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Shake your chains to earth like dew

Which in sleep had fallen on you

Ye are many - they are few.

'Are you still there, sir?' asked a worried Yates.

'Yes, Captain. The Russians would not have gone to all the trouble of trying to kidnap the Doctor when they could have blown him up as easily as that. And I don't believe that Captain Shuskin would further jeopardise the future of UNIT

by trying to pull a stunt such as this.'

Yates seemed to be struggling to follow Lethbridge-Stewart's logic. 'Do the Communists need an excuse to interfere with our operations?' he asked strongly.

'Of course they do,' replied the Brigadier angrily. 'Use your brain, man - this isn't comic-book international intrigue we're talking about. The future of the planet may be at stake.'

'So who do you think planted the bomb, then?' asked a chastened Yates.

The Brigadier paused. 'Give me the serial number, Captain' 'It's 261063240268, sir.'

The Brigadier noted the number on hotel headed note paper. 'Thank you, Yates.' And with that, he put down the phone, took his UNIT clearance documents from his luggage, and headed for the door.

The pilot landed the helicopter as close to the construction site as possible. Smoke was pouring from the turbines; perhaps that was sufficient to fool their attackers into thinking that the Mi-6 would explode on impact. Certainly the small creatures seemed to turn their attention elsewhere, and so they missed the craft's abrupt landing, splitting asunder the huge coniferous trees to create its own clearing.

Just before the wheels hit the frozen soil the engine casing exploded outward, sending more thick black smoke into the air.

Liz emerged from the downed helicopter gingerly. The soldiers fanned out to the periphery of the clearing, guns trained upward into the night sky. Engineers, coughing against the smoke, were already swarming over the mountings beneath the rotor blades.

Liz looked up. The night sky was streaked with black and grey, like some grotesque modern painting. There were certainly no helicopters or planes there now. Even the goblin-like creatures seemed to be heading away in a dark swarm.

She shivered at the sound of their rustling wings, fading all the while.

The Doctor joined her. 'I don't think I recognise the alien species,' he noted, 'But their intent so far has been unequivocal.'

'That was a clever trick you pulled with the modulated power supply.'

'It's always very difficult to ascertain precisely how different types of energy will interact,' the Doctor observed.

He pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. The casing was dark and scorched. 'Much longer and I think this would have gone pop!' The Doctor and Liz turned as two BTR-40PB

scout cars trundled down the ramp at the back of the helicopter, the gun turrets swinging from side to side. Shuskin came over to them, delighted, it seemed, to have got this far.

So, Doctor, you still believe that subtlety might work where an entire armoured column did not?'

'It's better than the other option you presented me with.'

'The mechanics report that the helicopter needs much repair.'

'Leave the scout cars here,' said the Doctor. 'Their guns might come in useful in case the helicopter is attacked again.

But for us, going in on foot means just that.'

'We'll leave behind a handful of troops,' said Shuskin. 'It would be stupid if we got back here safely, and there was no means of escape open to us.' She turned and bellowed orders to the men.

The Doctor turned to Liz, whispering urgently. 'You don't have to come, Liz, you do know that?'

Liz smiled, although she didn't feel particularly brave all of a sudden. Two heads are better than one, remember?

Besides, I'm not sure I'd be any safer here with the chopper than out in the forest with you and Shuskin.'

Two minutes later, the group began pushing their way through the dense forest towards the alien stronghold.

They found the remains of the Soviet armoured column soon enough. The Doctor had warned against following the alien

'roads' towards the mining complex,