Doctor Who_ Bunker Soldiers Part 25

'Yes,' said the Doctor. 'I think a trip to these catacombs is long overdue. Let us do what the acting governor says.'

He moved as if to lead me away, but I was having none of it.

'But, Doctor!' I hissed. 'Yevhen must have an ulterior motive!'

'It is no use arguing,' said the Doctor. 'Come along, now.

Come along. We will need your help in the tunnels.'

'You may take the madman with you,' said Yevhen, pointing at Dmitri. 'He is of no use to us here.'

And with that, and with the soldiers at our heels to ensure our compliance, we took up torches and lanterns, and bags of food, and went back into the tunnels that lead to the cathedral.

And I heard the door being locked firmly behind us.

Codex II Est hic finis fabulae?

A lithe trapper led our group through the thick darkness of the trees, along ancient trails invisible to untrained eyes. As we followed, we were wary, every ancient trails invisible to untrained eyes. As we followed, we were wary, every sense straining against the silence and the gathering twilight. The trapper; sense straining against the silence and the gathering twilight. The trapper; though, was confident in his own abilities, and he forged on remorselessly, though, was confident in his own abilities, and he forged on remorselessly, leaving some of us floundering in his wake. leaving some of us floundering in his wake.

The smell of scorched wood and earth grew stronger; and in time the first of the fire-damaged trees became visible, dark fingers of twig standing out of the fire-damaged trees became visible, dark fingers of twig standing out amongst the vibrant pines that covered much of the slope. I watched the amongst the vibrant pines that covered much of the slope. I watched the trapper drop to his knees and examine the outer edge of the conflagration, trapper drop to his knees and examine the outer edge of the conflagration, crumbling a small plant between his fingers. Once lush and green and full of crumbling a small plant between his fingers. Once lush and green and full of sap, it was now little more than a desiccated stick of soft charcoal. sap, it was now little more than a desiccated stick of soft charcoal.

The trapper grunted, but said nothing. He waited for the group to a.s.semble, and then, as one, we stepped through the blackened trees and into a.s.semble, and then, as one, we stepped through the blackened trees and into the clearing. the clearing.

The firestorm had burnt a precise circle, obliterating everything from the soil up to the treetops. Now all that was left was a covering of ash and a soil up to the treetops. Now all that was left was a covering of ash and a dark emptiness where the heart of the forest had been. The blackened trees at dark emptiness where the heart of the forest had been. The blackened trees at the edge gave an impression of solidity, and it seemed to me that we were the edge gave an impression of solidity, and it seemed to me that we were within some strange arboreal building, its roof open to the s.h.i.+fting sky. within some strange arboreal building, its roof open to the s.h.i.+fting sky.

The air was heavy and oppressive within this church of blackened trees, the ef ects of the last whispers of smoke and the cloying warmth of the ef ects of the last whispers of smoke and the cloying warmth of extinguished fire made worse by the fear we all felt. And, at the centre of this extinguished fire made worse by the fear we all felt. And, at the centre of this chamber; resting on an untidy plinth of scorched branch, lay a metal casket. chamber; resting on an untidy plinth of scorched branch, lay a metal casket.

We approached the metal object cautiously, Petrov's brow was furrowed in puzzlement. in puzzlement.

It was about the size of a burial casket, though this was no simple metal box. Like a smooth quicksilver seed, it lacked any trace of edge or line metal box. Like a smooth quicksilver seed, it lacked any trace of edge or line that might imply human construction, though there were areas pockmarked that might imply human construction, though there were areas pockmarked with shallow depressions and grooves. It was an almost uniform grey, with with shallow depressions and grooves. It was an almost uniform grey, with occasional splashes of red as if to remind us of its fiery arrival. occasional splashes of red as if to remind us of its fiery arrival.

Petrov reached out a hand to touch the object.

'Is it hot?' asked someone at his side.

Petrov brushed his fingtertips against the metal, then pressed down more firmly. He shook his head. 'No, though it is metal. Some sort of fine iron, firmly. He shook his head. 'No, though it is metal. Some sort of fine iron, I'll warrant.' I'll warrant.'

Others now touched the casket, emboldened by the blacksmith's actions.

'It is like a tear; from G.o.d Himself,' said one man, almost overcome with emotion. with emotion.

