Part 29 (1/2)

An explosion of anger from inside the room snapped him back to reality.

'He said what? The dirty sc.u.mmy slug!'

'I know, I know.' Forrester's voice was world-weary. 'But the s.h.i.+ft supervisor's a fraggin' alien-lover. Me, I get caught in the middle. Do us both a favour: show me the stain. If I say it's still there, then we've got grounds to get rid of the slug. Nothing but a troublemaker, that one.'

Powerless Friendless s.h.i.+fted slightly beside Cwej, and frowned.

'It's all right,' Cwej said soothingly. 'She doesn't mean it.'

'I suspect she does,' Bernice said softly.

There was a scuffle of movement inside the room, then the guard said, 'There, look at it. What kind of job do you call that?'

'Hmm.' Forrester was silent for a moment, then she said, 'Hey, look at this.'

'What?'

'No, down here.'

'Where?'

'Look, right down here . . . '

Cwej risked a look around the edge of the door. The guard was kneeling down, his eyes a few inches from the floor and Forrester's pointing finger.

Forrester looked up at the doorway, saw Cwej and nodded towards the nape of the guard's neck. A few quiet steps brought Cwej up behind the kneeling man's back.

'Can't see nothing,' the guard said.

'What about this?' Forrester said as Cwej's hand sliced through the air, impacting on the guard's temple with a meaty chunk chunk! He shook his head slowly, and tried to turn around. By the time his eyes locked with Cwej's, there was n.o.body home. He slumped gracelessly to the floor.

'Brilliant,' Bernice said as she and Powerless Friendless entered the room.

'If ever I want some heavy hitting done, I'll be in touch.'

'Thanks,' Cwej said, pleased at the unexpected praise. He looked around, taking in the details of the room for the first time. Apart from a desk and chair on one side and a metal vault door and a window set into the far wall, the 180room was empty. Like Powerless Friendless had said, the window showed a view across to the next block, but the door in the wall next to it was security rated. He moved across and looked out of the window. It was no simcord, that was for sure.

Bernice walked across his side and stared at the vault door. As far as Cwej could see it was made of solid alutrium. A small but sophisticated security lock on the desk presumably controlled access to whatever lay beyond.

'I don't suppose . . . ' Bernice started to say, then looked back at Forrester, Cwej and Powerless Friendless. 'No,' she finished, 'I don't suppose any of you do.'

'Wait a moment,' the Hith said, and slid forward. 'I think I might be able to help.'

'You?' Forrester said. 'How?'

Powerless Friendless's eyestalks rotated to look at her. 'Krohg,' he said. 'My pet. He's good with locks.' He started rummaging around in his rucksack.

'This isn't just a lock,' Bernice said. 'It's a computer-controlled access system. No budgie, however smart, is going to get in.'

'He's very clever,' Powerless Friendless said, still rummaging. 'But I can't seem to '

'He's here,' Cwej said, reaching into his pocket and closing his hand around the small, soft form of the creature named Krohg. At Forrester and Powerless Friendless's accusing glares, he shrugged and said, 'Well, he's cute.'

'Cute?' Forrester said. 'Cwej, you're sick.'.

Cwej tickled the little orange creature under the chin at least, he a.s.sumed it was the chin and handed it to Powerless Friendless. The Hith slithered across to the desk and placed Krogh against the access panel, murmuring something to it as he did so. The little creature flattened itself against the keys, and quivered slightly.

'We're wasting time,' Forrester said. 'We need to get through that door, and this isn't doing us any '

With a beep and a faint rumble of machinery, the door opened.

'I don't believe it,' Forrester murmured.

Cwej rushed across and picked Krohg up before Powerless Friendless could retrieve it.

'Well done,' he said. Turning to Bernice he said, 'Don't you think that was well done?'

She didn't answer. She was just staring through the opening that the vault door had revealed. A strange grey light was playing across her face.

Cwej turned to follow her gaze. Through the doorway, a catwalk extended for a hundred or so metres. At the end of the catwalk was a s.p.a.cecraft of a strange design, rounded and spiked, like some alien insect. Everything else 181through the opening apart from the catwalk and the s.h.i.+p was a pearly, s.h.i.+fting grey that looked as if it was simultaneously infinitely distant and close enough to touch.

'Isn't that . . . ?' Cwej started to say, but Bernice beat him to it.

'Yes,' she said quietly, 'it's hypers.p.a.ce.'

182.

Chapter 13.

'I'm Shythe Shahid and this is The Empire Today The Empire Today , on the spot, on , on the spot, on and off the Earth. Reports from the Imperial Palace in orbit around and off the Earth. Reports from the Imperial Palace in orbit around Saturn suggest the Empress is on the verge of imposing martial law Saturn suggest the Empress is on the verge of imposing martial law in selected Overcity areas in an attempt to contain the rioting that is in selected Overcity areas in an attempt to contain the rioting that is slowly but surely eating its way like a cancer across the heart of the slowly but surely eating its way like a cancer across the heart of the Empire. The first measure to be announced will almost certainly be a Empire. The first measure to be announced will almost certainly be a curfew, with death as the penalty for non-compliance. Meanwhile, it curfew, with death as the penalty for non-compliance. Meanwhile, it is rumoured that Professor Zebulon Pryce, noted scientist and ma.s.s is rumoured that Professor Zebulon Pryce, noted scientist and ma.s.s murderer, has escaped from the Landsknechte Penal Inst.i.tution on murderer, has escaped from the Landsknechte Penal Inst.i.tution on Dis. We go live now to . . . ' Dis. We go live now to . . . '

The Doctor's eyebrows rose in surprise and amus.e.m.e.nt, partly at what Hater Of Humans had said and partly at Provost-Major Beltempest's openmouthed astonishment.

'You've built an encampment on Purgatory Purgatory?' he said.

Hater Of Humans nodded.

'Before terraforming Hithis,' it said, 'the Landsknechte preserved a portion of its surface and transplanted it to their own world. They did this not in remembrance of our planet, but as a trophy, and as an example of territory on which their tactics had been tested, and found to be lacking.' Hater Of Humans sighed heavily. 'It was all that was left of Hithis as we remembered it. After the War, some Hith were allowed to take menial jobs on Purgatory.

Dedicated agents managed to work out a way to disable the Landsknechte's sensors. Our s.h.i.+ps can slip in and out of Landsknecht s.p.a.ce at will, without being detected. This encampment was built for myself and the Hith government in exile. Our agents cleaners for the most part alert us if an exercise is to be carried out, and we pack up the tents and leave the planet for the duration. Given the number of planetary environments on Purgatory, it happens very rarely.'

Beltempest was making spluttering noises through his trunk.

'Good for you,' the Doctor said, grinning. 'I can, however, appreciate your desire to regain your own world, and presumably your plan is to use this sample of Hithis as a template with which to ”Hithisform” your own world again.' As Hater Of Humans nodded, he continued: 'I do, however, have a question concerning this lost s.h.i.+p of yours.'

183.Hater Of Humans sighed. 'Yes, human?'