Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker (8 page)

'We've won!' exclaimed Dodo. 'That's
got to be the TARDIS! As soon as the Doctor wins his game, we can go.
Oh, thank goodness Steven, we're safe, we've won!'

She ran over to the TARDIS, took the
handle and opened the door. Inside, as Steven came to join her, they
saw the interior of a perfectly ordinary police telephone box. 'Oh
no,' she said. 'It can't be, it's got to be the real one. Don't say
it's happened again.'

'This must be another of the Toymaker's
TARDISes,' said Steven. He stepped inside and started searching
through it. 'Nothing,' he said. 'Absolutely nothing. What now?'

'You know,' said Dodo, 'we didn't
really sort out the last riddle about calling the servants without
voice.'

Steven nodded glumly. Both of them were
deeply disappointed by the way things had turned out after all their
efforts. 'Let's try it again,' said Steven. 'You never know.' He
walked out of the box. 'Dolls, dolls wherever you are, come out.'

Suddenly behind him, came the ring of
the telephone. The phone in the police box was ringing. Steven turned
and answered it while Dodo gazed fearfully at the cupboard with the
three dolls. But nothing seemed to be happening. Steven picked up the
phone a little tentatively and put it to his ear. The unmistakable
low drawling tones of the Toymaker came over the ear piece.

'You're doing better than I thought,'
he said. 'But don't rest on your laurels. The Doctor's succeeding
even faster than you. Time and luck are
running out. Anyway,' he said, 'Here is the next clue: Hunt the key
to fit the door That leads out on the dancing floor; Then escape the
rhythmic beat, Or you'll forever tap your feet.'

There was a click and then a dial tone.

Steven turned around to Dodo. 'He's
gone,' he said. He put the receiver back and as he did so, the entire
back wall of the police box swung open to reveal a darkened passage.
Steven turned back to Dodo. 'Look, Dodo,' he said, 'this is obviously
where the next game is.'

Dodo nodded and then turned back to
look at the chairs. 'We still have to release the King and Queen
before we go. I rather liked them, Steven. They were human in their
own way.' She turned and walked back over towards the throne, then
stood still in sudden shock. Steven joined her. They looked at the
throne. Lying on the seat were two playing cards - the King and Queen
of Hearts.

Steven turned back to Dodo and
shrugged. 'I said that's all they were,' he said. 'On to the next
game. Come on.'

Dodo hung back for a moment, as Steven
entered the passage. 'Let's try the dolls once more,' she said. She
then called out, 'Dolls, dolls wherever you are, come out.' She
paused for a moment and glanced around the room but again, nothing
happened. Steven called impatiently down the passageway and she
hurried after him.

As soon as the two of them made off
down the passage, the lights began to come on again in the room.

All four covered doors slid open and
the three dolls started moving, slowly and jerkily out of their
cupboard and across the floor to the police box.

The Toymaker stood facing the silent,
invisible Doctor. 'I must congratulate you on your choice of friends,
Doctor. A very astute couple. Neither of my teams has been able to
beat them so far. They've earned a little amusement, I think.'

The Toymaker turned back to one of the
doll's houses - the Victorian one. 'Now who have we here that will
amuse them,' he said. 'Upstairs?' He wondered, looking at the top
rooms of the house. 'No, I think we shall find more worthy opponents
downstairs ... Perhaps in the kitchen.'

Steven and Dodo were now at the end of
the long darkened passageway which led from the second throne room.
Steven was throwing his weight against the large door that stood at
the end. The door was Victorian, made of heavy mahogany and panelled.
Steven stood back and rubbed his bruised shoulder. 'It's no use,' he
said. 'I can't seem to get it open.'

'Oh, my goodness,' said Dodo behind
him. 'Look there - the servants!' As Steven turned around, he saw,
advancing towards him with their slow stiff gait, the three dolls.

'The servants without voice,' Dodo
continued. 'They've come to our call.'

Dodo, frightened, pressed back against
Steven. 'They scare me,' she said.

Steven's voice was a trifle nervous.
'They're only dolls.'

'We called them,' said Dodo. 'Perhaps
we can make them go back-to their cupboard.' She called out as the
dolls continued their slow inexorable advance towards them. 'Dolls,'
she said, 'go back! Go back to your cupboard!'

The dolls still continued to stalk down
the corridor towards them.

Steven moved forward. 'I'll stop them,'
he said squaring his powerful shoulders. But Dodo grasped his arm.

