Part 17 (2/2)

Tarrol attempted to speak again, furious at Atissa's words, but instead Geban walked to her. 'Atissa,' he said. 'Aggedor stands for truth and justice. He is a revered and respected guide and judge. Can Aggedor really allow an execution with no search for the truth?'

'Truth? What do you know of truth? The only truth is my mother's savage murder, and the people of Peladon demand retribution.' Atissa walked to the cell. The Doctor looked up and grinned lopsidedly at her.

Bernice sighed. Don't try your crazy charm, Doctor, for Christ's sake act normal.

'Tell me, Atissa,' he said. 'Tell me why I killed your mother. Give me a motive because I've been sitting here for an hour now and I can't think of one good reason why I would do her harm. She is . . . was a very dear friend.'

Atissa smiled and her eyes flashed. The smile vanished from the Doctor's face as if it had been switched off. He suddenly knew what she was going to say. 'You killed my mother because you are evil. You killed my mother because you are from the Federation. You killed my mother because you stole the Lance of Aggedor and then killed her with it. You killed her because you are an alien!' She's gone, thought Bernice. She's completely and utterly insane.

'This is insane. Completely and utterly.' Keri wriggled in her seat. At least take these bracelets off, yeah?'

Thebracelets' were standard Federation restraining devices: plasma fields capable of giving a nasty shock if the victim moved too much. Keri had seen them in operation many times but never expected to wear them. What made it worse was that her companion-in-crime seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

'Can't wait to tell my father,' Kort grinned. I mean, how many Federation Chair's sons get done for hacking and slicing?'

I'm so glad you're enjoying yourself, yeah. I'm rather embarra.s.sed.'

Their current gaoler, the Martian pilot, jabbed at a b.u.t.ton on the pad in front of him and the plasma fields flickered out of existence.

Oh,' said a dismayed Kort. I was enjoying that.'

Keri suspected that the pilot had turned them off for that very reason rather than because of her pleas. Damakort clearly brought out the wearied parent in everyone, even Martian pilots.

'Thank you,' she said.

The pilot said nothing back, but instead pa.s.sed over two large beakers of water. Keri gratefully swallowed hers, rubbing a few droplets off her whiskers. Kort sipped at his, still sulking at the loss of his restraints.

'What's going on, then? Lord Savaar said he'd be back shortly.'

The pilot replied without looking at her. 'There has been an . . . an incident within the Citadel. Lord Savaar is attending to it now.'

'Can you tell me what it is that I'm missing, yeah?'

I understand that one of the king's courtiers has been murdered. The Doctor has been accused of the murder. More than that I cannot say.'

Keri looked across at Kort. The boy was suddenly looking very serious and alert. He caught her eye. 'The Doctor?' he said. 'He's a bit weird, but murder?'

'Seems unlikely, yeah,' Keri agreed. 'Frag, I've just thought of something.

Neal Corry's gonna want to know why I'm not covering this, yeah!'

The Martian pilot finally turned to look at her and she could have sworn that behind his red-plastic protected visors, she saw a smile in his eyes. 'Do not worry. Your holovids are the last thing on Neal Corry's mind.'

'What do you mean by that?' Keri demanded, but the pilot turned away.

The conversation was over.

Cold.

It's so d.a.m.ned cold.

Why am I cold? Teeth chattering. I can't feel my fingers or toes. How did I get here, wherever here is. I thought h.e.l.l was supposed to be searing hot, not like the crukking South Pole! The noises. The lights. Of course. There was a doorway and I . . . I touched it. Thinking of Jaim Geha.s.sig, after all this time. They say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. Is that what I was seeing - the sum total of my life? One person? Frag, no. I'm not dead. I can't be - too much to see and do in this galaxy. Places to go, people to meet. I've spent too long at GFTV, it's become my life instead of a way of supporting it. If I ever get out of here, wherever here is, that's it.

I'm giving it all up. Get in touch with Jaim and see if we could have another go. If not, well, tough luck on me. There's more to life than that.

That's a.s.suming I do get out of here.

It's so dark. Teeth have stopped chattering, but I'm still cold. The rest of me must be waking up and adapting. Like that time on Telos - again investigating the Cybermen. Now that was cold! Christ, there was that Australian bimbo as well - whatever happened to that one, eh? It's a blindfold! How could I be so stupid? I'm inside that abandoned refinery - whoever I saw inside must have dragged me in. But why blindfold me? My hands aren't tied, though. Maybe if I . . .

Yeeoow! b.l.o.o.d.y plasma cuffs. Stupid of me. Maybe if I shake my head, slowly, the blind will fall. It doesn't feel too tight, certainly not cutting any circulation off. And anyway, some movement will help warm me up and Someone's coming towards me. I recognize that sound but it can't be . . .

Light! Yes of course! It all makes sense now. Now I can see.

'H**'. My voice has gone. Clear my throat. Hhhufff. excuse me chaps, but what the frag is going on?'

Jav was sitting in the room. Not his room, but the room he'd sat in earlier when he'd discovered the black box. It was in his hand now. It would be worth a fortune. In front of him was a case. In it was the Crown of Sherak.

Jav recognized it from his and Keri's filming in the relic room earlier. Yes, this looked like being the end of a good day.

He didn't give a d.a.m.n about the Peladon treasures. Frankly, it was a primitive backwater without the basic amenities. Even the Federation equipment was a hundred years out of date. Everything broke whenever you used it. No, with the money he'd make out of this he could leave GFTV and set up on his own. Maybe a little racket on a frontier world - knocking off p.o.r.n vids. A good mix of Good Girlz and Joy Boyz. A good standard of living from that.

And if he didn't get what he wanted, well then he'd just have to tell one of the Federation representatives what he'd discovered here.

He sat against the wall and thought back to his childhood on Pakha. A childhood where, as a member of one of the poorer families, he was encouraged to have a bit of a sc.r.a.p, find new ways to get food and water.

After that blasted tram crash, his mother was left alone apart from him.

He'd fought hard to work in the holovid area. worked hard (well, cheated quite a bit, but it taught him how to get by). Yeah, it'd taken time but now he was set up for life. Maybe he'd chuck a bit his mother's way. No, frag that, why bother? He'd struck lucky, it was his call, his turn. Yeah.

'Can I help you?' Jav smiled. 'I wondered when you'd get back. Bit of a furore upstairs, eh?'

'Nothing that can't be handled by the Federation.'

'Good. Now, look here. I have a proposition for you . . .

'No. Let me guess. You found the stolen treasures here. And, I note, the communicator that is bringing me something - from your world in fact.'

Jav frowned. 'What's your plan then?'

'Can't you guess? I'm a dealer in fine arts and treasures. This pathetic planet is ripe for ripping off and indeed Nic Reece has talked the inhabitants into putting them together in one room for safety. Of course, that makes it even easier for me to go along and make them disappear.

Might just as well hang a sign on them saying ”please take one”. Then I sell 'em to the highest bidder and make a fortune.'

The little Pakhar was still confused. 'So what's coming here from Pakha?'

'Ah. Literally the jewel in my crown. I spent months on Pakha trying to find it but had to leave in a bit of a hurry. Managed to find a rough location for it and sent some . . . friends to get it. When you found my little box of tricks flas.h.i.+ng earlier it was them telling me they'd got it.'

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