by John Peel
‘So, if one of you will just lend me a key to the TARDIS,’ the Monk finished, hopefully. ‘I’ll just drop in and look for something.’
‘All right,’ Steven said, reluctantly, to Sara. ‘But I won’t even pretend that I like the idea.’
Sara looked down at the Monk. ‘What about this one?’
‘It’s one of those aches you get right over the eyes,’ he said, striving for the right measure of pain in his voice.
‘He can come with us,’ Steven decided. ‘That way, we can keep an eye on him.’
Sara nodded. ‘Come on then.’ She started down the passageway again. Steven gestured to the Monk to follow. Clutching his temples in mock agony, the Monk asked, piteously: ‘Look, are you going to let me into the TARDIS or not?’
‘I couldn’t,’ Steven said, cheerfully, ‘even if I wanted to. The Doctor’s the only one with a key.’
That ruined all the Monk’s plans of nipping in and finding the core that the Daleks wanted. His face fell.
Misinterpreting the expression, Steven patted him on the arm. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll find him.’
‘That’s what I’m worried about,’ the Monk muttered, under his breath. The Doctor seemed to be on a lucky streak at the moment.
Mavic Chen disliked this time and place intensely. Though he had trained himself unstintingly over the years, and he was in perfect physical condition, the desert heat was enervating. The Daleks, inside their metallic casings, felt nothing of this, and had no need to rest. Chen was hesitant to show signs of weakness by demanding a break, so he pushed himself to continue.
After a few moments, they heard a man’s voice calling for the Doctor. Without a sound, the Daleks split up, and began to use the cover of the stones to make their way towards the calling human.
It was Steven, attempting to locate the missing Doctor. Since he had seen no signs of the Daleks recently, he had mistakenly assumed that they were all elsewhere for the time being. He called again, with a similar lack of response. Sara joined him.
‘It’s hopeless,’ she said. The desert seemed to eat up all noises, and they could hear nothing in response to Steven’s shouts.
‘I know it is,’ he admitted. ‘But what else can we do?’
Keep on calling, thought the Monk to himself, as he started to slip away. That way, the Daleks would all come looking for Steven, and he could make a quick getaway back to his own TARDIS and off this wretched planet. Tiptoeing quietly away, he almost walked into a Dalek.
The gun-stick came up, trained on his face. ‘Halt!’
Trying to hide his sinking feeling, the Monk grinned nervously. ‘Ah, yes, I was just looking for you,’ he began.
Other Daleks had appeared now, surrounding Steven and Sara as well as the Monk. The Red Dalek glided into sight, followed by the tired-looking form of Mavic Chen. ‘Exterminate them!’ the Red Dalek ordered.
‘Exterminate?’ squealed the Monk. ‘When I’ve kept my part of the bargain?’ His mind was racing now, figuring out a way to escape this situation alive.
At this piece of news, Chen regained some of his lost energy. Eyes burning, he hurried forward, hand outstretched. ‘Give me the Taranium core!’ he hissed.
‘Well, I haven’t actually got that ,’ the Monk replied. At those words, the Dalek guns all came up again, and he held up his hands swiftly. ‘But I’ve brought you hostages !’ He swept out his hands to indicate Steven and Sara.
‘Hostages?’ echoed Steven in disgust.
Mavic Chen looked at him and Sara with interest, as the Daleks moved to get a better field of fire. ‘Hostages?’ he mused. ‘Yes – that could work. The Doctor’s loyalty to his friends is beyond question.’
‘No more discussion,’ the Red Dalek grated. ‘We will kill all three of them.’
‘In exchange for their lives, the Doctor would hand us the Taranium core,’ Chen pleaded, his mind working with all its customary cunning.
The Red Dalek spun its eye-stick towards Steven. ‘Is that true?’
Steven didn’t reply, and Mavic Chen laughed. ‘Their silence confirms that it is.’
After a further moment, the Red Dalek turned to its closest subordinate. ‘Take them back to the time-machine.’
‘I obey.’ The Dalek moved to Steven and Sara, and prodded them. They looked at one another, but clearly had no option but to obey. They started walking off in the direction that the Dalek indicated.
The Monk hopped from foot to foot, smiling and wringing his hands. ‘Well, now that little problem’s solved,’ he said, ‘I’d better be...’
