Doctor Who_ Enlightenment Part 9

Standing at her side, he looked down onto the deck below. Several of the crew were rigging something up over the side of the s.h.i.+p, under the direction of two officers.

'What are they doing?' he asked curiously.

And then as they stepped back to survey their work, he knew. A long flat board was lashed there, sticking out into s.p.a.ce, a pathway to nothing.

'The plank,' Wrack said. 'An ingenious Ephemeral idea for disposing of those who stand in one's way.'

There was a certain amount of jostling and ribald laughter from the buccaneers below. More of them appeared, and then the crowd parted, to form a rough lane leading back to the companion-ladder. With a sick feeling, Turlough saw that several of the guests had been dragged up and were cowering in a frightened group by the hatch.

As he watched, one of them, a Spanish officer, was pushed forward between the two lines of buccaneers. There were jeers and guffaws as he was dragged to the edge of the plank and forced to climb onto it. He took a few trembling steps and tried to turn back, but a cutla.s.s point prodded him on. Another guest was dragged into view to take his turn. And at that moment the Spaniard's weight tilted the plank downwards and he started slipping. Screaming and slithering frantically, he fell. But as he went into s.p.a.ce, the scream was cut short and the man seemed to vanish. The buccaneers lining the deck cheered and clapped, and so did Wrack in the wheel-house. Turlough, alone, was silent.

'Does it distress you?' asked Wrack, with a mocking glance.

Turlough was shocked, but it was amazement rather than distress that filled him. 'What happened to him?' he gasped.

'He is out of the race,' Wrack smiled.

'But but the pressure ' Turlough stuttered. 'It's a vacuum he should have disintegrated exploded he just disappeared '

'He is an Eternal,' Wrack answered. 'Like me. We do not exist in Time, so there is no moment of time that can see us cease to be. We are beyond sequence.' Turlough shook his head in bewilderment.

'They will all survive,' she went on in a bored voice.

'Merely transfer. You Ephemerals are different. You die so easily.'

She turned to him with a smile. 'Shall we see? One of the crew, perhaps?' Turlough shook his head, unable to speak. 'No?' There was mocking disappointment in Wrack's voice. And then a burst of shouting from the buccaneers below made him look down again. They were all staring up at the wheel-house, a sea of grinning faces.

'Shall we join them on deck?' Wrack asked, some secret amus.e.m.e.nt in her voice.

'Why?' Turlough stared at her blankly.

'They're waiting for you.'

The smile on her face was so evil that Turlough knew at once what she meant.

'No! No you don't understand!' he gasped. And before he knew where he was, Mansell and a second officer had grabbed him. He struggled violently, but they held him firm, and Wrack walked over and looked at him.

'I understand very well,' she said. 'The Doctor was not the only spy.'

'I wasn't spying!' The cry was wrenched from Turlough.

'You forget I can see into an Ephemeral mind. Even a murky one such as yours.'

'But I'm on your side,' he protested desperately. 'I just wanted a share just some of the prize.'

'You wanted it all!' There was contempt in Wrack's voice. 'Your mind is divided confused hard to read sometimes. But there is one thing clear in it always. Greed.'

She turned her back. 'Take him away. He bores me.'

Turlough started struggling again, but he was dragged inexorably towards the door. 'No no, listen ' he gasped, straining frantically to gain her attention to convince her to make her change her mind. 'I heard When I was outside the ion chamber I heard it the Power that speaks to you. I heard and I know the voice!'

Wrack turned and looked at him. And Turlough tried a last desperate throw.

'He speaks to me as well,' he gasped. 'I serve him. As I will serve you.'

The men released him, and crumpling to his knees, he grovelled on the floor at Wrack's feet.

11.

Focus Point.

'I'm going to change' Tegan said, crossly. 'I've had about enough of this outfit.' She glared at Marriner, swept into her cabin and banged the door behind her. She also bolted it, and then leant back against it with a sigh of exhaustion.

She wanted no more of Marriner prying into her mind and into her feelings. 'He's like a leech!' she shuddered to herself. She thought about the Doctor and felt even crosser.

How could could he imagine that Turlough was staying on that s.h.i.+p to he imagine that Turlough was staying on that s.h.i.+p to stop stop the buccaneers winning? Turlough was simply out for his own advantage, and if the Doctor could not see that... Her thoughts broke off in a jangle, and she yanked fiercely at the fastenings of her dress. the buccaneers winning? Turlough was simply out for his own advantage, and if the Doctor could not see that... Her thoughts broke off in a jangle, and she yanked fiercely at the fastenings of her dress.

In the pa.s.sageway outside, the two men exchanged a look. 'Women!' was what the Doctor's seemed to say, with puzzled affection. Marriner cleared his throat.

