Part 12 (2/2)

He looked around the room keenly. He seemed to be in some sort of luxurious apartment, and he noticed for the first time that he was slumped in an armchair that would, in other circ.u.mstances, have been hugely comfortable. His wrists and ankles were bound, and he couldn't feel his feet at all. When he tried to push himself into a more upright position, the cramp in his legs caused him to cry out in pain.

'Are you compos mentis compos mentis yet, or what?' asked a familiar voice. yet, or what?' asked a familiar voice.

'You always were good at Latin, as I remember,' said the Doctor, still wincing against the terrible ache in his legs. 'Nice place you've got here.'

'Ta,' said Shanks, looking almost embarra.s.sed, although there was no one else in the room to hear the Doctor's remark. He knelt beside the Doctor, beginning to loosen his bonds. 'The drug will take a while to wear off, so don't do anything too energetic just yet.'

'I know,' said the Doctor, feeling as though his head was stuffed with cotton wool. He had a vague memory of Shanks injecting him with something during the long journey from Hexen Bridge. 'I am a pharmacologist. Amongst other things.'

'You poor b.l.o.o.d.y divvy,' said Shanks with a seemingly genuine sadness. 'You ain't gonna like what I've got planned for you.'

On her second morning in Hexen Bridge, Ace awoke to the sound of smas.h.i.+ng crockery. The Matsons were clearly having a big argument in the kitchen. Ace didn't like listening in on private conversations, but the volume employed made it impossible not to.

'I saw you at the stinking yellow restaurant!' It was Bob Matson in full flood. 'Try and deny it.'

'I was talking business.' business.' Joanna's voice was calmer, but the anger in it, too, was unmistakable. Joanna's voice was calmer, but the anger in it, too, was unmistakable.

'Oh, don't give me that. You're s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g that c.h.i.n.k kid.'

'That's rich coming from you. At least he's he's over sixteen.' over sixteen.'

'What the h.e.l.l are you on about, woman?'

'That bit of jailbait you've been knocking up. Our ”guest”.

There are laws in this country.'

Ace couldn't help but s.h.i.+ver; the entire idea was too gruesome for words.

'You're round the b.l.o.o.d.y twist! Anyway, she's over sixteen.'

'Oh, you know, do you?' shrieked Joanna, the first touch of hysteria audible in her voice.

Ace had heard enough. This had gone way beyond soap-opera funny. These were real people self-destructing beneath her feet, and it was time to get out. She pulled on her clothes as quickly as she could, and bolted out of the back door.

She let out a long sigh as the door closed behind her. The only thing you could say in the Matsons' defence was that they probably deserved each other. Anyway, she had work to do.

What she needed was an outsider's point of view, someone who had been in the village long enough but hadn't been swept away by the festering insanity. Someone she could trust. Rebecca was the obvious choice, but she'd been born and raised here, and the thing with the handwriting still spooked Ace. The Chens seemed the next-best bet.

Ace strolled down the lane towards A Taste of the Orient, wondering whether to mention what she'd seen Bob Matson doing the previous night. When Steven Chen pulled open the door, his smile was so full of bitterness and fear that Ace decided to leave the subject well alone. The Chens must have known who was behind the racist attacks, and it seemed foolish to raise the matter so abruptly. Perhaps they had their own way of dealing with it. Maybe some strange Chinese rite could breathe life into the stone lions, who would devour Bob Matson next time he came calling.

'h.e.l.lo,' said Steven. 'What can I do for you?'

'I delivered your note,' replied Ace brightly.

Steven immediately put a finger to his lips. 'Come inside,'

he whispered, holding the door open for her.

Steven Chen led Ace into the kitchens, which were deserted. He seemed to be in the middle of was.h.i.+ng the floor, the metal work-surfaces already looking clean enough to eat off. Which, decided Ace, was probably just as well, given the number of tacky takeaway joints in Perivale that had been closed by Environmental Health.

'My parents do not approve of my friends.h.i.+p with Joanna,'

said Steven.

'I suppose you can see their point of view,' said Ace cautiously. 'I mean, she is married to -'

'Of course,' said Steven Chen hurriedly. 'I sometimes think what we're doing is stupid.' He sighed. 'Anyway, it doesn't really matter. I hope Bob Matson hasn't made life... difficult for you.'

'No more so than usual,' smiled Ace. 'I came to ask you about the school. The Doctor disappeared during the reunion the night before last.'

'Really?' Steven looked genuinely surprised. Whatever village grapevine there was, it obviously bypa.s.sed the Chens completely. 'What's happened to him?'

'No idea,' said Ace. 'From what Rebecca's told me, the school's an odd sort of place.'

'”Odd” is one way of putting it,' said Steven. 'I've spent the last five years trying to forget about it.'

'Was it that bad?'

'If you're an outsider, they make your life an absolute h.e.l.l. I know a lot of kids have to put up with bullying, but this was systematic torture.'

'But you've lived here so long...'

'But I wasn't born born here,' said Steven. 'Thank G.o.d. None of my family were. You're either one of Jack's children, or you're not.' here,' said Steven. 'Thank G.o.d. None of my family were. You're either one of Jack's children, or you're not.'

'Jack?' queried Ace, surprised.

'Just one way they put it. I don't know what it means,' he added, hurriedly.

'I noticed that the pupils' handwriting all seemed very similar.'

Steven laughed. 'In most other places, interbreeding causes extra limbs or close-set eyes. Here...' He paused, looking around as if someone were listening. 'You wouldn't believe what it gives rise to here.'

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