Doctor Who_ Bunker Soldiers Part 14

One leg had buckled underneath him; his other foot had lost its shoe. The cracked leather boot rested some distance away, a pitiful detail.

I suddenly sensed I was not alone. I turned, and saw the 'angel' standing just within the doorway to the central tomb. It bent down and angled its face in my direction. It was blank, devoid of expression and meaning.

Even so, I was not prepared to abuse my good fortune, or whatever it was that had saved me from Olexander's fate. Pure fear gripped me again.

I turned, and ran deeper into the catacombs.

I didn't stop until I was in complete darkness, well away from Olexander's path of feeble torches. For once, the shadows were welcoming.

But I also knew that I was very, very lost.

I wandered for hours. My knees and face and hands became sore with constant stumbling into invisible walls and columns; I couldn't find any of the prepared torches here, but, in any case, I had nothing to light them with.

The breeze from what I hoped was an open door seemed to have stopped, leaving me without any sense of geography or direction. I was on the verge of collapsing into a sobbing heap, of vowing to go no further and waiting for death itself to claim me, when I heard something moving through the dark behind me. It was the same rattling, tapping sound I had detected earlier.

This time I was sure it was the creature. I could do nothing to avoid the beast, nor defeat it if it chose to strike. I sat and waited for the attack perhaps it would be swift, and would mark my final liberation from the catacombs.

Accompanied by the rattle of claws on stone, a whisper of cold wind caressed the side of my face. The 'angel', it seemed, had pa.s.sed within centimetres of me, but it didn't attack, or speak, or in any way act as if it realised I was there.

I sat in the darkness, dumbfounded. If it wasn't just an organic killing machine, why had it butchered Taras, his wife and Olexander with such gruesome efficiency? After its initial attack on me, why did it now seem to behave as if I didn't exist?

As I pondered the beast's motives, I remembered my earlier conviction that there must be other exits. Perhaps that was where it was heading now.

I jumped to my feet, feeling positive for the first time in hours, but scarcely believing that so evil a being could, perhaps, lead me straight to that thing that I most desired: a way out of the awful tomb in which I was trapped.

My ears, thank goodness, seemed suited to this realm of sensory absence: keeping a sensible distance between us, I followed what I a.s.sumed was the creature.

Whatever it was that I was following, it made no attempt to disguise its progress whereas before I would have sworn that it was keeping to a stealthy near-silence. The rattle of claws on the hard, stone surface set my teeth on edge, and also brought to mind the bodies I had seen. Three of them now, and each killed with a stomach-churning brutality. Olexander's poor, n.o.ble attempt to reason with the beast seemed always doomed to failure and yet the creature had had spoken. It was capable of some form of self-expression. How had it described itself? An instrument of war? spoken. It was capable of some form of self-expression. How had it described itself? An instrument of war?

I turned the phrase over in my mind. Perhaps it meant only that it was a biological expression of someone else's hatred, no more or less morally responsible for its actions than one of the great horses that carried a knight into b.l.o.o.d.y battle.

Such speculation was pointless. I knew only that Yevhen had released something from a casket under the cathedral, and that, far from protecting the people of Kiev, the 'angel' seemed intent only on killing those it encountered. As if the city authorities did not have enough to deal with, with the Mongol hordes only a few days away!

I thought briefly of the Doctor, wondering if he was enjoying any sort of success within the Mongol camp. I somewhat wished he had changed his mind for n.o.bler reasons than simply the preservation of the future we all knew, but, whatever the circ.u.mstances, I was glad that he had. I had the utmost faith in the old man for all his incorrigibility, my belief in him burned in my heart like one of Olexander's torches.

And then I thought of Dodo, still, I guessed, in the governor's residence and thus at the mercy of Yevhen. I hurried my pace, impatient to be away from the catacombs.

I soon noticed the black nothingness of the tunnels becoming grey, the dim light hinting at walls and pillars and doors. In time I could see my own feet, the path before me and something tall moving through the remaining shadows.

And, ahead of that, there was a partly open door. Set into a wall, it burned like a beacon.

I could have wept for joy.

I watched as the disgusting creature made its way into the light, and then I waited. I did not want to emerge and find the dark angel waiting for me.

I fought a losing battle with my impatience with my desperation to be out of these tunnels and soon I found myself striding towards the doorway.

It was roughly hewn from what appeared to be oak, and probably about three-quarters of the size of a normal door. The great metal hinges were rusty, and a split towards the handle allowed light and wind into the tunnels. But, to me, this was like stumbling upon an entrance to heaven.

