Part 23 (2/2)

'Thank you,' he babbled. 'Thank you for coming and rescuing me.'

'Just stop it, Chris. You're okay now, for Christ's sake!'

He couldn't help it. He grabbed hold of her and kissed her.

She made a m.u.f.fled, outraged sound, and kissed him right back.

She tasted like rosemary and gunpowder.

Somewhere in the middle of it, he lost consciousness again.

'I was here in sixty-eight,' said the Doctor.

Woodworth was sitting on the edge of the dentist's chair, her arms folded tightly. Her eyes were still blank, puzzled, as though she hadn't got over the shock of realizing who he was. She looked... embarra.s.sed.

'They kept me cuffed hand and foot for three weeks,' he said. He looked around at the examination room, the tools and instruments on their metal trays, the sink, the lights. 'I really thought we'd closed down this place. I suppose it was another of those loose threads that I never got around to ravelling up.'

'I really don't give a s.h.i.+t,' said Woodworth.

'Oh, come now,' said the Doctor. 'This is the end of your career. You must be feeling a little bit of excitement. No more aliens to interrogate. No more interesting extraterrestrial bodies to slice up.'

'Don't try to make me feel guilty,' she said. 'Everything I've done has been for the good of Great Britain. For the good of the planet.'

The Doctor leant close, his eyes flas.h.i.+ng with rage.

Woodworth found herself flinching back. He was nothing like the man in her photos. 'The end never justifies the means,'

he said, in a terrifyingly soft voice. 'Because the means used determine the kind of end produced. If I can grasp that, then so can you.'

'We need information,' said Woodworth. 'We have to have information to keep the country safe.'

'You've interrogated them,' said the Doctor. 'But did you ever try just talking to them? You don't do this because you're curious. You do it because you're frightened.'

'How dare you?' hissed Woodworth. 'The number of times I have risked my life -'

The Doctor reached out and poked her on the arm. She jumped back.

'Look out,' said the little man, with a wicked grin. 'An alien is going to touch you!'

Woodworth scrambled off the chair, backing away. 'For G.o.d's sake!' she said, as he wiggled his fingers at her like a manic magician. She b.u.mped against the wall, found herself in the corner. 'G.o.d,' she said, 'I wish I had my gun.'

'There's something even worse in your handbag.'

Woodworth looked down at her bag in sudden horror. It was right at her feet, now, as though the Doctor had wanted her to back into it. It was moving! It was moving!

She jumped away from it as something small and white and alive wriggled out of it. The creature hopped across the floor and jumped into the Doctor's hands while she cringed against the wall, hating herself.

Ask me what I'm going to do with you,' said the Do tor, examining the little white thing. 'You tortured a friend of mine.

You've kidnapped and murdered any number of people.'

'What are you going to do with me?' she choked.

'I'm going to take you back to our our base,' said the Doctor. base,' said the Doctor.

'And then I'm going to lock you in a room with an extraterrestrial and let him him interrogate interrogate you you.'

'You can't. It's a matter of national security. You can't let British secrets fall into the hands of extraterrestrials.'

'All that secrecy isn't good for you,' said the Doctor.

'Department C19 had become a positive cabal by the time the government decided to clean its house. I don't know how they managed to miss you. But you're the only one of the old school left. Subst.i.tuting Star Wars Star Wars for the Cold War.' for the Cold War.'

He tucked the white thing into his jacket pocket. 'Well, there won't be any more secrets for you.'

He turned his back on her and went to the door.

She punched him in the shoulder, hard.

He turned to look at her in disgust. She backed away from the glare, looking surprised, and finally had to bow her head.

He closed the door behind him.

'We're finished here,' said Isaac.

'No,' said the Doctor. 'We're not.'

'Reports, please,' said the Admiral.

Joel was checking his handscan. 'There are still four people in the building,' he reported. 'We've searched every room. There are no living aliens.'

'We found Ia Jareshth in the morgue,' said Tony, 'along with the two Caxtarids who a.s.saulted the Doctor, and three other extraterrestrials.'

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