Doctor Who_ Longest Day - Michael Collier [56]
A low murmur of disbelief rose among the men, but nobody moved.
'We have equipment back on my ship that can detect electromagnetic particles in the blood unique to the planet Ipmuss where Felbaac was incarcerated .'Yast screwed up his eyes and tried not to whimper any louder. 'But that will be a tedious and, if I choose, quite a painful process.'
He said the words apparently regretfully, and looked without interest at the motley assortment of men in front of him. He did not wait long before continuing.
'Very well.' He turned to Sam with a small flourish of his cane.'My spirited rebel,' he smiled,'I'm going to place things in your hands. A little dilemma for you. All good rebels cut their teeth on such quandaries.'
Sam was surly in reply. 'What are you talking about?' She wanted to add
'boss-eyes' but didn't dare.
'It's really down to you. A clear choice.' He paused, theatrically, for effect, then took a weapon like a small rifle out from under his cloak. 'If I give you this gun,' he said, smiling coldly, 'you must use it to kill those two worthless individuals whose pathetic rebellion has forced me to expend such energy.'
He pointed at Tanhith and Yast. 'If you do that for me, I shall take a humane sample from each of these men for testing, and leave them in peace.'
Sam gaped at him, struggling for words that stayed resolutely out of reach.
'If you do not kill them, I shall have my men take something else for testing.
I shall have them take the head from every man here. All two hundred of them.' Ragged laughter came from a few of the K'Arme troops. 'I'll make sure the longdistance life-scanners are disconnected or faked, just in case there's a soul in the government that remembers you. No one will ever know.'
Sost struggled forwards to the front of the terrified throng. Tefbaac's not here. He went away!'
Sangton was outraged at the interruption. 'Be silent! A pathetic attempt to deceive us. Fettal'
'Yes, Commissioner.' Her eyes never left the inmates.
'You will first remove an arm and a leg from that one if our spirited creature here does not comply.'
Sost's jaw trembled and he sank back into the crowd as if seeking to hide.
Sam's world was spinning. She felt sick as she turned to face Tanhith, who was looking at the hot dry ground, and Yast, who was staring at her with beseeching eyes.
'Please,' he whispered, hoarsely. 'Please, please, please.'
Sam swung round to Sangton but could barely find the words to hurl at him.'You evil, sick -'
'Yes, I am sick.' Sangton's pale face was growing crimson as anger contorted his features. 'Sick of scum like you assuming you have any rights to do as you please. We govern you. That is our sworn duty. We can protect or we can persecute, and when you anger us, when you provoke our wrath -'
"These people weren't provoking anything at all!' She was aware that her words were catching in her throat, aware that she sounded totally helpless, was losing it. She couldn't stop. 'How can you do this?'
Sangton had recovered his composure, and was smiling his cold bright smile. 'Like this.' He offered the gun to her. Immediately Fettal's own pistol swung up to cover her.
Traxes motioned to his men and they did the same.
Sam felt like a rabbit caught in headlights - no, like a diva expected to perform under a hot red spotlight. It was all a trick, anyway, she told herself. She wouldn't have to play out this sick little charade. The second she took the gun she'd be dead, blown apart by twenty or thirty blasts. Her head spun and throbbed, as though a tide was rising behind her ears. Just reach out, take the gun. It won't hurt much, not for long. It's not like you've never been about to die before, is it? That's part of making a difference. It can't go on for ever, it just can't.
She began to reach out for the gun, hesitantly.
The Doctor would find her in