Doctor Who_ Curse of Peladon - Brian Hayles [50]
Only the very brave, the mad, or ritual victims took that way.
And Grun would let nothing deter him from his target : Hepesh.
Alpha Centauri could hardly object to having an escort when, after all, they were fellow delegates. Nevertheless, the hexapod could not dispel a distinct feeling of unease at the forcible speed with which he was being taken to the delegates’ conference room.
‘Do not forget, delegate Izlyr,’ complained Alpha Centauri,
‘that I have the right to veto any suggestions that are against the Federations better interests!’
‘You will have that opportunity, I assure you,’ hissed the Martian warlord. ‘But you will probably think twice before using it.’
Alpha Centauri swivelled its head in an attempt to see just how far behind were the Doctor and the Princess. Too far to hear Izlyr’s suspiciously menacing remark, the hexapod noticed with a shudder. The Martian was not an easy person to get on with. It might be better to humour him a little, perhaps even to hint at concessions.
‘It would be different if there were precedents for such a situation,’ trilled the nervous hexapod, ‘but there are not. We must consider all our options. We must not act rashly!’
‘I am convinced of the value of reason,’ whispered Izlyr sardonically, ‘and I am sure you will see the matter our way...
eventually.’
‘Well of course,’ squeaked Alpha Centauri, trying to be cheerful, ‘I’m perfectly willing to listen to reason....’
‘Good,’ coughed the Martian. ‘That will save us all a great deal of trouble.’
A considerable way behind the delegates came the Doctor and Jo. She was still inclined to believe that Hepesh on his own represented little or no real threat to the work of the delegates committee, or the king’s choice.
‘Jo,’ insisted the Doctor patiently, ‘you really must take Hepesh seriously! Given the chance, he could still bring Peladon round to his way of thinking—if only to save the population of this planet from being wiped out!’
‘But if that was to happen, Jo mused, ‘Hepesh would have won... without a fight.’
‘Exactly! And Peladon will have lost!’ snapped the Doctor. ‘I tell you, Hepesh will try anything!’
‘Well, he can’t accuse Izlyr of murder—there were witnesses,’ stated Jo firmly. ‘You and me, for a start—we saw what happened. Izlyr saved your life!’
The Doctor looked at her and smiled wryly. ‘You’re forgetting something Jo, aren’t you? Officially, we don’t exist.
We’re nothing but a pair of impostors!’
Jo stopped, and pulled the Doctor to a halt. She glared angrily up into his surprised face. ‘Look—he didn’t save your life just because you’re supposed to be the grand Chairman Delegate! It was you as a person!’
‘And supposing the real Earth Delegate arrives?’ demanded the Doctor. ‘Who’s going to accept my word then?’
Jo’s anger at what she saw as the Doctor’s vanity boiled over.
But even as she spoke, he was looking past her towards the alcove nearby which only added to her feelings of irritation.
‘Honestly! What with you playing the Grand Ambassador, Alpha Centauri upstaging every one with those ridiculous tentacles, and Peladon acting like a wet fish—someone ought to take the lot of you and bang your heads together!’ She paused for breath.
‘You’re not even listening!’
‘So that’s what Grun was trying to say!’ exclaimed the Doctor furiously.
‘What are you talking about?’ asked Jo, trying to see what it was that the Doctor was so interested in. There wasn’t anything—just an empty alcove and a rotten old tapestry, all rumpled up.
Taking her by the elbow, the Doctor urged her after Izlyr and Ssorg. ‘Now, Jo... you go ahead. Help Izlyr to work on old Alpha Centauri...’ He gave her one of his most charming smiles and, with a small shove, propelled her along the corridor away from him. ‘Once you’ve got the