'Don't, Steven,' said Dodo. 'You don't
know what they might do. After all, we helped destroy their
companions, the other dolls.'

'Then perhaps we can edge past them,'
said Steven.

As if reading his mind, the three dolls
spread out and stopped, completely blocking the passageway.

'We can't get past them now,' said Dodo
anxiously.

'But they've stopped,' said Steven.
'I'm going to rush them, knock them over. You follow me. We'll get
past them.' Steven hunched his shoulders and moved back to get a good
run at the dolls. As he moved back, the solid kitchen door swung
silently open behind him and he backed into it without noticing.

'Be careful, Steven,' cried Dodo. She
turned around and noticed the open door. 'Look!' She grasped his arm,
throwing him slightly off balance.

Steven fell back against the wall.
'What did you do that for?' He turned and saw the open door. 'Oh,
good heavens,' he said.

Dodo moved forward into the kitchen,
Steven cautiously following her. 'Careful,' he warned. 'It could be a
trap.'

The kitchen they moved into was an
exact replica of the Toymaker's doll kitchen with a large Welsh
dresser housing gleaming Willow pattern cups and plates, and a long
deal topped table complete with mixing bowls, rolling pin and pastry
board.

On one side, was a long deep ceramic
sink with a wooden draining board; on the other, a large coal burning
range with oven and hobs on which a variety of saucepans were
simmering.

'A trap.' The voice came from behind
them, deep, mellow and fruity. 'A trap, in here, in Mrs Wiggs'
kitchen! You'll have to watch your language, young fellow.'

Steven and Dodo wheeled around to see
standing by the table, a red-faced, mustachioed, somewhat portly
middle-aged man, smartly dressed in a red uniform with white breaches
and crossed belts over his chest which Steven, who studied and liked
reading books about military history, was quick to recognise as a
sergeant's uniform from the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

'Yes,' said another voice. They turned
to find a comfortably plump, middle-aged woman with a mop cap perched
on her head, and a red mottled face, the result of standing over too
many hot stoves. She spoke with a cockney accent. 'What do you want
in my kitchen?' she asked.

Dodo, pleased to see somebody who
looked almost normal - after the clowns and the playing cards,
stepped forward. 'We're looking for the next
game. Perhaps you can help us? The clue goes:

Hunt the key to fit the door, That
leads out on the dancing floor; Then escape the rhythmic beat, Or
you'll forever tap your feet.'

'Well,' said Mrs Wiggs (for that was
her name), 'only dancing floor I knows of is through there.' She
pointed off at the other end of the kitchen where there was an old
oak door with a large lock and keyhole.

'Oh, thank you,' said Dodo. She started
walking across to the door while Steven stayed behind, looking
curiously around the kitchen.

The Sergeant drew himself up to his
full height. 'Right then, young fella m'lad. No loitering. Pick your
feet up. Hup two, three, four; hup two, three, four.'

Steven turned around to him
contemptuously. 'You look like a toy soldier to me. Why don't you go
back to your box?'

'What's that?' the Sergeant raised his
hand and twisted one of his long moustaches. 'You young whipper
snapper! I'll, I'll -'

Steven turned on him again. 'You'll
what?' he said.

'Well,' said the Sergeant, backing
away. 'I'll uh -You need a good hiding, m'lad!'

After all he'd been through, Steven was
spoiling for a fight. 'Who's going to give it to me?' he said. The
Sergeant backed away again and Mrs Wiggs came forward.

'No fisticuffs in my nice clean
kitchen, Sergeant,' she warned.

The Sergeant nodded. 'Just as well you
spoke, Cook.

No telling what I might have done to
him if you hadn't stopped me.'

Mrs Wiggs looked at him fondly. 'You're
a terrible man when you're roused, Sergeant.'

The Sergeant twirled his moustache
again; his eyes were twinkling. 'Army training, Cook. Six years with
the Iron Duke.'

Dodo had been trying the door handle
without success, then she turned back. 'The door seems to be locked.
But I'm sure we must get through here. That's what the clue says. The
TARDIS must be out on the dance floor.'

Steven came over, tried the door, then
kicked it. 'How can the Toymaker expect us to play his crazy games if
he locks all his doors!'

The Sergeant lowered his voice and
nudged Mrs Wiggs. 'Like to have him in my mob,' he said. 'Just give
me a week. I'll make a man of him.'

