and then toppled sideways into the ditch. A stack of papier-mache trays crashed through the open back doors and hundreds of vivid yellow egg yolks started merging and congealing on the hot black tar.
Intermittent spots of rain were falling from the overcast London sky as the Doctor led Zoe and Jamie up the steps of a tall terraced house with flaking pillared porch in Bayswater. Tired and hungry, they stared gloomily at the nameplate above the bell-push.
'That's odd,' frowned the Doctor. It says "Professor Watkins".'
He shrugged and pressed the button. 'Still, the telephone directory said number thirteen...'
'It would!' Zoe grumbled, scowling up at the tarnished chrome 13 on the door.
They waited. The Doctor rang again and peered through the frosted glass panes.
'Och, dinna tell me we've come all this way for nothing,' Jamie mumbled dejectedly.
Just then a distorted white shape appeared behind the glass and the door was flung open.
'I happen to be trying to work.' The tall girl turned on her heel and stalked off down the bare shabby hall, leaving them stranded on the doorstep.
The Doctor cleared his throat politely. 'I'm so sorry, miss...
We're looking for Professor Travers...' He motioned the others to follow him and ventured after her.
They found the girl in a large high-ceilinged room which was virtually empty except for several powerful lamps on stands scattered about and an expensive camera mounted on a tripod. Huge blown-up photographs, mostly of the girl herself, were pinned haphazardly around the white walls.
'And now the beastly thing's jammed!' snapped the girl, fiddling angrily with the camera shutter. She was taller than Zoe, with long fair hair, wide mouth and high cheekbones. Her dazzling dress was cut well above the knee and her shapely legs were clad in stylish knee-length boots.
'Perhaps I can mend it for you?' the Doctor suggested, wincing at the colourful geometrical pattern on her dress.
'It was on automatic shutter.'
'I see,' smiled the Doctor. 'Taking pictures of yourself?'
'Until you interrupted me. Then it stuck.'
The Doctor examined the camera while Zoe glanced at the photographs admiringly and Jamie gaped open-mouthed at the flamboyant figure as she re-arranged her hair in a huge mirror propped against the ornate mantelpiece.
'By the way, if you've come to see my uncle he's not here,' the girl informed them abruptly. 'I presume you're another nut, a fellow boffin,' she said disapprovingly, glancing at the Doctor's dishevelled reflection.
'I'm seeking Professor Travers's help,' murmured the Doctor, poking thoughtfully at the camera's mechanism with his penknife.
'Travers has gone to the States for a year with his daughter,'
shrugged the girl.
Jamie nudged Zoe irritably. 'Och, another wild-goose chase,'
he muttered bitterly.
The girl glared at the wild-looking young Highlander and then went on. 'My uncle - Professor Watkins - wanted to do some secret work and Professor Travers said he could use the lab in the basement here.' The girl elbowed Jamie out of the way and adjusted one of the lamps. 'I moved in because I was kicked out of my studio last week.'
'A'm no surprised,' Jamie mumbled darkly to himself.
The Doctor tested the shutter a few times. 'What field of science does your uncle work in?' he asked.
The girl grimaced and shook her head. 'He messes about with computers all the time. Complete nutter.'
'How very fortunate,' smiled the Doctor, handing her the camera. 'Professor Watkins may be able to help us. Is he at home?'
The girl shook her head. 'Fixed it? Great. Thanks.'
'Where is your uncle?' demanded Zoe impatiently.
The girl rounded on her irritably. 'How should I know? I'm not his keeper.' Suddenly her expression changed and she peered at Zoe through the viewfinder. 'Hey... Dolly gear!' she exclaimed delightedly.
The Doctor ruffled his hair in confusion. 'Who's Dolly Gear?'
he inquired.
'Want to pose for me?' the girl chattered on, pushing Zoe in front
Intermittent spots of rain were falling from the overcast London sky as the Doctor led Zoe and Jamie up the steps of a tall terraced house with flaking pillared porch in Bayswater. Tired and hungry, they stared gloomily at the nameplate above the bell-push.
'That's odd,' frowned the Doctor. It says "Professor Watkins".'
He shrugged and pressed the button. 'Still, the telephone directory said number thirteen...'
'It would!' Zoe grumbled, scowling up at the tarnished chrome 13 on the door.
They waited. The Doctor rang again and peered through the frosted glass panes.
'Och, dinna tell me we've come all this way for nothing,' Jamie mumbled dejectedly.
Just then a distorted white shape appeared behind the glass and the door was flung open.
'I happen to be trying to work.' The tall girl turned on her heel and stalked off down the bare shabby hall, leaving them stranded on the doorstep.
The Doctor cleared his throat politely. 'I'm so sorry, miss...
We're looking for Professor Travers...' He motioned the others to follow him and ventured after her.
They found the girl in a large high-ceilinged room which was virtually empty except for several powerful lamps on stands scattered about and an expensive camera mounted on a tripod. Huge blown-up photographs, mostly of the girl herself, were pinned haphazardly around the white walls.
'And now the beastly thing's jammed!' snapped the girl, fiddling angrily with the camera shutter. She was taller than Zoe, with long fair hair, wide mouth and high cheekbones. Her dazzling dress was cut well above the knee and her shapely legs were clad in stylish knee-length boots.
'Perhaps I can mend it for you?' the Doctor suggested, wincing at the colourful geometrical pattern on her dress.
'It was on automatic shutter.'
'I see,' smiled the Doctor. 'Taking pictures of yourself?'
'Until you interrupted me. Then it stuck.'
The Doctor examined the camera while Zoe glanced at the photographs admiringly and Jamie gaped open-mouthed at the flamboyant figure as she re-arranged her hair in a huge mirror propped against the ornate mantelpiece.
'By the way, if you've come to see my uncle he's not here,' the girl informed them abruptly. 'I presume you're another nut, a fellow boffin,' she said disapprovingly, glancing at the Doctor's dishevelled reflection.
'I'm seeking Professor Travers's help,' murmured the Doctor, poking thoughtfully at the camera's mechanism with his penknife.
'Travers has gone to the States for a year with his daughter,'
shrugged the girl.
Jamie nudged Zoe irritably. 'Och, another wild-goose chase,'
he muttered bitterly.
The girl glared at the wild-looking young Highlander and then went on. 'My uncle - Professor Watkins - wanted to do some secret work and Professor Travers said he could use the lab in the basement here.' The girl elbowed Jamie out of the way and adjusted one of the lamps. 'I moved in because I was kicked out of my studio last week.'
'A'm no surprised,' Jamie mumbled darkly to himself.
The Doctor tested the shutter a few times. 'What field of science does your uncle work in?' he asked.
The girl grimaced and shook her head. 'He messes about with computers all the time. Complete nutter.'
'How very fortunate,' smiled the Doctor, handing her the camera. 'Professor Watkins may be able to help us. Is he at home?'
The girl shook her head. 'Fixed it? Great. Thanks.'
'Where is your uncle?' demanded Zoe impatiently.
The girl rounded on her irritably. 'How should I know? I'm not his keeper.' Suddenly her expression changed and she peered at Zoe through the viewfinder. 'Hey... Dolly gear!' she exclaimed delightedly.
The Doctor ruffled his hair in confusion. 'Who's Dolly Gear?'
he inquired.
'Want to pose for me?' the girl chattered on, pushing Zoe in front
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