But I could not bring myself to touch the fallen object. Every time I looked at it a s.h.i.+ver moved up and down my spine. looked at it a s.h.i.+ver moved up and down my spine.

Petrov turned to me, glowering. 'What is the matter? Are your hands too fine for this piece of heaven?' too fine for this piece of heaven?'

Some of the men at his side chuckled, revelling in the big man's bravado. bravado.

'No hands are too fine, nor too coa.r.s.e, for heaven,' I said. Goaded by the accusing eyes of the others, I stretched out my hands and touched the the accusing eyes of the others, I stretched out my hands and touched the casket. casket.

Suddenly I was transported elsewhere, a dream more real than life itself.

Before I could even begin to puzzle over what was happening to me, I became aware that I was falling, fast. Wind tore at my eyes and face and fragile aware that I was falling, fast. Wind tore at my eyes and face and fragile limbs. My stomach surged, my mouth was ready to scream but any sound limbs. My stomach surged, my mouth was ready to scream but any sound was ripped away by the awful descent. was ripped away by the awful descent.

Clouds flew past, then dark skies, and moons and planets and suns, then heavens and lands undreamed of. Then heat, then impact then my then heavens and lands undreamed of. Then heat, then impact then my eyes opened again to see hel itself. Creatures of war set about each other with eyes opened again to see hel itself. Creatures of war set about each other with grim determination settlements uprooted like flowers, soldiers crushed in a grim determination settlements uprooted like flowers, soldiers crushed in a moment. Everything was defiled, everything was teetering on the brink of the moment. Everything was defiled, everything was teetering on the brink of the endless abyss. endless abyss.

I turned, and saw angels of light, saw salvation and security and the promise of protection. I ran towards the calm and implacable face of G.o.d, promise of protection. I ran towards the calm and implacable face of G.o.d, and away from the grinning visage of the Evil One. and away from the grinning visage of the Evil One.

Then I stumbled, fell, dream unfolding on to dream, and fell once more into the night sky, fel through noonday suns and the celestial spheres, into the night sky, fel through noonday suns and the celestial spheres, through constellations and arcs and the very machinery of the universe. through constellations and arcs and the very machinery of the universe.

I fell, but now I fel with the angels, and saw testaments of salvation, of the destruction of all evil things. the destruction of all evil things.

I found myself back in the clearing. Less than a moment had pa.s.sed.

I withdrew my hand swiftly, as if scalded by the casket.

'Still hot?' asked Petrov, with genuine concern.

I shook my head, trying to find the words. A vision... 'A prophecy!' I wanted to say more, much more, but my voice was parched, as if from a long wanted to say more, much more, but my voice was parched, as if from a long journey. journey.

The trapper pa.s.sed me a skin of water; and I drank greedily.

'What did you see?' asked Petrov impatiently.

'I saw. . ' I paused, striving to gather my turbulent thoughts. 'I saw a war in heaven. Yes, I fell to earth with Lucifer himself the war was war in heaven. Yes, I fell to earth with Lucifer himself the war was everywhere. Heaven, earth, h.e.l.l. It mattered not. Only the battle mattered.' I everywhere. Heaven, earth, h.e.l.l. It mattered not. Only the battle mattered.' I took another swig. 'But the creatures I saw, the angels... They promised took another swig. 'But the creatures I saw, the angels... They promised protection. They spoke of the end of the battle, the end of war.' protection. They spoke of the end of the battle, the end of war.'

Petrov smiled. 'It is a good omen, as I thought.'

A man nodded. 'We must consult Alexander. His wisdom will help us understand this sign.' understand this sign.'

Petrov laughed. 'Of course... But is it not clear to any man with a clean soul and a hardy spirit? This casket contains an angel, released to us to give soul and a hardy spirit? This casket contains an angel, released to us to give us hope!' us hope!'

'The cathedral,' added the trapper quietly. 'We must take this to the cathedral.' cathedral.'

Petrov nodded. 'A holy creature belongs in the house of the holy.' He turned to me, mindful of my vision, my insight into this great and awful gift turned to me, mindful of my vision, my insight into this great and awful gift from G.o.d. 'What say you?' from G.o.d. 'What say you?'

I could not help but turn away from the casket, disturbed by what I had seen. 'lf Alexander agrees, then, of course. I am sure the city authorities can seen. 'lf Alexander agrees, then, of course. I am sure the city authorities can arrange transportation.' arrange transportation.'

