The Romance Of Crime Part 12

Xais suppressed it. 'You will be gone soon, woman. You will die. I control this form now. Accept your fate.'

Their interview with Pyerpoint over, the Doctor and his colleagues were talking in the long hallway outside the courtrooms and chambers. The dimmed lighting and the echo of their voices around the stonework gave the scene an eerie aspect.

'He can't see it,' Spiggot was saying, shaking his long permed locks. 'He's in charge so he thinks nothing can go wrong here. But it has to be this accomplice of Xais, who killed Zy and those miners on Eleven.'

'That's what really puts Stokes outside suspicion,' Romana remarked. 'He might murder his a.s.sistant. But why should he attack a survey base? And he surely can't have the skills that were necessary to hijack the mining company's transmat link.'

'You're right, pet,' Spiggot said enthusiastically. 'Why don't I go back and tell Pyerpoint about that, eh?'

The Doctor put out a restraining arm. 'No, no, not yet. The fewer people that know about the attack on Planet Eleven, the better. If we convince Pyerpoint of our theory, how's he going to respond?'

'All guns blazing, I imagine,' said Romana.

'Exactly. I think it's better if whoever it is doesn't get to know we're on to them.'

'What's to stop Pyerpoint spreading the word about now?'

asked Romana.

'He thinks we're talking nonsense,' the Doctor said. 'I doubt if he'll repeat it. He's got a very dusty old mind. Must be the effect of sitting all those years in dusty old chambers.'

Spiggot lit another cigarette. 'Come on, man,' he said. 'We've got to do something. I think I'll take a look down in the gallery, see what I can turn up. Others may have missed something.'

'Good idea,' the Doctor said. 'I'll join you.'

Spiggot's face fell. 'Listen, mate, I'm used to working on my own. Doing things my own way.'

'I know, I know, it's how you get results,' the Doctor finished for him. 'But just for once, would you be prepared to indulge a willing amateur?'

Spiggot considered the appeal for a while and finally nodded. 'Don't suppose it'll do any harm.' Secretly, he was rather pleased that the Doctor would be accompanying him.

OK, the bloke was weird, but there was something rea.s.suring about him.

'Splendid,' said the Doctor. He turned to his companions.

'While we're doing that, Romana, why don't you go and see Stokes in the cell block? See if he can tell you anything.'

Romana nodded. 'Where shall I meet you?'

'How about back at Spiggot's cabin?'

Romana indicated her understanding of their arrangement and left to carry out her task. K9 motored forward eagerly.

'Orders, Master,' he requested, tail wagging.

'K9, I want you to go to computer control, it's on level seven. You'll have to take the lift. I want you to search the station's defence and security systems for any signs of interference. Take particular interest in the transmat system at around the time of the attack on the mine, which would have been?' He glanced at Spiggot.

'February 28th last,' said the policeman. 'You think the attacker was working from here, then. It adds up. A guy who can hack into the data core of the security net could probably divert a transmat beam as well.'

'Yes. And K9 could do with the exercise. Go on, then,' the Doctor urged the dog. K9 set off on his task.

Spiggot stared at the Doctor. 'You seem to have taken over this investigation. I'm not sure if I like that. I still don't know who you are.'

The Doctor was already striding off down the corridor. 'A little trust is all it takes,' he called back. 'Come on, Spiggot, do keep up.'

The gallery had been wrecked by a display of force that surprised even the Doctor as he and Spiggot entered and picked their way through the debris and around the security team who were dusting for geneprints. Not a corner of Stokes's hideaway had been left undisturbed. Fragments of gla.s.s glistened around their crunching feet.

'What a mess,' said Spiggot, rather unnecessarily.

'Whoever did for this little lot certainly knew their business.'

The Doctor knelt and examined a fallen statue that had been broken into several chunks. 'The strength required to destroy something like this would be phenomenal. Note also that this gla.s.s has been stamped on by the heel of a boot. And Zy was wearing soft-soled shoes.' He looked up. 'When is all this supposed to have happened?'

