• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 727 0

a chance to enjoy it.' He was abruptly crestfallen. 'You have. You've spoiled it for me now. You don't think it'll turn out to be tap water do you?'

'I have no idea,' the Doctor said. 'Where will I find Josh Randall?'

'What about him?' Barry asked vaguely. 'What's he got to do with the Clearspring Water Company?'

'Since the water is not contaminated,' the Doctor said, 'I don't imagine he's got anything to do with it. Where can I find him?'

'Are you still saving the universe and stuff?' Barry said. He peered into the control and monitoring suite. 'Did you put everything back where you found it?'

The Doctor took him by the shoulders and glared into his face. Do you know where I can find Josh Randall?'

'No.' Barry was starting to look gloomy. Our association has been severed.

He is no longer part of my nonexistent research programme. Finer will be pleased about that as well presumably'

'Professor Finer and Josh Randall have some connection?' The Doctor thought he had the flicker of an idea: the beginning of the possibility of a link beyond this laboratory to something else, to somewhere else.

'It was an excuse to get at me.’ Barry said dismissively. 'That was all it was.

Josh Randall was one of his most talented students, I was wasting his valuable time, blah blah blah. I don't know how he knew Josh was one of my most talented, but he must have found out somehow.'

The Doctor was about to remark on Barry's paranoia and its causes, but surprise put it out of his mind. You knew that?' he said.

'Knew what?'

The Doctor hesitated momentarily: had this man been deliberately deceiving him the whole time? 'You knew Josh Randall was special,' he accused.

'Of course I knew.' Barry agreed. He sighed. 'I couldn't get him to take it seriously though. If I could have got him to take it seriously, who knows where it might have led?'

The Doctor's insecurity subsided. 'Did you confront him?'

'About not taking it seriously? Of course. Fat lot of good it did me.'

'About his powers,' the Doctor said impatiently.

'Powers is putting it a bit strong don't you think,' Barry said. 'It was hardly powers. He had a bit of a hint of a possible something. I tried to talk to him about it but he wouldn't listen. But then why should he? I expect he listens to Finer, but why should he listen to me? Why should anyone listen to a loser like me?' His mood had crashed and he was now quite morose.

'When was the Clearspring Water Company established?' the Doctor asked. 'Does your print-out say?'

Barry shrugged and proffered it. The Doctor unfolded and smoothed out the crumpled paper. He suddenly had the strong feeling that somewhere in this list was the clue he needed to put it all together.

The student bar was still busy with the hangover from the lunchtime trade.

Bartok carried the tray back to the table and passed out the drinks and crisps.

'Do you get these on ex's?' Ralph asked.

'Oh yeah, right,' Bartok said. 'My governors'd love that. Drinks for students?

There's a claim chit that'd go down like a bucket of cold sick.'

Tommy pushed the hair back from his forehead. 'Pity,' he said. 'An official bribe would have been nice.'

'He's anybody's for a pint,' Meg said. 'Isn't that right, Tommy?'

'Unless they're pretty then all it takes is a half of shandy,' Tommy said and gazed into her eyes. 'I'll have a Scotch when you're ready. Better make it a triple.'

'Where are the other two?' Bartok asked, sipping his pint and glancing round at the other tables.

"The other two?' Tommy said.

'Mm. The leggy blonde and the guy with the shaved head.'

'Chloe and Josh?' Ralph said.

'How would we know?' Meg interjected, noisily pulling open a packet of crisps and accidentally scattering some of them across the table. 'Whoops.'

'I thought you were' Bartok let his voice trail off, and waved his hand vaguely.

'A coven?' she suggested.

'That takes thirteen doesn't it?' Bartok said, and smiled at her.'You don't do witchcraft as well do you?'

'As well as what?'

He shrugged. As well