Chapter Fifteen
Jamie and Victoria turned a corner and almost ran into another suit of armor. Cool wind blew down the staircase next to it. "Come on!" cried Jamie. "This way, and then up to the top of the tower, that's what the Doctor said."
"He's really all right?" said Victoria, for the third time.
"Look, I keep telling you, it takes a lot more than an army to stop the Doctor..." He slowed down as they got to the landing in the big hall. "What's all that commotion out there?"
They moved cautiously over to the outer door and opened it a bit.
After a moment they closed it. Victoria's voice was shaky. "A lot more than an army, you said?"
A loud blast shook the door. "Come on, let's get out of here," said Jamie. They raced up the stairs.
The next landing was in the middle of a hallway. At each end was a staircase going up. "Which way do we go?" said Victoria. "It looks like each way leads to a different tower."
There was a clatter on the right staircase. "Shhh, someone's coming down!" Jamie pulled Victoria back into the stairwell, wishing he had his dagger, and peeked around the corner.
"Jamie!" called two voices at the same time.
"It's all right," said Jamie, relieved. "It's Elfik and Kapik."
"Jamie!" The faces of the scientists were flushed with victory and their hands were full of discs, hand screens, and printouts. They spoke excitedly, almost simultaneously, interrupting each other with every second word.
"We got everything, all the data on the continent--"
"And we developed the latest transmissions from the Tenek satellites and everything--"
"Oh, is that Victoria? Hello, I'm Elfik and this is my sister Kapik--"
"--what happened to your guard?"
"He ran out as if he was possessed or something. Victoria, these are Kapik and Elfik, the royal astronomers."
"Hello."
"Hello! I see you got the book."
"Yes... hadn't we better go up now and find the Doctor?"
"Right, come on then." They all ran up the left staircase.
o0o
"Now, if I'm right," said the Doctor, tying the last of the bandages tight, "you can go into a healing coma and have that fixed in a few hours."
Tellisn stared up at him. "How did you know that?"
"Tut, I saw you throw Sode. That was classic, just classic." He smiled mischievously. "You'll have to teach me how sometime. What degree are you... so far?"
"Gray."
"Oh my, that's impressive. The healing trance should come easy for you then -- where's it taught, third level?"
"The healing trance will be useless here. I am sorry, Highness, but it would be foolish to put myself into a trance here where there is danger..." His voice was growing weaker.
The Doctor stood up. "Well," he said briskly, "I think I may have a suggestion."
o0o
Halfway down the stairs they met another party coming up. The Doctor's face lit up. "Jamie! And Victoria!"
"Oh, Doctor, you're all right!"
"A' told ye so," muttered Jamie, but he grinned as Victoria hugged the Doctor, and displayed her book like a child showing off a crayoned scribble. Kapik and Elfik came up behind her, trying to put their papers in order.
Gamra and Alendar trailed behind, half dragging a semiconscious Sode. His hands were tied behind him with the last of the bandages. "Hey," said Jamie, "what's he doin' here?"
"He's Hron," said Cerf grimly. "I told you about him. I'm taking him down to the dungeons, and then I'll call the Thane. We have a lot to talk about."
Victoria noticed the two guards. "Thank you for your help before. How did you escape?"
"We were being held in a room here," said Gamra, sounding faintly puzzled, "when our guards simply deserted us, and left the door unlocked."
"That's what happened to my guard!" said Jamie. "There's something awfully funny going on here."
The Doctor was lost in thought, examining Elfik and Kapik's calculations. "Yes... that's the anomaly, is it? Here, and again here..."
"That's what we were worried about," said Elfik. "But as soon as the Emperor died our funding was stopped and we were forbidden to use our instruments. Then, when we were put in the cells--"
"I see," muttered the Doctor. "But why would Sode suspend your research?"
Suddenly Tellisn jumped. "Sode's--" But it was too late. Sode snapped the bandages like wet spiderweb, wrenched free from Cerf and Gamra, hurled himself at the nearest window and was gone in a shattering of glass.