"You have brought me the greatest gift any Sontaran can ever have, Supremo: Two gifts. The honour of fighting in a legendary battle and a glorious death."
The red eyes closed.
Slowly the Doctor stood up. He turned to the Sontaran trooper who had brought the news.
"How did this happen?"
"The Battle-Major saw two mercenaries aiming a small field-cannon. He threw himself directly on the cannon and it exploded, killing the crew and the Battle-Major as well."
"Where was the cannon being aimed?"
"At you, Supremo. When you were on the ruined tower."
The Doctor nodded, his face impa.s.sive.
"You"ll see the body"s taken care of?"
"It will be thrown in the burial pit with the others, Supremo.
It is not our Sontaran custom to concern ourselves with the bodies of the dead."
"d.a.m.n your customs! Battle-Major Streg will be buried with full military honours, and every soldier in the Alliance will attend.
See to it."
"It shall be so, Supremo."
The Doctor turned away and saw Peri coming towards him, tears in her eyes.
"Streg"s dead, Peri."
"I know, I heard. I was coming with you when I saw someone else."
She led him to where a pale-faced, handsome young man, lay on his back, wide-open eyes staring at the darkening sky.
"It"s Taro," said the Doctor incredulously. "He wasn"t even supposed to be fighting. The Denali were just hired to crew my flagship."
"I know," said Peri. "Taro smuggled himself off the ship. He got hold of a uniform and a blaster somewhere and joined Ryon"s people. He said he wanted to fight for you."
The Doctor nodded. "Streg died saving our lives." He bowed his head, accepting the burden of these two deaths, and of many others. Every unit of the Alliance forces must have sustained heavy losses.
"There"s always a price to pay," he said. "In Nelson"s navy they called it the butcher"s bill."
A slender figure ran towards them. It took them a moment to realise that it was Ensign Vidal he was far from his usual immaculate self. His white uniform was blackened and bloodied, he had one arm in a sling and there was a bandage around his head.
He came to attention and saluted. "Congratulations upon a great victory, Supremo."
"Thank you," said the Doctor. "I suppose this isn"t the time to remind you that you were ordered to remain on the flagship?"
"I couldn"t miss the battle, Supremo. I"m a soldier, after all."
"So you are and the only member of the Capitol Guard to have done any actual fighting in generations!"
"Cardinal Borusa requests your immediate presence in the Great Hall of the Castle. A conference is to be held."
"Tell him I"ll be there when I"m ready."
Vidal swallowed. "In those words, Supremo?"
"In those words."
Vidal turned and sped away.
" He"s He"s still full of martial enthusiasm," said Peri. still full of martial enthusiasm," said Peri.
The Doctor nodded. "The young ones always are, they think they"re immortal. That"s why we go on having battles."
"Well," said Peri, "he was luckier than Taro."
They turned and walked slowly towards the castle.
The Great Hall of the Castle was still impressive, even though its floor was strewn with rubble and part of its roof was now open to the sky.
Lord Delmar sat at one end of the great stone table, Borusa at the other, with the staff officers of the Alliance down one side, and Makir and the various commanders of the late-appearing volunteer force down the other.
The Doctor and Peri arrived last, largely because the Doctor, seemingly unconcerned by Borusa"s summons, had insisted on returning to his flagship for a meal, a bath and a change of uniform.
When he appeared, flanked once more by two Ogron bodyguards, Lord Delmar gave him a stately nod of welcome, and a rather battered-looking Hawken a friendly wave.
Everyone else, except for Borusa and Ratisbon, rose to their feet.
"Supremo!" they roared.
Cheers, wild applause and shouts of congratulation filled the hall. Smiling, the Doctor bowed his thanks and waved them back to their seats.
He held up his hand for silence.
"You are late, Doctor," snapped Ratisbon.
"No, you are early. This conference begins when I say it begins and not before."
The Doctor walked to where Borusa sat beside Ratisbon at the head of the table.
"I think you are in my place."
"You are insolent, Doctor," snapped Borusa. "May I remind you that you are operating under the authority of the High Council, and that we are its representatives?"
"Precisely," said Ratisbon waspishly. "You no longer command here, Doctor."
"Do I not?" said the Doctor.
His voice was soft, but there was something in it that made Peri shiver. He was all Supremo now. He looked along the side of the table that held his officers.
