The Doctor stopped and looked up. 'Ah. So we'll definitely need another exit then. Hang on a mo.'

He sprinted over to the group of Krillitanes, seemingly unconcerned that there was a strong likelihood they might turn on him without a second thought. Toch'Lu. We can't get out the way we came in, but I think there might be a back door. When this place was built there was a secret stairway, hidden in the wall leading up from the crypt to a chamber above the choir. Henk would never have known it was there. We need to find the entrance, and quickly.'

Toch'Lu nodded, and took a pair of younger Krillitanes with her to search the perimeter of the crypt, leaving Broken Wing to watch over the others. He watched the 183.

Brood Mother set to work sniffing out this hidden escape route, and his eyes narrowed.

'Captain Darke.' The Doctor shouted, running over to the antechamber. Time to make a strategic withdrawal.'

Giving the Captain room to get past him, the Doctor directed the sonic screwdriver towards the twisted pile of components that had once been the monitoring station. With a pop, the screen began to melt, sparked and burst into flames. That should make getting in here a bit trickier. Let's get this door shut and barricaded.'

'What if Toch'Lu can't find the stairway?' Emily asked, slightly alarmed at the speed with which the fire was taking.

The Doctor puffed out his cheeks. 'Not sure. Got any marshmallows?'

Henk came to a decision. Febron's research was well doc.u.mented and filed, and there were stocks of both Krillitane Oil and its extract stored in the boathouse down by the river. Shame though it would be to face the loss of the scientist, she wasn't indispensable. Much of her work had been completed and could easily be continued by someone else, albeit someone less talented.

It was more important to ensure that the Krillitanes, or at least a few of them, remained unharmed.

'Arm your weapons and get that door open,' he growled.

Branlo rushed forward with the key, turned it in the lock and pulled the door open, ducking back just in 184 184 T HE KRIUIT ANE ST O R M.

time to avoid being roasted by the fireball that exploded ferociously outwards, followed by a billowing cloud of thick, black smoke.

'Well don't just stand there, put it out!' screamed Henk.

'Last one,' said the Doctor, watching the final Krillitane regain consciousness. He was taking a terrible risk, setting them free, but if he could get them to a ship and away there was a chance the Esteemed Father's forces might never touch down, pursuing Toch'Lu off into the stars and as far away from Earth as possible.

'Doctor, we have it.' Toch'Lu was standing beside a thin gap in the masonry, hidden from view behind a pillar.

The Doctor joined her, and peered into the shadows. That is brilliant. You'd never even know it existed. Wait here. I'll have a quick look.'

He squeezed through the tiny gap, grateful that this particular crisis had happened during his tenth life. Heaven help them all if it had been his sixth. He still couldn't look at a carrot-based diet drink without feeling queasy.

Thankfully, the tight pa.s.sage opened onto a stairway that would accommodate all of them, and the Doctor scurried up the spiralling staircase until he came to the top. Crouching low, he peered over the parapet. Henk's men had fetched extinguishers. There wasn't much time.

Down below, Emily was getting worried. 'Doctor, 185 185 where are you?' she half-whispered, half-shouted, jumping back as the Doctor's head suddenly popped through the gap in front of her.

'Give us a chance.' He gave Emily a wink, and clambered back into the crypt. 'Right, there's room enough for everyone. Be quiet when you get to the top. From the balcony we can reach one of the upper windows and get out of here. Off you go.'

The Doctor sent Emily up first, but held Darke back for a moment, pa.s.sing him the test tube of Krillitane Oil extract. Take this.

Remember what I told you, it's lethal to them. Keep it safe and only use it as a last resort,' he whispered urgently. Darke nodded in understanding, before following Emily into the secret pa.s.sage.

'Righty-ho, then. Unless you fancy toasting your wings, I suggest you get a wriggle on.' The Doctor ushered the eleven drowsy Krillitanes through the gap, followed by Toch'Lu and finally Broken Wing.

