And I can't wait for that. My pleasure will have to be postponed for a while. There are much faster ways of obtaining the assistance I require.'
He grabbed at Ace's arm, and twisted it violently behind her back. She gasped out in pain.
There was terror on her face, as Kane shoved her roughly through the door.
The Creature seemed brittle and flimsy, lying dead in the snow.
McLuhan almost felt sorry for it. She saw that it was a bio-mechanoid -
part living creature, part android. The two halves of its structure were now mixed up - splintered bones with fractured steel rods, torn flesh with burst polythene tubing - but she marvelled at the intricacy and ingenuity of its manufacture. The fusion of organic and mechanical engineering.
She also saw that Bazin was weak, and needed medical treatment immediately. 'Come on - its head. Then we're finished.' She unclipped a small laser knife from her belt, and started to burn through the neck of the Creature.
'Can't we just leave the head?'
'Mr Kane wants the head. And I'm not leaving the job half-finished, even if I do have to cut an ANT's head off.'
'What does he want the head for, anyway?'
'Not our job to ask questions. Maybe he wants it stuffed, on the wall.
There, that should do it.' She put the laser knife down, and began to pull at the Creature's head. As she pulled, the membrane sheath covering the head began to tear. McLuhan's face screwed in disgust as she felt the mucus-covered skull beneath the sheath. She pulled harder, twisting the head as she did so, and the outer sheath tore completely.
The sections of the skull fell away in McLuhan's hands, and she instinctively dropped it to the ground.
The skull cracked apart, and for a moment, McLuhan and Bazin could see the fabulous crystal, crackling with the electric storm trapped inside it. The contacts holding the crystal in place fractured, and then shattered completely. It seemed as if a seal had been broken, allowing the fire inside to flow out. The air surrounding the crystal flashed and sparked, as twisting streaks of energy forked out from the crystal.
'The Dragon's Treasure!' whispered McLuhan, entranced by the awesome beauty of it. Bazin was so hypnotised by the crystal that he no longer felt any pain from his injury.
The electric fingers continued to dance in the air, reaching further and further out from the crystal. McLuhan realised that the flickering storm was getting dangerous. 'Let's get out of here!'
But the tongues of fire surged outwards, and began to lick at the bodies of McLuhan and Bazin. The two guards felt the stabbing pain, and turned to run, but the twisting sparks wrapped themselves round the two bodies. The two guards tried to fight free, but the crystal had found its victims.
A violent surge of energy shot through the crackling web that entangled the two guards, and galvanised their bodies. The jolt threw their heads backwards, and they felt a momentary, searing pain flashing through every nerve fibre in their body. Then they were dead. The crackling storm began to subside and retreat back into the crystal.
Soon there was nothing to be seen except three bodies in the snow and a large crystal that glittered with a fire twisting inside it.
Glitz knew the way to Ace's quarters, but he was surprised to find her door open.
'Sprog?' he whispered cautiously, entering the room. 'Ace?'
He looked round. He didn't know whether anything was wrong or not -
the place always looked a mess. He closed the door behind him.
He didn't have much time, so he hurried. He wanted all the explosive he could lay his hands on, along with any detonators, and about fifty metres of fine wire. There was a hold-all on the bed, which he started filling with the aerosol cans that had Nitro - Fingers Off! felt-tipped on them. There were about a dozen of them altogether. Then he started rummaging through the cupboards. He soon found the one with all Ace's experimental gear in it.
The detonators were in a box marked Big Bang Explosives Co. - Blue Nitroglycerin - Danger! It was a pity Ace hadn't kept the original contents of the box. Glitz read the manufacturer's warning: 1. Do not expose to sunlight.
2. Do not drop.
3. Do not shake.
4. Do not place on a wobbly table.
5. Do not store indoors.
6. Do not store within 2,000 metres of inhabited buildings.
7. Please dispose of used sticks tidily.
Big Bang Explosives Co.
Where in heavens had the Sprog managed to get hold of blue nitroglycerin? And what had she used it for!
Glitz emptied the detonators into the hold-all and threw the empty box away. He grabbed a long reel of small-gauge wire, and dropped that in the bag as well, then looked round to see if he'd missed anything.
