Doctor Who_ The Room With No Doors - Kate Orman [22]
She folded her arms. ‘I see. You hoped to goad me into some sort of admis-sion.’
He smiled. ‘Are you what you seem?’
‘Apparently,’ she said, ‘I’m even less than what I seem. I’m not even an inventor.’
‘Whatever your invention’s capabilities are, temporal displacement isn’t one of them.’
‘If Riemann’s equations are not the method, then I shall be fascinated to discover what mechanism is capable of propelling a vehicle through history.’
The Doctor leant on the carriage. ‘Why time travel?’ he said. ‘Why did you want to create a time machine?’
‘For the scientific achievement,’ she said, ‘and so that I could explore. Imagine paying Shakespeare a visit –’
‘Been there.’
‘Or Marco Polo. ‘
‘Done that.’
‘Or Richard the Lionheart.’
‘Bought the postcard.’
‘If you do not cease bragging,’ said Penelope, ‘I may kick you in the shin.’
He laughed and passed her back the musket.
45
The Room With No Doors
Chris opened his eyes. He was in the Room With No Doors.
Hell. This was hell. This was where you were sent to be punished for everything you’d done. For everything you hadn’t done. This was Justice.
Buried forever in a box, in the dark, alone, because you ought to have been the one who died, you ought to have been the one who was a hero, you ought to have done better, been better, you’re never good enough and you’ll never be good enough again!
‘I’m sorry!’ he screamed at the blank walls. ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!’
But his voice echoed back at him, and no one answered him, no one came to let him out.
Because he deserved to be there.
And he knew it.
‘For Christ’s sake, snap out of it!’
Chris opened his eyes. Joel was thumping him on the arm. ‘I’m awake, I’m awake!’ he protested.
‘Yeah, and so’s everyone else, I bet.’
Joel clambered out from under the blanket and slid open one of the doors.
There was no sign of the Doctor or Penelope.
‘Moonlight stroll?’ joked Chris shakily.
Joel pushed the door shut. ‘That must’ve been a doozy of a nightmare.’
‘Occupational hazard.’
‘I bet.’ Joel had lit one of the small lamps, throwing yellow shadows over his face. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’
Chris said, ‘Did you ever meet Liz Shaw?’
‘Yeah,’ said Joel. ‘I did, once. She came to hassle the Admiral about something or other. Nice old lady.’
‘I killed her,’ said Chris.
Joel looked at him. ‘Shit!’
‘I don’t mean literally,’ said Chris. ‘If it hadn’t been for me, she’d still be alive.’
47
‘Oh,’ murmured Joel. ‘Occupational hazard.’
‘Yeah,’ said Chris. ‘Come back here – I’m freezing to death.’
Joel wriggled back under the covers. ‘This is embarrassing,’ he mumbled.
‘Watch your elbows,’ said Chris. ‘Embarrassing?’
‘Circumstances force me into bed with a gorgeous blond from an exotic future,’ muttered Joel, ‘and it’s you.’
‘Thanks,’ said Chris. ‘I think. What’d you say?’
‘Nothing,’ sighed Joel. ‘Go back to sleep.’
48
5
Yes, but is it Kannon?
Out
The Doctor went into the shrine first. Penelope waited outside, musket in hand, nervously glancing around.
The villagers had been kind to them, newcomers who must seem so bizarre.
Thank goodness for Joel’s translator. After their simple hospitality, she did not wish to frighten or offend them.
After a moment the Doctor came back out of the humble building. He put a conspiratorial finger to his lips.
Penelope took out Joel’s flashlight, following the Doctor into the small building. She hesitated with her thumb on the switch of the portable electric light.
Since the man was making such a show of being able to see in the dark, let him examine the ‘god’ without benefit of light.
She was surprised when he took out a torch of his own, no larger than a pen, and played it over the dark bulk of the ‘god’. He let out a long, slow whistle, making Penelope jump.
It was as impressive as when she’d first seen it. More impressive, since the shadows hid so much detail. Rather than raise the roof of the shrine, previously inhabited by some kind of Shinto idol, they had simply removed the floor and dug into the earth. The room smelt like