Doctor Who_ Curse of Peladon - Brian Hayles [21]
‘You can speak on my behalf to the Commission. Make them see my case!’
‘I see,’ said Jo, pulling away in alarm. ‘Its a political ally you want; someone to pull a few strings, on the sly!’
Peladon’s face showed his dismay at Jo’s rejection. He thought he had won her over, but now... ‘I’m telling the truth,’
he said. ‘I want you as a friend!’
‘Sorry,’ insisted Jo, coolly, ‘I’m strictly neutral. You can count me out.’
Without another word, she turned and left. Peladon could only watch her go, his face frowning with disappointment.
The Temple of Aggedor, like the holy statues of the Royal Beast, was immense and oppressive in its majesty. The huge stone representation of the Royal Beast gave it an atmosphere of the supernatural. Streams of smoking incense rose from the plain altar. A ritual musical instrument wailed in the gloom. The flickering lights of the wall torches, filtered and weirdly distorted by the incense smoke, made the great statue eerie with dark shadows, and rising above the soft vibration of the distant music came the penetrating voice of the High Priest, intoning an ancient incantation. His plea—spoken in the ritual tongue—rose up to the impassive, terrifying mask of the Royal Beast; and when at last he fell silent, he turned about and faced the only other person in the temple: the muscular form of Grun, prostrate and grovelling before Hepesh’s feet.
‘You are forgiven, Grun,’ intoned the priest. ‘The failure was not yours. You acted with true belief, but Aggedor was merciful to his enemies!’
With a light touch of his bejewelled hand, Hepesh tilted Grun’s awestruck face upwards and gazed deeply into his troubled eyes. His face grew cruel as he spoke.
‘But the hour of mercy has passed, Grun! The aliens have had their chance, and they have refused!’
Grun looked into the eyes of his High Priest, and saw the anger there, mingling with the power that only Aggedor ordained. He knew he was about to be commanded to a new and urgent task, and, wonderingly, waited. His will became lost in the darkness of Hepesh’s eyes, and the voice that came to him through Hepesh’s mouth was like that of Aggedor himself.
‘Grun, an evil influence has come between our king and his true destiny. It must be destroyed and, to this end, Aggedor gives his blessing.’
Overawed by the purpose that was to be his destiny, Grun bowed his head beneath the poised hands of the High Priest, who now intoned the evil blessing.
‘You, Grun, are the King’s Champion. I dedicate you to the destruction of the king’s enemies: to purify the soul of Peladon by this act of vengeance and give the ghost of Aggedor release.’
The ringed hands made a strange sign over Grun’s bowed head, and then the voice continued, more harshly. ‘The task is set.
Now know that the foremost of the king’s enemies is the Chairman delegate from Earth, the one they call the Doctor.’
‘You are forgiven, Grun.’
Grun looked up questioningly at the face of the High Priest.
‘Destroy him, Grun!’ commanded Hepesh.
5
The Attack on Arcturus
The Doctor was examining the small metal object which Jo had found on the balcony over the throne room door. She had decided not to tell him about King Peladon’s request. At last he gave a small grunt of recognition, and Jo leaned forward eagerly.
‘Well, what is it?’
‘It’s an electronic key, Jo’, murmured the Doctor, passing her the eyeglass and the object. The Doctor smiled. ‘It opens doors by identifying the bearer electronically,’ he explained.
‘Probably used for their spaceship, I shouldn’t wonder.’
‘Used for whose spaceship?’ demanded Jo.
‘Why, the Ice Warriors, of course.’ The Doctor took the key back from her, and tucked his eyeglass into an already bulging pocket. ‘It’s made from trisilicate. Remarkable stuff, found only on Mars.’
‘Then that footprint I found—’ said Jo eagerly, ‘you think it was made by Ssorg?’
‘Highly likely, I’d say, Jo’, mused the Doctor.
‘That’s what I thought, when I saw the mark in the dust,’
agreed Jo. ‘But I’m almost certain he was with us in the throne