Doctor Who_ The Bodysnatchers - Mark Morris [109]
Unhurriedly the Doctor untied them from the carriage to which they had been tethered. They waited calmly as he did so, and even allowed him to lead them past the Skarasen which was greedily and noisily devouring their stable-mate, bones and all.
'That was amazing,' said Sam when the Doctor came within earshot, the horses trotting at his heels like obedient pets.
Nathaniel and Emmeline Seers hurried forward. 'Quite astounding, sir!'
Seers enthused.'Quite astounding!'
'Whatever was that song you were singing, Doctor?' Emmeline asked. 'It was quite beautiful.'
'Venusian lullaby,' said the Doctor. 'The Royal Beast of Peladon was particularly fond of it.'
'Do you do requests?' asked Sam.
'Only by royal appointment.' He brought the horses to a standstill and offered the reins of one to Emmeline. 'Treat him gently, won't you? He's had a hard day.'
'You mean we're going to ride?' said Sam.
'Why not? One good turn deserves another.' Despite the lack of saddle or stirrups, the Doctor swung himself up on to the horse with practised ease, then reached out a hand for Sam to climb up behind him.
She did so, wrinkling her nose at the stink of sweat rising from the horse's hot flesh.
'Hi-yo, Silver,' she muttered.
***
'This is utterly intolerable,' Litefoot said. 'We must do something.'
Tuval, perched on the edge of the console dais, watched him pacing about.
'There is nothing we can do. We are safe in here.'
'Safe? Trapped is more to the point. How long do you suppose these creatures of yours will continue this infernal onslaught?'
'Until everything is destroyed,' Tuval replied phlegmatically. 'Until every man, woman and child is dead.'
'Barbarous,' breathed Litefoot. 'And once London has been razed? What then?'
'They will move further afield.They will continue to destroy all before them until this planet is nothing more than a wasteland.'
Litefoot shook his head as if such a notion was beyond his comprehension.'But that would take years, centuries even.'
'The bodies of the Skarasen have been augmented by Zygon technology.They are equipped to live for millennia.'
'My God,' breathed Litefoot, and looked up at the scanner screen which was showing a now static view of the towpath and the Thames, a dark glimpse of buildings beyond. Could this really be it - the beginning of the end of the world? Were he and Tuval destined to live out the remainder of their days in this... this time craft of the Doctor's?
His gaze was wandering from the screen when a flicker of movement caught his eye. He looked again, and was both astonished and delighted to see a pair of black horses galloping along the towpath towards them, whose riders he recognised all too well.
'It's the Doctor!' he cried.'And Miss Samantha! Quickly,Tuval, open the doors.'
Tuval glanced at the screen, then jumped on to the console dais and operated the door lever. There was a pause, then the doors ground slowly open. Next moment the Doctor breezed in, spinning the TARDIS key on its chain. Behind him, looking dirty, wet and exhausted, trailed Sam, a young lady in her underwear whom Litefoot recognised as Emmeline Seers, and an older man in his shirtsleeves whom the professor could only assume was the young lady's father, Nathaniel Seers.
'Professor!' cried the Doctor, pocketing the TARDIS key and reaching out to clasp Litefoot's right hand in both of his. 'How wonderful to see you again!
We wondered where you'd got to, didn't we, Sam? Tell me, what do you think of my TARDIS?'
'Um... very impressive,' said Litefoot, taken aback by the Doctor's effusiveness.
'Yes it is, isn't it?I like it. And Tuval,' said the Doctor, releasing Litefoot's hand and moving towards the Zygon still wearing Sam's body