The Eleventh Tiger by David A McIntee Read Free Book Online

vegetables and steaming meat.
    It was completely irresistible.
    The innkeeper was a hawk-faced man with a scarred cheek.
    When he looked at the travellers one eye moved further than the other, and Vicki suspected the latter was glass. He looked surreptitiously around at his other customers with a troubled expression. Vicki couldn’t think why, though she did notice that the murmur of conversation had lessened when they came in.
    The Doctor pointed to an empty table with four stools around it, two on either side. ‘I suggest we take a seat. I can order for all of us. Whichever province of China this is, I speak the local dialect, of course.’
    ‘Of course,’ Ian agreed.
    At the sound of his voice, the rest of the inn fell silent. Vicki could feel eyes on her back, and began to wonder if she’d made such a good choice after all. She dismissed the worry; this was a civilised place, a city on Earth. Even if someone here was a criminal, they’d hardly start trouble in a public place.
    Ian and Barbara sat on one side of the table, opposite the Doctor and Vicki. The Doctor went over to the man with the glass eye and spoke to him. While he was there Vicki looked around. There were a couple of white men at another table, but they were concentrating on their meal. Everyone else was looking at the time travellers’ table.
    It was more specific than that, Vicki realised after a moment: they were looking at Ian. Their expressions ranged from surprise through curiosity to indignation, and they were all looking at Ian.
    The Doctor returned, flanked by a waitress carrying a tray of dim sum. He didn’t seem to notice the looks. ‘Help yourselves,’ he said, taking his stool.
     
    Vicki took his walking cane while he got himself settled.
    ‘Thank you, child.’
    Vicki felt more comfortable sitting with the Doctor rather than with Ian and Barbara. It wasn’t that she disliked them -
    they were smart enough, considering they came from a time not much evolved beyond this one, and they were good people. It was just that she didn’t feel at ease being in their way. They were so much a couple - almost a gestalt entity, she sometimes thought - that she felt like an intruder when she was around. Or sometimes just like a fifth wheel.
    Vicki suddenly realised how hungry she really was. The food machine in the TARDIS seemed able to supply any amount of nutrition, and could even manage the taste of real food, but it wasn’t really real. It didn’t have the right texture, and you certainly couldn’t sit and have a chat over a meal the size of a chocolate bar, even if it did taste like steak and eggs.
    She helped herself to spring rolls, noodles, steamed dumplings and anything else her arms could reach. As she had found in Rome, the food in the past tasted better, or at least more real, than the food of her time.
    On the ship to Astra - and even on Earth in her time -
    everything was engineered and processed to be nutritious and healthy, but it all tasted much the same. She looked over at Ian and Barbara, who were chatting and relaxed as they picked at the buffet. Though they came from a time not much more advanced than this one, she envied them the food they ate. Healthy or not, at least it was worthy of the name.
    ‘This is excellent,’ Barbara exclaimed.
    ‘Much better than anything out of the food machine,’ Ian agreed, echoing Vicki’s thought.
    ‘And just what is wrong with the food machine?’ the Doctor asked haughtily, though Vicki could tell from his tone that he was being playful rather than truly offended.
    ‘Nothing, Doctor,’ Ian said, doing a good job of faking ruefulness. ‘But you have to admit that nutrition bars, however well flavoured, are no match for the real thing.’
     
    Vicki got the feeling their banter was an old and favourite game for both of them.
    ‘Oh, aren’t they, young man? The Ship does have a kitchen, you know - or perhaps I should say a galley. If I were to collect ingredients, perhaps you’d