Doctor Who: The Savages (8 page)

‘Yes. As it is, they are a danger to us. But as a source of high grade energy they will be of great value.’

He signalled to Edal who stood close by on duty. ‘Send out a patrol,’ he ordered. ‘The young couple who arrived with the Doctor must be brought in.’

Edal marched smartly away.

The savages hurried Steven and Dodo through the scrubland and into a narrow rocky valley.

They were surrounded by a flock of tribesmen scrambling down the sides of the valley to cluster round the strangers threateningly.

‘Leave them,’ shouted Chal. ‘They are here as friends. We bring them for safety.’

‘And what have we done for the Doctor?’ asked Steven bitterly.

‘Nothing,’ said Chal. ‘For there is nothing that can be done.’

‘You’re going to have to stand up and fight them one day,’ said Steven.

‘You have never faced the light guns,’ said Chal drily.

Steven and Dodo looked round at the rocks that climbed above them, gloomy, rugged. ‘What is this place?’ asked Dodo.

‘It is where we live,’ said Chal.

‘Here?’

‘You have seen the openings between the rocks?’ ‘You live in caves? Like animals?’

‘It is the only place we are safe. The only place the guards don’t follow us.’

The grim reality was very clear.

Jano watched the Doctor being taken from the cubicle. He looked at the motionless body and the face like a death mask as the trolley passed.

‘Are you sure he’s all right? What is his vitality reading?’

‘Down to twenty. We were careful.’

‘And his energy?’

‘That is still high. He is a remarkable source. A great potential, Jano.’

‘Very well,’ said Jano. ‘I want you to prepare for an intransference immediately.’

Senta was startled. ‘So soon?’

‘The sooner the better.’

‘Have you already nominated a number of citizens to receive a proportion of this life force?’

‘There will be only one recipient,’ said Jano.

Senta was taken aback, ‘That is most unusual.’

‘It’s an unusual experiment altogether,’ agreed Jano. ‘It would not be right to risk the safety of other members of the City, I have decided. I shall take full responsibility.’

It dawned on Senta just what Jano meant. ‘You’re going to take the entire intransference yourself?’ Jano nodded gravely.

‘But Jano, suppose something should go wrong? We’ve never done anything like this before.’

‘It is for that reason I take sole risk. I shall be ready when you need me.’

Senta was about to protest, but the look on Jano’s face stopped him. The chief Elder of the City hurried away.

The first assistant was over-awed. ‘He’s going to take the entire —’

Senta cut him short. ‘It’s not for you to question our leader,’ he said. ‘Keep silent about this.’ ‘Of course.’

‘Get everything ready. Top priority and at speed. This doesn’t look like the end of our work today. Those patrols will soon have those two other young time-travellers in here... Call up extra staff. We’re going to need everybody.’

There was a sudden burst of excitement at the entrance of the valley, and one of the savages came racing across to Chal.

‘What’s happened?’ asked Steven.

‘A patrol, heading this way,’ Chal told him.

Tor waved his hands aggressively. ‘I.told you this

would happen. They are looking for these strangers.’ ‘Will they come here?’ asked Dodo.

‘It is possible,’ Chal nodded.

‘Where can we go?’

‘You are not safe here,’ said Tor. ‘And we are not safe as long as you stay.’

‘Be silent,’ said Chal. He turned to Dodo. ‘You will be safe in our caves.’

‘You cannot take them there,’ protested Tor. ‘The

guards will follow. It is our last hiding place.’

‘They have helped us,’ said Chal. ‘Now we must

help them.’

‘No. They are not our people.’

‘I am leader,’ said Chal. ‘I say they can hide here.’ ‘Then our destruction is on your hands,’ shouted Tor.

Chal turned to Steven and Dodo. ‘Follow,’ he said and led them up the side of the valley.

A number of gaps could be seen in the cliffs. In some of the openings were gathered groups of the

7 ‘Come On, Soldier Boy. What Are You Frightened Of?’

savages, looking on apprehensively. Chal led them to an opening that looked as if it had been cut out of the cliff with primitive tools. At the entrance a girl shrunk back in alarm as Chal led them in.

‘It is all right, Nanina,’ Chal told her, ‘they are friends.’

They looked at the ceiling that had been carved out of the rock, rising above them. ‘It’s beautiful. Like a temple,’ said Dodo.

‘This is where we live,’ said Chal. ‘It is the only place in which we are safe.’

