Doctor Who_ Attack of the Cybermen - Eric Saward [21]
‘Was the man we discovered killed by the alien?’
The Doctor didn’t know, and said so.
‘But if the alien did do it,’ Peri speculated, ‘how do you think he’ll respond to us?’
‘With enormous gratitude I should think. After all, we do have the means of getting him off the planet.’
Peri wasn’t so certain. ‘And if he doesn’t believe you?’
‘Then I shall beat him into submission with my charm.’
Although the Doctor’s response had been flippant, Peri’s concern had rekindled the Time Lord’s urgency to find the Alien before it did anything else. Fading batteries or not, they would have to go on.
Slithering over wet bricks, they continued their journey.
Ahead they could see a four-way junction, its transverse tunnels directed at the cardinal points of the compass. The Doctor swept the beam of his torch across the floor, searching desperately for a trail, but the dark, shiny surface was unmarked. He checked the walls, but they proved equally pristine.
Reaching the junction they stopped. The Doctor shone his torch into the west tunnel, but it was empty. Then directed his beam northwards and it was swallowed whole by the gloom. As he turned to the east tunnel he heard a faint noise, like that of a boot scuffing against brick. Peri had also heard it and taken out her gun.
‘What now?’ she whispered.
Placing a finger to his lips, the Doctor switched off his torch and, keeping close to the wall, entered the tunnel where he edged his way cautiously.
Suddenly there was a tug on his sleeve; it was an angry Peri. ‘You’ve no idea what’s in here!’ she said, furiously. ‘It might prove useful to have a plan in case whatever it is turns out to be hostile.’
He knew she was right and it annoyed him that he needed to be reminded of the obvious. ‘All right,’ he muttered, ‘back to the main tunnel.’
As they started to retrace their steps, an arm lurched out of the gloom, wrapped itself around the Time Lord’s neck and dragged him out of sight into an alcove. Peri cocked her revolver and shouted: ‘I’m armed! Give yourself up!’
A moment later the Doctor was pushed back into view, this time with a human holding a knife to his neck.
‘Put the gun down,’ the man growled, ‘otherwise I’ll open up his throat.’
Reluctantly Peri did as she was told.
Pressing the knife even harder against the Doctor’s neck, the man frisked him and found the Beretta. ‘Over there,’ he ordered, pushing the Time Lord towards the wall. ‘Both of you!’ As the duo obeyed the man picked up Peri’s gun and thrust it into his pocket. ‘Now hands on the wall and spread your legs!’ Again they complied.
Removing the Beretta’s safety catch, he placed its muzzle at the back of Peri’s neck and quickly searched her.
‘Who are you?’ she inquired nervously when he had finished.
‘Police – Detective Sergeant Russell.’
Peri didn’t believe him. ‘Do you have a badge or something?’
‘Undercover policemen don’t carry identification.’
The Doctor lowered his hand and half turned to face Russell. ‘Then it seems we’ll have to take each other on trust.’
‘Hands back on the wall!’ He did as commanded. ‘Now,’
said Russell, ‘enough of who I am: what are your names?’
The Time Lord cleared his throat, knowing there would be trouble about not being able to provide one. ‘Shall if suffice to say that this is Peri and I am known as the Doctor?’
‘Doctor who?’
‘Actually, it’s more a matter of what,’ he said cautiously.
‘I’m a doctor of medicine, science, philosophy –’
‘Are you trying to make a fool of me?’ the policeman shouted. ‘I WANT YOUR NAME!’
The situation was getting silly. And when guns were involved, Peri knew they would soon become dangerous.
‘It’s unpronounceable,