Doctor Who_ Time Warrior Part 9

The Doctor's mind went round and round this problem for a very long time as it grew dark in the underground workshop. Lights came on-installed by Linx no doubt. At last he decided the problem was insoluble-unless, that is, he could introduce some new element into the equation. A kind of random factor...

Suddenly the random factor came stumbling towards him. 'Professor Rubeis.h.!.+' he called. 'Over here!' The old man wandered up.

'Is that you, Doctor? I thought you were going to leave.'

'Change of plan, old chap. I wonder if you could help me?'

Rubeish peered short-sightedly at him. 'Are you wearing a hat?'

'Can you feel that panel just behind you, Rubeish?

There are three switches on it.'

Rubeish turned round, groping vaguely. 'Dangerous, wearing hats,' he grumbled. 'Overheats the brain.' His fingers brushed the panel. 'Yes, I've got it.'

'Good. Now, just turn the left-hand switch, will you?'

Rubeish fumbled at the panel. 'Always thought that was why judges were so peculiar, you know. It's those wigs they wear...' He found a switch and flicked it.

There was a crackle of sparks from the helmet, and the Doctor's body convulsed. 'Turn it off,' he yelled, 'that's the pain stimulator!'

Rubeish flicked the switch, and the Doctor relaxed.

'Sorry,' said Rubeish apologetically. 'Wish I'd brought my gla.s.ses.'

'So do I,' said the Doctor feelingly. 'Now, try again, would you, old chap? The left-hand switch, please.'

'Oh, this this one,' Rubeish flicked another switch. Nothing happened. 'Is that the one?' one,' Rubeish flicked another switch. Nothing happened. 'Is that the one?'

'I sincerely hope so.' Cautiously the Doctor slid his head from under the helmet. Still nothing happened. With a sigh of relief he got to his feet and stretched. 'Thank you, Professor. Will you excuse me? I must be off.'

Rubeish had been hoping for a cosy chat. 'Where are you off to now?' he demanded peevishly.

'There's a girl I've got to find. I'll see you later-I hope!'

The Doctor ran up the steps.

Rubeish turned away. 'A girl? Should have thought he was a bit old for that. Ah well!' He pottered off to see what they were doing at the nearest workbench.

The Doctor went up the steps, along the gloomy corridor, turned a corner, and walked straight into Irongron and Bloodaxe. 'Good evening,' said the Doctor politely. Irongron lunged at him. The Doctor shoved him aside, tripped him neatly, and ran for his life.

Furiously, Irongron picked himself up. 'Call the guards!' he yelled. 'Bring torches! After him!' Followed by the bewildered Bloodaxe, he set off in pursuit.

There followed a brief game of hide and seek through the darkness of the castle corridors. The Doctor was quicker-moving than his pursuers, but Irongron's yells brought more and more guards to join in the chase.

The Doctor dodged, ran, and dodged again, until at last he managed to reach a door that led to the courtyard. It was in semi-darkness, lit here and there by flickering torches.

He ran out into the open and made a dash for the drawbridge.

Irongron was close behind him. 'Seize him, you knaves,'

he roared. 'Pull the dog down!'

The Doctor ran to and fro like a rabbit trapped in a cornfield. He ducked in and out of cover, hurdled over obstacles, sent torch-waving men-at-arms reeling with the speed of his flight. But the s.p.a.ce was too enclosed, and his hunters too many. He was brought down at last, tripped by a pike thrust between his legs. The Doctor crashed to the ground and Irongron pounded up to him.

'He who strikes Irongron-dies!' he roared, and raised his sword.

11.

The Rescue Hal and Sarah were on the battlements when the commotion broke out in the yard below. Once they'd overheard Irongron's plans, Hal had insisted on abandoning the hunt for the Doctor and returning to warn his master.

From their vantage point on the walkway they saw the Doctor hunted to and fro, saw him tripped by the pike, saw Irongron run to stand over him.

'Look,' whispered Hal. 'Irongron seeks to slay his wizard!'

Sarah grabbed his arm. 'Quick, Hal, do something! We need the Doctor alive!'

Hal stepped back, fitted an arrow to his bow. As Irongron's sword flashed down Hal fired-and missed.

Missed Irongron, that is-by a freak chance the arrow struck the hilt of Irongron's sword, sending it flying from his grasp. Instantly the Doctor was up and running once more.

He heard a voice call, 'Over here, Doctor!' and saw Sarah at the top of the walkway. He ran for the stairs, men-at-arms close on his heels. As he ran, the Doctor was looking for something to delay his pursuers. There was a stack of hay-bales near the bottom of the stairs and a torch burning in a wall-bracket nearby. The Doctor heaved a couple of bales across the bottom of the stairway, tossed the torch on top of them and sprinted up the stairs.

The dry straw caught immediately, and the blazing hay formed a fiery barrier across the bottom of the steps.

Irongron's men struggled to heave the burning bales aside, coughing and choking in the smoke. The Doctor ran up on to the battlements, where Hal and Sarah were waiting. Out of breath as he was, he managed to say politely. 'Many thanks, Miss Smith. A most timely rescue.'

'It isn't a rescue, Doctor,' said Sarah grimly. There was another arrow in Hal's bow, and it was aimed at the Doctor's heart. Sarah led him to where the rope hung from the grappling hook. 'Now, down the rope please, Doctor.

And don't try to run.'

The Doctor decided to save the explanations for later.

He swung his legs over the battlements and slid down the rope.

