- Jul 17, 2004
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London was indeed a sorry sight when David and the crew arrived there late the following afternoon. St Paul's rose dominantly against the skyline, standing tall as a symbol of hope for the Londoners and indeed, all Britain during that dark time of devastation.
The Professor had spent time the previous evening providing CTC with two maps. One showed directions to his old home and the other showed precisely where he had buried the magic rings.
Spikey had come up with a good cover story for them all. Being British himself, he said, "Let's go with this - you're family from America over here visiting relatives, like me!"
David nodded and said "Yep, plausible enough. There were heaps of Americans in London during the war."
Spikey would go on ahead and book hotel rooms for all eight of them. They would stay there overnight and early the following morning when the bombers had departed, js, CTC and Spikey would head for the old house. Much to the children's disgust, all four of them had been refused permission to accompany the crew to London.
"They didn't miss much," Spikey said to the others as he headed off to the hotel. "Very uneventful train ride. Meet you there in half an hour!"
js forbore to mention the two men she had noticed at the London station, ostensibly waiting for a train, but with watchful attitudes.
"Just time for a cup of tea and something savoury before we go to the hotel," David decreed, heading for the station cafe.
Thirty minutes later, the crew were approaching the hotel. It looked imposing, but a little rundown. Not that the crew cared about that. A decent bed and a reasonable meal would do just fine. Spikey appeared, leaping down the steps and strolled up to them with a nod. "All booked!" The dear old Prof had raided his money box and they had ample money to see them through on this mission.
"Good. Well, we have a couple of hours till dinner time," David said, "so we can go for a look round or we can stay in the hotel in case of some random bomber suddenly appearing overhead."
"If that happened, we'd have to make a dash for the shelter. Where is the nearest shelter?" said sunshine, determined to be prepared.
Spikey turned to indicate where it was and uttered,"I don't believe it!"
"What?" the others said in unison, looking round.
"Look!!"
Running up the street towards them were three figures. One was way out in the lead and he was whooping like a demented cowboy as he ran. The girl was tiring, but keeping going as if determined not to be last. Bringing up the rear with a great deal of puffing and wheezing and clanking was an extraordinary figure whom they instantly recognised as Dr S.
A babble of talk broke out when they reached the crew. Dr S explained that he had the rings in amongst all the chatter.
"That saves us having to sneak out at 3 am, Dr S!" js said with more than a touch of relief. "Here, give them to me. We...well, we were all going to return to the Professor's house with the rings, assuming we found them. But if you hold one of each, Dr S, I will take the others back to the Prof and hand them over, then return here."
"Good plan, js! "David said immediately. He had no desire to get straight back on that rattling train that crawled along and stopped at every tiny village. "Meet us back here at the hotel later."
Turning to Dr S, he instructed him to take great care of the last two rings, one yellow, one green. "They're our ticket out of here."
"I'll come with you, js," CTC said. He had noticed the two men at the station as well. He couldn't figure out why they might have been interested in the crew, who were dressed as typical tourists, thanks to the extensive wardrobes of clothes at the Prof's house. But he had felt uneasy about them.
"Ok, then, CTC," js agreed. "That'll be great, thanks."
"I'll come too!" Spikey said. He wanted to farewell the Kings and Queens himself.
Farewelling the others and with promises to send their best to the children and the Professor, js, CTC and Spikey set out smartly for the station. It was a long street, lined with terrace houses on both sides, each bordered by little stone walls and fronted by the inevitable small tree and flowering shrub. The hotel sat on the corner behind them.
js was discussing the pros and cons of British housing compared to New Zealand's and America's, when she cast a glance back. Two men were walking towards them, albeit some thirty yards or more behind.
Looking away, js whispered to CTC, "Don't look now, but..."
"What?" CTC said, looking round immediately. "Uh-oh, two men and they are breaking into a jog!"
"Run!" js said, thanking the Lord that they had all become very fit while in Narnia. Still, the end of the street with the station round the corner seemed so far away. Risking another glance back, js saw that the men were keeping pace with them and not looking winded at all. "Faster!" she cried and they put on a desperate spurt.
Suddenly a door appeared right in front of them. Someone reached out and grabbed them all with amazing strength and pulled them through the door, then slammed it shut.
"What on earth?" CTC gasped as js stared round in wonder.
"Yes, we are, but not for long. I'm guessing a quick retreat will suit you?"
A strangely familiar sound started up and Dr Who, who said, "Just call me the Doctor", set the controls and they were away.
"Just popped in to see Winston," the doctor said cheerily. "Thought he had some great new weapon. Daleks! Had no idea what he was messing with!" The doctor scowled mightily and continued, "I got rid of them, but they're out there somewhere. It was destroy them or Earth, so ..."
The three looked at each other in stupefied silence.
"Coffee?" Amy asked, coming in with a tray of drinks. "We've been watching you, you know. On the screen. There," she informed them.
"Would love to visit Narnia myself," Rory said, giving the three a fright when he bobbed up suddenly from below the control panel. "Fixed now, Doctor," he added.
CTC went over to the screen. "You're on channel 345. Look, it's still going. I'll rewind it a bit," Amy said.
It was a surreal experience, watching themselves running up the street, the men in pursuit. They saw the door open, saw themselves yanked into the Tardis and the door slam shut. The view moved to the crew. Not everyone had seen what had happened. Only Lost and Green Wizard, who were trying to interrupt the flow of conversation with wildly differing accounts.
They just disappeared into thin air!" GW cried.
"No, someone grabbed them!"
"Never saw that! You're imagining things!" GW insisted.