'I really must visit this place when it's not crawling with aliens,'

said the Doctor with a sniff, taking one last look at the graceful arches of the crypt before sliding back through the gap and bounding up the hidden staircase.

At the top, the Doctor immediately noticed a change in the Krillitanes. They seemed to have split into two camps, with four of them gathering around Broken Wing, clinging to the parapet like gargoyles overlooking the choir. Toch'Lu and Broken Wing were staring at each other, silent and angry. The female shook her head, but Broken Wing had made his decision. Supported 186 186 by two of the others, he leapt over the edge. Two more Krillitanes took to their wings and flew high towards the vaulted ceiling.

The Doctor rushed forwards, but there was nothing he could do.

Toch'Lu stepped over to the parapet, watching her mate swoop down towards Henk and his men. 'I commanded him not to do this, but there is Krillitane honour to be upheld. He would not be swayed.'

'It's you the Esteemed Father is after, not Broken Wing, so nothing has changed,' the Doctor replied grimly. If need be he would return to deal with this situation once the most pressing danger was dealt with. 'Let's get you to that Calabrian ship.'

The Krillitanes glided silently above their targets, unseen, unheard, until, at a signal from Broken Wing, they began to dive.

It was only a matter of luck that Henk happened to roll his eyes to the heavens in desperation, only to see three winged creatures bearing down upon him. He fired two shots from his blaster, both of them pummelling into the Krillitane on the left. Breaking away from Broken Wing, it spiralled out of control and slammed into a row of pews, the crash alerting Henk's men to the attack.

One Krillitane alone was unable to support the weight of Broken Wing, and they immediately lost alt.i.tude, sweeping dangerously close to the floor. At the last possible second, she let go of her burden and swung back 187.

towards the ceiling to regroup, her task accomplished. Broken Wing hit the ground lightly on all fours, alert and sniffing for Henk's distinctive scent.

Henk had already recognised his imminent danger and fled towards the cloisters as soon as he'd fired his weapon. There was no longer any point kidding himself. This whole deal had gone belly-up, and he wasn't going to stick around while those vile monsters picked at its carca.s.s.

'It's higher than you'd think, isn't it?' observed the Doctor, looking through the window they'd just broken and across the snow-covered Cathedral roof. 'And we're not even at the top.'

Emily was good with heights, but she knew her limits. There is no way we're going to get down there without breaking our necks. If we slip, that's it.'

Then we shall carry you,' Toch'Lu offered.

'What did she just say?' Emily glared at the Doctor, pretty certain she'd understood exactly what Toch'Lu was planning.

'Whatever you do, don't let go,' advised the Doctor, allowing Toch'Lu to wrap her arms around him. Emily and Darke exchanged worried glances, as bony Krillitane fingers took hold of them and lifted them from their feet. Suddenly they were flying, swooping away from the Cathedral and into the snowstorm.

The ride was exhilarating. Snowflakes and the bitter, icy wind bit against the Doctor's skin, but he welcomed 188 188 the winter storm that would surely enable them to pa.s.s beyond the city walls unnoticed. The Doctor looked back and was satisfied that Emily and Darke were close behind, though the Captain did not look at all happy.

Then the sky fell in.

A blinding white light flooded across the dawn sky, accompanied by a blast of superheated air and a pressure wave that sent the fugitives tumbling towards the river. As Toch'Lu struggled to regain control, the Doctor caught a glimpse of a deep-s.p.a.ce frigate dropping belly first through the storm clouds, directly over the Cathedral. The ship's retro-thrusters beat down on full power, slowing its descent to a halt mere metres above the Cathedral tower. Snow melted away from the vast roof in an instant from the intense heat.

The ship hovered for a moment, its size making it look like an airborne reflection of the Cathedral itself, then a flicker of light flashed on the underside of the hull. A hatch opened, from which tiny figures spilled out and onto the tower, crawling fluidly over the ancient stone.

Krillitanes. Dozens of them.

The Doctor looked on in horror. His gamble hadn't paid off, and now they were in serious trouble.

Inside the Cathedral, all h.e.l.l had broken loose.

