Doctor Who_ Relative Dementias - Mark Michalowski [121]
The box wriggled.
For a horrible moment, she imagined that she was going to be one of those women who discovered abandoned children on their doorsteps. The rain had stained and softened the top of the box where it was folded in on itself. She watched as whatever was inside the box began to nose its way out, pushing up the soggy cardboard.
It’s a cat, she thought, with an odd thrill of excitement, as a faint meow came from inside the box; the nose and then head of a sleek, black cat poked out, blue eyes shining. She helped it from the box and cradled it against her bosom as it began to purr, rubbing up against her chin. Miss Gallowglass reached down with her free hand and opened the box. In the bottom, crumpled up where the cat had been sleeping on it, was a handwritten note.
Give this little orphan a good home, would you?
We all need a bit of mothering now and again.
The Doctor
Acknowledgements
Big thanks to everyone on who_ink for all their comments, suggestions and crits; to Gary Russell and Paul Cornell, Shaun Lyon and Mark Phippen and Jay Eales for having faith in me for the short stories; and Justin Richards for having faith in me for the big one; to Kate Orman for urging me on and to Jon Blum for UNIT suggestions. Hugs to the very patient Vicki Vrint.
Thanks to Matt Kimpton for the wonderful title, Sietel Singh Gill for bizarreness beyond the call of duty, Henry Tickner for arias, and Sheelagh Parker – without whose help this book wouldn’t be the slightest bit different.
Even huger thanks to my read-through team who spotted far more mistakes and offered far more suggestions than I’d ever hoped: Carolina Denning, Simon Forward, Michael Robinson and Dave ‘Backrubslut’ Whittam.
And, most of all, to the wonderful Ian Potter. Ta, matey!
About the Author
Mark Michalowski lives in Leeds.
Having dipped his toe into the murky waters of Doctor Who writing with the very last story in Bernice Summerfield and the Dead Men Diaries, wet his ankles with stories in the Missing Pieces and Walking In Eternity collections, he’s finally jumped in up to his neck with this, his first novel. Whether he swims or drowns is up to YOU!
Document Outline
Front cover
Rear cover
Title page
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Epilogue
Acknowledgements