Doctor Who_ War Games - Malcolm Hulke [52]
Lieutenant Carstairs looked around the desolation of mud, barbed wire and waterlogged shell holes. ‘It’s so quiet.’
‘The fighting has stopped,’ said the Doctor.
Carstairs grabbed the Doctor’s arm. ‘Quick, into a shell hole!’
About two kilometres away the Doctor saw two men in grey uniforms with spiked helmets. ‘No, Lieutenant, the fighting is over. You’re not fighting Germans and they are not fighting you.’
‘I’m sorry. How stupid of me.’ Carstairs hesitated before putting his question. ‘Doctor, did my war really end in 1917?’
‘You mustn’t ask me that, Lieutenant.’
‘Then I can’t ask whether my side won, or if I was killed?’
From a hillock of mud some distance away Jamie waved excitedly. He cupped his hands to his mouth and called across the wasteland. ‘Over here, Doctor! I can just see it.’
‘Excuse me,’ said the Doctor, offering his hand. ‘They have found my TARDIS. I must hurry.’
‘Did my side win?’ asked Carstairs, gripping the Doctor’s hand. ‘Was all the death and misery for nothing?’
‘You have answered your own question, Lieutenant.
War is always death and misery, and both sides lose. I hope that one day you humans will find another way to settle your arguments.’
The Doctor released his hand, and with a wave sped across the mud towards Jamie. A cold breeze suddenly whined across No Man’s Land, chilling him to the bone.
He put on greater speed to reach the top of the hillock where Jamie was waiting. Zoe was down the other side, urging them on.
‘This way,’ she called up to them. ‘Not far to go.’
The TARDIS stood exactly where the Doctor had left it.
The sight of it urged him on. Soon all three were racing across flat open land and the Doctor was already fishing in his pockets for the key.
Zoe, running ahead, was the first to hit the force field.
All at once she was struggling against something unseen, like a swimmer in thick treacle.
‘Doctor,’ she called back, ‘what’s happening?’
‘We must concentrate,’ the Doctor gasped. ‘Help me with the key.’
With a combined effort they managed to put the key in the lock of the TARDIS.
‘We’ll be all right now,’ said Jamie.
But Zoe had already gone inside. ‘No, it’s in here. I can hardly breathe. It’s... it’s drowning us.’
Outside another sudden gust of cold wind whipped across the land, and this time it kept blowing.
11
The Trial of Doctor Who
The Doctor struggled towards the control column and managed to pull the door lever. Once the door had closed their sense of drowning eased a little. The Doctor went to the dematerialisation controls.
‘Let’s see if I can boost enough power to break out of this force field. Hold on!’
The TARDIS shuddered, the sensation they were accustomed to when it took flight. All three sank to the floor, exhausted.
‘We’ve made it,’ said Jamie. ‘We’re on our way to—
somewhere.’ He knew from past experience the Doctor’s inability to direct the TARDIS.
Zoe asked, ‘Doctor, why are you trying to get away from the Time Lords? Why did you leave them in the first place?’
‘I was bored. They’re very dull. They have immense powers, their life spans are infinite. Yet all they do is to observe and gather knowledge. As for myself, I like to get involved in things.’
‘You certainly do,’ said Jamie with feeling.
Zoe said, ‘Does the TARDIS belong to them?’
‘What? Oh, I suppose it does in a sense.’
‘You mean you stole it?’
‘I borrowed it,’ said the Doctor evasively. ‘In any case, it’s not one of the best models. The chameleon effect doesn’t work. It shouldn’t stay looking like a London police box, you know. It should always change to fit into its surroundings.’
‘You still have no right to it,’ said Zoe.
‘Well, I suppose if one wanted to be very legalistic about the matter...’
Fortunately for the Doctor, who did not wish to pursue this conversation, the sound and shudder of materialisation started.
‘That was quick,’ said Jamie.
‘I boosted the power,’ said the Doctor. ‘Let’s see where we are.’ He got up, crossed to the external scanner and turned it on. They saw a picture of beautiful