Doctor Who_ Silver Nemesis - Kevin Clarke [19]
‘Out of my lady’s way,’ said Richard.
The two skinheads sneered scornfully at his shoulder-length hair and then ignored him.
‘We want to tell you our problems,’ the smaller one leered at her.
Lady Peinforte recoiled in disgust from the stink of tobacco on his breath. ‘Will you,’ she asked ominously, ‘be turned into rats?’
The two skinheads laughed, the smaller one taking advantage of his colleague’s inattention to relieve him of the can of beer. ‘We already have been,’ the fat one was telling her ladyship. The two boys collapsed in a fit of laughter. Lady Peinforte and Richard remained stonily silent. The mirth faded at the skinheads’ leisure, to be replaced by the expressions of threat of which it had been only another form.
‘Poor rats,’ said the smaller skinhead dangerously.
‘That’s our problem.’
He produced from inside his jacket a ninja fighting stick with which he attempted a series of impressive manoeuvres. These were clumsy but the weapon, as Richard immediately understood, was none the less formidable.
‘Money,’ said the second skinhead.
Lady Peinforte and Richard looked at each other. It was left to Richard to speak. He turned back to the two skinheads. ‘Money, say you?’ he asked politely.
The crypt contained a heavy stone sarcophagus covered in cobwebs, inside which lay the statue, glowing slightly in the semi-darkness. Above it, mounted on the wall was a carved stone sign which read ‘Death Is But A Door’. Also looking down on it were the Cyber leader and his Lieutenant, who effortlessly pushed shut the stone lid of the tomb. Another Cyberman descended the steps leading from the ruined tower of the small building.
‘The remaining validium approaches, Leader,’ he reported in the usual monotone.
‘Activate the communications unit,’ replied the Cyber Leader calmly.
The Lieutenant reacted to this, interrupting as the Leader turned away. ‘But the Doctor and Peinforte are still to be destroyed,’ he said. His words stopped the Cyber Leader short. He turned back to face his second-in-command.
‘Do you question my authority?’ the Leader asked.
Even Cybermen prevaricate. He paused momentarily.
‘We should wait before communicating,’ he finally said.
‘And will you answer for the delay?’
This was evidently too much to contemplate. The Lieutenant gave the required command at once. ‘Activate!’
he ordered sharply.
A Cyberman pressed switches on the portable communications console set up in a corner of the crypt.
Tiny red lights twinkled in the dusty darkness, reflecting dully on the ancient marble of the tomb to state that a transmission signal had been emitted. An amber light flashed briefly, informing the operator that it had been instantaneously received in the further reaches of distant space.
The Cyber Leader’s voice boomed and echoed from the old stones inside the dark tower. ‘Our victory is inevitable,’
he pronounced. ‘The Doctor cannot conceal himself, as he is carrying validium. And when Peinforte sees what is awaiting her here, the shock will cause her the immediate condition of insanity. Remember, this is why we chose this position. She is a simple savage accompanied by a terrified peasant.’
Several fields away the two skinheads were attempting to yell for help through the gags which bound their mouths tightly, although one could be forgiven for assuming their muted noises were screams of pain. They were certainly suffering enough for this to be believable, hanging as they were side by side and upside down from the branch of a tree. Both were now clad only in their underpants, their hands and feet tied. The smaller one was suspended by his feet from the branch by means of his ninja fighting stick.
On the top of the fire burning immediately beneath them were the now charred remains of their clothes. The proximity of the flames meant that the skinheads had constantly to jerk about to reduce the areas of their bodies that were being scorched. These discomforts, however, paled into insignificance as far as either of them were concerned, given their audience.