Part 37 (2/2)

Why stop when you're failing miserably?'

Albinex stormed over to him. 'Do you think this is funny?'

he snarled. 'This is not funny.'

The ghost, who had been sulking in a corner of the ceiling' drifted down to him. The Doctor sat up, holding his hat in one hand' peering at her. 'Are you all right?' he said.

I'M TIRED, said the ghost.

I'm not surprised. This is hard work.'

I WANT TO GO HOME.

Albinex raised his limbs in an angry gesture. The Doctor and the ghost looked at him. For a moment, M'Kabel thought the Navarino was going to hit one of them.

'Show him what death is like,' said Albinex.

'No!' said M'Kabel.

'Bradbury did it first,' said the Doctor.

'No,' insisted M'Kabel. 'This is sacrilege. It's in the Book of Names.'

The Doctor looked the Tzun in his black eyes. 'No one may look at the face of Death,' he recited. 'No one may strike a bargain with Death. No one may make an image of Death, No one may speak the name of Death.'

'No details,' said Albinex. 'Just the moment itself.'

'Because she has no face to look upon,' whispered M'Kabel. 'And no name to speak.'

The ghost traced the Doctor's shoulder with a burning finger. For a moment, he stared into nothing, his face reflecting surprise, denial, curiosity, acceptance. Then he slumped sideways onto the bar.

M'Kabel pushed him back before his limp form could roll onto the floor. His slender fingers sought a pulse in the Doctor's throat. 'He's alive,' he breathed.

IT WAS ONLY ONE OF HIS DEATHS, said the ghost.

THE NEXT ONE.

'Now you can rest,' Albinex told her. 'We'll try something else later.'

She should never have left him alone.

Benny had sent Jason across the road on an expedition for nappies and baby food. Keith had been too tired to eat, worn out with the excitement of his unexpected arrival. Benny had changed him and taken him upstairs to the guest bedroom, asleep in her arms. He was heavy and sweet-smelling.

She put him on the bed and watched him for a little while.

Her child. She put a hand on her stomach. Had he been conceived that morning? Had the Doctor worked some magic, or was it just time?

Was she somewhere in the future, frantic over her lost baby? Or would she remember, know where he'd gone? Or was this Keith just a possibility, a memory of the future who would simply fade away?

She'd gone into the bathroom to wash her face. It was after midnight, and she was exhausted.

She shouldn't have left him.

She almost walked into Woodworth, who'd been waiting for her to come back into the room. When she opened her mouth to yell, Woodworth shoved her fist into it.

A bright light filled her field of vision as she stumbled back into the door, trying to keep her balance. It was only a few seconds before the light faded and she could function again. But in that time the torturer had run out, clutching her baby.

Benny almost tripped over Ms Randrianasolo, who was lying half in and half out of the study, very unconscious. She stepped over the black woman and raced down the back stairs, hearing the door slam ahead of her.

Woodworth headed for the road. She skidded in gravel, nearly dropping Keith, as Jason exploded out of the front door of the cafe and bolted down the street.

Benny sprinted after her. She wanted to shout something to Woodworth, some plea or frantic promise, but she needed all her breath for running.

It was only a coincidence that Chris walked out of the cottage at the moment Woodworth was running by. He took one look at her and hurdled the front fence, standing in her path. She veered left and into the churchyard.

Benny was through the gates even before Chris.

Woodworth was stumbling between the gravestones, looking for a way out, one hand clutching the back of Keith's overalls.

Afterwards' Benny realized she had seen the strange light, an orange, pulsing glow like a low campfire, coming from a corner of the graveyard. But she was so fixated on WoodWorth and Keith, barely visible by the distant street lights, that she hadn't taken any notice of it.

Chris was beside her, in his pyjamas and bare feet. 'All right,' he said calmly. 'We're not armed, and we're not going to come any closer. You're not in any danger. Why don't you tell us what you want?'

'Just you b.l.o.o.d.y keep away from me!' Woodworth snarled.

Jason had come in through the gate, followed by Isaac and Roz. Where was the Doctor? Chris glanced back at them and raised a hand.

'No problem,' the Adjudicator told Woodworth. 'I'll tell you what. Why don't you let the kid come over here, and then all of us will just back away slowly? How does that sound?'

Woodworth just held Keith more tightly. 'Don't talk to me!'

she squealed. 'Shut up, whatever the h.e.l.l you are! All of you, you're all monsters' just leave me alone!'

The heartbeat filled the graveyard, suddenly, as though a switch had been thrown. They all looked around for the source of the sound. Woodworth let out an almighty scream, One of the tombstones was coming for her.

'What the cruk is that that?' said Chris.

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