Date in the Desert [for bowtimeandspace]
The darkened Egyptian streets were lit only by the gleaming orb of the full moon and its sisterhood of stars. Long shadows were cast along the narrow alleyways, occasional torches flickering their flames in doorways of the yellowed mud-brick buildings. The streets were hushed with activity, for night had fallen and those sensible enough had retreated indoors.
It was 1922 and the citizens of Cairo had long learnt to fear nightfall. Stories had been travelling of creatures that came from the desert, hot and smelling of ash. It had started with tales of people being led into the desert for no reason, following no map nor chart, just the creatures. It was said they waited on the outskirts of the sand, waiting in the dark, waiting for their willing victims.
When these people disappeared, they were never found again.
A screech sounded as a stray cat ran across the dusty alley, spooked by the shrouded figure that walked alone through the night. Slowing by a door, there was a knock before the alley was empty once more and there was no sign of anyone having ever been present.
River Song continued to make her way, now in the dim, muggy environment of one of the local establishments. Many were now forced into small spaces to keep off the streets and it made for uncomfortable quarters. People looked up as she entered, shrouded from head to foot as was the tradition. She made her way through the crowd and into the back, to the small room that had become her place of residence for the past few weeks as she collected as much information as possible about the mysterious happenings in Cairo.
The Clerics were waiting a short distance out of satellite range, ready signal to summon them. They waited in the safety of the space until she found a lead worth following. But that had been over a week and River had only got as far as a local businessman who was said to have met the creatures but avoided their lure.
He was to visit her tonight to tell her more.
River carefully took a gun from her pack and slipped it inside the thin folds of her dress. She knew how to get information out of a man and it wasn't going to end the way he wanted it to.
It was 1922 and the citizens of Cairo had long learnt to fear nightfall. Stories had been travelling of creatures that came from the desert, hot and smelling of ash. It had started with tales of people being led into the desert for no reason, following no map nor chart, just the creatures. It was said they waited on the outskirts of the sand, waiting in the dark, waiting for their willing victims.
When these people disappeared, they were never found again.
A screech sounded as a stray cat ran across the dusty alley, spooked by the shrouded figure that walked alone through the night. Slowing by a door, there was a knock before the alley was empty once more and there was no sign of anyone having ever been present.
River Song continued to make her way, now in the dim, muggy environment of one of the local establishments. Many were now forced into small spaces to keep off the streets and it made for uncomfortable quarters. People looked up as she entered, shrouded from head to foot as was the tradition. She made her way through the crowd and into the back, to the small room that had become her place of residence for the past few weeks as she collected as much information as possible about the mysterious happenings in Cairo.
The Clerics were waiting a short distance out of satellite range, ready signal to summon them. They waited in the safety of the space until she found a lead worth following. But that had been over a week and River had only got as far as a local businessman who was said to have met the creatures but avoided their lure.
He was to visit her tonight to tell her more.
River carefully took a gun from her pack and slipped it inside the thin folds of her dress. She knew how to get information out of a man and it wasn't going to end the way he wanted it to.