You can catch up on previous episodes of this story here:
Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four
Now - part five!
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Flimbleby jumped up and down, waving frantically at Noel. He was so happy to see his friend again. Noel was tall and thin, like a spooky tree, and here he was, coming to Lady Helvetica’s for tea!
Noel raised his arm to wave back. At least, Flimbleby thought it was Noel. Now he thought about it, all of the three monsters walking up the hill looked like Noel. And the one he thought was Noel did not seem to recognise Flimbleby.
Maybe-Noel pointed his raised arm at the cottage. Blue electric sparked around his fingers. Suddenly Flimbleby was scooped up and was zooming away, carried by Doctroo. The ground where he had been standing exploded in a shower of sparks and earth.
Everything was a blur. Flimbleby could hear Doctroo shouting, and hear exploding noises. The ground and sky bumped about and there, getting closer, was the friendly blue of the TARDIST doors.
Doctroo opened the doors and sprinted for the console. Flimbleby hopped out of his hands onto the console. Behind them, Lady Helvetica was slamming the doors.
“What’s going on?” she shouted. “What did they want?”
Doctroo slammed a row of levers forward and span a dial. Flimbleby prodded a button with his foot and to his delight it lit up orange. Doctroo tapped his foot away and pressed the button again, turning the light off. Boo.
“I think, Helvetica Jones, that they wanted you.” Said Doctroo. The central column rose and fell, glowing like magic. Doctroo pressed his hands together in front of his face and looked at his two companions.
“Flimbleby. If I ask you a question, can you promise not to run away?”
Flim shuffled on the spot. “I doo not want to be in trouble.”
Doctroo leaned down to Flimbleby’s height. A crooked smile cracked across the old man’s face. “You won’t be in trouble, Flimbleby. In fact, I think you can be very helpful, and make a lot of people very happy. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“I wud! Also, maybe I can hav a sosij?”
“Yes, yes I’ll get you a great big sausage. Now, Flimbleby the Adipose, you recognised those creatures back at the cottage, didn’t you?”
“It was Noel. Hee is a Silents.”
“That’s right, he’s a Silence, yes. And is the reason you know Noel something to do with the reason you were in the exhibition hall, when all the paintings got destroyed?”
“Um… yes. A bit. But it is a big seekrit. I promised not to tell and I am a good Flimbleby.”
Doctroo stood up. He looked pleased. Flimbleby was glad.
“It’s alright, Flimbleby. I’m close to working it out, I can sense it. Right, Helvetica.” He turned to Lady Helvetica. “Tell me – if you could go anywhere, to any cultural event in the universe, at any time, where would you go?”
Lady Helvetica walked slowly round the TARDIST, stroking the bookshelves, having a think. “You said we can’t see Bowie… how about the making of Citizen Kane?”
“I’m already there at least twice. Any more and Orson is going to start asking questions, not to mention Equity.”
“Ah! Got it!” Lady Helvetica clapped her hands. Flimbleby realised that Doctroo was looking at her now, so he pressed the orange button again. It was brilliant and made him giggle.
“The Ballet of the SuperVocs!” exclaimed Lady Helvetica. Tears glistened in her eyes at the very thought of this. Flimbleby had never heard of it.
“Wot is a Soopervoc pleez?” he said.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The TARDIS wheezed into existence in the darkness of the backstage corridors. The door opened and light spilled out, illuminating the swirling dust. Out stepped The Doctor, wearing an Edwardian dinner jacket. Helvetica Jones followed, elegant in a stunning gown. And then out hopped Flimbleby, wearing a little bow tie and beaming excitedly.
“Now you be careful with that bow tie, Flimbleby,” said the Doctor, advancing towards a pair of curtains.
“I will! It is amazing,” Flimbleby hopped along, feeling ever so smart.
The Doctor drew back the curtain, very gently. What they saw beyond made them all gasp for breath.
