Menagerie Part 24

'The creature we saw was a tremendously powerful four-armed humanoid,' said Zoe. 'It was very aggressive, and seemed to feel little pain.'

'That could be a Mecrim,' squeaked the Dugraq.

'However, we are aware of them only by reputation. Leave well alone is the rule where Mecrim are concerned.'

'How did you encounter one of these things?' asked the Doctor.

'I ended up at a circus, where I met Raitak and Reisaz,'

said Zoe. 'The owner had just purchased a creature in a self-contained cryogenic casket.'

'The creatures we're worried about,' said the Doctor, 'exist deep within an advanced city underneath this one. How do you think the casket got from there to a circus?'

Diseaeda was a well known collector,' said Raitak.

'However the casket came up to the surface it was almost certain to find its way into the freak show eventually.'

'How would you rate the cryogenic technology?' the Doctor asked Zoe.

'Quite highly. The casket was very old, but still in working order. However, I could see that its power was running low.'

The Doctor's next question was interrupted by a series of shrill chimes from the communication device Defrabax had given him. He withdrew the unit and stabbed at a few b.u.t.tons uncertainly until a picture of the android formed.

The Doctor recognized the underground power station's main control room.

'Er, report, please,' said the Doctor.

'Your instructions have been carried out,' said the android.

'However, Zaitabor has eluded me. I cannot ascertain if he is still in the city or if he has returned to the surface.'

'Any sign of the Mecrim?' asked the Doctor.

'No. However, the Taculbain have now returned to their nest.'

'Very well,' said the Doctor. 'Proceed with your orders.'

He pressed a b.u.t.ton on the device and then turned to face Oiquaquil. 'I suggest that you and your men prepare to fight any creatures that might emerge from the menagerie. And keep an eye open for Zaitabor and any known a.s.sociates.'

'Doctor,' said Jamie suddenly. 'Kaquaan and I knocked out Araboam, Zaitabor's second-in-command. We locked him in a cupboard.'

The Doctor nodded and glanced at the wizard's ward and the young woman. 'Do you think you could check if he's still there? I suppose he will have escaped by now, but it'll be nice to know.'

'Of course,' said Cosmae, still rubbing his sore head. He turned to the girl, staring at the clockwork torso. 'If you'll show me the way .. .

'Yes, my love,' she said with a sudden smile like the parting clouds. She put an arm around his shoulders as they walked towards the stairs that led up to the castle. 'You can rely on me to look after you.'

'And what will the rest of you do?' asked Captain Oiquaquil.

'We'll try to ensure that you don't have to deal with these Mecrim creatures,' said the Doctor. 'Zoe, Raitak, Reisaz. I realize this will be very hard for you all, but you're the only people here with any experience of fighting the Mecrim. I'd like you to accompany me to the underground city's military bunker to see if we can find a way of stopping these creatures.'

'We are quite happy to go with you, Doctor,' said Reisaz, sounding more brave than she expected.

'Thank you,' said the Doctor. 'Now, Defrabax, Jamie and my little friend the scout. I want you to warn the Dugraqs and the Rocarbies about the Mecrim. If we don't succeed, the underground races will be attacked first.'

'Our people have feared the worst for some time,' said the Dugraq. 'We are prepared. Let us hope we can be as successful in battle as we have always endeavoured to be in peace.'

'I'm not sure that the Rocarbies will listen to me now,'

said Defrabax, blowing his nose on a handkerchief. 'But I will try.' He stared at the Doctor levelly. 'Just don't damage my homunculus.'

'Your homunculus is in safe hands,' said the Doctor.

'Now, I think Zaitabor's little tunnel will serve us all well.' He pointed towards the gallery over their heads. 'No need for all that tedious messing about with Kuabris suits.'

The others followed the Doctor to the foot of the wall, staring up the rockface for ways of scaling it.

Oiquaquil turned to his men and called out some orders.

Some ran to the remaining knights, huddled in one corner, and then escorted them up the stairs and back into the castle.

Another group of guards marched back down the little tunnel and towards the city itself.

Oiquaquil shouted across the cavern at the Doctor's group. 'Doctor?'

