But at this moment. . . " He sighed again. "Worries drive pleasures out very effectively, I am afraid. Well, however, she got the idea, Qataka decided that she would not die. She experimented with cybernetics replacing parts of living flesh with mechanical a.n.a.logs."

"Yeah, I know what cybernetics is." Ace could still recall the cold grip of the Cybermen she had faced quite recently. The end result of tissue replacement, they were grim, implacable, logical h.e.l.l on two legs, and numbered among the Doctor's greatest foes.

"Well, she made breakthroughs. Oh, our people had toyed with cybernetics in the past, but abandoned the field. With our medical knowledge, we were able to regrow lost limbs, and to keep the body functioning pretty well up to the ultimate point of death."

Puzzled, Ace asked: "If you could regrow things, then how come you have to die?" Utnapishtim nodded. "You make a good point. We could regrow most things, but the dividing line between most and all was in brain tissue.

It inevitably degenerated beyond the stage where we could do anything.

Our living minds simply wore out. You might say we die not of disease or accident, but simply through tiredness."

"Qataka would never accept this, despite our knowledge. Instead, she managed to come up with a way to stay alive. Instead of attempting to regrow her mental tissues, she simply replaced it periodically."

"How?"

"Putting it crudely, she steals it from other living beings." Seeing Ace's look of revulsion, he nodded. "Our thoughts exactly. When we discovered what she was doing, she was instantly condemned for her actions, and sentenced to the death she so feared. Would that it had been that simple to carry it out!" He was lost in his memories again for a short while. Finally, he looked up. "She had known, of course, that one day the authorities would discover what was happening. And she had planned for it. While she had worked on keeping her brain alive with these periodic implants, she had made another discovery that was, if anything, more terrible than her first."

"She had faced a problem with storage of her own memories - with the breakdown of the brain cells data would inevitably be lost. The fresh cells would be wiped clean of the owner's thoughts, and would be blank until she could imprint them. What she did, then, was to link her own living mind to a computer backup memory. It kept, if you like, a second set of everything she had on file. And she discovered that she could use this mind as if it were her own. She built little radio receivers that she could implant in the skulls of others, and then connect to this second mind of hers in the computer, which could then take over the infected person. She could see through their eyes, think through their brain, experience through their bodies..."

After a moment, Ace prompted him: "And then what?"

"Oh, we were blind fools. We managed to isolate Qataka, and she was put to death, screaming and pleading for mercy. Mercy! She didn't ever understand the word." Looking sick, he wiped his brow. "But at the end she stopped her begging, and threatened us. While she was being put to death, she promised that she would have her revenge. I myself was the one appointed judicially to kill her, and as I did so I saw in her eyes that she was telling the truth. I knew that she really believed that she would have her revenge, even after death. But I could convince few people of this.

"I was scared, Ace, terribly afraid. I believed her when she promised destruction, though I had no idea what she meant. So I had this ark built, just in case. If she was somehow able to destroy Anu, then I would save what I could. We built it in s.p.a.ce, orbiting our world, and I convinced my fellow leaders that it was an experimental colony. They thought I was foolhardy, but allowed me to stock it and to recruit followers.

"It's a good thing I did. We were almost finished when Qataka carried out her promise. You see, we had not known about the computer back-up mind when she had been captured and executed. She, of course, made no mention of it. But this computer-thing was her - down to every last detail, every final thought. And it hated us, with a bitter depth of pa.s.sion. Slowly, it had built up the linkages in the minds it controlled. Some it put to work to house a body for the mind. The rest it put to work building a lethal weapon, one banned from our world for generations without number: a cobalt device.

"I was supervising the stocking of this city-ship when the news came to us.

Qataka had emerged from her hiding place, and struck back at our world.

She, too, had a ship of sorts, populated by her slaves. Her computer personality went aboard it, and then detonated her cobalt bomb."

It was several minutes before he could bring himself to speak. Even then, there were tears in his eyes, and a catch in his throat. "We saw . . . we saw the surface of our lovely world, burning, writhing in the fires of death. The elements themselves turned against it. Everyone still on the planet perished utterly. Anu was ravaged in moments, and left a smouldering, lifeless charred ball in s.p.a.ce.

"But Qataka had not known of my plans, as I had been ignorant of hers.

She was as surprised by our existence as we were horrified to find her.

