Part 21 (1/2)

'Thanks, Professor.'

There was a blurt of sound as the Brigadier's radio came alive. 'Husak to Greyhound One. The Seabirds are still operational. I repeat, the Seabirds are still operational!'

Morgaine stood at the heart of the octogrammaton, a web of power surrounding her. At her feet, enfolded in her cloak, sat her son. The crystal sphere, window across the worlds, hovered before them in the dark air of the old priory. Images flickered within its shape.

'The Knight Commander has failed,' said Mordred.

'Be not so harsh in your judgements, my son. This is Merlin.'

'But he has Excalibur.'

'Patience,' whispered the Queen. 'We have forestalled Arthur's arising. Now we shall use more subtle arts against his fool conjuror.'

The grimoires and books of lore that she had studied since she was a novice spoke of the spirits that dwelt all around them. As her knowledge grew with her power, she learned to bind the spirits to her will. The trees and the waters. The fair and foul fiends that went by the names of their tasks: the Lightning, Winds and Mists; the Menders and the Healers; the Destroyer.

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart spread the map across the coffee table and pointed to the road leading from the lake.

'Husak found the car here. They'd obviously abandoned it, because he found Bambera's beret further into the woods.'

'Well, at least they're alive,' said the Doctor.

'Yes, but Husak reckoned they were heading back to the lake.'

'Towards the missile convoy?'

'That's where Bambera's unit is.'

The Doctor squinted at the map again. 'But if they lead Morgaine's troops there...'

'It's a fully armed nuclear missile,' said the Brigadier.

'Don't you have procedures for situations like this?' the Doctor snapped.

'The unit's already on a Broken Arrow alert.'

'Oh, very rea.s.suring.'

'I gather the next scenario is known as Bent Spear. I'll have to check procedures.'

The Doctor finally lost his temper. 'If there's an accident, Brigadier... We have to stop any engagement. Is there a helicopter available?'

To the Doctor's annoyance, the Brigadier smiled knowingly and said, 'Much better than that, Doctor.'

He walked smartly out of the lounge and through the hotel hall into the open air.

The Doctor followed and was brought up in his tracks by the familiar object that sat in the centre of the otherwise deserted car park.

'Bessie!' he exclaimed in astonished delight.

Ace and Shou Yuing were already staring at the bright yellow, open-top, antique roadster.

The Doctor sauntered around his old car, beaming with pleasure as he checked for rust and scratches.

'I knew how fond you were of it,' called the Brigadier, 'so when you last went off on your... ”travels”, I had it put in mothb.a.l.l.s.'

'Does it run on petrol or steam?' teased Ace.

The Doctor climbed into the driving seat and refamiliarized himself with the deceptively veteran controls that he had once souped up so lovingly.

'For that,' he said to Ace, 'you can stay here. Coming, Brigadier?'

'Oh. Professor!'

'Too bad, Ace. Besides which, things may get dangerous.' He held up something stubby and white and pencil shaped. 'I want you to have this.'

'It looks like a piece of chalk,' she said.

'It is.' He dabbed her on the nose with it. 'I got it from the dartboard. It'll protect you from Morgaine's sorcery.'

'A piece of chalk?'

He suddenly looked gravely serious. 'At the first sign of anything strange, draw a chalk circle. As perfect as you can make it.'

'What, like in Dennis Wheatley?'

'I expect so. Then you and Shou Yuing stand inside with Excalibur and the scabbard.'

'Right, Professor.'

'Trust me, Ace,' he said.

'I do.'

'Good. And whatever happens, neither of you step outside that circle until I return.'

Shou Yuing barely managed to stifle a grin until she saw that Ace was as serious as the Doctor.

There was a twitter of energy as the Doctor clamped a small device over the hub of the steering wheel. He turned a lever on the top between his fingers. 'Running up to speed,' he said. 'Ready, Brigadier? Just pray we're not too late.'

The engine whined in an ascending scale. Strapped into the pa.s.senger seat, Lethbridge-Stewart tensed himself as if preparing for blast-off.

Ace nudged Shou Yuing. 'Nought to sixty in twenty minutes!'