Doctor Who: The Aztecs (11 page)

‘The rewards I promised you shall be yours,’ Tlotoxl said, ‘and when the Perfect Victim is sacrificed to Huitzilipochtli and the sun’s light shines again on our land, then I shall proclaim you commander of our armies’

‘I shall serve the High Priest well,’ Ixta assured him. ‘Let your service begin now,’ Tlotoxl said and ordered the warriors to bring in Savant leave her in your charge, Ixta; he continued, ‘do not let her escape nor release her to Autloc, whose faith in Huitzilipochtli falters.’

Susan demanded to know why she had been taken from the seminary, but Tlotoxl was evasive and would only say that it was for her safekeeping.

‘Does Yetaxa know that I am here?’ Susan insisted. ‘A true God is all-knowing, all-seeing; he sneered. ‘As the Great Spirit’s handmaiden, I demand to be escorted to the temple and shown into her presence,’ she persisted.

‘And so you shall, at the appointed time.’

Susan shivered involuntarily at the cold menace in his voice.

He turned back to Ixta. ‘Guard her,’ he ordered, and limped out of the quarters with the two warriors. Ixta pointed to the bedroom. ‘You may rest in there.’ ‘I’m not tired,’ Susan said and sat on a cushion. Ixta shrugged. ‘Nor am I, nor shall I be, whilst I am charged with you,’ he warned, facing her with his back to the entrance.

Ian had just enough time to tuck into the shadows of the main barracks when he saw Tlotoxl and the warriors coming through the passageway from the courtyard. He waited until they had gone past before he slipped into it and stealthily made his way, back pressed against the wall, towards Ixta’s quarters.

‘Do you know where Ian is?’ the Chosen Warrior was asking Susan.

‘You’d be surprised, Ian thought, but he didn’t catch Susan’s reply.

‘Then I shall tell you. He’s dead,’ Ixta announced. ‘I don’t believe you,’ Ian heard Susan shout.

‘The old man was there when he died,’ Ixta continued, ‘he knows it to be true. Now have seven warriors, one of whom was the servant of a God, challenged my right to command,’ his voice rang with pride, ‘and I alone survive.’

‘Not true,’ Ian said as he stepped up behind Ixta and hit him with a cross-handed, double-razor chop on either side of his neck which made the Chosen Warrior’s eyes almost pop out of his head before he collapsed unconscious on the floor. ‘Good commanders never jump to conclusions,’ Ian added with a grin.

‘Ian,’ Susan gasped, ‘I knew he was lying. He tried to make me believe you were dead.’

Ian put his arm around her. ‘He was a couple of seconds short of the truth,’ Ian replied and then asked if she had her everyday clothes with her. Susan pointed to a bundle on the floor.

‘They made me bring everything from the seminary.’ ‘How terribly obliging of them’ Ian picked up the bundle and led her across the courtyard to his quarters, where he gathered up his ordinary clothes.

‘Where are we going?’ Susan asked.

‘To the TARDIS. Where else?’ he answered.

As they left Ian enquired how Susan had found her school. She pulled a face. ‘Not much better than yours in England’

Dawn streaked the sky as Barbara waited anxiously in the antechamber with the Doctor, who was scribbling mathematical formulae on a pocket notepad.

‘I hope they’re all right,’ Barbara said.

‘I’ve come to the conclusion that young Chesterton is a remarkably resourceful chap,’ the Doctor remarked, grimacing as he rechecked his calculations.

‘I just want us to get away as quickly as possible,’ Barbara confessed.

The Doctor looked up at her. ‘And history?’ he asked. ‘Can remain unchanged,’ she replied.

No rewriting?’

‘None.’

The Doctor nodded and tapped the notepad with his pencil.

It won’t be easy, you know, my dear.’

Barbara looked puzzled. ‘What won’t?’ she asked. ‘Opening up the wall. I’ve been doing some calculations and I don’t believe we have the strength; he replied.

‘Doctor, I barely touched the wall and it began to swing open.’

‘From the inside, Barbara; the Doctor reminded her, and explained that the pressure of her hand on the inside of the wall was both a force outwards and upwards because of the counterbalance but now with the strip of silk attached to the fresco, the first force was downwards to the foot of the wall and the second one was outwards But where is the upwards thrust?’ he asked her.

The counterbalance swinging down will supply it,’ Barbara replied.

The Doctor shook his head. ‘No, my dear, things don’t tend to move unless...’

‘... you start the ball rolling,’ Barbara finished for him.