'What?' Steven turned back
threateningly.

'Uh,' said the Sergeant. 'Well, like,
not that he needs making a man of. I'm sure he's that already - but
just to sharpen him up a bit, like.'

'Now,' said Steven, 'I'm warning you.'
He moved towards the Sergeant.

Dodo came forward and took his arm,
smiling at him. 'Really, Steven,' she said laughing, 'if they're not
real, how can you lose your temper with them?'

Steven looked puzzled and scratched his
head. 'You can't have it both ways, you know,' said Dodo.

'All right,' said Steven. 'We'll just
ignore them. They're obviously sent to get my goat. Well, where do we
go from here? We're stuck.'

The Sergeant came over to Dodo and
looked her over. 'The Iron Duke wouldn't have been stuck over a
little thing like that,' he said.

Steven gritted his teeth and turned to
Dodo. 'Okay, Dodo, it's your turn.'

Dodo turned round and smiled at the
Sergeant. 'What would the Iron Duke have done?' she said.

The Sergeant smiled a little
enigmatically. 'Have had another look at the riddle, I expect,' he
said.

'The riddle ...' said Dodo. She thought
for a moment. 'Then escape the rhythmic beat, or you'll forever tap
your feet.'

'Naw,' said Mrs Wiggs. 'The first bits,
ducks.'

'Hunt the key to fit the door -
Steven,' she said, 'that's it!'

Steven looked blank for a moment.
'Don't you see?' said Dodo. 'The game is Hunt The Thimble. Only
instead of a thimble, it must be a door key. She looked over at the
door. 'And a rather large one at that.'

'Hmm,' Steven nodded slowly in
agreement. 'I see,' he said. 'The problem is, where do we start
looking?' They glanced around the large over-furnished Victorian
kitchen with its pots, pans, canisters, shelves and dishes.

Dodo walked over to the range and then
gave a start as she noticed something she hadn't seen before. In a
large chair, to the right of the range, was a sleeping kitchen boy,
dressed in a chefs hat, rather grubby white coat and trousers.

'Steven,' she said, 'look at this
fellow.'

'That's my kitchen boy,' said Mrs
Wiggs, 'Lazy good-for-nothing. He spends all his time sleeping and
eating.'

'But don't you think,' said Dodo to
Steven, 'that he looks rather like Cyril?'

Steven glanced down at the sleeping boy
and nodded. 'Come to think of it he does. But then, all the
Toymaker's creations look alike to me. We'd better get a move on,' he
said.

He looked up over the door to where the
inevitable robot now stood. 'Look,' he said. On the screen the number
read 813. 'We must find the TARDIS before the Doctor reaches 1023. We
haven't long,' said Steven. He turned to the range and lifted up one
of the saucepans. The lid was hot; he dropped it with a cry. 'Ow!' he
said.

'Comes from a 'ot place, don't it?'
said Mrs Wiggs. 'What do you expect? Now come away from me pans.'

'We've got to find the key to that
door,' said Dodo.

'You won't find it there,' said Mrs
Wiggs.

'How do you know?' said Dodo.

The Sergeant stepped forward once more
to defend the cook:' 'Cause, Mrs Wiggs always knows what's best.
That's why, young lady.'

Steven had a sudden idea, went over to
the sleeping boy and started lifting him up to see if the key was
perhaps underneath where he was lying. Despite the boy's weight,
Steven managed to lift him clear of the chair and looked. There was
no key there. He put him back.

Dodo took one more look around the
kitchen, and decided on another tack. She turned to the Sergeant,
went up to him and smiled her most beguiling smile. 'You'll help us
find the key,' she said. 'Won't you?'

'Hmm,' the Sergeant twirled his
moustache. 'Well, I dunno.'

'Oh,' said Dodo. 'You look so
marvellous in that uniform. You must be very brave.'

'Well, I do my duty, gel.'

'Then you'll help us,' said Dodo. 'For
my sake.' She put her hand on the Sergeant's chest and opened her
eyes wide.

The Sergeant gazed down at her.
Soldiers could never resist the fair sex, as he would have put it.
'All right, gel,' he said. 'For you mind.' He stuck his thumb over
his shoulder at Steven. 'Not for 'im.'

Dodo nodded eagerly. 'Where do you
suggest we start looking?'

'Hm,' said the Sergeant. 'Let's see.
How 'bout the old dresser here?'