The Brigadier reached for his personal radio.

'Greyhound One to Seabird. Are you reading me? Over.'

Bambera's voice crackled into the car. 'Roger Greyhound One. What is your message? Over?'

'Hostiles on the road, Bambera. Knights in armour.

Lots of them... with heavy firearms. If you can't find another route, take them quickly. Over.'

'I copy you Greyhound One. Will act accordingly.

Seabird out.' The line cut out.

'Who were they?' said Peter.

'What about my car!' said Shou Yuing.

The Brigadier ignored them. 'Now Doctor, happy?'

'Yes.'

'Oh, good.'

The Doctor straightened his hat. 'While Morgaine has people shooting at us, she won't be using more obscure methods of attack.'

'Such as?' said Lethbridge-Stewart.

'I don't know and I don't want to find out.'

Morgaine searched the white depths of her crystal for news. The air in the abandoned priory was still, but she felt disturbance, unbalance ia the natural state. The gla.s.s was fogged. She caught only the frantic voice of her Knight Commander issuing garbled and desperate orders to his men.

The car, for that was how Francoise Eloise named the misshapen tin chariot, the car had eluded them. Morgaine had been foolish to expect a group of simple soldiers to waylay Merlin's plans. They had followed instructions; their honour was not besmirched.

Mordred watched her as she pondered her next move.

Even in response he had his father's irritating manner. But Arthur had become a coward if he now sent Merlin out to tight his battles.

'The Knight Commander will stop them,' said Mordred.

'Stop Merlin,' she sneered. 'No, I shall deal with Merlin in my own manner.'

If Merlin was on the move, then the weapon, symbol of Arthur's power, was moving also. She would seize it soon enough. There was some devious plan hatching here, but she could not discern its purpose as yet.

Instead there were ways and weaknesses she would exploit. Icy water finds the crevice in the stoutest stone, freezes and splits it asunder.

Before her, etched into the floor, lay the octogrammaton of power. She stepped between the globes of ancient light into the heart of the pattern.

The bridge to her world was sealed, but energy still seeped across the abyss. She charged herself with its power.

Her magic grew in might.

Before her, the gla.s.s cleared. She beheld another car travelling along the woodland road.

Shou Yuing's old crock moved surprisingly fast. Bambera knew nothing about the Chinese girl's brother, but she was impressed nevertheless. She thought all 2CVs had manual gear boxes.

She had already given up trying to persuade Ancelyn to put on his seat belt. 'You're from an alternative dimension, right?' she said.

'Yes.'

'Good, thought so. And you don't have cars there?'

'No.'

'Good, thought so. Hold on to the wheel and keep your foot on that.'

Bambera planted his hands firmly on the steering wheel.

Reaching up, she pulled back the car's striped fabric roof.

She emerged into the air and clicked back the bolt on her AUG rifle. A change of barrel had converted it into an efficient light machine gun. She had four clear plastic magazines left: 120 rounds.

There was one lurch as Ancelyn struggled to drive at right angles a machine he had never seen before. Then he steadied and took its measure.

This guy is no idiot, thought Bambera.

She saw a flash of metal in the trees. Three men-at-arms burst from cover and started tiring.

Bambera reckoned that Ancelyn's unfamiliarity with any vehicle at all, actually helped as they swerved along the road like a dodgem car. Or was it deliberate?

She returned fire in short deliberate bursts.

Sparks flew. The steady pap-pap of the men-at-arms'

guns was no match for Bambera's fast delivery. The soldiers fell back into the woods.

'Foot down!' yelled Bambera and the little car tore past their bewildered enemies. The Brigadier threw back her head and let the wind tear at her.

'Magnificent!' shouted the Knight Commander as she pa.s.sed. He watched her go as he relayed orders to the ambush that lay ahead.

'I still can't see them,' Ace called down to the Doctor.

The Range Rover was parked on the gra.s.s verge with Ace perching on its roof. She was surveying the road behind them with heavy duty binoculars.

'What about the bad guys?' called Shou Yuing.

'Them neither.'

Lethbridge-Stewart stubbed at the b.u.t.tons on his radio and got no response. 'What's Bambera playing at?' he muttered.

