Doctor Who_ The Devil Goblins From Neptune - Keith Topping [105]
'I'm sorry,' stammered the Brigadier, realising how feeble this must sound, as if one man could apologise for humanity's evil. 'But, rest assured, if we get out of here, I'll do my best to ensure that the research programmes are halted. No one country or vested interest is greater than the UN.'
'We shall be leaving in a moment,' said the Nedenah, turning briefly to watch the others powering up the spacecraft.
'Thank you,' said the Brigadier.
'You do not understand,' said the creature. 'You now face a danger much more grave than your own selfishness.'
Viscount Rose came back to reality with the sickening lurch of a man in a free-falling lift. It took him a moment to realise that the bells he heard weren't just in his mind. A klaxon was sounding nearby. Rose could hear shouting, too.
Then someone kicked him in the ribs, and he groaned and tried to turn over and go back to sleep. 'Go away,' he muttered with the simple arrogance of a man used to getting his own way
'Who the hell are you?' asked an American voice.
Rose didn't reply, and found himself being dragged to his feet by two burly men in dark suits.
'I asked you a question!' said the American man, standing impatiently to his left.
'So you did, old man,' replied Rose. Suddenly he became aware of the enormity of the situation. This was, indeed, a fine old kettle of fish he'd found himself in. 'I ... I don't suppose you have an aspirin by any chance, do you? My head is splitting.'
'You're English?' asked the man. 'You with UNIT, boy?'
'Err... No. I'm Viscount Rose. I'm thirty-seventh in line to the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.' He gave a charming smile.
What happened next surprised the guards almost as much as it surprised Rose.
'Would you like a cigarette?' asked the leading American.
'Oh, I say, that's frightfully decent of you.' said Rose.
Control had Rose thrown into an interrogation cell, and left him there to sweat. After that, Rose proved to be very cooperative, describing Professor Trainor as the maddest of Britain's mad scientists, a man without a shred of moral decency and courage. 'Roger Cook's going to do a special on him.’ added Rose helpfully. 'They call him "the most evil man in the world". Seems he's in bed with UNIT. That Brigadier chappy, he's in on it. And the government.'
'Roger who?' asked Control, feeling he'd lost the plot somewhere.
'Trainor duped me into coming here.' continued Rose breathlessly, not hearing Control's question. 'I had no idea what this place was, or what - who - it contained. It wasn't until we got into this room that I realised he had plans to kill those aliens.' Rose sobbed momentarily. 'I managed to stop him from killing the others.' Rose pointed to the cells, one of which was being scrubbed clean by white-coated technicians.
'But he knocked me out and ran off.'
'Oh well, no harm done then.' said Control, smiling. He pulled a Colt .45 from his pocket and shot Viscount Rose, thirty-seventh in line to the throne, in the head. 'No harm at all.'
CHAPTER 20
The Doctor continued to work on the jamming device. Every time he glanced up at the sky, there seemed to be fewer and fewer aircraft flying. The Waro were winning.
'It's looking pretty hopeless,' said Yates, as if he'd been reading his thoughts.
'Never say die, Mike,' said the Doctor. 'I'm almost there.'
Suddenly there was a hissing, droning noise from above them. Another, much larger vessel had joined the battle. It was less manoeuvrable than the USAF craft, but appeared to be resistant to the Waro's weapons. Arcs of blue light crackled around the egg-shaped object, and thicker beams of brightness stabbed into the smothering blanket of Waro.
'What's going on?' asked the Doctor.
'It is difficult to tell.' said Shuskin. 'But this plane seems much stronger.'
'So the CIA did