Doctor Who_ Warchild - Andrew Cartmel [89]
‘It’s all right,’ she said. ‘I’m just a little surprised. I didn’t think you had any of the stuff. I didn’t even know it still existed.’
Benny sniffed at the fumes from the life-support fluid that clung to her clothing. She realized she had made a mistake earlier. It wasn’t fennel at all; it was the same oily cloying liquorice odour that emanated from the pill. Jack was steeped in the stuff. ‘What did you do, put it in the tank with him?’
Benny had an absurd vision of the Doctor sneaking into the library at night, taking the lid off the cylinder and sprinkling warlock into it as if he was feeding fish.
‘No,’ said the Doctor. ‘That smell is just the residue of the drug in Jack’s body.’
‘After all these years?’
‘Yes, you might say that warlock and Jack have been existing in symbiosis in the life-support tank. They’ve shared the long vigil together.’
‘You mean it’s been renewing itself in his body?’
‘Sustaining itself, shall we say. But now he’s in need of a booster dose.’ The Doctor poured a glass of brandy then he took the white pill out of his watch and crushed it between his fingers, letting the coarse white powder sift down into the glass. Benny noticed that he was careful to wipe his fingers afterwards, using a handkerchief which he then wadded and discarded in a waste-paper basket. The liquorice smell in the room became much more intense after he crushed the pill.
Benny felt herself becoming light-headed.
‘Could you help me, please?’ The Doctor gestured for Benny to join him at the end of the billiard table. She shook her head and made herself concentrate.
‘What do you want me to do?’
‘Just tilt his head up for a moment.’
Benny took Jack’s heavy sleeping head in her hands and gently lifted it; her fingers deep in his damp unkempt hair.
The petroleum smell of the life-support fluid was quite overwhelmed by the liquorice-reek of warlock. As she held his head the Doctor raised the brandy glass to his lips and carefully poured the contents between Jack’s half-open lips.
The red-haired man swallowed reflexively and as the last of the spiked brandy disappeared the smell in the room eased somewhat. But Benny didn’t find the sudden change reassuring. It was as if the warlock had merely gone into hiding, taking up residence in Jack’s body.
She lowered his head back down on to the billiard table, staring down into the pale face. Did it look somehow different now? Was there a hint of pink in his cheeks and pale lips that hadn’t been there before?
There was definitely a change. She couldn’t quite define what it was but the blank helpless expression seemed to be gone. Instead of that unformed, unborn look he now had the aspect of a man who was merely sleeping. Or maybe not even sleeping.
Maybe just pretending to be asleep.
Benny slid her fingers out of his hair, slowly, as if she was afraid she might disturb him. ‘Are you sure we’re not getting in over our heads here?’
‘No,’ said the Doctor. He picked up the air-pistol from the silver tray and handed it to Benny. ‘Would you just keep an eye on him for me?’
‘Where are you going?’
‘I need to go and find a few essential items. It won’t take long but I also need to get a vehicle from the garage.’
‘A vehicle? Why?’
‘We’re all going for a little ride,’ said the Doctor.
Chapter 29
Creed was searching the armoured car for the first-aid kit when the radio came to life. The stewardess was settled in the navigator’s chair and she looked like she might fall asleep at any moment. Creed wanted to clean her wounds properly while she was still awake to cooperate.
But just as he’d found the medical locker a voice came over the ceiling speaker, causing them both to jump.
‘Creed. Are you there? Over.’
It was Roz’s voice, speaking in a low urgent hiss.
He sat down at the communications console and responded.
‘Creed here. Are you all right?’
‘Jesus. Where were you?’
‘It’s a long story, over.’
‘Are you still in one piece?’
‘Just about.’
‘Is the armoured car operational?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then get over here. Right away.’
‘Where are you exactly?’ said Creed.