Doctor Who_ World Game - Doctor Who_ World Game Part 25
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Doctor Who_ World Game Part 25

'Don't move, Doctor,' he warned. Grabbing Serena by the arm he dragged her inside the house and slammed the door, bolting it behind him.

The Doctor pounded on it furiously.

'Open this door!'

There was no response. He was still banging and yelling when a big travelling carriage drove up the drive.

A familiar voice called, 'Over here!'

The Doctor turned round. The Countess was looking out of the carriage window.

'Get in, Doctor.'

'Why should I?'

'For the sake of your charming companion. She is in the hands of my friend and unless you do exactly as I say, things will go badly for her.'

The Doctor hesitated, his mind frantically seeking a way out.

The door opened and Valmont reappeared in the doorway.

He was standing behind Serena, left arm curled about her neck, right hand holding the pistol to her head. 'Is he being sensible, Countess? Or do I kill her?'

'Well, Doctor?' said the Countess.

The Doctor moved closer to the door. 'See that no harm comes to Lady Serena,' he said. 'I hold you personally responsible. Do you hear me?'

Valmont recoiled before the fury in his voice. He jerked Serena backwards and slammed the door.

'He hears you Doctor,' said the Countess. 'Nothing will happen to her if you continue to co-operate. Now, get in!'

The Doctor got into the carriage and sat facing the Countess. The carriage drove away.

'Well?' said the Doctor coldly.

'We need your help, Doctor, with the atomic drive. The Nautilus Nautilus is already on its way to Mr Fulton's workshop in Boulogne. So are we. There you will assist Mr Fulton to install it tonight.' is already on its way to Mr Fulton's workshop in Boulogne. So are we. There you will assist Mr Fulton to install it tonight.'

'Then you'll let Serena go?'

The Countess shook her head. 'We will release her, and you, after a successful trial of the Nautilus Nautilus. One more thing, Doctor. You will say nothing of our arrangement to Mr Fulton.

He thinks you are helping us out of the kindness of your heart.'

The carriage rattled on.

Serena sat in an armchair in the ornately decorated little salon and looked at Valmont. He sat in a chair at the other side of the room, the pistol in his lap.

'Where are the servants?' she asked coldly. 'I hope you haven't harmed them?'

'Dismissed until tomorrow, given the night off by a generous employer. The Doctor and his companion are spending the night with a friend.'

'And where is the Doctor, really? Where is the Countess taking him?'

'To Fulton's workshop in Boulogne. The Doctor's scientific and engineering skills are required.'

'And when he's finished whatever he's going to do you'll let us go?'

'So the Countess says. Personally, I'd kill you both, but she has a sentimental streak.'

'How long are you going to keep me here?'

'Until I hear from the Countess that the Nautilus Nautilus has successfully completed her trials.' has successfully completed her trials.'

'And what am I supposed to do meanwhile?'

'Anything you like. You might care to prepare us a meal.'

'I don't think so,' said Serena who had never cooked a meal in her life.

'You can even go to bed if you want to anything you feel like, except leave. If you try to escape, I'll kill you.'

'Then you'll have no hold over the Doctor.'

'Ah, but he won't know that, will he? I could kill you now, and he'd still carry out his task. As long as he thinks thinks you are alive...So don't tempt me.' you are alive...So don't tempt me.'

Serena sat back in her chair and contemplated her captor.

Would he carry out his threat? Yes he would, she decided.

There was a hint of callous cruelty in the handsome, petulant face. It was the face of someone who cared for nobody's fate but his own.

Nevertheless, she was going to have to escape somehow.

Not only escape, but reach the Doctor and let him know that she was free. Only then would the Countess's hold on him be broken. It was unbearable to think of the Doctor being forced to bring about the historical catastrophe he was determined to prevent.

Somehow she had to escape. She had to...

Chapter Twenty-two.

Demonstration

The carriage rattled on through the night, and the Doctor dozed in his corner.

At intervals through the night they came to a halt at staging posts where fresh horses were harnessed. Once someone thrust a tin mug of rough red wine into his hand.

Towards the end of the night they ran into a summer storm, howling winds and lashing rain.

The big coach bucketed on. The Doctor became aware of the presence of rows of tents, and columns of marching men all around them. More than once they were delayed by the passage of a column of artillery.

