Doctor Who: BBC Past Doctor Adventures [069] - The Indestructible Man by Simon Messingham

Author:Simon Messingham
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780563486237
Publisher: BBC Books
Published: 2004-10-28T22:00:00+00:00

XV

The sand was unbroken, a bleached white. In the distance, a fresh dawn light illuminated the crumbling rocks of an old British fort. He couldn’t resist a smile. One day he must come back and revisit the fort in its prime. Creaky ships, pirates and pieces of eight. Oh yes. And yellow fever, brutal murder and slaves.

The Doctor strolled along the marbled beach. Ahead of him, an emperor crab struggled towards the surf line, panicked by wheeling, shrieking gulls, aware that it had exposed itself.

He jogged towards the creature, hurling his elastic-sided shoes away. A gull swooped and the Doctor yelled, scaring it.

Hurling abuse at him, the bird looped away towards the rising sun. It would be back, it squawked defiantly. The Doctor canopied himself over the crab, shielding the little creature from any more attacks. He picked it up, wincing as the crab nipped his hands. He placed it in the transparent water and brushed sand over its ragged shell. The crab clacked its black-fingernail claws, warning him off.

Sucking his wounded fingers, the Doctor said aloud, ‘What sort of gratitude is that?’ Suddenly, he felt lonely.

Already, the sea was as warm as a bath. He waded in further, enjoying the space and the sensation. Until he realised he hadn’t rolled up his check trousers. Fascinated, he watched the damp soak its way up the cloth.

An odour – something against the smell of the beach. He sniffed the clear air. ‘That’s breakfast,’ he informed no one in particular.

He followed the smell of grilling flying fish back to the village.

The Doctor licked his lips. He really liked the way the villagers peppered the fish before wrapping it up in banana leaves. Delicious. He must get the recipe. Mrs Craig waved at him as he stumbled up the cliff path. ‘Doctor! Good morning!’

Her voice was snatched away by the breeze.

You see, he thought, this is the life. Barbados was certainly a refreshing change from the confines of that broken London.

There was danger here, yes, but there was everywhere.

Danger was easy. Right now, the moment was just fine.

He thought about the crab he had saved and then the silvery bodies that lay sizzling over the metal slats. Who decided, he wondered? Who decided which ones would survive and which would be taken?

It wasn’t the kind of decision anyone had the right to judge.

No sense in moralising over it. You did what you could for those you could. Nothing more. Any other thought on the subject was a waste of time.

‘And how are you this morning, Doctor Rip Van Winkle?’ asked Mrs Craig as she folded the leaves over the sizzling fish. Her smiling bulk, piled even higher by the swirls of an impossible green scarf wound round her head, cast a shadow over the makeshift barbecue. The flying fish were lined up on a grid set across a customised fuel oil drum. Did that add to the flavour?

‘Oh, passable,’ he replied. ‘Distinctly passable. Thank you for asking.’

She handed him his portion. ‘You’re a strange man, Mr Doctor.

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