Doctor Who_ The Bodysnatchers - Mark Morris [2]
Albert tugged at the brim of his cap. Thank you, sir,' he muttered.
The man faced front and flicked the reins to get the horse moving. Jack remained standing until the horse and cart and its hunched, top-hatted rider had been swallowed by the fog. Only then did he drop to his knees, his big hands groping through the slimy filth between the cobbles, greedily gathering up every last coin that the man had scattered on the ground.
***
Tom Donahue had no proper plan to speak of. His present circumstances, combined with the dreadful, gnawing pain in his hand, had pushed him to his wits' end these past several weeks. A month ago he had had a job and lodgings, and money enough to put bread and potatoes and sometimes even a little meat on the table. Now he had nothing. He was confused, exhausted, starving, angry and scared.
What perplexed him the most was the fact that, until recently, his ex-employer, Nathaniel Seers, owner of Seers's Superior Bottles, had been a kind and generous man, a true philanthropist, who cared about the welfare of his workers. Not long before Christmas, however, he had changed. He had become cruel and mean-spirited, unconcerned about those who toiled in his factory on the bank of the Thames.
Tom was unfortunate enough to have been one of the first to fall foul of his employer's new-found, unpleasing disposition. One morning he had been cleaning the machinery when he had caught his hand in one of its whirling cogs and injured it badly. Rather than showing compassion, as was his normal reaction to such a misfortune, Mr Seers had instead lambasted him for his carelessness, and even as Tom had lain there bleeding on to the floor, almost fainting with the pain of his injury, had dismissed him, claiming that an employee who couldn't work was of no use whatsoever.
As a result of his dismissal,Tom had been unable to pay his rent or buy food. He had spent Christmas, which was almost three weeks past now, sleeping on the streets, living on scraps and handouts. If his circumstances didn't improve soon, he supposed he would have to take himself off to the workhouse, though he wanted to put off that dreadful day for as long as possible. The workhouse was a harsh place with a strict regime, though at least there he would have a roof over his head and a little food to eat, and he might even be able to get some medical treatment for his hand.
Since injuring it, the pain had been growing steadily worse. Indeed, it had now begun to travel up his arm, attacking, it seemed, his very bones, to the extent that he often woke in the night, crying out in agony. Furthermore, the fingers had turned black and he could no longer use or move them.
Additionally, the flesh had begun to swell and split and to exude a stench like rotten meat.
Tonight, for the first time since his dismissal.Tom had decided to return to the factory. He had little idea what he was going to do when he got there. It was already well after midnight, and despite the cripplingly long hours that the employees worked, the place would now be dark, the machines silent.
Tom was so embittered by what had happened to him that part of him wanted to burn the factory to the ground, or at the very least cause as much damage to the machinery as he could. There was another part of him, however, that hoped Mr Seers would still be there (it was rumoured that recently he had taken to staying at the factory until the small hours, and sometimes not going home at all). Tom half believed that, distanced from the troublesome bustle of a normal working day, his ex-employer might be more convivial and accommodating, more prepared to listen to Tom's grievances.
Yes,Tom decided suddenly, this was why he had come; indeed, it had been his intention all along, had he but known it. If he could only convince Mr Seers that he was his final desperate hope, then surely the factory owner would rediscover the humanity, the benevolence, that he had sorely lacked these past weeks.
Despite his conviction, Tom's belly began to quiver with nerves as the factory came