'Nonsense!' growled Petrov. 'We will all play our part, and deliver the angel ourselves. But first, we will celebrate, and thank our Maker.' He angel ourselves. But first, we will celebrate, and thank our Maker.' He clapped me on the shoulders. 'We do not find the coffin of an angel every day clapped me on the shoulders. 'We do not find the coffin of an angel every day still less are we blessed with an insight into the very heart of G.o.d.'

I nodded mutely.

We began to drift away, to make plans to transport the casket to the cathedral. I allowed myself one last glance back into the clearing. As I did cathedral. I allowed myself one last glance back into the clearing. As I did so, a shadow fell across the sun, and the coffin fel into darkness. so, a shadow fell across the sun, and the coffin fel into darkness.

XX.

Deus absconditus The siege of Kiev was swift and brutal.

The great Mongol army swept down and around the city, encircling it with grim precision. The cavalry moved in ordered units, ensuring that no Russian would escape the carnage.

Behind them came the lumbering siege engines the catapults, trebuchets and crossbow-like ballistas. Teams of soldiers scurried over the wheeled machines, preparing them for use.

Although arrows rained down from the walls in optimistic defiance, in truth the battle of the mind was long lost. The reputation of the Mongols travelled far ahead of them, inspiring only hopelessness and resignation. It was well known that they had a seemingly limitless supply of well-trained soldiers, devastating machinery, and the patience of G.o.d saddled with the savagery of Satan. Worse still was the noise of the great army.

The hooves of ten thousand horses and the thundering rattle of wooden wagons, the bone-curdling war cries, mixed in with the lowing of distant livestock on the move all made speech within the city near impossible. Women hugged their children tightly, whispering desperate a.s.surances made mute by the evil monster beyond. Soldiers and civilians a.s.sembled diligently, holding their weapons and the hopes of their families high.

Some chose to banish their fear and prayed to the hidden G.o.d, who had himself felt utterly rejected Eli, Eli lema Eli, Eli lema sabachthani sabachthani and whose triumph had only come through death. and whose triumph had only come through death.

Some controlled their fears, and prayed to the G.o.d of miracles, who had parted seas and killed the unworthy. Some succ.u.mbed utterly to their fears, and in doing so found the serenity of a thief who wants only to awake next day in paradise. Some prayed to themselves, and saw little but the emptiness of their souls, and feared for the true judgement to come.

The sky was red with the dust thrown up by the horses that pawed the earth beyond the walls. Many of the citizens had seen paintings of the apocalypse; now they were destined to experience their own.

And still the arrows and tar came down in waves from the fortified walls, and still the Mongol army worked diligently beneath them, preparing their great instruments of war. One or two soldiers fell, but they were quickly carried away for treatment or burial.

Within the city, acting governor Yevhen patrolled the makes.h.i.+ft defences. Never before had he felt so lonely, never before had he felt so driven. He bellowed orders, encouraged vigilance, rea.s.sured as best he could. He heard the noise outside abate momentarily, and steeled himself for the worst.

The attack began.

The Mongols had chosen to concentrate their attentions on the Polish Gate to the west of the city. There the battlements were made of wood an obvious weak point, and one that Yevhen had tried hard to strengthen. But the leaders of the Great Khan's army were no fools.

A ma.s.s of shaped boulders began a relentless pounding of the wall. Smaller projectiles, seemingly of clay, showered down like rain, exploding on impact. Yevhen could not disguise his fear as flames licked the ramparts and soldiers scurried for safety.

'What devilry is this?' he exclaimed.

He ordered a unit of well-trained men to the area, to bolster the citizens who had been stationed there. From his vantage point he could see that the overall structure was standing firm, but the great doors of the gate were beginning to crack and, worse, the battlements were now ablaze. Water was being ferried to the site, but the amounts were pitiful.

Yevhen glanced back at the governor's residence, itself blackened with soot, and for a moment he remembered familial stories of the flame that fell from heaven to herald the arrival of the angel. He had always hated fire.

Then the first masonry began to fall from the gateway, and the thought was lost in the panic Yevhen had antic.i.p.ated for weeks. 'To the Church of the Virgin!' he ordered. It was the one building in Kiev that could, the tacticians felt, be well defended, its natural shapes and battlements having been bolstered by weeks of tireless work. Yevhen remembered that the young traveller had been keen to help out. It all seemed so long ago now.

