Doctor Who_ The Doomsday Weapon - Malcolm Hulke [53]
Jo was brought into the colonists' dome between Morgan and Caldwell. The place was filled with colonists each carrying some small item of tattered luggage. Dent was shouting at the armed IMC guards, 'These people are taking too much time. Keep them moving!' The guards started to herd the people down one of the corridors, the one that led to the entrance of their old spaceship. Then Dent noticed Jo. 'Where did you find her?' Caldwell explained. Dent showed little interest in why Jo had been a prisoner. 'What about that fake Adjudicator,' he asked; 'that's what I sent you for!'
'I think he wanted the Doctor to take him to the Primitives' underground city,' said Jo.
Dent looked puzzled. 'What's she talking about?'
'She tried to explain to us said Morgan. 'I can't make head nor tail of it. But if they've gone off there, they'll probably be killed by those savages.'
'Maybe,' said Dent. 'I'll send a squad of men after them once we've got rid of these characters,' and he indicated the colonists. 'Now Morgan, I want to get things moving .'
'Yes, sir,' said Morgan. and hurried away. Within a moment he was chivvying the colonists, hitting those who weren't moving fast enough.
'What about the girl?' Caldwell said.
Dent was about to move away. 'Oh, shove her in with the colonists,' he said, then went to help the guards herd the people down the corridor.
'I've got to stay here,' Jo pleaded. 'We've got to find the Master and stop him.'
'The who?' said Caldwell .
'You call him the Adjudicator,' she said, 'but he's really called the Master. He's a sort of super-criminal.'
'Oh, sure,' said Caldwell , scoffing. 'Any more stories like that?'
Jo looked up at Caldwell . 'Why don't you stop being so stupid?'
Caldwell was amused at being spoken to like that. 'You're a very cheeky young woman, you know.'
'It's time someone showed some sense,' Jo went on. 'The Master killed the real Adjudicator and took his place. There must be some reason for that, mustn't there?'
'I suppose so,' said Caldwell . 'Go on.'
'There's something in that Primitive city that's tremendously important,' Jo said. 'Can't you understand that?'
'You heard what Captain Dent said,' Caldwell answered. 'He's going to send a squad of our men later on.'
'Later on may be' too late,' said Jo. 'Have you got anything to do right now, apart from herding those poor people on to that old spaceship?'
'I've got no part in that,' Caldwell said quickly.
'Then how about doing something useful?' she said. 'The two of us could find out what the Master's really after.'
Caldwell took a quick look round. The place was cleared now of colonists, and both Morgan and Dent had gone out of sight driving the colonists down the corridor. 'There's a buggy outside,' he said. 'Let's go.' The two of them hurried out into the night.
Dent, Morgan, and some IMC guards returned from their efforts of packing the colonists irate the old spaceship. Dent said, 'I didn't see that hothead Winton get on the ship.'
'We'll search for him right away,' said Morgan.
But Dent checked him. 'Forget it. There's bound to be a few we missed out. We can pick them off at our leisure. I want all IMC personnel well clear of this area in case that old ship blows up while it's still on the ground.'
'If we aren't here,' said Morgan, 'what's to stop the colonists getting out of the ship and spreading all over the place again?'
Dent thought about that. 'Plant one guard with night binoculars on the nearest hill. Have him keep an eye on the spaceship from a safe distance until it takes off - or disintegrates on the ground!'
As Morgan and Dent moved away, Winton emerged from behind some sacks of seed and hurried out of the dome into the darkness.
The Doctor was once more a prisoner in the underground room with the frieze that told the story of the planet; but this time his companion was the Master.
'I thought you could communicate with these Primitives,' said the Master.
'They didn't hurt