Spiggot consulted his notebook. 'Between about 1745 and 1800 hours. While I was in the library and you were looking for your K9.'

'Hmm. But Romana saw Zy descend the stairway at 1800 hours.'

'She believes she did,' said Spiggot. 'We only have her word for it. She might have got mistaken, with that knock on the head and all that.'

The Doctor waved his objection aside. 'Her word is enough, believe me. And she's very good on time. Almost too good.' He rubbed his chin and stared into s.p.a.ce. 'And K9 and I found Romana at 1825. So, even if we were to believe that Zy was responsible for this vandalism, which incidentally I don't for one minute, we would have to credit him with superhuman strength and speed.'

Spiggot sidled close to the Doctor and whispered from the corner of his mouth. 'Doctor?'

'Yes?'

'Xais had superhuman strength and speed.'

'I know,' the Doctor said, with withering loudness. 'So her imitator must have come here and knocked Stokes flat, then wrecked the place, then crept up the stairs, then killed Zy. But why? What brought the murderer here, of all places?'

Spiggot shrugged. 'Perhaps he didn't like the pictures.'

The Doctor hurried out of the gallery. 'This sort of wanton devastation doesn't square with the attack on the mine, either.

That was cleverly contrived and planned to the last detail.' He chewed at a thumbnail. 'I have a feeling, Spiggot, that I'm overlooking something.'

The computer technicians working in the control centre were understandably alarmed when K9 entered and sped himself grandly across to the central data unit of the array of input consoles.

Shom, who had returned to the control centre to compile his report on the murder of Zy, hurried over. 'Hey! What are you doing?'

'Please connect me to the data core. I have been instructed to inspect it.'

Shom laughed. 'K9, aren't you?' He bent over and patted the dog on the ears. 'Well, K9, I think you'd better just go back wherever you came from and leave this to the experts, all right?'

K9's eyescreen flashed briefly. 'My function is to a.s.sist.

My abilities are considerably greater than yours. You will connect.'

'I don't like your tone, doggy,' said Shom. He took a screwdriver from a nearby toolkit and advanced on the metal panelling of the intruder. 'And I'd rather inspect you.'

He brought the screwdriver onto the panel and dropped it immediately, clutching his hand. 'What have you done?'

K9 seemed even more impatient. 'I am programmed to protect myself. You will do as I instruct and connect me to the data core.'

Shom jumped to attention when he noticed that Pyerpoint had entered the room. 'Sorry, sir, I didn't see you there.' He indicated the console where he had been working. 'I've been, er, making my report on the murder, sir.'

'Obviously.' The High Archon's expression was disapproving. 'Reluctantly, I must ask you to comply with this strange animal's request. It has, would you believe, full clearance from the police authorities.'

K9 burbled happily as Shom fetched a long lead and attached one end to his sensors and the other to the central unit. A low hum of power sounded as information pa.s.sed between the two systems. K9's tail sensor started to wag. 'I am linked to the data core. Inspection commencing.'

'I doubt,' said Pyerpoint, 'that it will be of any use. I am becoming increasingly concerned for the mental stability of these investigators.' He looked scornfully down at K9. 'What a ridiculous contraption.'

K9's head perked up. 'I have discovered an anomaly in the programming of the security net,' he reported. 'Reconfiguring to probe deeper.'

'That's impossible,' spluttered Shom. 'The security net is impregnable. I thought the team were looking for faults in the data core?'

Pyerpoint turned away, troubled. 'Would it be possible for anybody to interfere with the core to such an extent that the net itself was corrupted?'

'Sabotage our defences without us even knowing?' Shom replied. 'Well, not unless they were a genius.'

Pyerpoint sank into one of the chairs that lined the control centre and put his head in his hands.

'A visitor for you, Mr Stokes.'

