Read Online Doctor Who: Rags by Mick Lewis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mick Lewis
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, adventure, Doctor Who (Fictitious character), Punk rock musicians, Social conflict
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lounge was surprisingly empty but for two men leaning against the oak bar. Edward seated Penelope at a corner table and made for the public telephone box in the passageway leading to the toilets.
Penelope was alone with the two men. Three men: the bald mar had decided to come in too and stood in the middle of the room watching her.
She would ignore him. Even though she felt his stare like a live shock all through her. She gazed around the lounge to take her mind off him, at the familiar oak wainscoting; the cosy, though unlit fireplace; the ancient animal traps rusting on the walls; the stuffed bear’s head that had seen better days. One of the bear’: glass eyes had fallen out, giving her the impression the creature was winking at her. The other eye reminded her of the bald man’
stare.Hurry up Edward!
* * *
59
‘Come away, Jo.’ The Doctor had to pull his companion from the crowd, so reluctant was she to miss the spectacle.
She gazed round at him blankly, and he shook her. ‘Jo!’
Her eyes swam back into focus. Alarm filled them. He drew her away from the fringe of the crowd and sat her down on one of the picnic benches beside the road.
‘You’ve got to remain alert, Jo,’ he told her sternly.
She nodded, not understanding what had happened to her, what was still happening to the rest of the audience, only knowing that something had. She felt weak, a headache nagged behind her eyes. The band continued to play, swinging their instruments dangerously, careless of any member of the audience who might venture too near.
‘Wait here,’ the Doctor instructed her and, before she could protest, he was hurrying up the lane to where Bessie was parked a hundred yards away from the pub.
Jo felt unclean. She remembered the unnatural green sick that had struck Sin and felt like throwing up herself. The music bulldozed the crowd, repelling them, inciting them.
Nick was holding Sin’s hand, and he was no longer angry at her violation. The music soothed and aroused, scared and exhilarated. It spoke in a language they could understand. The whole crowd understood. The songs encouraged Nick to free resentments and prejudices long buried. All around the homeless, the loveless, the hopeless were reacting to the vibe; there was horror, and there was hate. In time there would be much more, and it would be oh so good!
The Doctor didn’t need to look inside Bessie to check on the sensor probe. He could hear it emitting its eerie bleat from yards away. He reached in and deftly detached the instrument from the dashboard. It positively rocked in his hand. A cold finger prodded his soul. It was far more active than at Princetown. On impulse, he moved away from the car, trudging across the open moorland to
60
where the cattle truck loomed beyond the band and the enraptured crowd.
As he had sensed it would, the energy indicator all but burned In his hand the nearer he got to the filthy vehicle. And there, like a statue in the dark, the roadie waited, guarding the back doors with massive arms patiently folded. The Doctor backed up, hiding he indicator inside his cloak, unsure if the giant had seen him.
In the natural hollow, the band reached a climax of obnoxious sound.
The man must be on drugs, Penelope decided. His bulbous eyes didn’t shift from her, and his mouth was working silently.
At the bar, the other two men had turned to face her. One of them was wearing a blue anorak over a white tunic of some sort, And was fiddling with the zipper, his black lank hair falling over his wide eyes.
Ziiiiiiiiiip.Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip
The noise played on her nerves. The other man was short, fat and bearded like an oversized garden gnome, without cap or fishing rod but just as malevolently odd. He pulled something from his trouser pocket and slipped it over his head - a balaclava.
He was squinting at her, his face squashed inside the woollen I
Penelope was alone with the two men. Three men: the bald mar had decided to come in too and stood in the middle of the room watching her.
She would ignore him. Even though she felt his stare like a live shock all through her. She gazed around the lounge to take her mind off him, at the familiar oak wainscoting; the cosy, though unlit fireplace; the ancient animal traps rusting on the walls; the stuffed bear’s head that had seen better days. One of the bear’: glass eyes had fallen out, giving her the impression the creature was winking at her. The other eye reminded her of the bald man’
stare.Hurry up Edward!
* * *
59
‘Come away, Jo.’ The Doctor had to pull his companion from the crowd, so reluctant was she to miss the spectacle.
She gazed round at him blankly, and he shook her. ‘Jo!’
Her eyes swam back into focus. Alarm filled them. He drew her away from the fringe of the crowd and sat her down on one of the picnic benches beside the road.
‘You’ve got to remain alert, Jo,’ he told her sternly.
She nodded, not understanding what had happened to her, what was still happening to the rest of the audience, only knowing that something had. She felt weak, a headache nagged behind her eyes. The band continued to play, swinging their instruments dangerously, careless of any member of the audience who might venture too near.
‘Wait here,’ the Doctor instructed her and, before she could protest, he was hurrying up the lane to where Bessie was parked a hundred yards away from the pub.
Jo felt unclean. She remembered the unnatural green sick that had struck Sin and felt like throwing up herself. The music bulldozed the crowd, repelling them, inciting them.
Nick was holding Sin’s hand, and he was no longer angry at her violation. The music soothed and aroused, scared and exhilarated. It spoke in a language they could understand. The whole crowd understood. The songs encouraged Nick to free resentments and prejudices long buried. All around the homeless, the loveless, the hopeless were reacting to the vibe; there was horror, and there was hate. In time there would be much more, and it would be oh so good!
The Doctor didn’t need to look inside Bessie to check on the sensor probe. He could hear it emitting its eerie bleat from yards away. He reached in and deftly detached the instrument from the dashboard. It positively rocked in his hand. A cold finger prodded his soul. It was far more active than at Princetown. On impulse, he moved away from the car, trudging across the open moorland to
60
where the cattle truck loomed beyond the band and the enraptured crowd.
As he had sensed it would, the energy indicator all but burned In his hand the nearer he got to the filthy vehicle. And there, like a statue in the dark, the roadie waited, guarding the back doors with massive arms patiently folded. The Doctor backed up, hiding he indicator inside his cloak, unsure if the giant had seen him.
In the natural hollow, the band reached a climax of obnoxious sound.
The man must be on drugs, Penelope decided. His bulbous eyes didn’t shift from her, and his mouth was working silently.
At the bar, the other two men had turned to face her. One of them was wearing a blue anorak over a white tunic of some sort, And was fiddling with the zipper, his black lank hair falling over his wide eyes.
Ziiiiiiiiiip.Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip
The noise played on her nerves. The other man was short, fat and bearded like an oversized garden gnome, without cap or fishing rod but just as malevolently odd. He pulled something from his trouser pocket and slipped it over his head - a balaclava.
He was squinting at her, his face squashed inside the woollen I
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