Part 11 (2/2)

The Valeyard rose. 'The accused is clearly ignorant of the latest methods of surveillance, My Lady.'

The Inquisitor turned towards the Doctor. 'This evidence is taken from the Matrix - a knowledge bank fed constantly by the experiences of all Time Lords, wherever they may be.'

'Yes, yes, yes,' said the Doctor impatiently. 'I know that.

My whole point is - I'm not!'

She stared at him in exasperation. 'Not what?'

'Not present,' said the Doctor. 'Not part of the scenes being presented by the sc.r.a.pyard, sorry, sorry, force of habit, the Valeyard here.'

The Valeyard gave a superior smile. 'Ah but Doctor, the experiences of third parties can also be monitored and accessed if needed - as long as they are in the collection range of a TARDIS.'

The Doctor looked nonplussed. 'Indeed? But my TARDIS is an old model. Are you telling me it's been bugged - without my knowledge?'

'Bugged?' The Inquisitor was baffled.

'A reference, apparently, to the new surveillance system,' explained the Valeyard. 'The Doctor is using an Earth term.'

The Inquisitor was becoming impatient. 'I think we are wasting time on an unimportant issue. Continue, Valeyard.'

The Robot trundled through the forest, the Doctor lashed to its casing by a steel coc.o.o.n.

A large party of warriors appeared in the woods ahead.

It was led by Broken Tooth, and by Queen Katryca herself.

Both carried laser rifles. Many of the others also carried guns, weapons taken from certain unfortunate Star Travellers in years gone by.

'Stop Immortal!' roared Katryca.

Like the rest of her people, she had a.s.sumed that the robot that had attacked them was the Immortal of whom escapees from the underground had spoken - not realizing that the real Immortal was a far more formidable proposition.

The Service Robot ignored her.

Raising her rifle, Katryca opened fire.

Broken Tooth followed, and a ragged volley of laser-bolts and projectiles hummed around the robot. Some of them actually hit it, more by luck than skill.

The robot staggered, then lurched forward with its living cargo as the tribesmen fired again and again. From a nearby hillock Dibber and Glitz watched with detached interest while Peri, held firmly between them, looked on in agonized concern.

'They'll kill the Doctor,' she shrieked.

'We've all got to go some time,' said Glitz philosophically.

'You're all heart,' said Peri bitterly.

'The supreme sacrifice - and all for us,' said Glitz admiringly. 'What a person. If I have time I shall compose the eulogy for his funeral.'

There was another ragged volley and another. Smoke streaked from the robot's casing. It lurched forwards a few more yards, and then toppled slowly over.

Drathro and his a.s.sistants watched the battle on the monitor - until, that is, the picture lurched dizzily and the screen went blank.

The scenes they had witnessed provided fresh fuel for Drathro's paranoid fears. 'They have guns. From where?'

'Guns can be manufactured,' said Humker.

'Indeed,' said Tandrell. 'But their manufacture requires advanced technology.'

'The fact that they have guns means they also have advanced technology.'

'False reasoning, Humker,' said Tandrell. 'They are savages. Therefore their guns must have been supplied from without.'

Humker glanced at the blank screen. 'The Service Robot has ceased to function.'

'On our present data, that is the logical conclusion,'

agreed Tandrell.

'It is obvious. It has ceased transmitting signals.'

'The Doctor is from Gallifrey,' rumbled Drathro in his deep mechanical-sounding tones. 'He has been sent to recover the secrets left by the Sleepers. To do that, he has armed the outlaws. He intends to foment rebellion against my authority.'

Tandrell put his head close to Humker's and whispered, 'And with nothing left here but the power from a few backup storage cells, he's quite likely to succeed.'

'Then what will happen to us?' whispered Humker.

Tandrell looked at him. 'I dread to think...'

For some time Merdeen had suspected he was being followed. He ducked suddenly into an alcove and waited.

Grell came along the corridor, crossbow in hand.

Drawing his own weapon, Merdeen stepped forward to confront him. 'Are you following me?'

'Like you I'm looking for a lost man. It occurred to me that it might prove more productive if we worked as a team.'

Merdeen said suspiciously, 'What makes you think the Doctor and Balazar will be together?'

'Events,' said Grell mysteriously.

'Meaning?'

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