Doctor Who_ The Taint - Michael Collier [104]
He was trapped.
***
Fitz watched as everyone converged on the Doctor. He'd never have a better time to get away.
Behind him was the passage leading to the drawing room; that was no good, hi front of him was his view of the stairs, side-on, and, while his feet pointed to the welded door, his head was pointing to a wall that helped support the landing. A tapestry hung on it, down to the carpet. Maria had caught a corner of it in her death throes, and Fitz could just make out a split in the wooden facade underneath. A door? A cellar or something, maybe; a house like this was bound to have one.
Cautiously, Fitz snaked along the floorboards, his back squarely to Maria's corpse, to inspect the wall more closely.
***
'It's dangerous to play on the stairs, you know,' the Doctor said.
'One touch from any of us, Doctor,' hissed Watson. 'Just one touch...'
Lucy jumped up, trying to grasp the Doctor's ankle. The Doctor recoiled, almost lost his balance, almost grabbed hold of Taylor's outstretched hand to steady himself, but at the last minute fell back against the wall.
'It won't just be me you'll be destroying,' warned the Doctor, 'but any hopes you may have of -'
'Will you listen to me, Doctor?' Watson seemed by now quite exasperated.
'You simply can't reason with us, is that clear?'
'We're mad, you see,' explained Lucy, helpfully.
'We have no hopes,' Watson went on, flexing his fingers in the Doctor's face. 'We don't care for them. We have certainties. We shall grow stronger still, here, in this house. For now, we can only spread our death by touch.'
He gestured over at Maria. 'Soon, we'll be so strong that we need merely will it, Doctor, and it shall be so.' He blew a kiss at Lucy, and turned back to the Doctor. "Then we shall taint all life with our poison.'
The Doctor looked between Watson and Taylor as both reached out for the kill.
Suddenly Azoth buzzed into life again, gripping Mrs Kreiner's leg and pulling her down so she collapsed on top of him. The Doctor seized the distraction, ducking down under Watson's arm, barging past him and running back up the stairs. 'Stop that golden thing,' snarled Watson at Taylor, angrily, before sprinting after the Doctor.
"Inal 'olution,' wailed Azoth, desperately, as Mrs Kreiner tried to free herself from his grip.
Taylor seized the angel's large metal head, and ripped it off.A flutter of blue sparks haloed round the top of the golden neck, and Mrs Kreiner screamed, going rigid. Lucy, Russell and Taylor screamed too.
***
The noise ripped through Fitz. Well, that didn't sound anything like his mum, he told himself, and tried to ignore it. He was the last thing on their mind right now, so he risked standing up to check the wall. Yes, there was a door in it, hidden by the tapestry. He pulled on the wooden doorknob and to his relief it opened.
A flight of steps led down into the dark. He flicked on the light switch and closed the door behind him before dashing down the steps into the cool of the cellar.
***
The Doctor preferred his foes to be slow and inexorable rather than agile and sprightly. Watson was catching him up with ease.
'One touch, g'boy!' he screamed at the Doctor. 'I told you before, just one touch...'
The Doctor felt his coat-tails being pulled, and, without breaking pace, shed the garment. Watson cried out and fell, swearing hoarsely.
The Doctor skidded to a halt at the end of the corridor, and looked. Watson was sprawled out on the floor, clutching his head. The Doctor wondered if he could double back, get to Fitz and Azoth, try to end all this for good.
Then Watson hoisted himself back on to his feet and, with an angry yell, chased after the Doctor again.
***
'What did I do?'Taylor asked, dumbfounded. The air was thick with smoke.
'You electrocuted her, stupid,' Lucy chided, peering at the old woman.
'That thing was a weapon,' Russell said, fearfully. 'Is it dead now?'
'Well, it ain't got no head now, has it?' said Taylor, kicking the golden globe against