He carefully picked up the hold-all, and opened the door. Those deep-frozen mercenaries weren't going to know their toes from their tentacles by the time he'd finished with them!
Mel had to lead the way towards the Cryogenics Chamber, because the Doctor had never been there. She
had to detour down through the Ice Passages so that she could retrace the route she and Ace had taken when they were running away from Kane. They hurried through the snow.
Suddenly, they saw the Creature.
Mel stopped dead, not daring to believe what she saw. The Creature's mutilated body was lying dead in the snow. Beyond were the bodies of two guards. Fallen between them, the crystal was glowing gently.
'The Creature! It's dead. They've killed it!'
Mel was too upset even to cry. She knelt beside the Creature, and reached out to touch its gossamer-soft body.
The Doctor went over to the two dead guards, and turned them over.
'But it had a final surprise for anyone who might interfere with it - a huge energy surge when the crystal was disconnected.' He looked at the two guards. 'Poor fools.'
Mel looked up at him. 'How can you feel sorry for them? They killed the Creature!'
'I feel sorry for all death, no matter how wrong the people were. Every life is precious.' He let the bodies fall back, and turned to Mel and the Creature.
Mel looked down. 'What shall we do now? It's too late to save the Creature.'
'We'll try to finish its work for it - and put an end to all this evil and death.' Carefully, he lifted the crystal out of the snow, and passed it to Mel. 'This is what everyone has died for. It's time the dying ended...'
'Target temperature achieved. Ambient cabinet temperature: minus 193 °C
Stellar jumped as the seals on the cabinet hissed open, and the lid gently rose. The refrigerating gases washed over the sides, and Stellar looked at Ted lying inside, with a light sparkling of frost on his fur. She smiled, and reached out to pick him up. But she knew something was wrong, even before she touched him. She could feel the icy cold surrounding him, and she pulled her hand back.
She knew that it would hurt if she touched him, so she looked round for something to pick him up with. There were some rags lying on the floor in a corner, along with a few workman's tools. She took the rags, and folded them until they were several layers thick. Then she wrapped them round Ted's leg, and lifted him out of the cabinet. But even through the thickness of the rags, she could feel the cold beginning to bite, and she dropped the toy.
It hit the ice floor, and shattered like a glass ornament.
'Ted!'
The small girl didn't move. She just looked down at the splinters on the ground. Ted was everything to her. He'd been with her since she was a baby. They'd had adventures together, travelled through the galaxies together, and grown up together. She hadn't wanted to hurt him. She'd thought he wanted to go in the cabinet -like the man.
Stellar knelt down, and reached to touch the tiny pieces. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. 'I'm sorry, Ted. I didn't know.'
The tears trickled down her cheeks, and fell in small droplets. They turned into tiny crystals of ice before they touched the ground.
'I'm sorry, Ted...' she sobbed.
It was a bit primitive, but it would have the desired effect. Glitz stood back and surveyed his handiwork. Fine wires criss-crossed round the perimeter of the Cryogenics Chamber at knee height. If you looked carefully, you could see that each one was connected to a detonator embedded in a small lump of plastic nitro. Glitz hoped that the wires themselves weren't too noticeable.
He tightened a couple of the wires, then sat dpwn in the middle of the chamber. All he had to do now was wait
for Kane's frosted thugs to come and find him!
Mel and the Doctor were hurrying silently through the corridors of Iceworld with the Dragonfire crystal, when Mel heard a familiar sound.
From the other end of the corridor came the measured footfall of the small band of mercenaries, accidentally left alive after Kane destroyed all the spacecraft.
'What is it?' asked the Doctor suspiciously. But Mel didn't have time to reply before the dead-faced killers swung round the corner, and started to bear down on them.
'This way, Doctor!' cried Mel, darting down another corridor. The Doctor hurried after her.
Glitz was startled to look up and see Mel burst into the Cryogenics Chamber.
'Glitz!' she exclaimed, and hurried towards him.
'Stop!' cried Glitz in alarm.
Mel froze, and looked round uncertainly. 'What's the matter?'
'I think it might have something to do with that tripwire you almost walked through,' observed the Doctor, catching up with her. Mel looked down. Her leg was right up against one of the wires.
