Doctor Who_ The Last Dodo - Jacqueline Rayner [8]
Eve nodded. ‘Oh, Earth,’ she said. ‘I noted you were found in the Earth section. One of our busiest, by far. It wasn’t so bad once – the occasional mass extinction every few million years; most planets have those. But in the last few thousand years it’s become quite a challenge to keep up with everything that’s being lost.’
‘Ooh, biting social commentary there,’ the Doctor said. ‘Not that you don’t have a point.’ He jumped off the desk. ‘Well, thank you for that – glad to have met you, nice to know what’s going on, but I think we’ll be getting along now. Come on, Martha.’
The guards raised their weapons again.
‘Or we could sit here quietly,’ continued the Doctor, sitting down again.
‘The Earth section,’ said Eve, ‘is also the site of the recent thefts. All have taken place outside visiting hours. No one has detected the culprit arriving in the museum.’ She paused. ‘You were in the Earth section. It is now outside visiting hours. Your arrival was not detected until you reached the section itself.’
‘I can see your reasoning, Sherlock – not a bad bit of deduction there,’ put in the Doctor. ‘Wrong conclusion, of course, but…’
‘And you appear to have a grudge against our practices. Under galactic law, I have more than enough justification to have you imprisoned pending full investigation by the proper authorities.’ She reached out to her computer and pressed a few keys. ‘I see we can next expect a justice visit in five months, so until then…’ Eve gestured at the guards. ‘Take them away.’
‘Hang on a minute!’ Martha couldn’t hide her shock. ‘You can’t just lock us up for months!’
Eve smiled. ‘Oh yes I can,’ she said, and turned away.
THE ISPYDER BOOK OF EARTH CREATURES
MOUNTAIN GORILLA
Gorilla beringei beringei
Location: Rwanda, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo
The shy mountain gorilla is a forest‐dwelling herbivore. The male can weigh more than twice as much as the female. Its fur is black, although adult males develop silver fur on their backs, and are therefore known as ‘silverbacks’.
The gorilla’s arms are longer than its legs. It walks either on two legs or on all fours, with its knuckles touching the ground.
Addendum:
Last reported sighting: AD 2030.
Cause of extinction: poached for bush meat and endangered animal trades; destruction of habitat.
ISpyder points: 500
THE ISPYDER BOOK OF EARTH CREATURES
Creature Points
Subtotal 4950
Dodo 800
Megatherium 500
Paradise parrot 500
Velociraptor 250
Mountain gorilla 500
Aye‐aye 900
Siberian tiger 600
Kakapo 900
THREE
A guard grabbed hold of Martha’s arm, while another two pointed their space guns at her. Their fellows were treating the Doctor in the same way. She threw an anxious look at her companion – what were they going to do now?
But just as Martha’s captor reached the office door, it flew open, hitting him on the nose. She took the opportunity to snatch away her arm – although in deference to the still‐raised weapons, didn’t try to make a run for it. She looked instead at the new arrival.
It was a young man – not much older than her – wearing forest‐green overalls with the tusk‐headed ‘MOTLO’ logo on the chest. He was short, slightly chubby, and sported a light‐brown goatee beard and a worried expression.
‘Eve!’ he said, ignoring everyone else in his agitation, ‘there’s been another disappearance!’
The older woman closed her eyes for a second as if composing herself, and then said, ‘What is missing this time, Tommy?’
‘The Black Rhino,’ the man told her. Eve’s lips narrowed but she remained composed – Tommy looked like he was about to cry.
‘That makes five,’ Eve said, talking more to the air than the man. ‘Five irreplaceable specimens. Five creatures lost for eternity.’ She turned to the Doctor and Martha. ‘If you’re expecting any leniency, you can forget it right now. I will be pressing for the maximum