Vampires, like Time Lords, are stronger than they look and the Doctor was outnumbered by a dozen to one.
He gave up at last, spread-eagled on the floor in the middle of the wrecked dining room, three vampires to each leg, and two to each arm.
Zarn turned to the two remaining vampires. 'You! Go after his companion.
Fetch her back here.'They sped from the room.
The Doctor smiled in grim satisfaction. How long had he kept up the struggle?
Ten minutes, a quarter of an hour...
Romana could get a long way in that time. And there was little fear of her getting lost. Her Time Lord memory, like his own, would retain a route she had once followed.
So, there was a good chance that she would get away, and if she did, she would be back with help in the shortest possible time. Come to that, if Xan had eluded his pursuers, help might already be on the way. it had better not be too long in coming, though, thought the Doctor grimly. His own situation was very far from satisfactory.
'Hold him while I send for chains,' ordered Zarn. 'Tomorrow night we shall begin the ceremony.'
Snarls of disappointmentr came from the vampires. 'No! Why should we wait. We must feed now!'
One of the female vampires, a haggard, whitefaced, red-eyed creature who had once been beautiful, pulled the folds of the long scarf away from the Doctors throat. Before Zarn could prevent her she plunged her fangs deep into his neck.
The doctor's body writhed and plunged as he felt the bite of the fangs, but the vampires held him fast.
The vampire raised blood-bedabbled lips. 'Drink! The blood of a Time Lord is sweet!'
Another vampire thrust her aside and took her place. Still others pushed back the Doctor's sleeves, plunged their fangs into the veins at his wrists.
'Stop, you fools!' screamed Zarn. 'Stop or you'll kill him. We need him alive!'
His ravening followers paid him no attention, continuing with their dreadful feast. The Doctor struggled furiously, but to less and less effect.
Already he could feel the strength, and the life beginning to drain from his body . . .
***
Romana ran along the dark forest paths, desperately making time and distance calculations in her head. So long to reach the dome, so long to convince Kalmar of the urgency of the situation, to assemble an armed force and return to the house of Zarn . . .and always the same result - too long to be sure of saving the Doctor's life.
She could try and bring the rescuers back in the TARDIS - but despite recent success on Alzarius, the TARDIS was normally even more unreliable than usual when it came to very short trips. The Doctor might have been able to manage it, but she wasn't at all sure she could. The slightest error and the could all end up a hundred miles away.
The only hope was that the vampires would keep the Doctor alive for the lengthy initiation ceremony that Zarn had described and that she could rescue the Doctor before the vampire mutation was complete.
A vampire Time Lord was simply unthinkable. Romana shuddered at the thought of driving a steak through the Doctor's hearts.
She ran as fast as she dared, dodging overhanging branches that lashed at her face, struggling to keep her footing on the uneven path. At this point, a sprained ankle meant death for the Doctor, and for Romana herself if the vampires found her.
She was sure that she was being pursued.
She broke into one of the larger clearing and found that death was already waiting there, in the shape of a huddled figure at the base of a tree on the other side. She crossed the clearing and knelt beside the body Wide astonished eyes stared up at her from a dead-white face. It was Xan, the boy that had found her the medikit - which she's left at the house of Zarn, she remembered. The boy must have acted as the Doctor's guide; he must've been sent back for help.
There was a gaping wound in his throat and his body had clearly been drained of blood. A sword he'd never had a chance to use lay close to his hand.
She remembered Zarn's chilling words:
'The boy may never reach his destination. The forest paths are dangerous at night.'
She pulled the grey cloak over Xan's white face, then froze in disbelief as a familiar sound came from behind her.
A wheezing, groaning sound.
She rose and whirled round, and was just in time to see a blue police box materialise in the centre of the clearing.
What could it mean? Another Time Lord in another TARDIS? But why the police box shape? Only one TARDIS was frozen into that ridiculous anachronistic form and it was standing in the rebel HQ. Or was it?
Suddenly Romana realised: Adric, of course, itwasAdric and K9 between them. They'd discovered what happened and come to the rescue.
But when the TARDIS door opened, it wasn't Adric who stepped out into the moonlit clearing, but a tall, good-looking young man with blue eyes and longish brown hair. He wore a brown frock coat, a wing-collared white shirt and a grey velvet cravat, an ornately embroidered waistcoat, and tailored grey trousers. He looked handsome, dashing and elegant - and strangely familiar.
He gave Romana a charming smile and a little bow. 'Good evening!'
'Who are -'Romana broke off with a gasp as their minds touched briefly.
She didn't have to ask the question because she knew. 'But that's impossible...'
'It is, isn't it?' agreed the Doctor. He looked at the huddled body. 'But I don't think there's time to discuss it. What's going on here?'
Once again their minds met in brief telepathic contact and, this time, Romana concentrated hard on their recent adventure. When it was over, the Doctor knew everything that Romana knew.
