Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [14]
In the pause that followed, only the Doctor saw the desperate plea in Clent’s eyes. It was impossible to ignore his silent appeal for help.
‘I respect that, Leader Clent,’ conceded the Doctor.
‘Now tell us how we can help.’
Before Clent could say what was in his mind, the double doors of the laboratory swung open, and Arden walked in. At first, Clent didn’t see Walters and the other technicians wheeling the trolley behind the defiant scientist. He swung himself from the vibrochair in a blaze of anger.
‘Arden! Is this what you call cooperation?’ Clent strode forward fiercely. ‘How are we expected to carry out this project when idiots like you—’ The Leader stopped abruptly, in full flow. Arden had stepped aside, and for the first time Clent caught sight of the prize he had brought back from the glacier. No one spoke. They were all gazing speechless at the mighty form contained within the great chunk of ice. That one moment alone was triumph enough for Arden.
‘I thought you might be interested. Clent.’ declared the geologist perkily. He turned to his helpers, and pointed to a corner of the room. ‘Wheel him over there.’
The others followed, hardly able to take their eyes from Arden’s discovery. As yet, the ice had barely started to melt.
‘Doctor,’ whispered Victoria, ‘what is it?’
Jamie’s eyes shone with admiration. ‘It’s a great warrior!
Do ye no see his war helmet?’
The Doctor inspected the warrior thoughtfully. ‘Frozen for centuries and perfectly preserved,’ he said, then added,
‘odd, though...’
Arden had succeeded in silencing Clent, but hadn’t yet summoned up the courage to tell him of Davis’s death. He now turned on the Doctor suspiciously. ‘Who are you?’
Clent stepped in with an explanation. ‘An addition to our staff, Arden. I’ll explain at the meeting.’ He turned to the Doctor, intrigued by his snap criticism. ‘What exactly is it that you find odd?’
‘The armour, it’s all wrong. When this man was frozen to death, only primitive cavemen existed...’ Arden lunged forward and confronted the Doctor defiantly.
‘Well I say it’s an undiscovered civilisation! Think of the implications!’
Clent needed time to think, and a full scale discussion of Arden’s find was the last thing he wanted at the moment. The geologist would have to be reprimanded—yet what he had found was obviously of sufficient importance to interest world authorities. But everything depended on the success of the Ioniser mission. First things first, then.
‘Arden, whatever the implications, this find of yours must take second place to our project,’ declared Clent. He watched as the young geologist connected the output leads of a portable power pack to electrode points on the horizontal block of ice ‘You can give me a full appraisal of your theories after the meeting,’ he consulted his watch, ‘which will commence in three minutes fifteen seconds exactly.’
Without seeming to hurry unduly, Arden had completed his power connections and was ready to go.
‘Miss Garrett, perhaps you’d lead the way?’ continued Clent. ‘Come along, Arden. You can play with your toy later.
You’ll be needed at the meeting too, Doctor.’
With that. he and his colleagues passed through the swing doors towards the conference room.
The Doctor may have heard Clent’s last words—if so, he showed no inclination to obey them. Instead, alone with Jamie and Victoria, he stood hunched over the ice-encased giant, studying it intently. Jamie pointed to the wiring and the black power pack that Arden had attached to the ice.
‘What’s all this about, Doctor?’
‘It’s a portable power pack, Jamie,’ the Doctor explained. ‘Arden has set the current so that it will melt the ice very slowly.’
‘But it’s working quite quickly—look!’ cried Victoria.
Jamie and the Doctor looked to where her finger was pointing, and saw that a large flake of ice had fallen away from the side of the warrior’s helmet. He didn’t, however, hear the faint but ominous humming which seemed to come from the power pack. The Doctor didn’t notice. The Doctor bent close to the helmet, examining it through the