‘You will return with us!’ the Red Dalek commanded.
‘Yes, yes,’ the Monk hastily agreed. ‘That’s just what I was going to say: Now that little problem’s solved, I’d better be returning with you.’
With marked reluctance, he joined in the procession heading back towards the Dalek time-machine.
Khephren and his men were surprised to see a dazed and staggering Tuthmos emerge from the work shanty. Khephren rushed to help his companion to stand, and saw a large bruise on the man’s neck.
‘The prisoners,’ Tuthmos said, thickly. ‘Escaped...’
‘Escaped?’ Khephren echoed, in shock. ‘We left the tomb unguarded...’
‘Then you must take your men and...’
‘No.’ Khephren shook his head firmly. ‘The war machines would kill us all. They are moving about again near the entrance. Hyksos said he would be back by midday with more troops.’ He gestured towards the sky. ‘We do not have long to wait.’ He set his friend down, and gestured for one of his slaves to fetch him a drink. Soon enough, they would be able to do something. Now, they could simply sit and wait.
Once inside the Dalek time-machine, Steven, Sara and the Monk were bundled into a side-chamber, guarded by a single Dalek. It was more than enough. The Red Dalek issued instructions to the communications operative, and after a few moments, that individual reported: ‘The audio circuits have been adjusted.’
‘What is its present range?’
‘Seven Earth miles.’
‘Mavic Chen can issue the ultimatum,’ the Red Dalek decided. ‘Fetch him here.’
The Monk seemed to have recovered a little of his good cheer. He stood on tiptoe to peer over the Dalek on guard. ‘There seems to be quite a bit of activity,’ he remarked, returning to where Steven and Sara stood. Both glared at him coldly, and he looked most upset. ‘What’s the matter? Was it something I said?’
Steven felt like wringing the little man’s neck. ‘Don’t you think you’ve done enough?’ he growled.
Pretending to misunderstand him, the Monk nodded. ‘Yes, yes – I suppose saving your lives is enough for...’
‘What!’ Sara exclaimed, amazed at his cheek.
‘Well, we’re all here alive, aren’t we?’ the Monk rejoined. ‘Yes, it was quick thinking on my part. Very quick.’
Steven stared at him in astonishment. Finally, he managed to say: ‘I don’t believe it!’
‘You... you don’t actually think I meant what I said to them, do you?’ the Monk asked, as if surprised. Then his eyes widened. ‘You do!’ he exclaimed, as though the possibility had never occurred to him for a second. ‘My dear fellow, it was a desperate gamble, risking my own life to save yours...’
‘You weren’t really planning on offering us to them as hostages?’ Sara asked, half-believing him.
‘Of course not!’ the Monk replied, truthfully. He’d actually been attempting to give everyone the slip and get back to his TARDIS. The idea of their being used as hostages was simply what he had considered to appease the Daleks. Now he was in the same boat as Steven and Sara, it was important that he should gain their confidence. If they were able to get away, he’d manage to escape with them. If they didn’t... well, he could always tell the Daleks that he’d been acting as a double agent... they might even believe him.
Steven had a good idea of what was going through the Monk’s mind. ‘Don’t even listen to him,’ he warned Sara
. ‘You can trust him about as much as you can trust the Daleks.’
‘My performance was that good, was it?’ asked the Monk, pretending he was pleased. ‘I knew I had to fool the Daleks, but I thought you would see right through it.’
Dubiously, Sara said: ‘He could be telling the truth, Steven.’
‘Only could be ?’ the Monk asked, wounded. ‘How could you possibly think I’d side with those creatures against you? It quite shatters my faith in human nature.’
‘Yes,’ Steven said, unsympathetically. ‘Well, it can stay shattered, because I for one don’t trust you an inch.’
At that moment, the technician Dalek returned to the main control room with Mavic Chen. Both crossed to the communications section, where the Red Dalek spun to face the human.
‘Speak the ultimatum into the audio circuit,’ it ordered.
Nodding, Chen crossed to the microphone that the Red Dalek was indicating. ‘Doctor?’ he called, firmly. ‘Doctor, wherever you are now, you should be able to hear me.’ He looked down at the Red Dalek, which was examining the controls.
