Carnival of Curiosities is the only place in London, in Britain, in the world, that can boast a specimen such as this.’
‘What is it?’ Clara hissed at the Doctor. ‘An alien?’
He shook his head. ‘Oh no, a native of this planet, I assure you.’
‘Then what?’
He put his finger to his lips and nodded at the showman as he continued with his introduction.
‘And so, ladies and gents, without further ado, I shall reveal to you this unique find. You are among the first, the
only
people, ever to clap eyes upon such a sight.’
With a flourish, he drew back the curtain. The crowd gasped. But in fact, Clara thought, there was little to see. A lone figure sitting on a wooden chairat the back of the tent. A figure wearing a plain, dark dress and simple hat, with a black veil pulled down over her face. The woman stood up, and stepped into the light. Her hand went to her veil.
‘I give you,’ the showman announced, ‘the legendary Lizard Woman!’
The woman lifted the veil to reveal the green, scaly face beneath. There was a collective intake of breath, followed by applause.
Clara and Jenny looked at each other in total surprise.
‘Madame Vastra?’ Jenny breathed.
Jenny insisted on staying to make sure that Vastra was all right, and to pass on what they had learned so far. The Doctor, Clara and Strax took a cab back to Alberneath Avenue.
‘There’s nothing more we can do at the Carnival for the moment,’ the Doctor explained on the way. ‘Vastra can get far more from talking to the other Carnival people than we can by hanging around.’
‘Not least because someone’s on to us,’ Clara pointed out. ‘They know we’re asking questions, that’s why Michael was killed.’
‘And why you were ambushed at the factory,’ Strax added. ‘Do we have time to stop at Paternoster Row and collect heavy weapons?’
‘No,’ the Doctor told him.
Even without his heavy weapons, Strax insisted on leading the way down the alley and through the shattered doorway into the factory. The Doctor spent a moment examining the electronic keypad on the other door. He used the sonic screwdriver to open the casing, and examined the spaghetti mess of wires that spilled out from inside.
‘Remote access control. That’s how they locked you in.’ He jammed the cover back into place, giving it a thump to make it stay put. ‘So where are these homicidal origami birds, then?’
‘Vaporised,’ Strax said proudly. ‘Obliterated.’
All that remained was a charred black powder scattered across the floor. But the Doctor seemed more interested in the brackets attached to the floor.
‘The metal’s not corroded or rusty on the inside edges,’ he said. ‘And there’s oil. Marks in the dust – I mean, apart from the ones you obviously made blundering about.’
‘Thanks,’ Clara said. ‘So whatever was fixed down here was moved recently?’
‘Seems likely.’ He stood up and paced out the shape of one of the areas surrounded by brackets. ‘Big stuff. Not easily moved. So, we’re looking for—’
‘An anti-gravitational lifting apparatus,’ Strax said.
‘Unlikely I think,’ the Doctor told him.
‘Then robotic maintenance loaders.’
‘Also unlikely.’
‘So what are we looking for?’ Clara asked before Strax could make another suggestion.
‘People. Someone must have helped Milton move the equipment, and they will know where it went.’
‘So we ask around,’ Clara suggested. ‘See if anyone in the area knows anything. If there is anyone in the area,’ she added, remembering how deserted it had seemed.
‘Excellent.’ Strax announced, thumping his fist into the palm of his other hand. ‘Interrogation!’
The curtained-off area at the back of the exhibition tent was available to Vastra for private time alone. With her heavy veil, and disguised in a dark cloak with a change of hat, she could move around the Carnival without being recognised. She had already spoken to several of the stallholders,
‘What is it?’ Clara hissed at the Doctor. ‘An alien?’
He shook his head. ‘Oh no, a native of this planet, I assure you.’
‘Then what?’
He put his finger to his lips and nodded at the showman as he continued with his introduction.
‘And so, ladies and gents, without further ado, I shall reveal to you this unique find. You are among the first, the
only
people, ever to clap eyes upon such a sight.’
With a flourish, he drew back the curtain. The crowd gasped. But in fact, Clara thought, there was little to see. A lone figure sitting on a wooden chairat the back of the tent. A figure wearing a plain, dark dress and simple hat, with a black veil pulled down over her face. The woman stood up, and stepped into the light. Her hand went to her veil.
‘I give you,’ the showman announced, ‘the legendary Lizard Woman!’
The woman lifted the veil to reveal the green, scaly face beneath. There was a collective intake of breath, followed by applause.
Clara and Jenny looked at each other in total surprise.
‘Madame Vastra?’ Jenny breathed.
Jenny insisted on staying to make sure that Vastra was all right, and to pass on what they had learned so far. The Doctor, Clara and Strax took a cab back to Alberneath Avenue.
‘There’s nothing more we can do at the Carnival for the moment,’ the Doctor explained on the way. ‘Vastra can get far more from talking to the other Carnival people than we can by hanging around.’
‘Not least because someone’s on to us,’ Clara pointed out. ‘They know we’re asking questions, that’s why Michael was killed.’
‘And why you were ambushed at the factory,’ Strax added. ‘Do we have time to stop at Paternoster Row and collect heavy weapons?’
‘No,’ the Doctor told him.
Even without his heavy weapons, Strax insisted on leading the way down the alley and through the shattered doorway into the factory. The Doctor spent a moment examining the electronic keypad on the other door. He used the sonic screwdriver to open the casing, and examined the spaghetti mess of wires that spilled out from inside.
‘Remote access control. That’s how they locked you in.’ He jammed the cover back into place, giving it a thump to make it stay put. ‘So where are these homicidal origami birds, then?’
‘Vaporised,’ Strax said proudly. ‘Obliterated.’
All that remained was a charred black powder scattered across the floor. But the Doctor seemed more interested in the brackets attached to the floor.
‘The metal’s not corroded or rusty on the inside edges,’ he said. ‘And there’s oil. Marks in the dust – I mean, apart from the ones you obviously made blundering about.’
‘Thanks,’ Clara said. ‘So whatever was fixed down here was moved recently?’
‘Seems likely.’ He stood up and paced out the shape of one of the areas surrounded by brackets. ‘Big stuff. Not easily moved. So, we’re looking for—’
‘An anti-gravitational lifting apparatus,’ Strax said.
‘Unlikely I think,’ the Doctor told him.
‘Then robotic maintenance loaders.’
‘Also unlikely.’
‘So what are we looking for?’ Clara asked before Strax could make another suggestion.
‘People. Someone must have helped Milton move the equipment, and they will know where it went.’
‘So we ask around,’ Clara suggested. ‘See if anyone in the area knows anything. If there is anyone in the area,’ she added, remembering how deserted it had seemed.
‘Excellent.’ Strax announced, thumping his fist into the palm of his other hand. ‘Interrogation!’
The curtained-off area at the back of the exhibition tent was available to Vastra for private time alone. With her heavy veil, and disguised in a dark cloak with a change of hat, she could move around the Carnival without being recognised. She had already spoken to several of the stallholders,
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