Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards

Author:Justin Richards
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Science-Fiction:Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780563486282
Publisher: BBC Books
Published: 2005-08-24T10:00:00+00:00

Freddie grinned. The grin froze, then faded as Rose leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

'Thanks,' she said.

He was rubbing the cheek as he walked away, glancing round embarrassed.

'I only kissed him,' Rose said.

'He's a boy,' the Doctor told her.

'I thought that's what they were for,' she grumbled, following him down the street.

'Right, the plan,' the Doctor announced as they reached the Imperial Club.

'Ready,' Rose affirmed.

'Melissa will send her clockwork cronies after us as soon as it's dark.'

'Sure?'

He nodded. 'She's impatient now she thinks she's found me. And she's thrown caution to the wind. So we need to warn the other guests and organise some defences.'

'Or run away?'

'Putting off the inevitable. Here we know the territory, and we have friends. Anyway, she'll trash the place looking for us whether we're here or not.'

'So where do we start?'

The Doctor tapped his chin as he thought. 'You've seen Mr Pooter, so you go and convince him of the danger. I'll find Wyse and the others.'

'I haven't seen Mr Pooter,' Rose protested. 'Well, I mean I have seen him. But I haven't seen him.' She paused, a thought coalescing in her mind. 'Hang on. Reclusive character, hiding away, no one ever sees him... You don't think...?'

'No. He'd hardly hide away from assassins by adopting a laughably silly name then opening a club in central London and taking in guests.'

'No?'

'No. That's the daft sort of double-bluff I'd do to draw out the enemy. Dangerous and ill-advised. Go on. Then meet me in the Bastille Room sharpish.'

'Yes, sir!' Rose snapped an ironic salute and started up the stairs.

The Doctor turned to find Crowther watching him. 'You'd better come and listen to this too,' the Doctor told him. 'How many guests are staying here at the moment?'

'Besides yourselves, Doctor, and Wyse...' Crowther counted on his fingers as he followed the Doctor along the panelled corridor. 'There's old Sir Henry, but he's confined to bed. Oliver Maffeking has gone to stay with friends tonight. Now that the Hansons have moved on, that just leaves Ranskill, Coleridge, Wensleydale. Several others. And Repple and Aske, of course.'

'And the staff.'

'Indeed, sir.'

Wyse was sitting in his usual chair. He looked up as the Doctor entered, and smiled and nodded in greeting.

'Find Aske and Repple and the other guests and see if they can join us,' the Doctor said to Crowther. 'And any of the staff who are about.'

'Is it important, Doctor?'

'Vital. Go on.'

The Doctor walked slowly over to join Wyse. 'I've a story to tell you,' he said. 'A true story, though you might find it hard to believe.'

'How intriguing.' The man's eyes glinted with amusement and he gestured for the Doctor to sit down. 'I've heard some pretty rum stories in me time, I can tell you. So, what's this one all about then, eh?'

'It's about a Painted Lady. It's about clockwork killers. A manhunt. Mistaken identity.

Assassination. The usual ingredients.'

'Might be usual for you, Doctor,' Wyse said. His eyes met the Doctor's deep gaze. 'Yes, might very well be. You know,' he said, standing up, 'I was thinking it was a tad early for a brandy just now.

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