Part 11 (1/2)

Simon nodded. 'Yeah. I guess so.'

They were about to go looking for the Doctor when Carfrae had called for quiet. Through the door they could hear the Doctor's voice.

'What have you done?' The Doctor sounded very distraught. 'By what right did you do that?'

'Quiet, anthropoid.' That was a strange voice none of them recognized.

'I'm not just an anthropoid.' The Doctor again.

'Does it really matter?' Thorsuun. No doubting her sneering voice. Then Peter had pulled open the door and Carfrae had screamed.

Lying on the stairway, eyes wide open but a large portion of his chest apparently melted on to the steps, was Kerbe.

91.With a brief flash of dispa.s.sion Simon noted he was clearly dead, although his right hand, the gun clutched tightly in it, was still twitching autonomically. Simon turned his head to trace the stranger's voice and blinked. Somewhere from deep within his subconscious an order flashed into his brain.

His mouth formed the words, and his throat twitched and gurgled out a barely decipherable 'Quick! Run!' and he slammed the door shut, trapping the three of them in the Ex-Room.

'Simon!' It was the Doctor. 'Use the Ex-Area -' He was cut off by a swift thwack of something and a yelp of pain followed.

'It . . . it was a cat!' was all Carfrae could manage.

Ever practical, Peter, ignoring the pain from his arm, began activating their equipment. 'C'mon, guys. Let's get this up and running!' He waved at their equipment.

'But the Doctor -' Simon watched as Carfrae bolted the door.

'He said to use the Ex-Area. What else can we do?'

Simon felt like kicking himself. The other two were thinking, doing, acting and being. He was just standing there, trying to convince himself that, like Peter, he could accept alien Doctors, dead Kerbes and six-foot cats with guns and red leather flying suits.

'Simon! Please!' That was Carfrae again.

'Yeah. Right. OK, guys, let's get to it.'

One second later the door was blasted off its hinges and two Cat-People stood framed there, guns brought up.

Then there was a thud - the Doctor had thrown the larger of his two weird books into the Ex-Area. Simon bent down as the larger Cat-Person - a white one with a grey spot covering its left eye he noted rather pointlessly - brought its gun up to cover them.

'Leave the RTC,' it purred.

'Activate!' yelled the Doctor from behind and Simon saw Peter switch their machinery on.

The Cat-People suddenly seemed to s.h.i.+mmer and distort as if there were a ma.s.sive heat wave in front of them. It 92 reminded Simon of summer schooldays, lying on playground Tarmac and staring at the horizon, trying to see the heat haze create a sort of mirage. All around them everything in the room looked as if it were a mirage.

'And what good does the book do?' muttered Peter.

'I don't know,' said Carfrae, 'but the Doctor obviously thought it was important. We'd better leave it alone.'

'Those Cat-People have given up and gone,' Peter said, pointing. 'But I can't see outside this room.'

'Good.' Simon sat on the floor and looked up at the others.

'Anyone brought a pack of cards with them? I could do with a round of whist.'

'No! Don't kill me!'

'Why not?' spat Lotuss. 'You'd suit me dead.'

Thorsuun waited as the Doctor thought about this for a moment. 'I could be very useful to you and your queen.

Your litter would find me exceptionally clever. And I know lots about this planet, its people and how it works. I could act as an intermediary for you.' Thorsuun grunted humourlessly.

'Why?' That was Chosan.

'Ah . . . well, because . . . because I want to live and it's far better to serve you and live than fight you and die. I know far more ways to help you than Thorsuun does.'

'Oh, nice try, Doctor.' Thorsuun tapped Lotuss on the shoulder. 'I thought I told you to kill him, litter-runt.'

There was a moment's pause before Lotuss turned to look at Thorsuun. 'I obey Queen Aysha. My mother. Not you, quisling.' Lotuss was about to move away, when she raised her scarred left arm. 'By the way, Thorgarsuunela, I hope I don't have to remind you again: the term ”litter-runt” is not appreciated. Use it again and I will kill you - regardless of my mother's wishes.' Lotuss signalled to the white Cat-Person with the grey eye-spot, Jayde, and Chosan. 'Let us take these animals with us. Have Aall prepare to use the transporter to take the object that Queen Aysha indicated 93 earlier up to the battle-cruiser. Get the Coates-tom. He can look after Thorgarsuunela and the Doctor-tom.'

Jayde mewed acquiescence and left through the front door. Thorsuun wondered what was coming next. And what object had Aysha found?

Chosan looked at Lotuss and then their captives. 'Queen Aysha has decreed that you will live for a while.'

'Well, I'm relieved to hear that, at least,' the Doctor said.

'If, however, you cause any trouble, you will be killed. Is that understood?'

Thorsuun tried one last tack. 'First-sired Chosan, I am your ally, not some second-rate anthropoid. I insist -'

Chosan's blaster was pressed against her chin in a second.

'I expect that your Kerbe-tom thought he was useful to you, but you proved him wrong.'

Lotuss joined in. 'I enjoyed destroying him. To be honest, I'd enjoy destroying you even more.'

Thorsuun shut up. She just looked at the Doctor who was breathing on a coat b.u.t.ton and polis.h.i.+ng it with his sleeve.

Without raising his head, his green eyes stared hard at Thorsuun. Green eyes which, she suddenly realized, looked just like cat's eyes.

'h.e.l.lo. Who are you?'

'I-I'm not entirely sure. Where am I?'

'I'm afraid I don't know. My name is Simms. Nate Simms.

From Parramatta, Sydney.'

'Y-you don't sound very Australian.'

'Oh, I'm not actually. I'm from Loughborough originally but I moved to Sydney about two years ago.'