Doctor Who_ War Games - Malcolm Hulke [4]
‘What is it?’ said the face.
‘Smythe here,’ said the general, though he knew that his fellow War Lord could see perfectly well who it was. ‘This is the 1917 Zone, British area. We need reinforcements again.’
‘How many?’
‘About five thousand specimens.’
‘It will be arranged,’ said the voice. ‘But we want to see you at Control in person.’
‘Delighted,’ said Smythe. ‘I’ll come right away.’
He turned off the video screen and replaced the portrait of the royal family. Then he went to the tall wardrobe, opened its doors and went inside.
*
Lieutenant Carstairs felt his luck was in to be driven away from the front line by such an attractive ambulance driver.
Major Barrington, the front line commander, led the way in his staff car. He had invited Carstairs to be his passenger, but the young lieutenant said he thought that the ambulance should have his personal protection. What’s more, the ambulance contained the three troublesome civilian prisoners and he did not want them to escape.
They were safely in the back, guarded by four armed privates.
‘My name is Carstairs,’ he said when they were under way. ‘Jeremy Carstairs.’
‘Jennifer,’ she responded. ‘Actually. Lady Jennifer Buckingham.’ She giggled.
‘Good gracious, fancy you driving an ambulance.’
‘Why not?’ She changed gear as they went around a shell crater in the road. ‘Everyone has to do their bit for the old country.’
‘You must be related to Lord Buckingham.’
‘My father,’ she said. ‘What about your family?’
‘Oh, we’re just very ordinary people,’ he answered. In fact his father owned two factories in Yorkshire and a chain of shops, but in those days you did not admit to a Lady that your father was in commerce.
‘Still,’ she said, charitably, ‘you’re fighting for your King and that’s all that matters. How long have you been at the front?’
‘I’ve been out here...’ He hesitated. ‘That’s odd, I can’t remember.’ He quickly tried to change the subject.
‘Whereabouts is your hospital?’
‘Oh, it’s...’ She trailed off, her eyes looking straight ahead to the back of Major Barrington’s car. ‘It’s not very far away.’
‘But where?’ asked Carstairs.
‘You’ll think me potty, but I can’t quite remember.’
He looked at her. ‘Any more than I can remember how long I’ve been here.’
She smiled very prettily. ‘Don’t let it worry you. We’re probably both suffering from a bit of shell shock.’
‘Yes,’ he agreed, uncertainly. ‘I suppose we are...’
Sergeant-Major Burns shouted the order: ‘Left, right, left, right. Prisoners and escort halt!’
The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe were marched into Smythe’s office and stood in line before a trestle table. Carstairs and Lady Jennifer followed and stood to one side. Major Barrington came forward to Captain Ransom.
‘Prisoners from the front line for interrogation, sir.’
‘I’ll get the General.’ Ransom got up and went to the door of the little makeshift bedroom. He tapped and called,
‘Sir, the prisoners are here.’ There was no answer and he tapped again: ‘Sir?’ He turned to Major Barrington. ‘The General was working most of the night. He’s probably taking a nap.’
Quietly Ransom opened the door and went inside. The room was empty. Since the single window was barred against intruders, and since he had been in the office from the time he saw the general go into his bedroom, he was very puzzled. He went back into the office.
‘The general must have slipped out for a moment,’ he said, trying to believe himself. ‘The prisoners can be locked up until he is ready for them—’
The bedroom door opened quietly and General Smythe stepped out. ‘These are the prisoners, are they?’
Captain Ransom swung round, astounded to see the general. ‘I just looked in your room, sir. You weren’t there.’
Smythe fixed Captain Ransom with cold, staring eyes.
In a steady voice he said, ‘You looked into my room and I was sleeping.’
Ransom’s eyes were also staring as he said in a slow mechanical voice, ‘I looked into your room, sir, and you were sleeping.’
‘Good,’ said the general.