Part 10 (1/2)

Crozier and Sil exchanged uneasy looks. 'Are you certain the new skull will be large enough, Crozier?' Sil asked. His voice was anxious and trembling.

'The capacity is only a little larger in volume than that of the Lord Kiv. The operation will give us a little more time to find a permanent host.'

The door to the laboratory opened. The Doctor entered with a guard who had guided him back to the centre for experiment and investigation.

Sil turned to the Doctor, his gaze flickering over the size of the visitor's head speculatively. 'We must make every effort to find the right head on the correct body.'

'I have some possibilities to explore. Have you come to a.s.sist me in the consciousness transfer, Doctor?' asked Crozier.

'Yes, thought I might.'

'You can monitor the BTV.'

'I would be pleased to.'

Kiv suddenly could remain stoical under the pressure of his expanding brain crus.h.i.+ng against the unremitting structure of his skull. 'Let us begin!'

'Yes, my Lord.' Crozier helped Kiv on to the operating table. Kiv lay back and squinted up into the glare of the white lights above. He wondered if this painful light would be the last thing he would ever see. He felt the sting of a needle. A drowsiness began to creep over him. Summoning enough energy he managed to jerk out a final threat, 'Should this transfer not work and brain death occur, my bearers have orders... orders to liquify all who failed to...

save... my... life...'

Crozier took his hands from the decontamination box.

He glanced around at the agglomeration of technology linked to the cerebral transference units all buzzing and glowing in readiness for the most challenging operation of his life. He watched the Matrona place the donor body on another table alongside the now unconscious Kiv.

'I am ready,' Crozier said calmly.

The Matrona came to his side, carrying a box of surgical instruments. 'Check antilymphocyte drip,' she ordered.

'Checked,' the Doctor answered. 'Active.'

'Laser scalpel.' Crozier felt the instrument slap into his hand. There was no option left. Out of the side of his eye Crozier could see the guards with their phaser weapons poised to punish any slip, any failure. Then the scientist blanked everything from his mind except the intricate task in hand. He made an incision at the base of Kiv's skull and as the spurt of green blood stained the white surface of the table he guided the helmet of the brain transference support system across to hover over the two fawn-coloured reptilian bodies.

'Where exactly are we going?' Peri was tired of marching behind Yrcanos.

The King halted his purposeful stride. 'As with all corrupt dictators.h.i.+ps, there are bound to be pockets of resistance working and plotting to overthrow the Mentor cla.s.s.'

'Suppose there is such a group, what good would that do us?'

'My belief is that all they await is a great leader.'

'Like who?' asked Peri.

'Like me. I am he.'

Peri was not quite certain how to take the boast. 'I'm sure you would be very effective. But do these resistance fighters know that?'

'They will learn.'

'Maybe they'd prefer to remain ignorant, worse still they might see our interference as a threat and kill us. I've got a better idea. Let's get back to the TARDIS.' Peri began to move off.

'Wait!' Yrcanos bellowed after her. Peri halted in her tracks.

'These resistance fighters will only be Alphans. They will need leaders.h.i.+p if they are ever to triumph.'

'Mm... my great King is right...' the Lukoser spoke haltingly.

'But how will he find these people?' Peri said, her voice filled with doubt.

'They will find us. I sense it.'

Yrcanos looked so determined, so convinced of his destiny, that Peri weakened a little. 'All right but let's rest first, then march.' She smiled at the King, gave his bush of a beard a gentle tug, 'There's a good Warlord.'

The Lukoser whined agreement and squatted with his back to the wall. Peri joined him, splaying her tired legs out in front of her.

'Agreed; said Yrcanos, reluctantly, 'but only for a moment...' Then he joined his army of two in resting against the wall of the rock. The Lukoser whined mournfully.

'He sounds hungry,' said Peri.

'I'm not surprised, so am I, Yrcanos, famished.'

The Warlord reached into a pouch hanging from his broad studded belt. 'Here...' Peri took what looked like a strip of dried wood. 'Go on, try it, eat, my lady...'

With some trepidation the girl put the morsel into her mouth and closed her teeth on to it. The taste was wild and startingly strong. Too Too strong. 'Ugh!' She spat out the strip of dried provision. Before the food had reached the floor the Lukoser had caught and swallowed the sc.r.a.p of food. strong. 'Ugh!' She spat out the strip of dried provision. Before the food had reached the floor the Lukoser had caught and swallowed the sc.r.a.p of food.

'What was that!' Peri choked, still recovering from the shock to her palate.

Yrcanos pulled out a strip for himself and began chewing on the piece with much relish. 'Flay fish, it sustains your body, fuels your fighting spirit.'

'But doesn't delight your taste buds.'

'What are they?'

'Never mind.'

While Yrcanos continued to chew, the Lukoser stretched out alongside Peri and with his head on his paws went into an immediate sleep. Without thinking Peri scratched between his fur-covered shoulders. In his sleep the Lukoser began to whimper pitiously.

'Stop it!' Yrcanos pulled Peri away from stroking the Lukoser. 'Dorf is, or was, a warrior. He has no use for gentleness and pity.'

'Oh, no?' said Peri as the drowsing animal nudged up to her.

'Huh... he... je... jealous,' the Lukoser said sleepily.