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16 The Ambush

Captain Dent opened the locker in his control room that contained the officers' supply of astrobeer and synthetic champagne. He was happy to be back in the IMC ship, where he felt secure from the wide open spaces of this miserable planet. 'Tell the crew it's stand-easy,' he said to Morgan, 'and they can all have an issue of champagne, too.' He opened a can of champagne and offered it to Caldwell .

'Some other time,' said Caldwell .

'Take it,' said Dent. To him the can of champagne was a peace offering, to show Caldwell he was willing to forget their past disagreements. 'We're friends, aren't we?'

his, as Dent knew it would, appealed to Caldwell 's basic good nature. He took the can, but he didn't drink straight away. 'Thanks.'

Dent got out cans for himself and Morgan. 'Maybe we did have to play it rough,' he said to Caldwell . 'But the trouble's over now. Those colonists will find another planet, perhaps better than this one.'

The radio loudspeaker crackled. ' This is the Adjudicator, ' said a almost inaudible voice. ' I have received an emergency call and must leave this planet immediately. I wish to meet Captain Dent and his officers in the colonists' dome straight away. The settlement must be ratified in the presence of all parties. ' The transmission ended.

Dent looked at Morgan and Caldwell. 'Hold the champagne till later,' he said. 'Let's go.' He pulled on his gun-belt and led the way.

A hundred yards away, in the colonists' dome, Smedley asked Winton, 'Do you think you fooled them?' Winton put down the radio-microphone. 'We'll soon know.' He looked at the armed colonists surrounding him. 'Get in your positions. And shoot to kill!'

Down a corridor within the dome, the Doctor and Jo were listening, ears pressed to the thin partition wall, to a conversation between Ashe and the Master.

'Believe me, my dear Ashe,' said the Master, 'I sympathise with your position. But I have no choice. However, you have a right to appeal.'

'On what grounds?' said Ashe.

For a moment the Doctor and Jo heard nothing. Then it was the Master's voice again, after a long and effective pause. 'If this planet had some historical interest, for instance.'

Ashe said, 'There was once a great civilisation here, so I believe.'

'Indeed?' said the Master. 'Any traces left?'

'There's a ruined underground city not far from here,' said Ashe.

There was a sudden urgency in the Master's voice. 'Could you lead me to it?'

'It's dangerous,' said Ashe. 'The Primitives don't like people going there.'

'Do you know why?' asked the Master.

'I think there's something of great importance to them there,' said Ashe.

'I imagine there is,' said thr, Master. 'Indeed, the sooner I get there the better.'

Elsewhere in the dome, concealed behind a packing-case, Norton pulled his tiny two-way radio from his pocket and desperately tried to contact the IMC ship to warn them. But the message was never sent. Smedley, who was deploying men for the ambush, came upon Norton with the two-way radio in his hand. 'Norton,' said Smedley, not yet having seen the radio, 'I want you and two other fellows to hide...' Then he saw the radio. 'That's an IMC transmitter,' he shouted. Norton knew this could never be explained away. He tried to dive between Smedley's legs to escape. Smedley's great hands came down on Norton's neck and broke it. Norton's body fell limp to the ground. Smedley stamped on the little two-way radio until all its parts were spewed out on the floor; then he went on with his work of organising the ambush.

Five minutes later the IMC officers, followed by their guards, strode into the dome. No one was to be seen. 'Adjudicator!' called Captain Dent, 'you wanted us back here to ratify the settlement.' By now all the IMC guards had crowded in behind Dent and Morgan, forming a neat target for the guns of the hidden colonists. At a shout from Winton, armed colonists appeared from behind the agricultural machinery, the packing-cases, the door leading to the radio room, from over the railings of