Doctor Who_ Cave Monsters - Malcolm Hulke [38]
'What are you going to do, sir?' asked Sergeant Hawkins.
The Brigadier bit his lip. 'I told him not to go in there. We shall have to press ahead just the same.'
'But if he tries talking to them,' said the Sergeant, 'and we roll up with guns, that isn't going to help him much, is it?'
'The Doctor is supposed to do what I tell him,' said the Brigadier, 'and so are you. Carry out the plan.'
'Yes, sir.' The Sergeant saluted, then ordered the other soldiers out of the Jeeps. As a precaution it was planned to leave one soldier at the mouth of the cave, and he would remain in telephone communication with the Brigadier and the other UNIT soldiers who entered the cave. The idea was that if none of the soldiers ever returned, at least the one soldier left at the mouth of the cave would know what happened to them. This could be helpful for any future attacks that might be planned. The lucky soldier, the one to be left at the mouth of the cave, was equipped with a field telephone. As the Brigadier and the soldiers advanced into the cave, they carried with them another field telephone and a drum of telephone wire which they paid out carefully as they penetrated the main passageway.
Sergeant Hawkins walked alongside the Brigadier, both flashing powerful torches. 'What do we do, sir, if we see something?'
he asked.
'We fire first,' said the Brigadier, 'and ask questions afterwards.'
The Sergeant walked in silence for a while. Then he said: 'Sir?'
'Yes?'
'Do you really believe in these intelligent lizards?'
'Having been associated with the Doctor for some time now,'
said the Brigadier, 'yes, I'm willing to believe in anything. But the idea of having peace-talks with them—that's another matter.'
The soldiers continued on their walk through the caves, guns at the ready. From time to time the Brigadier raised his hand and every man stood motionless as a statue, holding his breath. During these moments they all listened intently. All they heard was the drip-drip of distant water.
The Doctor crawled slowly on his hands and knees through the air ventilation-tunnel. As he approached the reptile men's shelter there was even more noise now. He emerged from its opening into the shelter, stood upright and tried to rub the grime from his hands.
From the pit with the caged top there came a growling sound as from some very large animal that was kept down there. Another reptile man was being de-hibernated, which must have meant yet another power loss in the research centre. The Doctor had the impression that now there were even more reptile men going about their business. At least a dozen were standing around the bench where Barker's gun was now dismantled; the reptile men who had achieved this seemed to be explaining its parts to the onlookers.
The Doctor stepped from the darkened corner into a better-lit area. He could see Major Barker in his cage watching him in astonishment. Suddenly there was a commotion among the reptile men. One of them had spotted the Doctor, and was pointing him out to the others. The Doctor stepped forward and raised his voice. 'I have come to talk to you,' he said. 'I bring greetings from the other intelligent race that inhabits this planet.'
At first the reptile men were too surprised to do anything. Then three of them rushed at the Doctor, grabbed him violently and dragged him towards the prison cages. One of the trio looked at the cage's electronic lock; its third eye glowed for a second, and the lock sprang open. The cage door was pulled to one side, and the Doctor was pushed into the little caged cubicle. The cage door was pulled back, the lock refastened by a one-second glow from a reptilian third eye. Then the reptiles hurried away. The Doctor was in the next cage to Major Barker.
'A lot of good that did,' said the Major.
'It's a start,' said the Doctor. 'What's the food like here?'
'I have no idea,' said Major Barker. 'I only throw it back at them.'
Two reptile men, one