'Yes, Captain?'

'Good luck.'

Deep in the nest of the Taculbain the people sat down before their Queen like children before a teacher. Her body ached from her lengthy imprisonment but that was as nothing to the sadness she felt. As she looked at them disappointment welled up within her like blood from a wound.

'Did we not realize that the surface-dweller's intentions were evil?' she asked at last. 'One cunning enough to imprison us should not have been trusted.'

'We wanted to be reunited, our Queen,' said one of the Taculbain towards the front, his eyes averted in reverence.

'The thought of us in chains was more than we could bear!'

The Queen's mandibles champed with fury. 'But to release such creatures from their justifiable imprisonment!'

'We had no thought as to the result of our actions,'

chirruped the creature. 'The man merely said that he would be missed if absent from the castle for too long. He told us what to do, we obeyed!'

The Queen flexed her aching limbs, trying to find a comfortable position. 'But we are old! Although pleased to be back with us, our body is weary. Did we not realize that the transformation will soon be upon us? That one of us might be the next Queen?'

'We could not take that risk,' said the minion. 'Without our eggs our numbers will dwindle and -'

'What have we always said about our status in this place?

We fear the ma.s.sive numbers of the Rocarbies, and are thankful that they consider us immortal G.o.ds. We knew that one day they would discover that we are simple creatures, just as they, and that we had to prepare for the conflict by increasing our own numbers. We do see the logic in what we have done - but it seems we have raised to life creatures who are an infinitely greater threat than the Rocarbies!'

'We are preparing to defend our nest,' said another Taculbain. 'Soldier food is being distributed. The dead surface-dwellers will play their part in our defence.'

The Queen raised an arm tenderly towards the speaker.

'Yes, we know. We have done well, given the circ.u.mstances. And let us never forget that this is what happens when we meddle with surface-dwellers or allow ourselves to be compromised. We must protect ourselves better during the next sleeping. We who guard over us while we rest will not be forgotten. Our sacrifice will be honoured in future times.'

'It is good to hear you talk of the future,' said one of the moth-creatures.

'It is important that we have confidence in our own abilities,' she replied. She turned slightly as she heard approaching voices. A huge Taculbain entered, flanked by two others. It had been one of the first to respond to the special food, and was now almost completely transformed into a soldier. The mandibles had become huge attacking jaws, counter-balanced by a bony ridge extending from the back of the head. The wings were covered by a hard carapace like that of a beetle. It bowed stiffly and the accompanying Taculbain returned to their other duties.

'Well?' asked the Queen.

'As we requested, we returned to the building that contains the machinery that we were asked to destroy,'

reported the soldier. 'There seems to be no way to undo our damage.'

'Did we see these Mecrim creatures?'

'In the room of metal coc.o.o.ns some were still cold to the touch, others were as warm as the bright light of the surface world. Fluid was draining away. Some creatures were crumbling to dust. Inside others we could see the beasts, these Mecrim.'

'Did they seem strong?'

'If seeing is true then yes, they did.'

'Did we see any of the creatures emerge from their coc.o.o.ns?' asked the Queen.

'As we left we heard a huge rus.h.i.+ng sound, a splash of fluid followed by the jangle of metal and gla.s.s falling to the floor.

'We glanced back and saw a creature, slow but looking straight at us. A ruined casket lay overturned beside it. We saw other hands and heads moving. They began to pull themselves free and stand, dripping, on the floor. Hissing.

Preparing. Ready to hunt and kill.

'The Mecrim are free, our Queen.'

'The man was found in the hills beyond the city walls. By all accounts his cries could be heard from within the all accounts his cries could be heard from within the gatehouse. He was agitated and unkempt. When the knights gatehouse. He was agitated and unkempt. When the knights first spoke to him he seemed easily distracted and for many first spoke to him he seemed easily distracted and for many hours I thought he would say nothing that did not smack of hours I thought he would say nothing that did not smack of rambling insanity. rambling insanity.

