Doctor Who_ St. Anthony's Fire - Mark Gatiss [107]
Grek crumpled and fell, his blue eyes turning in awe towards the staggering majesty of Saint Anthony’s Fire.
‘“For the Greater Glory!”’ he bellowed one last time.
* * *
The twin beams of energy poured from the two black ships and melded together. A great streak of crimson fire raced across space and struck the Betrushian rings at a tangent. They blazed as though furiously alive, each fragment of dust and the mechanism within boosted by the incredible burst of energy. A blazing halo encircled the dying planet.
Below, the organism felt the new power and the restraint return. It strained against it like a lion against its chains, reaching far, far into the atmosphere in an effort to be free. It formed a legion of mouths simply to articulate its roar of protest.
It raced across the burning landscape, spreading wide over the planet’s surface.
Still the rings forced it down. It screeched in fury, every fibre of its cannibalized‐being raging against submission. Energy flooded through the rings, crushing the organism until it lay like a vast, mucoid blanket over Betrushia’s surface. With one, long, final groan of despair, it vanished below the heaving surface.
* * *
The Doctor turned sadly from the console.
After a moment, a tiny winking light brought him back. He banged the navigation console triumphantly. ‘That’s it! It’s holding!’
He peered anxiously into the monitor. ‘The rings’ power has been boosted to maximum.’
Imalgahite looked up. ‘And Grek?’
The Doctor shook his head.
‘We’d better get out of here,’ said Ace.
‘Sir,’ said a Chapterman, addressing Jones. ‘Both Magna Yong and… er Magna De Hooch’s life traces have been extinguished.’
Jones cocked his head to one side. ‘What?’
The Doctor sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Well, well. The hour and the man, eh? You know it’s traditional to begin a new period of office by pardoning prisoners?’
Jones looked at the Doctor, a disquieting fervour in his eyes. ‘Maybe in the degenerate places you come from, Doctor. But I shall begin my reign as Magna by making you suffer.’
‘You can’t!’ cried Ace. ‘After all he’s done…’
‘Exactly,’ hissed Jones. ‘After all he’s done to the Chapter of Saint Anthony he deserves to die.’
He shot out of his chair and raised his blaster. ‘I am Magna now.’
‘In that case,’ said a voice from behind him, ‘you won’t mind surrendering your vessel.’
Jones swung round. A reptile with a box in one claw was pointing a pistol at his head.
The Doctor smiled with relief. ‘Very well then, I suggest we leave orbit before Betrushia explodes.’
Ran pressed the pistol behind Jones’s ear. ‘You. Do as he says.’
The Doctor fussed over the controls. ‘We’ll return to Bernice’s ship in the TARDIS. I’ll leave you to your own fate.’
Ace leapt up, suddenly finding a little of that missing thirst for vengeance. ‘You can’t just let them get away with it!’ she cried. ‘After all I’ve been through. After all everyone’s been through!’
The Doctor held up his hands. ‘Please, Ace. There’s been enough killing. The rings have been boosted to maximum capacity now. I’ll put that sun of theirs out of action. That’ll be an end to their crusade.’
Ace was not to be placated. ‘What kind of justice is that?’
She stalked furiously into the TARDIS.
The Doctor’s hands dashed over the controls. ‘I’ve put the artificial sun into irreversible decline.’ He turned to Jones. ‘You’ll have to put in somewhere soon if you’re not to freeze to death. I’m giving you a chance. It’s far more than you deserve.’
He ushered Imalgahite into the TARDIS.
Ran pulled Jones with him, the pistol clamped behind the new Magna’s ear, and then pushed him across the room as he ducked into the TARDIS, the precious box in the other claw.
As the TARDIS dematerialized, Jones slammed his fist onto the deck in fury.
* * *
Imalgahite gazed around the white‐walled console room in surprise. Ran, who was used to it by now, merely stood by the console, cradling his box in his arms.
The Doctor set the co‐ordinates for the scout‐ship, casting occasional worried looks at Ace who