Chapter Twelve
"There it is, sir."
"Well, what did you bring it in here for?"
Victoria watched the scene through the viewscreen. It had taken the soldiers most of the rest of the night to move the TARDIS to – where else? – the royal dungeons. Now it was locked in a cell, and the tired soldier who had coordinated the operation was reporting to someone in a fancy red-and-gold robe, complete with cape.
"There's someone in it, Lord Regent."
"Then why didn't you get him out?" The Regent's voice was dangerously soft. His hair, once black, was bleached grayish, and his eyes were red-rimmed and piercing.
"Her, sir. I'm pretty sure it's a girl." The soldier looked frustrated. "We tried everything in the book, and a few things out of it, and we couldn't crack it. Not even a dent. I can't imagine what's banged it up like this."
"Why is it in here?"
"Easier to guard here, sir."
"Blaid, Blaid, Blaid. Must I do all the thinking?" The Regent pressed a hand to his head, as if it was aching. "It's clearly a bomb or some other nefarious device designed to destroy the palace of the Emperor. Probably Krakod in origin – this writing is foreign, anyway. Have it taken out to the sand plains and destroyed."
No, Victoria thought.
"But what about the girl?" said the soldier.
"The thing's probably got a transmat in it," said the Regent. "She'll be long gone. Have it blown up."
The soldier shook his head. "We tried small explosives on the lock before, sir," he said. "Not a scratch. The skin's a lot tougher than it looks."
"Find a way to destroy it!" exploded the Regent. "I picked you for your brains! Now use them!"
The soldier stood stiffly. "Yes sir."
The Regent calmed down as quickly as he had blown up. He put a fatherly hand on the soldier's shoulder. "Look, I know it's difficult. I probably impress you as a paranoid authoritarian, don't I?"
The soldier did not respond.
"It's difficult, so soon after the tragedy. We have to work together, rebuild the public trust. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
The Regent left.
The soldier relaxed and sighed in relief. Then he looked at the police box, safely locked in the cell. He stepped over to the wall and struck a small gong. Another soldier came down the steps. "Blaid?"
"Get that big boat back here," said the first soldier wearily. "We're to take it out to the sand plains and destroy it."
"Fire, and we spent all night getting it in here," groaned the guard.
"What can I say? Regent's orders."
"Regent. Ha. I think he's–"
"Don't even say it. Get." The guard went up the steps and, with a last puzzled look at the TARDIS, the first soldier turned to follow him.
Victoria knew she had to time it very carefully. Just as the soldier out his foot on the first step, she twisted a control that she had seen the Doctor use several times before. "Hello?" she said tentatively. "Hello out there?"
o0o
"Back against the wall."
"Oh, certainly. Come on, we'd better do as he says." The Doctor backed up against the wall, and his companions reluctantly followed suit.
They stood in a ragged line and looked at their captor. "What now?" said Cerf quietly.
"Now we talk!" said the Doctor. He looked at the young Krakod. "When last we met, you were pretending you didn't understand my language. What's your name?"
"Auburning," said the Krakod automatically, and then bit his tongue. "Now be quiet."
"Certainly, certainly," said the Doctor. "This is quite an occasion. We don't often get captured by people with hats, you know. At least, not before yesterday." With that apparent non sequitor, he pulled out his recorder and started playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. The blue-green tassels tied to the end danced about.
Auburning's eyes went wide. "Where did you get those?"
"What? Oh, you would notice these, wouldn't you," said the Doctor, looking down at the tassels as if just realizing they were there. "The same place you got them, I expect." His head came up again and he gave the young soldier a penetrating stare. "And I outrank you by at least one degree."
Auburning slapped his forehead. "That's how you understood the Island code we were using in the tunnels. Why didn't you show us then?"
"Wait a minute," said Cerf. "What is this?"
"Well, I wanted to see what you were up to," said the Doctor to Auburning. "And I did. Major Hefuheo won't be pleased."
"You're from Krakor?" Auburning was getting more confused by the minute.
"What?" yelled Cerf. "You traitor!" He lunged at the Doctor. Jamie caught his arms and held him back. "Cool off," he whispered, "can't you see it's all a trick?"
"Don't look it, do I?" said the Doctor, sounding pleased with himself. "Of course you'll have to take me straight to the General and check my story." He stepped forward, suddenly impatient. "Well? Come on then."
Auburning backed away. "You know the others are still prisoners?" he said.
"Of course. Not this one, though–" indicating Jamie – "he's my assistant. Come along, man, where's the General?"
Jamie winked at the Prince. One by one, they filed out of the cave.
o0o
From the soldier's perspective, Victoria's voice seemed to come out of thin air. "Hello? Hello out there?"
The Vanussian stared at the TARDIS. Then he looked up the stairs, debating whether to call the other guard back or not. Victoria held her breath, but the soldier ran over to the bars of the cage. "Who's that? Come out with your hands up!"
"It's me. You saw me run in, and then I was too scared to come out, but now somebody's telling you to blow me up and you can't, can you? I mean, you wouldn't do that?" Victoria pitched her voice high and frightened. "I don't want to be blown up. There's something awfully strange in here. I think it's alive. Can you come in and see?" Holding her breath, she opened the doors.
"Come on out, miss," said the soldier, setting his blaster to stun. "I won't hurt you."
Victoria, who could see perfectly well what he was doing, said, "I can't get out. It's in the way. Ohh, hurry, it's moving!"
The guard opened the cell and came cautiously in. What harm could it do? The box was too small for the girl to put up much of a fight.
Victoria screamed. "It's got me!"
The soldier ran inside and stopped short, gaping at the sight of the huge gleaming control room. Victoria came out from behind one of the doors and hit him on the head as hard as she could with the piece of metal they had found on the future Efes.
There was a somber bonnnggg, reverberating around the room.
The soldier crumpled. Victoria stepped back, breathing hard, and then gasped as the metal crumbled away to nothing in her hands, its existence vindicated and its purpose fulfilled.
She grabbed the book, put the TARDIS key in her pocket and set about dragging the fallen soldier back outside. More guards would probably show up soon, and she didn't want to be there.