Doctor Who_ Peacemaker - James Swallow [26]
Vogel’s smile slipped. ‘But Doctor, surely you won’t venture out into the wilds without a firearm? This, sir, is the finest gun ever made, an invaluable tool to any man. In these days, it is as necessary to have as the clothes on your back!’
‘A weapon is only a tool,’ said the Doctor carefully. ‘I’ve heard a lot of people say that over the years. But so is a hammer, and if that’s the only tool you have, pretty soon everything starts to look like a nail.’
He pushed the revolver back toward Vogel. ‘No thanks.’
‘Then why did you take the gun belt?’ asked the storekeeper.
The Doctor gave him an isn’t it obvious? look. ‘For this.’ With a flourish, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver, twirled the device around his fingers and slipped it into the holster. ‘There. Perfect!’
Joe had a trio of chestnut mares waiting for them at the livery stable, and Martha grinned widely. She’d not ridden a horse since the Doctor had taken her to the Lake District, but this would be very different to that ride through the English countryside. She was looking forward to galloping across the dusty range at full tilt. But the Doctor’s expression turned stormy when he saw the face of their trail guide.
‘Nathan,’ he said, in a blunt tone. ‘What are you doing here?’
The boy sat tall in the saddle, putting on an outward show of strength. Still, Martha saw where his eyes were puffy from where 65
he had been crying. ‘Doc,’ he replied. ‘Joe told me you need someone to take you to Ironhill.’
The Doctor glared at the stableman. ‘Find someone else.’
But Nathan shook his head. ‘That’ll be a long wait for a train that don’t come, Doc,’ he insisted. ‘Fact of the matter is, everyone in town is afraid to leave.’
‘Boy’s right,’ said Joe. ‘No one wants to ride out while those two demons are still around.’
‘They’re not demons,’ growled the Doctor. ‘I’ve seen demons, and they’re not them.’ He strode over to Nathan’s mount. ‘Do you really know the shortcut?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why do you want to come to Ironhill with us? Don’t lie to me, Nathan. I’ll know it if you do.’
The boy swallowed back emotion, and glanced at Martha and Jenny, his eyes shimmering. ‘I want justice for my pa. I want to make sure no one else gets hurt like he did.’
‘So do I.’ The Doctor reached up and pulled out a pistol hidden in Nathan’s belt. ‘But this is not how we do it. You understand me? Cos if you think different, you can get off that horse right now and go. . . ’
He paused, failing to find the right words. ‘. . . drink your milk.’
After a moment, the boy nodded. ‘Yes, sir.’
He handed the pistol to Joe. ‘Give that to Loomis to look after.’
‘Good luck and Godspeed,’ said Jenny.
With a swift motion, the Doctor swung up into the saddle and took his mount’s reins. ‘Right then,’ he said, smiling slightly as Martha worked her way carefully onto her horse. ‘Ready?’
Martha nodded. ‘Ready!’
The Doctor filled his lungs with a deep breath and tipped a finger to his hat. ‘Let’s ride!’ he called, with obvious glee, cracking the reins.
‘ Yah!’
With a thunder of hooves, the horses raced away into the wilderness, dust trailing into the air behind them.
66
AlvinGodlovehelduphishandsandgrinnedwidely,hispearlyteeth shining. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please, please! One at a time!’ He flashed his winning smile back and forth. Alvin’s teeth were one of the best things about him, his momma had always said, and he made sure he kept them gleaming. Something about his smile made the dumb rubes in these hick dirt-farmer towns come over all trusting, and that was just what he wanted. Many a time had Alvin used his cheeky grin to win over the hearts of communities just like this one – what was it called again? Iron-Swill? Iron-Pill? – and open their pockets too.
Of course, now he didn’t actually have to lie about his amazing medical abilities. Not like before,