Doctor Who - New Series Adventures - 048 - Paradox Lost by George Mann

Author:George Mann
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, General, Action & Adventure, Media Tie-In, Fiction
ISBN: 9781849902359
Publisher: BBC Books
Published: 2011-06-23T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter

8

London, 13 October 1910

The church was cold and empty. Their footsteps

echoed in the cavernous space as Rory, Amy and

Arven hastily took cover inside.

'Help me with this,' said Arven, attempting to

close the heavy oak doors with his remaining arm.

Rory ran to his aid, pushing them shut and sliding

the deadbolts into place. Within seconds, the doors

were bucking violently in their housing as the three

Squall threw themselves against the other side,

trying to force their way in.

'Great. Now we're trapped again,' said Amy,

despondently.

Rory looked around, trying to get his bearings.

The building was ancient and sombre, solidly built,

thick stone walls inset with rows of stained glass

windows. The sunlight shining through them cast

colourful patterns over the rough wooden furniture

below.

'They're not going to give up,' said Arven, and

as if to underline his point there was a tremendous

bang from above as the creatures tried to batter their

way in through the roof. Rory saw dark shadows

flitting past the windows.

'There's more of them,' he said. 'They've found

us.' 'It won't take them long to work out they can

break in through the windows,' said Amy. 'We need

to think of a plan.'

'We can barricade the doors with some of those

pews,' said Rory, pointing at the ranks of wooden

benches lined up behind them.

'They'll still be able to get in through the

windows,' said Arven. 'Amy's right. We don't have

very long.'

Amy crossed to the altar at the far end of the hall.

'Do you think there's another way out?' she called,

her voice echoing around them.

Rory shrugged. 'Probably. But that won't do us

much good. They'll be waiting outside.'

'No, I don't mean a back door,' said Amy.

'These old churches always have hidden nooks and

crannies, secret passageways and stuff. You know

the sort of thing: dark, dingy tunnels, dead people.'

'I think you've been watching too many horror

films,' said Rory. 'But we're running out of options.'

He went to join Amy. Behind him, the Squall

were scratching frantically at the doors with their

talons. He could hear hordes of them chittering and

squawking outside.

'OK,' he said, determinedly. 'There's got to be

something around here. Some other way out. Arven,

can you keep an eye on those Squall while Amy and

I take a look around?'

The AI nodded and turned to face the door. Rory

turned to tell Amy they should split up, but found

she'd already gone. Sighing, he set out after her.

Behind the altar and pulpit was a series of smaller

rooms - private rooms, Rory assumed - for the

vicar. They were sparsely furnished. One of them

contained only a beaten old table and a few chairs,

along with a basic stove and tea-making equipment.

Another held a desk and a number of bookcases, the

shelves lined with row-upon-row of musty leather-

bound tomes. The doors were solid enough, and if

it came to it they'd be able to retreat into one of the

rooms, effectively shutting themselves off from the

invading Squall, but Rory knew they wouldn't be

able to hold out for long.

'Over here!' he heard Amy cry a moment later.

He ducked out of the study, picking his way

along the narrow stone passageway. He found her

standing between two large marble tombs, each of

them bearing the solemn-faced effigy of the dead

person it contained.

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