Part 13 (1/2)

She looked confused and on the brink of tears. In her arms she held a squalling baby wrapped in sheepskin.

Daedalus addressed her directly. 'I am sending you both back home. This moment. The child I give you, Madeleine, in exchange for my own child. On the condition that you name her Susan.'

The girl Maddy nodded quickly. She was scared. 'Yes, sir.'

Icarus stepped forward. He kissed the girl on her cheek. 'Goodbye, mother.'

Maddy stared at him hopelessly. As if she could remember his face but couldn't place his name.

And then Maddy and Big Sue faded away.

Icarus turned to his father. 'You will get them home safely?'

'For my son,' laughed Daedalus, 'anything.'

Meisha had been watching all of the proceedings narrowly. 'He is your son? Your true heir?'

Daedalus nodded grandly 'He is indeed.'

'Then you shall both be our prisoners. And we shall execute you both!'

Daedalus threw back his gargantuan head and laughed. 'What do you think the Ghillighast are, Meisha? Do you really think they are destined to rule the Enclave? Is that the glorious destiny left to them?'

The High Priestess stood resolute. 'I do believe it.'

Daedalus wearily shook his head. 'You should have listened to the vermin you routinely consult, Meisha. You should have listened more closely. Because the Ghillighast themselves are just so much vermin themselves. You're nothing! You're not fit to rule your own moon, let alone anyone else's world! You're finished and useless! I only let you live so close to Valcea because you amused me. Do you really think you can threaten me now?'

Meisha had tears standing in her eyes. 'But this is the time of the Bride of Pesst... This is her apotheosis...'

'Ha!' cried Daedalus, with a magnificent shrug of his trunk. 'I think you'll find this is no one's apotheosis but mine!'

As he was laughing fit to burst at this, the Doctor was backing away towards Compa.s.sion. He had noticed something no one else had.

'Get back into the bus,' he warned his companion fiercely.

'What?' Compa.s.sion wasn't used to being told what to do.

'It's safer on the bus!' he urged. 'Now, go!'

'But...'

He tutted, and pointed up at the wrecked ceiling above.

Compa.s.sion saw the owls arriving en ma.s.se en ma.s.se, an immaculate formation of perfect white plumage.

They rose up above the ceiling of the palace of Daedalus and then, inexorably, they crashed through the remains of the gla.s.s.

'What...?' bellowed Daedalus and looked up to see the owls descend.

The Doctor and Compa.s.sion turned and pelted towards the bus.

The owls filled the air of the throne room. With them they carried their precious egg.

And Iris and Fitz.

Chapter Thirty-Nine.

The Throne Room Was...

The throne room was silent now.

Until the huskies started barking.

Up till now they had been slinking in the shadows, puzzled, frightened, out of their depth as their masters the Ghillighast went about their business in this strange new world.

But now the huskies started howling and barking and they longed to rush in and attack the newcomers.

The owls were standing in the centre of the floor, perfect, huge, gazing impa.s.sively at the occupants of the room. There were thirty of them and their egg sat protected, a great green-gold jewel, in their midst.

They ignored the protests of the dogs and fixed their gaze on Daedalus, the bleeding, battered king of this world. And his son who, raising his own azure wings to protect himself, began to back away, knowing that it was for him that they had come. Suddenly the boy grew defiant.

'Kill me if you must. If the compulsion is so great if the force of your mythology of what is bred in your hollow bones leads you to desire my desecration; the bursting of my gizzards the shredding of my wings;then do it act out your history figure your mission out upon me.'

'In the bus,' said the Doctor again.

'You aren't the kind to run away,' said Compa.s.sion.

'I don't care,' he snapped. 'Get aboard.'

Then he turned back to the frozen knot of figures and bellowed.

'Iris! Here!'

From among the owls emerged a tall golden-haired figure in lime-green plastic. She threw back her head and laughed.

Beside her was Fitz, somewhat cowed by recent events.

The Doctor turned on Compa.s.sion with gleaming eyes. 'I told you they were alive.' She shrugged. 'You don't know yet', he said, 'how we do things round here.'

While the owls were still taking things in, getting their bearings solemnly gazing at the Ghillighast, the shattered remains of the stateroom, the elephant and finally, finally, with their huge eyes burning in terror at Icarus the Doctor seized his chance.

'Run!'

Iris and Fitz pelted across the chrome floor, skidding on snow and broken gla.s.s, towards the bus.

They tumbled inside, with the Doctor bringing up the rear.