Doctor Who: Target - Novelisations [013] - The Curse of Peladon by Brian Hayles & Alan Willow

Author:Brian Hayles & Alan Willow
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426114987
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1992-08-14T22:00:00+00:00

7

Escape into Danger

The reassuring look from the Doctor as he was marched away had given Jo no comfort. Now the alien delegates had withdrawn to confer amongst themselves, and Jo had been shown to a room cut off from that in which the Doctor was being held. It was while she was sitting there, thinking desperately of ways to effect the Doctor’s escape, that Grun knocked at her door and entered at her command. Seeing him there, Jo felt a moment of hope – he could only have been sent by the king.

Had Peladon changed his mind? At Grun’s mimed gesture that she should follow him, she smiled and did so, without any argument. She had to run to keep up with Grun’s vast strides, and it was only a short time later that she once more stood before Peladon.

Her heart sank at Peladon’s next command.

‘Go, Grun’, he ordered. ‘Prepare for the combat in honour of the Royal Beast.’

Grun saluted, bowed, and left. When the throne room doors closed after him, Jo and Peladon were left alone together. Jo could hide her anger no longer. ‘Why have you had me brought here?’ she asked. ‘To show me how clever you are at giving stupid orders?’

‘I had to talk to you –’ pleaded Peladon.

Jo wasn’t impressed. ‘Don’t expect me to believe you, your… majesty,’ she replied sarcastically, shaking her head in a firm negative when the young king indicated that she should be seated beside the throne.

‘I’m sorry…’ murmured Peladon, ‘but there are some things I cannot change… even for you.’

‘Did you ever want to? What do mercy and compassion mean to you? You need someone to die to justify your stupid superstition!’

Peladon stiffened. No one normally offered a rebuke like this to the throne and remained free. Were Hepesh here now, he would be quick to act on the old harsh laws. Jo did not know that by allowing her to spill her understandable anger against the king without witness, he was protecting her life.

‘I want no one to die,’ he said. ‘I’ve done all I can. I’ve given the Doctor the only chance that lay in my power.’

Jo turned away, too moved even to sneer. Peladon saw this, and waited – but made no move to comfort her. She was so like Ellua, he thought. Grief brought out the warrior in her soul and she would defend the Doctor to the end.

‘He means a great deal to you, this Doctor.’ the king observed.

She nodded. ‘Yes… he does.’

‘I respect him as a man,’ admitted the king. ‘And I have no reason to call him my enemy.’

At this, Jo turned, her face ever hopeful; but Peladon raised his hand to check what he knew she would say. ‘But please – do not hate me for being forced to do my duty as a king.’

‘But I don’t hate you,’ said Jo, irritated. ‘Why can’t you see?’

‘Let me explain,’ interrupted the royal youth. ‘Both Torbis and my father died before they could break the centuries of tradition that bind us.

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