Then she tried to attack us, too. I had been warned, just before the death of Anu, by my companions on the council, that Qataka still lived as a computer being. She had not been able to restrain herself from gloating to her victims before she triggered the bomb, and they had a few brief seconds in which to warn me before they perished. But it enabled me to be prepared. I created an electronic organism - a programmed disease that would eat at her mind and destroy it -"

"A computer virus?" Ace said.

"A computer virus - yes, exactly, that's just what it was. I managed to use a signal carrier to implant it in her ship.

"It almost worked. If I had had more time to perfect it, perhaps she would have died then. Instead, it simply broke down her linkages with her mind-slaves. Then she attacked us. We fought back. Our battle was one of manoeuvres into and out of hypers.p.a.ce as we fought and dodged.

Eventually, above this planet, we won. Qataka's ship broke apart under our fire, and she was finally extinguished. But it had been too much, too late.

My ship, my city, had been damaged, and our fuel supply contaminated and rendered useless. We were forced to make an emergency landing. We selected this site because it is far from the native cities - we had no wish to disturb them. We landed intact, but our power has been draining slowly ever since. Nothing we have been able to do has helped at all. It will not be long before we must leave this craft forever.

"Sadly, our only choice is to try and take this world from the human race.

To this end, I posted the Guardian robots to watch the approach. If we had the power, we have enough of them in storage to conquer this planet alone.

But we cannot use them with so little energy available to us. We will have to fight, using the primitive weapons of this day, and our technological skills. What else can we do?" He looked up at Ace in sorrow. "It is a terrible dilemma that we find ourselves in."

"It's worse than you think," she told him, grin-fly. "You didn't destroy this Qataka you told me about. She's alive and well, and living in Kish as the G.o.ddess Ishtar."

Utnapishtim almost fainted with the shock. "You're lying!" he finally insisted, wildly.

"No, I'm not. She's there, taking over new slaves and getting ready to take over a new world. Face it, mate - pretty soon it'll be academic whether you or the human race gets control of the Earth. If she's left unchecked, she'll control everything."

After a long silence the colour returned to Utnapishtim's cheeks. Ace urged him to take more of the fruit juice, but he declined. "I'm as well as I can be,"

he a.s.sured her. "After such terrible news."

"Well," she challenged him, "what are you going to do about it?"

"Do?" he echoed bleakly. "What can I do?" He gestured about him. "When my ship was at full strength, we barely managed to stop her. Now, we would be lucky to even make her notice us. There is nothing that we can do to stop her now."

"No!" Ace insisted angrily. "You can't just give up! She's still weak." Casting about for ideas, she grabbed his tunic. "Those Guardian robots of yours.

Why not send them after her? They'd be able to dissect her in seconds, right?"

He shook his head. "Ace, it's not possible. She'd be able to override their circuitry and turn them on us if she knew they were here. I dare not send them to her. And we cannot take this ship so far - our energy levels are far too low for that. Besides, even if we could get to this Kish you speak of, then what could we do? Throw rocks at her? Or talk her to death?"

"That computer virus," Ace said, grinning. She felt inspired. "You said that it might have defeated her if you had a chance to work on it."

Utnapishtim hesitated a moment, and then shook his head once more. "No, Ace. I can't do it. Even if I could somehow re-work the virus. I have to get it into her system. That would need doing face to face, because she's bound to have some protection against any such interference again."

"Then get off your backside, and start working," Ace yelled. "You can't just give up. Not with the fate of my species in your hands. I won't let you. This is my world she's threatening now, and my future. I won't let her destroy it just because you've lost the courage to fight for what you believe in."

With a sigh and a shrug, Utnapishtim clambered to his feet, slowly. "Very well," he agreed. "I'll look into that computer virus. But even a.s.suming I can come up with one that will do what we want, how do we get it to Qataka?"

"I'll figure something out," promised Ace. "You get the weapon we can use, and I'll make certain Ishtar gets it right where it will hurt the most." Grimly, she closed her eyes and knotted her fists. For the sake of the human race, she couldn't afford to mess this one up. She could only pray that the Doctor would have some idea what they could do with the virus...

18: ESCAPE.

Ninani eyed the vase of ointment she held in both hands, and regretted that it was the only large container that she had. She hadn't even opened it yet, and it was supposed to be a rare and beautiful fragrance, imported from the Indus region. Still, she needed it for a purpose more urgent than scenting herself. Freeing her left hand she eased the door open until she could see through the crack in the frame.

There was just the one sentry, and not particularly alert. Her father didn't really expect her to try going anywhere, and the sentry knew he was on an easy a.s.signment, not to be taken seriously. More fool him. Taking a better grip on the neck of the vase, Ninani used her foot quietly to ease the door far enough open for her to slip through. Her bare feet made no sound on the floor, and she tiptoed to within striking distance.

