Doctor Who_ Warmonger Part 9

He poured water from a jug on her bedside table and she drained the gla.s.s. She leaned back and studied her surroundings.

She was in a hospital bed in a white-walled hospital room with the Doctor sitting in a chair at her bedside.

'OK,' she said. 'What happened?'

'I took you to a nice peaceful planet and a pterodactyl-type creature did its best to bite your right arm off.'

Peri rolled her head rather apprehensively to her right and saw her arm lying on top of the covers. 'Still seems to be there.'

'It's been restored and repaired by Doctor Mehendri Solon himself.'

Peri tried to move her arm. It lifted a little and then flopped back. 'Doesn't seem to be much use. Is this Solon any good?'

'He's the greatest surgeon in the galaxy. He'll tell you that himself.'

'So how come my arm doesn't work so well?'

'Apparently it takes time for the new linkages to establish themselves properly. Full use will come back but it will take a little time.'

Peri felt a wave of tiredness sweeping over her. The brief conversation had been unexpectedly exhausting. 'Right. So where are we?'

'In the Hospice of Karn. The leading medical facility in the galaxy. Don't worry Peri, you're in good hands.'

'Nice to know,' said Peri, her voice fading.

She drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

The Doctor rose and stood looking down at her. He had told her the truth but not the whole truth.

Just before visiting her, he had s.n.a.t.c.hed a brief interview with Solon.

'The operation, was, of course, a complete success,' Solon had a.s.sured him.

'So Peri will regain full use of her arm?'

Solon shrugged. 'Perhaps if all goes well.'

'And if it doesn't?'

'The restored linkages may be only partially accepted by the body.'

'Which means?'

'The patient will only regain partial usage of the arm. Or, of course, there may be total rejection.'

'What happens then?'

'The arm will die. And so of course will the patient, unless the arm is amputated.'

'When will you know if you've achieved complete success?'

'In due time,' said Solon irritably. 'I've done my best for your friend, Doctor. You really mustn't expect miracles.'

Surrounded by his wors.h.i.+pping acolytes, he had swept away.

The Doctor watched him go, reflecting that it was hard to be utterly dependent upon somebody you despised.

Now, looking down at Peri's sleeping form, the Doctor told himself that the miracle would happen, must happen. Before they left Karn, Peri would be restored to her old self.

He turned and moved quietly from the room.

Chapter Five.

Storm Clouds Commander Hawken was sitting in quarters even more luxurious than his own. He was sipping herbal tea from a china cup that was almost lost in his giant hand, and wondering nervously if he ought to raise his little finger.

He was being granted an interview with Lord Delmar, Governor of the Hospice of Karn. Delmar was one of the few survivors of the clan of aristocratic warlords who had once ruled Karn. Exhausted by a disastrous series of internal and interplanetary wars, the war lords had declined as the Hospice arose. Now the Hospice was all that gave Karn any significance in galactic affairs.

Lord Delmar had the finest suite of rooms in the Castle that his family had once owned still owned, at least in theory. It was situated at the top of the Great Tower and the plastigla.s.s picture windows gave spectacular views of the surrounding mountain peaks. The room in which they sat was furnished in the c.u.mbersome splendour of Old Karn. Its stone floors were strewn with the rugs made from the skins of the many savage beasts, now mostly extinct, that had once roamed Karn. Their heads, hunting trophies of Lord Delmar's ancestors, were mounted at intervals around the walls.

Hawken's carved wooden seat faced the mounted head of a giant sabre-tooth were-tiger. Its gla.s.sy eyes glared savagely at him, as if the beast had died hungry.

Averting his eyes, Hawken turned his attention back to Lord Delmar, who stood leaning against the carved stone mantelpiece, sipping his tea.

The blood of the warlords was running thin by Delmar's time, thought Hawken. Tall and skeletal, with bright blue eyes, wispy white hair and a drooping white moustache, the old man looked more like a professor or a museum curator than the descendant of a race of ruthless warriors.

Lord Delmar was well aware that his appointment as Governor was little more than a tribute to his distinguished ancestors, and he made little attempt to interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the Hospice, concerning himself only with the loftier matters of administration. All the same, he was a wily old gentleman, with good connections to many of the galaxy's ruling families, and Hawken valued his advice.