‘Precisely,’ the Doctor said, ‘and downwards and outwards is not the same thing as outwards and upwards. What’s more,’ he added, ‘that bit of silk is almost a hundred years old and it won’t take too much strain’

‘What can we do?’ Barbara asked.

‘Pry,’ the Doctor replied, as he slipped the notepad back into his pocket.

At that moment Susan and Ian came breathlessly into the antechamber.’Anyone for the Skylark?’ Ian gasped. Barbara and the Doctor exchanged a quick apprehensive glance and the four of them went up to the temple. Barbara took the silk from behind the curtain as the Doctor looked at Ian.

‘I’m sorry, my dear fellow, but this may not work’ the Doctor said apologetically, ‘and we can’t put too much load on the silk because it will break’

They began tugging on the silk, but nothing happened. ‘What if I push in at the top of the wall while you pull out at the bottom?’ Ian suggested.

‘It’s from the inside out, Chesterton, not from the outside in; the Doctor said, ‘you’re up against the law

‘Inertia!’ Ian exploded. ‘Of all the stupid things to overlook. I only had to put it around the doorknob of the TARDIS or something and it would have pulled the counterbalance in’

None of the others said a word.

‘All right’ Ian looked at each of them in turn. ‘I’ll do the tunnel and the climb again and open the wall from the inside’

‘The stone has handgrips on the back. Fit it in the wall again, just in case; the Doctor cautioned and gave him the pencil-torch. ‘And, Chesterton, a final warning — Ixta.’

Ian grinned and looked at Susan. ‘When last seen the Chosen Warrior had deserted Huitzilipochtli for a Greek God whose name is Morpheus. Right, Susan?’

Ixta groaned, struggled to his feet, stumbled into the bathroom and splashed water onto his throbbing head. Then holding the sides of his neck, he tried to remember what had happened. At first, all he could recall was the blinding flash of light inside his head and a sensation of falling. His befuddled wits told him he had been hit from behind. but he had not seen nor heard anyone approaching. Why not, he wondered and dragged out the answer from the grey cloud inside his skull. He had had his back to the entrance. The next piece of information he wanted was why he would have been like that. His aching brain told him he had been talking. To whom? And as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water over him, he remembered. He staggered back into the main room. No one was there, nor was the bundle. He checked the bedroom, but it was empty. He reeled across the courtyard and went into Ian’s quarters. There was no sign of life but, reluctantly, Ixta’s intelligence had to concede that Ian was still alive and that it had been Ian who struck him down. He picked up the cudgel that had been assigned to Ian and went out into the early morning light with two enterprises in mind’ to recover Susan for Tlotoxl, and kill Ian for himself.

Ixta met the High Priest of Sacrifice in front of the pyramid and Tlotoxl listened angrily while the shame-faced Chosen Warrior made his report.

‘But I shall recapture the handmaiden,’ he promised, and brandishing the cudgel, he swore to kill Ian with his own club.

Tlotoxl’s eyes narrowed. ‘That belongs to Ian?’ he asked.

‘I took it from his quarters,’ Ixta replied.

‘Let him live a little longer; the High Priest said and tapped the cudgel with his forefinger. ‘I have a better purpose for that. Every day at this time Autloc meditates in the garden of peace. Go and strike him down from behind but not to kill.’

Ixta was horrified. ‘Strike down the High Priest,’ he exclaimed, ‘there is no greater offence.’

Tlotoxl ignored the protest and told Ixta to throw the cudgel into the bushes nearby where it would be found and identified. ‘That will destroy Autloc’s faith in Yetaxa’s divinity and tomorow when the darkness comes, she and her servants will be opposed by all who worship Huitzilipochtli. Now, do as I bid you,’ he ordered and Ixta, under the High Priest’s mesmeric gaze, nodded and strode off towards the garden.

Tlotoxl went into the pyramid and began to climb the stairs, but drew into the shadows when he heard footsteps hurrying down. Ian passed him, taking the stairs two at a time. Tlotoxl followed and saw that Ian, too, was making for the garden.

‘This time, Ixta, do not fail me,’ he murmured and went in search of the temple guards.

Ixta’s mission was easily accomplished. Autloc was sitting by himself on a bench looking at the lake, so the Chosen Warrior slunk up behind and rapped him smartly on the back of the head, making sure that no obsidian stone penetrated his skull. Autloc slumped to the ground and Ixta threw the cudgel into some bushes close by. He heard the garden door open, ducked down and watched as Ian made his way to the back wall and the entrance to the tunnel. Then Tlotoxl and four temple guards came into the garden. Keeping his head down, Ixta ran over to them, nodded slightly to the High Priest and pointed at Ian who was pulling aside the bougainvillea in front of the stone.