I emerged to find myself in what appeared to be a storeroom. Piles of barrels were covered with mildewed sheets and the room was rich with dust, though the floor near the door to the catacombs spoke of recent activity. I realised that the layout of the room would have obscured the entrance from any who did not already know it to be there.

From where I stood, I could see that there were two doors in the centre of opposing walls. One was still closed from the inside with a large plank of wood held in place by strong metal p.r.o.ngs. If this meant the creature had gone the other way, then this, clearly, was the door for me.

I removed the wooden plank, and pushed and pulled at the door. Eventually it opened, though with a graceless juddering that spoke of decades of neglect.

It was an outside door. Beyond was a square of some sort, hemmed in by imposing civic buildings. I breathed deeply, and emerged into the sunlight. At last, I was free!

I closed the door behind me and, in doing so, looked up at the building from which I had emerged. Even from this unfamiliar angle, I recognised the dark peaked roof and slab-like towers. It was the governor's residence and the creature was at large, somewhere within the maze of rooms and corridors. It was time, I decided, to throw myself upon the mercy of Dmitri, to plead for my life and to tell him what I had learnt of the plots of adviser Yevhen and Bishop Vasil. Even more importantly, Dodo and many others were now virtual prisoners within that building and Dmitri had unwittingly sealed the dark angel in along with them.

There was nothing else for it: I would have to march around to the front of the building and give myself up, risking death if the governor didn't accept my innocence.

'You asked to see me?'

Dmitri's courteous tones belied the fact that he was the governor of an entire city, and I a suspected murderer who had escaped from prison.

'Thank you,' I said. 'I want you to know that I'm not guilty of Taras's murder. I have proof now, and every reason '

Dmitri interrupted me with a wave of the hand, as if this were a mere trifle, a pleasantry to be dispensed with at the start of a conversation. 'But of course.'

I was wrongfooted by this, and had to resist the temptation to launch into my prepared defence. 'Sorry?'

'We witnessed an attack last night, in this very building. It is clear no mortal man is responsible.'

'That's what I wanted to talk to you about. In private.'

Dmitri considered my request. 'Very well,' he said. Another wave of the hand, and he dismissed the soldiers that stood near the door. 'Even my advisers are not here. You are free to say whatever you wish, without fear of censure by anyone... other than myself,' he added with a smile.

'It seems. .' I wondered where to start. 'It seems that adviser Yevhen has released some creature from its tomb under the cathedral. I believe that this "dark angel" killed Taras, and was responsible for whatever attack you suffered last night.' I paused.

'While in prison, I met with former adviser Olexander. I saw this creature kill him in cold blood.'

Dmitri nodded iinpa.s.sively. 'Go on.'

'Under the cathedral is a catacomb. A pa.s.sageway leads directly to this building. I followed the beast through the tunnels.

I believe everyone here must be in danger.'

I paused, watching as Dmitri turned this over in his mind. 'I have heard rumours of such tunnels,' he said. 'It was considered wise to link the ecclesiastical heart of Kiev to the civic should a man from one wish to throw himself on the mercy of the men in the other. But the tunnels themselves are known, I am sure, to only a few souls. I have never seen them on any map or design of the city.'

'I can lead you to the doorway,' I said eagerly.

Dmitri nodded. 'Thank you. I will order a search, though I will not be able to commit many men to the task. It is said the tunnels are rat holes, and someone might find themselves walking them for weeks with no hope of escape.'

'I can vouch for that,' I said.

'More importantly,' continued Dmitri, 'you say that the "dark angel" is now at liberty within our city worse still, within these very chambers?'

'I believe so.'

'Then my men must concentrate on flus.h.i.+ng the creature out here, above ground, where it can be captured or destroyed.'

'Forgive me,' I said. 'I'm not sure you'll easily succeed in killing it.'

Dmitri sighed, as if accepting what I had said.

I took heart from his ready acceptance of my story. 'What will you do about Yevhen?' I asked boldly.

'For the moment, nothing,' said Dmitri. 'He may still be of some use. With the Tartar attack imminent...'

'Something else is going on,' I added quickly. 'I believe the bishop... Vasil? I believe he has come up with his own plan to save the city from the Mongols.'

Dmitri arched his eyebrows in surprise. 'Vasil? What plans has he to avert the attack?'

'At first Vasil and Yevhen were working together, though they seemed to fall out over this creature. In any event, Vasil is now planning a direct appeal to the Mongols.'

Dmitri looked surprised. 'An appeal, to those devils? On what grounds?'

