Read Online Doctor Who: Shada by Douglas Adams, Gareth Roberts, Douglas Roberts - Free Book Online

extraordinary lifestyle. He has no more power than the others.’
    ‘Indeed, my lord,’ said the soothing voice.
    Skagra nodded curtly. ‘Only one has the power I seek. And when I have the book that power shall be mine.’
    ‘Yes, my lord,’ said the voice.
    ‘Get me the Command Station,’ Skagra ordered.
    The data-window flickered and resolved into a new image. A face.
    ‘All goes well,’ said Skagra. ‘I shall be with you very soon. And then, let the universe prepare itself for me.’
    A voice rumbled sepulchrally from the screen, echoing around the command deck. The words were clear, but they were accompanied by a sound like an exceptionally irritated earthquake. ‘Everything is ready, my lord.’
    Skagra gazed on the face of his most glorious and most terrifying creation. The red eyes glowed like twin furnaces. The roughly hewn features were formed from living rock. Smoke billowed from the creature’s granite skin.
    With the Kraags at his side, and the book in his possession, Skagra would be unstoppable. Shada was in his reach!

Part Two
     

An Uncharitable Deduction

Chapter 14
     
    UNAWARE OF THE impending threat to the universe, Clare Keightley checked her hair in one of the porthole windows of the physics lab’s double doors, then knocked.
    ‘Come in,’ called Chris, sounding oddly preoccupied.
    Clare went in. She was puzzled. She was used to Chris being hesitant and nervous where she was concerned. In fact she was used to most people at Cambridge being hesitant and nervous where she was concerned.
    When she’d first arrived at Cambridge five years earlier as an undergraduate, fresh from a sixth-form comp in Manchester, she’d been surprised at how nervous and hesitant everyone in the faculty seemed to be. She formulated a theory that they had stumbled upon some massive discovery that would change the world for ever and were keeping it a closely guarded secret. It had taken her a few weeks to realise that the hushed voices, sweaty palms and nervous glances of her fellow students were actually because she was female. Most of them knew women only as mothers, matrons and chums’ sisters.
    As they’d got to know her, the ice had thawed. All of them had come to relax around her at least a little, apart from Chris, whose face could not hide a micro-expression of terror whenever he first encountered her. And that was, peculiarly, one of the reasons why Clare liked him so much. He was clumsy and gauche. You weren’t supposed to find that sexy. But Clare loved doing things you weren’t supposed to, like coming from a council flat and becoming a top scientist. So she did.
    This time was different. Irritatingly different, given the circumstances. She was leaving in three days, for goodness’ sakes. If Chris was going to make his move, he should be down on one knee, or at least hovering hesitantly and nervously as per. Instead he was sat at a desk, boggling – that was the only word for it – boggling at a small red book, five by seven inches. He didn’t even look up as she came in.
    ‘Chris?’
    ‘Ssh,’ he said, turning the little book over and over in his hands and continuing to boggle.
    ‘What do you mean, “Ssh”?’ said Clare. ‘You told me to drop everything and come running. So I did!’
    Chris turned the pages of the book, shaking his head and tutting to himself.
    ‘I can easily go away again,’ said Clare.
    At last Chris looked up. ‘Then you’ll miss something extraordinary!’
    Clare sighed. ‘What?’
    ‘Something quite extraordinary,’ said Chris.
    Clare had had enough. ‘Why are you being so pompous and odd?’ she asked.
    Chris waved the book at her. ‘This book, Keightley! This book will do to the world of science what the Japanese did to Pearl Harbour!’
    ‘What, dive-bomb it?’ She sat down. ‘I didn’t know you were writing a book.’
    ‘I didn’t write it!’ cried Chris excitedly, as if it were the most obvious thing. ‘I found it.’
    ‘What, just lying