Part 8 (2/2)

Katryca s.n.a.t.c.hed up Dibber's laser rifle which was propped against her throne.

As Broken Tooth got to his feet, she tossed him the weapon.

'Take this. Lead the young men in a hunting party.

They must not escape.'

Catching the gun, Broken Tooth ran from the Royal hut, bellowing for his warriors.

As the Doctor hurtled down the tunnel, running for his life, Merdeen, travelling through the corridors with Balazar and the two guards, heard the familiar voice of the Immortal through his helmet-speaker. 'The Doctor has absconded. He must be found.'

'Yes Immortal.'

Merdeen raised his hand, bringing the little party to a halt. He stood listening to the Immortal's instructions, then motioned his party onwards.

In the control room, Humker rubbed tingling fingers. 'He should be killed.'

'Very slowly,' agreed Tandrell. 'He hurt me. I hate being hurt.'

'He hurt me more,' said Humker.

'That is a subjective judgment!'

'He must not be killed,' bellowed Drathro. 'I need him!'

The Service Robot sped along the corridors, the tracer disc glowing brightly as it tried to pick up the fleeing Doctor.

Merdeen halted his party at a tunnel junction. He turned to the two guards. 'You, search Area Red. You, Area Green.' The two guards moved away.

Merdeen led Balazar to an nearby alcove.

Ever conscientious, Balazar said worriedly, 'Should we not be searching for the Doctor?'

'Quiet,' said Merdeen. He looked around, lowering his voice. 'You are a clever man, Balazar.'

'I am the Reader of the Books,' said Balazar proudly.

'People like you are needed on the surface. I can direct you there!'

'The surface? But nothing lives there! The Fire'

'There is no Fire. There has been no Fire for hundreds of years. On the surface you will be beyond the Immortal's reach. Do you understand me?'

Balazar nodded doubtfully, grappling with this new thought.

Suddenly he realized that he wanted to see the surface very much indeed. Somehow Merdeen had sensed that he was ripe for rebellion.

'But what shall I do, Merdeen. How will I live?'

'You will find others out there,' said Merdeen proudly.

'Many of them I have saved from the Immortal.'

'If the Immortal discovered this, you will die,' said Balazar slowly. 'Why do you risk your life, Merdeen?'

'I am sick of the Cullings,' said Merdeen simply.

It was explanation enough. To keep the numbers constant at the sacred five hundred, periodic Cullings took place, in which men, women, even children, were taken away and brutally killed. Balazar, like every underground dweller had lost friends and family to the Cullings. His own turn would come one day... He had always accepted them as an inevitable fact of life - until now.

'I have to be very careful,' Merdeen went on. 'I think Grel suspects me already.'

'What will you do now? asked Balazar.

'Find the Doctor and send him to you,' said Merdeen.

'Come!'

As they moved away, a helmetted figure appeared from the shadows of a nearby alcove.

It was Grel.

Peri and Glitz were running through the woods, like hunted animals. Not far behind came the hunters from the village, led by Broken Nose, laser-rifle in hand. Glitz was panting hard, and beginning to fall behind.

Dibber waited until the attention of the village was fixed on the escapers and the hunt, then emerged cautiously from behind an empty hut.

Setting the timing on the grenade, Dibber placed it carefully at the base of the gleaming obelisk, then dashed for the shelter of a nearby hollow.

As he hurtled into the dip, stretching face-down in the muddy ground, he heard the crack of the explosion behind him, and turned in time to see the obelisk topple With a grin of satisfaction at a job well done, Dibber scrambled to his feet and set off for the woods.

Seconds later, the villagers began boiling from them huts like angry bees...

Arcs of electricity crackled like lightning around the control room, and even Drathro staggered about disorientated.

'What is happening?' he roared.

Humker and Tandrell wrestled with the console to no avail.

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