Part 15 (2/2)

'No. Tuza lives, we must get back to him now... c'mon, Yrcanos you too, c'mon, boy, I mean, Dorf...'

'Guard! Guard!' Frax's cries finally attracted the attentions of a pa.s.sing jailor.

'Get this door open. Yrcanos has escaped.'

Peri looked up at the dazzling battery of lights above the table which Crozier had insisted she occupy during a long series of further tests. A figure came between the lights and bent down to her. It was difficult to move with the tubes and wires attached to sensors that adhered to her forehead.

'Crozier?' Peri narrowed her eyes trying to focus upon the ident.i.ty of her examiner.

'Yes.'

'Am I fit and healthy?'

'Perfectly.'

Peri pressed her hands to the table ready to sit up but this proved impossible due to restraining clamps that had been quietly placed about her neck and shoulders. 'Hey!'

Peri protested.

'Lie there and rest, Peri, all my tests are complete. You are a perfect specimen, perfect. Yes...' Crozier allowed himself the luxury of looking at the girl laid out along the operating table. 'Matrona, you may inform the Lord Kiv that I am ready to conduct my ultimate experiment.'

Fifteen.

The aged Mentor sat on his stool and nodded sleepily over his console while across the chamber the Doctor, Yrcanos and the Lukoser surveyed the empty Induction chamber and the guard who now stood outside the cubicle.

'Is Tuza inside that devil box?' Yrcanos whispered.

'Yes.'

'I shall obliterate the Mentor.' Yrcanos fiddled with the phaser's power setting.

'No. We'll try it my way first. I'm not going to let you cause a blood bath, give me that...' The Doctor held out his' hand for the energy weapon.

Yrcanos frowned, hesitated. 'You think like a warrior, but you do not act like one. You are a strange being, Doctor. Here...' Grudgingly Yrcanos handed the phaser across to the Doctor.

'Thank you. Now, Dorf, you remain here and you, your Majesty, behave yourself and follow me.' Cautiously the Doctor and the Warlord began to advance on the drowsing Mentor. They made an eye-catching pair with the Doctor's coat of many colours and the white garb and gold inlaid breastplate and s.h.i.+ny black helmet of the warlord.

Some paces away from the Mentors' works.p.a.ce Marne came awake, his acute hearing warning of their soft approach. He turned to greet his visitors. 'Ah, Doctor, I see you have found your clamorous King.'

'Yes... yes...' The Doctor and Yrcanos drifted towards the armed guard who barred their way from entering the cubicle where Tuza was, hopefully, by now recovered from his interrupted induction treatment. 'My intention is to shut the King up for good and all.'

'Oh, good...' The Mentor smiled with toothless gums.

'Yes,' the Doctor continued, now almost within reach of the guard, 'I thought I'd implant one of those brain control things.'

'Oh, for one pleasurable moment I thought you were going to kill him. I presume you have Crozier's permission to carry out the experiment.'

'Oh, absolutely,' the Doctor said. 'He's given me a free hand where the good King is concemed.'

'Oh, really?' The wizened face expressed its owner's disapproval by a downward rearrangement of the cracks and crevices. 'I wish Crozier would keep me abreast of events. He has no idea how much paperwork his irregular activities create.' Marne activated a screen.

'What are you doing?' the Doctor asked, politely.

'I shall have to get confirmation of just how free a hand Crozier has given you.'

The Doctor looked at Yrcanos who instantly chopped a hand to the neck of the guard who blinked once and then collapsed into insensibility. At the same time the Doctor stabbed a 'clear' switch which temporarily prevented Marne clearing a line into the laboratory. The Mentor reached for an alarm circuit but hesitated a vital second, fearing the noise that it would make.

Yrcanos bounded across and placed a hand on the arm of Marne, preventing a switch from being depressed. 'Be still, old one, unless you wish your wizened existence terminated.'

'All right,' Marne sighed with relief. 'Thank you.'

'For your life?'

'No, for not shouting.'

When Tuza saw the Doctor enter the cubicle he tried to rouse himself and succeeded, with the Doctor's help, on raising himself and stumbling out into the Induction chamber.

On seeing the Alphan leader, Yrcanos saluted with clenched fist across his breastplate. 'My friend! We both live. Now to drench this world with the blood of our enemies!'

The Mentor clapped his hands to his ears. 'Why must you yell such nauseating comments?'

Yrcanos chuckled and tickled the Mentor's chin. 'Be quiet, wrinkled one, otherwise you'll be the first to die.

How is Tuza, Doctor?'

'All right, I hope. The implant has not taken. I must have stopped the process just in time.'

'What is this implant devilry?'

'Are you shouting that question at me?' the Mentor asked.

'Yes...' Yrcanos said.

'One of Crozier's newer developments. More paperwork, of course, but we've been having problems with some of the Alphan slaves. The implant helps impede any fractious or rebellious thoughts. A little implant dart in the base of the neck and every Alphan is a good one.'

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