He shook his head. 'Vampires! Who'd have believed it? Well, we'd better get busy and rescue me.'
'I was on my way to get help -'
'No time,' said the Doctor decisively.
'You'd already worked that out, hadn't you? We must act by ourselves.'
'Alone?'
'We're not alone are we? We've got each other. And we've got the element of surprise on our side. Since they're already holding me captive, the vampires won't be expecting me to turn up and rescue me. What is it?'
Romana was staring over his shoulder, her eyes wide.
'Look out, Doctor!'
The Doctor turned round in time to see two black-clad figures advancing from the woods behind them. They had white faces, glittering eyes, claw-like hands - and long fangs.
Screeching, the vampires sprang...
The Doctor reacted with extraordinary speed. Reaching up, he wrenched a thick branch from the nearest tree. The branch splintered away from the trunk, leaving a jagged end. With incredible force, the Doctor rammed the branch end into the chest of the nearest vampire. It burst through the rib-cage, producing an unearthly scream and a great spurt of blood.
Thrusting the transfixed vampire away, the Doctor turned to meet the attack of the second. As it sprang, he stooped down, sending it flying over his shoulder, hi the same motion, the
Doctor snatched up the sword that lay by Xan's body.
When the vampire returned to the attack the Doctor swung the sword in a gleaming horizontal arc and something round rolled away across the clearing.
For a moment the headless vampire stood erect, a fountain of blood gushing from its neck. Then it crumpled to the ground.
Romana saw the white face of the vampire staring up at her, the head several yards away from the body.
'So much blood,' she whispered. 'So much blood...'
Tossing aside the bloodstained sword, the Doctor saw her shocked expression.
'Sorry to be melodramatic, but they've got an incredibly efficient cardiovascular system, and amazing recuperative powers. Small wounds seal up and heal almost immediately. It takes something pretty drastic to finish them off!'
This new Doctor was just as fond of delivering lectures as the old one, thought Romana. She looked down at the dead vampires and then at Xan's body. So young - and he had died because he was trying to help them.
'Don't worry, Doctor, I'm not shedding any tears for dead vampires. What now?'
'Back to the house of Zarn. I wonder how I'm getting on?'
***
Kalmar looked around the dome in mild surprise.
'The Doctor has gone,' he complained. 'So has the Lady Romana. Surely they have not left us already?'
'Their craft is still here,' said Ivo. He pointed to the blue box, then raised his voice in a bellow.
'Anyone seen the Doctor and the Lady Romana?'
Half a dozen rebels rushed forwards, all talking at once.
'Shut up!' roared Ivo. 'One at a time!'
After questioning all the witnesses, it emerged first that the Lady Romana had gone off with Hurda and second, that the Doctor, guided by Xan had gone off to look for her.
'Hurda is the servant of Zarn,' said Kalmar thoughtfully.
'I know nothing against her, but Zarn was ever a loyal follower of the Three.'
'So the Lady Romana and the Doctor and young Xan have all gone to the House of Zarn,' growled Ivo. 'And none of them has returned. Well, it's time that nest of vampires was smoked out.'
'Exactly so,' said Kalmar. 'I fear it will be the first of many.' Ivo began assembling a party of picked men, all seasoned fighters.
Remember, pikes and axes, lads,' he roared. 'It's no use poking at them with swords and spears - you must shatter their hearts or lop off their heads. Every man is to wear a wreath of garil about his neck.'
'Hurry now,' urged old Kalmar. 'For all we know it may already be too late. If we lose our saviours now, we shall taste the bitterness of defeat in the hour of victory.'
***
The Doctor and Romana paused at the edge of the hollow, looking down at the house of Zarn.
The long, low building was dark and silent.
'What now?' whispered Romana.
'Reconnaissance. What's it like round the back?'
'I'll show you.'
Romana led him past the front of the silent house, noticing that the window used for her sudden exit was now boarded up. She turned down the path that Hurda had taken when she had brought her here the first time.
The Doctor studied the huddle of outbuildings with satisfaction. He was particularly interested in the low shed that was actually built on to the house. Followed by Romana, he went to the door and tried it. The door swung gently open.
He peered into the shed. Moonlight shone through the open door, revealing piles of logs and stacks of already-chopped firewood. A woodsman's axe was sunk into a chopping block just outside the door.
Wooden barrels were lined along the
far wall. He went over to one, touched its tap and sniffed his fingers.
'Oil for the lamps. Oil and firewood, all stored conveniently close to the house. Excellent!'
He took a stone jug from a cluttered shelf, filled it with lamp oil from the barrel and then splashed the oil over the firewood.
Romana looked on disapprovingly.
