Part 7 (1/2)

Completely ignoring Merdeen's instructions, he stared in fascination at the towering form of the robot, scarcely noticing the two white-clad acolytes bobbing about in front of it.

'Welcome,' said Drathro. 'I have long been waiting for this day. Welcome at last!'

'You've been expecting me?'

'For centuries. I am Drathro, an L3 Robot.'

'Then I fear you are under a slight misapprehension, Drathro,' said the Doctor. 'I only decided to come here yesterday.'

'You are not from Andromeda? Then where are you from?'

'Gallifrey, originally. But I travel a lot.'

'I have heard of Gallifrey. An advanced civilization.'

'In some ways,' said the Doctor.

'I apologize for my error.'

'That's all right,' said the Doctor generously. 'Even immortals make the odd mistakes every few millenia.'

'I am not immortal.'

'Ah! Well, the locals seem to think you are.'

The robot gestured towards the two white-clad figures.

'These are my a.s.sistants, Tandrell and Humker. You will work with them.'

'Will I? Why?'

'Because I command it.'

'I see,' said the Doctor thoughtfully. 'And obviously you're a robot who's used to getting your own way.'

Humker and Tandrell crowded round the Doctor, prodding and poking at him. 'This is remarkable,'

said Humker.

Most impressive,' agreed Tandrell.

'Even its texture has organic warmth,' said Humker amazed.

'Do stop prodding me, there's a good fellow,' said the Doctor.

Drachm boomed, 'The Doctor is not a robot. He is an organic from an advanced civilization.'

Tandrell was amazed. 'An organic?'

'We have not met an organic since we pa.s.sed the Selection,' said Humker.

'Aha!' said the Doctor. 'I knew you two hadn't ended up for lunch.'

'Explain,' said Tandrell.

The Doctor waved him away. 'Never mind.' He looked up at Drathro. 'What is this work you want me to do?'

'Is this relevant testimony, Valeyard?' asked the Inquisitor testily. 'We seem to be straying from the point.'

'The testimony is circ.u.mstancially germane, My Lady,'

insisted the Valeyard. 'It forms part of the prosecution's case that the Doctor introduces a disruptive and corrupting influence wherever he goes.'

'Sheer poppyc.o.c.k,' said the Doctor briskly.

The Valeyard's voice quivered with anger. 'If the Doctor had not visited Ravolox, the whole chain of events we are witnessing would never have been set in motion.'

'How can the boatyard make that claim?' shouted the Doctor. 'What might or might not have happened is purely speculative.'

'That is for me to decide, Doctor,' said the Inquisitor.

Quite clearly, she was not amused. 'May I remind you that the charges you face are grave indeed?'

'I have only to look at the graveyard to see that, My lady,' said the Doctor, going rapidly from bad to worse.

'Your puerile attempts at flippancy are not appreciated in this Court, Doctor. Proceed Valeyard.'

The screen came to life once more.

With the help of Tandrell and Humker, the Doctor had removed the casing from an enormous control console and was now elbow-deep in the complex circuitry inside.

Drathro hovered impatiently over him. 'Have you found the fault yet?'

The Doctor looked up. 'Give me a chance, I've just started.'

'The black light system is indicating incipient failure,'

boomed Drathro.

'I can see that,' snapped the Doctor. 'They don't last forever, you know.'

'I am trained only in installation and maintenance,' said the robot.

The Doctor was buried inside the console again. 'What?