said,
'and I'll ride back, find Ping-Cho and bring her to the summer
palace.'
'Good thinking, Chesterton. En route
you can verify that my ship is safely on its way,' the Doctor
remarked. To Karakorum, Tegana thought. Marco considered the
proposition. It was viable. He turned to Ian.
'When can you leave?'
'Now.' And as they rode on, Ian rode
back.
13 to Karakorum
To Ian's surprise, it took three days
hard riding to catch up with Ping-Cho. She was at the small inn
beyond Lan-Chow where they had rested after the attack in the bamboo
forest. Ping-Cho burst into tears when she saw him, tears of dismay
but, at the same time, tears of relief.
'You've come to take me back, haven't
you?' she said, drying her eyes.
'I promised Marco I would see you
safely to the summer palace,' Ian replied, 'and I must keep my word.'
'I can't marry an old man I've never
met. I won't. Ian.'
'I'm sure the Khan will understand and
excuse you from the marriage.' Ian had his fingers crossed mentally
and then changed the subject. 'Did you see the Doctor's caravan when
you were riding here?' Ping-Cho shook her head.
'I hadn't thought about it, but now
that you mention it, no, I didn't.'
'Neither did I. Perhaps the convoy
follows a different route.' He shrugged. 'On our way back we'll stop
at Lan-Chow and ask Wang-Lo.'
Whilst they were eating their evening
meal under the watchful eyes and eavesdropping ears of the innkeeper,
Ian spoke of Ping-Cho's attempt to escape.
'How did you expect to reach
Samarkand?' he asked.
'I knew I was bound to meet up with a
caravan and I have enough gold to pay my way.' Ian reminded her that
they hadn't met many going in the opposite direction between Lop and
Lan-Chow.
'It is true, my lord, one must wait
until there are enough wagons to justify a caravan,' the innkeeper
volunteered, 'and the lady would need to wait until another moon
because a convoy passed through the village yesterday. The old lord's
caravan was part of it.' Ian nearly choked on his food.
'The old lord who was here with us?'
'Yes.'
'His blue caravan?'
'Yes.'
'Going north?'
'Yes.'
Ian looked at Ping-Cho. 'It's too late
to do anything tonight but we're not riding for Shang-Tu in the
morning. You wait for me here whilst I retrieve the Doctor's flying
caravan. Promise me you won't make another dash.'
'I promise, Ian,' Ping-Cho said with a
little smile.
Marco was going to bed when he heard
the jingling bells and instinctively knew that Ling-Tau had come once
again from the summer palace. He threw on his robe and went
downstairs where Ling-Tau smiled a greeting and bowed.
'What is it this time, Ling-Tau?'
Marco asked.
Ling-Tau took the sealed parchment from
the despatch pocket of his belt.
'Not for you, Messer Marco, this is for
the War Lord Tegana.'
'I'll fetch him.' Marco climbed the
stairs, rapped on Tegana's door and told him the Khan's courier had a
message for him. Tegana came downstairs, tore open the document, read
it and turned, stone-faced, to Marco.
'Kublai Khan will not receive me at the
summer palace. I am to proceed to Peking.'
'An escort worthy of your rank will
arrive tomorrow, my lord,' Ling-Tau reported. Without comment, Tegana
went back to his room.
'What's this about?' Marco asked.
'I do not know. But you and the Lady
Ping-Cho are expected at Shang-Tu.' Marco explained that Ping-Cho had
run away and Ian had gone to fetch her back. Ling-Tau eased his belt
and took off his bandeau.
'I shall go and find them in the
morning,' he said, 'and in Lan-Chow arrange their escort to
Shang-Tu."
'Thank you, Ling-Tau.'
'It will be my pleasure to see the Lady
Ping-Cho again,' he said with a grin.
At dawn Ian rode north and caught up
with the convoy beyond the bamboo forests. The TARDIS was no longer
with it but the leader told him that Kuiju had left them about two
leagues back and taken the wagon along the old Karakorum road. Ian
galloped back to the intersection and turned along the abandoned
track riding as quickly as he
'and I'll ride back, find Ping-Cho and bring her to the summer
palace.'
