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back up at Guy, whom he had passed by now.  I assume you re our guide, so
you d better show us how you plan to get us out of here.
 This way, Guy murmured disbelievingly, slipping back down the stairs.  As
you are waiting for us, we should not have to kill anyone to free you.
 There s many a slip twixt the cup and the superglue, the Doctor warned.
 Or in this case, half a dozen soldiers coming up the street which was hidden
from you by that hedgerow.
 Your fifth columnists? Benny asked Guy, a nasty suspicion dawning.
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 No, they would approach from the eastern side of the village, he re-
sponded, in a wearily disappointed tone.  Come, we must at least leave this
place undetected. If we are trapped here, we die. At least out there, Ibrahim
and Hubert can pick off the riders, and the uneven ground beyond the tree-
line should hamper their pursuit. Sweeping downstairs with considerable
rapidity despite his careful silent steps, Guy spun out into the hallway, sword
at the ready. The Doctor and Benny followed in time for Edouard to part the
door slightly from its surroundings.
Guy wasted no time, however, but simply tugged it the rest of the way
open and loped out, turning to face the main part of the village. The leading
horseman turned out into the open field at the same time, but miraculously
didn t look round as Benny ushered the Doctor out and pointed him in the
direction of the tree-line beyond the hedgerow. She realized guiltily that if
the horsemen were able to follow them, they might well lead them straight to
the tunnel  something she couldn t face being responsible for. She just hoped
that Hubert was as good against an open target as against one hidden behind
hoardings.
Her train of thought was cut off as two bleary-eyed guards suddenly
rounded the corner from a side of the building hidden from Hubert and too
close in to be visible by Ibrahim, one resting a glaive-guisarme over his shoul-
der, while the other carried only a belted sword.
They noticed her at the same instant, and froze with comically gape-
mouthed expressions.  Run! the Doctor squawked, haring off towards the
tree-line. The guard with the polearm recovered first, lowering it ready to
charge.
Edouard s heavy hand slammed into Benny s back, forcing her out of the
guards way, and jump-starting her run after the Doctor.
With a dark flicker of movement, Guy sliced the blade from the the first
guard s glaive-guisarme and quickly twisted his wrists to cut down at his legs.
His sword ended up in a backhanded swing which knocked the second man
off his feet as the flat of the blade hurtled up to crash into his jaw. He hit
the damp ground with considerable force a couple of feet away. Drawn by
the screams of the guard whose leg was all but severed, the mounted men
suddenly wheeled around, finally noticing the strangers. With a bellowed cry
of alarm, they charged up the sloping field, dark swords drawn.
Benny began to think that perhaps she should have trusted the Doctor to
make his own escape after all. Further cries and shouts of alarm rose from all
around the village, none of which eased her worries in the slightest. Neither
did the fact that two of the horsemen were abruptly punched out of their
saddles to crash to the earth with arrows rammed through their mail hauberks
and deep into the flesh beneath. There were still four horsemen left, already
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too close for Hubert to get a clear shot.
As a third rider jerked like an impaled fish and tumbled to the ground with
one of Ibrahim s shafts through his stomach, the Doctor tossed an irritated
glance back towards the approaching horsemen, then threw Benny a critical
look as he stopped running.  Well, it was useful while it lasted, I suppose,
he commented, leaving Benny wondering what he was referring to. Abruptly
another pair of riders wheeled round the curve in the stream. The Doctor
hastily grabbed Edouard, who was bracing himself ready to receive the sol-
diers charge, and shoved the astonished warrior back towards Benny and the
approaching Hubert and Ibrahim.  Run! he yelled, urging them across the
churned earth. Benny went all too willingly  and not a little guiltily  not
needing to be told twice. There s never a transmat pad around when you
need one, is there? she thought.
Guy, meanwhile, swung his sword in a limbering-up sort of way as he
strolled towards the middle of the field. The Doctor blocked his movements
with his umbrella.  If you ve lived this long as a soldier, the Doctor chastised
firmly,  you must know that one man on foot against three mounted knights
doesn t stand a chance.
 If it helps you and Lady Bernice escape  
 And what about foot patrols between here and the Roc?
Guy looked back at Benny with a worried expression, his tense stance an-
nouncing his indecision for all to see.  But these men will ride you down in
moments if I do not hold them.
 Don t you count your Chelonians before they re hatched, the Doctor re-
sponded thoughtfully.  You and Benny run. I ll put a stop to them. He bran-
dished a delicate metal rod which Benny would have recognized as his sonic
screwdriver.
Grasping his umbrella firmly, so as to be ready to run, the Doctor waited,
sonic screwdriver raised, until the riders were only a few yards away.  No
man challenges the great wizard Quiquaequod! he bellowed. A couple of the
riders took the hint, and reined in in superstitious fear, but the others took no
notice, and bore down on him.  It was worth a try, I suppose. He triggered
the screwdriver then, and a painfully high-pitched squeal slashed through the
cold grey air. The horses reaction was immediate, their riders flailing wildly
and tumbling from the saddle as the animals reared and kicked out in startled
terror.
Not stopping even to admire his own handiwork, the Doctor ran.
Guy raced to catch up to Bernice, cursing himself for leaving the man they had
come to rescue. He had seemed so sure of himself, however, that his attitude
had seemed perfectly reasonable. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hubert
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and Ibrahim drop back once they were in the maze of trees, ready to disguise
the fugitives trail.
A quick glance back revealed a surprising view of the horsemen struggling
to rise from uncomfortable landing positions, while the Doctor s short legs had
somehow already brought him almost level with Guy.  How did you defeat
them so quickly? Guy asked quietly, not wasting too much breath. Could they
be pretending to have fallen, while the Doctor marked out a path to the Roc?
The Doctor waved his little metal rod.  Magic.
Of course, I should have realized, Guy thought relievedly. Ahead, Bernice [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]