Doctor Who_ The Caves Of Androzani Part 10

'We can circle round and catch the beggar napping,'

completed Ch.e.l.lak enthusiastically. 'That's very good, Salateen.'

'Jek will automatically believe anything he hears you discussing with Morgus, sir. He's got a tap on the interplanetary vid. He can pick up all transmissions between here and Androzani Major.'

'How long has he been intercepting our transmissions?'

'I think the android put the tap in, sir.'

Ch.e.l.lak shook his head wearily. 'It's no wonder this campaign has been getting nowhere. Sharaz Jek has had advance warning of every operation we've planned!'

'Yes, sir. But we've got him cold this time.'

'Yes, I think we have, Major Salateen,' said Ch.e.l.lak with evident satisfaction. 'And before he's executed, I'll see that evil renegade dragged in chains through every city on Androzani Major'

The gun-runners' s.p.a.ce-s.h.i.+p had landed in a hidden valley. It was a stubby cylindrical affair; three projecting fins on either side showed that it was designed for atmospheric flight. Little more than a shuttle-craft, thought the Doctor, designed to run to and fro between the twin planets.

He was hustled up the ramp and handcuffed to a metal ventilation grille in the tiny cluttered control room, his hands behind him.

Stotz settled himself in the central pilot chair, while Krelper operated the co-pilot console. 'Height?' snapped Stotz.

'One twenty metres.'

'Lock on course.'

'Course set, lock on.'

'Okay... close jumps.'

'Close jumps.' Krelper stepped back from the console.

'That's it, Stotz. Androzani Major here we come!'

The little s.h.i.+p shuddered briefly and took off without fuss.

Stotz sank back in the pilot chair, and yawned and stretched. 'Right, you lads go and get some rest.'

'I reckon we deserve it!'

'Off you go then. I'll just tell the Boss, we're on our way.'

Krelper and the other gun-runner, a taciturn type called Stark, filed out of the room.

The Doctor had been watching this with some puzzlement, wondering why Stotz was being so solicitous of his men. His suspicions were confirmed when Stotz went to the door and locked it. 'Afraid of intruders?' called the Doctor.

Stotz unwrapped the headband he wore on his forehead.

'When I talk to the Boss, it's got to be just the two of us.

That's the way he likes it.'

The Doctor winced as the grimy cloth was tied across his eyes. 'Something wrong with his face or mine?'

Ignoring the bound and blindfolded Doctor, Stotz crossed to his video transceiver and punched in a coded signal.

A light flickered on Morgus's desk the one signal that could not be ignored. He touched the remote control that sealed the door, then switched on the vid.

The picture-window clouded and then the head and shoulders of Stotz appeared, so clearly that Morgus's office window seemed to be looking into the gun-runners' s.p.a.ce-s.h.i.+p.

'You're late, Stotz,' said Morgus flatly.

'We ran into some trouble, sir. The Army intercepted the consignment.'

'I know that. The weapons were untraceable.'

'I made doubly sure,' boasted Stotz. 'We counter-attacked, wiped out the Army patrol and destroyed the weapons. Then we had trouble with Sharaz Jek.'

'He refused to pay, I suppose?'

'Two kilos, instead of five.'

If Stotz hoped for praise, he was disappointed. 'It should have been four at least, Stotz.'

'Ah, but I forced him to agree more for the next delivery, sir. He's desperate for more gas weapons so I said eight kilos, or no deal.'

'Eight? Did he agree?'

'Of course he did. He could see I meant business.And another thing,' said Stotz, gaining confidence, 'I've got a fix on where the spectrox is stored.'

'Now that information could be very valuable ' Morgus broke off as he took in the blindfolded figure behind Stotz.

'Who's that?'

'A Government snoop, sir. We caught him spying.'

'Take off the blindfold.'

Stotz obeyed and stepped aside.

Morgus stared at the vidscreen.

The Doctor blinked, recognizing the cold-faced little man. 'Ah, so it is you, Morgus. I thought I recognised the voice!'

'Something is happening I do not understand,' said Morgus. He was filled with a kind of nameless dread, a fear that somehow events were slipping out of his control.

'He calls himself the Doctor, sir,' said Stotz.

'I know that, Stotz. Be quiet. I need time to think.'

Morgus swung round, away from the screen, staring into s.p.a.ce. He spoke quietly, almost inaudibly, trying to clarify his thoughts by speaking them out loud. 'The execution was a hoax. The General is obtuse, but he is a loyal servant of the Government. He would not have deceived me unless... unless his orders came from some higher authority.' Having reached this impeccably logical and totally incorrect conclusion, Morgus turned back to the screen. 'Who is your employer, Doctor? Who are you acting for?'

'I'm not acting for anyone,' said the Doctor wearily. 'I was just pa.s.sing through, and I got caught up with this pathetic little local war.'

Morgus leaned back in his chair. 'I am the richest man in the whole of the Five Planets, Doctor. Tell me the truth, and I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams.'

