Doctor Who_ Combat Rock - Mick Lewis [87]
The canoe slid on through the ranks of black flowers, Tigus standing for’ard, and shading his eyes against the sun.
Soon, what the Doctor had determined to be the far shore of the lake revealed itself to be an island, and it was not long before they could make out the wooden landing pier stretching out into the lagoon.
‘Oh my word!’ the Doctor exclaimed as he saw the heads paraded on stakes above the pier. Wina emitted a moan of horror and Wemus duly consoled her. The guerrillas didn’t bother slapping him away this time. They were tired, and their destination was within sight: they didn’t care any more.
Now they could discern individual heads and the Doctor was puzzled to spot what were obviously Papul features among the grisly trophies. He stood up and climbed over the sacks of provisions cluttering the canoe to stand beside Tigus.
‘This is the Krallik’s solution to war? Kill everyone?
These are your people he is brutalising too, you know!’
Tigus gave him a withering stare. ‘The Krallik says there is no solution in war. There is only rage and death. Those who rage and those who die. It better to rage for what you believe, than die for what you don’t. Sometime, if we lose our way, we cease to be the one, and become the other.’
‘Sound like you rehearse that well, brother,’ Kepennis said confrontationally.
Tigus didn’t even look at him. ‘This is Traitor’s Dock.
Soon you join your friends here.’
Kepennis shut up. Wemus gave him a warning glare not to open his mouth again.
The canoe nudged in under the hanging heads, bumping against the wooden struts of the pier.
‘Right then,’ said the Doctor cheerily, ‘we’d better meet this Krallik of yours, hadn’t we? There are quite a few things I’d like to say to him.’
‘You meet him soon enough,’ Tigus said, throwing a rope around one of the stakes and vaulting onto the pier. There were other canoes tethered along the dock, tapping each other in the lazy swell caused by the new canoe’s arrival. The guerrillas leapt ashore, gesturing for their hostages to follow suit, levelling rifles just in case they felt like arguing.
They walked along the planks, and onto the island. A fringe of palms couldn’t completely conceal the building that lurked beyond. When they passed underneath the trees and saw the head-shaped temple in all its macabre glory, the Doctor stopped in wonder.
‘So this is the heart of terror, eh?’
‘Where’s the Krallik, then, huh?’ Drew piped up brashly
‘Bring the bastard on, and let’s play.’ That earned him a rifle butt between the shoulder blades, but his grunt of pain soon degenerated into sniggers as they walked towards the gaping doorway.
A guerrilla came out to meet them wearing a black and white striped balaclava and with bullet belts criss-crossing his naked chest. He spoke to Tigus excitedly.
‘What are they saying?’ the Doctor asked Wemus to translate for him.
‘He say the jungle reclaim Agat.’ Kepennis answered for his friend. ‘Many Indoni heads have been hunted.’
‘And that pleases him?’
‘Yes, alien.’ Tigus broke in. ‘It please me that Indoni no longer prosper in Papul town: He glanced at Wina. ‘It please me to hear Indoni die.’
They entered the temple.
Several more guerrillas were slumped around the single room, eyeing the hostages with some curiosity. Several glanced appreciatively at Wina’s lithe form, causing Wemus to put an arm protectively around her waist.
The Doctor’s attention was immediately drawn to the sacks of purple fungus that were leaning against one thatched wall. ‘What do you intend doing with those, might I ask?’ His question was to Tigus who was barking orders for someone to fetch them food and drink. The rest of the weary group collapsed on grass mats, Wina and Wemus sitting together, both looking tired and miserable. Kepennis folded his arms around his legs and lowered his head to sleep. Drew stretched out on his back and closed his eyes.
‘They much desired at Agat. Good for healthy. Delicacy.
Only grow here in swamps. We sell to Papul in Agat to finance OPG activity