Doctor Who_ The Doomsday Weapon - Malcolm Hulke [43]
'They'd invented the wheel,' said Jo.
'And here,' said the Doctor, moving along the series of pictures, 'is more complicated machinery - the water-pump, the steam engine, and now machines that can fly in the air.'
'That's progress,' said Jo. 'Do you notice one thing? - three different types of people.'
'Yes, I'd noticed that,' said the Doctor. 'The three seem to start here,' he said, pointing to a picture that seemed to indicate the discovery of electronic science. 'In the beginning all men were equal, but now we have lots of people drawn like match-stick men, and they're probable workers lightly dressed or with no clothes at all; then these figures in robes..
'The creature with the horrible face had a long robe,' Jo cut in.
'They may be some kind of priest,' said the Doctor. 'And now one or two very tiny figures.'
'Like babies,' said Jo.
'Or dolls,' said the Doctor. 'Ashe told me how a Primitive became very excited when Mary Ashe happened to produce a doll.'
'What's happening here?' said Jo, pointing to a picture a long way along the series. It showed buildings in ruins, and the match-stick figures lying on top of one another in a heap.
'Some terrible catastrophe,' said the Doctor. 'Notice how the artist's style is cruder here, more primitive. Look at this one.' It was the last picture in the frieze. Priest-like figures were pushing a doll figure through a door, beyond which were flames.'
'A sacrifice,' said Jo.
The Doctor nodded. 'To some machine which had a furnace.' He heard the bolt in the door outside being drawn back, and turned round. The door opened slowly. A creature with a human body and a hairy otter-like face entered. It was dressed in long robes. Immediately behind it came six Primitives, all with spears. Jo moved over to the Doctor and clung to his arm. 'How do you do?' said the Doctor. 'I'm here to take back this young. lady. In return I shall give you interesting bits of machinery...'
The otter-like face peered round the room, blindly. Then it gestured to the Primitives. Four of the Primitives dropped their spears and came forward to grab the Doctor and Jo.
'I come here in peace,' said the Doctor. 'I mean you no harm!'
Already his arms were pinioned behind his hack by a hugely powerful Primitive. The robed creature gestured again, and Jo and the Doctor were hustled out of the room and down what seemed endless corridors cut in the rock. They arrived at enormous double-doors guarded by more Primitives. These were opened and Jo and the Doctor were pushed into a large room. This was different from any other part of the underground city. Instead of rough-rock walls, the sides were made of smooth, silvery-coloured metal. In the centre was a large round object like a drum made of the same silvery metal. On its top were press-button controls.
It's very kind of you to show us all this,' said the Doctor, as though he had entered the room voluntarily. 'What's that?' Since his arms were still firmly held behind his back, he could only indicate the drum object by nodding his head. Neither the Primitives nor the robed creature took any notice of the Doctor's remarks. They pushed him to the far end of the room where a large hatch was let into the wall. The robed creature looked' at the hatch with its near-sightless eyes, then gestured again. The Primitive who had been on guard outside sprang forward and opened the hatch. Intense heat filled the room. Inside the hatch was a white-hot electronic furnace.
'They're going to sacrifice us!' Jo screamed.
As the Doctor struggled wildly to free himself, four Primitives dragged Jo towards the hatch. Her screams