'I am am telling the truth! I telling the truth! I keep keep telling the truth. Why is it n.o.body believes me?' telling the truth. Why is it n.o.body believes me?'

'He's a Government snoop. I tell you, sir,' snarled Stotz.

'Stick a few electrodes into him, he'll soon talk.'

There was an edge of panic in Morgus's voice. 'If he'd been sent to Minor by the Government, I would know. My source on the Praesidium would have told me. No, somebody in a very high position must have ordered Ch.e.l.lak to fake the execution.'

'How do you know it was faked?' asked the Doctor unhelpfully. 'Maybe they were just bad shots.'

By now Morgus was building a second mistaken conclusion upon the first. 'The President! It can only have been the President. Something must have aroused his suspicion.' Suddenly Morgus felt events crowding in on him. He must have time to think, to plan... 'Stotz, I want you to lock your s.h.i.+p in geostationary orbit. I don't want you hack here on Major until I've had time to consider all the implications of this affair.'

He reached out and snapped off the vidscreen.

Stotz jabbed savagely at his control panel.

'Geostationary orbit!' He glared round at the Doctor.

'And if it wasn't for you we'd be well on our way home. I should've wiped you the first minute I saw you.' He stamped out of the control room, and the door closed behind him.

The Doctor stood quite still for a moment, considering what he had learned. So, Morgus, a powerful figure behind the Government, and Sharaz Jeff's deadly foe, was also the employer of the gun-runners thus supporting the rebellion.

Somehow Morgus was playing each side against the other to his own advantage.

Time to worry about that later, decided the Doctor. The thing to do now was to escape.

He began heaving at the link-chain on the handcufts that bound him to the metal grille.

Ch.e.l.lak was studying the belt-plate that had been taken from Peri, when he heard the Salateen android approaching. Hastily he swept the belt-plate into a drawer.

He looked up as the android entered. 'Ah, Major Salateen.

I have a treat for you. It's some time since you've been out on a field operation, isn't it?'

The android looked impa.s.sively at him. 'Yes, sir.'

'I know how bored an officer of your temperament most get stuck on HQ duties.' Ch.e.l.lak paused. 'Now as you know, we've had a satellite monitoring radio signals here for some time. We have now located a transmitter which must belong to the rebels just here!'

Ch.e.l.lak rose, and pointed to the wall-map of the cave system. 'Make a note of the co-ordinates.'

The Salateen android studied the map. 'That's several miles away sir, and bad narrows all the way.'

The narrows, deep ravines that linked the various cave systems, were a constant hazard in field operations. They formed a series of natural bottle-necks, easy to watch and guard, and perfect places for an ambush by either side.

'Exactly,' said Ch.e.l.lak. 'Probably the reason Jek chose that position. Anyway, we've got to tackle it. I want you to take a small team, good men, and do a recce. As soon as I receive confirmation, I'll mount an attack in force.' He looked hard at the android, still scarcely able to believe that it wasn't human. 'All right?'

'Of course, sir,' said the android smoothly. 'I'll get the operation under way immediately.'

In the control room of Stotz's s.p.a.ce-s.h.i.+p, in orbit around Androzani Major, the Doctor was still struggling desperately to free himself.

The handcuff-chain was linked around two of the thin bars that formed the grille, and for what seemed like a very long time, the Doctor had been bending the bars to and fro, trying to induce a fracture by means of metal fatigue.

Suddenly one of the bars snapped with an audible report. The Doctor froze, looking at the door. If Stotz heard the noise and came running to investigate... But he didn't.

No one came.

Much encouraged, the Doctor set to work on the second bar.

A small group of soldiers in full battle kit moved along through the caves, heading north. The android Salateen was in the lead.

Suddenly he stopped and stepped aside, waving the men on past him. 'Carry on, Sergeant, keep the men moving. I'll catch you up.'

As the men moved away, the android turned back to the shadowed cleft where its sensors had detected a lurking figure.

Sharaz Jek stepped out of the darkness. 'Ch.e.l.lak is sending you north. He is trying to deceive me as to his true intentions.'

'Yes, Master.'

'Have you seen the girl?'

'Ch.e.l.lak has hidden her in his private quarters, with Major Salateen.'

Sharaz Jek nodded. 'But now you are out of the camp, Salateen will feel free to move about... Excellent! There is a chance that the girl will be alone.'

In his office, Ch.e.l.lak was carrying out the second part of Major Salateen's plan. He was about to send false information to Morgus in the hope that Sharaz Jek, tapping the interplanetary vid, would believe the false information to he true. He punched up the code for a call to Morgus.

On Androzani Major, Morgus was still trying to work out a plan that would leave him safe, unsuspected and victorious.

The com-unit on his desk buzzed discreetly. Morgus went back to his desk and touched the vidcontrol, accepting the call.

The window clouded, and Ch.e.l.lak's face appeared.