Doctor Who_ Loving The Alien Part 50

'Inspector or no inspector.'

'It's Chief Inspector,' growled Mullen. 'And why the h.e.l.l is it so dark in here?'

The lights snapped on.

'Surprise!'

Mullen stared in astonishment as the little bar erupted into a chorus of 'For He's A Jolly Good Fellow' accompanied by McBride on the harmonica and the Doctor on the spoons.

As singing gave way to laughter,Mullen glared at McBride. 'Your idea?'

The American held up his hands. 'Hey, nothing to do with me. Rita organised it. I just do what she says.'

'I wish!' said Rita.

'You never do anything that I d.a.m.n well say,' snorted Mullen.

McBride glanced nervously at his old friend. 'How are the legs?'

Mullen rapped his knuckles against his thigh. There was a metallic clang. 'Doctors say that I'm going to be able to start walking on them in a week or so, but you know what doctors are like. You can never trust 'em'

'Quite right,' said the Doctor. 'You rarely can.'

'Oh, I don't know...' Ace tapped him on the nose with an oversized finger. 'I do all right by you.'

Mama sauntered over with a gla.s.s of Guinness in his hand. 'I thought this might be what you were looking for, Chief.'

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'Ah, you're a life-saver and no mistake, Mama.'

'V2 rocket,' Mama scoffed as he pa.s.sed McBride.

McBride shook his head. 'Guess I musta dreamed it.'

'McBride!' Mullen called. 'There's a poker game out back!'

Mama was pushing Mullen's chair through the crowds. Rita sashayed over and linked arms with McBride. 'So, are you going to buy me a drink or what?'

McBride nodded. 'Whatever the lady wants.' He looked at the Doctor and Ace.

'What about you two?'

The Doctor smiled. They could relax now Time was repairing itself'

and so were his friends' battered imaginations. Ironing out inconsistencies. Mama's was already seeming to McBride as if it had always been here. Human minds could rarely hold temporal pluralities for long.

Except for the late George Limb's, of course.

The Doctor looked quizzically at Ace. 'I think we've done enough racing around for a while. How about we stay here for Christmas, Ace?'

Ace grinned. 'Wicked'

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Acknowledgements Thanks to: Sophie and Sylvester Andy Tucker Justin Richards Steve Cole Miss Sue and Mr Steve Karen Parks Paul Dale Smith Natalie Sedgwick Moogie Unta fae 'Tyre, Gub and Charlie Y.C.C.

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About the Authors

ROBERT PERRY and MIKE TUCKER still live on opposite sides of London, both still try to work within the media, and both still fill up any spare time they have by writing scripts and novels.

Their previous contributions to the Doctor Who Doctor Who range include the novels range include the novels Illegal Alien Illegal Alien, Matrix Matrix, Storm Harvest Storm Harvest and and Prime Time Prime Time, and the short stories ' Stop the Pigeon Stop the Pigeon' and ' Ace of Hearts Ace of Hearts' all featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace. Loving the Alien Loving the Alien concludes that story arc. concludes that story arc.

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