'I must report to the Captain. We're nearly into the final leg.'

The Doctor watched him hurry away, and then knocked on the door. 'I'm going to the wheel-house,' he called in a mollifying voice.

There was silence for a second. But Tegan sounded her usual self when she spoke again. 'I'll join you in a moment.' Her silk stockings and the high-heeled silken slippers were scattered about the floor. The flurried heap of lace on the bed was her petticoat. A second later it was joined by her dress. Then her tiara. The band of diamonds lay where she had thrown it, glittering against the satin of her ball gown. At the centre of its filigree work, the cabuchon glowed brightest of all.

The Doctor caught up with Marriner just as they reached the wheel-house. The distant shouts from the rigging had been growing more and more excited. And, as they burst through the door together, the Doctor could see why. Far ahead of them, through the port, shone a ring of lights, like a harbour floating in s.p.a.ce. Striker turned to greet them, his face triumphant.

'The Enlighteners!' he said. 'We are nearly there, gentlemen.'

The whole s.h.i.+p seemed to be full of bustle and excitement to Tegan. She could hear a shanty from the men hauling on the ropes, she could hear the bosun's pipe, and could hear shouting from the lookout. As she burst into the wheel-house, the loudest voice of all was the Captain's.

'More sail, Mr Mate!' Striker was yelling. 'Cram on everything she's got!'

'What's happening?' Tegan wanted to know.

'The race is nearly over,' the Doctor whispered back to her.

Marriner looked up from shouting instructions down the speaker-tube. 'We're pulling away!' he crowed. A wintry smile appeared on Striker's face. 'We'll show her a clean pair of heels,' he said with satisfaction. But as the First Mate turned back to relay the orders, he suddenly stopped dead. 'Captain!' he grated. 'Look!' All eyes followed his, as he stared at the scanner screen and Wrack's s.h.i.+p pictured there.

'They've hoisted their moonrakers,' the Doctor said softly. Every mast of the Buccaneer Buccaneer seemed to have blossomed. She had mounted sail even above her topgallants, and she scudded now under full canvas. seemed to have blossomed. She had mounted sail even above her topgallants, and she scudded now under full canvas.

There was laughter in Wrack's voice. 'A surprise for Captain Striker,' she gloated. Mansell grinned back at her from the wheel. 'We're gaining on them!' But his captain was suddenly serious and her eyes burnt with strange intensity, as she rapped out, 'I want us lying level!' Mansell nodded. Obviously the order was important in some way, for his hands tightened on the wheel and he went back to his task with renewed concentration. Wrack turned to Turlough. He had not been hustled to the plank with the other victims, his pa.s.sionate plea had succeeded. Wrack had kept him at her side ever since, but she had not spoken to him again until this moment.

'You wish to serve me. Come. We will go to the great Power who aids us, and together we will listen to his voice.'

And with these words she hurried from the room.

'Wrack's still moving up on us!' Striker's voice sounded grim. There was the same note in Marriner's as he shouted 'break out that skysail!' into the speaking-tube.

Tegan was puzzled. 'What are are moonrakers?' she whispered to the Doctor. He seemed as worried as the officers as he muttered back, 'Pirate sails. For speed. With those, they're faster than we are.' moonrakers?' she whispered to the Doctor. He seemed as worried as the officers as he muttered back, 'Pirate sails. For speed. With those, they're faster than we are.'

Tegan could hardly believe her ears. 'You mean they'll be able to overtake us?' she gasped.

The Doctor nodded sternly, but Marriner's next words sent her spirits flying up again. 'Wrack's level but we're holding her!' he shouted.

The news did not seem to cheer the Doctor. 'They can pa.s.s us any time they want to,' he said fatalistically.

'Then why don't they?' Tegan snapped. It wasn't like the Doctor to be so pessimistic. But his gloom lifted suddenly and he looked at her as though she had said something very interesting. 'Why don't they indeed!' he said slowly.

'We're still holding level with her,' came Marriner's voice.

And then the Doctor went into action. 'No!' he shouted, loudly and urgently, and rushed up to the Captain and Marriner. 'No you've got it the wrong way round! It's Wrack who's holding level with us! She's positioned! She's moved in for the kill!'

Outside the 'Danger' door, Wrack was setting the force field control, Turlough at her elbow. She stepped back.

'Now. Open it,' she ordered. Turlough's palms were sweating and his hands shook as he moved the lever and pushed the heavy door open. Wrack went on into the empty grid room, and after a second's hesitation, he followed her.

The Doctor was talking fast and frantically. He was not sure how much Striker and the First Mate believed him, but he had to convince them.

'I tell you that's how Wrack was positioned when the Greek s.h.i.+p exploded,' he said desperately. 'She was lying level! And when Davey's was destroyed! She was practically alongside him! Don't you remember?'

