ghost. Miss Kidd's experience we all know about.'

We let this - this person and his freakish friend waltz in here Cooper turned to Holly kindly. 'Holly's been working without so much as a by-your-leave! Within five minutes very hard...'

he's telling us what to do...'

'I know what I saw!'

'Story of my life,' said the Doctor.

'So do I,' said Vijay.

'And now,' roared Hawthorne, 'now you're sitting here Cooper bit her lip and changed tack. 'You said parallels?'

listening to him tell ghost stories!'

The Doctor pulled at the string tying together his books. 'I 'Dr Hawthorne...' put in Vijay.

didn't notice it at first. Ace found it.' He scanned the closing 'And as for you,' Hawthorne stepped back disgustedly, pages of the book which Ace had given him and gave a little 'I'm going to make sure you're off this project by the New cry of satisfaction.

Year. I don't intend to have my work jeopardised by an ' "Further investigation into the disappearances",' he read hysterical girl and a stupid b.l.o.o.d.y n-----!'

aloud, ' "was hampered by a breakdown in the telephone Vijay shot to his feet and caught Hawthorne by the lapels systems and a mysterious outbreak of sickness which of his lab coat. For several seconds they glared at each other.

afflicted any who strayed on to the moor. Although later Then Vijay let go, a protracted, angry hiss escaping his attributed to a form of water poisoning, no concrete nostrils.

information has ever become available".'

'I believe I'm a Paki to you, Dr Hawthorne. You might at He clapped the book shut and gazed at his little audience.

least get your terminology right.'

'I need hardly remind you of our communication difficulties.

Hawthorne glared at them all in contempt, turned on his And, this morning, a coach party from the old people's heel and disappeared into the interior.

home was unable to leave the village after the driver 'Tom!' called Cooper. 'Tom, for G.o.d's sake!'

crashed the vehicle. They all complained of a terrible She threw up her hands helplessly. 'I'm ... so sorry, Vijay.'

sickness.'

Vijay shrugged. Holly forgot her own troubles for a There was a slow handclap from the far wall. They all moment and kissed him fondly.

turned to see Hawthorne, a sour smile on his face. 'Very The Doctor looked down, a little embarra.s.sed. 'Well, good, Doctor. Keep this up and you'll have them believing whatever Dr Hawthorne's opinion, I urge you to take this in Santa Claus.'

seriously. I can't explain what's happening but we must all 'All right, Tom,' said Cooper quietly.

be on our guard.'

182.

183.

'Hang on!' said Cooper suddenly, her eyes darting to the It was like the sixties, she thought. Everyone was always consoles. 'It's starting again!'

going on about how brilliant they were. Admittedly, she The afternoon was wearing on and there was still no sign wasn't exactly in the best place to observe things. Crook of Robin. Ace had wandered around the monastery, trying Marsham wasn't Carnaby Street. But things probably to interest herself in the tapestries and carvings. She found a weren't so different to her own time. People were a bit small, wizened gargoyle which reminded her a bit of the happier. There was more s.e.x all of a sudden. Things were Doctor and laughed. But then she recalled their colourful and fun after the drabness and austerity of conversation in Mrs Crithin's cafe.

wartime. But it was more than likely that the decade was Retirement! He really seemed serious. And where did that fondly remembered because everyone was so much more leave her? She needed to convince him that he really had optimistic about the future. A summer of love that would go been doing good all these years, that the Universe needed on forever. It they'd known what was coming, just how him.

much fun would the sixties have been?

Ace sat down on the sill of a gla.s.sless window which Ace had risen from her seat and looked up at the already looked out on to the cloisters. She had thought that their darkening sky. She turned and caught sight of the cheerful terrifying experiences inside the Doctor's own mind during glow coming from the windows of the Great Hall. Strolling the final battle with the Timewyrm had exorcised the up to the big wooden door, she heaved it open and stepped Doctor's angst. Obviously she had been too optimistic.

inside.

Although, she thought carefully, it didn't seem to be guilt The room was a forest of candles. They protruded from over any past actions which was haunting the Doctor. His every available surface: long, stout church specimens in malaise seemed to run very deep, seemed to be a profound waxy puddles spreading a cheerful and cosy yellow light dissatisfaction and loneliness, a yearning to belong.

around the place. A blazing fire crackled in the hearth.

Ace thought of her Auntie Rose, always bemoaning the Jill Mason was walking between the chairs like a youth of today and saying how much nicer everything used miniskirted Florence Nightingale. Most of her charges had to be. That was what was wrong with the Doctor. He was dropped off to sleep although the Rayner sisters and Mr trapped in the past. Remembering happier times which Peel were mumbling quietly to themselves.

probably weren't that much different to today.

Three or four of the monks had lingered too, leaning She looked about at the crumbling stones.

against the walls or staring into the fire.

How many lives had this place seen come and go? How Ace felt a little thrill of pleasure run through her. It would many people who thought themselves so important?

be good to be here with Robin, somewhere so festive and Ace smiled to herself. And how many young women had cosy. She walked towards Jill, her shoes making a satisfying sat here thinking exactly the same thing?

clop on the stone-flagged floor.

'Everything OK?'

184.

185.

Jill turned round. 'Er, yes. Do I...?'

Jill and Ace began to join in as best they could. Mrs 'Ace.' She extended a hand. 'I'm a friend of the Doctor's.'

