Part 4 (1/2)

'Come on!

No time for gawping!'

said the Doctor indistinctly through a final mouthful of toast.

36.'I wasn't gawping at the view, I was looking at the lighthouse,' said Rose indignantly. 'I thought you were planning on getting out there.'

'Yes, that's next on the list, but I want to see Mr Morton first. Got a gut feeling about him.'

Laughter suddenly cut through the morning air and a gang of half a dozen children ranging in age from about ten to about twelve barrelled around the corner, almost cannoning into them. The children skidded to a halt. At once the laughter stopped and they stared at the Doctor and Rose suspiciously, their faces a mixture of bravado and fear, a look that Rose recognised from all children who have just been caught doing something they shouldn't have. The Doctor obviously recognised the look too. He stood with his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his coat, staring at them with mock sternness.

'h.e.l.lo. And where are you lot heading off to in such a hurry?'

One of the older boys, with a tangle of untidy blond hair, looked back at him defiantly. 'None of your business, is it?'

'None at all!' said the Doctor cheerfully. 'I'm just being nosy. Can't help it. See something I don't know about, have to stick my hooter in!'

There was the patter of feet and more high-pitched laughter, and two other figures hared into view. It was Ali with a boy.

'Ahl I might have known,' cried the Doctor. 'Little Ali! It's always the small ones you've got to watch.'

'I'm not small!' Ali frowned.

The boy with her clenched his fists. 'She doesn't like being called small.'

Rose stifled a smile. 'He's keen,' she muttered.

The boy obviously heard her and reddened. 'Do you know him?' he asked.

Ali nodded. 'He's a doctor. He's staying with Mum and Dad. That's Rose.' Ali gave her a shy smile.

The kids suddenly looked worried and the blond boy took a step backwards.

'What've they called a doctor for? We don't need any doctor.'

37.The Doctor shook his head. 'I'm not any any doctor, I'm THE Doctor. Completely different. We're off to investigate the rectory. A lady called Bronwyn thinks it might have something to do with the creatures in the woods. What do you think?' doctor, I'm THE Doctor. Completely different. We're off to investigate the rectory. A lady called Bronwyn thinks it might have something to do with the creatures in the woods. What do you think?'

The children shuffled awkwardly again.

'Dunno what you mean.' The blond boy wouldn't meet the Doctor's gaze.

'Really?' The Doctor dropped on to his haunches, bringing him head height with Ali. ''cause Ali here certainly does, and she's not remotely scared of talking about them.'

'I'm not scared.' The boy was angry again. 'Not scared of the monsters or you or them at the rectory!'

'So you've been there?'

The boy clenched his jaw. 'Maybe.'

'We play dare,' piped up Ali. 'We've all done it now. Even me. Knocking at the door. Hiding from them.'

'Hiding from who?' asked Rose.

Ali shrugged. 'Dunno who they are. They wear masks. Like in hospital. And white coats. We've seen. . . '

The boy standing next to her dug her in the ribs with his elbow and she stopped.

'Seen what?' Rose crouched down next to the Doctor. 'What have you seen? You can tell us, honest.'

Ali looked around her friends, then shook her head. 'Nothing.'

'Come on. What are we hanging around here for?' And with that the blond boy set off down the hill at a jog, shouting back over his shoulder, 'He's not a teacher or our parents. We don't have to talk to him.'

The rest of the gang started to run after him, Ali with them. She stopped and looked back at Rose for a moment, then hurried to catch up her friends.

Rose straightened. 'She so so wants to tell us something.' wants to tell us something.'

'She did tell us something. Figures at the rectory with surgical masks dressed in white lab coats.'

'The people you saw last night, by the sea!'

38.'Yes.' The Doctor nodded. 'Come on. Let's see if we can play dare too.'

The two of them set off along the narrow lane again. Before long they turned a corner and there were the gates of the rectory, tall and imposing. And unlocked. They didn't look as though they had been used for years, ivy and brambles twining through the rusted iron bars. Beyond them they could see the house itself at the end of a curving gravel drive.

'Very nice!' The Doctor was impressed. 'Old Nathaniel's definitely a local boy made good, eh?'

Rose grimaced and crunched up the drive after the Doctor. The house was cold and dour-looking, enough to give the kids nightmares with or without monsters. There was a flicker of movement at the edge of her vision and she looked up in time to see heavy curtains on the first floor swing back into place. She hurried over to join the Doctor on the porch.

'Someone knows we're here.'

'Good. Not much point in coming all this way to find no one at home.'

The Doctor grasped the heavy bra.s.s knocker and rapped forcefully on the door. From inside Rose could hear the sound of movement, footsteps on a hard floor, and then, with a clatter of keys and bolts, the door swung open.

An imposing thin-faced woman in a pristine white lab coat stood in the doorway, regarding them imperiously.

The Doctor held out a hand, grinning from ear to ear. 'Good morning. I'm Dr. . . Jones. . . and this is my PA, Miss. . . Evans. We have an appointment to see Nathaniel Morton.'

The woman looked at the Doctor's outstretched hand with distaste, making no move to take it. 'An appointment?'

'Well, I say appointment. It's not exactly an appointment. . . it's not like we booked it with his secretary or anything. You're not his secretary, are you?'

The woman glared at him.

'Course you're not. Silly of me. Well, it's a bit more informal than 39 that. Less of an appointment, more of a 'drop by if you're pa.s.sing'

sort of thing. Not that Mr Morton said that as such, it's just we were pa.s.sing and we thought we'd drop by. . . ' The Doctor tailed off. 'He does actually live here, doesn't he? Mr Morton?'