Part 16 (1/2)

'So did I, Brigadier Bambera.' He returned her salute.

'Now, is the exclusion perimeter secure? The whole area is crawling with armed extra-terrestrials and they're hostile!'

Ace watched the Doctor indulge himself in a sly smile.

'Just like old times, eh Brigadier?' he said.

She waited to be introduced.

Bambera looked awkward. 'Regrettably I've only just got back here myself. But my first officer informs me that the radio jamming suddenly stopped a few minutes ago.'

She found Lethbridge-Stewart manoeuvring her to one side. 'The Doctor said there'd been problems. So we'd better get started, hadn't we?'

'That's right,' interrupted the Doctor with a grin. 'Two brigadiers are better than one!'

As he started up the slope towards Ace, she heard him mutter, 'I hope.'

'Ace, you're sopping wet,' he said out loud.

'My lord Merlin?' called Ancelyn.

The Doctor veered off course, leaving Ace alone and disgruntled.

Lethbridge-Stewart turned in surprise. 'Merlin now?' he asked.

'He has many names,' said the knight. 'Soon we shall see the tyrant Morgaine bow before his power.'

He went down on one knee and lifted Excalibur towards the Doctor. Lowering his eyes, he said, 'Truly, the Time of Rest.i.tution has come.'

What about me, thought Ace. I brought that back.

The Doctor seemed almost reluctant to take the sacred weapon. He picked it out of Ancelyn's hands and handed it to Peter Warmsly. 'Hold this, Peter. it goes with the scabbard. Look after it for me.'

The archaeologist was too confused even to answer.

The Brigadier climbed the crater and studied the group.

'He has many companions too,' he said and nodded at Ace.

'This must be the latest one.'

Ace stared.

'I'll get the perimeter checked now,' said Bambera and turned to go.

'Bambera,' called Lethbridge-Stewart. 'I had to leave my helicopter pilot where we came down near the village.

Lieutenant Lavel. She may be hurt and in trouble. We may have to get her out of there.'

'I'll see what I can do.'

'And see if you can find a blanket for this young lady,'

he added with a glance at Ace.

Bambera looked at him and said tightly, 'Yes, sir.

Perhaps I should make some tea too.' She walked stiffly away towards the group of soldiers staring from the convoy barrier tape.

They heard her yelling orders. Ancelyn bowed his head to Merlin and set off in her wake.

Ace found that Lethbridge-Stewart was watching her.

'Are you all right, miss?' he enquired.

'Just call me the Latest One,' she said sourly and started to walk after Bambera. 'I'll get my own blanket. Coming, Shou Yuing?'

The Brigadier found himself alone with the Doctor and the archaeologist. 'Oh dear. Women. Not really my field,'

he said. And he had forgotten to ring Doris as well.

The Doctor flicked away a charred piece of his hat. He thought of Morgaine and studied the woods that surrounded the lake. 'Don't worry Brigadier, people will be shooting at you soon,' he said cheerfully.

Chapter 2.

Elizabeth Rowlinson sat quietly and listened. It was ten minutes since she and Pat had heard the helicopter come down beyond the trees.

The phone was still out of order and none of the staff had turned up that morning, but there were no new customers either. The hotel had seemed mercifully empty once the visitors had vanished. When they heard the crash.

Pat had taken the first-aid kit and gone to help.

Elizabeth waited in the lounge bar and strained to hear the familiar sounds that no one else noticed. She had felt presences too. Since the strange night before, instincts that she kept to herself warned her that the world had somehow changed or was out of kilter. She had even sensed what she supposed was darkness. The change was beyond her definition, but it was unnatural and filled her with fear.

She moved to the window where she could feel the sunlight. The more she strained to hear, the less she heard.

The silence nearly deafened her. She could no longer tell what she listened for from what she imagined she heard.

She thought she heard many footsteps on the road, marching in unison like soldiers. The sun's warmth faded as she felt a shadow pa.s.s across the window.

She thought she heard the outer door to the hall open.

She even felt the brief chill of a sudden draught. Then there was silence; a silence that was too full of quiet.