XI
The rivalry
20th Century
Wales
The Iron Merchant's Gargoyle
1984
The pub is silent for a long while before quiet chatter arises. It seems as if no one in the pub can trust one another. Someone here has murdered a cult member and to the cult, this act is unspeakable. But eventually, the alcohol starts to drain out of the guests' systems and they slowly start to drop off to sleep.
"You should get some rest too." The Doctor says to Rose.
Rose shakes her head. "I'm fine, honestly," she insists. "Terry says that she can smell a Slitheen in our midst, so that's enough for me to want to stay awake. April needs the rest though," Rose turns and nods over to April who sits in the corner, her head resting against the wall, fast asleep. "You think she is going to be okay?"
"I hope so." The Doctor replies.
"What do we do now?"
The Doctor sighs, stuffing his hands in his trouser pockets. For a moment he doesn't answer as he watches everyone in the pub settling down to sleep for the night. Clearly no one is planning on standing up and owning to the truth.
"Truth is that it was all a set up." The Doctor says quietly.
Rose looks at the Doctor with raised eyebrows.
"The murder is real, we can guarantee that, but it was just a set up. An attempt to distract us from what is actually going on."
"About the Slitheen spaceship?"
"The Slitheen are with us right now. This cult is made for the Cytracik. An easy target for the Slitheen."
April finds herself back on the beach, looking out at the Black Lighthouse as it flashes five times. She suddenly wakes up with a jolt while the fiery pain burns in her chest. She gasps desperately for air as the pain in her chest becomes worse again.
For a while April remains sitting upright with her back against the cold stone wall, looking around the pub and noticing that some of the candles on the tables are nearly burnt out. She tries to think how many hours she has been asleep for, just to get her mind away from her burning chest. It takes her a while to remind herself that she is in a pub in a strange little village in the middle of some Welsh moors. There has been a murder and each and every person in this pub is a suspect. She is not on that beach any more.
Once April catches her breath again, she slowly pushes herself out of the seat she fell asleep in and surveys the room. When she is sure that no one is watching her and that they are all asleep, she heads down the back corridor towards the ladies toilets. She stops when she finds the Doctor sitting on the tiled floor by the open back door, looking out at the Welsh moors in the distance. The rainy storm is still falling but it doesn't seem to bother him.
Crossing her arms across her chest tightly as the cold air slowly soothes her pain; April creeps up behind the Doctor, who is muttering to himself. She wonders if the Doctor sleeps at all or if this is his sleeping state. When she is a couple of steps behind him, he stops muttering.
"Can't sleep?" The Doctor asks, noticing her presence without even turning around.
April sighs and sits down on the floor next to him, tucking her feet under her legs. "It was just a nightmare. It's nothing new."
"I know," The Doctor says, looking at her. "I've heard you muttering in your sleep a few times before. Your words aren't always the same but they evolve around the same subject." The Doctor continues to watch April as she stares out at the hills. "April, is there anything you feel like you want to tell me?" He speaks slowly and carefully. "You know I am here to help. I may be this madman always on the run from aliens but like I said, I will be your friend."
Still feeling vulnerable from the fear from her nightmare, she suddenly feels like she wants to talk to the Doctor about Bruce. "Doctor…" She starts but before she has the chance to say any further, she is quickly cut off as Terry comes running over to them.
"There's something in the shadows outside, I can sense it," She breathes. "And it's coming straight in our direction. It smells alien to me."
The Doctor jumps to his feet and rushes back into the pub. He carefully steps around the sleeping villagers and joins Rose who has her face pressed up against the front window.
"It's too dark to see what it is," Rose says quietly. "But I can see that they are carrying fire torches." And she is correct for there is an orangy glow over the dark crowd stomping towards them. "Why would the Slitheen carry fire torches?"
"The shadows are too small to be Slitheen," The Doctor says sternly. "Make sure that no one leaves this pub!"
