Doctor Who_ The Paradise of Death - Barry Letts [3]
Bill and Nobby, however, found Space World as disappointing as a visit to the seaside out of season. True, there were the vast pavilions of gleaming metal, cold and still in the light of the full moon; there were the alien carriages mutely waiting to carry the daredevil customer into improbable flights of fear; there were the gigantic structures, out of the pages of a science fiction comic, whose purpose could only be guessed.
But where was the fun in being offered a view of the Giant Ostroid – ‘its kick could disembowel an elephant’ –
if the entrance to his lair was firmly locked? How could you ‘fly through the Gargantuan Caverns of Southern Mars’ or ‘take a walk on the wild side of Mercury’ if there was nobody there to let you into the Solar System? All in all, a total bust.
Until...
‘Hey, look!’ cried Nobby.
‘What?’
‘Only a bleedin’ UFO, innit? It’s landing an’ all! That’s a bit more like it!’
Nobby set off at a fair clip (in a reasonable approximation to a straight line) in the direction he’d been pointing.
Bill chased after him. ‘Come back, they’ll see us!
Nobby!’
But Nobby kept going.
The two rows of space ships in Yuri Gagarin Avenue varied considerably in design. From a simple rocket shuttle to the most far-out alien space station which barely stopped short of boggling point, they offered a wide variety of simulated trips through the Universe. The western row had now been extended by one. The newcomer’s domed shell had a unique particularity. It had, it seemed, no windows or doors – until, with the slightest of humming noises, a crack appeared which broadened to make an exit just wide enough to allow the massive form waiting within to alight and delicately step towards two figures waiting on the tarmac.
‘Ah, Kitson.’
‘Welcome back, Mr Freeth,’ said the younger of the two.
‘May I introduce Mr Grebber?’
‘How do you do, Mr Grebber. We meet at last.’
The thickset Grebber grasped the pudgy little hand with one that could enclose a brick. ‘An honour, Mr Freeth. I’m, er, yeah, that’s right. Honoured and – and that.’
‘The honour is all mine, my dear sir. Mr Kitson has told me of the excellent – nay, the magnificent – work your people have done in building our little playground. Allow me to express the gratitude of the Parakon Corporation.’
‘Yeah, well, we aim to please. I’ve always...’ But Freeth had turned away.
‘No trouble, Kitson?’
‘On the contrary. Everything’s going very well.’
Freeth turned to the gaunt figure standing in the space ship entrance. ‘There you are, Tragan. What did I tell you?
An old misery guts, that’s what you are.’
Tragan’s head jerked sideways. ‘Don’t speak too soon,’
he said. ‘Look.’
Two figures were coming towards them down the long avenue at a shambling run. The first one stopped. He waved. ‘Where’s the li’l green men then?’ he shouted.
His companion caught him up and grabbed him by the arm. ‘Nobby! Let’s get out of here!’
But Nobby was enjoying himself. He pulled away from Bill and performed an elaborate bow. He stood up and once more peered muzzily towards the frozen group of watchers.
‘Take me to your leader!’ he cried.
Tragan came to life. Stepping to one side, he turned and spoke into the ship. ‘Go, go, go!’ he snapped.
Neither Nobby nor Bill could have had time to realize that time had run out for them. With scarcely the chance to throw up an arm in a futile gesture of self-protection, they were as quickly dead as the victims of a sniper’s bullets.
‘That was hardly necessary,’ said Freeth.
‘You heard him,’ replied Tragan, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. ‘He must have seen the ship landing.’
The savage snarling of the beasts had already dwindled to a mumbling slurping growl.
‘Oh God! They’re...’ Grebber staggered into the shadows, retching. Freeth threw him an amused glance and turned to Tragan.
‘Don’t let them both be eaten,’ he said. ‘A mangled corpse could be good publicity.’
Chapter Two
The Doctor! Of course, that was it!
Sarah took a gulp of orange juice and spread a slice of wholemeal bread with soft, low fat, vegetable marge, feeling