The Missing Adventures - Evolution Part 17

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. 'And you think she listens to me either?' he asked. Then he smiled at Sarah. 'Try and be a good patient, please, Sarah Jane.'

Waving her bandaged hand, Sarah snapped, 'This is all that's wrong with me, and it'll heal just as well out of bed as in it.' She glared at Alice. 'Are you going to get me my dress, or do I have to walk around the house in my nightgown?'

Alice blushed, but didn't back down. 'You're an immoral girl, Sarah.'

There was no way that Sarah could scowl after a remark like that. She collapsed, laughing. 'If you'd seen some of the gear I wear,' she gasped, 'you'd be certain of that.'

'Why don't we compromise?' suggested Doyle. 'You stay in bed till lunchtime, then get up but only if you promise to come back to bed if you don't feel well.'

Sighing, Sarah nodded. 'Deal,' she agreed. 'Now, will the pair of you tell us what's going on out in the bay? I gave Alice the gist of what I know, and neither of us is very enlightened.'

'I think she must have cracked her head, Doctor,' Alice explained. 'She claims that she was saved last night by a mermaid. And everyone knows that there are no such things.'

'Then everyone is wrong,' the Doctor replied. 'Because I caught a glimpse of one, too.' He looked vaguely puzzled.

'I'm not sure how it was created, but there definitely are mermaids living at the bottom of your garden, so to speak.'

'Told you so,' said Sarah smugly. She turned to the Doctor. 'Then what was it that attacked me?'

'There are two different kinds of creature down there,' he answered. 'The young well, let's call her a mermaid for now, for want of a better word is one, and that other creature looked more like some mutant seal.'

'Obviously the creature that killed old Ben Tolliver,' Doyle commented.

'Yes,' the Doctor agreed. 'Some kind of a guardian, I'd venture to say. It is supposed to kill or scare off anyone who gets too close to the lights we saw.' He slapped Doyle on the back. 'But you killed one, and its companion took it away to prevent us from getting a good look at it.'

'But it's got to be related to that hound in the outhouse,' Sarah commented. 'Right?'

'Yes.' The Doctor frowned. 'It's certainly more than any seal born naturally on this world. The basic structure appeared to be a common grey seal, but it had been enhanced.'

Doyle nodded. 'You think, then, that it was another constructed beast, like that hound? A child mutated somehow into a seal?'

'Not exactly,' the Doctor answered. 'I think it was the other way around: a seal that had human characteristics like enhanced intelligence grafted onto it.'

Sarah was almost ahead of him. 'And that mermaid,' she said slowly. 'She was real, so she must have been a child merged somehow with a fish.'

'Not a fish,' the Doctor argued. 'More likely a dolphin or a porpoise. I only had a glimpse of the girl in poor light, but her tail was smooth, not scaled.' He snapped his fingers. 'Of course! Mammalian natures combined. Just like the boy and the dog.'

Doyle nodded. 'Something that occurs to me, Doctor,' he offered, 'is that the Hope Hope has plenty of mammalian matter aboard it in the form of whale and seal products. Perhaps Captain Gray's business with Breckinridge had something to do with those, do you think?' has plenty of mammalian matter aboard it in the form of whale and seal products. Perhaps Captain Gray's business with Breckinridge had something to do with those, do you think?'

'Right!' exclaimed Sarah. 'And Breckinridge is fascinated with the sea. Maybe he's behind these mermaids?'

'It's quite possible,' agreed the Doctor, holding up a hand. 'But this is mere supposition. We have no evidence linking him to the mermaids, do we?'

'We could get it,' said Sarah, 'if we sneak into the factory and have a good look-see.'

'Oh, no,' said Alice. 'You are staying here, Sarah.' She looked very crossly at the other woman. 'I can't follow everything that you've been saying, but this is obviously quite dangerous. It is no task for a woman.'

The Doctor grinned. 'She's right that it's dangerous, Sarah. You rest up, while Doyle and I check into it.' He winked at her. 'Maybe you could talk to Alice and explain a little about women's lib.'

'Darned right,' Sarah growled. 'If I have to stay here, I'm going to set her straight.'

'Women's lib?' asked Alice blankly.

The Doctor nudged Doyle. 'Come on,' he said. 'Want to wager that by the time we return Sarah will have turned the whole social order at the house upside down?'

'Good Lord!' exclaimed Doyle. 'She's not one of these militant females, is she?'

'Of course not,' the Doctor answered. 'Nothing that mild.'

The Doctor dismounted from the horse that Fulbright had loaned him before he reached Breckinridge's factory. Doyle, puzzled, reined in his own steed, but didn't dismount.