'Good thinking, Chesterton. En route
you can verify that my ship is safely on its way,' the Doctor
remarked. To Karakorum, Tegana thought. Marco considered the
proposition. It was viable. He turned to Ian.
'When can you leave?'
'Now.' And as they rode on, Ian rode
back.
13 to Karakorum
To Ian's surprise, it took three days
hard riding to catch up with Ping-Cho. She was at the small inn
beyond Lan-Chow where they had rested after the attack in the bamboo
forest. Ping-Cho burst into tears when she saw him, tears of dismay
but, at the same time, tears of relief.
'You've come to take me back, haven't
you?' she said, drying her eyes.
'I promised Marco I would see you
safely to the summer palace,' Ian replied, 'and I must keep my word.'
'I can't marry an old man I've never
met. I won't. Ian.'
'I'm sure the Khan will understand and
excuse you from the marriage.' Ian had his fingers crossed mentally
and then changed the subject. 'Did you see the Doctor's caravan when
you were riding here?' Ping-Cho shook her head.
'I hadn't thought about it, but now
that you mention it, no, I didn't.'
'Neither did I. Perhaps the convoy
follows a different route.' He shrugged. 'On our way back we'll stop
at Lan-Chow and ask Wang-Lo.'
Whilst they were eating their evening
meal under the watchful eyes and eavesdropping ears of the innkeeper,
Ian spoke of Ping-Cho's attempt to escape.
'How did you expect to reach
Samarkand?' he asked.
'I knew I was bound to meet up with a
caravan and I have enough gold to pay my way.' Ian reminded her that
they hadn't met many going in the opposite direction between Lop and
Lan-Chow.
'It is true, my lord, one must wait
until there are enough wagons to justify a caravan,' the innkeeper
volunteered, 'and the lady would need to wait until another moon
because a convoy passed through the village yesterday. The old lord's
caravan was part of it.' Ian nearly choked on his food.
'The old lord who was here with us?'
'Yes.'
'His blue caravan?'
'Yes.'
'Going north?'
'Yes.'
Ian looked at Ping-Cho. 'It's too late
to do anything tonight but we're not riding for Shang-Tu in the
morning. You wait for me here whilst I retrieve the Doctor's flying
caravan. Promise me you won't make another dash.'
'I promise, Ian,' Ping-Cho said with a
little smile.
Marco was going to bed when he heard
the jingling bells and instinctively knew that Ling-Tau had come once
again from the summer palace. He threw on his robe and went
downstairs where Ling-Tau smiled a greeting and bowed.
'What is it this time, Ling-Tau?'
Marco asked.
Ling-Tau took the sealed parchment from
the despatch pocket of his belt.
'Not for you, Messer Marco, this is for
the War Lord Tegana.'
'I'll fetch him.' Marco climbed the
stairs, rapped on Tegana's door and told him the Khan's courier had a
message for him. Tegana came downstairs, tore open the document, read
it and turned, stone-faced, to Marco.
'Kublai Khan will not receive me at the
summer palace. I am to proceed to Peking.'
'An escort worthy of your rank will
arrive tomorrow, my lord,' Ling-Tau reported. Without comment, Tegana
went back to his room.
'What's this about?' Marco asked.
'I do not know. But you and the Lady
Ping-Cho are expected at Shang-Tu.' Marco explained that Ping-Cho had
run away and Ian had gone to fetch her back. Ling-Tau eased his belt
and took off his bandeau.
'I shall go and find them in the
morning,' he said, 'and in Lan-Chow arrange their escort to
Shang-Tu."
'Thank you, Ling-Tau.'
'It will be my pleasure to see the Lady
Ping-Cho again,' he said with a grin.
At dawn Ian rode north and caught up
with the convoy beyond the bamboo forests. The TARDIS was no longer
with it but the leader told him that Kuiju had left them about two
leagues back and taken the wagon along the old Karakorum road. Ian
galloped back to the intersection and turned along the abandoned
track riding as quickly as he
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