levitating at the top of the well. He raised a hand and waved his fingers at Gaskin.
'This is the Doctor,' explained Angela happily. 'He's from the council.'
'Is he, by God?'
And he's come to help with the restoration work.'
Gaskin glowered at the Doctor. 'Get out of that well, you damn fool.'
The Doctor stared back. 'Say please.'
Gaskin reddened, and then his gaze quickly took in Martha too. He knew they were strangers to the village. 'Creighton Mere's well is a listed building,' he advised them. 'You'll need official authorisation to come anywhere near it.'
'Show him your ID, Doctor,' suggested Sadie.
'ID be damned,' snapped Gaskin. 'You'll all leave here this instant.'
'All right, here are my papers,' sighed the Doctor, clambering out of the well and reaching into his pocket.
'You have no papers,' Gaskin declared emphatically. 'The necessary documents can only be obtained from the local magistrate – and as I am the local magistrate, I can confirm that you have not, and will not, be granted any kind of permission to touch this well. Do I make myself clear? You have one hour.'
With a final black look at Angela, Gaskin turned on the heel of his shoe and marched back towards the Daimler. They watched as the car started up, pulled around the green and then disappeared in the direction of Gaskin Manor. The exhaust smoke was still in the air when Angela said, 'Confound that awful man. He never stops trying to interfere.'
'He did seem a bit upset,' the Doctor commented. 'Is he right about the well? Is it protected?'
'He's never provided any proof at all,' Angela said. 'I just don't believe him.'
Sadie said, 'Until he shows us evidence that there's any kind of preservation order on the well that could prevent us working on it, we're going to carry on.'
'Good for you,' said Martha. 'He's a right old misery guts, isn't he?'
Sadie smiled. 'Don't let all the bluster fool you. He's not so bad. He's done a lot for the village, really, and I think what he really resents is the fact that he's not involved in the well refurbishment.'
'Didn't anyone ask him?'
'It's complicated.' Sadie lowered her voice and glanced across at Angela, who was talking to the Doctor by the well. Angela and Henry go back a long way; there's a bit of a feud going on.'
'Why?'
'Well, only Angela can explain that. But it has something to do with her husband. Roger Hook was killed in a mountaineering accident in 1989. Henry Gaskin was with him, they were climbing together. So Roger died and Henry survived. I don't think Angela's ever forgiven him...'
Martha nodded, feeling sorry for her. Angela seemed like such a strong, cheerful old lady, but in reality she was a widow of nearly twenty years and every time she saw Henry Gaskin it just reminded her of the painful loss. It certainly explained Angela's bitterness towards Gaskin and clearly the dispute over the well was the perfect opportunity to express it.
'Right then,' said the Doctor, clapping his hands together in an effort to restore some purpose to the proceedings. 'First things first: before we can get the new winding gear installed, we need to remove the grille.'
'Won't be easy,' grunted Angela. 'The wretched thing's rusted into the brickwork.'
'Oh, I might have something that'll help,' the Doctor smiled casually, holding up his sonic screwdriver.
'That doesn't look especially useful, Doctor.'
He shook his head patiently. 'Don't be deceived by appearances, Angela. Some people think I don't look especially useful. Whereas in fact...' He clicked his tongue. 'Actually you might have a point, but let's see.'
Angela laughed uproariously at this. Martha watched her carefully, thinking that perhaps the Doctor reminded Angela of another energetic, enterprising young man she had known a long time ago.
EIGHT
The grille came away more easily than anyone could have hoped. The Doctor loosened the concrete around the edges with his sonic screwdriver, and a couple of burly young men helped lift the
'This is the Doctor,' explained Angela happily. 'He's from the council.'
'Is he, by God?'
And he's come to help with the restoration work.'
Gaskin glowered at the Doctor. 'Get out of that well, you damn fool.'
The Doctor stared back. 'Say please.'
Gaskin reddened, and then his gaze quickly took in Martha too. He knew they were strangers to the village. 'Creighton Mere's well is a listed building,' he advised them. 'You'll need official authorisation to come anywhere near it.'
'Show him your ID, Doctor,' suggested Sadie.
'ID be damned,' snapped Gaskin. 'You'll all leave here this instant.'
'All right, here are my papers,' sighed the Doctor, clambering out of the well and reaching into his pocket.
'You have no papers,' Gaskin declared emphatically. 'The necessary documents can only be obtained from the local magistrate – and as I am the local magistrate, I can confirm that you have not, and will not, be granted any kind of permission to touch this well. Do I make myself clear? You have one hour.'
With a final black look at Angela, Gaskin turned on the heel of his shoe and marched back towards the Daimler. They watched as the car started up, pulled around the green and then disappeared in the direction of Gaskin Manor. The exhaust smoke was still in the air when Angela said, 'Confound that awful man. He never stops trying to interfere.'
'He did seem a bit upset,' the Doctor commented. 'Is he right about the well? Is it protected?'
'He's never provided any proof at all,' Angela said. 'I just don't believe him.'
Sadie said, 'Until he shows us evidence that there's any kind of preservation order on the well that could prevent us working on it, we're going to carry on.'
'Good for you,' said Martha. 'He's a right old misery guts, isn't he?'
Sadie smiled. 'Don't let all the bluster fool you. He's not so bad. He's done a lot for the village, really, and I think what he really resents is the fact that he's not involved in the well refurbishment.'
'Didn't anyone ask him?'
'It's complicated.' Sadie lowered her voice and glanced across at Angela, who was talking to the Doctor by the well. Angela and Henry go back a long way; there's a bit of a feud going on.'
'Why?'
'Well, only Angela can explain that. But it has something to do with her husband. Roger Hook was killed in a mountaineering accident in 1989. Henry Gaskin was with him, they were climbing together. So Roger died and Henry survived. I don't think Angela's ever forgiven him...'
Martha nodded, feeling sorry for her. Angela seemed like such a strong, cheerful old lady, but in reality she was a widow of nearly twenty years and every time she saw Henry Gaskin it just reminded her of the painful loss. It certainly explained Angela's bitterness towards Gaskin and clearly the dispute over the well was the perfect opportunity to express it.
'Right then,' said the Doctor, clapping his hands together in an effort to restore some purpose to the proceedings. 'First things first: before we can get the new winding gear installed, we need to remove the grille.'
'Won't be easy,' grunted Angela. 'The wretched thing's rusted into the brickwork.'
'Oh, I might have something that'll help,' the Doctor smiled casually, holding up his sonic screwdriver.
'That doesn't look especially useful, Doctor.'
He shook his head patiently. 'Don't be deceived by appearances, Angela. Some people think I don't look especially useful. Whereas in fact...' He clicked his tongue. 'Actually you might have a point, but let's see.'
Angela laughed uproariously at this. Martha watched her carefully, thinking that perhaps the Doctor reminded Angela of another energetic, enterprising young man she had known a long time ago.
EIGHT
The grille came away more easily than anyone could have hoped. The Doctor loosened the concrete around the edges with his sonic screwdriver, and a couple of burly young men helped lift the
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