Doctor Who_ Wolfsbane - Jac Rayner [63]
„I rather think you‟re right,‟ said the Doctor. „The idea of coming back in a different body after you die - well, I believe a lot of things, but that‟s stretching it a bit far. Still, the important thing here is that George and his mother believe it.
Now, you‟d better get back to George, Harry. We need to keep an eye on him until we decide what we‟re going to do. Find out some more about tonight if you can.‟
Unfortunately, when Harry got back to the dining room, George had already gone.
Chapter Eleven
Being Buried Alive Can Become a Habit
Sarah was slowly pushing her way through the undergrowth.
The Doctor had been very good, trying to let her keep up, but going slowly didn‟t come naturally to him, she knew, and every so often he would forgetfully forge ahead. This was one of those times.
She heard a rustling of leaves, and changed her course towards the sound, assuming it to be the Doctor. It wasn‟t.
There was a woman sat at the base of an ash tree, weeping.
Sarah‟s first thought was that this was the werewolf turned back to human form, but the woman looked up and stared at her with bright hazel eyes and suddenly Sarah knew that whatever she was, she wasn‟t a wolf. She hobbled over to her and crouched down. „Are you all right?‟ she said.
The woman unfolded herself. At full height, she was almost a foot taller than Sarah, and Sarah suddenly felt awkward offering her comfort like she was a child.
„I cannot rest. This is not my time,‟ the woman said.
„Er...‟ said Sarah, trying to straighten out her knees again and wincing in pain.
„You must understand. Do you not long for your own time?‟
Sarah‟s eyes opened wide. She looked anxiously over her shoulder and then whispered, „How do you know I‟m not from here?‟
The woman in green smiled, almost puzzled. „You said so yourself.‟
„I did?‟ Could she possibly have forgotten this woman?
Surely not.
„You and the other flesh-man arrived in a strange blue tree, and took away the man and the boy.‟
„We did? We did!‟ Sarah let out a shriek of delight. „You mean, we‟ve been here already, the Doctor and me? And we rescued people!‟ This was it! This was the information she had been so desperate to hear for so long. All that visiting lunatic asylums and digging up graves, and here was an eyewitness! „You say a man. Do you know who he was? Was he about -‟ she raised an arm above her head - „so high, short curly hair, sideburns, over-polite...?‟
A nod of affirmation.
„Yes! Yes! Yes!‟ Sarah raised her hands to the heavens. „Oh, thank you! Harry is alive!‟ Then she calmed down a little.
„Let‟s just hope I don‟t go and eat him now.‟
The woman put her head to one side, questioning. Sarah almost told her to forget it, but, well, it might help to talk about it. This woman had solved one of her problems already...
„I was bitten by a werewolf,‟ she said. „Apparently that doesn‟t necessarily mean I‟m going to turn into one myself, but I can‟t say I‟m looking forward to the next full moon and finding out. The Doctor - my friend,‟ she clarified, „is out there somewhere looking for the werewolf that did it. See if she can tell us what‟s likely to happen...‟
The woman laughed.
„It‟s not funny!‟ said Sarah indignantly. „Look, have you seen this wolf? Or my friend? Tall, teeth and curls, acts like he owns the place.‟
„The wolf?‟
„My friend. His name is the Doctor. You couldn‟t have missed him.‟
„And yet I have...‟
„You couldn‟t have missed him if you‟d seen him.‟ Sarah was getting a bit sick of this. „OK, thanks for your help, I‟ll keep on looking.‟
The woman smiled. „You thank me for my help, but I have not yet given it to you.‟
Sarah‟s foot stopped halfway down on its „getting out of here‟ step. „You mean there is something you can tell me?‟
The woman shook her head.
Sarah‟s foot completed its path.
„But there is something I can do for you.‟
„I don‟t have time for games...‟ Sarah warned.
„I play no games. I wish only to help you.‟ The woman leant against the tree trunk, rubbing her hand up and down the smooth grey bark. There was a