☆ Alone in this world ☆ Book 2

☆ Thin Ice ☆ Part 2

"We're stood by the docks, and you just asked me if I've ever seen a man with a tattoo of a ship,"

"Exactly,"

"Fair point," Bill says.

"What point?" The Doctor asks.

"Look, forget the tattoos. Have you seen anyone acting suspiciously since the freeze?" {Y/n} asks.

"Well, there's the dredgers," the man replies.

"The dredgers?"

"There's a workhouse upriver. They have men out there patrolling all hours,"

☆ Time Skip ☆

"Hurry up! Be quick about it!" The Doctor, {Y/n} and Bill watch the activity from over a spiked wall.

"What are they dredging for?" Bill asks.

"Let's find out," the Doctor says.

"How are we getting in?" The Doctor holds up the psychic paper.

"You work for the palace?"

"Haven't had that one in a while,"

---

"Let's be having you,"

"Oi. How'd you get through here?"

"Ah ha! At last, someone in authority," the Doctor shows the man the psychic paper.

"Oh, I do apologise, sir. Does Lord Sutcliffe know you're here?"

"Does Lord Sutcliffe know we're here," the Doctor looks at Bill then {Y/n} "does Lord Sutcliffe know we're here?"

"Lord Sutcliffe insisted we come," Bill says.

"Hmm. Oh, that Lord Sutcliffe, yes. There's no arguing with Sutcliffe when he puts his foot down. You'd better show us around," the Doctor says.

"Follow me,"

"Take it inside! Same as the last batch" the workers have kerchiefs over their mouths and are paddling mud into brick moulds.

"Why all the fuss? It's just mud from the river, isn't it?" Bill asks.

"Mud is one word for it," the Doctor replies.

"Is this even the right place? The creatures almost a mile away,"

"The creatures head is almost a mile away" Bill picks up a brick and sniffs "I assume we're now at the other end" Bill drops the brick and it splats on the ground.

"These men, why do we trust them?" The Doctor asks.

"Hired them all myself, sir," the man replies.

"Ah. Why do I trust you?"

"Sir?"

"You understand how important this is, yes? It is imperative that no one discovers where the stuff goes when it leaves here,"

"Oh, I know that, sir. We use unmarked carts,"

"Are they followed?"

"Oh no, sir,"

"Have you checked this personally?"

"Oh yes, sir,"

"All the way to Hampton?"

"No, to the steel mill, sir,"

"Hampton is code for the steel mill," {Y/n} says.

"Code, ma'am?"

"Yes. Yes, we need to use code otherwise anyone could walk in here and get you blabbing like a fool,"

"That's a good point, ma'am,"