Doctor Who_ Warlock - Andrew Cartmel [146]
Benny followed him into the petrol‐smelling darkness. Creed was standing in the pale green glow of a tall glass cylinder. Benny went over to join him. She said, ‘Where did the Doctor get the life‐support tube?’
‘It’s the one that Vincent was in. At Thanet airport.’
‘Was it difficult freeing Vincent? Getting him away from IDEA?’
‘Not really. There was no one there. Webster was the only one left. Artie and the Cowboy Monster had apparently already flown back to the States.’
‘Good old Artie. Anyone get hurt?’
‘No. Webster seemed almost pleased to see me. He asked me to point a gun at him, though, so he wouldn’t look too bad in his report. I agreed, for old times’ sake.’
‘I guess he still felt guilty about that business in Canterbury.’
‘Yeah,’ said Creed. ‘But that’s no one’s fault. Anyhow, we got Vincent out in one piece and set about waking him up. But we brought the tank back here. Just as well we did.’ He peered into the green fluid.
‘How long does he have to stay in there?’
Benny stared through the glass at the man called Jack. He floated in the cylinder, his eyes shut. His long hair and his beard floated around his fat face like gently swaying red seaweed.
‘Forever, unless we can find his mind.’
‘And the Doctor believes it’s stuck inside a dog somewhere?’
‘It sounds crazy, I know. But that’s what Ace says, too.’
‘Well, crazy things have been happening ever since I discovered warlock. Ever since the Mayans gave us our first taste. Do you remember that?’
‘I’ll never forget it. You handled things very well.’
‘Yeah.’ Benny looked up from Jack’s sleeping face, floating in the pale green fluid. She looked into Creed’s eyes. ‘I was pretty impressed with you, too.’
They left the garage and wandered out into the chill morning garden, the long grass wet around their ankles. ‘Fancy a walk?’ said Benny.
‘Sure.’ They set off towards the half‐ruined Victorian greenhouse.
‘You saved her life,’ said Benny.
‘Justine? I don’t think so.’
‘Well, you saved her baby’s life. And you saved her husband.’
‘I guess so,’ said Creed.
‘Poor Vincent. He’s her husband. He’s supposed to look after her. But he was powerless when she was in her greatest danger.’ Benny looked at him. ‘He just wasn’t there. How do you suppose he feels about that?’
‘Not too good,’ said Creed. ‘But he’s going to have to learn to forget about it.’
‘And Justine hasn’t had it easy, either. She was in a very vulnerable position.’
‘About as vulnerable as a woman can get.’
‘Exactly. And she’s naturally very grateful to the man who saved her. It’s a natural response. You might say it was automatic.’ Benny looked at Creed.
‘Are you trying to tell me something?’
‘She couldn’t help it,’ said Benny quietly. They were past the greenhouse now, down by the section of old stone wall that screened the house from Allen Road. Benny stopped walking. She turned and looked at Creed. ‘Let her off the hook,’ she said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Justine doesn’t want to leave her husband for you.’
‘Then why isn’t she telling me this herself?’
‘Does she really have to? You’re just making things difficult for them. You could save her marriage. You shouldn’t let her make a mistake like this.’
‘Mistake?’
‘Splitting up with her husband and running off with you.’
‘Miss Summerfield, I think you’re smart and I’ve got a lot of time for you. So I know you won’t be offended when I say –’
‘Creed,’ said Benny softly, ‘you don’t know what I’m offering you here.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Don’t you?’
Creed shrugged. ‘Look, Benny, for years I felt like I was dead. But the last few days I felt like I was coming back to life again. Just the last few days. Just since I met Justine. For years my life was zipped up in a body bag. Now she’s set me free.’
‘She’s going to have a baby,’ said Benny in a small voice.
‘Yeah, and I’ll raise the kid like it’s my own. That’s the way it’s going to be.’
Benny looked up at him. ‘But what if it’s not going to be that way, Creed?