Part 3 (2/2)

'Immediately, Immortal.'

The screen went dark and the Immortal turned away.

His ma.s.sive metal body, with its terrifyingly blank curve of metal in place of a head, moved silently across the control room.

In a nearby sub-control room, the black clad man stood thinking for a moment. His name was Merdeen, and he was one of the most senior servants of Drathro the Immortal.

He moved across to where a red-overalled figure in a yellow harness and communications helmet sat at a console.

'Call the watch,' ordered Merdeen. 'Marb is a work unit over.'

The guard, whose name was Grell, stared unbelievingly at him. 'How?'

'I do not know. But the Immortal is never wrong.'

Grell nodded. 'I will summon the watch.'

His hands moved over the console.

Dibber was right. The queen - her name they had discovered was Katryca - didn't melt easily.

In fact, for all Glitz's smarmy charm, she was showing no signs of melting at all.

She had listened to Glitz's tale impa.s.sively. 'So, you are outlanders?'

'From a far-off star, your majesty,' said Glitz impressively.

If he was expecting an awed reaction he was in for a shock.

'You have a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p?' said Katryca matter-of-factly.

Glitz was taken aback. 'You have heard of such things?'

'It is recorded in our folk memory. Before the fire, our ancestors travelled among the stars.'

'Is that a fact?'

'It is also recorded,' continued Katryca coldly, 'that such star travel angered the G.o.ds, who punished us by sending the great fire which destroyed our planet.'

'No, dear lady,' protested Glitz. 'It was all much more secular than that.' He gestured towards the gleaming metal obelisk. 'That attracted the fireball.'

There was a shocked murmur from the crowd.

'That is our great totem to the earth-G.o.d Haldron,' said Katryca proudly.

'No madam,' said Glitz confidently. 'That is a malfunctioning navigational s.p.a.ce beacon. It attracted the fireball five hundred years ago, and I am here to tell you that it is still malfunctioning today.'

'How do you know this?' demanded Katryca.

'It is my job to know. What's more, if you don't have it dismantled, the fireball will return.'

Katryca studied him thoughtfully. 'What is your name?'

'Sabalom Glitz, Your Majesty.'

'I am an old woman, Sabalom Glitz. You are not the first to visit my village from another world.'

'Is that a fact, dear lady?'

'Each and every one of them has wanted to dismantle the great totem.'

Small wonder, considering what it was worth, thought Glitz. But all he said was, 'In that case, you can surely understand the urgency'

Katryca continued, 'yet each and every one of them had a different reason.'

'Let me a.s.sure you madam,' said Glitz smoothly, 'that my credentials are both bona fide and completely in order.'

He reached for his hand-blaster as he spoke, but before he could raise it, one of the warriors at his side wrenched it from his hand while another presented a spear at his throat.

Not without some difficulty, two more natives wrested the laser rifle away from Dibber.

Proudly, one of the warriors handed Katryca Glitz's hand-blaster.

'Ah, yes, the guns,' she said dryly. 'All the other outlanders had very similar credentials.'

'That totem is a navigational hazard,' spluttered Glitz indignantly. 'It must be dismantled.'

Katryca said, 'You must think me a fool. You have come here for no other reason but to steal the totem of our great G.o.d.'

'And what would I want with the symbol of some earth-grubbing deity?'

Katryca smiled. 'I do not know. But before you die, I shall certainly find out.'

Her warriors dragged them away.

Katryca hefted Glitz's blaster in her hand. 'Now Immortal,' she whispered, 'I am ready for you!'

The Doctor recovered consciousness to discover that he was bruised all over and lashed to a supporting pillar.

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