Doctor Who_ Curse of Peladon - Brian Hayles [52]
‘I object!’ shrilled the hexapod formally. But before the objection could be elaborated, Jo turned on Alpha Centauri with a frown of irritation.
‘And I object to your stupid objections!’ she snapped.
‘You’ve done nothing but split hairs and raise points of order since we started!’
‘Point of order! The speaker is not an official member of this committee.’
‘Whose side are you on?’ exclaimed Jo. ‘While you’re babbling away, people could be getting killed!’
‘Decisions can only be arrived at by properly performed democratic methods,’ insisted Alpha Centauri. ‘If you would care to inspect the appropriate book of rules—’
‘Will you make up your mind!’ shouted Jo.
There was a short silence. Alpha Centauri turned a delicate shade of blue, and gave a slow blink of its single watery eye. It didn’t like being shouted at.
‘The motion has to be put in the proper manner,’ piped Alpha Centauri plaintively. ‘Anger isn’t at all necessary.’
‘The motion is that this Committee of Assessment urges the Federation to support King Peladon in every way possible in bringing peace to this troubled planet,’ hissed the Martian warlord. ‘Those in favour?’
Both he and Ssorg raised their fists—at the same time looking at their quivering and reluctant colleague.. Under their grim gaze, a frail blue tentacle wavered upwards.
‘Carried unanimously,’ whispered Izlyr, triumphantly.
‘Thank goodness for that,’ said Jo, adding hastily, ‘A very wise decision, Alpha Centauri. Well done!’
‘I trust so, Princess,’ came the miserable reply. ‘But, for the record, my agreement is registered under protest. I accept no responsibility!’
‘Protest noted,’ observed Izlyr. ‘The next step is to inform the Federation and request immediate technical assistance.
Perhaps, Alpha Centauri, as senior civil servant—’
‘My apologies,’ twittered the hexapod, ‘but that will not be possible.’
Izlyr rose to his feet. The impassiveness of his warrior mask, although showing no feelings, made him appear coldly threatening. Alpha Centauri flinched involuntarily. ‘Are you refusing to put into operation a decision arrived at without dissent?’ the Martian demanded.
The hexapod, under the gaze of its three angry companions, flushed and flowed through several shades of blue into green and back again before giving its halting answer. ‘It isn’t like that at all. My reason is technical, not personal. My surface-to-spaceship communicator is not functioning. I can do nothing with it...’
‘That sounds like a coward’s excuse,’ hissed Izlyr.
‘I protest—I mean, it is nothing of the sort,’ cried Alpha Centauri. ‘I am not a technically trained operator. I do not know the cause, but there is obviously a serious malfunction.’
‘Then we will use our own system,’ whispered Izlyr. ‘It is without doubt technically superior to yours. And while Ssorg makes contact with our spacecraft, I will personally inspect this communicator.’ The warlord moved to the door, and added darkly. ‘We do not want a repeat of the trick that incapacitated Arcturus...’
Jo watched the two Martians leave. She then turned back to Alpha Centauri and frowned. ‘Why didn’t you mention that you’d lost contact with your ship? It might’ve been important.’
‘I have had no reason to make a report until the combat ceremony,’ replied Alpha Centauri. ‘Since then, so many things have happened, I gave no thought to the matter. In fact, I feel totally confused!’
They were suddenly aware that Ssorg was standing in the doorway. He said nothing—but in his hands was a compact piece of apparatus. It was hopelessly smashed.
‘What has happened!’ exclaimed Alpha Centauri, flustering its way towards Ssorg. Almost immediately, Izlyr entered and seeing the broken unit in Ssorg’s hands, whirled to face the others.
‘Sabotage!’ he whispered fiercely. ‘Our own communicator has been destroyed—and yours, Alpha Centauri, failed because it was deliberately tampered with!’
‘Then we’re completely cut off!’ cried Jo. As the others looked at her she