Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [25]
‘He isn’t dead.’ he remarked casually. ‘I was going to give him a whiff of this.’
The Doctor sniffed at the open phial warily—then pulled a sickened face. ‘Revolting!’ Almost gleefully, he thrust it beneath Clent’s unresisting nose. ‘This should do the trick very nicely,’ he chuckled, then looked from the cut on Clent’s forehead to Penley. ‘Did you do this?’
Penley shook his head. ‘I’ve come close to it at times. In fact, I’ve never seen him looking so peaceful.’
‘He’ll be all right. Did you see anything of what happened?’
‘A great monstrous-looking creature—reptilian biped.
But not prehistoric—possibly a robot.’
The Doctor studied Penley keenly; his summary displayed scientific deduction of the highest quality. But there was a more urgent question in the Doctor’s mind. ‘Was there a girl with this creature—captive, or under duress?’
Penley nodded. ‘Yes,’ he frowned. ‘She was unconscious.’ He saw the glare of accusation in the Doctor’s eyes, and hurriedly explained. ‘I couldn’t have stopped that giant. No one man could.’ He glanced down at Clent.
‘Anyway. I came here to get drugs—to save a man’s life. I don’t intend getting caught.’
His eyes held the Doctor’s gaze challengingly. Mild though the ragged intruder appeared, the Doctor knew that he would let little stand in the way of his original purpose. It explained something of Clent’s bitter attitude, too.
‘Look. Penley.’ the Doctor said hesitatingly.
Penley looked suddenly wary. ‘You know about me, do you? My dreadful escapades in computer-land...’
‘Whatever happened in the past,’ declared the Doctor earnestly, ‘they need you here now. They’re in desperate trouble!’
‘Needing isn’t getting. I’m free of their problems for good. And I’ve a friend who’ll die unless I get, back quickly.’
‘The problems here are yours as well! It’s your world that’s threatened, isn’t it?’
Penley smiled gently, and tapped the side of his head with one finger. ‘My world’s up here, my friend—strictly private and no admittance. Clent can keep all this!’ He looked keenly at the Doctor, almost daring him to interfere, then spoke quietly. ‘I’m leaving. All right?’
‘I’m sure you’ve got good reasons, old chap,’ the Doctor replied soberly. ‘Good luck.’
Penley reached the door, then turned and smiled. ‘Nice to meet someone who hasn’t been got at’ he said cheerfully, and was gone.
A quiet groan came from the floor by the Doctor’s feet.
He looked down at Clent’s body with an air of pained surprise
‘Good heavens, Clent, I’d forgotten all about you!’ He crouched, and thrust the evil-smelling phial under the Leader’s nose once more. Coughing and spluttering, Clent struggled to sit upright, and avoid the pungent fumes. The movement brought an awareness of throbbing pain in his head. He looked at the Doctor with a dazed expression, before the full memory of what had happened flooded back.
‘The Ice Warrior!’ he exclaimed—then, wincing, spoke more quietly, though still with urgency. ‘Where is he?’
‘Gone. And he’s taken Victoria with him.’
‘But why?’ asked Clent. ‘Why here? They’d already escaped once!’ His hand went tentatively to his skull, and gently fingered the scalp wound. ‘He his me with a power pack.’
The Doctor looked thoughtful. Almost absentmindedly, he helped Clent to his feet. But his brain was working furiously.
‘A power pack...’ he mused aloud. ‘Like the one that Arden used to unfreeze him?’
Clent nodded—then wished he hadn’t, as the dizzying pain made his head swim again. He steadied himself, then pointed towards the wreckage of the overturned cupboard.
‘Those. But why?’ He groaned. ‘What’s that creature up to—and what made it come back here to Base?’
‘My dear chap,’ observed the Doctor drily, ‘I think you’ll find it never actually left in the first place.’ He looked thoughtfully about the room. ‘He must’ve