Doctor Who_ Peacemaker - James Swallow [14]
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‘Screamin’, And things walking like menfolk, but with too many arms and legs, faces like things from Hades itself. Some made of iron, others like lizards or birds. Lightning spilling outta guns instead of bullets. Blood-red clouds like giant mushrooms, fillin’ the sky.’ Nathan looked away. ‘Like war, it is. War across the world, only it ain’t no world I know.’
Martha’s blood ran cold. Someone from the twenty-first century would have said they had dreamt of laser weapons and nuclear explosions, aliens and robots, but Nathan had no idea what those things were; he was describing things beyond his understanding, trying to express something he had no frame of reference for.
‘Nothing but flim-flam and tomfoolery,’ growled Joe.
Jenny glared at the stableman. ‘You can ignore it all you like, Mr Pitt, but it won’t go away.’
All at once the stableman grabbed Nathan’s arm and tugged him away. ‘Come on, boy! I’m taking you back to your daddy to answer for this damage you did!’
‘Oi! Leave him alone!’ Martha tried to intervene, but Joe was twice her size and pushed her back effortlessly.
‘Stop!’ shouted Jenny. ‘I don’t want him punished!’
‘Too late for that, now!’ said Joe. ‘He’ll pay you back for the window, count on that. His father will see to it.’ He propelled Nathan out of the door, and paused to glare at Martha ‘And if you know what’s good for you, girly, you’ll leave well enough alone!’ The schoolhouse door slammed behind him.
‘Girly?’ Martha turned angrily on Jenny. ‘What did you mean about he’s not the only one and it won’t go away? Come on, tell me! Why did Nathan break in here like that?’
The schoolteacher began to pick up the pieces of broken glass. She sighed. ‘Nathan was one of those who fell ill with the smallpox before that snake-oil salesman came to town. Godlove’s medicines healed him and all the others. . . But ever since the boy’s had those terrible nightmares. Visions like hell itself.’ She looked away. ‘I pray for him every day, but the lad’s torture revisits him time and again. I think the schoolhouse gives him some measure of calm. He came here to get 35
away from his dreams.’
Martha’s anger faded. ‘And others as well? It’s not just Nathan who has them?’
Jenny shook her head. ‘Several of Godlove’s patients suffered the same. But they keep silent for fear of the sickness returning.’ She met Martha’s gaze. ‘I ask you, what kind of cure leaves that in its wake?’
Martha had no answer to give her.
The Doctor looked over the large pile of poker chips in front of him and smiled warmly. ‘This is going well for me, isn’t it?’
The last of the other gamblers threw down his hand of cards in disgust. ‘Too rich for me. I quit.’ He got up, leaving just the Doctor and Teague in the game. At the other tables in the Bluebird, people’s attention had slowly come to centre on the Doctor’s unbroken winning streak. All eyes were on him.
He toyed with his cards. ‘So, you were telling me about this Alvin chap and his medicine show.’
Loomis Teague frowned, peering at his own diminishing pile of chips. The Doctor had started off by winning back his sonic screwdriver and hadn’t let up, alternatively taking the gambler’s money and quizzing him about recent events in Redwater. ‘Like I said, first off we were thinking he was just sellin’ snake-oil and promises, but he made good.’
‘How exactly?’ said the Doctor, fanning his cards. ‘And I’ll see your bet and raise you.’
Teague matched his opponent’s ante and shrugged. ‘Him and that Pawnee sidekick of his, name o’ Walking Crow. Went into the sick folk’s houses, gave ’em that patent panacea. Next day, they was well again.’
‘That simple, eh?’ The Doctor raised his bet again. ‘I’d like to meet this Professor Alvin Q. Godlove in person.’
Teague’s mood was turning more surly by the second. ‘Not till we make an end to this,’ he snarled, and pushed the rest of his winnings into the middle of the table. ‘I’m all in. You gonna match that?’
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‘In for a penny,