Now, however, Lord Delmar was seeking his.

'Well, Hawken, what d'you think?'

Hawken considered the proposition the old man had just outlined.

'A peace conference, here? Why here?'

'Where else?' said Delmar. He produced a computer printout and handed it to Hawken. 'Here, list of planets and suggested delegates. Half these fellers have been busy slitting each other's throats for generations. Not one of them would trust any of the others to visit their home planet. Karn is practically the only neutral ground in this part of the galaxy.'

Hawken took out a pair of gold-rimmed half-gla.s.ses and perched them on the end of his nose. A simple laser-operation would have corrected his sight in minutes. But Hawken was terrified of operations. Besides, he liked the gla.s.ses.

He studied the list. 'Fangoria, Romark, Darkeen, Martak...

All pretty small-fry, low-tech planets. Half these delegates are little more than bandits and small-time warlords. What's behind all this? Why should they want to form an alliance?'

'Stop the big fellers gobbling them up, I imagine. They're on the fringes of some pretty powerful empires and empires like to expand.'

Hawken considered. 'An alliance might be to their advantage, I suppose. I'm not sure it's to ours.'

'Why not?'

'While they're fighting each other, they're not attacking us.'

'They wouldn't dare,' said Lord Delmar confidently. 'Even in alliance they'd still be small beer. And the big powers wouldn't stand for it.'

'What do you think then, sir?'

'I think we'll have to agree. Bad public relations not to. Karn stands for peace these days. Don't think this alliance will do much good, but it can't do much harm. Extra work for you, I'm afraid.'

'We can cope,' said Hawken.

They discussed the details of the proposed conference for a little longer.

When they were finished Hawken said, 'There was one other thing, sir.'

'Yes?'

'The question of Smith.'

'Feller who popped up out of nowhere with a blue box and a wounded girl?'

It occurred to Hawken that, for all his apparent vagueness, Delmar always seemed to know everything that was going on.

'That's the one, sir.'

'What about him?'

'Well, he's been here for some time, sir, and Doctor Solon tells me the girl is almost cured.'

'So?'

'What do I do about him? Smith, I mean? Once the girl's better...'

'I take it you've checked up on the feller?'

'I've tried to. There's no trace of anyone matching his description on the security net. Nothing at all.'

'Let him go.'

'Sir?'

'Once the girl's better give him his blue box and let him go.

Good riddance.'

'If you're sure, sir...'

'Think the feller might be a Time Lord,' said Delmar abruptly. 'Heard of the Time Lords, have you?'

'I've heard heard of them, sir. Can't say I know much about them.' of them, sir. Can't say I know much about them.'

Delmar snorted. 'n.o.body does. Tricky devils. Come from some remote planet called Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborus. Supposed to have some pretty amazing powers when they choose to use them. Don't mostly. Keep themselves to themselves.'

'And what makes you think...'

'Like I said, tricky devils. Good at covering their tracks. This blue box business has a Time Lord feel to it. Something else.'

'Sir?'

'There's a legend that the Time Lords formed an alliance with the Sisterhood, back when the Order was just starting.

Could explain the link to Maren.'

'Are they a danger to us?'

Lord Delmar shook his head. 'No danger to anybody.

Strictly non-interventionist. Sit smug and safe on Gallifrey and watch the cosmos go by. No point in upsetting them unnecessarily, though. Let the feller go.'

'Just as you say, sir. Thank you for your advice. I'll start setting up arrangements for this peace conference.'

Commander Hawken bowed and took his leave.

As he made his way back to his own quarters, he realised that he was going to miss Smith. They had become almost friends in the long days of waiting. It was nice to know he wasn't going to have him shot... He decided to find Smith and give him the good news.

Some time later, the Doctor and Peri were walking on the long castle terrace, gazing down at the spectacular mountain scenery below.

The scream of a mountain hawk came from high above. Peri looked up apprehensively and clutched her right shoulder protectively.

'Don't worry Peri, there are no pterodactyl-type creatures surviving on Karn.'

Peri shuddered. 'You're sure?'