Doctor Who: Delta and the Bannermen (5 page)

said Mel, trying not to appear ungrateful.

‘Excellent!’ said the Doctor.

Mel smiled sweetly at the Doctor. Suddenly, her expression changed and with eyes like saucers she blurted out, ‘She’s got a gun!’

‘Really! A photon blaster?’ asked the Doctor, always keen on specifics.

Mel was less fussy. ‘I didn’t check the type! And that’s not all – she’s very on edge. It’s as if she has some terrible secret,’ she said.

‘Have you spoken to her at all?’ asked the Doctor.

‘Of course, but she’s totally withdrawn. And guns make me nervous,’ said Mel.

Just then Billy entered the dining hall and picked up a tray. He joined the queue for food, and afterwards crossed to Delta’s table and sat down. She glanced up and Billy smiled – there was a brief flicker between them before Delta pushed aside her untouched meal and, quickly rising to her feet, she left. Billy watched her go, then stabbed his fried egg. He was angry with himself and ran over the last few minutes in his mind. He hoped that he hadn’t scared her off by appearing too forward. He could tell that he made her nervous. But then again, he’d only smiled at her.

Billy would have to wait and see.

Mel and the Doctor also saw her leave. ‘You know Mel, I think you could be right. Your charming roommate may well be in danger,’ said the Doctor.

‘From someone here?’ asked Mel.

‘That’s what we have to discover,’ he replied, throwing a suspicious glance at Keillor.

Burton had got to his feet and was tapping a glass for silence. When the noisy clamour had died down he made an announcement. ‘This is to remind you that tonight we are having our getting-to-know-you dance. From eight till late. See you all there!’ he said and sat down.

Mel had finished her apple and prepared to leave. ‘Try and get her to come to the dance,’ said the Doctor. ‘She might be willing to speak to me later on.’

‘I’ll see what I can do,’ said Mel, looking none-too-confident about her chances of success.

The tollport was in chaos. Gavrok and a couple of his thugs had ransacked the place. The Tollmaster was quaking in his boots. Gavrok unsheathed a small zap gun from its holster and put it to the Tollmaster’s head. ‘For the last time – tell me her destination and I’ll let you live,’ hissed Gavrok.

‘It’s... it’s strictly confidential,’ mumbled the Tollmaster, barely audible.

Gavrok cocked his weapon. ‘I am getting tired of all this. Tell me now!’ he said.

The Tollmaster nervously licked his lips. ‘They were going... they were going to Disneyland on Planet Earth when they hit a satellite. They were blown off course – I don’t know where.’

A cold smile played across Gavrok’s face. ‘You can’t do any better than that?’ he demanded.

‘Please,’ said the Tollmaster, shaking like a leaf, ‘I honestly don’t know anything!’

This answer seemed to convince Gavrok who suddenly relaxed and patted the Tollmaster on the shoulder. ‘I can see you’ve done your best,’ said Gavrok. In the next instant he spun around and shot the Tollmaster who slumped onto the floor, a look of surprise still on his face.

Gavrok’s henchmen gathered around. Gavrok’s face was dark. ‘We have wasted enough time here,’ he said, turning to his ship’s Captain. ‘Plot a course for Earth. I want every informer throughout the Galaxy on the lookout for her.’

They stamped out of the Tollshed and into their waiting fighter. The captain punched a code into the ship’s computer and it lifted off, destined for a small blue planet where a rock’n’roll band was timing up.

The dining room at Shangri-La had been transformed into a dance hall for the get-to-know-you dance. At one end was a small raised platform. Running the full length of the makeshift stage was a banner saying ‘SHANGRI-LA 1959’.

Streamers and brightly coloured balloons hung from the rafters and the place was packed with redcoats and tourists.

Up on stage was Billy’s band, the Lorells. Billy had rigged up an old air raid warning horn to his amplifier and could pump out the greatest amount of wattage of any band between Pontardulais and Llandovery. The band was tuning up for their first number while Billy checked the connections under the keen eye of the Doctor.

‘How do you like it, Doctor?’ he asked. ‘I built it myself.

With spare parts form the war.’ The decibels were already rising.

‘How appropriate,’ shouted the Doctor through the cacophony.

‘What?’ said Billy, cupping his ear.

‘I said, for a primative piece of technology, it certainly can deliver the decibels!’

‘That’s what rock’n’roll is all about,’ said Billy, jumping up onto the stage and picking up this guitar.

