Doctor Who_ Warchild - Andrew Cartmel [64]
‘Clearly your friend has never seen the figures on urban animal populations,’ he said in a snotty tone. He folded himself like a big bird into the chair by the communications console. He set his bag carefully between his feet as if it might wander off if he didn’t watch it closely. Then he took a small book out of his jacket pocket and began to read it in the dim light provided by the glowing control panels. He was ignoring the others completely.
‘What’s your name, pal?’ said Redmond.
The question seemed to bewilder the man. He carefully folded his book shut again and looked at Redmond. ‘I’m Peverell. Norman Peverell,’ he said.
‘I’m here to assess the situation,’ he added, as if this might clarify matters.
‘Yes, we know that,’ said Redmond. ‘You’re the man from the ministry.’
Suddenly Roz’s smouldering rage burst fully into flame. ‘I don’t know why we have to go through this,’ she said. ‘I don’t know why you have to assess anything.’
‘We are in a very weird situation, Ms Forrester. People are seeing strange things and saying even stranger things.
Fear breeds weird stories and hysteria. Even from hardened combat veterans we are hearing reports of things that are quite unbelievable. Reports rather like yours.’
‘Then why are you even here? Why are you taking me seriously at all?’
Norman Peverell frowned. He looked a little frightened again. ‘Because it would appear that you’ve seen the White King.’
Chapter 22
The long rubber hose was surprisingly heavy and Benny was getting fed up with carrying it. ‘I didn’t know this thing would weigh so much,’ she said.
‘It doesn’t,’ said the Doctor. ‘At least in terms of weight-permetre. The problem is that there are so many metres of it.’
‘You’re telling me,’ said Benny, helping the Doctor to haul the heavy coil of hose up the staircase. The Doctor was unwinding the hose and carefully playing it out behind them as they went, making sure that it didn’t snag on the banisters.
‘Where did you get this thing?’
‘I had it stored in the cellar,’ said the Doctor.
‘I mean, what is it for?’ said Benny. ‘Why did you have it in the first place?’ She glanced back at the winding green length of hose that curled like a monster snake, running back down the stairs to the ground floor. From there it ran past the sitting room and disappeared around the corner to the kitchen where the Doctor had anchored the other end of it under a heavy ceramic jar in the sink.
‘Well, it was for the garden originally,’ said the Doctor.
‘The garden?’
‘It was part of the sprinkler system.’
‘Why have a sprinkler system in a jungle?’ said Benny nastily. She was getting fed up lugging the heavy, rubber-stinking hose. The slimy length of it was smeared with a thick coating of dust, like so many things in this house, and this dust had begun to transfer itself to Benny’s hands, face and blouse. She was going to need a shower and a change of clothes after this.
Now, now, the garden wasn’t always in the state you’re familiar with. There was a time when it was beautifully tended. And even now it isn’t really so bad. It’s certainly not a jungle. I’ve been in jungles,’ said the Doctor. ‘And you couldn’t get one to grow here in south-east Kent. Entirely the wrong climate, even these days.’
They were at the top of the stairs now and the Doctor waited patiently for Benny to stop panting before he turned and went along the hallway towards the library. The Doctor never really seemed to get winded, a fact which normally would have impressed Benny but now seemed merely annoying.
‘I still think this is a pretty stupid idea,’ she said. Her shoulder was aching from the weight of the hose and that rubber smell was beginning to give her a headache.
‘You have a better one?’ said the Doctor. It seemed it was now his turn to become irritable.
‘Well, there must be an easier way,’ said Benny. She set the big coil of hose down for a moment.
‘The