Doctor Who_ The Room With No Doors - Kate Orman [91]
Gufuu-sama carefully wiped the blood from his sword and replaced it in its sheath. He bent to pick up the alien’s weapon. ‘Some allies are far too dangerous to keep,’ he commented. ‘Mintsu, come here.’
Joel detached himself from a wounded samurai and scurried over. He made a quick, inelegant bow, not sure where to put his eyes.
‘Do you know how to operate this weapon?’ said Gufuu. He held out the laser rifle.
The Doctor stared at Joel, who swallowed hard, taking the gun from his new leader. ‘Um,’ he said. ‘No. I mean, maybe. I need to take a look at it.’
Then do so,’ said Gufuu-sama. ‘Isha-san, will you remain here as our guest?’
‘Of course,’ said the Doctor. ‘I didn’t come all this way just to leave again.’
‘Good,’ said Gufuu, ‘because I am about to send a page to the monastery, with the suggestion that we make an equitable exchange.’
Talker was furious.
‘Pluck me! I can’t believe you did that!’ she squawked, stalking the courtyard in a rage. ‘I still can’t believe you did that!’
Chris looked helplessly at Dengon. The young monk said, ‘Please, Niwatori-san. There are people trying to sleep, including your own comrades.’
186
Talker folded her legs under her and bristled. ‘My heart nearly jumped out through my beak,’ she grumbled. ‘I could have shot her, you know. It’s just that I’m a gardener. I don’t have any reflexes except when it comes to aphids.
So just count yourselves lucky.’
Chris turned his back on the griping bird and knelt down again beside Penelope. The young woman was still leaning against the pod, on her knees, her arms flung over its metal surface. The moon was high now, so she was a dull silhouette against the silver, her glasses highlights in her empty face.
‘Penelope?’ Chris said again. ‘Can you hear me?’
There was still no response. He had been trying for quarter of an hour, but she had just clung to the side of the machine, shivering.
Goddess, what had he done?
‘Dengon,’ he said, ‘could you find out if there’s any sign of movement from the samurai?’
‘ Hei, Kuriisu-san.’ He moved off into the blackness.
‘I would have advised you against it,’ said Talker, ‘had you asked me.’
‘Shut up, Talker!’ he snapped. He put a hand to his head.
‘Sorry. Listen, it’s done, all right? If you can’t tell me something that will help Penelope, then please just be quiet while I try to think of what to do.’
Talker pecked the ground.
Chris turned back to Penelope, and risked
stroking her hair. ‘What’s it done to her?’ he whispered.
‘He doesn’t want to let her go,’ said Talker.
Chris looked at the bird. Talker said, ‘He’s scared. Trapped in there. She’s the first contact he’s had with the outside since he was sealed in. He doesn’t want to let her go. Probably.’ She pecked at the ground, agitatedly. ‘I’m trying to imagine what’s going through his head.’
‘He? Who is he?’ Chris looked down at the pod. ‘There’s someone inside it,’
he breathed. ‘Isn’t there? Is it a Kapteynian?’
‘Yeah,’ said Talker. ‘It was because of him that we had to escape. Technician was supposed to let him out, once we were safe.’
‘What is it, exactly?’ said Chris.
‘It’s a cryogenic capsule,’ said Talker. ‘They didn’t find out about him until we were in flight, so it was the only way they could safely store him.’
‘What’s his name?’
Talker stood up and crouched beside Penelope, on the other side. ‘Psychokinetic!’ she shouted into Penelope’s ear. ‘Stop it!’
Penelope’s body twitched.
‘Can we have our human back now, please?’ said Talker, even more loudly.
Chris shouted, ‘If you want us to help you, you have to let her go!’
‘Let her go!’ insisted Talker.
187
Penelope snatched her hands away from the machine, breathing frantically, looking around the darkness in confusion. Chris took her arms, gently. ‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘I’ve got you. Relax.’
‘Dear God,’ she gulped, as though she’d almost forgotten how to breathe, how to speak. ‘Oh God! We have to open that device immediately! Every minute is another day in hell for him – we cannot let it go on!’
Chris took her hands. ‘Miss Gate,’ he said. ‘Tell us what