Part 12 (2/2)

'Piles of stones.'

Benny frowned. 'I can see that. But they used to be walls like that one we just looked at.' She waved vaguely in the direction of the main admission block.

'No.'

'Explain.'

'Collapsed structures can be recreated mathematically from their const.i.tuent elements if the dimensions of elements remaining are known and at least fifty*five cent of structure is still on site.'

”You mean most of this one is gone?'

'This represents four sets of stones, one with ninety*four const.i.tutes, one with one hundred and five const.i.tuent '

'Yes, yes all right.'

'The const.i.tuents are not related. It is impossible to a.s.semble a coherent structure from any of the sets using more than one third of const.i.tuent stones.'

'So these piles of stones are just piles of stones?'

Benny held her breath; she was not sure whether things were becoming clearer or whether the whole thing was getting out of hand. There was still something she was missing.

'No coherent structures have stood in the areas now illuminated in green,' the computer said dispa.s.sionately.

Benny looked around. With the exception of the main block and the theatre itself, just visible behind it, as far as she could see the reconstruction was bathed in green light.

Tashman was the slowest. While the others turned and fled up the steps of the main aisle, he backed slowly away from the stage, eyes wide and mouth open.

'Tashman get up here,' yelled Fortalexa. Only he and the Doctor had spared a backward glance to see where everyone was.

The sound of the soldier's voice echoing round the theatre galvanized Tashman into movement at last. He swung his huge body round almost as the statue of Lannic reached him, and started up the steps two at a time.

But they were too steep. Fortalexa and the others were far enough away from the ponderous statues to risk stopping to get their breath back. So they all saw Tashman miss his footing, his ankle turning on the crumbling edge of one of the steps. He crashed to the ground, his head connecting with a dull thud.

Fortalexa already had his sidearm drawn, but the blast did not even slow the lumbering forms. He holstered it and started down to help Tashman immediately, only to find the Doctor holding on to his sleeve.

'We're too late,' said the Doctor, although Fortalexa had not seen him make any move to help. But the Doctor was right.

Below them, Tashman lifted his head slowly, shaking it to clear the pain. As he started to pull himself to his feet, the Lannic statue reached him. Its shadow fell over the steps where Tashman was sprawled, and he rolled onto his back to see what was above him. And screamed.

Fortalexa watched helpless as the statue reached out, almost in slow motion, and grabbed Tashman's hair, pulling his head forward and up. Then it pushed its other hand into Tashman's face. He thought at first that the force of the deceptively slow blow had smashed through the man's face, but he could see now that the hand had squashed against it, cracking and fracturing. The outside was a thin sh.e.l.l which cracked open to release mud which oozed out and over Tashman's face, burying it.

Tashman's scream was choked off. He writhed for a few movements, as if impaled on the statue's wrist, then the figure of Lannic let go of his hair and Tashman's dead weight dropped him back to the ground, allowing the mud and stone to reform into a female hand.

Fortalexa looked away. Behind him the real Lannic was pale with shock, her lower lip trembling. The Doctor caught Fortalexa's eye. 'We are become death,' he said quietly. Then he turned suddenly and sprang up a few steps to join Lannic. He patted her gently on the shoulder but she hardly seemed to notice.

The two statues were approaching them from different angles. Lannic was continuing up the aisle, but the Doctor's statue was clambering up the tiers of the auditorium where the seats had been.

'The problem as I see it,' Fortalexa said, surprised at how calm his voice was, 'is to get past them and to the tunnel. Then we can get back to the lander and hope that Ace is ready to leave.'

'I think they realize that. Which is why they've spread out to block our exit.' Gilmanuk's voice was equally calm, his hesitancy gone.

Klasvik looked at them both as if they were mad. Lannic seemed not to hear. The Doctor had produced a small abacus from his pocket and was flicking beads across it frantically, pausing only to measure up angles and distances like a draughtsman up against a deadline.

'What we need is a diversion they're not very fast.' By way of demonstration, the Doctor ducked out of way as the statue of himself drew level and swiped an arm at him. Its weight carried it past and swung the figure's body away.

'Allow me, Doctor.' Fortalexa jumped down a couple of steps so he was in the statue's line of sight. It saw him at once and changed direction to follow as he stepped backwards, into the Lannic statue's way. As Fortalexa backed away up the steps, both the statues followed him as if locked on to his path.

Fortalexa backed away up the steps towards the back of the theatre. The Doctor ushered everyone else across through the auditorium: When they were well clear of the statues, he all but pushed them down towards the stage. 'Thank you, Fortalexa you can join us now!' he shouted over his shoulder as he ran after the stumbling Klasvik, overtaking him in a moment and grabbing his surprised hand to drag him along faster.

Fortalexa was beginning to think he might have left it too late. He had reached the back row and was almost at the wall. Both statues reached out towards him, toothless smiles breaking their faces. Their hands were all but on him when he sprang forward, pus.h.i.+ng himself off the back wall with his right foot and diving through their arms. He felt cold fingers tear at his uniform as he crashed through and the ground flew up to meet him.

Just as he hit he curled his shoulder down so it hit the ground first, rolling him over and down the steps, drop*chute style. After two complete rolls he was on his feet, the momentum carrying him down to join the others.

Lannic and Gilmanuk were already up the first of the huge steps of mud. Lannic seemed to have recovered from the shock and was pulling Klasvik up after her as the Doctor pushed him from below. Klasvik's hands were scrabbling to get a hold on the slippery surface. Fortalexa added his shoulder to the Doctor's and together they heaved the old archaeologist up.

Fortalexa scrabbled up after him. A hand reached down to help him as he straightened his arms and pulled himself up. He was about to offer thanks, but he was too surprised how had the Doctor managed to get up the step so quickly?

Painfully slowly they scrambled up the remaining steps. Fortalexa was last to reach the top, having pushed the others up ahead of him all except the Doctor who seemed somehow just to arrive at the next level with no help from anyone. He looked back down into the theatre.

And saw the stone eyes of the statue of Lannic looking back at him from the step below. Surely that was impossible how could it have climbed so fast, especially weighing what it must? But before he could speculate further, the head of the statue of the Doctor appeared at the top of the steps, seeming to rise out of the mud of the tunnel floor.

Fortalexa turned and ran up the tunnel after the others. 'We made it!' Klasvik was almost euphoric. But he was right, the open door of the lander was now within sight He hurried towards it.

Gilmanuk looked back down the tunnel. There was no sign of their pursuers.

Ace was waiting outside the closed door. She was standing quite still, watching them approach.

'Thank Dion,' said Klasvik. 'Are you ready to leave?'

There was no reply, although the woman turned to face him, silhouetted against the light spilling from the hold.

'Ace?' called the Doctor. 'Ace, are you all right?' When there was still no reply he stopped dead. 'Klasvik come back.'

'What?' The old man stopped, puzzled and annoyed.

'Come back here, Klasvik.' Lannic's voice was calm and authoritative. 'The Doctor's right.'

'Right? What about?'

Gilmanuk strained to see, peering through his muddy spectacles at the figure ahead. Even at such a disadvantage he could see, as Klasvik now could, that it was not Ace.

It was a life size, perfectly formed statue of Ace. It was completely grey, as if made of stone, except for the dribbles of darker fluid where the joints had stretched and strained with movement. And it was starting down the tunnel towards them.

'Doctor, I think we have a problem.' Fortalexa pointed the other way. To where the two statues from the theatre had just rounded a bend in the tunnel and were advancing, 'If only we knew what they were,' muttered Lannic, 'we might have a chance.'

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