Doctor Who_ Wooden Heart - Martin Day [61]
Memories and fears flashed around Jude in quick succession, a dizzying jumble of images and sounds. She forced her eyes shut and started to shout, to scream at the top of her voice, to force out confused words until her head throbbed with the effort of it all.
‘I don’t want to change anything,’ she said. ‘I did the best I can! Let me out of here!’
The boat pitched suddenly to one side. Martha felt her legs slide from beneath her. Saul pulled her to her feet just as a plume of spray and another sudden lurch announced the arrival of one of the shark-like creatures. This one seemed to want to hurl itself over the side of the boat. It landed awkwardly, making the entire craft list terrifyingly.
Even Saul was off balance now, and Martha slipped over and onto the floor. Within moments she was sliding towards the creature. Her trainers couldn’t get a grip on the boat’s soaked wooden boards. All she could see was the creature’s gaping mouth.
Just in time, Martha was able to push herself to the side, avoiding the snapping jaws as the beast thrashed around. Her feet found purchase on the flattened edge of the boat; she twisted away from the great blunt head as it tried to find her.
There was a sudden ringing noise: Saul had unsheathed both swords. Though the boat was still at forty-five degrees to the lake’s surface, he let out a battle shout and jumped nimbly towards the creature. First one blade, then the other, made silver arcs in the air. Martha instinctively glanced away.
The creature seemed barely to feel the attack. It arched its spine-covered tail high over its head, as if intending to smash it down against the matchstick boat.
Martha grabbed her chance, scrabbling for one of the oars that had come free and swinging it wildly towards the creature as it came at her.
Suddenly – and with a look that Martha would have sworn was a mixture of resentment and disappointment – the creature wriggled off the boat. With a huge, rending shrug of its entire body, it disappeared beneath the waves.
The boat rocked fiercely from side to side; Martha wondered for a moment if she were about to pitch over into the dark lake, but Saul’s great arm steadied her. She was about to thank him when, with a roar of water and flesh, the wounded monster emerged once more, to the far side of the tiny ship. It brought its entire head down onto the boat, using its protective horns to smash through the wooden planks. Martha saw a crack appear beneath her feet; she wasn’t sure how much punishment the little vessel could take.
Petr sprang to his feet, swinging at the attacking creature with one of the oars. Water was cascading into the boat now, over the side where the beast was pushing down, through numerous holes and splits in the tar-covered woodwork.
The monster snapped at Petr’s oar, splintering it, then lunged towards them, hissing. Petr jumped out of the way just in time; within moments Saul was at his side, running forwards with swords outstretched.
The creature twisted sinuously, avoiding Saul’s attack and raking its horns across the floor of the craft. In a flash its teeth snapped shut around Saul’s legs.
Saul cried out, instinctively dropping both weapons and trying to escape, but the creature held firm. Martha jumped across to help, gripping Saul’s arms while Petr held him about the torso. They were all waist deep in water now, only pockets of air trapped within the boat stopping it from sinking entirely. The one thing Martha cared about was releasing Saul from the jaws of the beast. But the man’s legs were trapped, and he struggled desperately.
Suddenly, another creature lunged forward and out of the water – but its cavernous mouth was pointed towards its wounded fellow. It attacked, and withdrew, in the blink of an eye.
The creature attacking Saul immediately released its grip and, twitching uncontrollably, it slipped back into the lake.
The water around what was left of the boat was a frothing frenzy as the creatures piled one over another in their desperation to feed.