Rose nods as she pushes herself away from the window and turns to look at the sleeping pub members. Soon she starts running around and shaking everyone awake, forcing them to get up as something is coming their way. At first villagers are grouchy for being woken up when it isn't even morning but then panic suddenly starts to rise and everyone believes it to be a herd of Slitheen coming their way. Aiden comes bustling back into the pub and storms up to the Doctor.
"What do you think you're doing?" He shouts, frustration burning in his eyes.
"Just trying to save everyone from this upcoming herd," The Doctor snaps back. "So I suggest that you'd better help me in calming everyone down! Blow out the candles and don't draw attention to this pub. Is it wise for the rest of this cult to know about the murder?"
Aiden narrows his eyes. "They will find out anyway. And this is my pub so while I'm still alive, everyone is under my orders!"
There is a hesitant pause between the Doctor and Aiden. Aiden glaring at the Doctor and the Doctor looking rather surprised. However Aiden subtly winks at the Doctor, letting him know that he is still playing at part in the cult. The Doctor nods and turns away from him.
"Please tell me you have night vision ray." April asks Terry, as they both peer out the front window.
Terry squints her eyes as her mechanical vision focuses on the crowd in the distance. "They're not Slitheen." She finally says, pulling away from the window.
"Then who are they?"
"Christians. The other half of this cult." Terry then turns to look for the Doctor, ignoring April's puzzled facial expression.
April turns back to look out the window, wondering as to why there is a group of angry looking Christians with fire torches marching their way.
Terry opens her mouth to tell the Doctor but Aiden swings open the front door and steps out on the porch. The Doctor, Rose, Terry and April follow him.
"Come any closer and I will shoot! You know I have a rifle here!" Aiden shouts as the crowd comes closer and closer. They continue to march forward until the light from their fire torches light up their many different faces.
"Hang on, they're not Slitheen!" Rose says, glancing over at the Doctor.
Aiden steps off the porch onto the cobbled street as the rest of the villagers in the pub start filing out. "No, they're just Christians," He hisses before shouting out, "What are you doing here?"
The Christians stop when they are only a few meters away. The vicar, who is leading the mob, takes a step forward.
"We've gone through a week of this torture," He bellows. "What with that ship. And you have murdered a value member of us."
"Wait how did you lot know about that?" The Doctor snaps but no one listens to him.
"We are trying to figure that out ourselves!" Aiden snaps.
"Thou shall not kill. How dare you? We are a cult. We were supposed to work together for that battle!"
One of the people from the pub steps forward, laughing. "You decided to separate yourselves from us with your religious beliefs."
"There is nothing wrong with Christianity!" Someone shouts, stepping out from behind the vicar.
The Doctor steps in between the two rivalry gangs and the pub crowd cheers. "A rivalry between the atheists and the theists? This is literally ridiculous!" He says, sounding rather amused. He then turns to Aiden. "You can't keep going on with this silly battle. There's bigger fish to fry right now." He says deeply trying to sound as subtle as possible.
One of the pub guests snorts. "And who's giving you the right to tell us what to do? You're just passing travellers."
The Doctor suddenly starts to become angry as he turns to look at the vicar. "This is ridiculous! It really is. You lot are insane to worry about each other's beliefs right now. A spaceship crash landed out in the moors last week and while you hide away in this village you spend your time arguing over each other's beliefs. I thought you wanted to fight for the Cytracik. You'll never get there while you're like this. These creatures will kill you all not caring about what you believe in," The Doctor looks at Aiden's piercing look. "Save me from the stubbornness of Welsh people or so help me!"
"It's your fault!" The vicar points a shaky hand at Aiden and the group of guests from the pub. "The blame is on you for this happening with the creatures. It's because of your sin. You all must be banished from this village at once! First these aliens come here and now you murder one of us!"
"Our sin? How about your sin?" Another pub guest sneers.
"DID ANYONE EVEN LISTEN TO ME?" The Doctor shouts, his frustration building intensely. One of the men from the pub squeezes in between April and Rose and takes a step forward.
