Doctor Who_ The Paradise of Death - Barry Letts [61]
Fair enough. But what had that got to do with the price of walnuts? thought the Brigadier, taking one and cracking it. ‘There’s only one person who can find out the answers and still be safe,’ the Doctor said, ‘and that’s the President himself. It seems to be quite clear that he’s been kept in the dark. It’s time that stopped. We must tell him the whole story.’
‘Well done, Doctor!’ said a flat voice behind them. They turned. ‘An excellent scheme. What a shame you didn’t think of it earlier.’
The voice seemed familiar – but the face! Good grief, it was like a – an overripe plum – a stranded jelly fish – a rotting...
‘Mr Tragan, isn’t it?’ said the Doctor. ‘What a pleasant surprise.’
‘No, no. Don’t move,’ said Tragan, stepping forward into the pool of light round the dining table. He produced a gun like an automatic with an extended barrel and curiously shaped chambers like the whorls of a sea shell grouped round the stock.
‘I think we’d better listen to him, Lethbridge-Stewart,’
the Doctor said. ‘That’s a paralysing stun gun. It doesn’t kill you, or even make you unconscious. Just paralyses you for a very long time.’
‘A very long time,’ agreed Tragan. ‘The rest of your life, in fact. But then, in your case, that’s probably quite a short time, isn’t it?’
‘If you kill us,’ said the Doctor quietly, ‘you’ll never manage to keep it quiet.’
‘You think not?’ said Tragan pleasantly, his face a rippling pink. ‘I don’t agree. Provided we, er, terminate the contracts of all four of you, so to speak. The United Nations Mission would of course leave a polite note of regret for its sudden departure. And your friends on Earth
– would they send a search party to Parakon?’
The blighter was enjoying himself!
‘Well, whatever you mean to do,’ said the Doctor, ‘may I suggest you get on with it?’
‘You mustn’t be in such a hurry,’ said the Vice-Chairman reprovingly. ‘We shall now return to your suite and wait for your companions. They’re on their way. And then, then we shall have to come to a conclusion. Or some of us will.’
The Doctor looked past Tragan. He stood up. ‘I hope you’re feeling better, sir,’ he said, pitching his voice up.
Tragan laughed. ‘You forget I was a policeman, Doctor.
You’ll have to do better than that.’
A wheezy old voice came from the darkness: ‘Thank you, I am. Will you ever forgive my discourtesy?’
Tragan spun round, whipping the gun behind his back.
‘Vice-Chairman Tragan?’ said the President in displeased surprise. ‘What are you doing here?’
Before Tragan could answer, the Doctor stepped forward. ‘Mr Tragan had a message for us,’ he said. ‘But if you will forgive me, I’m very pleased that he’s here, as he can hear what I have to say to you.’
The President, who was followed by his two guards and, discreetly behind, Onya Farjen, wheeled himself forward to the head of the table and gestured to his guests to resume their seats.
‘It may take a little while,’ said the Doctor, ‘and it’s of the utmost importance that you understand clearly.’
‘How very mysterious,’ said the President.
Tragan, who had managed to conceal his gun, stepped forward. ‘I don’t think it would be advisable to – ’
The President spoke sharply. ‘Vice-Chairman! You forget yourself, I think.’
But Tragan was not to be put off. ‘I’m sorry, sir,’ he said,
‘but this man has already – ’
Now the old man was really angry. ‘This man, as you call him, is the honoured guest of your president, and the ambassador of a mighty world. I will hear no more from you.’ He turned enquiringly to the Doctor.
Well done that man, thought the Brigadier, as the Doctor paused as if to marshall his thoughts.
‘It relates to certain events that took place before we left Earth,’ he started to say, only to be stopped again.
‘Forgive me for interrupting,’ said a fruity voice.
Freeth, by jiminy!
The President’s withered face was beaming. ‘Never an interruption!’ he said. ‘It does my old heart good to see you back. Doctor! Brigadier! May I introduce the Chairman of the Parakon Corporation: my son, Balog Freeth.’
What!?
‘We’ve already had the pleasure