Doctor Who: Androids of Tara by Terrance Dicks

Author:Terrance Dicks
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Tags: Science-Fiction:Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426201083
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1980-02-15T10:00:00+00:00

Invitation to an Ambush

There were shrieks of astonished horror, shouts of anger. Several noblemen leaped forward, swords in their hands.

‘Seize him,’ quavered the shocked Archimandrite. ‘He has killed Princess Strella!’

‘No,’ shouted Farrah. ‘That is not the Princess. Look!’

The face-mask of the fallen figure had been smashed away, revealing a maze of electronic circuitry inside the skull.

‘It’s an android,’ whispered the Archimandrite.

Zadek moved close to the Doctor. ‘How did you know?’

‘There must have been a minute circuit-defect. I heard it sparking.’

‘It doesn’t make sense; the Archimandrite was protesting. ‘Why send an android to swear loyalty to the King?’

The Doctor came forward. ‘To get close enough to kill him!’

Count Grendel shoved his way to the front of the crowd and glared furiously at the Doctor. He remembered seeing this extraordinary-looking fellow unconscious on the floor with the others, the night they’d kidnapped the Prince from the hunting lodge. Count Grendel had assumed he was some mountebank friend of Prince Reynart, and left him with the others. It was galling to think he could have killed him then with ease—instead of leaving him alive to spoil his plans.

The Archimandrite said, ‘But who would wish to kill the King. Unless—some rival claimant to the throne...’ He turned and looked at Count Grendel, who said smoothly, ‘My dear Archimandrite, what ever are you suggesting?’

‘Isn’t that obvious,’ snapped Zadek. ‘Treachery!

Treachery to the King!’

‘Take care what you say, Zadek,’ snarled Count Grendel.

Calming himself, he turned to the Archimandrite. ‘Your Eminence, may I suggest that we postpone the rest of the oath-taking ceremony? Who knows how many other programmed androids there may be?’

The old Archimandrite was horrified. ‘You think there are more of these things?’

‘It is a possibility we must face, Your Eminence. I shall leave my personal guards here to protect the King.’

Zadek drew himself upright. ‘I am afraid I cannot permit that, Count Grendel.’

‘The decision is not yours, Zadek,’ said Count Grendel furiously.

Zadek met his angry gaze, quite unafraid. ‘I command His Majesty’s bodyguard. The decision is mine and mine alone.’

Suddenly, Count Grendel was looking at the King. ‘You presume too much, Swordmaster Zadek. What does His Majesty have to say on the subject? He is very silent’

‘His Majesty is tired, and suffering from the strain of the occasion,’ said the Doctor hurriedly. ‘Why don’t we discuss this matter later?’

‘Who the devil are you, sir?’ demanded Count Grendel angrily.

‘I am the Royal Physician,’ said the Doctor with immense dignity. ‘You can call me Doctor.’

‘Is His Majesty ill?’ asked the Archimandrite worriedly.

‘Oh, no, no! Nothing that a little rest won’t cure. He’ll be fine by tomorrow.’

The Archimandrite looked hard at him. ‘I understand Doctor. Come, Count Grendel, we must leave His Majesty to rest.’

‘But what of the danger?’ protested Grendel.

The Doctor said, ‘There can be no danger, when the King has his own personal staff to protect him. Can there, Count Grendel?’

With a snarl, Grendel turned away.

The Archimandrite led the Court from the chamber, and the other nobles followed them.

As the doors swung closed, Zadek gave a sigh of relief.

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