Part 16 (2/2)

'That's what I feared.'

Frax jerked the phaser weapon towards the door. 'Now move. Mentor Sil will be delighted to have his suspicions confirmed about you, Doctor.'

'I bet.' As they moved between the banks of computer monitors, with an escort of two guards and Frax, the Doctor spoke to Tuza as if in casual conversation, hoping that Yrcanos would be lurking somewhere nearby. 'Have you met Sil?'

'No,' Tuza replied.

'Sil has a very high opinion of himself. Constantly munches Marsh Minnows...'

They were bustled out into the corridor. Warily the guards checked in each direction. Nothing unusual seemed apparent. Even the mist for once had cleared.

'Move!' Frax dug the phaser into the Doctor's back.

The Doctor pretended not to notice but moved, with Tuza alongside him, and continued his conversation with as much naturalness as he could manage in the circ.u.mstances. 'Sil... yes, his morals are as fishy as his eating habits. What a creature to have officiating at one's execution...'

'He won't have us put to death. We'Il be implanted as slaves,' Tuza replied his eyes roaming the pa.s.sageway.

Where was Yrcanos?

They turned a corner and saw, a dozen paces ahead of them, the body of the Lukoser. Two of the guards went to examine the corpse, leaving Frax behind to cover Tuza and the Doctor.

'Dead, sir...' one of the guards started to say when he was interrupted by a mighty roar from above.

'Vroomnik!' yelled Yrcanos as he leapt down from his hiding place in the crevice above them. Felling Frax with a blow that would have splintered an oak tree, Yrcanos then bounded towards the two guards and threw a giant arm about each of their necks and crushed their skulls together like a cook cracking eggs. Yrcanos let the two guards fall to join the Lukoser on the floor of the corridor.

'Dorf is dead,' Yrcanos said, quietly.

'I'm sorry,' the Doctor said, sympathetically.

Yrcanos shook his head. 'He died fighting... it was an honourable death.'

Tuza, overcome by the swiftness of their rescue, began to recover his wits. 'I, too, am sorry about your friend, Yrcanos, but we must destroy the slave control.'

Yrcanos looked up from contemplating Dorf; in his eyes, the fire of revenge brightened.

'Lead me to it. I demand the privilege of initiating the demise of the Mentors!'

'The Doctor is on the rampage with that mad King Yrcanos, Magnificence...'

'Is that any reason to interrupt an important conference?'

Sil spoke in a whisper to avoid the straining ears of the Sondlex negotiation team that fluttered and trilled amongst themselves at this unexpected break in the grain-bartering process.

'They are very dangerous, Magnificence, they could cause a great deal of damage.'

'That is nothing to what you are doing to my negotiation. If I'm not careful, I could lose an important fish dish.'

'But you hate fish, Magnificence.'

'Do I?' Kiv became confused. Sil decided to acquaint Kiv with Crozier's proposal for a permanent solution to his problems of mental clarity. Kiv listened with growing excitement. 'What chances of success, Sil?'

'Good.'

Kiv hesitated, put all visions of baby sea snake out of his mind and addressed the delegates. 'I am unable to accept your proposals. I must insist that our agreement to purchase grain from you remain at the previous price for a further quarter. Then any future agreement will be made restrospective. Now excuse me. I must sail to a safer harbour.' Sil signalled to Kiv's bearers and then to his own.

Soon the two Mentors were carried from the conference chamber away from the angry buzzing and twittering of the Sondlexians towards the laboratory where Kiv hoped a dramatic transformation to his mind and body would be achieved.

Peri was laid out on the operating table like a sacrificial victim. She was pleased about one thing only she could not see herself with her shaven skull. She lay clamped and wired ready for whatever terrifying experiment Crozier and the Matrona were planning.

'All is ready.' The Matrona indicated Peri. 'We only need Kiv.' Crozier looked distracted. 'This time you will succeed, sir.'

'This time could be my last time for anything. But yes, no time for doubt. We will... what...?'

The lights of the laboratory had dimmed momentarily.

'Find out what is happening,' Crozier's voice filled with urgency as the power supply faltered again. 'Should power fail during the transference operation, life will be over for all of us!'

Sixteen.

'Raaaghner!' Yrcanos yelled exultantly from among the wreckage of consoles and computer terminals that moments before had controlled the minds and att.i.tudes of the Alphan slave population. 'Now not only will the legends sing of Yrcanos the great warlord but also of the great liberator!'

Tuza stepped over their fallen enemies and joined the Doctor who was ensuring that all control centre circuits were damaged beyond repair.

'Yrcanos is certainly a man of little modesty.'

'Yes, we'd better halt his self eulogy.'

'Hey, it's time to find your warrior queen, isn't it?'

Yrcanos smote himself on his war helmet which rang out in reverberation at the blow. 'Of course, I need the Lady Peri to grace my moment of triumph!'

Throughout the domain of the Mentors Alphans were reacting with confusion to their sudden liberation. Until their reason could readjust to reality chaos would be inflicted on the rule of the Mentors. Sil and Kiv, being borne along towards Crozier's laboratory, found themselves faced by a group of Alphan slaves milling about and blocking their progress.

'What's going on...?' Sil cried from the safety of his chair. 'Why all this confusion? Out of the way his Magnificence is unwell!'

Bracing themselves, the Mentors' bearers began to shoulder their way through the bewildered throng.

Swaying dangerously and clinging to their chairs above the madness, Sil panicked while Kiv merely smiled and observed that the sea was certainly rough today. On hearing this Sil decided Kiv must have treatment right away. A pair of Alphans cannoned into Sil's throne, almost causing him to capsize. Sil screamed out, fear giving stridency to his voice, 'Careful, profitless fools! Is it not enough that one great leader suffers seasickness without threatening the life of another!'

Thrusting and kicking the Alphans aside, finally the bearers forced their way through and attained the haven of the pa.s.sageway that led towards Crozier's laboratory.

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