Doctor Who: Lungbarrow Read Online Free PDF Page A

'and I was told she was unavailable until further notice. They tried to fob me off with that dreadful Chancel or Theorasdavoramilonithene woman, but I wasn't having any of that. I mean, it's all women on the Inner Council now. They seem to be taking over.'
    'I'm on the Inner Council,' said Andred curtly.
    'Yes, but forgive me for saying this, but you're the token ordinal, aren't you?'
    Andred bit back any discourteous retort. He had been trying to remember what the Almoner Crest's function actually was. The title was probably too steeped in heraldic tradition for anyone to recal . 'The President does have an immensely busy schedule,' he said.
    'Oh, that's as maybe.' Yeux shifted bulkily in his seat. 'But I ran into Cardinal Perundeen immediately afterwards in the Causal Archive Record Office and he had exactly the same experience three days ago. And he stil hasn't seen the President. She wasn't even at the reception for the Chelonian envoy. I mean, nobody knows what she's up to.'
    To his relief, Andred saw a small light flicker on his desk. He rose from his seat. 'I'm sorry, Almoner, but I do have some pressing business of my own.'
    Yeux eyed him with no apparent intention of moving. 'I mean, you of all people must know her whereabouts, Castellan. Otherwise there'd be no point in you running security at all.'
    The door slid open, affording a view of the outer office where a young guard was waiting with a tall lady in a dark green robe.
    Andred's hearts sank. The one person he most wanted to see was the last person he could entertain at the moment.
    'Come in, Captain,' cal ed Andred. He turned back to Yeux to find that he was already up. The Almoner Crest was staring at the lady who had followed Jomdek into the room. The captain was carrying a glass cube in front of him as if it was one of the ceremonial relics from the Panopticon museum.
    'The transduction order, sir, as you instructed,' he announced with a sideways glance at the onlooker.
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    'Thank you, Jomdek!' Andred snatched the cube out of his gloved hand.
    Yeux, a smug grin on his face, nodded to Andred. 'Thank you for your time, Castellan. I'll leave you to your pressing business.' He gave the lady a cold stare and departed.
    Captain Jomdek stayed standing to attention, his face a pool of deep embarrassment.
    Andred snapped, 'I assume everything was in order at the Accessions Bureau.'
    'I delivered the item. Yes, sir.'
    The Castel an dabbled a finger on the communicator link and then thought better of it. 'Thank you, Jomdek.
    Dismissed.'
    Jomdek tried to come to attention, found that he was already there, nodded his head awkwardly and left.
    The Lady Leela watched the door slide shut. She was tall and proud; her red-brown hair was braided and woven up around-her head. Today she had threaded two sorts of coloured beading into the plaits that Andred had never seen before - red and dark blue.
    'The captain had magenta juice all down his tunic,' she said. As always, she managed to invest the most banal events with an inherent wonder all of her own. It always floored him.
    'Shoddy discipline,' Andred grumbled weakly. He allowed himself a tiny smile. 'It isn't funny. And I told you not to come here when I'm working.'
    She sat on the edge of his desk and flicked at a stack of reports. 'You do nothing else but work when you are here.'
    He reached for her hand. She leant across the desk and kissed the frown on his forehead. 'You are troubled,' she observed.
    'You know I can't tell you about it.'
    'I know. The headman carries the secrets of his tribe on his shoulders.'
    He grinned and squeezed her hand. 'If you say so.'
    'Don't laugh.'
    'Laughing's good for me.'
    'If you are too busy, I shal speak to Romana.'
    'Good,' he said. 'Then she can put you in charge.'
    She slid down to his level and met his eyes. 'I am in charge.'
    'Yes, please.'
    They jumped quickly apart as the door slid open.
    'Mistress?'
    A knee-high metallic shape was trundling into the office.
    'He always