Part 7 (2/2)

'I could attempt a temporary transfer. Someone with a suitable cranium size would give us a few extra weeks...'

'Right,' Sil started then stopped as the Doctor had begun fiddling with a jumble of wired electrodes.

'Is there a microcircuitry diagram?'

'Stop him, it's a trick!' Sil started to shout.

'What have we to lose? Let the Doctor help if he wants.

Here...' Crozier pa.s.sed a programme disc to the Doctor.

'Be certain you are right, Crozier,' Sil began but the scientist and the Doctor were absorbed in the process of repairing the Brain Transposer.

'Do you have a module unit replacement or is this ganglion separator adaptable?'

'It's multifunctional, Doctor.'

'Good. The switches...'

'I'll try them...'

The display screen showed some basic data of plasmapheresia that had not been there before. Crozier and the Doctor looked at each other. Was there some hope of success?

'If we can get the Lexifier to function...' they both started the same sentence.

The sudden onset of co-operation irked Sil. 'I still suspect a trick...'

'Go and find me a donor, Sil.' Crozier said. 'There is a chance I might save Kil's life and ours if you find me a suitable head.'

'All right. I will search and if I fail we can always use the Doctor!'

Sil grinned and signed to his bearers. Before the door closed the Doctor heard Sil giving orders that two guards were to remain outside the laboratory. The Doctor concentrated on repairing the BTV, dutifully following the instructions that Crozier occasionally issued.

With the mist making a pink haze before her, Peri plodded on alone. She felt constantly on the verge of tears. Lonely and lost, she felt anything that happened would be preferable to the solitude of the dank gloomy tunnel.

Eventually, after what seemed a very long march, she came to a series of chambers filled with electronic equipment that glowed and buzzed, busily fulfilling some mysterious function of Thoros-Betan engineering.

Wandering from chamber to chamber Peri felt a sense of shock when she saw a greenskinned Mentor sitting with his back to her. Before him lay a bank of monitors that showed various views and aspects of the sh.o.r.eline of the pink ocean. Peeping into the room, Peri's eyes scanned the screens, looking for a clue as to where she might be. Her gaze rested on a screen that showed a familiar buoy-shaped auxiliary unit.

Peri recognised the point where she and the Doctor had battled with the Raak. Her eyes s.h.i.+fted to the next screen and saw herself from an angle of a camera above her in the corridor. The Mentor turned to her. Peri took a step backwards preparing to make herself scarce and cannoned into Officer Frax who, alerted by a signal from the Mentor, had come to investigate the alarm.

'I see you have discovered the heart of our energy supply,' Frax said.

Peri nodded. 'Very impressive. Although I should have thought it qualified for a guard.'

'As a rule intruders never reach this far but I will pa.s.s on your suggestion to the great Kiv.'

'Do that,' said Peri. 'And pa.s.s this on at the same time!'

'Ow!' Frax cried out as Peri stamped her foot down on to his.

Surprised by the sudden attack Frax moved a vital couple of hops away, aliowing the girl the opportunity to dart away into the mist-filled pa.s.sageway. Unknown to Peri she was very near to the route that she had followed once before, for parallel to the course she was running, was the tunnel where sat the Lukoser.

Shaking his chain the Lukoser began to whine softly, a keening sound that rose and fell, sounding more human than canine. Hearing footsteps the Lukoser bared his teeth, crouched and prepared himself. This time, he thought, I will wait and pounce and rip and tear. A figure, wearing a breastplate, short fighting tunic, and a bristling black beard appeared. A growl started in the throat of the Lukoser but the sound quickly turned into a croak of recognition. 'Yuh... yo... your Majes... Majest...'

Yrcanos, seeing the animal rise before him, adopted a fighting stance, arms raised to defend himself. He stared into the wolflike face with dawning comprehension.

'Dorf? My equerry, Dorf... not you?'

The wolf head moved up and down in abject misery.

'What have they done; what!' Yrcanos bellowed, his roar of rage resounding round the tunnel.

'Huh... help me.'

'Yes, yes, yes!'

Yrcanos turned his rage on to the chain that restrained the Lukoser. The Wolfman also began to heave on the chain and under their combined strength the ring driven into the rock began to s.h.i.+ft, then loosen and finally pull clear.

Yrcanos and the Lukoser embraced, pounding each other's shoulders and pausing only to look at each other.

Finally, Yrcanos could contain himself no longer. His deep voice rolled out in a long vow of intent.

'We will kill the sorcerers who did this to you. I swear by the great jewelled sword of Krontep that you will be revenged! Come!'

Yrcanos strode purposefully away with his equerry loping along beside him.

Peri had heard the echo of the shout of Yrcanos and hope of finding him had made her retrace her steps, which almost brought disaster for she nearly ran into a group of marching guards. Hearing their steps she had time to turn, but the clearing mist betrayed her and Peri heard Frax shout, 'There she is!'

There was nothing for it but to run, although Peri felt she could not keep up any pace for more than a short distance of ground. Turning a comer she saw a small spill of light from under the closed door of a chamber. Taking a chance she reached the entrance, pushed against the door, which opened and she slipped inside. Behind the door a yellow silk curtain was draped from hangings above the frame. Peri, heart jumping, stayed behind door and drape, not knowing what was beyond the saffron curtain but realising that capture was imminent from the guards whom she could hear approaching from outside.

Frax gave an order to his men to halt outside the wooden door. Stepping forward he raised a gloved hand to push the door open. Yrcanos and the Lukoser entered the same pa.s.sageway. Seeing the Lukoser at liberty panicked the guards. Without waiting for an order they began to open fire. Turning tail the Lukoser and Yrcanos evaded the phaser bolts and disappeared the way they had come.

Meanwhile Frax and his guards broke ranks and set off in pursuit.

On the other side of the door Peri wondered at the shots being fired, but after a time the silence outside seemed to warrant her once more venturing forth.

As she reached for the handle of the door, the curtain was pulled aside behind her and a woman's voice said, 'Don't go, not yet.'

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