'We've still got a half mile or more to go, Doctor,' he said. 'Or were you planning a side trip?'

'Not exactly,' the Doctor answered. 'Just a thought that struck me.' He pointed ahead of them at the ugly brick building.

'That's Breckinridge's factory, right?'

'Indeed.'

The Doctor swung around about forty-five degrees until he was pointing out to sea. 'And that's the bay we were in last night, isn't it? I wonder if it's no more than coincidence that the factory overlooks the bay?' He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'I wonder if you can see the bay from the top floor of the factory? That's where Sarah said Breckinridge has his private retreat.'

Doyle shrugged. 'From the angle, I'd say it was quite likely. Why?'

'Because Breckinridge should have been able to see the wheel of light from up there, in that case. And yet he's never reported doing so. I wonder why?'

'Perhaps he never works late, Doctor,' suggested Doyle.

'He's a self-made man,' the Doctor snapped. 'You never get to be one unless you're prepared to work long hours. I think Sarah's right, and that he's mixed up in this affair somehow.'

Doyle frowned. 'Perhaps he is. Hadn't we better move on and see if we can get in to talk to him?'

'In a moment,' the Doctor answered. 'I was rather hoping that the boy hiding behind that tree over there would come out and talk to us before we left.'

'What?' Doyle stared at the trees, but could see nothing to indicate they were other than alone. 'Are you sure there's somebody there?'

'I'm sure.' The Doctor gave a large grin. 'Billy, isn't it?'

There was a stir of movement, then a thin, ragged boy stepped out from the trees. His face held a look a little way between annoyance and awe. 'How did ye know I was there?'

'It's my business to know things, Billy,' the Doctor replied evasively. 'How do you do. I'm the Doctor. I believe we have a mutual friend in Sarah Jane Smith.'

Doyle shook his head in amazement. 'Astounding, my dear Doctor.'

This was an opinion Billy evidently shared. He gave the Doctor a look of respect. 'Not many can spot me, mister. You be pretty clever.'

'Thank you, Billy. Now, did you just come here to tell me how brilliant I am, or do you have some news for me?'

The boy scowled slightly. 'It were for Miss Smith, really. But, seeing she ain't here, I suppose I could tell you. Early this morning, just after daybreak, there were a big wagon made a delivery at the factory.'

'That's hardly surprising,' Doyle commented. 'They must get supplies there all the time.'

The Doctor shook his head. 'Not that early,' he commented. 'The workers wouldn't have arrived. And it meant that the wagon must have been waiting nearby since yesterday to make a delivery at that time. It suggests they didn't want to be seen, doesn't it, Billy?'

'It do,' agreed Billy, smiling. 'And it weren't no supplies such as that factory needs.' He scuffed the dirt with his foot. 'I can't read, so I don't know what were in them, but it were barrels of some sort.'

'Excellent work, Billy,' the Doctor said approvingly. 'I doubt it was just floor polish, eh?' He took a shilling from his pocket and flipped it to the startled youth. 'Let me know if you hear or see anything further, will you?' Then he grinned at Doyle. 'This makes a foray into the factory more pressing, don't you think?'

Billy winked, and vanished into the woods again. Doyle sighed and shook his head. 'This is all very peculiar,' he announced. 'I still don't comprehend it all.'

'Nor do I, yet,' admitted the Doctor, springing back up into the saddle. 'But some of the answers at least must lie within the factory. Come on. And follow my lead when we get there.' He urged on his steed and Doyle fell in behind him as they cantered the rest of the way to the factory gates.

As they approached, a rat-faced man jumped to his feet in the guard hut. 'Stay where you are!' he cried. 'There's no admittance.'

The Doctor glared down at him from his horse. 'Are you out of your mind, man?' he snapped. 'Didn't your master tell you to expect us?'

Rat-face looked surly and annoyed. 'I wasn't told to expect anybody.'

'Then someone has made a grave error,' the Doctor replied haughtily. 'We are with Lord Shaftesbury's committee. We have had reports that children are employed at this site, and are empowered to investigate and report on their working condi-tions. I am certain that Mister Breckinridge was notified of our arrival. Now let us in.'

The guard scowled. 'I wasn't told about no arrivals,' he replied sullenly. 'I can't let you in.'

'By thunder!' Doyle exclaimed, getting into the spirit of the masquerade. 'This is intolerable!'

'I'll say it is,' agreed the Doctor. 'Very well, we shall return with the local magistrate and a court order in fifteen minutes.' He glared at the guard. 'And the constable with a warrant for your arrest. Impeding an official enquiry is a serious charge. What's your name?'

