Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [29]
‘Does he always have to do everything by the rule-book?
Why doesn’t he just wish us luck and let us get on with it!’
The Doctor shrugged. Clent was too complex a person to explain easily to someone as young and direct as Jamie.
‘Forget about Clent, lad, and concentrate on being careful...’ Then he added thoughtfully, ‘Keep an eye on Arden, too. I don’t think he quite realises how dangerous that creature is.’
Jamie knew that well enough, and wasn’t afraid to admit is ‘After what happened in the laboratory, he must be blind then!’
‘He is a scientist, after all,’ murmured the Doctor, his eyes glinting mischievously. ‘You know what they’re like.’
Jamie caught his glance, and chuckled, remembering what he’d had to put up with from the Doctor in the past.
‘Aye! I know that all right!’
The briefing over. Arden was eager to leave. His enthusiasm bubbled over as Clent followed him through the airlock door.
‘I hope we’ll at least get a chance of taking a film of the warrior!’ he blurted out boyishly. ‘Mind you—we’ll have to tread carefully. We don’t know how many more of them will turn up.’
‘I don’t want you exposing yourself to unnecessary risks.
Arden—remember that!’ replied Clent crisply.
Arden paused and faced Clent, his face sober. ‘Listen, Clent, we both know that I’m responsible for what’s happened—as well as Davis’s death. I’m not likely to be that stupid again, believe me!’
Clent didn’t reply immediately. They both knew that if a dangerous power source was discovered in the glacier, Arden’s archaeological adventure would in fact have saved Clent and the Base from complete annihilation. If the warrior had been left in the ice, no one would have been wise to the possible danger.
‘Just get that information back to Base,’ insisted Clent.
‘And no desperate attempts to rescue the girl. She’s the least of our worries:
‘Well I’m no leaving Victoria to that creature up there if there’s half a chance of saving her!’ snapped Jamie, who had heard the last remark.
‘You will take your orders from Scientist Arden!’ replied Clent, and disappeared through the door before Arden and Jamie had stepped into the airlock—and from there into the Arctic world outside. Once the temperature-sealed door had closed, even the Doctor couldn’t hear the whine of the airsled as it skimmed across the snow towards the glacier. He turned and followed Clent back to the main building.
Clent was waiting for him in the corridor.
‘Come along, Doctor,’ he said genially. ‘Time for you to show us what you can do.’
The Doctor forced a smile. He would much rather be with Jamie on the way to the ice face—but for now at least, his immediate purpose lay in unravelling the mystery of the Ioniser malfunction. It had to be prevented from happening again. ‘By the way,’ he asked, ‘what was Penley working on when he left?’
The Doctor noted the effect of his question with interest.
Clent glowered and looked the Doctor in the face. ‘That information is top secret.’ Turning on his heel, he brusquely led the way inside.
Storr thumped the table top angrily. ‘A creature carved out of the ice! It’s you that’s been in a coma!’
‘I’m telling you—it was teal, and terrifying. And I’m not one for fairy stories—any more than you are. If I’d only seen it at the glacier, I’d agree with you. But it was inside the Base as well.’
Storr stared at him. ‘Leave me out of your fun and games, then!’ he growled. ‘I’ve got enough to cope with.’
‘You’re certainly back to your old cheerful self,’ said Penley—and then stopped. ‘What’s the matter?’ Storr moved swiftly towards Penley, and whispered into his ear. ‘Someone’s outside. Not an animal—human. Trying to get in!’
‘They must’ve tracked me back here from the Base.
Quick—hide yourself. We don’t want you carted off to Africa vet.’
In a second, Storr