The artist refused to lift his head from the book he was reading. 'Pyerpoint,' he called up, 'wrongful arrest may not yet be cla.s.sified as a crime, but allow me to remind you that I am not without influence on Five. It is within my powers to broadcast the news of your incompetence as far and as wide as I wish. You may rest a.s.sured that I '

He was interrupted by a polite feminine cough. 'h.e.l.lo, Mr Stokes.'

He looked up and put the book away. 'The fair Ramona! I have done you a great disservice, mistaking you for the wrinkled ingrate responsible for my incarceration. But I am forgetting my manners.' He stood and offered her his chair.

'Please be seated.'

'That's quite all right,' she told him. 'I prefer to stand. And it's Romana. How are they treating you?'

He slumped back in his chair. 'Miserably, my dear, as might be expected. They really have excelled themselves on this occasion. I had no love for that young chap, of course.

Frankly, I will shed no tears for his pa.s.sing.' He straightened his cravat and his large eyes swivelled in their sockets. 'But to accuse me of his murder is preposterous. For one thing, I was knocked out. What am I supposed to have done, crept up behind myself and cast myself down? Then walked unconscious out to the stair-well and killed the boy?

Ludicrous.'

The girl knelt down beside him and raised a hand. 'Please.

The Doctor and I believe you. We're working to secure your release.'

Stokes smiled, rather pleased. 'Are you, sweet? Are you really? Tell me,' he leaned closer to her, 'this Doctor friend of yours. Are you and he, er?' He waved a hand in the air to complete his query.

'We're friends,' said Romana. 'For most of the time. Now, did you see who attacked you?'

Stokes shook his head. 'I didn't catch a glimpse. The brute struck from behind. I a.s.sumed it was Zy.'

'It couldn't have been. There wasn't time. It must have been his killer.'

Stokes sat up, alert. 'A third party, eh? Intriguing. And yet, that would make more sense.' He looked at her wistfully. 'Tell me, why are you not a High Archon and administrator of this station? You are prettier and cleverer than the present inc.u.mbent.'

She seemed unswayed by his flattery. Wonderful haughty creature. 'I want to ask you about some of your work. Tell me about Xais. How did she come to model for you?'

Stokes was surprised. 'Xais? Xais of Guaal? In the usual way. I offered my services and she accepted. She had to be drugged while I took the cast, of course, to prevent her from shooting those deadly beams from her eyes. The casting process took only minutes. It was a very simple job, but the results were most impressive.'

'You cast a bust of her features?' the girl asked.

'No, no, dear, a mask. In helicon. She was most insistent about that. It had to be helicon. Criminal types are often rather particular.'

'Helicon,' said the girl. 'A soft mineral found mostly on satellites or small planets. Low conductivity, low strength.

Almost valueless, isn't it?'

'Not for Xais of Guaal,' Stokes said proudly. 'She appreciated its use as a modelling material, in its cool liquid form. I had a consignment transmatted over from one of the mining corporations. For a perfect mask of shining silver, encapsulating her evil beauty for all time. The upturned sockets, the cruel lips.' He moaned. Now, along with all my other work, destroyed in an act of thoughtless ' He broke off abruptly. 'Wait one jolly second!'

He sprang from the chair. 'The mask! The silver mask!' he cried. 'Of course!'

'Of course?'

He turned to face her. 'I know every item in that gallery, young lady. Every piece of my work I have catalogued, up here.' He tapped the sides of his shiny head, which was now covered by droplets of perspiration. 'And I can tell you, that when I raised my head and cast my glance about, and saw the shattered remains of my life's work, the mask of Xais was not there!'

7.

The Ogrons Invade.

Further out in s.p.a.ce, millions of miles from the present position of the Rock of Judgement, was a small cl.u.s.ter of luminous green fluid particles. A large black s.p.a.ceship sat within the folds of the cloud, concealed from the prying sensors of any other craft that might pa.s.s through this remote sector of s.p.a.ce. The ship consisted of a bulbous snout and a bulging body section. Its dented hull was marked and scarred by the countless landings and blast-offs it had accomplished in a variety of planetary atmospheres. Bolted to its side was a stubby neutron cannon.