Doctor Who_ War Games - Malcolm Hulke [22]
The barn was filled with the noise by the time the group had concealed themselves. Lady Jennifer, who had never heard such a sound before, shouted out to ask what it was, but Jamie put his hand over her mouth to silence her.
The sidrat materialised in the centre of the barn, a tall black box similar in shape and size to the TARDIS. Once it was fully visible the sound ceased. Slowly a door opened.
To everyone’s amazement fresh-faced young soldiers of the Union Army, smart in their new dark blue uniforms, began to march out. First two, then four, then six, until a continual column of recruits led from the sidrat to the open double doors of the barn and beyond, all singing John Brown’s Body, the marching song of the Northern soldiers.
‘But that is impossible,’ Lady Jennifer whispered. ‘All those men were inside that box?’
‘Shhh! ‘ The Doctor put his finger to his lips. ‘I’m counting.’
At least a hundred soldiers marched from the sidrat. No one spoke again until their singing had receded into the distance.
Zoe said, ‘That thing must be bigger inside than outside, just like the TARDIS.’
‘I know.’ The Doctor approached the sidrat cautiously.
‘Jamie, you keep an eye out.’
Zoe joined the Doctor at the sidrat’s open door. As they both stepped inside, Jamie called, ‘Zoe—Doctor, be careful!’
‘This is some terrible trick,’ said Lady Jennifer. ‘That thing appeared from nowhere.’
‘It takes a bit of understanding,’ Jamie admitted. He tensed. ‘What’s that coming?’
Somewhere beyond the barn shots were fired. Jamie rushed to the gaping door of the sidrat, calling inside.
‘Doctor! Someone’s coming, I think.’
The door closed by itself. The barn was once more filled with the strange sound as the sidrat dematerialised before Jamie’s eyes.
The Doctor and Zoe were in a long gloomily-lit corridor.
Pale globes of light set in the wall stretched as far as Zoe could see.
‘Doctor, it is like the TARDIS—bigger inside than out.
Who else has space-time machines like yours?’
The Doctor looked uneasy. ‘There is an explanation, but I hope...’ He stopped.
‘What is it, Doctor?’
He had turned and was hurrying back down the corridor to the corner they had just rounded. Zoe followed, in time to look over his shoulder as the door closed. All at once she felt the floor shuddering.
‘We’ve taken off!’ she yelled.
‘Perhaps this will take us where we want to go,’ the Doctor answered calmly.
‘Where you want to go.’ The floor had stopped shuddering now. She guessed the sidrat had dematerialised and was now moving through space, time or both.
‘What’s down here?’ The Doctor had found another long corridor. Set in the wall at regular intervals were circular viewing windows. He looked in the first one.
‘Indeed, very much what I expected, Zoe.’
She looked. In a large partly-lit room stood a line of German soldiers. They stood to attention, eyes open and looking straight ahead. ‘They’ve all been hypnotised,’ she said.
The Doctor had already moved to the next circular window. Zoe raced after him. In an identical room was a column of Roman legionaries, also standing to attention like toy soldiers in a box, eyes glazed.
‘What are they all here for?’
‘They’re going to fight, Zoe. That’s what soldiers are for.’
The floor started to shudder again. ‘Do you think we’re materialising again, Doctor?’
‘Yes, Zoe. Perhaps now we shall get the answers to some of our questions...’
Jamie and Lady Jennifer hid behind the bales of straw.
‘Your friends,’ Lady Jennifer whispered, ‘what’s happened to them?’
‘I don’t know,’ Jamie answered, frightened at being on his own now. ‘Don’t expect me to explain these things...’
She put her fingers to her lips. The people they had heard were closer now. A group of weary Confederate soldiers staggered into the barn, glad of somewhere to rest.
Two were freshly wounded; blood spattered their light grey uniforms.
‘Where did all them Yankee ree-cruits come from?’ said one man, flopping down on the straw. ‘I’m darned sure I picked off two of them.’ He patted his rifle affectionately.
Lady Jennifer could not take