Doctor Who_ Nightshade - Mark Gatiss [89]
been worse. It feeds off energy. You gave it a nice hors
‘What is it? What is it?’ she cried desperately.
d’oeuvre for the main dish.’
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Ace looked crestfallen.
boy-scout jamboree, although Jill had violently vetoed The Doctor looked up and smiled. ‘But you did get us out someone’s notion of a singsong.
of there,’ he croaked. Ace grinned back.
Now they were huddled together in the pews, wrapped in
‘What d’you mean, “main dish”?’ said Robin worriedly.
the blankets they’d been requested to bring. A few children The Doctor struggled into a sitting position. ‘That thing in were dashing unconcernedly up and down the aisle.
the tower ... that Sentience ... is of incalculable age. I believe Only Mr Medcalfe, one of Crook Marsham’s oldest the Earth formed around it. It runs through space like a vein residents, stood alone, gazing out of the back window into of mineral in the rocks. It’s growing and it’s hungry.’
the misty churchyard.
Robin looked ashen faced.
George Lowcock sat down next to Jill and undid his tie. ‘I The Doctor seemed to recover with remarkable speed and feel so... useless,’ he exclaimed.
was on his feet within minutes. ‘You see,’ he said, pointing
‘I know,’ said Jill calmly, ‘but until we have a clue what’s to the ruined tower, ‘you’ve only made it stronger.’
happening we’d better stay put. I know what it can do.’
Ace and Robin looked up. The air around the blackened
‘It?’
stonework was alive with roaring energy, a cloud of Jill shrugged. ‘You know, I never believed in anything out whispering light growing by the second.
of the ordinary, supernatural... even as a child. But I’ve seen Ace looked across the moor and then at the Doctor. His things today...’
expression was dark and forbidding.
Lowcock sank his head on to his chest. ‘Well, whatever it
‘What now, Doctor?’ said Ace quietly.
is, I want it out of my village. I want things back the way The Doctor glanced up at the tower and then over the they were.’
moor to the fog-shrouded telescope.
Jill put a hand on his. ‘I don’t think they can be, George.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘It’s time to lay some ghosts.’
Things change. They have to.’
Jill Mason sat hugging her knees to her chin in one of the Andrew Medcalfe watched his breath steam up the cold church pews. It felt like an age since they’d closed the window. He felt safe here in the old church, lost amongst church doors and almost as long since George Lowcock had the cold shadows.
made his ‘difficult’ announcement. He had stuck to his idea As a boy, he had often hidden from his parents in this bit of a poisonous gas leak and the reaction hadn’t been as of the building, enjoying the feel of the cool stone against his incredulous as expected, several villagers having already hands and face as he gazed out of the stained glass. He’d made their own grim discoveries.
seen a good few headstones spring up since then and knew There had been several ideas to perk everyone up, some that his own, the one he was never destined to see, was not of the residents organising things with all the gusto of a too far off. He was getting on.
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This gas scare he could have done without, especially Medcalfe rubbed his hand against a crimson-hued pane of since his declining years had been so free of incident: calm, glass and peeked out into the frost-rimed churchyard. There unspectacular and peaceful. Medcalfe turned the word over it was. The one monument he could hardly bear to look at.
in his mind. Peace. Full. It had such a beautiful sound.
Some people said he was a dull old dog but he never AICKMAN, ROBERT, PTE
complained, never answered back. Because they didn’t ATKINSON, WILLIAM, PTE
understand. Could never hope to understand.
COCKAYNE, CYRIL, PTE
Oh, he had been a hot-blooded youth like the rest of them, CLEMINSON, JOHN, PTE
a bit of a rebel even. He was going to get away from this MAYNARD, EDWARD, PTE
miserable