms. ‘But what’s behind it?’
in a way. All that rocket stuff.’
He frowned and then glanced over at the dead consoles.
Trevithick chuckled. ‘Well, I’m very honoured.’
‘We’re being bombarded by data from space, maybe...’
He gulped down his coffee in one go. It was black and
‘Invaders from Mars, eh? Well, that’s your province, not bitter. ‘Funny that life seems to be stranger than fiction mine. At least, in the real world.’
now,’ he continued. ‘I gather you’ve had some experiences Trevithick hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his up here?’
waistcoat. ‘I need a drink. A proper one, I mean.’
Vijay nodded, stooping to relume a candle which had Vijay looked across at Holly. ‘I wish the Doctor would blown out. He briefly outlined Ace’s discovery of the dead come back. He seems to know more than he’s saying.’
security guard and Holly’s experience in his room. ‘And
‘He knows more than we do, that’s for sure,’ muttered you too?’
Trevithick.
‘Oh yes. Things I would never’ve believed possible. Those Vijay sighed. ‘I just wish my mind wasn’t so closed. I monsters you mentioned, for instance.’
mean, we’re here to monitor radio signals from space. Why
‘Monsters? What? From Nightshade you mean?’
should I be surprised if something... something intelligent Trevithick nodded heavily. ‘I saw one. It attacked me.
has turned up?’
Really. A bloody monster.’
There was a gentle whirring sound as one of the consoles Vijay’s mouth set in a grim