Menagerie - Martin Day [92]
'You are now the Doctor's . . .' She struggled for the right word, and then remembered what the little shrew had said.
'You are the Doctor's worker.'
'I am programmed to obey the Doctor,' agreed the creature, staring at the three figures as they moved down the street. 'You must stay here. I can move faster and more quietly alone. I have been tracking Zaitabor for some time now.'
'What are they going to do to Cosmae?' asked Kaquaan.
'I do not know. I will try to ensure that he comes to no harm. Please stay here.'
Without waiting for her reply the homunculus strode off in silent pursuit of Zaitabor.
The Doctor stared over Zoe's shoulder, pointing at the digitized face on the screen: a bulky, sour-looking face atop a brief textual profile. 'Now that face looks familiar . . .'
'How can it? The man must have died a very long time ago.'
'I'm not so sure,' said the Doctor. 'Anyway, time to test my theories.' He held up the gun somewhat clumsily. 'It'll be just like an African safari.'
'Have you ever been on one?' asked Zoe.
'No,' said the Doctor. 'But I did once watch a Tarzan film.'
The door finally burst open and two Mecrim leapt into the room. As they came forward they seemed to examine the Doctor and the others in turn, their talons flexing.
'Here goes,' said the Doctor, aiming at the uninjured creature as they scuttled between the desks towards them.
He pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. 'Ah, I appear to have left the safety catch on,' said the Doctor, inspecting the weapon as if he had all the time in the world. 'It's here somewhere.'
'Do hurry,' snapped Raitak, edging down into the shooting gallery.
'Don't fluster me!' shouted the Doctor, fumbling with a rocker switch towards the base of the handle. He returned the gun to his shoulder and squinted through the sights. The creature seemed terribly close through the magnifying lenses. The Doctor brought the cross-hairs into position and pulled the trigger.
There was a loud crack. The creature's shoulder twitched under the impact. 'It should start cloaking the Mecrim's heat pattern with its own about now,' announced the Doctor.
The Mecrim that had lost an arm glanced at its companion. The results were almost instantaneous. It threw itself towards the other, its claws a blur. The creatures tumbled to the floor, raking each other with talons. The Mecrim the Doctor had shot pushed itself on top of the other, instinctively defending itself, and forced its head into the shoulder of the other, severing its arm.
'Quick,' said the Doctor. 'Let's go.'
'Where?' asked Reisaz.
The Doctor smiled. 'Somewhere where there are lots and lots of Mecrim,' he said.
Jamie, Defrabax and the scout stood before the Dugraq leadership. 'You are a very honourable scout,' said the grey-furred Dugraq. 'You have done well.'
'We must arm our people,' said another. 'If the Mecrim emerge they will hunt us first.'
'Yes,' said the leader. 'Arm everyone. Quickly.' He turned to Jamie. 'Will you help defend our people?'
'Of course,' said Jamie.
'And Defrabax?'
'Defrabax is a very old and silly man,' said the mage. 'I have put this entire world beneath our own in jeopardy.'
'I am sure you can help us now,' said a female Dugraq.
'We need to defend our future, not dwell on the past.'
The leader nodded at this wise pronouncement. 'And the honourable Taculbain, now reunited with their Queen?'
The two moth-creatures stepped forward. 'After a period of reflection we realized that we had no alternative but to aid in the defence of this kingdom of shadows. We too had a role to play in this disaster. We have made foolish decisions.'
The soldier Taculbain arched its wings. 'We are moving our soldiers into position on the edge of the Rocarby and Dugraq domains.' It paused, receiving communication from its fellows. 'The Mecrim are here!' it announced, taking off into the air.
'Where do you keep your weapons?' asked Jamie.
The scout pointed towards a