Doctor Who_ Silver Nemesis - Kevin Clarke [29]
De Flores looked as though he could not believe his ears. ‘I?’ he stuttered.
‘Supermen are all very well,’ Karl continued smoothly.
Suddenly his tone became steely. ‘But the giants are the master race.’ He turned to the Cyber Leader triumphantly.
‘Here he is,’ he said, indicating the crumpled figure at his feet. ‘Now make me one of you.’
There was a pause as the Cyber Leader seemed to consider the proposal. Finally he came to a decision. ‘You show potential,’ he replied. ‘Very well.’ He turned to his Lieutenant. ‘Have them both programmed at once,’ he ordered.
De Flores and Karl were led away. The Leader addressed the remaining Cybermen. ‘We must complete the statue immediately,’ he said firmly. ‘Locate the bow.
Destroy the Doctor and his companion.’
7
In a thickly overgrown part of the forest a quarter of a mile away, the bushes rustled, indicating the approach of human beings to the wildlife in the area. As the birds flew hurriedly away the undergrowth parted to reveal Lady Peinforte, now led by Richard.
Behind them the dark mouth of a passageway yawned in the shadows.
Richard blinked in the daylight and breathed deeply in inexpressible relief. He had not expected to ever see the sunlight again. He turned to her ladyship. She looked pale, dazed and disoriented. He led her to a rock and helped her sit down on it. She allowed him to do so as though she were in a dream or drugged. Richard looked at her in concern. She stared in front of her, apparently unseeing, entirely occupied with her inner world.
Richard coughed and, when this failed to elicit any reaction, spoke gently. ‘How is’t with you my lady?’ he asked.
There was a pause. He was not sure whether she had registered his question, and was about to try another when at last, wearily, she replied.
‘I understand not,’ she said distantly. She was still not facing him.
‘What’s to understand?’ asked Richard.
There was a long silence. Lady Peinforte appeared to be wrestling with a major problem. Finally she took a deep breath and looked at him directly for the first time.
‘Always I have treated you badly,’ she said slowly. ‘I have done you no service, shown you no kindness. Yet,’ she hesitated, ‘yet you risk your life to save me. Why so?’
‘Should I not?’ asked Richard.
Lady Peinforte laughed bitterly. It was her customary laugh, harsh and cutting. Yet there was a softness in it too which he had never heard before. ‘I do not live in the world of should,’ she said emphatically. ‘But you... you are a good man, Richard, and I am evil.’ Richard looked at her, filled with profound sadness. He was also relieved, knowing now the moment had arrived.
‘My lady,’ he said softly, ‘we have no more weapons.’
Lady Peinforte’s moment of vulnerability snapped closed like a book. Her expression was replaced at once by its usual cold demeanour. ‘You are wrong,’ she replied with her familiar icy firmness. ‘I have one more yet that will not fail: my knowledge. I will have the statue of Nemesis.’ She rose to her feet.
Making their way towards the crypt the Doctor suddenly became aware that Ace was no longer beside him. He stopped, and looked round.
She was standing still a few paces behind him, an expression of indecision on her face. ‘Doctor...’ she said, and halted. She evidently did not know how to say what was troubling her. The Doctor looked at her in his kindliest manner and smiled encouragingly.
‘Ace?’ he said.
‘Look,’ said Ace. ‘Let’s be honest, right?’
‘By all means. Are we ever anything else?’
‘I’ve never bottled out of anything before, but... I’m really, really scared, Doctor.’
The Doctor put his hands on her shoulders. ‘I’m sorry Ace,’ he said. ‘Forgive me.’ There was a pause. ‘Why don’t you go back to the TARDIS?’ he added carefully. ‘You’ll be safe in there whatever happens.’
Ace’s doubts were immediately resolved. ‘No chance,’
she said instantly.
The Doctor opened his mouth to continue but she anticipated him and cut off his speech before he had uttered a syllable.