Doctor Who_ The Room With No Doors - Kate Orman [94]
It wasn’t long before his view of the rising sun was obscured by horses and men, peering down into the enclosure. Captains shouted orders to their men as the new troops spread themselves across the plain, ready for the daimyo’s inspection.
The Doctor stood on tiptoe, trying to see over the top of the fence. He didn’t want to risk leaving the enclosure in case it earned him an arrow in the back.
They’d taken away the Caxtarid’s body and burnt it with the enemy corpses.
One thing fewer he had to worry about, he thought grimly. He wished for the hundredth time that there was some way of knowing how they were faring up at the monastery. How Chris was faring.
Gufuu stepped into the enclosure, accompanied by two fresh samurai, ready for battle. The Doctor nudged Joel with his foot, and the young man jumped to his feet as though he’d sat on a rattlesnake.
One of the samurai marched up to the Doctor, grabbed him roughly, and started winding a rope around him. The Doctor didn’t try to resist as his hands were bound tightly behind his back and the warrior forced him to his knees.
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‘I take it the monks refused,’ he said. Joel was watching the scene in familiar horror.
‘I haven’t received a reply from them,’ said Gufuu-sama. ‘But now that I have my reinforcements, I no longer need you as a hostage.’ He looked at Joel. ‘Kill him.’
‘What?’
‘Kill him.’
‘But why? What’s the –’
Gufuu-sama stepped up to Joel and slapped him across the face, hard enough to send the time traveller stumbling back. ‘I put up with your ill manners and your inexperience,’ he said, ‘but I will not tolerate your disobedience.
You will follow my orders without question, or I will behead you myself. Do you understand?’
Joel hesitated for one second. Then he drew the heavy katana from its scabbard.
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21
Out of the bag
Penelope fed the punchcard into the machine. ‘Here I go!’ she shouted.
Nothing happened.
She restrained an oath. ‘I’ll try again,’ she said, plucking the punchcard out.
‘It’s the egg,’ said Mr Cwej. ‘There isn’t enough juice left in it.’
‘Egg? Juice?’ said Kame.
‘I think you’re right,’ said Penelope. She knelt by the machine and peered at the softly glowing device inside. ‘Its light is dying.’
‘Try again,’ said Mr Cwej. ‘We might get lucky.’
‘But will I have enough power to get back?’ Penelope sighed. ‘Hope springs eternal in the human breast.’ She pushed the card in once more.
There was a loud popping sound, and the light in the egg went out for good.
‘Oh, no!’ said Penelope.
Mr Cwej started walking towards her. ‘What if we –’
‘I think you had better stand back,’ she said suddenly.
There was a bright flash, followed by a sudden warping ripple that twisted Penelope and the time conveyance into a pretzel, then a smear, then nothing.
The thunderous clap that followed made Kame press his hands to his ears in alarm.
‘It’s OK,’ said Chris. ‘She’s on her way.’
They both glanced at the pod. ‘He must have sent her,’ said Chris. ‘I think it – he – understands what we’re trying to do.’
‘What now?’ said Kame.
‘We get ready for a siege,’ said Chris.
‘It will be difficult,’ said Kame. ‘In the past this place has been protected by the steepness of the rocky mountain, and by its strong walls. But there has been little here worth fighting for. We have food for some weeks, but we can expect a rain of arrows and flame, men trying to scale the walls at all hours of the night and day. . . Without warriors, we cannot defend ourselves.’
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Chris nodded. ‘You’re right. We’ll just have to hope that the Doctor can get that pod open.’
‘What will you do if it cannot be opened, and Gufuu-sama demands you give it to him?’ said Kame.
Chris glanced at him. ‘I haven’t decided yet,’ he said.
Joel stood in front of the Doctor with his sword in his hand.
Gufuu-sama and his samurai watched, calmly, waiting to see what the young barbarian was going to do. And Joel knew that they had cut him all the slack they were going to, and