Just before dawn they came to a long, low shed on a shingled beach. There was a wooden jetty beside it. Fulton was there, supervising the transfer of the Nautilus Nautilus from a long flat-bed carriage pulled by half a dozen horses. from a long flat-bed carriage pulled by half a dozen horses.

A couple of brawny, sweating labourers were manoeuvring the little craft on rollers into the choppy sea.

'Labiche! Lapoint! Be careful there!' yelled Fulton. 'Treat her gently, like you do your wives in a bad mood!'

The two men grinned and went on with their work.

The Doctor climbed stiffly out of the coach and stood watching as the submarine was towed into deeper waters at the end of the wharf and made fast. When the task was done to his satisfaction, Fulton turned and saw them.

'Countess, Doctor,' he called. 'Good to see you. Don't stand out here in the rain, come into the workshop.'

He led them into the long shed. Brightly lit by oil lamps and innumerable candles, it was a smaller version of the one in the Tuileries. Fulton produced coffee from a battered tin pot on a glowing stove and handed it round.

'It's good of you to come and help us, Doctor.'

The Doctor glanced at the Countess. 'It was the least I could do. So what's the problem?'

'This!' said Fulton. He produced a complicated-looking assemblage of metal rods and cogs, and put it on the workbench before them. 'It's the latest version of the reduction gear assembly. I rigged it up to connect the Countess's motor to the submersible's propeller.'

The Doctor took the device and studied it, turning it over and over in his hands.

'Yes, I see. Very ingenious, Mr Fulton.' He looked up. 'In fact I can't see anything wrong with it. It ought to work.'

'I know it ought to work,' said Fulton exasperatedly. He produced another, very similar piece of apparatus, the rods and cogs horribly twisted and fused. 'This is what happened to the previous version and all the versions before that! I've made the new one stronger, but I haven't much hope. If this cracks up we'll be back to using the hand crank and the Emperor will get bored and go home before anything happens.'

The Doctor examined and compared the two assemblies.

'Well, it's obvious what your problem is, isn't it? Your propulsion engine is throwing out too much power on the first surge.'

'I figured that out for myself, Doctor,' said Fulton. 'But since I don't understand the new engine and daren't tinker with it...'

'Let's have a look at it!'

'Is that really necessary?' said the Countess quickly. 'Can't you just improve that that connecting thing so it works?'

'No I can't,' said the Doctor crossly. 'Mr Fulton is an excellent engineer and I certainly couldn't do any better. The problem isn't with the connecting shaft, it's as good as can be made in the present age with the available materials. The problem is the power control of the new propulsion engine.

Let me look at it and I may be able to help.'

'Very well,' said the Countess reluctantly. She nodded to Fulton, who went to a locker and produced a small dome-shaped object made of silvery metal. Set into the dome was a tiny control panel, with various dials and levers.

'Good gracious, an Omega drive,' said the Doctor. He looked at the Countess. 'You really do have friends in high places, don't you?'

'Don't discuss it, Doctor, fix it,' said the Countess.

Fulton looked up in surprise at her peremptory tone.

'Sorry,' said the Countess, 'I'm a little nervous. Do make the adjustments if you can, Doctor. It really will be best for everybody.'

'Do you really know how that thing works?' asked Fulton.

'Don't worry, Mr Fulton, these things are common as candlesticks where I come from.'

'Is that so, Doctor?' said Fulton curiously. 'You must tell me about where you come from some time. Can you fix it?'

'Yes, I can,' said the Doctor. He fished in his pockets and produced a complex-looking pen-shaped device.

'What's that?' asked Fulton.

'It's called a sonic screwdriver,' said the Doctor absently.

'Sort of a multi-purpose tool. Lucky I brought it along.'

He switched on the sonic screwdriver and slid it around the base of the Omega motor. A panel slid back, revealing a deck of incredibly complex circuitry.

'You will be careful, won't you Doctor?' said the Countess.

The Doctor ignored her, studying the circuitry.

'How's Lady Serena?' the Countess went on. 'I hear she hasn't been too well. I do hope she isn't going to take a turn for the worse. These things can be very sudden.'

The Doctor swung round on her. 'Now see here,' he said fiercely. 'I am attempting a reasonably complex scientific task and to complete it I shall need peace and quiet and undisturbed concentration.'

Watched in fascination by Fulton, and with suspicion by the Countess, the Doctor set to work.