The pitched battle between Broken Wing's supporters and Henk's people was suddenly thrown into disarray as the windows that ran along the length of the Cathedral shattered spectacularly inwards, too weak to withstand 189.

the shockwave pushed out by the Krillitane frigate's retro-thrusters.

The deafening howl of straining engines bounced off the Cathedral walls, an echoing cacophony that sent those Krillitanes that were airborne crashing to the floor, writhing in pain and unable to avoid the shards of gla.s.s that rained upon them like a million daggers.

In the cloisters, Broken Wing stumbled into a wall, clutching at his head to protect it from the noise. Henk couldn't believe his luck as he watched the Krillitane collapse to the floor. The d.a.m.n thing had almost had him cornered. Whatever was happening, it had at least saved him from this particular fate.

Blinking in the harsh light, Henk scrambled across to the edge of the cloisters and peered upwards. 'What in the name of... Who the h.e.l.l's that?'

Henk watched as the ship veered away towards the south, no doubt about to touch down in the open area between the Cathedral and the Castle. That cut him off from his planned escape route, via the boathouse and the river. He'd have to make his way out through the city instead.

Grateful that the hideous noise had abated, he wondered why the pilot had seen fit to make such a spectacular arrival, but then a groan from the floor alerted him that Broken Wing was beginning to recover his senses. It must have been the pitch of the engines that had floored him, realised Henk.

No time to waste on making grand plans. He needed a diversion and a bolthole. Then he heard angry shouts, 190 190 and fists banging against a door, and he remembered the delegates were still locked away in the Chapter House. Henk sprinted over and wrenched the brace from its housing. The doors swung open and he dived into the rush of delegates as they spilled out into the cloisters, pushing them out of the way, desperate to put as many of them between himself and Broken Wing as possible. The room was a mess. A few windows on the Cathedral side were now little more than gaping holes, and the floor was littered with gla.s.s. The Octulans were still in their pressurised bubble, quivering with fear. Their travelpods had been knocked aside during the panic. Henk couldn't care less. It was every man, or blob, for himself. And if the bubble still had power, then so did the other tech in the room, which meant Henk still had an ace up his sleeve.

Broken Wing staggered to his feet and shook his head to clear it. He looked up at the Cathedral tower, keen eyes picking out the grey and brown skins of Krillitane, pouring into the gaping windows at the top. The Esteemed Father's death squad.

He could only hope that, by now, Toch'Lu would be moving away from the city, to safety. He would confront the death squad, hold them here for as long as possible, then there was still a chance she might make it. But first he wanted Henk, and the terrified screaming coming from the opposite side of the cloisters told the Krillitane where to find him.

He bounded across the garden, jaws snapping at any 191 191 of the aliens that happened to stumble into his path, through the doors into the Chapter House. Broken Wing slid to a standstill and hissed. There was Henk, climbing onto a raised platform, laughing for reasons best known to himself. The Krillitane hissed again and crept forward, gla.s.s crackling under his long feet.

'Come on, then.' Henk waved, a victorious smile on his face, secure in the knowledge that the stage's force wall was activated and in full working order. He was quite safe from this stupid animal. Tasty Mister Henk. Come on.'

Broken Wing tensed his muscles, ready to pounce. Then a voice stopped him dead.

'Brother Myina, disgraced First Minister and consort to the treacherous Toch'Lu, how wonderful to see you again. It's been too long.'

Standing on the threshold of the Chapter House was a Krillitane, wingless, taller and broader than Broken Wing by some measure, and with the bearing of a leader.

Broken Wing hissed, lips drawing back, baring his fangs. 'You.'

192.

FOURTEEN.

*hat was too close. Do you think they spotted us?' _ Emily Twondered.

The Doctor was watching the ship through the telescopic site he'd taken from Emily's rifle. 'I shouldn't have thought so. Until they broke through the cloud cover they wouldn't have been able to see a thing, and they'd have been far too focused on pulling off their big arrival to worry about us. I'd guess they targeted the coordinates you sent them and went for it. Shock and Awe.'

