King Tarrol coughed. 'How much longer must the charade go on, Savaar?

Atissa is accusing you of attacking her in the relic room.'

Savaar actually looked affronted. 'That is impossible. I was with Ker'a'nol the whole time.'

The Doctor was steepling his fingers and wrapping them around each other in complex patterns. 'How interesting. Why should she think it was you?

Because she wanted to?'

'Or someone else wanted her to?' suggested the Martian.

I suspect so.'

'More relics were taken,' said the king. 'How much more can we allow to go?'

'Until our treasure thief exposes himself and Savaar can make an arrest, Your Majesty.'

'In the meantime he or she could be escaping in a shuttle with ease.'

'No, Savaar. As we discovered after the Lance was stolen the first time, everything's still here on Peladon. They're not leaving with them, they're waiting for the courier, which my best friend was trailing. Well, until recently. In fact, I suspect Marshal Hissel has just spotted them.' The Doctor twirled his umbrella. 'Now the game's afoot, High Lord Savaar, and it has become time for you to play sacrificial lamb.'

In the empty room where holocameraman Jav had sat seconds before his death, the little black box was bleeping. The red light was flashing.

Deep in the catacombs of Peladon, the unseen monitors were also receiving the message on their identical black box.

In orbit around Peladon, the same message was speeding across the bridge of the Bruk. The Martian pilot again asked for orders but Hissel just listened.

'Marshal,' hissed another officer. A shuttle is approaching. It appears to be dead in s.p.a.ce, just drifting.'

'Bearing?'

'The dark side of Peladon.'

excellent,' rasped the marshal. 'Pilot, take us out of orbit.'

'Heading,' asked the deeply perplexed pilot.

'Io. We are abandoning our party on Peladon. High Lord Savaar and his group have been eliminated. I am following his last orders. Leave immediately and send a subs.p.a.ce message to Io. Let them know exactly what we are doing, and why. Now.'

'Marshal,' confirmed the pilot.

Moments later, the Bruk's engines roared into life and pulled out of orbit, following its own subs.p.a.ce message back to Io.

Torg stared in surprise at the throne. He had expected to find his king seated, contemplating. Instead Atissa glared down at him, her eyes staring and unblinking. Her mouth was twisted into a parody of a smile.

'You have your orders, Torg. Disobey me and you disobey Aggedor. Go!'

Torg backed out.

I can't believe he went through with it. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d actually did it!' Reece put an arm around Bernice's shoulder but she threw it off. And none of you did anything about it. None of you tried to stop it.' She looked up at the a.s.sembled faces staring at her, allowing tears to freely dribble down her cheeks. Only Centauri tried. The rest of you. . .'

'Keri, this is so wrong. . .' began Kort but Keri tugged at his arm. Kort turned away.

Bernice hadn't noticed, she just stared at the floor. 'He was so . . . so alive.

So wonderful. So. . .'

Reece tried again. 'Benny, grieving isn't going to bring the Doctor back.

Nothing is. I suggest we give up on Peladon. All go home. Get away from it.

Let Savaar come back and face a Federation trial.'

A trial!' Bernice laughed bitterly. 'He'll probably get another b.l.o.o.d.y medal for keeping the Federation interests sweet on Peladon.'

'Professor Summerfield is probably right,' wailed Alpha Centauri somewhat unhelpfully.

Reece shot him a look and Centauri stopped bobbing up and down. With great restraint, Centauri re-adopted his green hue and shuffled towards Keri and Kort.

'Look, Benny. We are all in danger now. Atissa has her way, that's obvious.

She and Savaar have cooked something up between them and we're all caught in the middle. The Doctor was and I've no intention of going the same way. Come with us . . . with me. Let's put this behind us.'

Bernice looked up at him, calming down.

Be practical, she told herself. Ace! What about Ace? How was she going to find her and tell her. She didn't even know where the Doctor had sent her.

'Why didn't he ever tell me what he was doing?' she muttered, angrily.

Bernice stood up and away from Reece. Okay,' she said. 'Grief over - let's get to work. Kort, I need to contact Io, talk to your dad. Tell him everything that's happened and arrange a rendezvous with Ace. Centauri, I think Nic is right, it's time we all got away from here.'

I need to gather all my crew together. And find Corry, yeah,' said Keri.

Bernice nodded. Okay - so how do we get away from here?' 'The Bruk?'

suggested Kort.

Are you joking?' returned Bernice. I'm not setting foot on Savaar's b.l.o.o.d.y ship for anything.'

'Be practical, Benny,' the boy replied. It's our only way out.'

The door swung open and Sskeet walked in. Bernice swung around, concentrating all her mental hostility in his direction. 'What the cruk do you want?' Sskeet was about to reply when there was a disturbance from outside in the corridor. All heads turned to see Savaar being almost dragged along by some Pel guards, swords at his throat.

