Doctor Who_ Space War - Malcolm Hulke [49]
The group continued forward until there were rocks and bushes on both sides. ‘I’he ground was firmer now and they were able to make better progress.
‘It occurs to me,’ said the Prince, ‘that if these lizards are savage they must eat flesh. Therefore they developed as flesh eaters, which means there must have been flesh for them to eat. Is it possible, therefore, that the Ogrons have been here a very long time—’
An Ogron suddenly appeared from behind a rock, aiming a heavy blaster gun at the group. ‘Stop! Surrender!’
General Williams shouted. ‘Take cover! ‘
Everyone in the party dived behind bushes and rocks as a group of twenty or more Ogrons emerged firing their blaster guns. The Doctor, who had refused the offer of a weapon, found himself behind a stumpy bush with the Draconian Prince. Despite the hail of fire from the Ogrons, the Prince carefully took aim each time before squeezing the trigger of his gun to send a wave of fatal energy into the Ogrons he selected to kill.
The brief battle was terminated by the roar of one of the planet’s giant Ogron-eating lizards. Its great head and shoulders suddenly appeared in the Doctor’s view as it reared up from behind rocks. The shape of the head, reminiscent of Earth’s one-time tyrannosaurus rex , with savage shark teeth angled backwards into the mouth, was the same grey colour of the sand and rocks. Different from Earth’s most vicious reptile, this lizard’s upper limbs were long and mobile, ending in enormous seven-fingered claws.
All the Ogrons turned at the sound of the lizard’s roaring approach. Unruffled by the creature’s appearance, and working strictly to the rules of military opportunism, the Draconian Prince promptly shot dead two Ogrons in the back. The creature roared again, as though it knew the mesmerising effect this had on its victims, leaned forward, picked up a stupefied Ogron and popped him in its mouth. At the sight of their comrade being eaten, the Ogrons dropped their blaster guns and ran for their lives. The lizard, its huge mouth dripping with blood, disappeared from the Doctor’s view. The Earth party remained in cover for some moments. From the distance they could hear the screams and cries of the retreating Ogrons and the roars of the lizard in pursuit.
General Williams emerged from his hiding place. He was badly shaken by what he had just seen, but quickly recovered himself. He looked at two dead Earth soldiers. ‘Which way, Doctor?’
‘Straight ahead, General.’ The Doctor looked at the two dead soldiers. ‘I’m very sorry.’
‘We shall take them back with us,’ said the General. ‘That is our custom.’
The party went forward.
The Master spoke deferentially into the microphone of his communications equipment. ‘Yes. I admit there have been setbacks. But I have now lured the Doctor to my trap. With your help we shall have no further difficulties. I await your arrival with the greatest pleasure and will meet your ship at the landing place.’
He switched off the transmitter. An Ogron entered.
‘Well, where’s the Doctor?’ asked the Master.
‘The big lizard came.’
‘And I suppose you ran like rabbits?’ The Master turned to leave the cave-room. ‘You will answer for this to your masters.’
The Ogron looked startled. ‘ They are coming?’
‘Yes,’ the Master hissed in the Ogron’s face. ‘They’re on their way. Fortunately I can now dispense with your assistance.’ The Master hurried away to meet the new arrivals.
‘ They are coming,’ the Ogron said to himself. ‘ They arc coming!’ The significance of this finally penetrated his tiny mind. He hurried away into a gloomy corridor, very worried.
‘That sound,’ said the Draconian Prince. ‘Another ship is surely landing.’
The party paused to listen. By the approaching roar of rocket motors it was clearly a spaceship landing fairly close to them.
General Williams suggested, ‘Perhaps someone else picked up your young friend’s May Day message.’
‘Perhaps,’ said the Doctor thoughtfully. ‘I wonder...’
‘What is it?’ asked the General.
The Doctor shrugged. ‘I just