Part 34 (1/2)

'Why not?' asked Peri. 'If he's willing to let them live '

'Morbius doesn't take prisoners, Peri. Surrender to him means that instead of dying in battle you get yourself executed probably after some rather unpleasant preliminaries.' He looked round the little group. 'I'm sorry to have brought you all to this.'

'Our choice, I reckon, Supremo,' said Ryon laconically.

The Cyberleader said, 'It has been an excellent battle.'

'No need for apologies, Supremo,' said Streg. 'The next best thing to a glorious victory is a glorious death in battle.'

'We shall fight to the last,' said Aril enthusiastically. 'We shall be legends!'

'Swell,' thought Peri. 'The only trouble with being a legend is you have to be dead first!'

Echoing her thought, Azanyr hissed, 'It will be a great honour to die with you, Ssupremo!'

Vogar, the Ogron chief said, 'Better kill Morbius first!'

Suddenly Peri said, 'Look! More of them!'

More battlecruisers had appeared in the sky, more a.s.sault craft were drifting down.

'Not taking any chances, is he?' said Peri.

'Well, as one of your countrymen said in the American Civil War, ”What matters is who gets there fustest with the mostest!”

Besides, it won't make any real difference now. You can't be more outnumbered than outnumbered.'

'Where are they going?' asked Peri.

Instead of trying to land close to Morbius's other a.s.sault craft, the new s.h.i.+ps were dropping out of sight lower down the mountainside.

'No landing room round here any more,' said the Doctor casually. 'There's a plateau not too far down, they can touch down there.'

'It'll take them some time to climb back up here and join in,'

said Peri.

'Not that it matters,' she thought to herself. 'Morbius doesn't need them. By the time they get here it'll all be over.'

An elegant little silver scouts.h.i.+p drifted down out of the sky and landed on the strip of no man's land, dangerously close to Morbius's men. The landing ramp came down and Morbius appeared, gorgeous in bright blue, scarlet and gold. Peri thought she caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure lurking in the doorway behind him.

The mercenaries raised a cheer and Morbius waved a hand in gracious acknowledgement.

He surveyed the scene with immense satisfaction. Victory was clearly his even without the tardy reinforcements whose late arrival had mildly surprised him. Still, better late than never, he thought, dismissing them from his mind.

Morbius strode majestically down the ramp. The shadowy figure, whatever it was, stayed in the s.h.i.+p.

At the bottom of the ramp his captains cl.u.s.tered around him and Morbius gave each one a gracious word. Then, waving aside would-be bodyguards, he began walking across the neutral ground between them alone.

It was a piece of theatre of course. Morbius knew that he was in no danger, that the Doctor wouldn't harm him during a ceasefire. But, thought Peri, it was quite effective. The rays of the late sun glinted on his scarlet sash and gold epaulettes as he strode towards them.

'Really, Doctor,' said Peri severely, 'you might have made an effort.'

He looked down at his dusty black uniform and grinned. For a moment he was the old Doctor again.

'Sorry, Peri, been a bit busy. Besides, it's hopeless trying to keep up with Morbius in the sartorial department.'

Morbius came to a halt and surveyed the battle-worn group on the castle steps.

The Doctor, Peri beside him, was flanked by his Ogron bodyguards.

Grouped around them, the tall, elegant form of Aril, the squat shape of Streg, the towering figure of Azanyr, the tall silver Cyberleader and the lean, shabby Ryon.

Morbius shook his head. 'A motley a.s.sortment all the odds and ends of the galaxy. Apart from the girl there's only one respectable humanoid in the lot.'

'Puts us ahead of you, Marshal,' drawled Ryon. 'Ain't none of your collection of sc.u.m could rightly be called human.'

Morbius's eyes flashed with anger, but he made no reply.

He turned to the Doctor. 'So we meet again, Smith! I beg your pardon Supremo!' He bowed elaborately.

'Greetings, Morbius! I beg your pardon Marshal Morbius, no, Emperor Emperor Morbius.' He bowed even more elaborately than had Morbius and added, 'Marshal of a pack of mad dogs, and Emperor of nothing!' Morbius.' He bowed even more elaborately than had Morbius and added, 'Marshal of a pack of mad dogs, and Emperor of nothing!'

Morbius looked round the battlefield, at the strewn rubble from the ruined castle, the dead and dying, the wounded being carried away.

'Empires lost can be re-conquered but death is final.

Victory is mine, Smith, admit it.'

'Your victory has cost you dear, Morbius. It will cost you dearer still before this day is over.'

'Nothing that I am not willing to pay,' said Morbius confidently 'Between ourselves, what does it matter how many of these sc.u.m I lose? I can always buy more. And with the Elixir of Life in my hands the greatest bribe in the galaxy my empire will soon rise again.' He looked arrogantly at the little group around the Doctor. 'The rest of you haven't much to say.'

'The Supremo speaks for all,' said Aril.

Morbius stared insolently at Peri. 'You seem remarkably uninfected.'

'I always was,' said Peri. 'That was a lie to trick a fool.'

'I think I'll order you taken alive,' said Morbius thoughtfully.

'It will please my men. Once I tire of you, you'll enjoy a remarkably active social life.' His glance swept around the little group. 'I want your Supremo's head on a pole at the castle gate. As for the girl, I want all of her. The rest of you I am prepared to offer quarter if you and your troops surrender now.'