Doctor Who_ The Green Death - Malcolm Hulke [24]
‘I think I should be best judge of that,’ said the Brigadier, moving to the door.
‘On what is your judgement based?’ asked Professor Jones.
The Brigadier paused. ‘What do you mean?’
‘How can you be the best judge of the situation down there when you haven’t been in the mine?’
‘Good grief, man, you don’t think going down a coal mine is going to frighten me!’
‘I am sure that you’re an exceptionally brave soldier,’ said the professor. ‘But the Doctor sent an order that no one should go down into the mine after him. Now why don’t you do what you’re told and stay up here on the surface? Show a bit of obedience and discipline, man!’
The Brigadier gave thought to that. It certainly made a lot of sense. The Doctor had been in many tight scrapes before, and had managed to save himself usually un-aided. Above all, if the Brigadier went down into the mine he had no idea where to start searching. ‘Perhaps you have a point,’ he agreed. ‘But in all conscience, I can’t stand around and do nothing .’
‘There is something you can do,’ said Professor Jones. ‘Go and ask Panorama Chemicals what they’re really up to.’
‘Yes,’ said the Brigadier, warming to that idea, ‘I suppose I could. In fact I think I shall.’ He opened the door, then stopped. ‘What exactly do we want to find out?’
‘Anything,’ said the professor. ‘In particular what are they doing to this mine, and why do people turn green and die.’
‘Right you are,’ said the Brigadier. ‘A bit of general snooping, eh?’
‘Intelligence work,’ said the professor, choosing a military term that he hoped would enthuse the Brigadier.
‘No sooner said than done.’ The Brigadier walked smartly out of the office.
When he had gone Dave looked up at the young professor and smiled. ‘Must be nice spending your life playing toy soldiers,’ he said, speaking in Welsh to show that he now accepted Professor Jones as one of the villagers.
Mark Elgin sat at his beautiful highly-polished desk in his beautiful air-conditioned office at Panorama Chemicals and tried to write a press release. As the plant’s PRO (public relations officer) he sent out regular releases to newspapers and to the television and radio news services.
Usually Elgin enjoyed writing press releases. But today he found it difficult to concentrate. He felt there was a lot that was kept secret from him at Panorama Chemicals. No one had ever explained exactly what research was being undertaken. Then came the first green death, followed by Dr Stevens’s strange refusal to lend cutting equipment, followed now by another incident in which a miner had turned green. He very much wanted to know what was really going on, and concluded that his best course was to have a direct confrontation with Dr Bell.
He put down his pen, got up and went into the corridor to go to Dr Bell’s workplace. At that moment Dr Bell was coming along the corridor.
‘I say,’ said Elgin, ‘have you heard? There’s another green man been brought up from the mine.’
Bell seemed little interested. ‘Yes, I heard.’
‘Is that all you can say, Arnold? Do you feel no responsibility at all?’
Dr Bell looked surprised. ‘Why should I?’
‘You said there was no cutting equipment here,’ Elgin persisted. ‘Why did you lie? I’m sure you know something about what’s going on in that mine.’
Dr Bell backed away from him. ‘No. I know nothing.’
‘Has something happened to you? You used to be a jolly, cheerful fellow, always ready for a chat—‘
‘I know nothing,’ cut in Dr Bell, ‘nothing at all.’
‘For heaven’s sake, man, tell me the truth. Others might die if you don’t!’
For a moment Dr Bell’s face contorted as though he was trying to suppress something deep in his mind. Then his face resumed its former impassivity. ‘You are mistaken.’ He walked away jerkily, pushed open a door marked ‘AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY’ and went inside.
Elgin followed the man into the room. It was one of the subsidiary laboratories, full of controls and wall dials. Dr Bell picked up a clipboard and started to read some of the dials. He pulled