Doctor Who_ Warlock - Andrew Cartmel [23]
‘Well, at least I can still eat the pickle,’ he said.
‘I’ve got to go now.’
‘Well, give the man our regards.’
‘I will.’
‘And maybe you’ll give him something else from me.’ Jack reached into his shirt and took out a plastic bag with a small dark object wrapped in it. He put his hand through the bars of the gate, showing it to her. The thing in the bag was an odd mottled colour. Splashes of lilac and green. Ace recognized the pattern.
‘It’s a mushroom,’ he said. ‘But I suggest that you don’t put it in your sandwich.’ He ran a thumbnail along the seal of the bag and opened it. Suddenly Ace could smell that heavy liquorice pungency. It was so strong her head swam.
She remembered how Shell smelled, and the same odour on the pills the Doctor had tested. She remembered how badly he wanted another sample and she thought of Benny halfway around the world, labouring to get him one.
Ace put her hand through the bars of the gate, reaching for the plastic bag. But Jack drew it back.
‘Don’t worry. You can have it,’ he said. ‘But only as part of a deal.’
‘What’s the deal?’
‘You come on a little ride with us.’
‘No way.’
‘Come on. I won’t try and rape you and I can probably extract a promise from Shell along similar lines.’
‘No.’
‘Come on. What else have you got to do? Are you washing your hair? We just want to take you somewhere. You’ll see some things that will open your eyes.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Okay. You don’t have to come. You have a choice about whether your eyes get opened or not.’ Jack nodded towards the fountain where Ace had thrown the photograph. ‘Unlike the poor cat in that picture.’
* * *
The Doctor was sitting in the kitchen, inspecting the strange glass shapes he kept in the box of electrical components. The ones nobody was supposed to touch. He didn’t respond as Ace came in and said hello. She could see he was lost in thought. ‘Listen,’ she said, ‘I’m feeling a little restless. I’m going to take one of the cars for a spin if that’s okay.’
‘Drive carefully,’ said the Doctor, looking up at her with his cool, level gaze.
The old wooden door of the garage made a ghastly screech as Ace opened it, using all her weight to drag it through the rust and dirt. She was sweating with frustration by the time she got it open but the Mazda started first go and she was beginning to feel better by the time she reached the bottom of the driveway and got out to unlock the gate.
The VW van was waiting there with Shell and the dog in it.
Jack hopped out to help Ace swing open the tall iron gate. He went to shut it behind her as she drove through but before he could do so a small shape darted through and out onto the street. It was Chick the cat. He sat down on the pavement and watched with interest as Jack gently swung the heavy gate shut.
Ace opened the door of the Mazda and as soon as she stepped out Chick darted inside. Jack grinned as Ace sighed and turned back to the car. ‘Come on Chick, get out.’
‘Leave him in there. It’s an omen.’
‘It’s a pain in the ass. How am I going to drive with a cat prowling around in the car?’
‘Bring him with us. He’ll be a reminder of what this whole thing’s about.’
‘What is it about?’ Ace turned to the big iron gate. She took the key out of her jacket as Jack went over to inspect the Mazda. Chick had made himself comfortable on the back seat. Jack winked at the cat.
‘Nice car,’ he said, running a hand across the smooth red finish of the bonnet.
‘It has its good points and its bad points.’ Ace grunted with effort as she turned the heavy old key in the gate’s lock. Everything in this damned place needed oiling.
‘What are the bad points?’ said Jack.
‘Plastic steering wheel. It makes my hands sweat when I do something dangerous.’
‘Maybe you shouldn’t do anything dangerous.’ Jack was watching her, his eyes noting a flash of bare torso as Ace fumbled in her jacket pocket and her T-shirt came untucked from her jeans. Then his eyes widened as he saw the gun she was carrying. ‘Are you planning on using that tonight?’
‘You tell me.’
Jack was obviously