Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [47]
‘Great heavens!’ exclaimed the Doctor, beckoning the Ice Warrior across. ‘Do you realise what this means, Zondal?
The ship is breaking up under the ice!’
Caught between staying at his firing post, and investigating a possible disaster, Zondal hesitated—and was lost.
‘What is it?’ he asked suspiciously. ‘Do not try to trick me!’ Then, as he peered to see what the Doctor was indicating, Victoria threw the contents of the phial straight into his face. For a second, the liquid had no effect at all.
Victoria glanced at the Doctor in horrified dismay. Then, just as Zondal seemed to be recovering from the puny attack, his sonic pistol poised for action, the toxic fumes began to grip the creature’s throat. He lurched and fell, choking, to his knees. The Doctor poured the contents of his own phial on to Zondal’s bowed and wretching head, and then, like Victoria, skipped nimbly out of range. But even as they watched, the Martian’s body convulsed into a helpless wreck. Varga’s harsh voice rang out again.
‘Zondal! Fire—now!’
The stern command had the momentary effect of pulling the desperately weakened warrior back from the edge of oblivion. Zondal lunged weakly towards the control panel, reaching for the firing button. The Doctor dashed forward—
but he was too late. Zondal’s fist struck home, and the cannon fired!
9
Counter-Attack
The blast struck the control room without warning.
Clent and Miss Garrett were hurled to the floor. Clent’s first thought was that there had been a localised earthquake—but a quick glance at the seismic chart gave no indication of a natural disaster. He and Jan had barely risen to their feet, half-stunned, when Walters burst into the control room, dusty and battered.
‘Sir—’ he gasped. He paused to steady himself.
‘For heaven’s sake, Walters,’ demanded Clent, ‘what’s happening?’
‘The documentation wing, sir’—explained the security sergeant breathlessly—’its gone—blown apart!’
They stared at him in disbelief. Then a glimmer of understanding crept into Clent’s brain. ‘We’re under attack!’
he whispered wildly. ‘But who on earth...’
Suddenly, the videoscreen flicked into life. Partially distorted by interference. but hideously recognisable, was the grim face of the Ice Warrior.
‘Leader Dent,’ came the terrifying hiss. ‘you are at my mercy. Obey me, or you will be destroyed!’
Clent snapped back, hysterically defiant. ‘I refuse! You cannot destroy us!’
‘You do not believe me? Must I fire again?’
Clent turned towards the others. but hardly seemed to see them. His eyes looked glazed: he rubbed his hands together in nervous desperation. Jan suddenly felt an enormous surge of pity—he was on the verge of losing his nerve completely.
‘What can we do?’ he croaked, looking about him aimlessly. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. ‘We must play for time!’ Walters was more realistic.
‘The building won’t take any more like that, sir! There’s men killed already.’
‘Then we’ll talk to them,’ snapped Clent, and, acting with a little of his old authority, he addressed the image on the videoscrcen. ‘Exactly who am I speaking to?’ Jan mused forward and stood by his shoulder.
‘My name is Varga, warlord of Mars. I order you to surrender—or you will die!’
‘You will gain nothing by destroying us,’ replied Clent.
‘We both have urgent needs. But I will agree to talk—nothing more.’ At first, the Martian didn’t reply. The tension became almost unbearable.
‘If I come in peace,’ the voice replied at last, there must be trust between us. No treachery!’
‘There will be no traps—or conditions,’ declared Clent.
‘See that you keep to that,’ rasped Varga, and his image faded from the screen.
It took several minutes for the scientists to regain their normal composure.
‘What does he want...’ whispered Jan.
‘My men don’t stand a chance against weapons like that, sir,’ insisted the security sergeant. ‘It’d be murder!’
‘That wasn’t in my mind, Walters,’ retorted Clent. ‘You heard what he said—no treachery!’
‘But can we trust him?’ asked Jan
‘We have to, don’t we?’ replied