Doctor Who_ Beyond the Sun - Matthew Jones [91]
When she had completed her notes, Nikolas removed the visionary from its niche. The roof of the chamber immediately fell into darkness. Nikolas removed the mask again. ‘I told you there was power here,’ he said in a husky whisper, his voice filled with awe.
She looked up into the now darkened shadows. She had been so sure that he was wrong, that he was chasing an egotistical fantasy. Until now. Now she wasn’t sure of anything. Except that if there was something here, Nikolas was the last person in the universe who ought to have access to it.
He began to move off, still carrying the figurine. ‘Nikolas,’ she called after him, ‘may I keep the figurine – just for a short time?’
He frowned. ‘Why? What do you want with it?’ he asked, suspiciously.
‘I’m not sure. I may be able to progress more quickly with the work if I can examine it in detail.’
There was a long pause. ‘Very well.’
She felt his eyes upon her as she walked back to the pressurized hut. When she reached the door, she dropped down on to one knee, pretending to tend to the strap of her boot. She quickly found a lump of crystal which was approximately the same size as the figure she held in her other hand.
Later, after she had eaten, she pulled the crumbling lump of crystal out of her suit and, using her cutlery, began to carve into it.
18
STAND OFF
‘Give me the visionary.’
‘Where’s Jason?’
‘Just give me the visionary, Benny.’
‘If you mean the figurine, you’re out of luck.’ She pointed to the metal floor of the bridge. ‘It’s back on Ursu.’
‘Oh come on, Benny, do we really have to go through this? We both know it’s in your rucksack.’
‘I’m telling you, it’s back at the university on Ursu.’
‘No,’ Iranda said, a little wearily. ‘It is in your rucksack.’
‘And what exactly makes you think that?’
‘Michael saw you put it there earlier this evening.’
‘Ah,’ Bernice said, rather lamely. Bugger. ‘And what if I don’t want to give it to you?’
‘Then one of the Sunless will come and take it from you. I think you know by now that they are not gentle creatures.’
Bernice had been expecting something like this. In one movement, she swung her rucksack off her back and pulled the figurine out, lifting it high above her head. ‘Do that and I’ll smash it,’ she said, filling her voice with as much certainty as she could manage.
Iranda smiled, but looked unsettled. Again Bernice thought that the woman was not as confident as she tried to suggest with her camp villainess routine. Why was she bothering with the act?
‘I’m not sure that you actually could damage the visionary, Bernice.’
‘Well, let’s see, shall we?’ She tossed the artefact between her hands. ‘I’m willing to have a bash.’
Bernice knew that this kind of stand-off was unlikely to go in her favour. She wasn’t entirely sure what her next move ought to be. Negotiate for all of their freedom or just try to back slowly out of the room? The ship was now in flight – where were the life rafts? Would a Sunless ship have them? Her chances of getting everyone into one and away before the Sunless managed to get their hands on them were pretty low. And then what?
She saw lranda surreptitiously touch the controls of her chair. ‘Don’t touch anything!’ Bernice snapped, but it was too late. Behind Iranda, a viewscreen flickered and then flared into life, showing an image of the hold where Bernice had left Tameka and Emile. Tameka had climbed out of the crate they had hidden in and was pacing about impatiently. Emile was standing in the crate, his elbows resting on its lip.
Iranda adjusted another control and suddenly the bridge of the ship was filled with their tinny voices.
‘I can’t believe you won’t give me Scott’s necklace, ’Meel. It’s all I’ve got to remind myself of him.’
‘He said I could have it. It’s mine!’
‘So! What can it mean to you?’
‘What about that Jeillo bloke of yours on Dellah?’
‘That is, like, none of your business, Emile. Just give me the thing.’
Iranda made a show of listening to the tinny voices argue. ‘You profiteers, you just don’t stop talking about things, do you?’ She