Doctor Who_ The Green Death - Malcolm Hulke [21]
‘Look,’ she said excitedly, ‘the old shaft must be just up there. There’s some light.’
Bert was staring at the glimmer in the distance. It seemed to be pulsating—and it was faintly green.
‘The shaft wouldn’t let in any light at all,’ he said. ‘It’s too long. In any case, we must still be a distance from it.’
‘Then where’s that light coming from?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Bert. ‘Let’s go and see.’ He got to his feet and went on down the mine.
Jo scrambled up, feeling better after only a short rest, and hurried after Bert. As they approached it the greenish light got brighter. Jo detected a nauseating smell like rotten cabbages. She caught up with Bert as he was about to turn a corner. But there he stopped, staring.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,’ he said, not moving now.
A rivulet of brightly glowing green slime was pouring along the mine floor. It came from some way further up the tunnel and was disappearing down a crack in the foot of the wall, near to where Bert and Jo stood looking on in astonishment.
‘Where could it be coming from?’ Jo realised the question was stupid, that Bert couldn’t possibly know.
‘And what is it?’ Bert said. ‘I mean, why should it glow like that?’ He went forward, put out a tentative finger and touched the slime. Instantly he recoiled, staring at his finger. ‘It burns! Like acid!’
Jo was also staring at Bert’s finger. The green slime had sunk into the flesh, and now the flesh itself was glowing green.
Dave Griffiths and two other miners, both experienced in rescue work, stood round the Doctor as he inspected the body of Dai Evans. The face and hands of the dead man were glowing bright green.
‘That’s a horrible way to look when you’re dead,’ said one of the miners.
‘Dead is dead,’ said the other.
‘The question is,’ said Dave, ‘why is he dead? Have you any idea what causes this, Doctor?’
The Doctor straightened up and shook his head. ‘Whatever it is, it must be down there.’
‘Hey, look!’ One of the miners had noticed a piece of paper under a stone near to the body. He picked it up and read it, then passed it to Dave. ‘A message from Bert and the girl. They’re trying to find that old shaft.’
The Doctor glanced at the note over Dave’s shoulder.
‘That was a stupid thing to do,’ he said. ‘They should have stayed here.’
‘I agree,’ said Dave, ‘but they didn’t so we’d better go and find them.’ He turned to his colleagues. ‘You two take Dai’s body up to the surface, then send the cage back down for us.’
‘Don’t touch his flesh,’ the Doctor cautioned. ‘This thing may be contagious.’
Jo and Bert were now well beyond the green glowing rivulet of slime, nearer to what they hoped was the way to the old shaft. They had passed the immediate source of the rotten-smelling liquid—a crack in the roof where it was pouring in from somewhere above. Now it was Bert who seemed suddenly exhausted. He sank to the floor.
‘I’m sorry, miss, but I can’t go on. Must be getting old.’
‘We may be nearly there,’ she said, encouragingly.
‘It’s no good, miss. Can’t go on. Too weak. Feel bad.’
He was sweating badly, and put his hand to his face.
The whole hand was now a brilliant glowing green. He looked at his hand. ‘That means I’ve had it. Like poor Dai.’
‘Come on,’ Jo urged, ‘I’ll help you.’
‘You must go ahead on your own,’ he said, his body sagging. ‘Then you’ll escape, and you might get help for me. But you’ve got to leave me here. Otherwise I’ll be a drag on you.’
Jo knew what he said was logical, but she hated the thought of leaving him alone. ‘I’ll get out of here as quickly as I can,’ she promised, ‘and come back with rescuers.’
‘There’s a good girl,’ Bert said. ‘Tell the others never to touch that stuff. You must warn the others... ‘ His head fell forward.
Jo didn’t know if he was already dead, but she realised there was nothing she could do to help him. She hurried on ahead as fast as possible.
Bert was not dead, but he couldn’t move his limbs or even his head, and he could hardly