'Enquiries within the city showed that he was a traveller, only recently arrived. According to the inn-keeper he had only recently arrived. According to the inn-keeper he had seemed quiet but secretive when asked about his business seemed quiet but secretive when asked about his business here. He did not socialize, spending long periods away from here. He did not socialize, spending long periods away from the inn. When he returned he stayed in his room and food the inn. When he returned he stayed in his room and food was sent to him. was sent to him.

'My men investigated his room, the inn-keeper being quite willing to provide a key. The first thing they noticed was a willing to provide a key. The first thing they noticed was a silver pendulum hanging from the ceiling. Various marks silver pendulum hanging from the ceiling. Various marks and lines had been noted on the wooden floorboards and lines had been noted on the wooden floorboards beneath it in chalk. Some lines described the possible beneath it in chalk. Some lines described the possible motion of the pendulum, other marks appeared to be motion of the pendulum, other marks appeared to be calculations. Although the knights at first suspected some calculations. Although the knights at first suspected some foreign religious sect even a cursory examination of these foreign religious sect even a cursory examination of these writings showed the man to be a scientist. writings showed the man to be a scientist.

The rest of the room was unremarkable, as he had brought little with him. There were a few maps of the brought little with him. There were a few maps of the countryside around the city, over which he had drawn lines countryside around the city, over which he had drawn lines and made numerous annotations. In addition on sheets of and made numerous annotations. In addition on sheets of parchment he had sketched maps of what appeared to be a parchment he had sketched maps of what appeared to be a series of caves, although they matched none known to us. series of caves, although they matched none known to us.

All such doc.u.ments carried thin layers of dirt as if they had been taken with the man on his forays into the hillside. been taken with the man on his forays into the hillside.

'We had more than enough evidence to convict him of involvement in heretical science. I simply could not involvement in heretical science. I simply could not understand what such a man was doing in our midst when I understand what such a man was doing in our midst when I am still given to believe that our reputation is well known am still given to believe that our reputation is well known right across our world. right across our world.

'I began to question him myself. This was a day or so after his initial apprehension. He seemed calmer now, and, after his initial apprehension. He seemed calmer now, and, sifting his words for the taint of madness brought on by his sifting his words for the taint of madness brought on by his abominable studies, I was able to make some sense of what abominable studies, I was able to make some sense of what he had to say. he had to say.

'I was interested to hear that when he spoke of the mysteries of the pendulum he spoke as often of mystical as mysteries of the pendulum he spoke as often of mystical as scientific secrets. He had chosen the room carefully out of scientific secrets. He had chosen the room carefully out of all those available to him in the various inns. If correctly all those available to him in the various inns. If correctly sited he claimed that the pendulum gave him insights into sited he claimed that the pendulum gave him insights into the world beneath the ground on which we walk. He had the world beneath the ground on which we walk. He had come to our city across the continents and oceans that come to our city across the continents and oceans that separate us from his home in search of what he called "the separate us from his home in search of what he called "the old ones". He was not forthcoming on their nature or status, old ones". He was not forthcoming on their nature or status, preferring instead to regale me with vaguer stories of his preferring instead to regale me with vaguer stories of his investigations. However, it did strike me that although he investigations. However, it did strike me that although he had not heard of the legendary menagerie there were some had not heard of the legendary menagerie there were some parallels in what he told me. It was interesting to note that parallels in what he told me. It was interesting to note that in the legends he had heard men were not so much turned in the legends he had heard men were not so much turned into beasts as destroyed by the work of their own hands. He into beasts as destroyed by the work of their own hands. He told me of the slavery that he had seen in some of our told me of the slavery that he had seen in some of our neighbouring cities and I wondered what parallels he was neighbouring cities and I wondered what parallels he was trying to draw. trying to draw.