'Doctor, you can't just - '
'Oh, can't I? Just watch me! A match, a match, my kingdom for a match...'The
Doctor fished in all his pockets and finally produced a huge wooden sulphur-match. 'Nothing like a Lucifer!'
He struck the match on his thumbnail, watched it splutter into life, and tossed it onto the oil-soaked firewood.
Then he stood back and watched as
the firewood started to burn.
'Are you sure that's the best way to rescue a prisoner -burning down the prison?' asked Romana acidly.
'Burn down the outhouse adjoining the prison,' corrected the Doctor. 'When the fire starts to spread the people in the house will have to come to deal with it to stop it spreading. They rush out, we rush in. Simple!'
The flames rose higher. The Doctor grabbed Romana's hand and pulled her through the door.
'Come on. We'll go and lurk in the bushes until they realise what's happening.'
They heard a sudden hiss of rage.
Turning round, they saw a black-cloaked whitefaced figure bearing down on them, claw-like hands outstretched.
The Doctor snatched the woodsman's axe from its block, and swept the blade round in a shining arc... Romana closed her eyes and shuddered.
She heard a sinister thunk, a thud and the sound of something heavy rolling across the grass.
She opened her eyes in time to see the Doctor throwing the vampire's headless body into the burning shed. He went and picked up the head and tossed it in after.
'Just like golf really, it's all in the swing!' said the Doctor, grimly. He hefted the axe, and thudded it back into the block.
Romana knew the show of levity was for her benefit; she could see the regret in his eyes, even at having to kill an ancient undead enemy. 'It must have been returning to the house and spotted what we were up to,' she said.
'You'd better keep that axe handy.'
'Certainly not, you know I don't approve of violence -except when absolutely necessary of course. Come on, let's hide in those bushes over there.' . The flames roared higher, consuming the long shed and illuminating the house with a lurid glow. One of the oil-barrels exploded with a satisfying whoomph!.
Cries of alarm came from the house and people started rushing out. Some were homespun-clad house servants -
she saw Hurda, carrying her child - and others were Zarn's black-cloaked vampire guests.
Romana saw Zarn himself, organising the fireflghting. 'Get buckets and form a chain from the pond,' he bellowed. 'Hurry before it gets a hold on the house. Everyone help!'
The Doctor's simple plan seemed to be working. He tugged her hand.
'Come on!'
Keeping to the shadows just beyond the fire-lit area, they worked their way round to the front door, which stood half open. Unseen, they slipped inside.
The hall was lit by a single oil lamp, standing on a side-table. They looked about them.
'Which way?' whispered Romana.
'Oh, downwards, I think, don't you?
Something tells me vampires prefer cellars to attics. Let's try that door there.'
The heavy door swung open to reveal stone steps leading downwards. The Doctor picked up the lamp and led the
way.
They found the Fourth Doctor on a filthy mattress in the dank cellar. He was neither bound nor guarded, and it was easy to see why. His body was limp and motionless, his face a ghastly white. For one terrible moment Romana thought he was actually dead.
The air shimmered and Romana froze...
The Doctor knelt by his other self and took his hand. He saw the bloody wounds in the wrists and at the neck. After a moment the Fourth Doctor's eyes fluttered open and he managed a feeble grin.
'You again!'
'Yes, me again.'
'You almost left it too late this time.
'As it is, you're just in time to say
goodbye.'
'Nonsense.'
'I'm afraid not. Our vampire friends got a little carried away. I've lost a tremendous amount of blood. I can't last much longer... Don't know if I've even got the strength to give you your memories back.'
'Don't worry about that now, we can reminisce later. And forget all this nonsense about dying.'
'It's too late, I tell you...'
'Rubbish!'
The air shimmered and time resumed its normal flow.
Romana frowned, aware that something had happened.
'What was that about?'
'Temporary temporal stasis. Seems to happen whenever I meet myself.
Don't worry about it.'
Romana knelt to examine the Fourth Doctor, who had lapsed into unconsciousness. After a moment she straightened up and said bleakly,
'We're too late. He's dying. They've drained almost all the blood from his body.'
'Rubbish,' said the Doctor. 'If he dies, I'll never live, and I'm not having that!'
'It would take a massive blood transfusion to save him, and it has to be Time Lord blood. I happe
n to know mine's not compatible. Where else are we going to find -' She broke off, staring at the Doctor, eyes widening in sudden hope.
'Exactly,' said the Doctor. 'Let's get him out of here.' He stooped and lifted the Fourth Doctor in his arms. They made their way up the cellar steps, through the hall and out of the house.
The situation had changed.
A semicircle of vampires stood waiting for them, grouped just in front of the massive front door with Zarn at the centre. Glancing beyond them, Romana saw that the fire was under control. The house servants were dealing with it now, leaving the surviving vampires free to deal with their enemies. There were fewer of them than before, thought Romana, but there were still enough.
Doctor Who: The Eight Doctors Page 13