glanced at Clyde and could see a look of surprise cross his face. For years, Clyde had been Luke’s best mate. They shared so much, and were such very close friends, it had to be hard for him to accept that Luke might have made new friends. Especially so quickly.
Luke carried on. ‘I mean, he’s smart, but so cool too and he makes me laugh. Great jokes and lines. In fact, I think he’s the best mate I’ve ever had in my life.’
Luke paused and stared out of the laptop screen. And then let out a huge whoop of laughter and rocked back in his seat, almost disappearing from view. ‘Oh, that’s brilliant,’ he shrieked, and then reappeared pointing at Clyde. ‘Your face! Gotcha!’
It had been a joke at Clyde’s expense.
‘What?’ Clyde asked. ‘I don’t get…what?’
But Sarah Jane and Rani were laughing too, and Sarah Jane gave Clyde a hug. Even K-9 in Oxford flashed his eyes as if sharing the joke.
‘That’s a classic,’ Rani giggled.
And Clyde realised he’d been had. Luke was teasing him, and he stared hard at his friend in Oxford.
‘No way! Forget next weekend, swot-boy,’ he said, trying to sound cross, but then joined in the laughter. ‘Oh, you are so on your own.’ Clyde smiled as Rani ruffled the top of his head. ‘Right, that’s war, Lukey-boy. I’ll get you for that, when you least expect it.’
Luke just smiled back. ‘Bring it on,’ he said.
The laughter was interrupted by Mr Smith, suddenly making a loud pronouncement.
‘Emergency broadcast!’ he said, instantly silencing everyone. ‘UNIT armed forces are converging on this house, Sarah Jane. Right now.’
Haresh had been joined by an excited Gita when the noise began. Other neighbours were standing by their houses or gathering on the corner. Old Mrs Kuthrapali was there (of course she was, it might be gossip-worthy), so was Mr Lawrence and his fluffy dog. The Frasers were gathered around their car…everyone was staring at Sarah Jane’s house, which was now surrounded by a group of black Landrovers with UNIT insignia emblazoned on their doors and bonnets. Black clad soldiers with red berets, guns slung over their shoulders, were pouring out.
Haresh and Gita had encountered UNIT before in connection with Sarah Jane Smith, so they weren’t quite as surprised as everyone else was, but neither of them was quite sure what UNIT were. Some kind of special military department, Haresh had gathered last time, which Sarah Jane must have encountered through her journalism. But he always got the impression that it wasn’t exactly a very warm connection, and Sarah Jane certainly seemed to share his concern that men with guns near Rani and Clyde wasn’t that good an idea.
‘What do you think Sarah’s done now, my darling?’ Gita asked Haresh, while peering at a tall, well-built soldier stood closest to them. ‘Should we ask him?’
Haresh sighed and eased his wife back towards their house. ‘I’m sure Sarah Jane will deal with it.’
At which point a sleek black car with red military number plates and darkened windows glided up and stopped, its nose just on Sarah Jane’s drive.
A soldier hopped out of the driving seat and opened the rear door and a woman got out. She was tall, young and beautiful, but carried herself with an authority that Haresh immediately related to. She wore a long, dark dress uniform, emblazoned with a UNIT logo on the sleeves and a ribbon of colours across her chest, and a red beret. She was in charge of all these people, no two ways about it.
As she stepped on to the driveway, a voice rang out.
‘And you can stop right there!’
It was Sarah Jane, striding out of her front door, Clyde and Rani sensibly staying back a bit.
‘I’m not having UNIT soldiers on my property.’
Haresh called out. ‘Everything all right Sarah Jane?’
She waved to him. ‘Yes, fine, thank you. They’re just leaving.’
But it was clear that the tall woman from UNIT wasn’t going anywhere. ‘Miss Smith, my
Luke carried on. ‘I mean, he’s smart, but so cool too and he makes me laugh. Great jokes and lines. In fact, I think he’s the best mate I’ve ever had in my life.’
Luke paused and stared out of the laptop screen. And then let out a huge whoop of laughter and rocked back in his seat, almost disappearing from view. ‘Oh, that’s brilliant,’ he shrieked, and then reappeared pointing at Clyde. ‘Your face! Gotcha!’
It had been a joke at Clyde’s expense.
‘What?’ Clyde asked. ‘I don’t get…what?’
But Sarah Jane and Rani were laughing too, and Sarah Jane gave Clyde a hug. Even K-9 in Oxford flashed his eyes as if sharing the joke.
‘That’s a classic,’ Rani giggled.
And Clyde realised he’d been had. Luke was teasing him, and he stared hard at his friend in Oxford.
‘No way! Forget next weekend, swot-boy,’ he said, trying to sound cross, but then joined in the laughter. ‘Oh, you are so on your own.’ Clyde smiled as Rani ruffled the top of his head. ‘Right, that’s war, Lukey-boy. I’ll get you for that, when you least expect it.’
Luke just smiled back. ‘Bring it on,’ he said.
The laughter was interrupted by Mr Smith, suddenly making a loud pronouncement.
‘Emergency broadcast!’ he said, instantly silencing everyone. ‘UNIT armed forces are converging on this house, Sarah Jane. Right now.’
Haresh had been joined by an excited Gita when the noise began. Other neighbours were standing by their houses or gathering on the corner. Old Mrs Kuthrapali was there (of course she was, it might be gossip-worthy), so was Mr Lawrence and his fluffy dog. The Frasers were gathered around their car…everyone was staring at Sarah Jane’s house, which was now surrounded by a group of black Landrovers with UNIT insignia emblazoned on their doors and bonnets. Black clad soldiers with red berets, guns slung over their shoulders, were pouring out.
Haresh and Gita had encountered UNIT before in connection with Sarah Jane Smith, so they weren’t quite as surprised as everyone else was, but neither of them was quite sure what UNIT were. Some kind of special military department, Haresh had gathered last time, which Sarah Jane must have encountered through her journalism. But he always got the impression that it wasn’t exactly a very warm connection, and Sarah Jane certainly seemed to share his concern that men with guns near Rani and Clyde wasn’t that good an idea.
‘What do you think Sarah’s done now, my darling?’ Gita asked Haresh, while peering at a tall, well-built soldier stood closest to them. ‘Should we ask him?’
Haresh sighed and eased his wife back towards their house. ‘I’m sure Sarah Jane will deal with it.’
At which point a sleek black car with red military number plates and darkened windows glided up and stopped, its nose just on Sarah Jane’s drive.
A soldier hopped out of the driving seat and opened the rear door and a woman got out. She was tall, young and beautiful, but carried herself with an authority that Haresh immediately related to. She wore a long, dark dress uniform, emblazoned with a UNIT logo on the sleeves and a ribbon of colours across her chest, and a red beret. She was in charge of all these people, no two ways about it.
As she stepped on to the driveway, a voice rang out.
‘And you can stop right there!’
It was Sarah Jane, striding out of her front door, Clyde and Rani sensibly staying back a bit.
‘I’m not having UNIT soldiers on my property.’
Haresh called out. ‘Everything all right Sarah Jane?’
She waved to him. ‘Yes, fine, thank you. They’re just leaving.’
But it was clear that the tall woman from UNIT wasn’t going anywhere. ‘Miss Smith, my
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