Doctor Who_ Prime Time - Mike Tucker [34]
And at the end of a long day’s safari, we return you to your hotel to enjoy fine wines in our fully licensed bar, and fine food, served by our Androgum catering staff.
For the adventure of a lifetime, come to Ottrase.
We’ll bring out the Jackal in you.
Part Two
Chapter Nine
My dear Doctor, let me help you up.’
The Master held out a black-gloved hand. The Doctor hesitated for a moment then took it. The Master hauled him to his feet and the Doctor began to brush the dust from his jacket.
He looked back up at the cliff face he had just fallen down.
The jungle loomed high overhead. If he’d had any doubts that he was in a TARDIS he was certain now that he was.
He bent down and picked up his umbrella.
‘There was a pack of Zzinbriizi jackals right behind me, you know.’
The Master peered past him. ‘Yes, I know. I wondered what had attracted their attention.’
‘You mean you didn’t know it was me?’
‘Delightful as it is to see you, Doctor, I am not responsible for you being here. I rather think that we are both being played for fools.’
The Doctor frowned. Something was going on here that he didn’t understand, and if the Master was involved...
There was a howl from the jungle. The Master sniffed at the air.
‘They are starting to mass. I think we should leave this place.’
The Doctor regarded him curiously, The Master was obviously still infected with the cheetah virus that had almost destroyed them both; there was something cat-like about his movements, and his teeth were still disturbingly pointed. The Doctor shivered as he realised that whichever way he turned he was faced with a dangerous predator.
The Master seemed to sense his dilemma. He turned to the Doctor with a mocking smile. ‘Unsure what to do, Doctor?
Unsure whether to trust me?’ He gave a low chuckle. ‘Stay here if you wish, but you know as well as I what the Zzinbriizi are like. At least you know that I have a certain regard for you.
It would do me no good to kill you, not at the moment at any rate.’
‘That’s comforting.’ The howling began to build in the jungle.
‘Well,’ said the Doctor,‘Better the devil you know.’
The two Time Lords set off into the jungle.
Lukos clapped his hands in glee.
‘Perfect, absolutely perfect! Auntie, latest audience figures!’
+PRE-BREAK FIGURES HAD AUDIENCE AT
NINETEEN BILLION. POWER PEAKS INDICATE
VIEWERS STILL TUNING IN. SHARE VALUES
INCREASING. AUDIENCE SHARE NOW RUNNING AT
SEVENTY FIVE PER CENT. ADVERTISING SLOTS
SELLING AT PREMIUM RATE+
Lukos laughed out loud. ‘And we’ve barely even started.’
He spun to face the assembled governors. ‘You see gentlemen, a crowd puller, just as I promised.’
‘All right, Lukos, you’ve made your point. You were right.’
‘Thank you, Governor Treeb.’ Lukos sang inside. Treeb congratulating him. Unheard of.
‘How high does the mainframe expect our audience share to go?’
Lukos took a glass of champagne from the table. ‘At this rate we can expect to have the entire galaxy tuned in by the end of the day, either watching live or holorecording.’
‘And the advertising rate?’
‘We’re increasing it exponentially, linking it to the audience figures.’
The governors turned to each other and began muttering excitedly. Lukos smiled. If only they knew the whole truth.
A floor manager scurried over to him. ‘Sorry to disturb you Mr Lukos, but Miss Trasker wants to see you.’
Lukos looked up. Rennie Trasker was outside the glass door. He nodded. ‘Tell her I’ll be right out.’
Lukos turned to the board of governors. ‘Gentlemen, I must leave you for a moment. Please enjoy yourselves.’
He crossed the room and stepped out into the corridor.
‘Rennie, my dear, bearing good tidings I hope?’
Trasker handed him a data pad. ‘It took a little bit of time, and we had to go back a long way into the archives, but I’ve got you what you wanted on the Doctor’s girl.’
Lukos scanned the pad, his eyes shining. ‘This is excellent.
Excellent! Can we get a news team to these locations?’
‘All standing by. I can leave whenever you like.’
‘Leave? My dear girl, I’ve got much more important things