Part 7 (2/2)

Benny was walking through the small bookshop, peering at the crammed shelves. Handwritten cardboard signs marked the different subjects: WESTERN MYSTICISM, ZEN, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, TAROT. At the far end, big front windows gave a clear view of Little Caldwell. It must be a speck on the map. 'Do you get a lot of customers?'

'Yeh,' said Isaac. 'Enough. Paranormalists come here from all over the country.'

'But wouldn't that be the last thing you'd want?' said Benny, taking a copy of Dreaming the Dark Dreaming the Dark off the shelf. off the shelf.

'Know thine enemy,' said Isaac. 'Or better still, recruit them. A lot of our contacts are UFO spotters.'

'What happened to the Tisiphone Tisiphone?' She put the book back under WOMEN'S SPIRITUALITY.

'We appeared halfway between Earth and Mars, and limped as close to Earth as we dared.' He was tapping keys, bringing up the inventory program. 'Then we sent the s.h.i.+p on a course for the sun and crammed ourselves into an escape pod.'

'Where did you land?'

'In the Welsh countryside. We were lucky to come down over land. Hogan got married nine years ago. He's living in Upper Norwood. Beilby died of the common cold. And no one knows what happened to Langford.'

'I'm sorry.'

'That was all a very long time ago.' The PC beeped. 'This thing is ready at last. You know, the onetime M'Kabel -

that's Tony's real name - pulled the cover off this thing, he looked inside and just started to laugh.'

'I didn't know Tzun laughed.'

'Neither did I.'

'Grief!' said Benny, picking up a different book. ' The The Sh.o.r.editch Incident Sh.o.r.editch Incident, by H.O. Macbeth.'

'Autographed,' said Isaac.

'You've met him?'

Isaac nodded at her across the room. 'We had dinner together last year. Don't tell me you were at Sh.o.r.editch?'

'Before my time.' Benny flipped through the pages, her eyebrows skittering up her forehead. 'I wonder how many of these are about the Doctor.'

'Dozens of refugees have landed on our doorstep because of him.'

Benny frowned. 'He's saved this world a hundred times.'

'Of course,' said Isaac. 'And I've met hundreds of the survivors. You should meet Adam Colby - he's still got the nightmares, seven years later.'

She crossed the floor, put her hands on his. 'You have to get to know him,' she said. 'He's not at all like you think he is.

You know, he stood in for you at my wedding?'

Isaac looked down at her hands. 'So much of what we do has revolved around him for such a long time, and we know so little about him.' He looked back up at her. 'We dance around in a ring and suppose -'

'But the secret sits in the middle and knows,' finished Benny.

They looked at one another in astonishment.

'I used to say that when you were a child. When you asked awkward questions,' said Isaac.

He put a hand on top of hers.

'No blasters,' said Joel. 'We don't have any weapons at all.

And they're not allowed inside the perimeter of the village.'

'That's not going to make the star cops happy,' said Jason. He was looking out through the door. 'There'd better be more than one bedroom in those houses.'

'Well, of course there is,' said Joel, wiping down the counter. 'Which year did you say you were from?'

Jason hesitated. 'This one,' he said.

'You're from now?'

'Yeah, but I spent a lot of time out in s.p.a.ce. Long story.

Me and Benny have been living in the twentysixth century.'

He tested a mouthful of forgotten cappuccino. It was cold.

'You know, I'd sort of prepared myself not to say anything futuristic that might give us away.'

'Yeah,' said Joel. He threw the damp cloth into the sink with a flick of his wrist.

'But nothing about us surprises you at all.'

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