Steve Cole - Doctor Who - The Knight, The Fool and The Dead

‘Estinee has been taken by the Kotturuh,’ said the Doctor. ‘Why? She’s already been judged, she’s felt their touch. Why would they take her?’

‘Perhaps because she wears the Lifeshroud, and they fear its implications? Hence they attacked before it could be employed,’ said Chalskal. ‘The important thing is, we must save the child! Brian’s services are at your disposal, and I will aid your mission in any way I can.’

‘Whoa, whoa, hang on a minute,’ the Doctor said. ‘Are you sure it’s the girl you want to save – or this Lifeshroud? That’s what your Ood came here for, isn’t it? To test it – and if it worked, to steal it.’

‘To place it in the public domain,’ Chalskal protested. ‘To dress the frightened peoples of the Pan-Victis Defensive Alliance in its protection—’

‘ To steal it ,’ the Doctor said flatly. ‘That’s why your tracker forced me and Estinee down, why Brian came after us. But what about this Fallomax, and her ship—’

‘It departed even before your crash,’ said Brian, ‘cloaked to evade detection.’

‘But all is not lost! May my tails upend me if I lie.’ Chalskal held resolutely still on his fleshy tripod for a few seconds as if to prove it.

With a sigh, the Doctor sank down to his haunches in the ruins of Andalia’s ancient temples and of its fresh, far-reaching dead. ‘It feels like all is very much lost.’

‘Listen to me.’ Chalskal leaned in closer. ‘Estinee’s employer, the estimable Professor Hana Fallomax, has been developing the Lifeshroud for almost a century, originally to protect the wearer from potentially fatal accidents. Then her people were judged by the Kotturuh. Judged and found wanting …’

The Doctor knew he was plucking at any distraction to lift him from the horror he’d just witnessed, but was intrigued despite himself. ‘How did she survive?’

‘Fallomax was working far off-world, in a secret facility,’ Brian explained. ‘But no one can outrun death.’

Chalskal merely sniffed. ‘The professor does a fair job of it. As far as we know, Fallomax has sold Lifeshrouds in bulk only on seven worlds – and each was invaded by the Kotturuh before the crystals vital to their operation could be supplied.’

‘Taking action before Lifeshrouds can stop them.’ The Doctor considered. ‘Could the Kotturuh have taken the girl to get to Fallomax?’

‘It is possible,’ said Brian, ‘if unexpectedly elaborate.’

‘But if the Lifeshroud falls into the Kotturuh’s hands, then the best hope for countless worlds’ survival is lost.’ Chalskal rocked back and forth on his tails. ‘We need to move quickly. My tracker injected a signal device into the child’s genetic profile.’

‘Snoop DNA,’ Brian translated. ‘We can find her, wherever she’s gone.’

‘I know now, good Doctor, that you are not some opportunistic thief. You are a philanthropist such as myself. When I possess the Lifeshroud, I will offer protection for all, so the Kotturuh can be fought! So we can prevent another Andalia …’ Chalskal tipped forward to the point where he was almost kissing the virtual floor. ‘I beseech you, with this magnificent bow, to aid me in my endeavour. I will naturally reimburse you for your time and assistance. Brian will confirm I am most generous.’

‘I don’t want your money.’

‘Your purity of spirit shines forth,’ said Chalskal smarmily. ‘Brian has the wherewithal to track the child, and a fast ship with which to reach her.’

‘We’ll take my ship,’ said the Doctor.

‘I am eager to see it,’ said Brian.

‘And I will be awaiting updates most keenly.’ Chalskal rotated almost upside down, his longest tail providing a fourth support to the existing tripod. ‘Kindly accept – in this further magnificent bow – my best felicitations for the success of your mission.’

The flickering image of Chalskal stayed in his curious posture for many, many minutes, although the Doctor and Brian had gone, and the dead could take no notice.

First Interlude

Fire licked and spat through the sockets of the three skulls perched on the flaming torches. Barbara held a fourth; if the others represented Ian, Susan and the old man, she supposed this one was hers. She stared into those gaping eyeholes, wondering what the face had looked like, masking the bone. What had this man or woman done, who-knew-how-many thousands of years ago, to end their miserable days here in the Cave of Skulls with a stone axe in the back of their head?

The skull’s blank grin seemed to mock her incomprehension. Yesterday had been lessons and staff meetings and bad coffee, just as normal. Today, sense and logic were as lost as she was and death seemed all but certain. And all because she’d forced her way through a blue door into madness, into the old man’s terrifying world.

He was suddenly beside her, weary and impatient, trying to wrest the skull from her hands. ‘Let me do it. We may not have long.’

‘I’m fine,’ she insisted, turning from him. She placed the skull over the torch. The fire crackled through the split in the top of the skull, and the empty eyes belched greasy smoke.

She looked over to Ian, who was peering through a crack in the wall with Susan, keeping watch for their captors’ return. The plan with the skulls had been his: ‘ To all intents and purposes, we are going to die ,’ he’d said. If the tribe holding them believed that their prisoners had turned into fiery demons, they might run and cower, afraid for their own lives.

‘ While they’re distracted, we’ll escape .’ Ian had spoken with such certainty. Yesterday he’d been just a colleague. Now he was already a rock to her, as strong as the one that blocked the exit to this cave.

She surveyed the baleful Halloween sight of the skulls on their sticks. ‘Do you really think it’ll work?’ she said softly. ‘Convince the tribe that we’ve turned into fiery demons?’

‘I should hope so. Yes, I should hope so.’ The old man had retreated to the shadows at the back of the cave. ‘You’ve seen how stupid these people are.’

‘Primitive isn’t the same as stupid,’ said Barbara.

He patted the sand beside him. ‘Come. Rest your legs. We will need all our strength to get back to the ship.’

Barbara did so. The sand was cold. The animal grease they’d rubbed on the torches stank as it burned, her throat felt parched. The skulls grinned back at her. ‘It’s like we’ve died already.’

‘Now, now. You mustn’t talk that way.’ The old man put his hand on hers for a moment. ‘Susan and I, we’ve cheated death before, you know, and we shall again.’ He paused. ‘We all shall.’

The skulls went on staring.

‘You’ve reminded me. There’s a folk tale of a man who cheated death,’ said Barbara, ‘by the Brothers Grimm. About a tailor who had twelve children, and a 13th on the way that he couldn’t afford to feed. So he tried to find someone who’d be godfather to the newborn.’

‘Did he, now?’ She caught the derision in the old man’s sniff. ‘Did he, indeed?’

‘I’m sorry.’ Barbara wrapped her arms about her knees. ‘I’m only talking because … just waiting like this in this terrible place—’

‘Quite right, my dear. I feel we could both use our minds being taken off our predicament a little.’ His eyes twinkled, softening the craggy face. ‘Tell me this story. It can’t be more Grimm than our current predicament, hmm?’

Disarmed by this rare flash of humour, Barbara smiled despite herself. ‘All right. Well, the tailor went looking for the best godfather, and he met God. God said he would bring health and happiness to the boy. The tailor refused, because God condoned poverty in the world. The tailor went on along the road and he met the Devil, and the Devil said he’d bring the child gold and pleasure, but the tailor knew how the devil deceives mankind.’