Free Big Bang Generation by Gary Russell Page B

recognised his species – the burning red eyes, pointed ears and chin, and the incredibly long legs with their pronounced knee-crook forward, meaning he could jump like a grasshopper and probably to quite some height. And that cheeky, devil-may-care attitude that was endemic of Kadeptians.
    ‘Lawyer? Accountant? IT?’
    ‘Dad’s a lawyer,’ Jack said. ‘I got out. Borrring.’
    ‘And here you are, on Earth, in the twenty-first century with Ruth and…’ The Doctor waved towards the stroppy-but-heavily-armed teenager.
    Jack leaned forward, conspiratorially. ‘Oh, that’s Peter. He’s being a bit of a ’mare at the moment. Met someone ina club on Bacchus Five, thought this was the romance to end all romances.’
    ‘But it wasn’t,’ Ruth added quietly, her voice carry slightly more empathy for Peter than Jack’s. ‘He was put off by Peter’s human-Killoran physiology.’
    ‘Dog-ears,’ Peter called over, pointing at his large ears. ‘Can hear everything.’
    ‘See what I mean? Can’t hide anything you say from old aerial ears over there.’
    ‘Seriously, I have a gun, not afraid to use it!’
    ‘You’ve had twelve months to shoot me, Petey,’ Jack called back. ‘Somehow I don’t think you’re going to do it now.’ Jack turned back to the Doctor. ‘Loves me really.’
    ‘Someone has to,’ Ruth said.
    ‘Hey, don’t say that to the man who put a ring on your finger.’
    Jack smiled, and the Doctor found himself smiling too at Jack’s charm. Then remembered this was also a trick of everyone on Kadept. (This was why they made good lawyers and accountants and IT techs – they could tell you anything and you’d believe it.)
    Ruth held her hand up. ‘See this ring? Oh no, wait, there is no ring because someone had to pawn it to pay a debt off.’
    Jack beeped her nose. ‘And I’ll buy you a new one. Probably from here. Be worth a fortune back home – it’ll be an antique there!’
    Ruth sighed. ‘Sorry about Jack.’
    ‘You’re the one marrying him,’ the Doctor said. ‘He’syour problem, not mine. I just want to know why you went to such a charade to bring me here.’
    ‘That’s the boss,’ Jack said. ‘Said to reel you in, like a fish on a hook; like a donkey seeking a carrot; like a moth looking for a flame; like a—’
    ‘OK, I get it. A simple “Hi, we’re from the twenty-seventh century, fancy a pot of tea’ would have had the same effect.’
    ‘Ahh,’ Jack said. ‘But would that have been as much fun? Besides, we’re working to a countdown here.’
    And with a rather overblown flourish, he whipped a traditional stopwatch from a pocket and held it up. It may have looked trad, but the face was a digital timer counting down. ‘Five, four, three, two, one. And: cue!’
    The Doctor looked around, waiting for something to happen. To their credit, so did Jack, Ruth and Peter.
    But nothing did happen.
    They all looked at each other for a few seconds. Jack shrugged slowly.
    And then the screaming outside started.
    Jack turned to Ruth. ‘Told you it was a cheap one.’ He looked at the Doctor. ‘Bet Time Lords have clocks that work.’
    The Doctor wasn’t sure whether the revelation they knew where he was from or the screaming from the people in Darling Harbour was more important at that moment, but frankly screaming people was more likely to need sorting, and rushing out of the empty café at least got him away from the three mad people.
    As he ran, he scooped up the Shimmer and switched it off. The café vanished and was replaced by a small disused shop, with a poster for a circus from six months earlier pasted to a cracked glass door.
    ‘Spoilsport,’ Ruth muttered and followed him. So did Jack and Peter, who pulled his hoodie back up, just in case anyone saw him. Jack seemed less fussed about his appearance, although at a glance, he just seemed like someone moderately tall who could run fast, so most Australians wouldn’t notice him.
    The Doctor was scanning the