Doctor Who_ Enlightenment Part 4

'Of course,' Turlough said softly, almost to himself. 'He doesn't drink, he hasn't had his tot.'

'What's that got to do with it?' Tegan asked.

'They'd never get them up there without it!'

'Up where?' Tegan still did not understand.

'Up into the rigging,' Turlough said, impatiently.

Tegan was completely taken aback. 'The rigging!' she exclaimed. 'In s.p.a.ce! It's mad! This ship can't function like a real sailing-ship!'

'Never heard of the solar wind?' Turlough asked. 'Ten protons per centimetre moving outward from the sun at 440 miles a second. That's a supersonic velocity, and if it can deflect the tails of comets, it can move us as well!'

'Take in the top gallant.'

Striker stood by the helmsman, totally in command.

Marriner, relaying his orders, shouted down the speaking-tube.

'Get them aloft, bosun. Take in the top gallant.'

'A point-and-a-half to starboard, helmsman.' The sailor obeyed but the look he gave his Captain was one of pure terror. The Doctor sympathised.

'What are you doing?' he asked urgently. Striker ignored him.

'Hold her on course,' he said again. 'We'll cut it as fine as we can.'

'D'you think that's wise?' the Doctor asked tightly.

Marriner seemed to share his concern.

'We're coming in too fast,' he called.

'Take in the upper topsail.' The Captain's order was relayed down the speaking-tube, 'Take in the upper topsail.'

'Come about or you'll crash!' the Doctor implored desperately.

'Certainly not. Hold her steady, helmsman.' The Captain was adamant, and seeing the wretched sailor struggling, the Doctor rushed to help him hold the wheel.

'Get them up there,' Marriner's shouts came thick and fast. 'Stand by to lower the gaffs. Get those men aloft '

The black smog banks seemed to be rushing towards them at enormous speed, lightning flashing within them, and the helmsman gasped in horror.

'Hold her on course, man,' Striker grated, and then, with an impatient gesture, shoved the wretched sailor to one side and took his place at the wheel with the Doctor.

'What are we down to, Mr Mate?'

'Staysail, fore lower topsail and main trysail,' came the reply. 'If we strip her any more she won't steer.'

'Heave to!' demanded the Doctor.

'And lose our chance of being first round? Never!'

There was elation in Striker's voice and his face was transformed. 'This is the sort of excitement that makes eternity bearable.'

It was at that moment that Tegan and Turlough burst in and cowered back in horror at the sight which filled the port the shimmering heat of h.e.l.l itself.

'What's happening?' Tegan cried. 'Stop!'

'We can't! We're running before the wind,' the Doctor called back. 'Some sort of ion drive.'

'We're going to hit!' Turlough shouted.

The ship lurched wildly. Everyone but the Doctor and Striker was thrown across the room. There was a momentary glimpse of clinging wisps of fog at the portholes, as though it was trying to suck them down down into the sulphurous clouds, down to where acid fell like rain, to where the great wind whirled unceasingly, to the surface of the planet itself, molten with heat. Then they pulled away. The ship resumed even keel. Venus receded to the left of the screen. Slowly everyone began to pick themselves up, and there was the sound of distant cheering from the men aloft. Tegan could hardly believe her eyes when she saw Marriner's grin.

'A close shave, Captain,' he said.

'They'll never catch us now!' Striker was triumphant.

Turlough found he was shivering, whether with relief or fear he was not sure. 'We must have entered the gravitational pull of the planet,' he whispered to the Doctor. 'Why didn't we crash?'

'Luck,' came the sardonic reply. But Tegan heard it.

'Luck!' She was hopping mad and her fury was turned on Marriner and Striker. 'We could have been killed!' Her accusing look meant nothing to them. 'Worth risking to win,' Marriner answered mildly; Striker seemed to be communing with himself. 'We are determined to win.'

'And "winner takes all",' said the Doctor quietly.

'Let's see who's next to round her, Mr Marriner.' Striker operated the scanner screen, and into view, rounding the rim of Venus, sailed a galleon and a Greek battle cruiser.

'Critas and the Buccaneer Buccaneer!' came Marriner's excited comment. 'Neck and neck!'

Tegan looked at his face, and then at Striker's animated and alive, the frozen look banished completely.

But before she had time to draw the Doctor's attention to the transformation, a sudden blinding flash suffused the screen, and they reeled as shock waves. .h.i.t the ship. On the scanner the Greek ship showed as nothing but a ma.s.s of flames. A second later there was another shattering explosion, and she disintegrated and disappeared completely. Where she had been was simply the blackness of s.p.a.ce.

