Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [37]
Turoc had not seen her swift escape from the cave—but his finding device registered an alien presence moving through the maze of ice grottoes beyond the spaceship. He followed with great crushing strides, smashing his way into the main tunnel, the finding device guiding him relentlessly on. Ahead of him, running and clambering desperately over the debris of fallen ice, Victoria looked for an escape route that would take her out of the mountain of ice and into the open snow. But whichever way she turned, the Ice Warrior was behind her, driving her further and further into the heart of the glacier. She stumbled; her heart sank. There was no escape—she was trapped!
Clent turned bitterly away from the blank screen, and ground his fist into the palm of his hand. ‘It’s hopeless! We know nothing! We’re helpless!’ He turned on the Doctor, who was dialling a chemical formula on the automatic dispenser.
‘What on earth are you doing? There’s no time for playthings!’
‘The position isn’t good, I agree,’ mused the Doctor.
‘Jamie has vanished. Victoria is on the run. And we still don’t know anything useful about that spacecraft’s propulsion unit, do we?’ The machine delivered two small phials into his waiting hand. He smiled. ‘Perhaps this will help.’
‘Ammonium sulphide?’ asked Clent in astonishment.
‘You’re crazy!’
‘Am I really? Think a moment, will you? We know these aliens are from Mars. What do we know of their planet’s atmospheric conditions? Mmm?’
It was Jan who answered, just as puzzled as Clent. ‘It’s chiefly nitrogen, with virtually no oxygen or hydrogen.’
‘So they wouldn’t enjoy sniffing this little mixture, would they?’
Clent looked intrigued, though not convinced. ‘You don’t mean you’re going to use this stuff as a form of toxic gas!’ He paused. ‘And anyway, how do you propose to get it to them?’
‘I’ll take it myself. Oh, I’m aware we’ve lost Arden already—but I know what to expect, remember. He didn’t.’
He smiled at the two innocent-looking phials, one in each hand. ‘That’s why I’m going prepared.’
Clent glared at him furiously. ‘I refuse to let you go! I dare not lose any more personnel!’
‘My dear chap, I’m not even on your pay roll. The Ioniser will work very well without me—and after all, someone has to identify that alien propulsion unit, don’t they?’ He paused and grinned. ‘Who better than me?’
‘Very well, Doctor—on your own head be it. I agree—
but strictly under protest!’
‘Thank you. I hoped you’d see it my way. Now—a small matter of communication!’
Jan produced a wrist-video, demonstrating it as she strapped it on to the Doctor’s wrist. ‘This is identical to the one that Victoria was using,’ she explained.
Clone looked amazed. ‘Is that all you’re taking?’ he gasped, indicating the wrist-video and the two phials.
‘There’s nothing else I need, is there?’ replied the Doctor innocently. ‘What do you suggest?’
‘Weapons, man!’ Clent exclaimed, ‘Those warriors are armed!’
‘But I’m not going there to fight a duel. That isn’t what I’ve got in mind at all.’
Clent stared at him blankly. What was this ridiculous man up to now? As though the question had been asked aloud, the Doctor promptly supplied the answer.
‘I’m going to let them take me prisoner.’
Somehow Victoria had managed to evade the on-coming Ice Warrior by scrambling through openings so small that the alien couldn’t follow her—but he had simply broken his way through the ice walls, blindly following the quickening sonic pulse. The heart of the glacier seemed like a gigantic maze, twisting and turning upon itself, perforated with crystalline hollows and pockets, chimneys and tunnels. Suddenly forced into what looked like a cul-de-sac, Victoria looked about her desperately. There was only one way out: through a narrow, crevice which was scarcely wide enough to take her body. But the ice was