Doctor Who: The Mark of the Rani (13 page)

‘Do what?’

‘Don’t you understand? Run away now and you’ll never be free of the Doctor. But feed Lord Ravensworth one of your impregnated maggots, and we’ll be able to take over!’

Intuition urged her to reject his advice... and yet...

‘It’s the last thing he’ll be expecting,’ he entreated.

‘I’ll probably regret this.’ She adjusted the space continuum.

‘We’ll be waiting for the Doctor when he gets there!’

19

‘Okay, so what’s to stop them materialising somewhere else in Killingworth?’

This was the nub of the issue in Peri’s practical mind.

She and the Doctor had made their escape. Behind them, huge clouds of dust spumed from the disused mine entrance. Naturally, she rejoiced in their deliverance, but could see no reason for complacency.

She repeated her question.

‘What indeed!’ The Doctor was twirling a screwdriver nonchalantly. ‘While I was in the Rani’s TARDIS, I made an adjustment or two.’ He chuckled, remembering the occasion. ‘To the navigational aid and the velocity regulator.’

Provided it worked, thought Peri. Past experience of the Doctor’s so-called modifications kept her in sceptical mood.

The Rani’s TARDIS began to vibrate.

‘What is it?’ asked the Master.

The Rani manipulated the velocity regulator.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Our speed’s increasing,’ the Rani replied.

‘Then reduce it!’ He joined her at the auxiliary power panel.

‘You asinine cretin! What do you imagine I’m trying to do!’ She elbowed him aside and flicked the velocity regulator again.

No response.

Forsaking that section of the console, she jammed the navigational aid into an ‘off position. Perhaps that would restrain the unfettered TARDIS.

It didn’t.

Instead, in gathering momentum, the room started to rotate...

The impact of what was occurring rendered the articulate pair speechless. At this rate of increase, they would cross the frontier into the unknown. No-one had ever travelled at such speeds.

Rotation and acceleration built up to so great a degree that they were being propelled to the walls.

The Rani tried desperately to cling to the console.

It was as if she were submerged in a ferocious whirlpool, except the suction was reversed. Invisible tentacles embraced her. Like unseen leeches, they bled energy from every sinew and muscle, and dragged her outwards. Her clawing fingers lost their purchase. Remorselessly, she was forced away from the console; away from the position where she could influence events. Transfixed against the wall, she, who had reduced so many to the status of helpless victim, now got a bitter taste of her own medicine.

The vibration had set going a tintinnabulation of tinkling glass as dozens of bottles and tubes jigged and danced.

Glued to the wall, the Master’s mesmerized attention was on the Tyrannosaurus Rex embryo jars as they strained their retaining clamps to breaking point...

‘They’re Time Lords, the Rani and the Master.’ Peri’s prosaic mind worried on. ‘They’ll repair the TARDIS.’

‘Eventually. But not yet. Not before they’re beyond the Milky Way!’ Exuberance was in every stride the Doctor took as they made their way past the bath house. ‘For that matter, beyond most galaxies.’ He glanced up at the sky.

‘I’ve heard conditions are rather primitive in the outer reaches of the Universe!’

Glancing skywards too, Peri could not appreciate, as the Doctor could, the real extent of the Rani’s and the Master’s plight.

‘Hardly the setting for an harmonious relationship,’

mused the Doctor.

Quite true.

But even he could not foresee how dreadful his enemies’

situation would become.

By now the awesome centrifugal force had them plastered against the wall. The resulting ‘G’ factor was reflected in their agonised rictal grimaces.

Also reflected was terror.

One of the jars had crashed to the floor, ejecting an embryo.

The impact acted as a post-natal slap. The embryo began to squirm... it was alive...!

Worse... it seemed to be developing in size... ‘It’s growing!’ The Master’s horror was tinged with disbelief.

How could the obscenity grow that rapidly? It was an embryo, months away from being fully developed. And yet the limbs and torso were lengthening.

‘Acceleration! Time spillage!’ The Rani’s vocal cords were hoarse with despair. She had seen the Tyrannosaurus Rex in action when she had raided the Cretaceous Age to purloin the embryos. She knew this monster would need to mature very little before it could scrunch them savagely between bone-crushing jaws.

The Master seemed spellbound by the beast as the powerful, arched hind-quarters began to bulge and swell.

Its scaly legs grew visibly longer, its talons sharper and stronger. Time spillage was causing the dinosaur to achieve a year’s growth in minutes.