'You're not kidding,' she replied.

The dishevelled group had gone to ground in an area of scrubby woodland just south of the Castle, where they watched as the Krillitane frigate settled on its landing gear.

193.

Darke was horrified to see more dreadful creatures pouring out of the giant metal monster, swarming into the Cathedral. 'When they don't find what they're looking for, they'll be certain to search the city.

The people are defenceless. It will be a bloodbath.' His face hardened.

He was not going to allow this to happen. 'I have to get back to the Castle, mobilise my troops and evacuate the city. The southern gate is not far from here.'

'Sounds like a plan, Captain. I'm coming with you. Emily, go back to your ship, get out of here. This isn't your fight.'

'Not my fight?' she protested. 'Doctor, all of this is my fault. It's my responsibility. And I'm not leaving you again.'

The Doctor sighed. 'All right. Blimey. Just keep close, OK? And don't go all heroic on me.' He gave her a smile, knowing there was no point in making an argument of it.

Toch'Lu was a short distance away, deep in conversation with her Brood. She brushed foreheads with each of them in turn, and the Doctor realised they were sharing a final moment together, saying their last goodbyes.

One by one, the Krillitanes took to the air, leaving Toch'Lu standing alone, head bowed. Then, with a shake of her wings, she reformed into the shape of a generic human female, a peasant girl, and walked back to join the others.

I have sent them to the Calabrian ship, with 194 194 instructions to leave this planet and never return,' she said simply.

'You're not going with them?' asked the Doctor quietly.

'I cannot. If I remain with them, then the lives of my children will never be safe.' Toch'Lu looked towards the imposing Cathedral, calm and determined. 'My consort remains within that place. I would join him. Brother Myina was right, we cannot run from our destiny for ever.'

The Doctor surveyed his troops. 'Right, then. Four of us, far too many of them. Pretty much business as usual. Lead the way, mon Capitan.'

After all the strange adventures of the last few days, Captain Darke was almost glad to be returning to an endeavour he knew so well, but had thought he'd left behind him long ago - preparing for war.

As they pa.s.sed through the southern gate, he ordered the guards to forget about manning their posts and follow him. There was little point protecting the Castle against marauders when a greater threat was already well within the city walls. He needed every man who could bear arms.

When they reached the main building, the Captain's presence immediately lifted the spirits of the garrison, who had been milling about in a state of confusion, unsure what to do about the lights in the sky that had surely been the wrath of G.o.d.

195.

Butcher was one of the first to approach him, on the verge of panic.

'Captain, we've been up the tower, sir. The Cathedral is overrun with monstrosities, perversions of G.o.d's creatures. Is this the End of Days, sir?'

Darke barely understood what was happening himself, but he decided to keep things simple for his men, who had not had the benefit of the Doctor's company. This is not G.o.d's work, nor the Devil's. These are creatures from far sh.o.r.es, Dog-heads from the East in the employ of the Empress Matilda, who is intent on taking this city from King Stephen.'

Two opposing forces fighting for the throne,' the Doctor murmured quietly to Toch'Lu. 'Sound familiar?'

'We must evacuate the city,' the Captain ordered. Take half of the men and form them into groups of six, then fan outwards from the Cathedral. Clear every building. I want every man, woman and child beyond those city walls. Tell them to find cover, keep warm and stay hidden. Then regroup and head back to the city. Be prepared for a fight.'

'Yes, sir. You can count on me, sir.' Butcher hurried away, calmed by Darke's authority and determined to carry out his orders to the letter.

Darke turned back to the Doctor 'We have forty men at our disposal. I take it we march on the Cathedral?' he asked.

The Doctor nodded. They'll have had time to do a thorough search by now. It won't be long before they make a start on the city.

The best you can do is set up a 196.

defensive perimeter along Lich Street and Bishops Street, stop the Krillitanes from breaking through for long enough to complete the evacuation.'

'You will need to arm yourselves, of course,' Darke observed.