SHROUDED IN DARKNESS
Chapter Six Juliet's parent's house was just like all the others in Golgotherum, wooden and drab. Amy wondered if there was any color anywhere in the town or even on the planet. She thought not since her bright red sweater was getting stares from everyone they went past. Of course, stares weren't the only thing she was getting. The Doctor gave a drunken man a look of death when he stumbled up to Amy and offered to pay her credits for sex. Amy politely told him that she wasn't a prostitute. The man persisted, not believing that a woman was just wearing red for the hell of it. The Doctor finally got in his face, gave him a warning look and snarled at him to back off. Amy marveled when the man obeyed without question. The Doctor didn't look that threatening but there was something about him, a power inside him that made people take him seriously and back off whenever he got angry. When they reached the house, Narcissa got in front of them and knocked on the door. It was opened by a stern looking man who was dressed in black and for all the world resembled a pilgrim who had just landed on Plymouth Rock. The Doctor thought all he needed were the buckled shoes and the black hat and he'd be set. The man glanced at Juliet and then his eyes narrowed when he saw the Doctor and Amy. "Who are they?" he asked Juliet. "Friends," Juliet said. "Hello, I'm the Doctor, this is Amy Pond. We're travelers." "We don't like travelers," the man growled at him. "I gathered that. But the thing is we came here by mistake and…" "Yes, you did come here by mistake, you're not welcome here, now leave," the man said. "Wait, they want to help," Narcissa said to him. "Help with what?" the man said. "With your supposed zombie problem." The man gave him a confused look. "The undead," Amy said. The man snorted. "You can help by leaving here. We don't need any more dead bodies on our hands." "Dead? I thought they were undead," the Doctor said. "Yes, but first they end up dead," the man said. "And your daughter, you believe she's one of the undead?" the Doctor said. "That thing is no longer my daughter, it's a soulless beast," the man said, crossing his arms over his chest. "They don't believe that," Juliet said to him. The man snorted. "I don't doubt that. Not many who come here believe there are undead until they join their ranks." "And that happens often? The undead preying on strangers?" the Doctor said. The man glanced behind him and beckoned them inside. He held the door open until they passed through and then closed it behind them. "The only reason I let you in here is because I want to give you fair warning," he said to them when he turned towards them. "Dorigon does indeed prey on strangers because they are harder to trace. If you hadn't noticed, this planet is in a remote part of space so not many come here and those that do need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible." "If that's so, if strangers are targeted, why your daughter then?" the Doctor asked. "Dorigon is a local resident so I'm assuming…" "Yes, that's your problem, you assume too much. Dorigon isn't a local resident." "But…he's a member of that serpent order," Amy said. "We saw mausoleums that had the emblem on them." "Yes, but the Order of the Serpentine is a global organization. Dorigon isn't from here." "But he preys on your town? Why?" the Doctor said. "You shouldn't ask too many questions. That's why my daughter was targeted. She tried to find out why and she's undead now." "So anyone who delves too much into this man's activities ends up his zombie slave," the Doctor said. "If you like. If zombie means undead slave then yes, that's what happens to nosy people." "That is why the townspeople hide in their houses, dress somberly, don't laugh or speak loudly. You're trying not to draw attention to yourselves lest he choose you next," the Doctor said. "Yes, and for the most part it's worked. Which is why I suggest you stop looking like a whore," he said, pointing to Amy's sweater. The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder when he sensed she was going to say something back. "What about your wife? Are you married?" the Doctor asked. "She's at the market. When we have things that need to get done, we do our business and get it over with as quickly as possible before returning home." "That doesn't sound like much of a life," the Doctor said. "It isn't but most of us have lived in this town all our lives and so have our ancestors. We're not going to abandon it. Besides, Dorigon sees everything. If we run, he can follow us." Amy knew the Doctor wasn't buying that but he kept silent on that point. "What if I could help you," the Doctor said to him. "Didn't you hear a word I said? You're in danger, both of you. You need to run away as fast as you can!" he said angrily. "Yes, and if we do that, life goes on as before. You can run and run but sooner or later, you have to turn around and make a stand," the Doctor said to him. "Believe it or not, I've handled this sort of thing before." Amy could tell from the expression on the man's face that he was choosing "Not" but he said nothing. "Please, let me help you. Amy and I can figure out where Dorigon lives and put an end to his enslavement of your people." "You'd willingly put yourself in harm's way?" the man said in disbelief. "Yes. I've done it time and again and I'll do it for you but you have to trust me and Amy," the Doctor replied. The man looked dubious. Narcissa looked at them and saw conviction in the Doctor's face and suddenly she had a feeling that he was telling the truth and he and Amy could help them. She asked the man to trust them. The man shook his head. "I think it's a fool's errand but it's your lives, if you want to risk them, that's your decision," he said. "Thank you. Can you help us by giving us information on your daughter and the circumstances surrounding her death?" "I s'pose I can do that," the man said, scratching his chin. "I guess if you're going to help, I should introduce myself. Name's Silas." "The Doctor and Amy," the Doctor said. The man shook his hand and Amy's hand. "I hope you know what you're doing. In the meantime, follow me and I'll fix you some tea while we talk," he said.
Back Home Doctor Who Main Page Next