Doctor Who_ The Green Death - Malcolm Hulke [5]
The silence of a valley of blue rock was suddenly broken by the arrival of the TARDIS. Using hyperdrive, passing through Time and space, the TARDIS had travelled the two million light years in nil-time. Inside the TARDIS the Doctor made his usual checks of external atmosphere, gravity, and the possible presence of harmful radiation. The dials and meters on his console proved that in the previous three hundred thousand years, nothing had changed. Metebelis Three was as safe and inviting as it had always been. Through a monitor screen set over the console, the Doctor was able to look out onto the valley. He saw a bed of huge blue flowers growing quite close to where the TARDIS had landed. A bright blue butterfly had just settled on one of the flowers.
Looking forward to his holiday on the little planet, the Doctor opened the door and stepped out. His particular quest was to find the blue sapphires for which the planet was famous. These, according to the Time Lords’ files, were at the top of a mountain not far from this particular valley. He closed the door of the TARDIS behind him, locked it and pocketed the key. Then he strode over to take a closer look at the flowers and the butterfly.
As the Doctor approached the flowers they turned their heads towards him, as though in greeting. Then their petals opened to the full, and from inside each flower came a venomous hissing sound. The butterfly rose up and flew straight at the Doctor’s face. Droplets of venom struck the Doctor’s hands and face, stinging him. Alarmed, the Doctor stepped back. A ground plant with straggling blue tentacles wrapped itself around his right ankle. As he dragged his foot away, three enormous blue birds swept down at him from the sky, squawking and trying to nip at his face with their blue beaks. The Doctor raised his hands to fight them off. One of the birds bit his finger.
From further down the valley came the pounding of hooves. He turned to see a herd of blue unicorns bearing down upon him.
The Doctor ran for his life, pursued by blue birds, blue unicorns, and spat at with venom by blue flowers.
His holiday was not turning out quite as he had hoped.
3 Land of My Fathers
The Brigadier pulled on the handbrake of his jeep. ‘I trust two weeks will give you enough time to do whatever it is you want, Miss Grant?’ They had stopped outside a rambling old farmhouse on the edge of the village of Llanfairfach. Over the door of the house were painted with loving care the words ‘WELCOME TO WHOLEWEAL.’ With less loving care someone else had chalked on the wall of the house ‘THE NUT HATCH’, and ‘NUTTERS GO BACK TO CARDIFF’.
Jo reached into the back of the jeep for her suitcase. ‘I’ve no idea, sir. It depends how much Professor Jones needs help.’
‘You realise,’ said the Brigadier, ‘that I ought to put you on a charge for dereliction of duty? However, while you were busy saying goodbye to the Doctor, I checked your file. You have two weeks’ leave owing to you.’
‘Thank you very much,’ said Jo, getting out of the jeep. ‘I’ll bear that in mind.’
The Brigadier looked at the big old house. ‘Bit run down, don’t you think? Windows haven’t been cleaned in months.’
‘Then that’s something I can do to help,’ said Jo pertly.
‘The place probably needs re-plumbing and re-wiring,’ the Brigadier went on, amusing himself at Jo’s expense. ‘Still, I suppose you know best.’
‘I can survive without luxury,’ said Jo, although looking at the house she began to wonder what it might be like inside. ‘There haven’t been any grand hotels in my work with the Doctor, you know.’
‘Oh well,’ said the Brigadier. ‘If you get fed up with the Wholeweal Community, you know where to find me. Over at Panorama Chemicals.’
‘On the other side,’ said Jo.
‘Unlike you, Miss Grant, I have an open mind about Panorama Chemicals.