"The reasoning behind these beasts coming to our village is no one's fault. This isn't a punishment for any of our sins," He says proudly. "You should take heed in what the Doctor is saying to you," It suddenly strikes the Doctor, Rose, April and Terry as to how this man knows who he is. "He was the one he brought all this trouble after all."
There is a moment of confused silence as the crowd tries to understand what he means. But the confusion drops very quickly. The man smirks at the Doctor before lifting his hands to his forehead. Half the pub crowd does the same as they all start to pull open the invisible zip in their foreheads. A blue light erupts as they start to shed their human skin. Aiden takes a few steps back in horror, watching what his once were regular guests, change into big, ugly green creatures.
"I knew it." Aiden mutters under his breath.
The vicar kisses the wooden cross on a chain hanging around his neck before ordering the rest of the Christians to get back to the church. The Doctor shouts at the remaining villagers from the pub to go with them.
Without a question everyone starts running over to the church, followed by Rose and Terry. Aiden takes a couple of steps away, watching the Slitheen appear in horror and amazement.
"Aiden, we must go!" The Doctor urges.
"Not with them," He replies, gesturing towards the church. "I'd happily go anywhere but there!"
The Doctor groans. "Would you just forget this rivalry for one night?" He then lowers his voice. "Drop the act now."
When the Slitheen have almost shed their skin, Aiden nods in understanding before running after the others. The Doctor then turns to April who is also watching the Slitheen.
"April," The Doctor warns in more of a softer tone. "They will kill you and use your skin as a disguise once they have shed theirs."
"I know." April says as she continues to watch the Slitheen. "But you have to admit that they're beautiful."
There is a moment before the Doctor starts to laugh in surprise. "You've learnt well from me."
April draws her eyes away from the Slitheen and looks at the Doctor's outstretched hand that hovers close to her arm. They look at each other for a moment before the Doctor quickly drops his hand.
"It's fascinating though." April says before she lightly hits the Doctor playfully on his chest with the back of her hand which surprises him. "Let's go."
With that, they run through the village streets, catching up with the others just as soon as the Slitheen finish shedding their skin. They can hear the creature's loud footfalls running after them from behind.
The vicar stands by the large entrance oak doors of the church, ushering them inside as they all run down the aisle. Under the red carpet at the altar, there is a trapdoor which leads under the church into a cold, stoned alleyway. The Doctor bolts the front doors of the church with his sonic screwdriver and allows the vicar to enter through the trapdoor first, followed by April and them himself. He uses his screwdriver again to bolt the trapdoor just as the Slitheen start scratching away at the church's front doors and calling for the Doctor.
Everyone immediately falls silent, covering their mouths and trying to quieten their heavy breathing as they listen to the roar of the creatures above them. The vicar holds out his wooden cross towards the trapdoor, muttering some words to himself. Soon enough the sound subsides and the Slitheen leave.
"Is…is that it?" The vicar asks as his voice trembles. "Are we safe…Doctor?"
"Not for long." The Doctor mutters moodily before following the other Christians and remaining pub guests through the damp alleyway which eventually leads them into a very large room with iron walls. There are a few metal tables and chairs dotted here and there as well as a few bookcases. Bright light bulbs dangle from the ceiling. The Christians start to build up camp when the vicar tells them to.
Rose, Terry and the Doctor stand together looking out at this strange room built under the church. And everyone around them acts like they visit this place on a regular basis.
"Who was it?" Someone asks, looking at Aiden. "Who was murdered?"
"Jenson Marv." Aiden replies darkly.
"It was the Slitheen," the Doctor intersects before anyone else can. "I knew it from the moment I saw his body. I suspected that there was a Slitheen in the midst of the guests. I just wasn't expecting-"
"Half the bloody people in this village to be Slitheen in disguise," Aiden snaps, and then lowers his voice, standing close to the Doctor. "How do we know if anyone here is a Slitheen?"
There is a beat of silence between them.
Then without saying another word the Doctor takes out his sonic screwdriver and starts scanning the walls. He moves quickly like lightening, muttering to himself as he does so.
