Doctor Who: Lungbarrow Read Online Free PDF Page B

interrupted K9 again.
    Plainly there was no escape. K9 only ever real y kept quiet for Leela, and she was fielding that look of earnestness that always forewarned of sleepless nights until he gave in. 'Go on then.'
    K9 pul ed closer to the desk as if he intended to whisper, which he did not. 'According to the records of the Matrician Bench of Ordnance Surveyists, the House of Lungbarrow itself no longer stands on the side of Mount Lung in the Southern Mountains. It has vanished without trace.'
    Andred started to laugh. 'What? A House can't just vanish! That's ridiculous.'
    'Then where are your records?' demanded Leela.
    Sometimes she was so exasperating. 'I'll sort it out later,' he protested.
    'You have no sense of your Family's honour,' she said coldly.
    'Not at al . I'm just too busy with security to deal with ancient history now. As soon as I have time, then we'll find out what happened. We'll do it together. Just don't go interfering on your own.'
    'There is still more,' she said.
    There was a bleep from his screen port. He had an incoming communication at last. Gold-coded from off-Gallifrey.
    'Tell me later,' he said gently to Leela.
    She nodded indignantly. Then she turned and swept out of the office with K9 trundling faithfully behind.
    Andred's port bleeped again. He activated the screen and watched as the angry face of President Romana appeared. He noted that she was attired in her full white and gold-collared ceremonial regalia.
    'Castellan Andred? Where in blue blazers is that transduction order I gave you?'
    Taken aback, he picked the crystal cube out of its courier case and held it up for her to see.
    'It's here, Madam. I've just had it returned from Accessions.'
    'Then why hasn't the transduction been completed?'
    He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. 'But it has. I was waiting for confirmation from Chancellor Theora.'
    ' Our Guest hasn't arrived.' There was an uncustomary hint of panic in her voice. 'You know I can't deal directly with the situation myself. Not now. If the Agency find out what's going on...'
    'I'll follow it through immediately, Madam,' he said calmly. It was no surprise that Romana was up to her neck in clandestine intrigues, mostly of her own making. And she styled herself as chief advocate of the new open-government policy. Sooner or later the truth would out. Andred had arranged the security for these secret off-Gallifrey talks himself, but he was not attending them and had no idea whom they involved. He simply followed instructions from the Chancel or. The trust they invested in him was appreciated. But even so...
    'It would help if you could tell me exactly who or what Our Guest is,' he ventured.
    She shook her head. 'I can't tell you, Andred. Security, you know.'
    'I am security, Madam President.'
    'Yes, but you won't like it.'
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    'As you wish.'
    She sighed audibly. 'Andred, in my term as President, there wil be nothing more important than these negotiations. Actually, there's been nothing so important for thousands of years. Thousands and thousands.
    Everything depends on them. We can't afford mistakes. So please, just find out what's happened to that transduction beam.'
    'Very good, Madam.'
    'Thank you.' Her grave demeanour lifted a little and a studied smile broke the gloom. 'How's Leela?' she said in a careless sort of way.
    'Very well, thank you,' he responded slowly.
    'Oh, good.' She sounded greatly relieved.
    Andred paused for a moment. 'Why?' he asked, puzzled.
    She laughed nervously. 'Oh, no matter. Just asking.'
    'Your tunic is covered in fruit stains,' observed Almoner Crest Yeux over his glass of tea. 'Castellan Spandrel would have had your eyeballs for epaulettes over that.'
    Captain Jomdek smiled.
    'The Castel an is not my commanding officer, sir.'
    'No, of course not. Whichever way Andred regards his elevation, he's been reduced to the level of a functionary among Madam President's army of lackeys. The Council are just pawns in her wretched open