Doctor Who_ Curse of Peladon - Brian Hayles [15]
In his turn, the Doctor stared intently at the strangely mixed gathering about the simple throne, and his eyes narrowed as he saw the commanding figure of the Martian warlord move towards him. The Ice Warrior they had seen earlier stood close by his shoulder. Jo tensed at the menacing approach of the grim pair, and the Doctor tried to reassure her.
‘It’ll be alright Jo...’ he murmured as she glanced appealingly towards him. At his words, she tried to smile. The warlord came to a crisp halt directly before the Doctor. Then, with a swift, imperious gesture, he first struck his own left shoulder with his clenched fist and offered his open gauntleted hand in greeting to the Doctor.
The Doctor stared intently at the strange mixed gathering about the simple throne
‘Chairman delegate from Earth—greetings!’ said the warlord with chilly formality. ‘Delegate Izlyr, subdelegate Ssorg.’
The Doctor managed to acknowledge the greeting with suitable dignity. The other aliens now approached. Jo edged closer to the Doctor, and tried not to shudder at the bizarre parade of alien forms before her: the massive and threatening Martians, then something that looked like an operatic octopus—
she lost track counting the tentacles—and, finally, a travelling goldfish bowl with a nasty-looking creepy-crawly swimming about inside. It was all too much! Like the Doctor, however, she concentrated on being sociable; at least their arrival hadn’t turned out to be too unwelcome. None of those in the throne room noticed the discreet withdrawal of Grun, the King’s Champion, as he moved stealthily from behind the throne to the half-concealed doorway that gave access to the balcony over the door outside.
‘Delegate Alpha Centauri,’ piped the gleaming hexapod, waving its tentacles excitedly, ‘the Galactic Committee is much in need of your experience and judgement.’
‘Delegate Arcturus,’ clipped out the mechanical voice of the floating neuroplasm. ‘You are late.’
‘My apologies to the Committee,’ the Doctor replied quickly.
‘My space shuttle... a forced landing, on the mountainside. I’d like something done about recovering the machine.’
It was Hepesh who stood before the Doctor now. His face was haughty and his voice coldly suspicious. He made no gesture of greeting, and he seemed to be deliberately avoiding the presence of Jo.
‘The recovery of your space vehicle will be arranged,’ he said. ‘I am Hepesh, High Priest of Peladon. Protocol demands that you formally present your credentials of office to King Peladon. Hand them to me.’
Hepesh thrust out his hand. The Doctor could only gesture apologetically. ‘I’m sorry. That isn’t possible,’ he said. ‘You see, we lost everything in the crash.’
Hepesh didn’t look as though he believed this impromptu explanation, but before he could question it, Peladon spoke out from the throne.
‘We can deal with the protocol later, Hepesh. Present the delegate from Earth, and his companion.’
Hepesh was not to be denied all formality, however. He glanced at Jo’s slightly rumpled hair, then questioned the Doctor sternly. ‘I assume this female is of royal blood?’
Jo couldn’t help smiling at the thought, but as she made to deny the mistake, a small gesture from the Doctor kept her silent.
‘My dear chap,’ the Doctor addressed Hepesh cheerfully,
‘what makes you ask that?’ The High Priest’s arrogant expression showed how much he despised the ignorance of this new alien.
‘You are standing within the Citadel of Peladon,’ he explained. ‘This throne room is royal and most sacred. Each guard is of noble blood, and each seeks to uphold the honour of his king. Only such men of rank, and females of royal blood, may set foot here... ‘He paused, meaningfully. ‘The penalty for trespass... is death.’
Jo was not to be kept silent any longer, but what she said next made the Doctor raise his eyebrows in surprise.
‘Doctor