"What was this room built for?" The Doctor asks aloud after a while.
"In case of future wars, especially the Battle of the Cytracik" The vicar replies calmly. "Thank yourself lucky."
"Doctor," Aiden says in a warning tone. "What are those creatures? And what do they mean about you being the blame?"
The Doctor is suddenly aware of how everyone in this room is now watching him cautiously. "I'm not the blame for them landing here," The Doctor replies, tucking the screwdriver in his jacket pocket. "They're called the Slitheen from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius. They want revenge on me after last time I defeated them. Us landing here was accidental. We tried to stop them."
Aiden narrows his eyes, suddenly suspicious. "Both landed here? What are you then, Doctor?"
The Doctor points at Aiden. "That's no concern of yours and you're certainly not getting in my good books right now, Aiden Haulman. Even if you are a relative to Ireen Summerland. You should be more concerned about your own safety instead of that battle. It won't be long before the Slitheen find their way underground and kill us all. The walls of this room won't hold together for any longer than a couple of days. So far we are trapped down here till they come and if you really want to save your own and everybody else's life than you'd better think of a plan and FORGET ABOUT YOUR RIVALRY WITH THE CHRISTIANS!" The room falls completely silent when the Doctor shouts. The Doctor and Aiden stare at each other, both holding onto their breaths. The Doctor subtly winks. "They are just as scared as you are."
Aiden looks down at his shoes guiltily as everyone starts talking among themselves again. The Doctor walks over to April who to his surprise looks quite impressed.
"Never saw it in you." She says as she folds her arms.
"What?" The Doctor stares at April, frowning slightly.
"That anger," she then nods over to Aiden who has sat himself down at one of the iron tables by himself. "You both have a good show you're putting on."
"I'm trying to save his life," the Doctor grumbles under his breath. "If anyone here knew that he is against them and are trying to stop them from taking part in the Battle of the Cytracik, it will kill him. Especially with the Slitheen here."
April nods. "You're good at pretending."
The Doctor hesitates for a moment. "I'm sorry."
April looks at the Doctor's guilty expression. "Don't worry, I mean it's completely fine, really," The Doctor hears the slight panic in April's voice. "Clearly it's possible that we're all going to be killed under a Welsh church during the nineteen eighties," She runs her tongue along her teeth. "Yeah and I haven't even been born yet."
The Doctor sighs as he looks round at the other Christians and remaining villagers while they are setting up camp. Some are huddled together in prayer.
"You're a time traveller. Surely you can stop this?"
The Doctor shakes his head. "Time is not linear. I jump in the middle of it. So yes you can die ten years before you are even born."
"Brilliant," April remarks sarcastically. "Do you have a plan?" Although her voice is flat and no where near as hopeful as her words are.
"Not any more." The Doctor breathes out heavily.
"So we're stuck here till the Slitheen break in and take their revenge?"
"Well I am the Doctor," He says as he shifts on the spot. "I'll save us all and the six billion people on this planet."
"And have you thought about what to do if it all goes topsy turvy?"
"Come on, April, think positively!"
"No, in all honesty, Doctor. What are we to do?"
"We just run. And we keep on running, April Hollerford."
April and the Doctor turn to look at each other. Although all the muscles in her cheeks ache when doing so, April can't help but weakly smirk at the Doctor which slowly turns into a small grin – something she hasn't done since her parents died.
The Doctor smiles back broadly. "That's more like it!" He says cheerfully.
"I'd love to see a library," April admits out-of-the-blue, her small smile vanishing. "Whether it's an alien library or the biggest library in the world. Would you take me to one if I asked?"
"I'll take you anywhere you want. I can take you to the planet that is nothing but a library. Books are the best weapons anyone could have after all." The Doctor turns to join Rose and Terry who are sitting in the corner of the hall.
April puts her hand to her cheeks, surprised at herself for letting those muscles in her face work and smile.
"You'd better get some sleep." The Doctor tells Rose as he sits down on the cold floor next to her. "We've got a long night ahead of us, Rose Tyler."
