"I don"t think the Immortal"s orders are always carried out," said Grell. "Especially when it comes to Culling."
"I always supervise the Culls myself," said Merdeen calmly.
"I know."
"Then what are you suggesting, Grell?"
"I think you send people outside."
Concealing his shock Merdeen said casually, "Then they are destroyed by the Fire. Does it matter how they die?"
"That depends if you really believe that the surface of the planet still burns."
"I believe what the Immortal tells me," said Merdeen.
"I believe you are a liar," said Grell calmly. "The Doctor is with Balazar, isn"t he? And both have left the subways!"
"Then why does the Immortal order us to search for them?"
"I don"t know," said Grell. "But I really think we ought to talk about all this, Merdeen." He paused. "Unless, of course, you would prefer that I took my suspicions to the Immortal..."
10.
Hunt for the Doctor The awe-stricken villagers gathered about the toppled robot, unable to believe what they had achieved.
None of them paid the slightest attention to the body of the Doctor, half hidden beneath the still smouldering robot.
"Is the Immortal dead at last?" whispered Salazar.
Katryca said proudly. "The Immortal"s reign is ended!"
A ragged cheer went up, led by the faithful Broken Tooth. "Katryca the Great One! Long Live Queen Katryca!"
Balazar said wonderingly. "Now the Immortal is dead, how shall men live?"
"In the Tribe of the Free we had no need of the Immortal," said Katryca proudly. "We shall live as we have always lived. And now the Immortal"s secrets shall be ours."
"How?" asked Broken Tooth.
"Do you not see, Broken Tooth? They are ours for the taking."
"The Immortal"s castle?" said Balazar.
"Yes," said Katryca exultantly. "It is ours now. All the tools, the metal, the strange materials that bend but do not break... All the mysteries and treasures of our forefathers that we shall learn to use again. Are we agreed?"
There was a rumble of a.s.sent.
"Then we attack!" screamed Katryca.
She set off for the tunnel entrance, her warriors streaming after her.
As soon as they had disappeared into the trees, Glitz and Dibber allowed Pen to pull free. She ran to kneel beside the Doctor who lay very still, his face a ghastly white.
"Doctor," she sobbed "Doctor, please..."
Dibber and Glitz ambled up and looked down at her.
"I"m afraid he"s a goner," said Glitz. "You can always tell by the colour."
Dibber nodded. "Definitely a stiff, Mr Glitz."
"Help me get the robot off him," pleaded Peri.
"I shouldn"t bother," said Glitz. "Even if he"s alive, he"s probably got horrible injuries."
"That"s right," said Dibber. "Those Ensen guns blow you all to bits."
They turned and strolled away through the trees.
"Talking of guns, Dibber," said Glitz, as soon as they were out of Peri"s sight, "we need the heavy artillery, which, if memory serves me, is hidden not a million miles from this spot."
Dibber nodded. "Good idea of mine to bring the multi-blasters, eh, Mr Glitz?"
Glitz rubbed his hands together. "I"ll teach that two-faced harridan and her bunch of ignorant peasants to trifle with Sabalom Glitz!"
"They"ve all gone down the tunnels now," Dibber pointed out.
"So we"ll blow them out through the roof," snarled Glitz.
"if the robot doesn"t get them first!"
"Let"s get them then," said Dibber.
Glitz put a hand on his arm. "No, you get them, Dibber.
I"ll meet you by the entrance."
"Those multi-blasters weigh at least"
Glitz held up his hand. "Exactly. That"s why I employ you Dibber. To fetch and carry. Now cut along, there"s a good lad..."
Dibber gave him a suspicious look, then turned away towards the place where the guns were hidden.
Glitz set off for the tunnel entrance at an ungainly run Peri struggled hard to heave the Doctor from beneath the bulk of the robot but he remained obstinately stuck.
Suddenly he groaned and opened his eyes.
"You"re alive," gasped Peri. "I knew it."
"My head hurts abominably, Sarah Jane," complained the Doctor feebly. "Where are we?"
"I"m not Sarah Jane, I"m Peri! And you"re lying under the remains of a robot!"
Oh yes, I remember now." He tried to get up and failed.
"Get this thing off me!"
"I"ve been trying to!"
Between them they managed to shift the metal bulk of the robot sufficiently to enable the Doctor to roll free.
He scrambled to his feet. "Where are Katryca and the others?"
"They"ve gone underground."
"Whatever for?"
"From what I could hear, now Katryca"s killed the Immortal she"s planning a takeover."
The Doctor looked at the toppled robot. "That? That"s not the Immortal, it"s just a Service Robot. How long have they been gone?"
"Just a few minutes."
"We"d better go after them."
"Why?"
"They"ve got to be stopped. The situation is worse than you imagine."
"It always is," said Peri wearily.
The Doctor was already on his way and Peri hurried after him.
Katryca led her little army through the first tunnel, down the long steps to the lower one, then up to the door that led to the lower levels.
"How does the great door open?" demanded Katryca.
Broken Tooth pointed to the handle. "You turn this."
"Open it!"
Broken Tooth obeyed, and the door slid open.
Katryca handed her gun to a startled Balazar. "You and Broken Tooth have lived in this blackness. You will lead the way."
Broken Tooth said, "I know a tunnel which leads straight to the Immortal"s castle."
"Forward!" ordered Katryca.
Nervously the tribesmen filed through the door.
Their entrance was observed on the control room monitor screen.
"They look very fierce," said Humker.
"Naturally," said Tandrell. "They live as wild creatures."
"They are coming towards us," Humker pointed out.
"You have a gift for the obvious, Humker."
"Surely they will not attack us?"
"That is clearly their intention."
"I do not understand the logic," protested Humker. "We have not harmed them."
"It is Rebellion," said Drathro heavily.
"What shall we do if they break in?" asked Humker.
Drathro said, "I shall kill them."
Tandrell said, "Their guns destroyed your Service Robot, Drathro."
"My plating is stronger," boomed Drathro. "My circuits are well protected. Their guns will only kill you."
"But if we die," said Humker hurriedly, "Who will a.s.sist with your research?"
"The Doctor," said Drathro, and turned away.
Broken Tooth stopped the invading party at a tunnel junction. "Halt!"