Doctor Who_ Battlefield - Marc Platt [42]
‘What’?’
The Chinese girl winced. ‘There’s a Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart here, looking for you.’
Bambera’s eyes widened. ‘Lethbridge-Stewart? Where?
How do you know?’
‘We came from the village in my car. He went to look at that hole.’
To Ace’s astonishment, Bambera began to run towards the crater. Shou Yuing began to giggle, but then she saw that Ace’s face was like a thundercloud.
They caught up with Bambera as she stood on the rim of the crater. The pit below was empty.
‘Down there?’ she said.
Shou Yuing shrugged. ‘Yes.’
Ace pointed to the half-buried tunnel entrance. ‘He’s in there. The Doctor said it was a trap. It lets you in, but it doesn’t let you out.’
She and Shou Yuing started down the slope, but Bambera grabbed and pulled them back up. To her annoyance, she saw Dr Warmsly and Ancelyn approaching.
‘What uniform was Lethbridge-Stewart wearing?’ she said and touched her UNIT cap badge. ‘Did he have an insignia like this?’
‘A bit,’ said Shou Yuing. She looked down into the crater again and pointed. ‘But more like that!’
Ace breathed a sigh of relief. Two figures were struggling out of the tunnel. The Doctor, covered in dust, his hat charred, was deep in conversation with an elderly man who Ace didn’t know. He was a solid, no-nonsense army type in fatigues and a peaked cap.
‘Why hasn’t King Arthur woken up yet?’ he said.
‘I don’t know,’ said the Doctor. ‘Perhaps it’s just a matter of time.’
The man smiled at the Doctor like an old friend and said, ‘Perhaps he’s just a late riser.’ He pointed to the welcoming committee ranged above them along the crater edge.
‘Professor,’ shouted Ace.
‘Ace! Thank goodness.’
Bambera saluted. ‘Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.’ She negotiated the slope with as much dignity as she could muster. ‘I thought you’d retired,’ she said cheerfully.
‘So did I, Brigadier Bambera.’ He returned her salute.
‘Now, is the exclusion perimeter secure? The whole area is crawling with armed extra-terrestrials and they’re hostile!’
Ace watched the Doctor indulge himself in a sly smile.
‘Just like old times, eh Brigadier?’ he said.
She waited to be introduced.
Bambera looked awkward. ‘Regrettably I’ve only just got back here myself. But my first officer informs me that the radio jamming suddenly stopped a few minutes ago.’
She found Lethbridge-Stewart manoeuvring her to one side. ‘The Doctor said there’d been problems. So we’d better get started, hadn’t we?’
‘That’s right,’ interrupted the Doctor with a grin. ‘Two brigadiers are better than one!’
As he started up the slope towards Ace, she heard him mutter, ‘I hope.’
‘Ace, you’re sopping wet,’ he said out loud.
‘My lord Merlin?’ called Ancelyn.
The Doctor veered off course, leaving Ace alone and disgruntled.
Lethbridge-Stewart turned in surprise. ‘Merlin now?’ he asked.
‘He has many names,’ said the knight. ‘Soon we shall see the tyrant Morgaine bow before his power.’
He went down on one knee and lifted Excalibur towards the Doctor. Lowering his eyes, he said, ‘Truly, the Time of Restitution has come.’
What about me, thought Ace. I brought that back.
The Doctor seemed almost reluctant to take the sacred weapon. He picked it out of Ancelyn’s hands and handed it to Peter Warmsly. ‘Hold this, Peter. it goes with the scabbard. Look after it for me.’
The archaeologist was too confused even to answer.
The Brigadier climbed the crater and studied the group.
‘He has many companions too,’ he said and nodded at Ace.
‘This must be the latest one.’
Ace stared.
‘I’ll get the perimeter checked now,’ said Bambera and turned to go.
‘Bambera,’ called Lethbridge-Stewart. ‘I had to leave my helicopter pilot where we came down near the village.
Lieutenant Lavel. She may be hurt and in trouble. We may have to get her out of there.’
‘I’ll see what I can do.’
‘And see if you can find a blanket for this young lady,’
he added with a glance at Ace.
Bambera looked at him and said tightly, ‘Yes, sir.
Perhaps I should make some tea too.’ She walked stiffly away towards the group of