Doctor Who: Galaxy Four by William Emms Read Free Book Online Page A

Rills die or we do.’
    The Doctor was growing tired of such single-mindedness. In fact, he wasn’t sure that it wasn’t so much single as simple. Whatever it was, it was beginning to grate on his nerves. ‘You could both get off together, couldn’t you? Did it never occur to you that if you joined forces you’d probably be away from this planet in no time at all? Your problems would then be solved, out into space and no-one left behind.’
    ‘Impossible.’
    ‘What’s so impossible about it?’ Steven asked. ‘Have you ever tried being friendly?’
    ‘Oh, she wouldn’t do that,’ Vicki said scornfully. ‘I reckon she wants to be enemies.’
    ‘The situation was forced upon us,’ Maaga replied. ‘They killed one of my soldiers.’
    ‘It could have been a mistake,’ Steven pointed out. ‘After all, there you were out in space and you suddenly encountered each other.’ A thought occurred to him. ‘Who fired first, by the way?’
    ‘They did. They were upon us before we even knew of their presence. All we did know was that we were hit, and badly at that. Naturally, we returned their fire.’
    ‘Naturally,’ Vicki said in a voice totally lacking conviction.
    The Doctor emerged from the reverie he had fallen into. ‘There is one thing.’
    ‘And what is that?’
    ‘How does it come about that you know what the Rills look like? I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of them.’
    For the first time Maaga faltered. ‘We fought them on this planet: We drove them back into their space vessel and they have not emerged since, only sending their machines out on patrol.’ Her expression was one of distaste. ‘They are vile creatures, revolting to see and disgusting to smell. That you could even think of us befriending them is incredible.’
    The Doctor eyed her beadily. ‘I see. Then I’d better sum things up for you.’
    ‘Please do.’
    ‘Oh, I shall. Don’t worry about that. And it’s really very simple.’ He waved a hand vaguely about him. ‘All of this is not our business, not our business at all. We don’t know you and we don’t know the Rills either. Speaking for myself, I can’t say that I particularly want to, which applies to both of you. Yet you ask for our help, with no evidence whatsoever that you’ve tried to help yourselves. Well, I’ll tell you now, you aren’t going to get it. I’ve never heard such nonsense in my life. Why you don’t send one of your minions out to talk peace I really don’t know. But since you won’t, take it from me, you’re on your own.’
    Maaga’s voice was chill. ‘I have explained everything to you.’
    ‘Not necessarily to my satisfaction.’
    ‘What is it that would satisfy you?’
    ‘Talking to someone with a grain of sensitivity would be a start,’ the Doctor snapped. ‘Talking to you is very much akin to going for a walk with a tree. Nothing moves. The response is nil. Since you can’t go away, we will. Kindly open that door.’
    Maaga’s response was predictable. The Doctor saw it happening before it actually did. She took her handgun from her holster and pointed it at him. ‘You will please change your mind.’
    The Doctor shook his head. ‘No.’
    The atmosphere could have been sliced with a knife. Vicki and Steven looked on in tense alarm as the Doctor eyed the weapon and the woman holding it. He cared for neither. In fact his indifference was turning to active dislike. Here he was pursuing his normal life of scientific enquiry and suddenly finding himself being dragooned into what bore all the makings of an all-out war. It was all too much. Why, oh why, did these things keep happening to him? Assuming there was a God, he seemed to look upon the Doctor with an ironic eye. Benevolence would make a nice change, a spell of peace and quiet somewhere with nothing at all happening and no-one threatening his tranquillity of mind. And he had to admit that for himself: he was a serene person, not given to such trivial emotions as impatience or