Doctor Who_ Space War - Malcolm Hulke [18]
The Doctor did not see or hear the President’s reply. At a nod from the General, the palace guards increased their grip on the Doctor’s twisted arms and pushed him forward out of the room. He called back, ‘Your two empires are going to be plunged into the most terrible war if you don’t listen. For heaven’s sake show some sense...’ But by now he and Jo were outside the office. Black uniformed Security guards were waiting for them.
With the prisoners gone, the Ambassador turned to the President. ‘Is that the evidence upon which you accuse me?’
The President sat down at her desk. For some moments she was lost in thought. Then, solemnly, she spoke. ‘Your Highness, I must ask you to convey a formal protest to your Emperor.’
The Draconian bristled. ‘I shall certainly report to him this latest insult to the honour of the Draconian Empire!’ He stood to his full height. ‘May you live a long life and may energy shine on you from a million suns.’ Without waiting for the formal reply, he turned and left the room.
For a few moments neither the President nor the General spoke. She broke the silence. ‘We have greatly offended him, you know.’
‘Possibly.’ The General was not one to mind causing offence. ‘We should have used the mind probe before showing these prisoners to the Ambassador. We should have confronted him with a full confession.’
‘Does it occur to you that they may be telling the truth?’
He looked quizzically at her. ‘Are you serious?’
She nodded. ‘I’m putting the possibility to you.’
‘A possibility we should discount,’ he said emphatically. ‘Can you seriously believe in a life-form that can change its appearance and look like something else—in a pocket spaceship that materialises inside another?’
‘I suppose you’re right,’ she replied slowly. ‘The whole thing is rather nonsensical. But who are these two people?’
‘Leave me to find that out,’ answered the General, preparing to go. ‘I’ll get the truth out of them. They’ll regret the day they tried lying to us!’
5 Kidnap
The Draconian Embassy was one of the few houses in the city to stand in its own quiet gardens. From the Ambassador’s main office he could look out on a small lawn, a few stunted trees and carefully tended flowers. Though the house was typical of Earth design, with straight walls and windows, the interior had been decorated in Draconian style. Clever interior designers had re-fashioned some of the walls to make then curve in the way Draconian eyes found pleasant. The pre-dominant colour of the paintwork and also the curved, rounded furniture was green.
The Ambassador and his First Secretary, an older Draconian with many years experience in the Draconian Diplomatic Service, stood as they talked. ‘I ask myself,’ said the Ambassador, ‘why should the Earthmen produce such an elaborate lie?’
The First Secretary nodded his green head, a form of politeness when talking to a social superior. ‘Their ways are devious, Your Highness. They are an inscrutable species.’
‘Obviously they are preparing the second stage of their plan. First the attacks on our cargo ships, and now this.’
The First Secretary nodded again. ‘Is it possible, Your Highness, that for once the Earthmen spoke the truth? Some plan of your father the Emperor, of which even Your Highness has not been informed?’
The Ambassador’s right nostril twitched. a sign of disagreement. ‘The Emperor would not contemplate such a plan. We do not break the Treaty of Peace.’
The First Secretary realised he had said the wrong thing. He quickly changed the subject. ‘Shall I prepare Your Higness’s report to the Emperor on your meeting with the Earth President?’
The Ambassador considered. ‘I must have more information.’
‘Would it not be useful to interrogate the humans who were found on the Earth cargo ship?’
‘You do not understand,’ replied the Ambassador. ‘They are prisoners, accused of treachery to their planet.’
‘Agreed,’ said the First Secretary. ‘But prisoners have