'Carefully, now,' cautioned Glitz, as Mel hitched her skirt up, and gingerly climbed over the wire.
'They're right behind us, Glitz!'
'Come on, Doctor - you too. We'll be all right on the inside. How many of them are there?'
'About ten.'
Glitz looked round. 'Well, we should have just enough to deal with them. Hurry up! And keep as close to the middle as you can, away from the edges.' Glitz heard the leaden tread of the mercenaries, approaching down the corridor, and as he retreated to the centre of the chamber, the leading mercenary stumbled through the entrance. It was followed by the others. They stood in the entrance for a moment, trying to identify their victims in the gloom.
Glitz stared at them. 'Been sent by Kane, have you?' he shouted. 'Well, I've got a message for your proprietor!'
The mercenaries began to stagger towards Glitz. 'That's it,' he taunted.
'Come over here, where I can whisper it in your orifices.'
The mercenaries were circling Glitz, as he'd hoped, and the leading killer was approaching one of the tripwires.
'Come on, you Neanderthal maggot-brains! Let's see what you're made of!'
The leading mercenary strode forward, and broke the wire.
Nothing happened.
Glitz looked in horror. The ice-cold murderer continued to advance on Glitz.
'No, stay back. Keep away.' Glitz began to back away nervously. 'No, just a joke...'
To the left, a huge explosion brought down one of the following mercenaries, as it snapped a different wire. A series of explosions ripped round the perimeter of the chamber, when the other mercenaries also began to close in. But the leading mercenary was still advancing on Glitz and the others.
Glitz looked round quickly. All the other mercenaries were now lying dead on the ground. There was just this one still alive. 'Run for it!'
shouted Glitz to the Doctor and Mel. 'I'll keep this one busy while you get out!' He grabbed at the empty hold-all which was lying on the ground, and threw it at the mercenary. The mercenary didn't even blink.
'No, Glitz - we're staying here with you!' called the Doctor.
'Don't be stupid!' shouted Glitz, throwing the empty reel of wire, which bounced off the mercenary's chest. 'There's no reason why we should all be killed.' He grabbed at the stuffed animal which Ace had left in the hold-all, and hurled it desperately.
The stuffing in Wayne, the nondescript stuffed dog, consisted of 60%
polyester, 28% nylon, 8% linen, 4% cotton, a small amount of fireproofing residue, and two dead moths. And three sticks of blue nitroglycerin...
The explosion blew Glitz, the Doctor and Mel ten metres across the floor. The cryogenics tubes within fifteen metres all shattered from the force of the blast. And a section of the roofing girder immediately above came crashing down.
Ace!
Glitz, the Doctor and Mel dragged themselves off the floor, and looked round. Glitz picked one of Wayne's ears off the floor - it was all that was left of the unremarkable stuffed dog.
'I might have known that anything belonging to Sprog was liable to explode on impact...' he muttered.
The Doctor was also talking to himself, as he looked at bodies of the dead mercenaries, 'More death. I suppose they were already dead inside, but it's so senseless.'
It took Mel, still clutching the glowing crystal, to ask the single really important question: 'Where's Ace?'
They all looked at each other. 'Isn't she here?' asked the Doctor. 'Glitz -
hasn't Ace got here yet?
'I thought she was with you two.'
Almost as if in reply to Mel's question, Iceworld's public address system hummed into life, and Kane's voice drifted through the deserted corridors: 'Doctor... Glitz... I know you can hear me.'
Kane held the struggling Ace tight, as he spoke into the microphone. He knew that the Doctor and Glitz would be listening somewhere to what he said. 'I'd like to propose a transaction. My very final transaction before I leave Svartos for ever. The Dragonfire for the girl. Bring me the Dragonfire, and you can have the girl. A special Closing-Down Sale, you might call it. But hurry - while stocks last.'
He looked at Ace with an evil smile, and jabbed at the intercom button.
In the Cryogenics Chamber, the loudspeakers went dead. The Doctor, Mel and Glitz were looking at each other.
'He means it, Doctor,' warned Glitz.
'I've no doubt.'
'But we can't give him the treasure,' pleaded Mel.