Doctor Who - New Adventures - 27 - All Consuming Fire - Andy Lane
Doctor Who - New Adventures - 27 - All Consuming Fire - Andy Lane
Doctor Who - New Adventures - 27 - All Consuming Fire - Andy Lane
Andy Lane
Reading, Berks
Doyle's reply.
Prologue
'Grandfather?'
'Nothing, child.'
'In a sense.'
Ace snorted.
'None.'
'When was the theft discovered?'
'Cab!'
'Crows?'
'The look-outs, Watson. Five of
them. You had not noticed?' He
gave an exclamation and moved
off. I followed, wishing I were
somewhere else.
'Tosh-fakers,' he explained.
He smiled cheerfully.
Ambrose smiled.
Ambrose blinked.
'Of course.'
Holmes nodded.
'Bravo, Watson.'
'What?'
'With whom?'
'Metaphysico-theologico-
cosmologo-nigology!' announced
the Doctor triumphantly.
'India.'
'More specifically.'
'Hindu mythology:'
'Rakshassi?' I asked.
'Demons from the pantheon of the
Indian subcontinent,' Holmes
replied tersely.
'Gallifrey,' he muttered.
'I'm sorry?'
'You were wondering where I came
from.'
'Elementary.'
'Of course.'
Interlude
AF235/2/3/12
V-ON, BRD-ABLE, WPU = 231.2
ENABLE
Oh, hell.
DISABLE.
2331/34/FF PIP.
Chapter 4
'Well . . . yes.'
'Nonsense,' I blustered
unconvincingly. 'The world is
rational. Everything has a cause, a
reason. All that remains is to
discover it.'
I persevered.
'Why so?'
'Because their names are not
known to any of the bookshop
merchants or auctioneers whom I
have questioned.'
Ah.
'Indeed!'
'The Diogenes?'
'Of course.'
'Her Majesty?'
No reaction.
'Of course.'
'Unless what?'
Instead of answering, Mycroft led
us both back inside the confines of
the Diogenes and through the
reading room - a large, oak-lined
study in whose deep leather
armchairs sat a cross-section of the
most important, the most
unconventional and the most
unpleasant men in the Empire.
Skirting around the back of an
armchair, I found myself looking at
a familiar face.
The Doctor.
'Ere, Guvnor!'
He gazed at me pityingly.
'Watson!'
He frowned.
'To my question.'
It vanished.
'Can't I?'
Sherringford sighed.
'It is important'
. . . in which stood . . .
Interlude
AF135/5/3/14
ENABLE
I'm crouched on a catwalk about a
hundred and fifty metres above the
ground. Well, I say catwalk.
Actually it's just three strips of
wood running from side to side of
one building to another, and they
don't have cats here, just
chocolate-favoured animals with
skates, and three-legged rats.
Crawler.
DISABLE.
3531/748/AD PIP.
Chapter 8
'Thinking.'
'Like what?'
He chuckled boyishly.
He grimaced.
'With and without,' he murmured,
'have and have not: Then, pulling
himself together, 'Yes, I'll take
breakfast with you.'
He gazed up at me levelly.
Sherringford shrugged.
Mycroft snorted.
Sherringford murmured.
He smiled grimly.
Bombay smells.
'Doctor, I . .'
'No, I...'
'I know! You've lost weight'
I sighed.
He checked again.
He scowled.
He nodded.
'I've been looking forward to tasting
Indian food again for the entire
voyage,'
'Jezail?'
'Oh.'
He turned to gaze out at the sun-
baked streets. I refrained from
telling him that I hadn't had to learn
a word: somehow my association
with the Doctor had enabled me to
understand any language I came
across. If only he could bottle it and
sell it.
He smiled.
He nodded.
He grinned.
'Of what?'
'If I ever find out, I'll be a wiser man
than I am now.'
I grimaced.
'
'Contents?'
He frowned.
'No books?'
'No books.'
'No maps?'
'No maps.'
'No weapons?'
'No weapons.'
'Hmmm.'
He smiled.
He smiled.
'Rakshassa?'
'Thanks,' I breathed.
'Warburton?'
'The very same.'
Bernice smiled.
I smiled back.
'What now?'
'What?'
Bernice sighed.
He turned to Holmes.
our reputation.'
'What the...'
a half.'
'I take it from what you said earlier
that you are one of Mycroft's
agents,' I said to him. 'What
brought you here?'
He frowned.
'Of course.'
She smiled.
'Professor?'
'Doctor Watson?'
Bernice gasped.
'But that's . .
'Impossible?'
He frowned.
'Aha!'
Most intriguing.'
'Ask Bernice.'
Holmes smiled.
Interlude
GGJ235/57/3/82-PK3
V-ON, BRD-ABLE, WPU = 1.244
VERBAL INPUT,
ENABLE
DISABLE.
2757/3/FF43 PIP.
Chapter 13
Watson shrugged.
He gave me an exaggeratedly
withering glance that had an
underlying vein of humour in it.
Ever since I surprised him naked in
the bath, he seemed to believe that
he and I were sharing something
special. I hated to disillusion him.
'A word?'
I shook my head.
'Shobogans?'
'Very useful.'
'Why?'
He sneered.
It was blood.
'Ace,' I said.
'I know.'
'Rakshassi?'
I frowned.
I nodded.
'Clicks?'
'Kilometres. A bit over a hundred
miles. Anyway, I was scouting
around a big temple-type building,
and heard something big inside
opening hailing frequencies. The
town itself was occupied by the
rakshassi.'
'Worshipping what?'
Ace laughed.
'Where do we go now?'
'Upward where?'
'Improvize?'
'No.'
'Mr Summerfield!'
'Happy?' I asked.
'Don't know.'
'A what?'
'What of it?'
'Azathoth?' he said.
Sherringford beamed.
'Indeed.'
'My child...'
'No fear.'
There was something in that voice
that touched a chord deep within
me. It approved of me. It forgave
me.
'Come closer...'
Sherringford frowned.
Another pause.
He turned to me.
'Message understood.'
'She what?'
'We're flying!'
'Be serious.'
'None?'
'Your life.'
'Pardon?' I said.
'None.'
'Scout's honour?'
'Indeed.'
'You what?'
'Just do it!'
Ace grinned.
'Started after the earthquake when
some stupid woman tried to cook
breakfast after the gas main
cracked. Caused more damage
than the earthquake itself. The
army tried to stop it by dynamiting
the buildings, but they spread it
even further. I remember the
dynamite, it's why I enjoyed the
project so much.'
Help meee!'
I nodded.
'I know.'
'Perhaps...' I ventured.
'Yes, Watson?'
Bernice laughed.
Ace grinned.
'Without a doubt.'
'Indubitably.'
'Indeed it was.'
'Why?,
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue