Doctor Who_ Island of Death - Barry Letts [65]
Hilda was sitting in a marble chair slightly to one side of the great icon of the Skang, like a bishop in a cathedral, with the massive Will Cabot at her shoulder. The remainder of the inner council were grouped around her on the raised platform, while Alex stood facing them, humbly alone.
He risked a quick glance. He knew three of them: Shunryu from Tokyo, who wouldn‟t catch his eye; Joseph Moskowicz from Warsaw, who had listened to him in Rome when he‟d first mooted the possibility of a change of leadership; Sister Juanita from Brazil, who always sat on the fence. But the black man with one gold earring, and the woman with the mass of ginger hair who looked like a refugee from a Pre-Raphaelite painting were strangers to him.
It was difficult to tell what they were all thinking, as they murmured to each other. But then his heart leapt, as he saw Hilda‟s expression. She was a different matter. Hilda was sorry for him, no question.
Will Cabot caught his eye. „Tell me, Whitbread...‟
He didn‟t call him Brother. Or even Alex. Not a good sign.
„...why did you bring the Doctor and the Brigadier here?
And the journalist girl? Why did you tell them where we had gone?‟
Injured innocence, that was best. „Me? How can you...? I would never have done such a thing! They already knew. I promise you. One of the crew of the Skang must have let it out. I expect the whole of Bombay knows.‟
„Mm. You‟re probably right about the last bit,‟ said Cabot, who showed no sign of believing anything else he‟d said.
Alex shook his head gently, as if saddened that one of his brothers could be so untrusting.
Joseph Moskowicz seemed to agree with him. He‟d been frowning as Will spoke, and as he spoke to Alex, his face softened. „Though I have to say that the way you behaved fully merited the punishment the council decreed, I consider that you have suffered enough.‟
Will started to interrupt, but Brother Joseph put up his hand to stop him. „In my opinion,‟ he went on, „if a man of Brother Alex‟s standing is as willing to humble himself as he has shown himself to be, then it would be against all that we stand for, for us to deny him.‟
But Will was not to be silenced. „This man hasn‟t been caught smoking behind the bike sheds, for God‟s sake! We still can‟t be sure that he hasn‟t screwed up the entire project. If we trust him now, we could lose everything. I tell you, he is a bloody traitor!‟
Alex could see the sympathy draining out of the other faces. It would do him no good to get angry with this fool.
„That‟s not only untrue, but illogical,‟ he said, letting his voice quaver a little. „Why should I want to betray what has become the only reason for my existence? Can‟t you see that I‟m pleading for my very life? If you refuse me, I tell you that I shall end it. There‟d be no point in...‟
Even as he let his voice trail away as if overcome with emotion, he realised, with a mental spasm that shook his whole body, that he was telling them nothing but the truth. No way could he go on as he was. His only hope must be that they would believe him.
But if Will felt any sympathy for his plight, like the Pharaoh in the Bible he hardened his heart. „Right from the beginning, you‟ve been sounding off about Mother Hilda‟s way of doing things. If we had listened to you...‟
Hilda stopped him with a gesture. „That is an entirely different matter, Brother Will.‟
„But...‟
„Enough!‟
He was about to argue, but then turned away, his face set and grim.
For the first time, the tall black man spoke up. A Masai chief probably, thought Alex. Not one of the West Indians who were swamping the UK, thank the Lord. They were no friends of his.
„Nevertheless, Mother, the matter should be considered. For some it might speak in his favour.‟
„It will be dealt with later, Brother Azeke. We‟ve wasted enough time on what is essentially a trivial matter.‟
With an almost regal nod, Azeke accepted the rebuke. But what had he meant exactly? Which side was he on? And what about the red-head? Was that a smile, before she looked away?