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Trix decided she would throttle him. ‘<strong>Doctor</strong>!’<br />
‘Don’t worry. They’re only warning shots – it’s Falsh’s ship, <strong>the</strong>y won’t want<br />
to damage it.’<br />
‘They’ll do more than damage us when <strong>the</strong>y’ve caught us and towed us back<br />
to <strong>the</strong> station!’<br />
The ship lurched violently as a miniature sun appeared in <strong>the</strong> cockpit window,<br />
blinding Trix with its intensity. Security had switched from wagging a<br />
finger to raising a fist. It couldn’t be long now before it came crashing down. . .<br />
‘Are you sure <strong>the</strong>y won’t risk harming <strong>the</strong> ship?’ she asked lamely.<br />
‘Fairly. But <strong>the</strong>y may well have weapons designed to eliminate organic life<br />
while leaving <strong>the</strong> ship intact.’<br />
‘Had to spoil it, didn’t you.’<br />
The <strong>Doctor</strong> ducked back under <strong>the</strong> console. ‘We need more power if we’re<br />
going to outrun <strong>the</strong>se probes.’<br />
‘Feng Shui!’ she yelled.<br />
‘I’m sorry?’<br />
‘That’s it! What Halcyon’s doing it all for.’<br />
The <strong>Doctor</strong> scrambled back out, a keen interest in his eyes. ‘Feng Shui?’<br />
‘Yeah, you know. Move around your furniture, point ornaments north – all<br />
that crap <strong>the</strong> property shows were trying to flog us in my time. . . ’ Trix bit<br />
her lip as <strong>the</strong> ship rocked so hard she swore she could feel <strong>the</strong> floor buckle<br />
beneath her feet. ‘He’s rearranging <strong>the</strong> solar system, see? Clearing out <strong>the</strong><br />
clutter, making it “spiritually pure” or something, a better place to live and<br />
work in. . . ’<br />
The <strong>Doctor</strong> just went on staring at her.<br />
‘He works out what aligns with what and where, and Falsh makes it happen,’<br />
she babbled. ‘It’s like inner-city development – tempt big businesses to set up<br />
back in <strong>the</strong> old neighbourhood, hold <strong>the</strong>ir meetings and Christmas parties in a<br />
Falsh orbiting-conference-podule thing, knock down <strong>the</strong> slums, generate more<br />
wealth, employment, blah blah blah. . . ’ She frowned at his trancelike state.<br />
‘Sorry, is this distracting you from saving our necks?’<br />
He shook his head in a flurry of chestnut curls. ‘No, no, no.’<br />
‘Well, could you maybe hurry up a bit and –’<br />
‘I mean: no, you’re wrong.’<br />
‘I heard <strong>the</strong>m talking!’ she said indignantly. ‘I saw <strong>the</strong> whole pitch on one<br />
of those bubble-TVs!’<br />
‘You’re wrong about classical Feng Shui.’ He disappeared beneath <strong>the</strong> console<br />
again, leaving Trix nonplussed. ‘It’s a philosophy. A serious study of how<br />
<strong>the</strong> unseen energies of our living environment affect us,’ he called to her. ‘Its<br />
proponents believe that through <strong>the</strong> arrangement and placement of rooms<br />
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