"Old Earth joke. What is it?"
The Doctor took the knife from inside his pocket and showed her.
She frowned. "What are you doing with that thing?"
"I thought it might make a nice souvenir but I don"t think I"m going to need it any more." He tossed the knife spinning into the ruins "Come on, Peri, let"s see what"s going on."
When Peri and the Doctor appeared before the Castle a great roar of "Supremo! Supremo! Supremo!" went up.
Aril rushed up and actually embraced him, an unheard-of display of public emotion for a Draconian.
"Victory, Supremo, victory! A brilliant strategic stroke!"
"I quite agree," said the Doctor, gently disengaging himself.
"And I know whose it was!" Suddenly he saw a familiar face. "And there he is!"
He moved towards a tubby balding man who wore the dark shiny suit of an official, combined, somewhat incongruously, with a broad leather belt with holstered blaster and sheathed fighting knife.
He was issuing brisk orders to a group of similarly dressed younger men. At the sight of the Doctor he broke off and hurried to meet him, beaming widely.
"Supremo! This is a great honour!"
"The honour is all mine, President Makir."
"I"m so glad we arrived on time."
"Believe me, so am I! To be honest, I didn"t really think you were coming."
Makir looked hurt. "After all you"ve done for us? My daughter brought you my message, didn"t she? We rounded up every available man and gun and ship, and here we are! As you can see, people from many of the other planets you freed decided to join us..."
Peri, too, had seen an old friend or rather, an old enemy.
"It"s Commandant Nadir, isn"t it?"
The grey-haired, grey-uniformed man swung round. He stared at her.
"Surely, it"s Peri? The guerrilla leader? The Scourge of Sylvana."
Peri regarded him suspiciously, hand close to her knife.
"Last time we met we were on opposite sides."
"A sad mistake," said Nadir. "When the army occupied Sylvana we were acting under the orders of our government, who had chosen to ally our world with Morbius."
"What made you change sides?"
"We did not know, until your Supremo told us, that our corrupt President, and his equally corrupt government, had been bribed into joining Morbius with the promise of untold loot and eternal life. The Supremo treated us honourably, took our parole and allowed us to return home. He also told us a great deal about Morbius and his motives."
"I still don"t see "
"Some of us decided that the alliance with Morbius was a mistake. When we got back to Freedonia we removed the government and set up a new one. And when we heard the Supremo was in military difficulty, we saw it as an opportunity to make amends." He smiled. "I"m glad I didn"t shoot you. I hope we can be friends now."
"I"m not so sure," said Peri slowly. "I"m grateful for your help here, but I lost a lot of friends back on Sylvana..."
"I too lost friends and soldiers and guards. I had a promising young officer, Lieutenant Hakon, a trifle impulsive I admit. He died in very mysterious circ.u.mstances."
"Well, war is h.e.l.l," said Peri. "Maybe we"d better let bygones be bygones."
They shook hands.
"But how did you all get here together?" asked the Doctor.
"Your colleague a.s.sisted us," said Makir. "He sent round the messages saying you needed help, provided transport and weapons where necessary, coordinated the entire operation. His name is "
"I know his name," said the Doctor.
The Time Lords, he thought, were always very good at getting others to do their killing and their dying for them.
An imperious voice called from the top of the castle steps.
"Doctor!"
The Doctor turned and saw Borusa, with Ratisbon beside him. "Doctor, where is Morbius?"
"Around here somewhere. He"s sw.a.n.king about in a sky-blue uniform covered with gold braid. You can"t miss him."
"He must be found," said Ratisbon testily. "The capture of Morbius is the whole point of this operation. Where is he?"
Suddenly the Doctor realised that Reverend Mother Maren was beside him.
She pointed. "He is there!"
A shabby figure wearing a mercenary"s rough cloak was climbing the ramp of Morbius"s scoutship.
"Stop him," shouted Borusa.
Morbius cast off the cloak and stood revealed in his blue and gold glory. He raised a hand in a derisive gesture of farewell.
Maren pointed a skinny finger and screamed, "Die, thief!"
A ray of light shot from the ring on Maren"s finger, just as the Doctor tried to knock her hand aside. He only half-succeeded and the ray brushed the side of Morbius"s head.
He screamed and pitched down the ramp, lying huddled at its foot.
The Doctor and Peri ran across to the body and the Doctor knelt to examine it.
"Stunned, not dead," he said.
"Why did you save him?"
"It wasn"t time for him to die."
Borusa and Ratisbon came hurrying over.
"Is he dead?" snapped Borusa.
"No."
"Good. We need him alive."
Peri stared at him. "Why?"
"So we can execute him!"
Ratisbon grabbed the arm of a pa.s.sing soldier. "Take the prisoner into the castle and put him under heavy guard. Better shackle him as well."
Freeing his arm, the tall soldier, one of Ryon"s men, looked down at Ratisbon with mild interest.
"Who"s this turkeyc.o.c.k, Supremo?"
It was Ratisbon who answered. "I am Councillor Ratisbon and this is a most important prisoner." He turned to the Doctor.
"Have you no control over your troops? You will order this man to obey my instructions instantly."
The soldier yawned and scratched his bristly chin.
"This guy bothering you, Supremo? Shall I boot his a.s.s down the mountainside?"
For a moment the Doctor looked tempted, then he shook his head.
"No. Better do as he says. Find Commander Hawken and hand the prisoner over to the Castle Guard. They"ve got facilities for locking people up. Ask Hawken from me to see he"s well guarded."
Morbius"s unconscious body was carried away.
Later, much later, when it was dark, a black-cloaked figure slipped down the ramp of Morbius"s scoutship and made its way towards the castle.
Chapter Six.
The Butcher"s Bill The Doctor and Peri were standing at the top of the castle steps, watching the aftermath of battle. Prisoners were being marched away under guard, dead bodies were neatly piled up, and a handful of doctors and nurses had appeared from somewhere inside the castle to tend the wounded.
"The only thing sadder than a battle lost is a battle won," said the Doctor.
"Who said that?"
"The Duke of Wellington. He wept when he saw the dead and wounded after Waterloo. I"m sick of war and battles and military glory, Peri. I want to go home. If I had a home..."
"The TARDIS is here somewhere, isn"t it? Why don"t we find it and just leave?"
"Soon, but not yet. I"ve got to see things through. Certain events have got to happen in the right order."
"Why?"
"Because they already have."
Before Peri could press him further, a Sontaran trooper marched up to them and saluted. "Battle-Commander Streg would like to see you, Supremo."
"Yes, of course. Tell him to come at once."
"He cannot come, Supremo. He is dying."
They found Streg lying, eyes closed, in the wreckage of a shattered field-cannon and surrounded by dead mercenaries, with two Sontaran troopers standing guard.
The Doctor knelt beside him, gripping the stubby, gauntleted hand.
"Streg!"
The little red eyes opened. "Supremo! I wanted to say farewell."
"I know you"re badly hurt, Streg, but there are doctors here.
Perhaps they can help you."
"No, Supremo, it is too late, I know. We Sontarans always know. I wanted to say goodbye and to thank you."
"Thank me! For bringing you to this?"