The band launched into their first number, ‘Singing the Blues’, and almost immediately the floor was filled with writhing, swirling, sweating bodies. The Doctor pushed his way through the throng towards the cool air coming from the open door.

Murray, jiving with a lopsided grin on his face, collared the Doctor before he reached the door. ‘This is great,’ he enthused, ‘the 50s nights on Navarro were never like this!’

Just then Mel and Delta appeared, both dressed to the nines. Murray needed no further encouragement. He grabbed Mel by the hand, dragging her into the centre of the dancefloor and the writhing mass of bodies. Murray, a look of pure ecstasy on his face, proved himself to be no mean dancer and whirled Mel around at a giddy speed.

Delta, suddenly left alone, felt the Doctor’s gaze on her.

She held his eye for a long moment, then was gone, pushing through the crowd to the front. The Doctor watched her go, a frown on his face. Gradually he became aware of someone standing at his side.

Ray, wearing a rah-rah skirt and scarlet top, had been transformed. She smiled at him. ‘See Doctor, it’s not all that bad now, is it?’

The Doctor was momentarily at a loss for words, ‘I...

uh... no, not at all. It’s rather nice, in fact.’

‘Come on, let’s go to the front. I can’t see Billy from here,’ said Ray.

‘Have you and Billy known each other for a long time?’

asked the Doctor.

‘Since we were kids. I even learned all about motorbikes in the hope that it’d make him notice me. But it doesn’t seem to have made a blind bit of difference,’ said Ray, looking at her shoes.

The Doctor smiled. ‘I thought we were going to the front,’ he said, taking her arm and guiding her through the crowd.

The song had ended and everyone was applauding. Billy stepped up to the microphone. ‘Thanks folks. And now a romantic number from across the pond – for a very special lady in the audience, ‘Why do fools fall in love?’’ He winked at someone in the crowd.

Ray, who was standing near the stage, felt her heart slip a beat. Then she noticed that his glance was directed elsewhere – towards Delta who was looking straight up at Billy. It was clear he was singing to her and her alone.

Ray felt hot tears rising and started pushing her way across the dancefloor towards the door. Someone grabbed her arm and she turned – to see the Doctor, looking awkward. ‘I was wondering, Ray... ’

‘Thank you, Doctor, I’d love to!’ Ray smiled appreciatively and pulled the Doctor onto the dance floor.

Even if the Doctor had no intention of asking her to dance, he was far too gracious to admit any other possibility.

Meanwhile, at the front of the stage Billy and Delta were drowning in the pools of each other’s eyes.

A small orange pup-tent had been erected in the lee of a nearby hill. A fire danced outside, throwing leaping shadows onto the thin canvas. Inside the tent Hawk and Weismuller were trying to get comfortable. ‘Hey Hawk, go and put some more wood on the fire.’

‘Why don’t you, Weismuller?’ came the indignant reply.

‘Because you’re next to the flap, Hawk,’ said Weismuller wearily.

‘Yeah, well take your feet out of my face first,’ said Hawk peevishly, unable to argue with the logic of Weismuller’s request.

The tent lurched forward as Hawk struggled to get through the flap. He emerged into the frosty night air, shivered once, and threw another long onto the fire, ‘I’ll get you, Weismuller,’ he muttered, and crawled back inside.

Not too far away, the dance at Shangri-La was in full swing. Murray and the Doctor emerged from the hall, puffing from their exertions. The music pounded away in the background.

‘Whew! It’s hot in there!’ said Murray fanning himself.

The Doctor nodded. ‘You Navarinos have a notoriously high metabolic rate,’ he said.

‘Yeah. That hula-hoop competition nearly finished me off,’ panted Murray, gulping in the cool air.

Just then the door of the hall flew open and Delta rushed past them to disappear into the darkness. The Doctor started after her. ‘Hey! You’ll miss the last dance, Doctor!’ cried Murray, but it was too late – the Doctor had already gone. Murray struggled and returned to the hall as the band launched into ‘That’ll be the Day’.

The Doctor was walking along the wooden ‘sidewalk’

outside the cabins, trying to pierce the gloom. Listening intently, he finally heard something and stopped outside a block marked ‘LINEN STORE’. He listened again, picking up a regular gentle sobbing.

The Doctor eased open the door and went inside. There, sitting on a pile of freshly-laundered sheets was Ray, dabbing her eyes. The Doctor coughed, a little embarrassed to be intruding on her privacy.

Seeing the Doctor, Ray took a deep breath and put on a brave smile. ‘Hi, I was just... uh... I don’t know, Doctor.

