groaning. The Doctor helped her to her feet. ‘Are you all right? Nothing hurt or broken?’ he asked anxiously.
Ray nodded. ‘Uh-huh... but... but what happened to that man with the radio...?’
The Doctor picked up the mangled remains of the transmitter. ‘He was paid in kind. Look, you see how this has been exploded from the inside? Obviously the Bannermen locked onto the signal then fired a high-impulse ion beam back along the transmission track.’
Ray was nodding, still aghast. ‘So they... killed him?’
she asked.
‘I’m afraid so – ionized...’ said the Doctor. Their eyes travelled to the blue suede shoes. Ray gingerly picked one up.
‘Is this all that’s left of him?’ she asked,
‘Yes, a poignant reminder that violence always rebounds on itself. It’s ironic really. The Bannermen saved our lives, hardly the sort of action they’re well noted for. It makes me somewhat apprehensive, in fact,’ said the Doctor. ‘Come on. We haven’t a moment to lose.’
‘Where are we going?’ asked Ray, still stunned from their recent experience.
‘We have to warn the others that an attack is imminent.
We have very little time to lose.’
Ray still hadn’t fully understood what was happening but she knew enough to trust the Doctor. Throwing aside the shoe, she followed the Doctor out of the storeroom and into the chilly morning air.
They ran across the gravel square to Delta’s cabin. The Doctor raised his fist to knock but saw the door hanging askew on its hinges. Fearing the worst he rushed inside.
Mel was curled up under her blankets, sleep having descended at last. The sudden inrush of cold air and running feet caused her to sit up with a start.
‘Mel! Are you all right?’ asked the Doctor.
‘Mm. Nothing a good night’s sleep wouldn’t cure,’ she said.
‘I’m afraid you’ll have to delay that,’ replied the Doctor.
‘Where have Billy and Delta gone?’
‘They didn’t tell me,’ said Mel, ‘Billy was going to take her to some local beauty spot, I think.’
The Doctor thought for a moment. ‘It’s important to find them as soon as we can. Meanwhile we must arrange a general evacuation of the camp. The Bannermen are on their way!’
Mel sprang out of bed. ‘I’ll go and get Murray to organize the tour party.’
‘Good, but they’ll be one short,’ said the Doctor.
‘He was ionized,’ said Ray, as matter-of-factly as she could.
The Doctor was already moving towards the door. ‘I’m going to try and find Delta and Billy. Do you know where they might be, Ray?’ the Doctor asked.
She shrugged. ‘Well, there are a couple of beauty spots in the area. We could try them.’ A wistful look descended on her face like a cloud. Glancing at the Doctor she continued, ‘And a few special places known only to Billy and me.’
‘We’ll simply have to keep looking until we find them.
But the first task is to convince Burton to evacuate the camp. Mel, you find Murray. Ray, come along with me,’
said the Doctor, already disappearing through the door.
Chapter Sixteen
The lonely cottage stood beside the reservoir. The water lay like a sheet of clear glass glistening in the early morning sun. Every now and then a fish would leave the murky depths and break surface in search of breakfast.
Behind the cottage, thick pine woods covered the flanks of the hill. They stretched as far as the eye could see. At the side of the house were half a dozen bee hives.
A grey-haired old man, Goronwy, had a veil over his head as he smoked the bees from the hives. As Goronwy worked he chatted to his precious bees. Occasionally, he would break into song.
He had been a fervent member of the local male voice choir all his life and he enjoyed no two things more than singing and tending to his bees. A noise broke his reverie and made him look up. Trundling towards him along the track was the Morris Minor. Goronwy raised his veil and the melody, ‘Blue Moon’ reached him from the
Ray nodded. ‘Uh-huh... but... but what happened to that man with the radio...?’
The Doctor picked up the mangled remains of the transmitter. ‘He was paid in kind. Look, you see how this has been exploded from the inside? Obviously the Bannermen locked onto the signal then fired a high-impulse ion beam back along the transmission track.’
Ray was nodding, still aghast. ‘So they... killed him?’
she asked.
‘I’m afraid so – ionized...’ said the Doctor. Their eyes travelled to the blue suede shoes. Ray gingerly picked one up.
‘Is this all that’s left of him?’ she asked,
‘Yes, a poignant reminder that violence always rebounds on itself. It’s ironic really. The Bannermen saved our lives, hardly the sort of action they’re well noted for. It makes me somewhat apprehensive, in fact,’ said the Doctor. ‘Come on. We haven’t a moment to lose.’
‘Where are we going?’ asked Ray, still stunned from their recent experience.
‘We have to warn the others that an attack is imminent.
We have very little time to lose.’
Ray still hadn’t fully understood what was happening but she knew enough to trust the Doctor. Throwing aside the shoe, she followed the Doctor out of the storeroom and into the chilly morning air.
They ran across the gravel square to Delta’s cabin. The Doctor raised his fist to knock but saw the door hanging askew on its hinges. Fearing the worst he rushed inside.
Mel was curled up under her blankets, sleep having descended at last. The sudden inrush of cold air and running feet caused her to sit up with a start.
‘Mel! Are you all right?’ asked the Doctor.
‘Mm. Nothing a good night’s sleep wouldn’t cure,’ she said.
‘I’m afraid you’ll have to delay that,’ replied the Doctor.
‘Where have Billy and Delta gone?’
‘They didn’t tell me,’ said Mel, ‘Billy was going to take her to some local beauty spot, I think.’
The Doctor thought for a moment. ‘It’s important to find them as soon as we can. Meanwhile we must arrange a general evacuation of the camp. The Bannermen are on their way!’
Mel sprang out of bed. ‘I’ll go and get Murray to organize the tour party.’
‘Good, but they’ll be one short,’ said the Doctor.
‘He was ionized,’ said Ray, as matter-of-factly as she could.
The Doctor was already moving towards the door. ‘I’m going to try and find Delta and Billy. Do you know where they might be, Ray?’ the Doctor asked.
She shrugged. ‘Well, there are a couple of beauty spots in the area. We could try them.’ A wistful look descended on her face like a cloud. Glancing at the Doctor she continued, ‘And a few special places known only to Billy and me.’
‘We’ll simply have to keep looking until we find them.
But the first task is to convince Burton to evacuate the camp. Mel, you find Murray. Ray, come along with me,’
said the Doctor, already disappearing through the door.
Chapter Sixteen
The lonely cottage stood beside the reservoir. The water lay like a sheet of clear glass glistening in the early morning sun. Every now and then a fish would leave the murky depths and break surface in search of breakfast.
Behind the cottage, thick pine woods covered the flanks of the hill. They stretched as far as the eye could see. At the side of the house were half a dozen bee hives.
A grey-haired old man, Goronwy, had a veil over his head as he smoked the bees from the hives. As Goronwy worked he chatted to his precious bees. Occasionally, he would break into song.
He had been a fervent member of the local male voice choir all his life and he enjoyed no two things more than singing and tending to his bees. A noise broke his reverie and made him look up. Trundling towards him along the track was the Morris Minor. Goronwy raised his veil and the melody, ‘Blue Moon’ reached him from the
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