Pinned to the wall, even the Rani, with all her brilliance, could think of no counter-measure. They were irretrievably trapped with a creature that would devour them without mercy.

Almost as though it could read their thoughts, the Tyrannosaurus Rex widened its cavernous jaws in a salivating, toothy grin...

20

‘Where are you going?’

Crossing the pit yard with the Doctor, Peri had diverted towards the office.

‘The sleeping draught, remember?’ She waggled a bunch of valerian; at least she hadn’t forgotten the unfortunate miners.

‘Taken care of.’ With a smug grin the Doctor produced the phial of brain fluid. ‘I managed to –’

‘– pick the Master’s pocket when you bumped into him!’

finished Peri. The Doctor was insufferable.

‘Exactly.’ He beamed and gave her the phial.

‘Well, let me deflate that swollen ego and remind you of something we haven’t got – the TARDIS!’

‘What the blazes do you think that is?’

‘Why not ask t’Doctor?’

Ravensworth raised his eyebrows at Stephenson’s reply.

‘Have you ever tried asking the Doctor a question?’

Stephenson’s smile proved that he had.

As if on cue, the Doctor entered the workshop. He patted the subject of their conversation affectionately.

‘Battered but not bowed! Thank you, Stephenson.’

‘Had to haul it out manually. T’were no easy task. Took forty men.’

‘I’m extremely grateful.’

Arriving, Peri sighed with relief when she saw the TARDIS. Giving Lord Ravensworth the phial of brain fluid, she explained that if he administered it to Jack Ward and the surviving aggressors, they would recover from their condition.

His lordship accepted the phial without comment.

‘No questions?’ the Doctor teased.

‘My dear man, would there be any point?’

Honours even!

His invention always to the forefront, Stephenson indicated a valve clamped to a vice. ‘Tha’s a student of science, Doctor.’ About to unlock the TARDIS, the Doctor hesitated. ‘This valve be t’problem. ‘Appen tha’ could help?’

The Doctor badly wanted to. Perhaps just a hint? No.

Not allowed. Strictly forbidden.

‘You’ll’solve it, my friend.’

‘Hope you’re right.’

The Time Lord knew he was. History proved it. ‘And when you do, your invention will take off like a rocket, Stephenson!’

‘Your puns get worse!’ groaned Peri.

‘Really, Peri? I thought they were improving.’ He opened the TARDIS door.

‘Er – I will venture one question.’ Ravensworth’s curiosity had got the better of him. ‘What precisely do you do in that box?’

‘Argue mainly. Goodbye.’ The Doctor ushered Peri smartly inside.

‘And don’t bother to ask me where I’d like to visit this time!’ scolded Peri.

The door slammed shut behind them.

Then, to the amazement of the two men, the light above the police box lit up. Odd sounds throbbed. One... two...

three... and the TARDIS dematerialised...

Ravensworth was the first to speak. ‘I always said he was a strange fellow.’

A nod from Stephenson. ‘Aye, where dost reckon he’s gone now... ?’

The bower of mauve and white blossom wafted its scent over the royal party progressing to the greenhouses.

Daffodils waved their trumpets, tulips stood stiffly to attention. Spring, in all its glory, was paying a floral tribute.

‘"Come down to Kew in lilac time",’ recited the Doctor.

He had brought them to the magnificent gardens on a sunny April day.

Yet Peri was not overjoyed. She was subdued as she gazed pensively at a purple-bearded iris. The goatee beard and jowl-like petals reminded her of a mournful Cavalier.

That was the trouble. Every flower seemed to have a face.

A human face.

But they couldn’t have...

Could they?

• Front cover
  
• Rear cover
  
• Title page
  
• Copyright
  
• Contents
  
• Prologue
  
• 1 House of Evil
  
• 2 The Scarecrow
  
• 3 The Old Crone
  
• 4 Death Fall
  
• 5 Enter the Rani
  
• 6 Miasimia Goria
  
• 7 A Deadly Signature
  
• 8 Face to Face
  
• 9 Triumph Of The Master
  
• 10 A Change Of Loyalty
  
• 11 Fools Rush In
  
• 12 An Unpleasant Surprise
  
• 13 Taken For A Ride
  
• 14 The Bait
  
• 15 Metamorphosis
  
• 16 Life In The Balance
  
• 17 More Macabre Memorials
  
• 18 Cave-In
  
• 19 Birth Of A Carnivore
  
• 20 The Final Question
  
• Epilogue