As she had feared the fragile container shattered when she slammed it down on the man's head. He fell, covered in sticky, odorous ointment, amidst the shards of the pottery. Ninani bent to make certain that he was breathing regularly. She had no wish permanently to injure the man, who was simply following orders. With relief, she noted that he was merely unconscious. Her sensitive fingers found swelling and bruising on his scalp, but the bone did not appear damaged.

She returned to her room for her sandals, and then quickly ran down the corridor, staying in the shadows. She saw no one at all as she made her way down the stone stairs. There was no guard on the cell door: there was no need for one, since it was impossible to open from within, and who would dare disobey the edicts of the king by releasing the prisoners?

Ninani reflected that a few days ago not even she would have dared. But with the menace that was Ishtar growing stronger and more evil day after day, she had no other option. She eased the restraining bar out of its sockets. Quietly, she opened the door.

All three of them were within. Enkidu and En-Gula were sleeping, but the Doctor was still trying to free himself. He had eased off a shoe and sock, and was trying to remember what Harry Houdini had taught him about compressing his foot to get it through a narrow gap. Seeing the light from the door, he glanced up in surprise.

"Princess," he murmured. "Is it visiting hour already?"

"Quietly," she cautioned him. "I've come to set you free."

"Are you sure that's wise?" he asked, watching her pick up the mallet and a wedge of wood. "I don't think your father will be very happy."

"My father is generally a very wise man," Ninani answered. "But in this instance, he is allowing his fears to out voice his reason." Dropping to one knee, she placed the wedge she carried underneath the wedge holding shut the stocks. Then, with careful taps, she knocked it free.

The noise woke the two sleepers. Their questions were cut off by the Doctor hissing for silence. As silently as possible Ninani knocked out the second of the wedges, allowing Enkidu to haul the top half of the stocks away from his and the Doctor's feet. The warrior then took the hammer and wedge from Ninani, and set about freeing the priestess. The Doctor hopped about on one foot, replacing his shoe and sock. As soon as EnGula was free the Doctor beckoned everyone to him.

"Right," he told them in a low voice, "we have to move quickly. We don't know when somebody might come along to check up on us, so let's make the most of whatever time we have. En-Gula, can you lead us to the temple of Ishtar by a route that keeps us out of public view?"

"Of course, lord," she agreed. "Follow me."

As she led the way out of the dungeon, the others fell in behind her. Enkidu had kept the mallet he'd used, since it was the only thing they had that could serve as a weapon in case of trouble.

Bringing up the rear, the Doctor allowed himself a little indulgence in hope.

"I knew I'd think of a way out of this," he congratulated himself. A little more luck like this, and Ishtar would be finished.

Agga sat in his throne, drinking new wine from a silver goblet. He had no idea what it tasted like, since his occasional mouthfuls of the liquid were swallowed swiftly. He knew that it was a mistake to drown his fears in strong drink, but since it was the only plan he'd been able to come up with, he was grimly carrying it out.

If he was honest with himself, he knew Ninani was quite correct: Ishtar would enslave them all before she was done. But what could he do? Taking another swallow, he reflected that Ishtar was quite capable of killing Ninani if the whim took her, and he couldn't risk that. And, besides, there was that magical box of hers that could destroy all of creation should Ishtar be killed.

Having looked into her eyes, he knew that this was no idle threat.

The whole situation was hopeless. On the whole, he knew that he was a capable and possibly even a good king. But in such extremities as this . . .?

The G.o.ds mocked him, making him a king of nothing. What could he do?

He took another swallow of wine, and realized his goblet was empty.

Reaching for the pitcher, he poured himself another drink. Slamming the pitcher back onto the table, he saw a slow movement in the shadows.

"Who's there?" he growled, glaring at the darkness. "Show yourself, like an honest man!"

Dumuzi moved into the circles thrown by the blazing torches. In the flickering light he looked inhuman. His thin features, his white beard, his heavy nose, and above all those gla.s.sy eyes. "Greetings, lord," he murmured. "Taking your ease?"

"Nergal take you, slinker in shadows," the king replied, his words slurred by wine. "Why do you creep through the darkness?"

"Because if I did not, then I would be seen as I spied on you, O king."

"So," Agga snarled, "you're keeping an eye on me for Ishtar, eh?"

"Fool," the high priest snapped. "I am Ishtar. These eyes are my eyes, this tongue my tongue. I am here, just as certainly as I would be if my body were present."