The Ballet of the SuperVocs was unfolding right now on the stage before them. Dozens of beautiful silver robots span and turned in complex patterns, ethereal light reflecting off them in dazzling webs of silver and gold. They swooped across the stage, strong and graceful. Their faces were sculpted and timeless, their costumes simple but elegant. Shimmering music moved through the air, chasing the robots as they moved.
“It’s even more beautiful than I imagined…” breathed Helvetica. The Doctor nodded, caught up in the majesty of the spectacle. He had never been here before – always waiting for the right moment.
All around the stage, thousands of spectators sat in zero gravity bubbles. Behind them lay the stars. The Doctor looked up. There, far in the distance but filling the sky, was the majestic madness of an exploding sun.
“A perfect moment. She won’t be able to resist. Come on!” He edged out onto the stage, keeping far from the whirling beauty of the robots.
Flimbleby followed, pointing excitedly at each robot. “Robot! Robot! Robot! They are amazing!”
“What won’t she be able to resist?” asked Helvetica, following nervously behind. They kept close to the edges, creeping slowly.
“The more perfect the art, the more pleasure in destroying it. That’s what she’s doing – she gets pleasure from spoiling perfection. Our woman is here. And any moment now, she’s going to interfere…”
The music fell to silence and the SuperVocs stopped, facing each other in a perfect circle. An infinite hush settled over the stage. Slowly, majestically, the silver robots began to turn on the spot. Their eyes glowed bright, projecting thick golden beams in intricate patterns. The effect was breath-taking.
And then, from the other side of the stage, charged a humanoid figure, dressed in feathers and tin foil. “Wooo!!! Look at me!!! I’m a dancing robot!!!” it shouted.
“It’s her!” hissed The Doctor.
The figure reached the middle of the circle. It was indeed the woman from the pictures. Less fat, though. Much less fat. She started leaping up and down and howling. Helvetica’s face contorted in fury.
“No! You’re not ruining this!” She charged towards the gyrating woman, dodging through the still-dancing robots.
“Helvetica – no!” shouted The Doctor.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
This was the best day of Flimbleby’s life. So many exciting things had already happened, and now they were running about on a stage in the middle of millions of beautiful robots!
“Helvetica! Don’t touch her!” shouted Doctroo, charging after Lady Helvetica, who was running towards the lady who was doing a big shout in the middle of the robots. The robots kept dancing, swooping around the stage and shining lights everywhere.
Flimbleby ran towards them too, dodging the robots and giggling hysterically. The stage was like a big maze made of silver metal and dazzling light. It was very confusing. Everything was a jumble of running legs, silver faces and swooping golden light rays.
Then, for a moment, the silver robots parted and through them Flimbleby saw Lady Helvetica, lunging towards the Shouting Lady. Now he was close Flimbleby could see the Shouting Lady’s face. It was the Big Fat Lady with the Hat! Except she was not so fat – and now she was thinner, Flimbleby could see her face properly. And he realised who she was.
“It is Lady Helvetica! Yoo arr Lady Helvetica as well! Therr arr two of yoo!”
There were indeed two Lady Helveticas. The one they had come with in the TARDIST and the Big Fat Shouting Lady! And now the first one was grabbing hold of the second one!
There was a mighty flash as the two ladies touched. Flimbleby was thrown back and the world went upside down.
When the world stopped spinning, there was Doctroo standing over him. He was waving a kind of magic wand about and doing a right old frown. “Are you alright Flimbleby?”
“Therr werr one, two Lady Helveticas! The Shouting Lady is the same person!” Flimbleby climbed to his feet and looked around. Their Lady Helvetica – the one who had come with them – was standing, looking stunned, next to Doctroo. The other one – the Shouting one – had vanished.
“Yes, Flimbleby. This is serious. We need to leave.” Doctroo took Lady Helvetica by the arm and led her back to the curtains, towards the TARDIST. Flimbleby waddled after them. He looked around the stage.
The silver robots had all stopped dancing and were looking in Flimbleby’s direction. He waved at them. “Hello robots. Yoo arr beautiful!”
Slowly, all at the same time, the robots waved back.
End of episode five
Click here for part six
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