Doctor Who_ War Games - Malcolm Hulke [48]
‘Stop!’ he roared. He nodded to one of the guards who prodded Villar away from the Doctor with a stun-gun. ‘I apologise, Doctor, for this misunderstanding.’
‘It was almost fatal.’ The Doctor straightened his clothes, ruffled by Villar’s manhandling. ‘Perhaps now I may proceed with my contribution to the success of your plans.’
‘Our plans,’ said the War Chief. ‘You’re one of us now.’
Jamie was the first to be processed.
‘You’re quite sure,’ asked the War Chief, ‘that with your adjustments to the machine the process will be total?’
‘The basic principles of your process were sound,’ said the Doctor, busying himself with controls on the humming machine, ‘but there were certain defects in the application.
I happen to know more about the working of the human mind than your scientist.’ He checked the dials again and then turned the machine off. The humming stopped. ‘This young man should now believe himself to be fighting English redcoats in 1745 Earth time.’ He raised his voice to address Jamie. ‘What is your name?’
‘James Robert Macrimon. But you know...’
‘And where are you?’ the Doctor cut in.
‘I...’
‘You are in my castle,’ said the Doctor. ‘I am the Macrimon of Macrimon, your hereditary chieftain.’
Jamie looked up at the Doctor rather dubiously. ‘Aye, that’s right. Who’s that?’ He pointed to the War Chief.
‘A friendly chieftain. You will obey his orders as you would mine.’ The Doctor indicated Zoe, Carstairs and the resistance leaders, whom the War Chief’s guards had lined up to await processing. ‘Those are members of our clan.’
Jamie tried to rise up, an accusing finger directed at Carstairs. ‘He’s an Englishman! A redcoat!’
Unseen by the War Chief, the Doctor kicked Jamie’s ankle. ‘Kidnapped by the English, brought up to speak in the Sassenach way, but by blood a true Highlander.’
Jamie subsided. ‘That’s all right then.’
‘Excellent,’ said the War Chief. ‘Continue with the others. If you can process characters like these you will have made an immense contribution. I shall go to tell the War Lord of your success.’
‘You will leave some of your guards here?’ asked the Doctor, nervously.
‘Have no fear, Doctor. This time you will be protected.’
The War Chief left the processing room.
‘You are next,’ said the Doctor, pointing at Zoe. ‘Take your place in the machine.’
Since Zoe did not respond instantly, a guard grabbed her arm and yanked her forward.
‘You’ve no right to do this,’ she screamed. ‘Leave me alone!’
‘It’s for your own good,’ said the Doctor. ‘You must obey my orders completely.’
Behind the guard’s back, the Doctor winked.
The War Chief entered the war room.
‘Is the War Lord here?’ he asked.
The Security Chief turned from the telecommunications console. ‘Guards to position,’ he ordered.
Security guards closed in behind the War Chief.
‘What is the meaning of this?’ he demanded. ‘A joke?’
‘Listen,’ said the Security Chief. He activated a small control on the console. The war room was filled with a recording of the Doctor’s voice.
‘ And help people like your new friends to conquer the galaxy?
Never! ’
It was followed by the War Chief’s response.
‘ Not people like that, Doctor, People like us. I intend to become the supreme ruler. Would you not like to share power with me? ’
‘I had your private office wired up,’ said the Security Chief. ‘Your entire conversation with your accomplice is on record, which I intend to play to the War Lord.’
The War Chief tried to say, ‘I am your superior—’
‘No more! You are not of our people. You have never had true loyalty to our cause! Guards, take this traitor to the security room. Collect the Doctor on the way. If they resist, kill them both.’
The guards closed in on the War Chief. One of them took his personal stun-gun.
The resistance leaders stood in line, eyes glazed like zombies.
‘The last one,’ the Doctor said to the security guards.
‘Put him to the machine.’
A guard prodded Arturo Villar.
‘For this I kill you, slowly,’ Villar threatened. ‘You do things to my mind, I do things to your throat.’