Linx stood glaring at the empty computer console. The Doctor had escaped. But how? He glared suspiciously round at the other prisoners, all working meekly at their appointed tasks.

Angrily Linx turned and went up the steps. As soon as he was out of sight, Rubeish detached himself from a group of workers and groped his way to another bench. He picked up a piece of clear plastic and resumed his task.

Professor Rubeish had decided it was time he could see what was going on. He was grinding the piece of plastic into a lens...

Irongron glared broodingly into his pot of wine. 'The fellow has the gall of a camel and the cunning of a fox!'

'You shall be revenged, Captain,' said Bloodaxe consolingly. 'He must be one of Sir Edward's men and not even a rat shall escape Sir Edward's castle alive once we attack tomorrow!'

'On my oath, Bloodaxe, once that fellow is in my hands I shall chop him so fine not even a sparrow shall fill its beak at one peck!' Cheered by this grisly threat, Irongron took another swig of wine, and looked up as Linx marched into the hall and stood before him.

'My prisoner has disappeared. Order a search!'

Irongron grunted, in no mood to take orders from Linx.

'If one of your whey-faced ninnies is loose, then find him yourself. My men need rest. We march on Sir Edward's castle at dawn.'

'This is a special prisoner, Irongron. I insist on a search.

The Doctor is of great value to me. While he is at large, I am in danger.'

Irongron turned away, reaching for the wine jug. 'Do not trouble me now, little toad-or you will feel an axe in your skull.'

Bloodaxe said, 'Captain, I heard someone call "Doctor"

when we were at that fellow's heels.'

Irongron looked up. 'Linx, is this Doctor of yours a longshanked knave, with a mighty nose?'

'That is how he might appear to human eyes,' said the Sontaran impatiently.

'Then he is no longer in the castle. Sir Edward sent a raiding party to rescue him.'

'He has escaped?'

Irongron tapped the hilt of his sword. 'Aye-but not for long!'

As he waited in Sir Edward's chamber, with Hal on guard at the door, the Doctor looked round admiringly. A better cla.s.s of castle altogether, this. The tapestries were clean and fresh, and so were the rushes on the floor.

'Very nice,' he said admiringly. 'You have been getting round, Sarah. Are you on visiting terms with all the local n.o.bility?'

Sarah frowned. 'Doctor, I think it's time we got a few things straight...'

'I'm afraid you're going to be awfully confused if you want me to explain the TARDIS.'

'The TARDIS?'

'My police box. You stowed away in it, I imagine?'

A little embarra.s.sed, Sarah said, 'We'll come to that later. What I want to know is, why are you helping Irongron?'

'My dear girl, I'm not helping him. Linx is. I'm trying to stop him.'

'Linx?'

'Perhaps you haven't met him yet. Nasty, brutish and short just about sums him up.'

'There was a strange-looking knight with Irongron when I was first captured,' said Sarah slowly. 'I think he hypnotised me or something.'

'That was Linx. He'd have looked even stranger if he hadn't been wearing s.p.a.ce armour. He comes from a planet where gravity is many times that of Earth.'

Sarah said wonderingly, 'Someone from another planet... How do I know you're telling the truth?'

'I never lie,' said the Doctor indignantly. 'Well, hardly ever. Have you heard of UNIT?'

'The United Nations Intelligence Task Force? They were in charge of security at the Research Centre. Are you saying you work for them?'

'Purely in an advisory capacity. The Brigadier asked me to look into this business of the missing scientists.'

'I thought you you were responsible for that.' were responsible for that.'

The Doctor sighed. 'My dear girl, do I look the sort of person who goes about kidnapping scientists?' Sarah didn't answer. Looking a little hurt the Doctor went on, 'Linx has been bringing them back here to staff his workshop. Now I have to find a way of returning them to their own time.'

They were interrupted by the arrival of Sir Edward and Lady Eleanor, who came into the room rather warily, as if expecting their new guest to disappear in a puff of blue smoke. 'This is the magician?' asked Sir Edward cautiously.

'My lady, my lord.' The Doctor produced his most elaborate bow. 'It's a privilege and a pleasure to be amongst civilised people once more.'

Sir Edward said wryly, 'A courtly rogue, at least.'

Lady Eleanor came straight to the point. 'Is he willing to change his allegiance and serve Sir Edward instead of Irongron?'

Sarah looked a little embarra.s.sed. 'There seems to have been a bit of a mix-up. He says he wasn't serving Irongron at all. There's another stranger at the castle. Someone called Linx.'

'There is indeed,' said the Doctor. 'And he's your enemy, I a.s.sure you, not me. The most sensible thing would be for us all to join forces.'

Sir Edward looked helplessly at Sarah. 'What say you?

Does he speak the truth?'

'I'm not sure. I suppose I could have been wrong-or he could just be changing sides to save his own skin,'

Lady Eleanor took her husband aside. 'These wizards and warlocks were ever a treacherous breed. We had best be wary of him.'

Sir Edward made his decision. 'Perhaps so-yet we need allies. Doctor, I shall spare your life if you cast your spells and incantations to help me against Irongron. Refuse and you die.'

The Doctor smiled. 'You offer a restricted choice. But there's no need for threats. My services are at your disposal-such as they are.'

'Good. Serve me straight, Doctor, and I shall reward you well.'

For some time now Hal had been bursting with impatience. 'Forgive me, my lord, but are you not forgetting the news I brought you? Irongron plans to march on us at dawn. This we heard from his own lips.'