Doctor Who_ Return of the Living Dad - Kate Orman [25]
‘So you see them primarily as hostile,’ said the Doctor.
‘Mm-hmm, yes.’
‘Some people just collect stamps, you know,’ he teased.
Woodworth gave him a sarcastic smile. ‘What about you?’ she said. ‘How do you spend your spare time?’
‘I travel.’ He took a mouthful of the tea. ‘What I’d really like to do is busk.’
‘Busk!’ said Woodworth.
‘Don’t you ever feel like putting aside all your responsibilities —’
‘No.’
‘— and just making people happy?’
‘No.’
The Doctor made a glum face. ‘You must have hated The
Muppet Movie.’ Woodworth barked a laugh and hit him on the arm, nearly making him spill his tea. ‘You’re mad!’
‘Mad as bees in December.’
‘Tell me something,’ she said. ‘Are you —’
A face was peering at them from over the wall, lit in yellow patches. ‘Bernice!’ said the Doctor.
‘There you are,’ she said. ‘We need you back at the shop.’ She looked at Woodworth. ‘There’s been a spot of bother.’
The Doctor stood up. ‘Will you still be here tomorrow?’
Woodworth grinned. ‘That depends on the ghost.’
‘Come on, Doctor,’ said Benny. Water’s seeping into my socks.’ She waved at Woodworth. ‘Sorry for the interruption.’
‘Not at all,’ said Woodworth. ‘I still owe you that drink,’
she told the Doctor.
The Doctor awkwardly handed her back his tea. ‘Perhaps I’ll catch up with you in Little Caldwell.’ He doffed his hat.
‘Good luck!’
As they walked away, Benny elbowed him in the ribs.
‘Who’s your girlfriend?’
The Doctor blinked at her, unfurling his umbrella. ‘A ghosthunter. What’s the matter?’
‘One of our aliens is missing. And I think Dad is convinced it’s your fault.’
Behind them, Woodworth frowned as her lamps flared blue. In the next room, the bees were buzzing in the rain.
9 Benny
They’d scoured the countryside. They’d counted the hologram projectors. Ia Jareshth was out there somewhere, alone, with a thin layer of illusion between her and humanity.
Isaac had assembled the rest of the guests in the Pyramid. Rather than make the aliens wear their hologram projectors, Isaac had Joel set up a single hologram inside the shop doorway, making it look as though the place was empty.
The two Ogrons were adamant that they hadn’t eaten anyone for weeks. They were waiting for a passing transporter to get them back into the galactic mercenary market.
The Bannerman had been living in a cardboard box in London for the last five years. He had probably survived the 1959 incursion, but his memory wasn’t working any more. He didn’t know where the Lacaillan had gone. He just wanted to go home.
Benny hovered, not sure where she should sit. Isaac and Jason and the Doctor were sitting at different tables, studiously ignoring one another.
It had not been the best of beginnings.
‘You know Heseltine’s threat hasn’t stopped them over at Greenham,’ Ms Randrianasolo was telling Isaac. ‘They’ve been going in, but thank God, no one really has been shot so far. Maybe this isn’t the right time. I can talk to someone...’
The Admiral shook his head. ‘It’ll occupy the military’s attention. I appreciate your staying with us. I know it’s a difficult time.’
‘Zak,’ said the black woman, may be determined to civilize this century, but this —’ she gestured around at the shop is always my first concern.’
Isaac gave her one of his serious smiles. ‘There’s something I need you to do for me.’ He stopped suddenly, glanced up at Benny. She frowned, pushing her hands into her pockets, and decided to see how the Doctor was doing.
Roz was giving the Time Lord a sotto voce sitrep.
‘They’ve got no security to speak of. If the Lacaillan wanted to walk out under their noses, she could have — and I don’t think it would have been hard to snatch her away, either.’
‘They’ve been running this operation for twenty years,’