'I don't like this at all,' said the Doctor.

The Brigadier straightened up. 'Don't worry, Doctor, Bambera is a highly competent and experienced officer. I gather the war correspondents book their flights for wherever she's going.'

'Oh, very rea.s.suring, Brigadier.'

'She'll make it through.'

The Doctor grimaced as if he had a mouthful of something particularly unpleasant. 'War is a destroyer. It makes mockery of competence and experience.'

He tapped the Brigadier's radio and it crackled into life.

'This is Seabird. Piece of cake, Greyhound One. Will be with you shortly. Over.'

'Much relieved to hear it, Seabird. Over and out.' The Brigadier allowed himself the smallest ration of smugness with his smile.

'Professor.' Ace's voice came urgently from the roof.

'There's a whole pile of tinheads setting up on the road back there.'

The Doctor strained to see in the distance. He grappled for Lethbridge-Stewart's radio. 'Brigadier, tell Bambera she's in trouble.'

Winifred Bambera sat back behind the steering wheel and grinned. 'So tell me, Ancelyn. Are you married or what?'

'My lady is very forward!' he laughed. He turned in his seat to study her with his knowing blue eyes.

She spun a corner and saw rows of armoured soldiers blocking the road.

With a yell, she wrenched the wheel round. The car skidded towards a ditch. The men-at-arms opened fire in a blaze of flame.

A giant ball of flame rose above the woods. A moment later they heard the blast. Shou Yuing turned and buried her head in Peter Warmsly's anorak. He held her gently.

The Doctor stared grimly along the road at the distant billowing smoke.

Ace made to get back into the Range Rover. 'We've got to help them!' she shouted.

The Brigadier pocketed his radio. He showed no emotion. 'There's nothing we can do. The area's swarming with Morgaine's troops.'

She saw the Doctor trying to avoid her stare.

'Doctor?'

Her mentor shook his head.

'We'd better get back to the hotel,' said the Brigadier quietly. He turned and saw the look of unconcealed hatred on Ace's face.

Chapter 5.

The rest of the journey back to the Gore Crow was completed in explosive silence.

The hotel drive was a ma.s.s of military vehicles. Soldiers were unloading weaponry and ammunition. Military hardware was being serviced. It reminded Ace of the activity she had seen around Coal Hill School in 1963. But here the weapons were sleeker and more nastily fascinating.

Major Husak, a heavy-featured Czech, came to meet them. He looked fl.u.s.tered and carried a clipboard. 'I'm glad to see you got through, sir,' he said as he saluted. 'Just a couple more names and I can get the evacuation completed.'

The Brigadier, his face grave, took Husak's arm and led him aside.

By the hotel's front porch, Pat and Elizabeth Rowlinson were standing like lost war refugees with a suitcase and several bags.

Peter Warmsly still clutched Excalibur in his arms.

'What's going on?' he said to the Doctor. 'Surely they're not turfing out Pat and Liz. They can come and stay with me.'

'I don't think so, Peter,' said the Doctor. 'They're clearing the whole area. You may well find yourself going with them.'

'Like h.e.l.l I will.' Peter strode off towards his friends with the sword still under his arm.

The Doctor sighed and plunged his hand deep into a pocket. He produced a rusty tin whistle. Putting it to his lips, he gave a hearty blast that no one in the immediate vicinity even acknowledged. But K9 would have heard, he thought proudly.

Major Husak, his face tightly emotionless, approached the Rowlinsons and indicated a small minibus across the parking area. 'This way please, sir.'

Elizabeth stooped to pick up a bag and the Major bent in to help her.

'No, thank you,' she said curtly.

Husak stood back in astonishment as Elizabeth picked up the bag and walked towards the minibus.

Pat watched her go. There was a strong independence in her walk which made him want to cry, if only to weep with confusion. 'I apologize, Major,' he said curtly, his voice filled with barely concealed rage. You see, half an hour ago my wife was blind.'

Peter caught up with them as they reached the minibus.

'They're not going to evacuate me,' he said. 'Not so they can trample all over Trust land. I'll...'

He suddenly noticed that Elizabeth was staring at him with a slow confused smile.

'Peter?' she said.