'He mentioned a "southern problem".'

Dmitri's eyebrows arched, but he said nothing.

'Olexander reckoned it might refer to the Muslims,' I ventured.

'It is true that the Church would dearly love to rid the world of Islam,' said Dmitri. 'But even so...' He shook his head slowly.

I remembered the brown-cloaked man the clerics had been so keen to keep hidden. 'I think there is a Mongol emissary in Kiev, smuggled in by Vasil,' I said.

Dmitri nodded curtly. 'Then the rumours are not without substance,' he said. The boiling irritation he felt was obvious on his features. 'We are in no position to trade with the Tartars...

Surely they will take whatever is not offered to them. Vasil is a fool!' He strode angrily towards the door, pulled it open, and barked instructions at one of the soldiers just beyond: 'Order a search of all Church properties in Kiev.'

I saw the soldier's eyes widen. Such an action was almost unthinkable.

'You will find a Tartar spy in our midst. You will find hiin, and bring him to me.'

The dazed man opened his mouth to speak, seemingly on the verge of challenging the governor.

Dmitri paused just long enough to draw breath, and continued before the soldier could utter a sound. 'Bring Bishop Vasil to me as well. While we are preparing to die for our city, this traitor is colluding with the enemy!' He spat his words through gritted teeth. 'Tell this "man of G.o.d" that, unless he convinces me otherwise, I shall soon send him to his true lord and master!'

He turned and slammed the door shut, breathing deeply as his irritation subsided. 'Thank you, Steven, for bringing this information to me. I am sorry this knowledge has come via such suffering in prison, and in these tunnels you speak of.'

'That's OK,' I said. 'Though, I must say... I'm amazed you accept everything I have said. During my travels... Well, let's just say, I'm not often believed!'

'I hear many rumours, suspect many plots. It could be said that I am only effective if I am able to sift all gossip, all t.i.ttle-tattle, looking for evil, suspecting always the worst of those who surround me. What you have said this morning ties many threads together for the first time!'

'I could be lying,' I blurted out, before remembering that this was probably not the time or the place to play devil's advocate.

'And, as a traveller, you would hope to gain what, exactly?

Your freedom is the one thing you crave, and yet you know by now that I am not willing to let you go until after the Tartars have been defeated.' He paused. 'In any event, I trust you, Steven. I always have. I am saddened, however, that it has been so difficult to a.s.sure you of that trust.' Dmitri looked keenly about the empty debating room, tapping his fingers to his lips.

'Do not let Yevhen know that we are aware of this beast he has liberated,' he whispered. 'There is still more duplicity and treachery in the man that only time will draw out.'

I got to my feet. 'Thank you for believing me,' I said. 'And now, with your leave, I would very much like to have a wash, find some clean clothes and then be reunited with Dodo.'

Dmitri smiled. 'You will find her with Yevhen's daughter, I daresay. Since my order that those closest to me remain at my side, I have barely seen either of them.'

'You have many things to consider,' I said, thinking of how Dodo and Lesia had rescued me, and wondering if they had indeed managed to return without being apprehended.

'I do,' said Dmitri, as the great burden of responsibility settled around him again. 'There is so much '

The door flew open, and Yevhen strode into the debating chamber. 'Forgive me, my lord, I have grave news,' he said, bowing his head humbly.

It was only when he looked up that he saw me standing there. He blinked in surprise.

'What is this man doing here?'

'He is a free man, who can come and go as he pleases,' said Dmitri.

'But the murder... The prison...'

'Steven is no more capable of these despicable acts than you or I,' said Dmitri. I saw him stare at his adviser keenly, his rhetorical statement concealing a growing suspicion. 'And, surely, a man cannot be blamed for wanting to escape from prison if he is truly innocent?'

I must admit, I did enjoy watching Yevhen squirming in anger. 'This is Isaac's doing!' he finally exploded.

'Nonsense,' said Dmitri. 'I have not seen my other adviser all day, though I expect him to be here soon. I must inform you both that Bishop Vasil will be arrested and tried for treason.'

'Treason?'

'Far from joining us in our struggle against the Tartars, it seems that Vasil is planning to appease them.'

Yevhen shook his head sadly, although I wondered if this was, to him, an entirely bewildering turn of events.

'You said you had bad news?' prompted Dmitri.

Yevhen nodded gravely. 'Our physicians are attending the bodies now...'

'Bodies?'

'A great illness is sweeping through the city.'

'What sort of illness?'

'We are not yet sure.'