Doctor Who_ St. Anthony's Fire - Mark Gatiss [81]
‘Thank you, my Lord.’
De Hooch gave a final bow and tottered unsteadily from the room. As he slammed the doors shut his face crumpled into a furious sneer. He would show that irreligious cretin how the Chapter should be run. But not yet. Not quite yet.
He walked away down the corridor towards the interrogation rooms. The heathens were probably the usual trash. Either terrified sun‐worshippers or cocky beggars who thought their own primitive beliefs far too precious to be sacrificed to the just and awful wrath of Saint Anthony.
He poked gingerly at the swollen skin of his face. Once this was over and he was Magna, he would make the Doctor and the woman endure all the torments of hell for this humiliation.
De Hooch rounded the corner and unlocked the small steel door of the interrogation room.
Inside, in the dim light were three reptilian creatures. De Hooch smiled his usual smile and was about to deliver his familiar rant when the blaster was wrenched from his hand by an unseen person. He whirled round and realized he had fallen for the second oldest trick in the book.
Bernice stepped out from her hiding place behind the door and trained the blaster on De Hooch’s diminutive form.
‘We’re stealing your ship,’ she said simply. ‘Now, if you’d be so kind, take me to your leader.’
De Hooch let out a huge sigh. This really wasn’t his day.
* * *
The Doctor, Ace and Thoss scurried across the shaking battlefield towards the dug‐out. It was night by now and the rings blazed gloriously, joined by diagonal flashes of lightning.
‘How long have we got?’ shouted Ace above the din.
The Doctor shook his head, supporting Thoss with one hand and hurrying up Ace with the other. ‘Hard to tell. The sooner we work all this out, the better.’
Ace jumped over a large crater. ‘Work what out? The Chapter want to wipe out this planet and it’s going to wipe itself out anyway. Can’t we just help the good guys get out of here and then… er… get out of here?’
‘Bernice said something similar,’ cried the Doctor as they reached the Number Seven ladder‐hole and climbed down.
Ace nodded. ‘I’m beginning to think she speaks more and more sense, that girl.’
‘I’m not here for the good of my health, Ace. Nor even to get rid of those over‐zealous friends of yours.’ He helped Thoss down the ladder.
‘So what’s the problem, then?’
‘I’ll explain. First we need to get into the Temple.’
Thoss was already staggering down the corridor. ‘This way,’ he called over his shoulder.
They made their way through the gloom, the surrounding gas jets faltering as though they too had given up all hope.
‘Doctor,’ said Ace as they reached the Temple entrance. ‘The Chapter and all that. They’re not what worries you, are they?’
‘Far from it.’
The Doctor pushed open the door and all three began to clatter down the steps towards the shrine. ‘They’re simply an annoyance. Confusing the real issue.’
‘Which is?’ asked Ace.
The Doctor hopped off the last step. Thoss looked down at the base of the shrine, gasping for breath.
The Doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets. ‘Betrushian legend –’
Thoss looked up. The Doctor corrected himself: ‘Betrushian religion; faith; what you will, states that this planet was devastated an eternity ago by something called the Keth. And that the original inhabitants, who looked a lot like me and you, Ace, were wiped out.
‘The legend also states that when the earth turns over in its sleep and the rain turns to stone…’
Ace nodded her understanding of recent events.
‘Then the Keth will return,’ continued the Doctor. ‘Our mistake was to think the Chapter of Saint Anthony were our missing bogymen.’
Ace frowned. ‘Then who, or what, is?’
The Doctor approached Thoss. ‘Well, Thoss? Isn’t it about time you told us the whole truth?’
Thoss turned away. ‘I don’t… I don’t know…’
The Doctor stood up. ‘Well, maybe I can help. How’s this for starters?’
He pulled the handful of stones from his pocket. ‘These meteorites aren’t meteorites.’