Tell me, am I being a fool? Billy didn’t even offer me a ride home. He’s never done that before. I feel so miserable Doctor.’

The Doctor nodded his head sagely and said, ‘There’s many a slap twixt cup and lap, Ray...’

She gave a wry smile. ‘Somehow I always thought we’d end up together. Shows how wrong you can be. Tch!

Listen to me! What are you doing here, Doctor?’

‘I was hoping to find...’ he said, but cut himself off by raising a hand in warning.

They could hear the creak of the door as it was opened and someone stealthily crept through. Ray whispered urgently ‘We’re not supposed to be in here!’ and led the Doctor behind some tall shelves, stacked with sheets, blankets and pillow cases. From their hiding place Ray and the Doctor heard the door being locked.

Standing stock still and holding their breath they could hear someone making soft mechanical clicking noises on the other side of the shelves. The Doctor cocked his head to catch the sound more clearly. He managed to stand on a large wicker basket and peep through a gap in the top shelf.

Keillor was holding a small transmitter in his hand. He extended the aerial and pushed the autosearch function before bringing it to his mouth. ‘Connect me with the Bannermen leader,’ he said.

There was a burst of static hiss, then a voice came through the ether. ‘Commander Gavrok – go ahead.’

Gavrok’s voice made Ray’s blood run cold. She had no idea what was going on, but she began to wish she had gone straight home.

Keillor grinned evilly. ‘I believe that you’re offering a reward for the Chimeron Queen?’

‘Affirmative – one million units. Do you have information?’ barked Gavrok.

‘I have found her. Repeat, I have found her,’ said Keillor.

‘What is your status?’ came the disembodied voice.

‘I am a soldier of fortune. Now, do you want to trade or not?’ said Keillor, confident that he had Gavrok hooked.

‘Affirmative,’ came the reply.

‘She is in a place called Shangri-La, in South Wales, Western Hemisphere, Earth. Lock onto this signal to guide you in,’ said Keillor.

‘The reward will be yours when we arrive. End transmission,’ said Gavrok.

The Doctor was aghast as he saw Keillor activate the flashing beacon signal on the transmitter – it wouldn’t take Gavrok long to reach Shangri-La.

The Doctor had heard many stories of Gavrok and his violent ways. It was no wonder that Delta was acting so strangely, with someone like Gavrok after her. The Doctor suddenly realized that the shelf he was peeing over was an inch-deep in dust. He felt his nostrils fill with the fine powder, and despite his awesome self-control, he couldn’t withhold the massive sneeze which followed. Keillor stiffened and drew his weapon, staring hard in the Doctor’s direction. Cautiously, he edged his way around the shelves towards Ray and the Doctor.

In their cabin barely 50 yards away, Delta sat at the dressing table brushing her hair. Mel sat on her bed, the silver orb beside her. Delta caught Mel’s reflection in the mirror. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

‘What for?’ asked Mel.

For lending me your dress. For making an effort to be kind.’

‘I’d help anyone in trouble, if I could,’ said Mel.

Delta felt desperately lonely. If only she could be sure of Mel. She decided to take a chance and, taking a deep breath, said, ‘Mel, there’s something you should know.’

Keillor had the Doctor and Ray backed up against the stack of linen, his gun held level with their heads. In his hand Keillor still held the flashing transmitter. ‘What a fine bonus. You’re the traveller called the Doctor. Your death will make me richer still,’ said Keillor, licking his lips like a hungry wolf.

‘If you kill for money then let the girl go. She isn’t worth anything to you,’ said the Doctor. The colour had drained from Ray’s face as she stared down the muzzle of a weapon which could annihilate her in a millisecond.

Keillor listened to what the Doctor said, then drew his lips back in an ugly leer.

‘I don’t just kill for money, it’s something I enjoy,’ he hissed, cocking his weapon. Ray stifled a scream as the Doctor stepped in front of her.

Mel was transfixed by the orb beside her. She wondered what it could be. Her curiosity was soon rewarded as the orb began to wobble and a maze of fine cracks spread across its surface.

Outside, Billy slicked back his hair and tried to revive the drooping bunch of flowers in his hand. His heart was beating hard as he prepared to knock on the door. The camp’s public address system crackled into life with the traditional song, ‘Goodnight Campers’. Billy grinned and raised his knuckles. As he did so he heard a piercing scream from inside. Billy, tossing the flowers aside, backed up and shoulder-punched the door.