‘Continue,’ the Dalek said. ‘The audio circuit is functioning.’ The trio of prisoners had been watching with interest. Sara said, thoughtfully: ‘Some sort of loudspeaker system.’
Steven nodded. ‘Maybe it would be best if the Doctor couldn’t hear it.’
Mavic Chen continued to speak. ‘Doctor, it is useless to try to fight us any more.’ Outside the time-machine, his voice boomed over the desert sands, reverberating from the stone faces of the pyramid. ‘Your two young friends are being held prisoner by the Daleks. You know why we have pursued you through space and time. We want the Taranium core that you stole. You are to proceed to the Dalek time-machine, south of the Great Pyramid, and receive your instructions.’
By the north face of the pyramid, Tuthmos, Khephren and their slaves could hear the gigantic voice echoing loudly about them. The slaves had fallen to their knees, covering their ears, but the two supervisors remained standing.
‘The vital core will be returned to us,’ the strange voice continued. ‘Failure will result in the death of your friends.’
Tuthmos looked terrified. ‘It is the voice of the gods,’ he whispered.
Khephren shook his head, firmly. ‘No, Tuthmos. If it were the gods speaking to us, they would speak a message that we understood.’
Tuthmos was not convinced by this line of reasoning. ‘Who else could speak in such a voice like thunder?’
Thoughtfully, Khephren put it together in his mind. ‘The same mortals who come to loot our treasures, and build war machines that throw fire. When Hyksos returns, you will see the end of these false gods.’
Having delivered his message, Mavic Chen strode towards the door of the ship, passing the hostages as he did so. He paused and looked in their direction for a moment. ‘For your sakes,’ he remarked, pleasantly, ‘I hope that the Doctor does not keep us waiting long.’ With a sneering smile, he left the machine, followed by several of the Daleks.
Sara gritted her teeth, She wanted so much to kill that man! He continued to betray the human race, allying himself with the Daleks. Controlling her fury, she said: ‘We should try to warn the Doctor.’
‘Warn him?’ the Monk asked. ‘Whatever for?’
Ignoring him, Sara looked across at the communications panel. ‘If one of us could get to that microphone...’
‘It wouldn’t stop him coming here,’ Steven observed. ‘In fact it would probably make him more determined.’
At that moment, they heard the Doctor’s voice from outside.
‘All right – I’m here. Tell me what you want me to do,’
The Doctor had arrived, and was leaning on his walking stick, without apparent fear. Mavic Chen and the Daleks spun about to face him. The Dalek guns came up, but did not fire.
‘Where are they?’ the Doctor demanded.
‘Come, now, Doctor,’ Chen said, smiling. ‘Surely you don’t expect...’
‘Where are they?’ the Doctor repeated.
Mavic Chen smiled again, then turned to the Red Dalek. ‘It seems that the Doctor requires proof of what we say.’
‘Bring the prisoners out!’ the Red Dalek ordered.
‘We want the Taranium core,’ Chen told the Doctor while they waited. ‘And there is nothing you can do to stop us now!’
The Doctor didn’t reply directly, merely letting his angry glare rest for a moment on the arch-traitor. Chen shuffled slightly, uncomfortable for a reason he could not place. After a further moment’s silence, Steven and Sara appeared in the doorway, accompanied by the Monk. The latter waved cheerily. ‘Hello, Doctor!’
Their Dalek guard gave the Monk an ungentle prod with its arm. ‘Silence!’
The Doctor turned back to Mavic Chen. ‘Very well,’ he agreed, heavily. ‘I will return the core.’
Certain of his victory, Chen’s smile was predatory. ‘Very wise,’ he murmured.
‘But on my terms!’ the Doctor thundered.
‘You are in no position to make demands, Doctor,’ Chen growled. ‘A Dalek escort will accompany...’
‘No escort!’ The Doctor drew himself erect, staring furiously at Chen, one hand gripping his lapel with such force that his knuckles turned white. He shook his walking stick in Chen’s face. ‘And on my terms.’
The Red Dalek spoke up at last. ‘We could exterminate you now.’
The Doctor looked down at the Dalek in contempt, as if noticing it for the first time. ‘Indeed you could,’ he agreed. ‘But then you’d never get your Taranium, would you? Would you?’