'As he spoke it was as if he was gradually going through recent events in his mind and sorting them. I found it recent events in his mind and sorting them. I found it impossible to ask him why he had been found wandering the impossible to ask him why he had been found wandering the hillsides, and had instead to gently encourage him through hillsides, and had instead to gently encourage him through his recollections of the past few days. He had been charting his recollections of the past few days. He had been charting the caves. In particular he had been - the phrase is his, if the caves. In particular he had been - the phrase is his, if memory serves - experimenting on the glowing matter memory serves - experimenting on the glowing matter found in some of the caves. He had sc.r.a.ped these "mineral found in some of the caves. He had sc.r.a.ped these "mineral deposits" from the cave walls. He was clearly referring to deposits" from the cave walls. He was clearly referring to the contents of a number of gla.s.s tubes that we found. He the contents of a number of gla.s.s tubes that we found. He claimed to have a device that allows one to examine the claimed to have a device that allows one to examine the very fabric of any created thing. I almost had to clap my very fabric of any created thing. I almost had to clap my hands over my ears to block out the blasphemy. hands over my ears to block out the blasphemy.

'I remained, however, eager to establish what had happened. I knew that the trial would begin in mere hours, happened. I knew that the trial would begin in mere hours, but his story was almost finished. He spoke finally of a but his story was almost finished. He spoke finally of a tunnel he had discovered. It had descended steeply and tunnel he had discovered. It had descended steeply and quickly, ending abruptly with a wall of rock. Some of these quickly, ending abruptly with a wall of rock. Some of these rocks, he claimed, had melted through intense heat. It was rocks, he claimed, had melted through intense heat. It was as if a furnace had been constructed beneath them and the as if a furnace had been constructed beneath them and the rocks had started to melt like icicles before a fire. rocks had started to melt like icicles before a fire.

'He postulated that these rocks had been affected by some sort of explosion. Eventually he was able to penetrate the sort of explosion. Eventually he was able to penetrate the wall of rock, for in some places the heat had made the stone wall of rock, for in some places the heat had made the stone brittle. brittle.

'Beyond was a chamber of unimaginable vastness. Before he could even begin to explore it further he was attacked by he could even begin to explore it further he was attacked by small creatures. He could not describe them, and spoke only small creatures. He could not describe them, and spoke only of falling unconscious and waking in another tunnel. of falling unconscious and waking in another tunnel.

'There he saw further signs of fire and deep marks in the rock like those made by a strong blade. He searched for a rock like those made by a strong blade. He searched for a way back to the surface world, his head throbbing, his mind, way back to the surface world, his head throbbing, his mind, he said, feeling unstable. Memories and images he had not he said, feeling unstable. Memories and images he had not seen floated in his vision. He was very unclear at this point, seen floated in his vision. He was very unclear at this point, describing nothing with sufficient clarity for me to record describing nothing with sufficient clarity for me to record here. here.

The only thing he remembers is stumbling across a golden casket, leaning against a cave wall as if thrown golden casket, leaning against a cave wall as if thrown there by a giant. He peered inside, through a gla.s.s there by a giant. He peered inside, through a gla.s.s covering, expecting to see mummified remains or the dust of covering, expecting to see mummified remains or the dust of death. death.

'There was a creature inside. And it was moving.

'It was at that point, I believe, that his sanity left him. He was just coherent enough to show us the tunnel where he was just coherent enough to show us the tunnel where he had come up again on to the surface, but of the casket there had come up again on to the surface, but of the casket there was no sight. A few hundred paces into the tunnel and the was no sight. A few hundred paces into the tunnel and the way was entirely blocked by a rock fall. Of the other tunnel, way was entirely blocked by a rock fall. Of the other tunnel, the one he had initially discovered, we could find no trace. I the one he had initially discovered, we could find no trace. I can only a.s.sume that this is one of many details embellished can only a.s.sume that this is one of many details embellished and tainted by madness. and tainted by madness.

'Commander Zaitabor spoke of the dark destroyers he had seen mentioned in an ancient heretical text, and had seen mentioned in an ancient heretical text, and wondered if there were any connection between the wondered if there were any connection between the menagerie, the destroyers and the creature the scientist had menagerie, the destroyers and the creature the scientist had seen. I said that such talk was dangerous, and my seen. I said that such talk was dangerous, and my Commander soon saw the error of his ways. He began to Commander soon saw the error of his ways. He began to put together what evidence there was for the man's put together what evidence there was for the man's innocence, while I worked on the facts that condemned him. innocence, while I worked on the facts that condemned him.