Steven gazed at the delicately chiselled interior. ‘Who made all this?’

‘Our people.’

‘It’s superb.’

‘Our ancestors were fine artists. But as time passed we became less and less able to do such things as our talents were being drained from us.’

Wylda called from the mouth of the cave, ‘Patrol! Coming this way.’

They hurried to look across the valley. At the entrance to the valley a man in the uniform of a City Guard could be seen moving towards them through the fallen rocks.

‘It’s Exorse,’ whispered Dodo.

He was coming along the bottom of the valley, holding his gun at the ready while Tor backed away before him.

‘Stay where you are,’ shouted Exorse as Tor turned to run. Tor stopped, terrified. Exorse held the gun trained on him. ‘Where are they?’ he called.

Tor shook his head as though he didn’t understand. Exorse touched the trigger and a beam of light played over the savage. He stiffened in pain, then the light went off.

‘The next time I ask,’ said Exorse, ‘you will answer. Where are the strangers?’

Tor hesitated, his eyes fixed on the light gun. Then he moaned in despair and looked up towards the caves.

‘Up there, are they?’ said Exorse. ‘Right.’

He began climbing the valley slope towards the caves. Chal ducked back.

‘Is he coming?’ asked Nanina who stood anxiously behind him.

‘I think so,’ said Chal.

‘Go with them,’ she said. ‘I will stay on watch.’ She moved to the edge of the cave and peered down. Behind her Chal hurried away, taking the strangers with him.

Exorse stopped below the caves and scanned the side of the valley. He saw Nanina watching. ‘You have the two strangers,’ called Exorse. ‘Tell them to come out.’

‘There are no strangers,’ she replied.

There was a silence as he looked slowly round at the other caves about him.

From the back of the cave Steven whispered, ‘What’s he doing?’

Nanina waved him back: ‘Stay there.’

‘How many guards?’ Steven wanted to know. ‘Only one. But he has the gun.’

She looked out. Exorse had started to climb towards her. She waved warningly towards the strangers.

‘Is there any way out of this place?’ Steven asked Chal.

‘There are passages into the rock, but they lead nowhere,’ he replied.

‘So we’re in a trap?’

‘Not a trap,’ said Chal ‘We can go into the passages.

There are many. He will not know which one to take. Come, it is best.’

They followed him to the furthest wall of the cave and ducked under a rocky arch into the gloom of a long, twisting tunnel. They disappeared just in time, for a moment later Exorse stepped into the mouth of the cave. ‘This is an order,’ he called. ‘Bring out the strangers.’

The savages huddled against the rocks looked at him in fear. In the tunnel Steven whispered, ‘What will he do?’

‘Nothing worse than they have done many times before,’ said Chal. ‘Come.’

Chal went on ahead of them. They could hear Exorse calling, ‘The strangers, girl. Where are they?’ But Nanina said nothing and Exorse called loudly, ‘Tell me — or suffer.’

And when Nanina did speak she simply said, ‘I will tell you nothing.’

In the cave Exorse stared at her in surprise. He wasn’t used to such defiance. ‘When I find them,’ he said, ‘I shall teach you to obey.’

He had no time to waste. Others of these wretched creatures would answer far more quickly. ‘You,’ he said. ‘Where are they?’

One of the terrified savages covered his face. ‘Don’t talk,’ said Nanina.

Exorse raised his gun at the cowering savage. ‘They went into the rock face,’ cried the man.

Chal led the way along the tunnel while Dodo and Steven followed, but a loose stone moving under somebody’s foot brought them to a stop while they listened in case they had been heard. The tunnels seemed to echo. But no one was following.

‘Which of these did they take?’ Exorse asked the savage as he pointed to the many openings.

Nanina tried to protect him, but she was pushed aside by the butt of Exorse’s gun. ‘Which?’ he shouted.

The savage pointed a shaking finger.

‘You have betrayed them,’ said Nanina accusingly.

Exorse moved cautiously into the tunnel, glancing at the dust on the ground. It had been recently disturbed. He kept a finger on the gun trigger as he moved on.

Dodo whispered softly, ‘It’s getting darker.’ ‘Less chance of being seen,’ replied Steven. ‘Listen,’ said the girl.

Somewhere behind them they could hear the sound of footsteps. The sound stopped, but they knew it must be the guard. He was playing a game of cat and mouse with them in this blind alley, and there was no way out.

As they moved Exorse picked up the faint sound and knew he was on the right track.