The two men had gone, fortunately not making any connection between the crew and the fleeing three.
"Better let me put those rings away safely for now, js," the Doctor said.
The Professor had spent time the previous evening providing CTC with two maps. One showed directions to his old home and the other showed precisely where he had buried the magic rings.
Spikey had come up with a good cover story for them all. Being British himself, he said, "Let's go with this - you're family from America over here visiting relatives, like me!"
David nodded and said "Yep, plausible enough. There were heaps of Americans in London during the war."
Spikey would go on ahead and book hotel rooms for all eight of them. They would stay there overnight and early the following morning when the bombers had departed, js, CTC and Spikey would head for the old house. Much to the children's disgust, all four of them had been refused permission to accompany the crew to London.
"They didn't miss much," Spikey said to the others as he headed off to the hotel. "Very uneventful train ride. Meet you there in half an hour!"
js forbore to mention the two men she had noticed at the London station, ostensibly waiting for a train, but with watchful attitudes.
"Just time for a cup of tea and something savoury before we go to the hotel," David decreed, heading for the station cafe.
Thirty minutes later, the crew were approaching the hotel. It looked imposing, but a little rundown. Not that the crew cared about that. A decent bed and a reasonable meal would do just fine. Spikey appeared, leaping down the steps and strolled up to them with a nod. "All booked!" The dear old Prof had raided his money box and they had ample money to see them through on this mission.
"Good. Well, we have a couple of hours till dinner time," David said, "so we can go for a look round or we can stay in the hotel in case of some random bomber suddenly appearing overhead."
"If that happened, we'd have to make a dash for the shelter. Where is the nearest shelter?" said sunshine, determined to be prepared.
Spikey turned to indicate where it was and uttered,"I don't believe it!"
"What?" the others said in unison, looking round.
"Look!!"
Running up the street towards them were three figures. One was way out in the lead and he was whooping like a demented cowboy as he ran. The girl was tiring, but keeping going as if determined not to be last. Bringing up the rear with a great deal of puffing and wheezing and clanking was an extraordinary figure whom they instantly recognised as Dr S.
A babble of talk broke out when they reached the crew. Dr S explained that he had the rings in amongst all the chatter.
"That saves us having to sneak out at 3 am, Dr S!" js said with more than a touch of relief. "Here, give them to me. We...well, we were all going to return to the Professor's house with the rings, assuming we found them. But if you hold one of each, Dr S, I will take the others back to the Prof and hand them over, then return here."
"Good plan, js! "David said immediately. He had no desire to get straight back on that rattling train that crawled along and stopped at every tiny village. "Meet us back here at the hotel later."
Turning to Dr S, he instructed him to take great care of the last two rings, one yellow, one green. "They're our ticket out of here."
"I'll come with you, js," CTC said. He had noticed the two men at the station as well. He couldn't figure out why they might have been interested in the crew, who were dressed as typical tourists, thanks to the extensive wardrobes of clothes at the Prof's house. But he had felt uneasy about them.
"Ok, then, CTC," js agreed. "That'll be great, thanks."
"I'll come too!" Spikey said. He wanted to farewell the Kings and Queens himself.
Farewelling the others and with promises to send their best to the children and the Professor, js, CTC and Spikey set out smartly for the station. It was a long street, lined with terrace houses on both sides, each bordered by little stone walls and fronted by the inevitable small tree and flowering shrub. The hotel sat on the corner behind them.
js was discussing the pros and cons of British housing compared to New Zealand's and America's, when she cast a glance back. Two men were walking towards them, albeit some thirty yards or more behind.
Looking away, js whispered to CTC, "Don't look now, but..."
"What?" CTC said, looking round immediately. "Uh-oh, two men and they are breaking into a jog!"
"Run!" js said, thanking the Lord that they had all become very fit while in Narnia. Still, the end of the street with the station round the corner seemed so far away. Risking another glance back, js saw that the men were keeping pace with them and not looking winded at all. "Faster!" she cried and they put on a desperate spurt.
Suddenly a door appeared right in front of them. Someone reached out and grabbed them all with amazing strength and pulled them through the door, then slammed it shut.
"What on earth?" CTC gasped as js stared round in wonder.
"Yes, we are, but not for long. I'm guessing a quick retreat will suit you?"
A strangely familiar sound started up and Dr Who, who said, "Just call me the Doctor", set the controls and they were away.
"Just popped in to see Winston," the doctor said cheerily. "Thought he had some great new weapon. Daleks! Had no idea what he was messing with!" The doctor scowled mightily and continued, "I got rid of them, but they're out there somewhere. It was destroy them or Earth, so ..."
The three looked at each other in stupefied silence.
"Coffee?" Amy asked, coming in with a tray of drinks. "We've been watching you, you know. On the screen. There," she informed them.
"Would love to visit Narnia myself," Rory said, giving the three a fright when he bobbed up suddenly from below the control panel. "Fixed now, Doctor," he added.
CTC went over to the screen. "You're on channel 345. Look, it's still going. I'll rewind it a bit," Amy said.
It was a surreal experience, watching themselves running up the street, the men in pursuit. They saw the door open, saw themselves yanked into the Tardis and the door slam shut. The view moved to the crew. Not everyone had seen what had happened. Only Lost and Green Wizard, who were trying to interrupt the flow of conversation with wildly differing accounts.
They just disappeared into thin air!" GW cried.
"No, someone grabbed them!"
"Never saw that! You're imagining things!" GW insisted.
The two men had gone, fortunately not making any connection between the crew and the fleeing three.
"Better let me put those rings away safely for now, js," the Doctor said.
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