"Lord Azanyr, would you be good enough to kill Borusa and Ratisbon for me? Cardinal Borusa first, I think, in deference to his rank."
The terrifying figure of Azanyr rose to his feet, his colossal armoured bulk dominating the great table.
"It will be a pleasure, Sssupremo."
Azanyr raised his great clamp-like hands, aiming his sonic weapons at the Time Lords.
Borusa sat stiff-backed in his chair, glaring defiantly at the Ice Warrior.
It was Ratisbon who croaked, "Supremo no, please!"
"Hold, Lord Azanyr," said the Doctor. "Later, perhaps."
Ratisbon rose hurriedly, took Borusa"s arm and led him to two empty seats at the end of the table. The Doctor and Peri took the two vacant places.
Even now Borusa made an attempt to impose his authority.
"We shall begin by discussing the most urgent item on the agenda, the disposition of the war criminal Morbius."
"We shall do no such thing," said the Doctor from the head of the table. "We shall begin by discussing the welfare of the troops under my command. Their casualties, their current strength, arrangements made for food, accommodation and eventual return home. Morbius can wait."
"Really, Doctor," spluttered Borusa.
"Interrupt once more and I shall have you removed." He turned to his officers. "Now, gentlemen, let me thank you for the great heroism shown in today"s battle. Let me also thank our new allies, whose timely arrival saved the day."
More cheers and general congratulations.
While Borusa seethed at the end of the table, the Doctor listened to a long series of reports from his staff officers.
Casualties amongst Alliance forces had been heavy, with the more vulnerable humanoids suffering most. Casualties amongst the late-arriving volunteers were, on the whole, light. Lord Delmar and Hawken were arranging for medical care, food and barrack accommodation for the survivors.
As the reports went on, Ratisbon turned to Borusa. "We have created a monster!" he whispered.
"Or the greatest potential Lord President in Time Lord history," said Borusa quietly.
Ratisbon shuddered. "I think I"d sooner have Morbius!"
Satisfied that everything possible was being done for his troops, the Doctor turned at last to Borusa.
"Now then, Junior Cardinal Borusa, any other business?
Speak up!"
Choking back his rage, Borusa said, "It has been determined by the High Council, with the gracious consent of Lord Delmar, that Morbius shall be tried and executed here on Karn."
"Give him a fair trial and then hang him!" said the Doctor.
"I"m sorry?"
"You said tried and executed. Foregone conclusion?"
"Really, Doctor, are you expecting an acquittal?"
"Why don"t you take him back to Gallifrey and deal with him?" asked Peri.
"These painful matters are best dealt with quickly." Borusa waved towards the leaders of the late-arriving volunteers.
"Fortunately, all the witnesses we need are already here. The trial will take place at eleven a.m., galactic standard time, here in this hall." He rose. "If the meeting will excuse me, I will finalise the arrangements."
Borusa and Ratisbon left and the meeting broke up.
"It still seems strange that they don"t take him back to Gallifrey," said Peri.
"They daren"t," said the Doctor. "Too many secret supporters on the High Council. Back on Gallifrey, he might still pull off a nifty coup d"etat coup d"etat. They want him dead and forgotten and far away and as soon as possible."
n.o.body noticed when a grimy, white-coated figure arose from its hiding place behind a pile of rubble, slipped through a new-made crack in the wall and scuttled off down the castle"s endless corridors.
"Eleven tomorrow," muttered Mehendri Solon. "I will save you, Master, I will save you. It is not too late..."
Obsessed with his mission, Solon failed to notice the black-cloaked figure that followed him through the darkness.
Chapter Seven.
Trial There was a party in the ruins of Castle Karn that night, a riotous party that spread through the ruined halls and barrack rooms, and spilled out into the courtyards, where great bonfires were lit.
There was no shortage of food and drink. Hawken had donated most of the supplies in the castle commissary and a good deal of his private, customs-confiscated supply of liquor.
Lord Delmar had contributed generously from his stock of fine food and wines. He was, he told the Doctor, planning to leave Castle Karn for one of his estates on a peaceful rural planet.
"Shan"t be sorry," he confided. "Felt I had to stay on while the old place was still a going concern, family duty and all that.
Never liked it really, draughty old pile."
It had been decided that Castle Karn was to be evacuated the Hospice was at an end. Most of the staff had already left, and the others were keen to go. The damage done in the bombardment was simply too great, and n.o.body had the heart, or the funds, to rebuild.