'Gravitational pull, would you say?' Nothing but detached interest was apparent in Striker's voice. Marriner was equally casual. 'Must have cut it a bit too fine. Bad luck, really.'

'Bad luck!' Tegan was on him like a tornado. 'Is that all you can say! A ship has just been destroyed! Its entire crew wiped out!'

She might not have spoken for all the effect it had.

Indeed Striker sounded positively cheerful as he glanced round the a.s.sembled company.

'We have a clear lead, gentlemen. And I intend to keep it. Mr Marriner, issue the crew an extra ration of rum.

With the Captain's compliments.'

Marriner saluted and left the room, and Striker turned on his heel and went back to join the helmsman. Turlough was left looking at the Doctor.

'I've never seen a ship break up like that before,' he said.

'Was it gravitational pull?'

The Doctor shook his head. 'Unlikely. You saw how this was manoeuvred around Venus. Their ships can withstand enormous stress.'

Tegan still seemed dazed. 'Was it sabotage?' she asked in a whisper.

'Or was it shot down?'

The Doctor's voice was grave. 'This race is getting serious. Someone is prepared to kill in order to win.'

'Win what?' Tegan felt completely bewildered. 'We don't even know what the prize is.'

'We must find out,' the Doctor replied. 'I think it's time we had a conference.'

Tegan glanced at Striker's broad shoulders, as he stood, with back towards them, by the wheel. With a sinking heart and a slight pang, she thought of Marriner.

'You don't think they they were responsible, do you?' she said. 'They can't be murderers!' were responsible, do you?' she said. 'They can't be murderers!'

To her surprise, instead of answering rea.s.suringly, the Doctor turned her sharply to face the exit.

'Not here, Tegan. Your cabin,' he said, and pushed her and Turlough firmly into the corridor.

6.

The Officers.

Tegan stared blankly at the door which had just been shut in her face. 'What was all that about?' she asked in an aggrieved voice.

'Have you forgotten your room?' Turlough reminded her. 'All the things in it, taken from your memory? These creatures must be able to mind read, we've got to be careful.'

At that moment one of the 'creatures' appeared. Round the corner of the pa.s.sage way came Marriner. His smile was as charming as ever, his manner as courteous and urbane as he offered to escort Tegan to her cabin.

'I can find my own room, thanks,' was her snappy rejoinder, and she turned on her heel and walked away.

The rebuff did not seem to put the First Mate off in the least, and he followed her quite happily.

Turlough watched them go, then quietly moved off in the opposite direction. He had a particular reason for wanting to be on his own.

In the wheel-house the Captain still stared blankly into s.p.a.ce. The Doctor thought of Tegan's momentary suspicion. He too found it difficult to believe that their hosts were cold-blooded killers.

'Your a.s.sumptions are correct.' Striker suddenly spoke, without either turning round or looking at him. 'No one on this ship was responsible for the destruction of the Greek.'

'Who was, then?' the Doctor asked softly. 'Who did it?'

'I don't know.' Striker still stared into s.p.a.ce. 'Sabotage is not against the rules of the race. It is simply less diverting.'

'It spoils the fun, you mean,' the Doctor said grimly.

'What is is against the rules, then?' against the rules, then?'

Striker turned and looked at him. 'To go beyond.'

The Doctor was mystified.

'Beyond those limits we have chosen for ourselves,' he continued.

'You chose this type of ship,' the Doctor said, trying to work it out. 'And the crew '

' was selected from the relevant period of Earth history,' Striker finished the sentence for him.

'Why, though?' the Doctor went on. 'You didn't select them just to sail the ship. There's something else you need them for.'

The Captain looked at him coldly. 'Ephemerals offer a certain diversion,' he said, his manner returning to its usual reserve.

'The crudity of their minds amuses you!' The Doctor could feel anger beginning to well up in him again. 'Their primitive emotions!'

'Simply put, but in essence true,' and Striker turned away disdainfully.

'You talk as though they were toys!' the Doctor exploded.

Striker was unruffled. 'To me, they are,' he replied with lofty scorn.

The Doctor's voice was suddenly incisive. 'Then why is one of you taking this race so seriously?'

Striker stopped dead. And taking advantage of this apparent uncertainty, the Doctor made for the door. There was a sharp 'Where are you going?', as Striker recovered, but the Doctor had made a discovery. For a brief second, Striker had not been able to read his mind. It was possible to distract these beings, to break their concentration, however briefly.

'Don't you know where I'm going?' he asked. The pause before Striker replied was barely noticeable.

'To Miss Tegan's cabin,' he answered.