The general order was issued: families were to seek refuge in the church itself, and all men of fighting age were to a.s.semble there for the final pitched battle.Yevhen wondered idly how much of the population had already succ.u.mbed to the disease. A quarter? A third? It was so difficult to tell. Certainly, he recognised that the army he had at his disposal was slight compared to that which threatened, with every moment, to spill through the walls of the city.

At last the Polish Gate began to buckle. A large explosive device found a natural weakness, and exploited it in a deafening, blinding crash of light. An entire corner section came away and, as it fell, it brought the remains of the wooden walkways and fortifications with it. Another pounding, and one of the great doors toppled over completely. A number of soldiers were trapped beneath it, but their cries were drowned by the awful shrieks of the populace. Most had fled to the church, but some were standing motionless, slack with fear, their minds gone.

A wall of Mongol archers advanced swiftly through the breach, each man notching, aiming and releasing arrow after arrow. Their march was implacable and barely a Mongol fell, though towards the peripheries some hand-to-hand fighting broke out.

Then the archers parted at the centre and the cavalry flowed through, a torrent of dark men on small brown horses. The steeds proved nimble, even over the rubble, and the great lances the riders carried efficiently dispatched any soldier they encountered. One brave defender of Kiev managed to dismount a horseman with his spear; when the man tumbled to the ground the Russian was at him with a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. He hacked at the Mongol's face until there was nothing left; then he turned, too late, to see three further hors.e.m.e.n bearing down on him. Two lances. .h.i.t him, one just below the shoulder, the other just above the groin. The points pressed on through armour, weak flesh and bone. The soldier was lifted bodily from the ground, like a trophy.

The Mongol archers fanned out further and, in desperation, more and more people took to the roof of the church: soldiers who had deserted their posts, women with screaming children still clinging to them. Though vulnerable to arrows, at least they were safe from the cavalry. Some men, driven to stupidity by the inevitability of their fate, even taunted the Mongols from the roof.

Such defiance was short-lived. Too many people had gathered on the roof; it had never been designed for such a great weight. Perhaps the hasty constructions around the building had only weakened its integrity; perhaps sheer weight of numbers would anyway have been enough. Whatever the cause, the roof began to shudder and sway, then, in the blink of an eye, it fel to the ground in a cloud of dust and wood splinters. Hundreds were killed by the falling masonry or by their fall; hundreds more were trampled to death in the panic that ensued.

The collapse of the Church of the Virgin effectively saw the end of any resistance to the Mongols. The sacking of Kiev began.

The destruction of the church was audible even within the governor's residence. Two soldiers, already pale with fear, exchanged terrified glances.

'What was that?' asked one, crossing himself.

'I do not know.'

'We should see.'

'We have been ordered to stay here.' The second soldier indicated the doorway that led to the catacombs.

'We could hide in the tunnels. Under the cathedral. St Sophia will protect us!'

'We must do as we are ordered.'

Yevhen was dragged before Batu Khan, and thrown unceremoniously at his feet.

'Get up,' said Batu. 'Are you the governor? I wish to know why the envoys were killed.'

Yevhen got to his feet, gingerly. He shook his head, finding the words lodged at the back of his throat. 'I have only a.s.sumed that role. I have sent the governor into the catacombs.'

'Why did you do that?'

'I hope he will be safe there.' The lie came easily to Yevhen, for he had built his life on such mistruths.

Batu glanced at Mongke, who was standing just behind him.

'Is there not a weapon under your cathedral?' he asked the Russian. 'Is that why you have sent him there?'

Yevhen could only shake his head mutely, shocked that the Mongol warlord was closer to the truth than he probably realised.

'Why else would you send a man into hiding, then reveal his location to us?' Batu paused. 'Unless you are a coward. .'

'I am not a coward!' cried Yevhen.

'I have not seen you in battle.'

Yevhen snorted in derision. 'I have been in battle since news first reached us of your approach battling Dmitri and the others. They are weak fools, all of them. They would happily have offered no resistance. They stood in the way of my plans, and so deserve to die.'

'As do you,' said Batu. 'You say too much to be a man of honour and worth.'