Doctor Who_ The Green Death - Malcolm Hulke [43]
Yates pulled from the pocket of his pin-striped suit a snub-nosed revolver. ‘To kill you, Doctor.’ Beads of perspiration stood on Yates’s forehead. ‘My instructions are to kill you, Professor Jones, and the Brigadier.’
‘Your instructions are false,’ said the Doctor, looking into the nozzle of the gun. ‘You must fight it, Mike. They have done something to you.’
‘They have helped me to see reason,’ said Yates. ‘There will be a new world of prosperity—for all who obey. But first, we must have order!’ He cocked back the gun’s striking hammer.
The Brigadier walked in. ‘Doctor, I’ve been looking for you—‘ He saw Yates and the gun and stopped dead. ‘Captain Yates, put that gun down.’
‘I’m sorry, sir. But I have my instructions.’
‘I am the only person who gives you instructions,’ said the Brigadier. ‘Have you gone mad?’
‘He isn’t mad,’ the Doctor said quietly. ‘But he’s seeing things a different way, Brigadier.’ He turned back to Yates. ‘It is necessary for you to see something, Captain Yates.’
‘Necessary?’ repeated Yates.
‘For increased efficiency,’ said the Doctor. ‘For improved-balance-of-payments, let-my-people-go, strength-through-joy, peace-in-our-time,’ he went on, reeling off nonsense to confuse Yates, ‘you must see what I have in my pocket.’ Slowly he drew from his pocket the beautiful sapphire that he had taken from the mountain on Metebelis Three. ‘Watch it carefully, Mike.’
Yates stared into the blue sapphire which seemed to glow with its own inner light.
‘Soon,’ said the Doctor soothingly, ‘your mind will be locked on to the crystalline pattern, the neural paths of your brain will be swept clean, and you will be free!’
Slowly the gun was lowered, then fell from Yates’s hand. Yates continued to stare into the sapphire. Then he collapsed on to the floor.
‘You see,’ said the Doctor, turning now to the Brigadier, ‘my trip to Metebelis Three wasn’t wasted after all. Mike will be all right now.’
The Brigadier was gazing fixedly into the sapphire. The Doctor quickly returned the precious stone to his pocket, and snapped his fingers before the Brigadier’s eyes.
‘Wake up, Brigadier! Wake up.’
The Brigadier came to his senses. ‘Good grief, what happened?’
‘You fell asleep while on duty,’ the Doctor joked. ‘You could be court martialled for that. Now help me with Mike Yates.’
Together they sat him up.
‘Where am I?’ he asked.
The Doctor briefly told Yates that he had been brain-washed but was now all right. ‘However, I want you to go back to Panorama Chemicals. Are you up to that yet?’
‘I’m as right as rain, sir,’ said Yates.
‘Good,’ said the Doctor. ‘There’s something you must find out for me. It’s very, very important...’ He started to explain.
Dr Stevens sat at his desk reading from a check list. ‘New York,’ he said towards the ceiling.
‘Prepared,’ said the voice of Boss.
‘Zürich,’ said Dr Stevens.
‘In preparation,’ replied Boss. ‘Assessment to follow.’
A tap on the door. ‘Permission,’ called Dr Stevens.
Yates entered. ‘Mission accomplished,’ he said in a zombie-like voice. ‘The Doctor is dead.’
Dr Stevens sat back in his chair well pleased. ‘Excellent work. And the girl?’
For a fraction of a second Yates hesitated. ‘She is too worried about Professor Jones to make trouble. It is not necessary to kill her.’
Dr Stevens narrowed his eyes. ‘Really? How interesting.’ He pressed a button on his intercom. ‘Send in Elgin,’ he said to the microphone. He returned his gaze to Yates. ‘What about the Brigadier?’
‘Unavailable, sir.’
Elgin came into the office. ‘You sent for me, sir?’
Dr Stevens got up. ‘Yes. Will you wait here a moment with Mr Yates? There’s something I have to do urgently.’ He smiled, hurried round his desk and left the office, closing the door.
‘Elgin,’ Yates whispered, ‘do you know what’s their next move?’
‘Next move?’ Elgin stared vacantly ahead of him. ‘Peace in our time. Sheep shall safely graze.’
Yates realised what had happened. He pulled from his pocket the blue sapphire given him by the Doctor. ‘Concentrate on the blue light, Elgin. As you look at it you’ll see a