'What on Earth . . .?' began Reece.

'Jolly good show,' yelled Bernice. 'That's him out of the way.'

'You're not thinking, Benny,' said Keri softly. If Savaar is under arrest, then our chances of leaving Peladon are nil. His shuttle won't go back to the Bruk without him and the GFTV-3 ship isn't due to pick us up until after the restatement vows. Looks like we're here for the duration.'

'What about Corry's shuttle?' Reece asked Keri.

'There's barely enough room for one on that, let alone him and his whiskey.

No, that's of no use. Unfortunately.'

Benny started to sag until Sskeet walked over.

'Shsurr Summerfield,' he hissed. 'Please listen to me.'

'Why?'

'Because I have important information.'

Bernice noted a swift but inexplicable look between Kort and Keri. Centauri just blinked but Reece shuffled on his feet. It was, she decided, as if they were all expecting something important to be said. But what did any of them have in common that Sskeet could possibly want to talk about?

Unless . . . Of course - they all thought Sskeet was going to say something disadvantageous to each of them. Typical paranoia.

Okay, Sskeet, let's. .h.i.t the corridor and talk in private.'

As they left, Sskeet pulled the door shut, loudly saying, It is important that you realize that Savaar has been expelled from the Federation and the Martian hierarchy as a result of the Doctor's death -' and he and Bernice were gone.

'Well, what about that?' grunted Reece.

'What do you mean, Nic?' asked Keri.

One moment she's all for hang, drawing and quartering the Martians; next, she's having chummy chats with Sskeet. Women!'

'What's this all about, Sskeet? Why was Savaar not working for the Federation?'

I lied.'

Bernice stopped dead. 'So he was doing it on the Federation's behalf.'

'You must come with me,' was Sskeet's only response.

'No b.l.o.o.d.y way! I don't want to end up a headless corpse as well.'

Sskeet yanked back an Aggedor-decorated drape covering part of the wall.

It revealed a small alcove and he tugged at the unlit flambeau. The wall behind dropped back silently on a hinge.

'Please,' he said.

Bernice started to back away but with a turn of speed she thought impossible for a Martian, Sskeet reached forward and grabbed her. Not roughly, but firmly he took her through the gap, letting the drape fall back.

He moved a corresponding flambeau and the door swung back into place, leaving barely a crack in the rugged black walls.

I can't see, Sskeet.'

'Keep hold of my arm, I will ensure you come to no harm whatsoever.'

'You'll forgive me if I take that with the proverbial pinch of salt,' she said through gritted teeth as he strode forward, almost dragging her.

They continued in the darkness for a few moments, the silence broken by Bernice's occasional grunts as she tripped over a jut of rock or stone.

The walk widened into a large open cavern and Bernice's eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom. Nearby was an old wooden wheelbarrow, pitted and covered in roak dust.

She released her grip and stepped back from the big warrior. 'Well, where's this b.l.o.o.d.y explanation? It'd better be good.'

Sskeet said nothing.

'Say something, Sskeet. I'm getting bored.'

'You know, I hate people who say they're bored!' Bernice spun around, searching for the owner of the voice. That soft, vaguely Scottish burr . . .

The Doctor stepped out of the shadows, umbrella hanging off an outstretched arm.

Bernice drew a deep breath and looked at him. Slowly she nodded to herself, suppressing a sardonic grin. She ran her tongue around her teeth, put her weight on one leg and folded her arms.

I should've known better.'

The Doctor reached out and embraced her. 'Yes. Yes, you should. More to the point, so should I.'

'Savaar?'

The Doctor smiled. 'He trusted me all along. He set the whole thing up.

Kort and the Pakhar journalist were in on it.'

'But I saw you die. I saw Savaar chop your head off. Your blood is all over the temple floor.'

'No it's not. You saw a quite magnificent piece of hologrammatic projection, courtesy of the Pakhar and Kort. All for Atissa's benefit.'

'But she wasn't there?'

'No. Shame, really. I understand they put a lot of effort into it. Still, your reaction was apparently very convincing. And I gather Centauri went a colour he's never achieved before!'

'Can't say I noticed. I was too busy thinking how much blood fits into one small body. Funny, that.'

The Doctor withdrew from the embrace. I'm sorry.'

'Yeah, you b.l.o.o.d.y ought to be. You little sod. D'you realize, I actually cried!

I mean, how long is it since I did that! G.o.d, next time you die, you can stay dead!' This time she hugged him, suddenly feeling complete again for the first time in hours; all her anger and bitterness draining away. 'Good thing Ace wasn't here. She'd blown Savaar away on the spot'

The Doctor brushed down his suit. He pointed at Sskeet with his umbrella.

'So. Why here, Sskeet?'