‘It’s hopeless,’ said Dodo. ‘There isn’t anywhere to hide.’

‘He may not follow,’ whispered Chal.

‘He will,’ muttered Dodo resignedly.

‘She’s right,’ agreed Steven. ‘If the tunnel gets much narrower we don’t stand a chance.’

A voice echoed along the tunnel. ‘I know you are there, strangers. It is better to give yourselves up now.’

‘Come on,’ whispered Steven. He pushed ahead. A few steps further on, the passage twisted sharply. ‘This could be it!’ Steven sounded excited. ‘We could just have a chance!’

Exorse called along the passage again. ‘Come back, I tell you. It’s for your own good.’

Steven shouted back, ‘Thanks very much. You come and get us.’

‘Do not anger him,’ said Chal in alarm.

‘Why not?’ said Steven. ‘An angry man is more likely to do something rash.’

Then he shouted down the tunnel, ‘Come on, soldier boy. What are you frightened of? You’re the man with the gun.’

‘He will destroy us all,’ said Chal in despair.

‘Tell me,’ whispered Steven, ‘how does he use that gun?’

‘What does it matter?’

‘Hurry up! I have to know how it works.’

‘There is a trigger on the right side. They point the muzzle at us, and pull the trigger. Then we cannot move.’

‘Does the beam reflect?’ asked Steven.

‘What do you mean?’

‘If the light from the gun reflects — if it strikes water and reflects onto the victim — is it still powerful?’

‘Yes,’ Chal nodded. ‘I have seen it reflect from the water of a lake.’

‘Right.’ Steven turned to Dodo. ‘Let me have the mirror they gave you, Dodo, at the presentation.’ ‘This?’ She handed it to him.

‘Now, round the rock, both of you. Keep out of sight.’

‘What are you up to, Steven?’

‘Just a little experiment... And for all our sakes, I hope it works.’

Dodo and Chal crept past and dropped to the ground around the bend in the rock. Steven stood just out of sight, pressed against the wall of the tunnel. He could hear the cautious steps of the guard moving gradually towards him. Then the steps stopped as Exorse saw the bend in the tunnel ahead.

‘You are foolish to think you can defy me,’ calledExorse. ‘Have the people of the caves not told you they can never resist us?’

‘We’re going to change all that, soldier boy,’ called back Steven mockingly. ‘Come on. What are you scared of?’

‘The travellers from beyond time are very foolish people,’ said Exorse angrily as he strode forward. But he wasn’t taking any chances: he pulled back the bolt on the gun and pressed the trigger. The deadly light shone ahead, lighting up the tunnel and clearly showing the way the passage turned to one side.

The light played on the rock just a few inches from Steven’s face. As long as he kept back in the shadow of the rock he knew he was safe, but if he should let the beam play on him he knew what would happen.

‘Keep down,’ he whispered to the figures crouching behind him.

‘I will give no more orders,’ called Exorse. ‘You will surrender. Step into the light you see shine..

Steven gripped the mirror by its long handle and jerked it out from behind the rock into the beam. There was an instantaneous cry from Exorse as the reflection shone back on him. Steven heard the gun fall with a clatter.

He was out of his hiding place in a flash and raced to where the guard stood shaken, holding his hands over his face. He had just time to see Steven snatching the gun but he didn’t have time to move.

Steven felt hurriedly for the switches. ‘How does the thing... Which switch... Ah, there we are.’

It was with a sigh of relief that he pressed a button and the beam of light lit up the dazed guard. Exorse suddenly became rigid in its power.

‘Right,’ ordered Steven. ‘Back off. Down the way you came, my friend. Move.’

Chal and Dodo came out of hiding. Chal gazed in wonder at what he saw. ‘You have taken a guard prisoner,’ he said. ‘But that is impossible!’

In the cave they could hear the sound of someone returning through the tunnel. ‘They are coming back,’ said Nanina.

Tor was horrified. ‘He will punish all of us. We shall all suffer. Chal should never have brought them here. What good does it do if we make the Elders angry?’

The beam of light could be seen in the dark, and they shrank away. A moment later they looked in amazement as Exorse stepped into the cave, a prisoner in the light of his own gun, followed by Steven who kept the muzzle trained on him, and then by Dodo and Chal.

‘Tie him up,’ Steven ordered as he switched off the gun, and Exorse collapsed to the ground.

As the others hurried to obey, Tor gazed at Steven in wonder. ‘You can destroy the people of the city?’ he asked.