Doctor Who_ Wooden Heart - Martin Day [22]
‘You know as well as I do,’ said the girl. ‘The legends about the island and the fog… They’re absolutely clear!’
‘And I’m not a great believer in legends,’ said Saul. ‘Things I can see and touch… That’s all I’m interested in.’
‘Normally I’d agree with you,’ said the girl. ‘But the coincidence of it all! First the disappearances, and then Farah coming back…’
‘You’re mistaken,’ said Saul gruffly. ‘Your friend Farah will not be returning. I’m sorry.’
At that moment they heard Martha approach and turned. Saul beamed, wrapping a huge arm around the girl’s shoulders as though nothing was the matter.
‘This is Jude,’ he explained. ‘My daughter.’
‘I think I’ll come with you,’ announced the girl, shaking herself free of Saul’s embrace and obviously still spoiling for a fight with her father. ‘I haven’t been up in the woods for ages!’
‘Not today,’ said Saul, a low, warning note in his voice. ‘You know you’re not supposed to go there at all.’
‘Oh, father, don’t be silly! It’s not like I’m asking to go to the island or anything. It’s perfectly safe.’
‘No,’ said Saul, even more firmly. ‘Sorry.’
Jude was about to continue the debate but obviously caught the stern look in her father’s eyes. ‘See you later,’ she said with a frustrated sigh before bowing to Martha and turning away. She wasn’t exactly in a strop, but it was clear to Martha that she wasn’t best pleased either.
Saul watched her go, parental concern clear on his strong features.
‘Kids, eh?’ said Martha, trying to lighten the mood.
‘You have children of your own?’ asked Saul, looking her up and down. ‘Babies, perhaps,’ he added hurriedly, as if to avoid causing offence.
‘No, no,’ said Martha hurriedly. ‘But I’ve got a family. Mum, dad, sister and brother. Amounts to the same thing.’
They started to ascend the hill towards the dark slab of trees.
‘You want to protect your daughter from the monsters,’ said Martha. ‘That’s understandable.’
Saul glanced over his shoulder at the receding buildings. ‘But if the village is no longer safe…’
‘Kristine told me about the children who’ve gone missing,’ said Martha. ‘She mentioned some sort of legend, but wouldn’t say anything else about it.’
‘You should talk to the Dazai,’ said Saul. ‘She knows of such things.’
‘That sounds like the Doctor’s territory,’ said Martha. ‘I think he’s on his way to see her.’
Saul smiled. ‘Two very strong wills… I imagine they’ll get on well,’ he said.
Soon Martha was back under the canopy of leaves at the forest’s edge. She wasn’t quite sure what she was hoping to find, though she supposed some trace of the research vessel Castor was quite high on the list. The station meant a link to the TARDIS, and the TARDIS meant home. There was an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Martha’s stomach; it reminded her of the panic that had gripped her on one package holiday to Ibiza when she thought she’d lost her passport and tickets in a bar and – ridiculous though it later sounded – wondered if she’d ever see London again.
In the shady tranquillity of the trees, Saul proved as matter-of‐fact as the Doctor had been delighted and intrigued. He said little of consequence as they ventured deeper, beyond identifying occasional birds from their trilling calls and showing Martha the muddy tracks of some bear-like creature. She still thought the forest was magical. She didn’t understand why or how any of it was here, but she appreciated its haunting beauty well enough.
A bit like life, she supposed.
Moments later, Saul bent down to concentrate on one of a series of metal traps, smaller equivalents of the device that had snapped shut around the Doctor’s ankle. He cracked open the metal jaws, and pulled out a blood-streaked rabbit. He hooked the creature onto his belt and reset the trap.
‘Your friend recovered very quickly,’ said Saul, not looking up.
‘He’s amazing,’ said Martha, remembering her first proper meeting with the Doctor, and the surprise she’d got when she’d