Anxious to regain the lead in the recovery of the core, Chen interrupted. ‘What are your terms, Doctor?’
‘The core will be handed over to you and one Dalek. Your three hostages...’
‘Three?’ Chen asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
‘Yes,’ the Doctor sighed. ‘I include that Monk fellow, too – although I can’t think why I bother.’ Actually, the Doctor didn’t really dislike the Monk, and he was certain that with the proper guidance, the man might make himself useful instead of troublesome. Maybe... ‘The three of them will be brought to a rendezvous spot and handed over at the same time.’
Chen smiled again. ‘Why don’t we do it here?’
Glaring in disgust at him, the Doctor snapped: ‘You know the answer to that as well as I do: because none of you can be trusted. You and one Dalek – by the west angle of the Great Pyramid – in twenty minutes!’
Before Chen could say anything else, the Red Dalek grated: ‘We accept!’ Spinning its head, it ordered: ‘Take the prisoners back inside!’ The Dalek guard prodded the Monk, and the three of them trooped back, the Monk making one last little wiggle of his fingers in the Doctor’s direction.
‘I should go now, Doctor,’ Mavic Chen advised. ‘Before the Daleks change their minds.’
The Doctor favoured him with another of his withering glances, and seemed about to speak. Then, shaking his head with disgust, he turned and marched off. The Red Dalek glided to join Mavic Chen until the Doctor had disappeared into the jumble of blocks.
Chen looked down at the Red Dalek. ‘I am surprised that you met his terms so readily,’ he remarked.
The Dalek spun its eye-stick to face him. ‘One Dalek is capable of exterminating them all!’ Its head whipped about, and the Dalek returned to the time-machine.
Chen cocked his head to one side, and smiled to himself. Yes, that should tie up all the loose ends quite neatly...
Chapter 10
Escape Switch
Khephren and Tuthmos were immensely relieved when Hyksos reappeared. The swarthy foreign warrior was smiling to himself, but appeared to be alone.
‘Did you bring the men?’ Khephren demanded, urgently.
‘Already moving into position,’ Hyksos grunted. ‘They are simply awaiting my command. Have the war machines been sighted?’
‘No. But we have heard them speak in a mighty roar!’ Khephren wrung his hands
together with worry. ‘Hyksos – the Tomb of the Pharaoh remains unsealed.’
Hyksos considered carefully. Against these fire-spitting demons, much caution and planning was needed. Finally, he made up his mind. ‘Take your slaves,’ he instructed the overseer. ‘I will give you some of my men for escort so that you may work in safety. By the time that you have finished your work, we shall have destroyed the other intruders.’
The Doctor held the Taranium core in his hand, and looked at it with a measure of despair. He had managed to keep it out of the Daleks’ hands so far, thus frustrating their schemes. Now, however, he had run out of ideas. He had no option in the matter – saving his friends at the moment was of paramount importance. The core had to be taken back to Kembel to be used, then perhaps, once Steven and Sara were rescued, there was something that could still be done to halt the Daleks.
He broke out of his dark thoughts, and left the TARDIS, carefully locking it as always. Somehow, the tomb it stood in seemed to be an omen of how things would turn out.
The Red Dalek glided to Mavic Chen. ‘It is time for the exchange,’ it said. ‘Bring the prisoners.’
Chen walked to where the Dalek guard was still watching Steven, Sara and the Monk. With a curt gesture, he indicated for them to follow him. As they did so, Steven grabbed the Monk’s arm.
‘If you try any more of your funny business,’ he threatened, ‘I’ll exterminate you myself.’
‘Funny business?’ the Monk asked, all injured innocence. ‘Me?’
Despite the agreement with the Doctor, as soon as the small party had left the Dalek time-machine, six other Daleks followed at a short distance. The Red Dalek was leaving nothing to chance; the other six would spread out, ready to annihilate the time-machine travellers once the core had changed hands.
Hyksos had a man watching, who signalled back with a short blast on a reed once he saw movement from the strange block in the desert. Moving to his hidden troops, Hyksos encouraged them. ‘Be on your guard! The war machines will kill without warning.’ He checked that they were all ready, and in the correct positions for what he had in mind. The strange fire-spitting creatures might be mobile enough on the desert sands, but his men were in hiding atop the large granite blocks, above the creatures’ line of sight...
