Menagerie - Martin Day [77]
'Until that investigation is over,' announced Oiquaquil more loudly, 'all knights shall answer directly to me. We have no idea as to the depth of this subversion.' With that Oiquaquil turned and walked towards the altar, leaving the knights to discuss matters amongst themselves.
A little man dressed in tattered gold and white armour turned to him. 'Well done, my dear Captain,' he said, clapping him soundly on the back.
'I don't mind admitting,' said Oiquaquil in a whisper, 'that my hands are still shaking. This doesn't come naturally to me, you know.'
'It does to few of us,' said the man.
Oiquaquil nodded slowly, thinking. Then he stared at the man. 'And who are you, anyway?'
'I'm the Doctor. You mean you don't remember? I've been making some enquiries of my own.'
The Captain sighed. After a brief period of decisiveness he again felt like a man drowning in his own inadequacies.
'Then perhaps you can tell me what is going on,' he said.
When Zoe and the twins arrived at the city they found the gatehouse unmanned and the streets and alleyways deserted.
The clip-clop of their mounts' hooves was the only sound to break the tense silence. Even the birds that normally darted between the eaves were nowhere to be seen.
'Perhaps they have all been punished,' said Reisaz.
'Don't be so silly,' said Raitak. She turned to Zoe. 'And how do you propose that we find this Doctor fellow of yours? I was thinking that we might be better off meeting some of Diseaeda's contacts and enquiring about the casket.'
Zoe shook her head. 'We need the Doctor's help. And I don't think we'll have any trouble finding him. Whatever's going on, that's where he'll be. Right in the thick of it.'
'Then perhaps we want the Castle of the Knights of Kuabris,' observed Reisaz. She pointed up the main street and towards the craggy rocks that supported the terrible grey construction. A number of people were emerging from their houses and walking hesitantly in that direction.
With a sudden wave of sound creatures began to pour out of some sort of cave and up into the air. Although the people immediately dived for cover it seemed that the moth-like creatures had no designs on the city folk.
Zoe looked straight up, the air now dark with flying creatures. She noticed slim but powerful limbs, ornate wings, and inhuman faces that somehow showed ecstasy and sadness.
An even darker shadow passed overhead, a huge creature supported by the wings of others. Then it too passed. Soon all the moth-men had gone.
'What were they?' asked Zoe.
'I don't know,' said Raitak. She pointed towards the castle.
'The knights are usually full of answers to all life's mysteries.'
'Then let's go there,' said Zoe.
'I managed to assemble a few brave guards,' said Captain Oiquaquil. 'I followed the moth-creatures here, listened to what Zaitabor was saying, and decided it was time to do something.'
'I think the knights in general and the brothers in particular are utterly bemused by events,' said the Doctor.
'Their mythical reputation lies in tatters.' He let cogs and springs fall through his hand and on to the upturned plaster head like funeral dust.
'Where did he go?' said Jamie, looking up at the now deserted gallery.
'Back down into the old city, I expect,' said the Doctor. 'It seems there are a number of tunnels between there and here.
Once Zaitabor had penetrated the fabled menagerie with the help of one of the Kuabris robes he was able to establish a simpler return route — to this chamber, right underneath the castle,'
'Then we'd better get after him,' said Jamie. 'He could be
—'
'Don't worry, Jamie,' said the Doctor. 'I sent an android after him with a very specific set of instructions.'
Oiquaquil looked at the almost empty ceremonial chamber. 'What role did those moth-creatures play in this?'
'They were Zaitabor's unwilling slaves,' said the Doctor.
'They would do anything to get their Queen back. I can only assume that the Taculbain spend a certain portion of the year in hibernation. Zaitabor must have stumbled upon their lair at just such