"You make my skin crawl," he told the priest, stumbling to his feet. "I believe what you say, Ishtar. I've seen you taking possession of men's bodies before. So why do you have Dumuzi's eyes spying on me?"

"I was waiting," was the priest's reply. "I wanted to have you in this sorry, bedraggled state when you came before me. It amuses me to see the king of Kish act like a common drunkard."

"Amuses you?" He laughed. "A human emotion, surely? Not one fit for a G.o.ddess."

Dumuzi's body shrugged. "There may not be much that is human within me," he said for Ishtar. "But my emotions remain. I enjoy laughter - and, at times, revenge." The smile on Dumuzi's face was like the rictus on the face of a corpse. "Now it is time for revenge."

Staggering down from the dais, Agga moved towards the old priest. Glaring through an alcoholic haze, he tried to suppress his fears. "Revenge? What are you prattling on about?"

"What?" asked Dumuzi, in amused tones. "Don't tell me that you have no idea what your dear, beautiful daughter is doing?"

A cold wave of shock washed over Agga, almost sobering him. "She's in her room, under guard," he replied. "She can be of no interest -"

"On the contrary!" roared Dumuzi, voicing Ishtar's pleasure. "Even now, she has freed the three prisoners that you took and hid from me. Did you not think I would find out about them? And who they are? Fool! She and they are heading to my temple. Agga, I warned you that if she interfered with me, she would become my slave or my feast. Now you will see how I keep my word."

With a curse, Agga threw the dregs of wine into Dumuzi's face. Pushing the old man aside the king rushed from the throne room. As the wine dripped untouched down his face, Dumuzi watched the king stagger out into the corridor. "Yes," he murmured, satisfied, echoing Ishtar's thoughts, "I thought that would get you moving. Another one on his way to me. I do so love parties . . . And what a gathering and a feast this one is going to be!"

And throwing back his head the old priest laughed inhumanly into the empty room.

"I don't like this," Enkidu muttered.

Stifling an urge to scream, the Doctor said with strained patience: "While I appreciate realism, haven't you ever heard of the power of positive thinking? You've done nothing since our escape but complain about things."

"That's because I'm naturally cautious," replied Enkidu. He peered out from behind the pillar that concealed them both. Ahead of them, the main room of the temple of Ishtar stretched out. "And I tell you, I don't like this."

"Then I promise we'll speak to the decorators when we're finished, and we'll have them repaint the place for you."

The ape-man glared at him. "I mean that it's too quiet."

"He may be correct, lord," En-Gula interposed before the Doctor could say anything. "At this hour, there are usually about twenty priests here, offering sacrifice."

The Doctor took another quick look. He could see only six or seven of the robed figures, although about twenty worshippers were bearing animals to the slaughter. "Maybe it's the lunch break," he suggested. "Everything looks fine to me." He stared at them both in annoyance. "Why can't you be like Ninani, and stop arguing with all of my decisions?" The princess, still looking apprehensive, was watching their rear. She was quite astonished at her own bravery and skill, and feeling pleased that the lord Ea approved of both what she had done and the att.i.tude she was showing.

"All right," Enkidu said, reluctantly. "Then how do we get across the temple without being seen?"

"Must I think of everything?" The Doctor glanced round the pillar again. The only other people in sight were the priestesses, sitting or moving about in their alcoves. From time to time one of the male worshippers would cross to one of them, and throw down an offering coin. The priestess would then lead him to one of the side rooms to commune with the G.o.ds. "Hmmm . . .

En-Gula, I think it's time you rejoined the priesthood." She looked blankly at him, so he explained. "The rooms we want are behind the altar. The rooms the temple priestesses use are between here and there. We can make the extra little hop, skip and jump before we're spotted."

En-Gula grinned, catching on. With a nod she quickly rearranged her costume to expose her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, thus marking herself as one of the temple staff. The Doctor, meanwhile, managed to use his umbrella to snag and draw to him two of the cloaks from the table where the visitors placed them while they were in the temple courts. He handed one to Enkidu and struggled into the other himself.

Ninani regarded him, a firm look in her eye. "I am not going to bare myself for this masquerade," she told him. "It would not be seemly for a princess to display herself in such a fashion."

Don't let the fact that it might save all our lives influence you, the Doctor thought. Aloud, he simply said: "Well, let's hope that EnGula's efforts are enough. Enkidu, you escort her to the communing chambers, then slip into the inner sanctum. I'll be right behind you, with Ninani."