Part 24 (1/2)

'Mother!'

Morgaine's troops had regrouped along the ridge beside the dig. Their leader came to attention as the Battle Queen's orders issued from his helmet.

Knight Commander. Recommence your attack. Take no prisoners. prisoners.

The commander saluted. Strategy options scripted out on the inside of his visor, instantly relaying to his company of men-at-arms.

'We shall make honour our standard. Put down your guns. Draw your swords. Let good steel be our conscience.'

To a man, the soldiers raised their weapons in salute to their mistress and their enemy.

'Do them honour. Kill them all!'

With one cry, Morgaine's army descended upon the remnants of the UNIT forces.

Bambera was first to see the tide of soldiers bearing down on them. She yelled a warning to Lethbridge-Stewart.

He pushed Mordred ahead of him. 'We'll try the direct approach, Doctor.'

'Agreed, Brigadier.'

'Bambera, we may be able to put a stop to this at source.

You're in charge here.'

Freed of the gun's threat, Mordred scoffed, 'You are as weak as Merlin.'

'I take that as a compliment,' said the Brigadier, and he pushed the Prince towards Bessie.

Bambera turned to direct her men and found the Doctor beside her. He seemed unconcerned by the advancing army.

'Winifred, they mustn't take control of the missile.'

The first shots were being fired.

'Leave it to us, Doctor.'

He smiled and walked directly through the line of fire towards his car.

'My mother will destroy you,' Mordred was saying.

The Brigadier pushed him onto Bessie's back seat.

'Frankly Mordred, I'm getting a little tired of hearing about your mother.'

'Hold tight,' said the Doctor as he climbed into his seat.

The sonic burst of the car's overdrive drowned the explosions from the battlefield. To the south, the sky over Carhury was thick with darkness.

Bambera hefted her Styer AUG in her hands. As a machine gun, it had a maximum range of 2600 metres, but armour piercing rounds were useless against Morgaine's soldiers.

Even at twenty metres, the bullets just ricocheted off.

Grenades were making some inroad into the attackers, but explosives were wrong for an enemy who killed with such respect for their adversaries. It was boiling down to hand-to-hand combat again.

It was no surprise to find Ancelyn beside her.

'This is our part, to fight and die,' he said, his eagerness tainted full of grim laughter.

Amid the screams of death, she understood. Their lives were the barricade that s.h.i.+elded others. Death had to be laughed at.

She clasped his arm. 'That's what we're paid for.'

Throwing down her gun, she lifted a sword. 'So let's do it with some style.'

His eyes gloried in it. She felt sick. Together they ran into battle.

The yellow car hurtled along the country lane.

'Your friends will soon be dead,' said Morgaine.

The vision faded from the crystal globe. She pushed the sphere away. It coursed through the air and vanished into the huge horned shadow that loomed over the room.

Ace and Shou Yuing crouched together in the circle, dreading each contemptuous glance from the sorceress.

'Now,' said Morgaine, turning her full attention upon them, 'give me Excalibur.'

Clutching the sword tightly, Ace got to her feet. 'If you're so powerful, why don't you take it?'

A deep growl emanated from the shadow.

Morgaine raised her hand to strike the insolent brat.

But she was blocked. The flesh of her palms whitened and flattened against a wall of invisible force that held back her anger.

Ace did not move.

Morgaine's arms began to shake. The harder she pressed, the more her hands became like claws. Finally, she s.n.a.t.c.hed them back in disgust.

'The sword is protecting you,' she said.