Crozier turned to him. 'Was there anyone else?'

'Not amongst the Alphans, sir.'

The Matrona pointed at Tuza. 'Shall I have this one implanted and sent to the work sector?'

'Yes, yes...' Crozier had no further interest in the matter now that Tuza was eliminated as a possible donor for Kiv.

'Take him to the Induction centre.'

'Yes, Matrona.' Frax saluted and waited for Tuza to be released.

Crozier shook his head sadly as he and the Doctor tidied away their equipment and turned off the scanning equipment. 'What a pity both you and the Alphan are unsuitable, Doctor.'

The Doctor gave a slight swallow of disbefief at the matter-of-fact a.s.sumption Crozier made about his willingness to become a donor. 'Oh, yes,' he said lightly, 'most disappointing. Unlike Sil, I would willingly have given up my life.'

'Yes, of course.' Crozier's attention shifted momentarily as the door opened to allow Tuza to be taken away under guard. He tumed back to the Doctor. 'What about your companion, Doctor?'

'Peri?' The Doctor paused as if considering the matter carefully. 'Oh, female, quite unsuitable. Unstable. Silly.

Flippety-gibbet, hopeless.'

'Why not examine her?' the Matrona suggested.

'Why not?' Crozier stared at the Doctor. 'You seem uneasy.'

'I would prefer someone else to be used.'

'You have strong feelings for the woman?'

'I would prefer it if someone else could be operated on instead.'

Crozier considered the question. After a long pause, he said, 'I understand. People have feelings. I am not without pity and you have helped me here. Kiv is stable. I can afford to allow him to gain strength for a few more hours.

But I must operate on him again soon. Go to the Induction centre. You know what we need. If you can find a more suitable candidate, I shall use them and spare Peri.'

It amused Crozier to see how quickly the Doctor moved towards the exit from the laboratory. 'Hurry, Doctor, you have very little time... or chance,' he added for the Matrona's amus.e.m.e.nt, when the Doctor had gone.

Fourteen.

The grille of the maximum-security cell slid open. The guard pointed at Peri. The large hand of Yrcanos touched the girl lightly on the shoulder. 'Die well.'

Peri looked up at him, eyes moist with tears. The Lukoser began to growl menacingly. The guards hastily grabbed Peri and pulled her from the cell. Yrcanos gripped the steel bars, pulling with all his strength. Even his power made no impression on their fixtures.

'Conzonian! Stizr! Azarapurr!'

The cries of a Krontep King's lament for a lost love filled the underground pa.s.sage with its sonorous heartfelt cry of farewell. The Lukoser threw his head back and howled angrily until even Yrcanos could stand it no longer.

'Enough, Dorf, too much grief is unseemly, we will meet the Lady Peri in Verduna.'

Yet somehow that did not seem a great comfort.

Yrcanos and the Lukoser siumped into a glum silence.

The Induction chamber was deserted except for Marne, the aged Mentor with the over-sensitive hearing problem.

'Where is everyone?' the Doctor asked.

'Don't shout; we are not expecting any intake from Thoros-Alpha today.'

A suspicion flitted across the Doctor's mind. Had Crozier known this?

'n.o.body at all?' the Doctor tried again.

'Only one subject in the Implantation cubicle.'

'Do you mind if I peek in, I do have Crozier's permission.'

'If you must, but he will probabiy be in the bemused stage by now.'

'I'll try not to disturb him.'

'Oh, all right,' Marne said, yawning.

'Thank you.' The Doctor went to the small cubicle and peered inside. Seated, and wearing a cofiar and helmet attachment that was wired to a persona reconstruction unit, was Tuza.

'h.e.l.lo,' the Doctor started.

Tuza stared blearily at the indistinct features of the face swimming before him. 'Yrcanos?'

'You know him?'

'Yes. Who...'

'I'm a friend,' the Doctor said quietly and started to disengage the reconstruction unit to prevent any further damage to the Alphan's mind and spirit.

Expecting execution, Peri had at first been relieved to find herself taken to Crozier's laboratory, but as the tests on her person became more detailed she began to be apprehensive as to what might be in store for her. As the Matrona stepped back, from the examining table, Peri asked what was going on.

'Simply testing your state of health.'

'And?'

'It is excellent.'

