Part 36 (1/2)

'I've been around,' said Ace. 'The Doctor says that ancient evil can be found everywhere. It exists because it is is ancient, and it ancient, and it is is evil. There's no other reason.' evil. There's no other reason.'

'Which reminds me,' said Trevor. 'The Doctor's gone off after Jack.'

Ace couldn't suppress a grin. 'He's back?' she queried.

'Yeah,' said Trevor. 'He's at the Green Man.'

'Then I'd better get after him,' said Ace. 'He'll need my help.'

'No,' said Trevor. 'He said he wanted you to leave the ”big picture” to him.' Trevor made no attempt to conceal his puzzlement. 'He said you'd know what he meant.'

Ace grabbed a torch from Denman, her eyes bright. 'Yeah, I think I know.' She turned to look at the others. 'We need to make some torches, split up, and sort these scarecrows out.

They'll be making for the boundary. The edge of the stain.'

'How do you figure that one, then?' asked Steven, watching as Trevor completed fas.h.i.+oning a makes.h.i.+ft torch from a piece of wood with a rag soaked in petrol.

'Jack is the main picture, right?' explained Ace. 'The scarecrows are just his bootboys. It looks like most of them have gone back to their sentry posts. And, if the church photographs showed anything, it's that the edge of the stain is important.'

'Have you seen my father?' queried Rebecca, picking up on what Ace had said.

'No,' answered Ace, before anyone else could reply.

Steven glared at the young woman, but said nothing.

'I'm up for that,' said Denman with a dramatic thump on the table.

Ace nodded at the man's enthusiasm. 'I suppose someone ought to check the Professor's OK,' she said. 'I'd do it myself, but I reckon I'm going to be a bit busy killing scarecrows for the next few hours.'

'We'll find the Doctor for you,' said Rebecca, although, in truth, Trevor looked less than thrilled at the prospect of meeting Jack i' the Green. 'All my life I've been terrified of Jack,' continued Rebecca. 'Now it's time to find out what he is.'

'Steven? Joanna?' asked Ace.

'I'm with you,' said Joanna immediately.

Steven couldn't hide his surprise. 'Since when have you been brave?'

'I'm not,' said Joanna, as if surprised at the strength of her exclamation. 'But we can't just wait here and do nothing.'

'That's the spirit,' said Ace. She turned to Steven. 'What about your parents?'

Mrs Chen put a calming hand on Steven's arm. 'We'll be safe here,' she said in a tired whisper. 'The spirits of this place have always been good to us. Just be careful.'

Steven hugged her. 'We'll be back before dusk,' he said.

'Make yourself torches, try to lock the doors, and don't let anybody in, no matter how plausible they sound.'

'Right,' said Ace as she headed for the door. 'I think I'm going to enjoy this.'

The black soil was expanding all the time, like an ink blot flowing over the fields. The ground shook as the alien creature pushed its tendrils far out into the countryside.

What had once taken decades or centuries was now visible to the naked eye.

Ace, Denman, Steven and Joanna watched the dark stain from their vantage point behind a clump of trees. Numerous scarecrows trod resolutely just in front of the ever-growing alien ma.s.s, each one no more than five yards from its companion. The protective cordon of abused humanity stretched over the arcing hills and out of sight.

'I'd like a closer look,' whispered Ace. That Jack thing must be vulnerable at the edge of the stain.'

Steven nodded, remembering again the photographs that had cost Baber his life.

'Even with our torches those scarecrows are too close together,' said Denman.

'Then we'd better s.h.i.+ft them,' said Steven. 'A diversion.

Who's with me?'

'Listen, lad,' said Denman. 'This isn't the time to impress anyone with pretend '

'You chicken, then?'

Ace opened her mouth to interrupt the argument, but Steven was already gone, bounding over the blackened earth between them and the edge of the creature. Denman swore, and set off after him.

'Men,' said Ace bitterly.

'Yeah,' said Joanna. Her eyes widened in concern as Steven and Denman approached the line of scarecrows, shouting and waving their sputtering torches. Immediately the scarecrows deviated from their slow advance in front of the alien ma.s.s, and moved as one towards the humans.

Denman and Steven ran off, a small group of stickmen following. A gap was left in the cordon, the other scarecrows resuming their diligent march.

'Now's our chance,' said Ace.

The mirror parted like water as Hatch emerged into the tunnel.

He turned and used the rippling reflection for its proper purpose, straightening his tie and his hair. He walked back up the tunnel towards the Green Man's cellar, whistling tunelessly. He strode out of the pub and spent a moment looking at the village green, now quiet and still. A smile played at the corner of his mouth.

'Did I miss all the fun?' he asked.