Part 16 (1/2)

Yrcanos and the Doctor both remembered the burntout specimens they had stumbled on with Tuza. 'Where is the control point for this process?' Although the question was raised casually there was an undertone of grim determination beneath the words.

'Oh, I wouldn't know that,' Marne said hastily.

'Come on, withered one or...'

'I know where it is,' Tuza said suddenly.

'Then let's go...' the Doctor said.

Yrcanos frowned. 'To release slaves? I had envisaged a more n.o.ble cause for which to fight.'

'Think of the chaos if we can remove the mind control the Mentor's have over the Alphans,' the Doctor said as the Lukoser padded across the chamber towards their group.

Yrcanos seemed unconvinced about helping the Alphans.

The Doctor tried another tack.

'Think about it, Yrcanos, the slaves, once released could supply you with a very willing army.'

'He's right,' Tuza said.

'Silence!' Yrcanos roared, which caused Marne to fall from his perch with the shock. 'I am King Yrcanos of the Krontep. I am more than capable of making my own decision!'

'Then please hurry,' said Marne, climbing back on to his stool, his ears still throbbing from the impact of the roaring voice of Yrcanos.

'Gu... gu... gua...' the Lukoser started to try and say.

'Spit it out, Dorf,' ordered Yrcanos, thumping his equerry on the back.

'A patrol is coming,' the Lukoser said.

'Vroomnik!' the warcry resounded and reverberated.

'Aaah!' the Mentor covered his ears and spun round and round on his stool as the King stamped up and down.

'Doctor, let us release the slaves. And then let us battle unto glorious death!'

As Yrcanos started to storm away, the Doctor halted the Mentor's spinning stool. 'Sorry about all the noise but he so loves his warrior work.'

'Just go. Just go,' Marne said weakly, one ear ringing and the other pounding in protest from the a.s.sault on his inner ear by the booming voice of Yrcanos.

'You won't do anything silly, will you?' the Doctor asked. 'Such as sounding an alarm.'

'My head is ringing like a bell tower. I have no intention of making it worse by setting off alarms leave, please...'

As the Doctor and Tuza hurried after Yrcanos and the Lukoser, the guard, who had been feigning unconsciousness for some time, jumped up and pressed a b.u.t.ton. A siren began to wail with piercing shrillness.

's.a.d.i.s.t!' the Mentor cried, cowering under his console, trying to escape from the unremitting a.s.sault of the alarm hooter on his hearing.

The snip-snip of the scissors continued to make inroads into Peri's dark luxuriant hair. Soon great clumps fell on to the operating table. Unable to move her head, Peri had tried to protest, question, plead. All without any success.

The Matrona went on with the cutting.

'Hey, that's skin... you'll be down to my scalp soon.'

'That's the idea,' the Matrona said. She began to sweep the hair clippings away.

Crozier came across to examine the almost bald Peri.

'Shave the skull.'

'Yes, sir...'

'What!' Peri shrieked.

'Quiet!'

Crozier stared down at Peri. His almost colourless eyes reflecting an intensity of thought. Then he relaxed as he decided on a course of action. 'Yes, Matrona, shave her head close, I have decided to attempt direct transference.

Inform Kiv that all is ready.'

The sound of the alarm hooter receded behind them.

Yrcanos, intent on reaching the Mind Control Centre of the Mentors, was leading the others along at a good pace when, without warning, a guard came through a doorway further down the pa.s.sage. With surprising swiftness the guard produced a phaser and fired at them. The bolt sped towards Yrcanos who raised his arms and awaited its impact. At the last second the Lukoser hurled himself in front of his master. The charge of the phaser caught the Lukoser side on. He pitched forward with a cry of pain.

'What!' Yrcanos cried and fired at the retreating guard.

His shot hit their attacker between the shoulders causing him to stagger and collapse in the doorway of the chamber.

'Advance!' Yrcanos waved his companions on while he knelt beside his dying equerry. He could see the gaping wound in the Wolfman's side. 'There is no more n.o.ble end than to intercept the destiny of another's death. You will be granted a princely return.'

'I am pleased to die. I would no longer wish to live like this half beast... half...' The Lukoser's wolf head sagged.

The eyes filmed over. Yrcanos made the blessing ritual for a dead Kontrep warrior: a complicated pattern of crosses and salutes that ended with his head bowed over his dead equerry.

The Doctor and Tuza burst through the door of Induction Control. Facing them were five armed guards. The officer in charge of the guards was known to them.

'I somehow knew you would finish up here,' Frax said.

'You were right for once,' the Doctor said. 'Where is Peri?'

'I believe she is with Crozier.'