Doctor Who_ The Infinity Doctors - Lance Parkin [75]
The Doctor scrabbled, trying to gain footing, Savar lifted the sword above his head and brought it down, but the Doctor was already out of the way. The blade gouged a hole six inches deep in the marble floor. The man’s face was twisted, murderous.
But Savar… Savar was a noble man, an explorer, a scientist. He had been a friend of the Doctor’s father. He’d been the Doctor’s friend. After his return, they’d never shared the same relationship. Savar’s condition had limited him, and rather like an elderly body with a debilitating illness, or encroaching senility, the young and healthy – and the Doctor was no exception – had avoided him, found him faintly distasteful. Unconsciously, perhaps, they were all scared that Savar’s condition was contagious.
The Doctor was crouched now, sword in one hand. He pulled himself to his feet, swiping the blade ahead of him to give himself a little room.
Savar had returned to the console. The Doctor brought down his sword on the controls, making them explode.
Savar lashed out, and would have sliced the Doctor’s arms off at the elbow if he hadn’t let go of his sword and thrown himself back. He landed at Lama’s feet, and she helped him up. He stood between her and Savar, although he knew that his body offered little protection against a forceblade. Her breathing was uneven, panicked. He could hardly blame her.
‘We’ll be all right,’ he told her calmly.
Savar turned and began to advance, sword in front of him.
The Doctor’s blade was embedded in the console on the other side of the mom, like the sword in the stone.
‘The energy pulse is on a countdown,’ she told him. ‘He managed to get it going.’
He glanced over his shoulder. ‘How long?’
She gave a helpless smile and shrugged.
Savar lurched at them, but they leapt out of the way –
Larna towards the centre of the room, the Doctor to the edge.
‘That was close,’ the Doctor laughed, hoping that the edge of panic in his voice wasn’t too obvious.
Savar swung around, taking the two strides towards him that he needed to.
He was blind. Savar couldn’t see him, he was going on sound and… telepathy.
The Doctor stayed perfectly still and he reached into his mind. There was a point within him that… his breathing stopped. His hearts slowed, His mind emptied. The Doctor could still see, but only a blurred image, Savar stopped in his tracks, unsure what had happened.
‘Over here!’ Larna called from her console. She knew. ‘I’m just about to deactivate the energy pulse.’
Savar turned his back on the Doctor, and was about to take his first step towards Larna when the Doctor reached out, grabbing Savar’s shoulder, and pulled down with all his might. Savar lost his balance, crashing to the floor.
The Doctor pulled himself over, pinning Savar down with his knee in his chest, his hand chopping Savar’s wrist once, making him drop the sword.
‘Doctor!’ Larna shouted.
Savar still had a free hand and moved to grab at the Doctor’s throat, but the Doctor had anticipated the move, and blocked it. Savar formed a fist and jabbed it hard into the Doctor’s stomach. The Doctor gasped, eyes watering. Savar was rolling free, lifting the Doctor from the floor. His back arched, and the Doctor nearly toppled off.
And then something had grabbed Savar’s free arm and pressed it to the floor.
Larna was alongside him, kneeling on Savar’s wrist, one hand flat on his collarbone, keeping him pinned.
‘Bitch!’ Savar growled.
Larna grabbed the back of his head in one hand and then brought it hard down on the marble floor. The Doctor felt the body go limp.
The Doctor looked across at Larna and grinned breathlessly.
‘Thank you for rescuing me,’ he said.
‘Thank you for rescuing me,’ she replied.
They both got to their feet, a little awkwardly. They hugged. Larna was still shaking. Then she broke off, bent down over Savar, began a search of his robes.
‘He had a key,’ she explained. ‘That