‘Seize him,’ Tlotoxl hissed.

The guards raced over to Ian who was now crouched in front of the stone getting a grip on the sides with his fingertips. He looked up and saw four javelins pointing at him and decided that it was not a moment to dispute the toss. He rose slowly to his feet as Tlotoxl, flourishing the cudgel, and Ixta, supporting Autloc, came along the path.

‘Take him to the barracks and imprison him,’ Tlotoxl ordered, ‘for he struck down the High Priest of Knowledge.’

‘That’s not true, Autloc,’ Ian said.

‘This is your club,’ Tlotoxl replied. ‘Ixta, the Chosen Warrior, has identified it.’ And left his fingerprints all over it, Ian thought as he was led away, while Autloc, much to Tlotoxl’s delight, cried out that he had served a false God.

Barbara, Susan and the Doctor were anxiously awaiting Ian’s appearance when Tonila, three women with a large folded curtain, and two guards carrying a ladder came into the temple. Tonila looked curiously at Susan but said nothing. He clapped his hands and the guards propped up the ladder beside the corner of the back wall. One of them went to the top and unlaced one end of the curtain in honour of Tlaloc, the God of Water, which fell to the ground. Barbara, Susan and the Doctor looked at one another in alarm as the guards moved the ladder to the other end of the wall. One of them climbed up and started to unlace the other side of the curtain. Barbara glanced quickly at Tonila, the women, and the guard at the foot of the ladder. All eyes were on the one unlacing the curtain. She turned to Susan.

‘In respect for the God Tlaloc, break the fall of the curtain,’ she commanded.

Susan bowed, ran to the corner, put her foot behind the curtain and swept the coiled strip of silk under her monastic robe as the curtain fell into her arms. The Doctor twiddled his thumbs in relief. The women came over with a corner of the new curtain which was handed up to be laced. The rest was laid out along the foot of the wall and the old curtain scooped up. Susan didn’t move, keeping her foot firmly clamped on the strip of silk under her robe.. The ladder was moved hack to its original position and the other end of the curtain laced into place. Susan discretely pushed back the strip of silk behind it. The new curtain was blood red with the head of Huitzilipochtli woven with gold thread in the centre. Rays of sunlight radiated from it, but the face was sinister, the eyes cruel and the mouth hard. Barbara looked at it and knew that the sooner they were quit of the Aztecs the better.

As soon as Tonila, the women and the guards had left the temple, the Doctor congratulated Barbara for her quick thinking and Susan for her fast reaction.

‘I was concerned that Ian would open the wall while they were changing the curtain,’ Susan admitted. ‘If I could have one wish granted,’ Barbara replied, ‘it’s that he should open it now.’

But nothing happened until Tonila returned with four temple guards, Ixta, and Tlotoxl, who sidled over to Barbara.

‘Your servant, Ian, is to die for striking down the High Priest of Knowledge and your handmaiden will be doubly punished for attempting to escape the scourging and piercing with thorns. Now her eyes will be put out.’ Tlotoxl relished the moment when Susan screamed as Ixta took her by the arm. She struggled to free herself hitting him repeatedly with her fist.

‘Stop that. Susan,’ the Doctor was brusque, but his voice softened as he said her to go quietly with Ixta. Barbara looked with loathing at Tlotoxl.‘You will kill my servant and you will blind and torture my handmaiden" She pointed to the Doctor.’What fate have you in store for my aged servant?’

Tlotoxl spread out his arms. ‘None. The old man has not transgressed our laws’ The insinuation was evident. ‘Let him sit in peace in the garden,’ and Tlotoxl ordered the guards to escort him there. The Doctor looked at Barbara and momentarily clenched his fists to tell her to hold on. Barbara understood and when there were only Tonila, Tlotoxl and herself, she mounted the dais and sat on the throne.

‘And me, Tlotoxl?’ she asked. The High Priest of Sacrifice had vengeance in his eyes as he pointed to the curtain behind her.

‘You tried to deny Huitzilipochtli his right to human blood. You tried to humiliate us with a false faith. And by your own admission you are not a God. I have always known it. The Priest of Knowledge, Tonila knows it and now the High Priest, Autloc, knows it,’ Tlotoxl crowed. ‘Sit there until Huitzilipochtli accepts our perfect sacrifice and as he gives light back to the earth. Your entrails will tell the Aztec nation of your deception.’ He turned his back on her and with Tonila waddling at his side, he limped away from the temple. A few minutes ago, Barbara thought, I believed we were within an ace of being free. Now, our plight is worse than it ever was and all I can do is hang on, as the Doctor asked me to.