Neither seemed to be paying any attention. Striker went on shouting for more sail. But Marriner suddenly turned away from the speaking-tube. 'That's everything we've got,'

he said in quiet desperation, and looked to the Doctor, as though asking him for something.

'We can't pull away from her,' the Time Lord responded grimly. 'She's got us where she wants us!' But a second later he lifted his head, and the old fighting light was back in his eyes. 'The Focus!' he said, with sudden inspiration.

'We must find the Focus.'

Tegan and Marriner looked at him in bewilderment.

'She must have managed it!' he said to them irritably, as though they were half-wits. 'She must have got it aboard somehow!' And then as Tegan looked at him blankly, he almost shook her. 'Did she give you anything?' he asked frantically. 'When we were aboard her s.h.i.+p? Anything at all? Think Think!'

'No!' the girl exclaimed defensively, tears p.r.i.c.king behind her eyelids. But it was not anger that was making the Doctor shout, it was sheer frustration. 'It's here somewhere! It has to be!' he said, letting her go. and looking wildly round the room. Tegan began to think he was having some sort of brainstorm. ' What What has to be here?' has to be here?'

she asked.

'The point of Focus!' the Doctor's voice was long-suffering. 'Without it, the power she channels is useless!'

Marriner decided to take a hand. 'What power?' he asked, only half-believing.

But there was something in the Time Lord's voice that convinced him, as he answered softly, 'The power of darkness'.

Wrack picked her way, sure-footed, to the centre of the grid. Turlough watched her from the doorway with a thumping heart. Wrack stood motionless for a second, and then slowly raised her arms and looked upwards. As she stared into the eye-shaped opening above her, the crystal that was its pupil slowly seemed to darken. From where Turlough stood, it was as if a beam, not of light, but of blackness, enveloped her. All that he could see was her pale face, floating as though disembodied. And the whole room grew dimmer.

'What would this Focus look look like?' Tegan felt desperate. 'It could be anything!' the Doctor said irritably. But he stopped flinging himself around the wheel-house and peering into corners and examining nautical instruments, and he looked at her again as though she had a reasonable degree of intelligence. like?' Tegan felt desperate. 'It could be anything!' the Doctor said irritably. But he stopped flinging himself around the wheel-house and peering into corners and examining nautical instruments, and he looked at her again as though she had a reasonable degree of intelligence.

'Probably a crystal of some sort,' he went on. 'So big, perhaps,' he held up his fingers in measurement. 'Could be part of a jewel. A clasp the hilt of a sword ' The expression on Tegan's face stopped him. 'Part of a jewel?'

she said, in an odd voice.

The grid room was darker still. Wrack called to some strange invisible power, and as she intoned, her voice became more distant and echoing, until finally it died away. In the silence that followed, her face seemed to change. It contorted until it was almost unrecognisable.

Then the lips moved again, mouthing silently at first, until a voice filled the room. 'I am here.' It was not Wrack's voice, but a man's, speaking through her mouth. With a gulp of terror, Turlough knew that he had been right. It was the voice of the Black Guardian.

The Doctor hurried ahead, Tegan and Marriner in his wake. Tegan was still talking, although rather breathlessly.

'I thought it seemed different when I took it off,' she panted. 'That was what had changed! It was there like a diamond right in the centre of the tiara!'

'What happened when you were in the wheel-house with Wrack?' the First Mate asked, keeping pace easily at her side.

'Nothing I can't think' Tegan felt her head beginning to whirl.

'Come on!' the Doctor shouted, and disappeared round a corner ahead.

Turlough watched in horror, mesmerised by that pallid face floating in the gloom. The beam of darkness grew more Stygian still, and still the deep voice, reverberated.

'Focus... focus... Your mind is a channel... through which power will flow... focus your mind...'

In Tegan's cabin, the tiara was lying on the bed where she had thrown it. But the crystal which shone at its centre was changing. It was darkening. And it was beginning to throb.

Tegan's lungs felt as though they were bursting. When she saw the Doctor stop, she thought at first that he must need a breather too. But he simply opened the gla.s.s door of a fire-prevention cabinet on the wall, grabbed an axe from inside, and ran on. Tegan moaned with exhaustion. Then, ignoring Marriner's sympathetic glance, she pulled herself together, and with a colossal effort, flung herself forward again.

On the bed, the crystal in the tiara was darker still. It was pulsing faster... and faster...

Wrack's lips moved, but the voice had sunk to a whisper, hissing in the darkness. 'Focus... focus... focus...'

The crystal was now coal-black, with a life of its own. Its pulse filled the room like a drumming noise, and in the beats sounded the Black Guardian's sibilant voice, 'Focus...

focus... focus...'