'Good.' Peri sat up from the table.

'Yes. Most pleasing.'

At that moment the door opened and Crozier entered.

'Stand up!' the Matrona ordered. Peri left the table and stood silently by as Crozier scanned the sheet of figures and measurements taken by the Matrona.

Crozier kept glancing up at Peri as he read the print out.

'Yes... oh, yes... most promising.' He handed the information back to the Matrona and came towards Peri, smiling.

Peri watched him warily. She felt like a prize specimen as Crozier tilted her head first one way then the other.

'Excellent!' he p.r.o.nounced. 'She is a most promising candidate. I will arrange the antigen tests.'

'That's a blood test,' Peri said with alarm. 'I'm not marrying anyone...'

Crozier smiled indulgently. 'Strength. That is good. We must try to retain that if at all possible.'

Tuza was slowly coming to himself but the Doctor, after examining the powerful mind-changing unit, knew that hours would be needed to recover his senses. At last the Doctor understood why he had suffered blackouts and had acted so perversely since he had suffered the power of Crozier's ability to warp minds. Though the Doctor had only felt the impulse of the Brain Transference Unit for a short time it had taken until now to recover his judgement fully. Deciding to allow Tuza more time to gather his wits the Doctor stepped outside the booth just as Frax was arriving.

'What are you doing here, Doctor?' Frax asked.

'He has Crozier's permission and will you please not shout at each other.'

'My apologies, sir,' Frax said, recognising Marne, the oldest working Mentor. 'I didn't notice you were in attendance.'

'Oh, take no notice of me. Few people do.'

'I'm looking for that captured King...' the Doctor said casually. 'Where might I find him?'

'Yrcanos?'

'That's him.'

'Why?'

'Crozier asked me to look him over as a possible body donor for Mentor Kiv.'

Frax hesitated then looked to Marne for approval.

'Oh, take him, but be careful Yrcanos has a very loud voice... it plays havoc with the audio system.'

'Thank you for the warning, Mentor,' the Doctor said quietly.

'I was hoping we'd heard the last of Yrcanos he's such a strident fellow...' The Mentor turned around to find himself alone. 'Oh, they've gone... how rude not to say goodbye young people.' He sniffed, closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.

Crozier showed the pattern of Peri's brain scan. 'Look at that, Matrona, so many positive waves... I feel tempted to try for the ultimate experiment.'

'Another physical transfer?' The Matrona searched the scientist's face for a clue as to his intentions.

Crozier smiled like a small boy who is about to reveal his pet frog and just knows the girl will scream. Then he postponed his revelation. 'There are other tests to conduct first. Then I will decide. You may prepare the patient, even so, Matrona.'

'Yes, sir...' the Matrona said, moving towards a bench on which was an open tray containing a selection of surgical scissors.

Propped against the back wall of his cell, Yrcanos was asleep, dreaming of a battle where warhorses clashed and fought, while warriors stood by and cheered. A rattling sound brought him awake. Standing outside the bars of the cell stood the Doctor and Frax. Without conscious thought Yrcanos was on his feet and hurling abuse at his enemies.

'Grunnitzer!'

'How do you do?' the Doctor said politely.

'Screedner!'

'Now where would a well-brought-up King learn such a word?' The Doctor turned to Frax. 'Open the door, please, officer, I intend to teach this king a royal lesson.'

'You must be out of your mind. He'll kill you!'

'Oh, I don't think so...' the Doctor leaned towards Frax and deftly relieved him of the phaser that the officer carried in his belt.

'What...?' Frax started.

'No questions.' The Doctor levelled Frax's gun at Yrcanos.

'Grunwitzer!' Yrcanos bellowed defiantly.

'Enough of that,' the Doctor said, briskly. 'I'm here to help you. Officer Frax, please unlock the cell.'

Frax stared for a moment then took out the keys and unlocked the grille. The Doctor pulled the barred gate open. Yrcanos stood dazedly as if he had just received a sideswipe from a cannon ball.

'Your majesty...' The Doctor waved an elegant gesture of invitation to quit his captivity.

Yrcanos made no move.

The Doctor nodded to the furry creature who had come to the shoulder of his master. 'h.e.l.lo... didn't catch your name at our last meeting.'

'Do... do... do...'