Rat-face went pale. 'Here,' he protested weakly, 'there's no need for that.'

'Then announce us to Mister Breckinridge,' snapped the Doctor.

'I can't,' the guard answered. Before either visitor could protest, he added: 'Mister Breckinridge isn't here at the moment.'

'Then who is in charge, man?' demanded the Doctor.

'The factory manager, Mister Kinney,' the guard replied.

'Then we'll see him,' the Doctor said. 'Go and get him.' He leaned forward in the saddle. 'Now!'

The guard bolted across the open yard. Doyle moved slightly closer.

'Do you think this bluff will work?' he asked quietly.

'All the better for Breckinridge not being around,' the Doctor a.s.sured him. 'Flunkies are much easier to hoodwink than bosses. They're terrified of making mistakes that could get them fired later. Stay in character, and ask pertinent questions about the welfare of the child workers.'

The guard came rushing back, with a harried-looking man in tow. The newcomer appeared fl.u.s.tered and embarra.s.sed.

'I'm Jack Kinney,' he said, panting slightly. 'I'm afraid Mister Breckinridge said nothing about any inspection.'

'That's not my fault,' the Doctor snapped. 'You'll have to do for now, I suppose. When will the owner be back?'

'Later today, sir,' Kinney answered, wringing his hands nervously together. 'I'm not certain precisely when. If you'd care to return then '

'What?' Doyle thundered. 'And allow you the opportunity to cover up all your scandalous practices? Do you think we're feeble-minded, man?'

Kinney was practically wetting his trousers with fear. 'I a.s.sure you, there's nothing untoward happening here, and we have nothing to hide.'

'Then let us in,' the Doctor said coldly. 'We are the ones who will determine the truth of that, not you.' He dismounted and fished in his pocket. 'Here, you blithering idiot. My credentials. Don't you think to ask to see them?' He handed over a card and a bundle of papers through the gap in the gate.

Kinney took them as if they were b.o.o.by-trapped. 'Ah . . .' he muttered, peering over the wad. 'Doctor John Smith of UNIT? I thought you said '

'That I work at the moment for Lord Shaftesbury?' the Doctor snapped. 'I'm on loan as a specialist, man. Can't you see that for yourself? How can you be in charge of a factory when you can't even read plain English?'

Kinney, fl.u.s.tered, handed back the papers and card. 'Well, I expect it's all in order,' he agreed. To the guard, he said, 'Let them in, Raintree.' The guard, still scowling, unlocked the gate. The Doctor led his horse inside, followed by Doyle.

The guard then ostentatiously locked the gate behind them. 'Now, what do you gentlemen need to see first?'

'Where, precisely, are the children employed?' asked Doyle. 'I must make a thorough inspection of their work area to ensure its compliance with all relevant legislation, you know.'

'Quite, quite,' agreed Kinney, wiping his hands on his trouser legs. 'Ah, over here, this way, this way.' He led his two difficult visitors on a whirlwind tour of the factory.

Doyle, quite relishing his role, really entered into the spirit of it, asking pointed questions and jotting down the replies in a small notepad. At one point he borrowed a tape measure, made several arcane determinations and scribbled down the results disapprovingly. Kinney was getting so agitated that he barely noticed that the Doctor was examining areas that were not included in the tour.

On the accounting floor, the Doctor suddenly barked, 'Where are the shipping logs? What chemicals do you use here?

Are any of them endangering the health of the children?' Kinney, white and trembling, pointed to the relevant accounting tomes. The Doctor scanned them and slammed them shut. 'And what's upstairs from here?' he growled.

'That's Mister Breckinridge's personal offices,' Kinney answered.

'Do any children work up there?' asked Doyle.

'None at all!' Kinney exclaimed. 'n.o.body but Mister Breckinridge works there.'

'We'd like to see it to be certain of that,' snapped the Doctor.

'That's quite impossible,' the manager replied, shaking. 'Even I don't have a key to that floor. Only Mister Breckinridge does.'

'And he's conveniently absent,' growled Doyle. He made another mark in his book. 'This does not bode well, you know.'

'I think, in that case,' the Doctor announced haughtily, 'that we've seen all we care to for the moment.' He glared at Kinney. 'But tell your employer that we shall return tomorrow morning and expect to be met by him personally and shown around.' He leaned forward and said softly, 'And if there is any sign of alterations upstairs, we shall bring down the full force of the law on his and your head. Do you understand me?'

Kinney nodded until his head looked as if it would fall off. 'Oh, definitely. There'll be absolutely no problem, I'm certain of that.'