Holland looked around at her friends. Their expressions Jill smiled. 'Of course.'

were strangely melancholy, betraying the wealth of emotion Mrs Holland jerked into wakefulness, blinking about stirred up by the old song. Mr Peel rubbed a hand across his herself in confusion. Jill laid a soothing hand on her brow.

eyes. He seemed to be crying.

'It's all right, Esme.'

'What's the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile, 'Wilfrid? Is that you?' The old woman grasped Jill's hand so...!'

and touched it to her wrinkled cheek.

Ace began to gravitate away from the group, feeling a 'It's Jill, Esme.'

little uncomfortable. She'd always hated singsongs, right 'Jill? Oh.' Mrs Holland frowned. 'Oh, yes. Of course. I was from school a.s.semblies to New Year revelling. They just thinking.. .Wilfrid. He's gone now, you know.'

smacked of people trying too hard to enjoy themselves.

Jill stroked Mrs Holland's hair affectionately. 'I know.'

'Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, 'Nineteen-fifteen. I can remember the day. He was first in smile, smile!'

the queue at the recruiting office, you know. Oh yes. He Ace stepped through the door of the Great Hall and found used to parade up and down in front of that mirror with his herself once again in the chilly cloisters. Evening had drawn big boots on and all his b.u.t.tons shining. "I'll be back for about the monastery now. Where was Robin?

Christmas," he said. But he wasn't. I knew there was something wrong but... but you were supposed to get a Mr Dutton raised his hand, a wicked smile cracking his telegram. There was a bit of a mix-up. All I got was a face as he launched into a discordant rendition of 'We're brown-paper parcel. His uniform. His boots. And his little Gonna Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line'. Jill pocket book.'

looked on benevolently. This was just the thing to get their She turned tear-misted eyes to Jill. 'There was a bayonet spirits up.

hole through it. The pages were all stuck together, all ... stiff Later, she would reflect on the irony of that phrase.

with blood. I remember. I just stood on the step and cried.'

She looked across at Mrs Holland and her smile froze. The Mr Messingham shifted in his chair and cleared his throat.

old woman was sitting bolt upright, transfixed by Then he began to sing in a high, tuneless voice.

something she had spotted in the corner.

'Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag...'

'Esme?' called Jill.

'And smile, smile...' joined in Mr Dutton.

Mrs Holland peered into the candle-lit gloom, her mouth 'Smile...' finished Mrs Holland.

champing in agitation. Jill looked again. There was a man 'While you've a lucifer to light your f.a.g...'

standing in the shadows by the fireplace. Even in the poor 'Smile boys, that's the style,' croaked Mr Bollard, grinning.

light, she could make out his khaki uniform and boots. He began to move swiftly across the room.

186.

187.

'Wilfrid!' Mrs Holland yelled, her voice trembling.

Then Mrs Holland cried out, her voice choking as A little girl ran across the room and sat on Mr Peel's knee.

ectoplasmic fluid erupted from her throat. Before her, She was wearing a long, Edwardian dress and carried an Wilfrid's face began to fall away, flesh dripping from the old spinning top.

awful darkness beneath. His bony arms seared into her 'Come on, Reuben,' she trilled. 'Come and play!'

sides and she vanished into a ball of light.

Mr Peel gawped at her and thrust her from his knee, a The monks who had remained were running for the doors.

look of horrified revulsion on his face. 'No! No, not you!'

Mr Peel's sister was creeping remorselessly towards him, Jill looked about desperately. From every corner, dark smiling a chilling smile. The room began to blaze with white figures were emerging, like bas-reliefs coming to life. Light light.

trailed from their eyes and hands.

Jill panicked suddenly, her whole body trembling. She ran 'Stella?' said Mr Peel in a disbelieving whisper as the little to the door and threw herself out into the cloisters, girl looked into his eyes. Jill knew about Stella. A little girl slamming the door behind her.

of eight or nine. Mr Peel's sister. She'd died after eating Ace, who was standing some way off, was by her side in a poisonous berries sometime during the First World War.

moment.

Died.

'What is it?'

The uniformed man blazed through the room towards Jill gestured towards the door. Ace peered through the Mrs Holland. Someone started screaming hysterically.

dusty window and gasped. All she could see were people 'Esme,' said Wilfrid, his voice rustling like tissue paper. 'My bathed in light, roaring like columns of fire. She turned darling.'

around, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with questions. Jill was gone.

The old woman's jaw fell open. The figure stopped by her Ace turned back to the window, her eyes widening in chair and opened its arms to embrace her.

shock. Then she saw something which froze her blood. The Jill looked crazily about her. The old people were main doors had opened and Robin had stepped into the stumbling about in blind panic as shapes split off from the room. He was knocked off his feet in an instant as a wave of shadows and moved towards them. There was a thin light tore through the place, crashing shut the doors, which woman in a black dress bearing down on Mr Messingham buckled and expanded. Ace ran inside.

and a tiny baby crawling towards Mr Bollard. The old man's 'Robin!'

hoa.r.s.e scream filled the air. Mrs Holland rose from her chair, The boy was standing stock still, staring at the terrible her bent back straightening determinedly as she stepped beauty of the apparitions before him.

into her husband's arms. He smiled, and her face suffused Ace dived for his legs and brought him down. He seemed with joy. Fountains of radiant light shot between their to snap out of his trance and hugged her to him. 'Come on!

hands, coc.o.o.ning them in a web of energy.

Come on!' Ace cried, dragging him to his feet. She looked 188 189.

around the room. Ethereal energy lapped at the walls, rising of buzzing energy retracting a little. The Abbot stopped towards the ceiling like liquid fire.