Doctor Who_ The Sea-Devils - Malcolm Hulke [17]
‘Not to worry,’ said the Doctor. ‘There must be a radio on this rig. I’ll send a message back to shore. But it’s a pity about that man’s boat.’
Jo put her fingers to his lips. ‘Shhh!’
The Doctor listened and heard nothing. ‘What is it?’ Jo pointed to the deck-head. ‘There’s somebody moving about up there.’
‘I shouldn’t wonder, after that explosion. Probably everybody on board is craning their necks to see what happened,’ said the Doctor. ‘Let’s go and find them all.’
The Doctor left the cabin, Jo following. Out in the passage the Doctor started to call out ‘Hello? Anyone around?’ There was no answer.
‘It was above somewhere,’ said Jo as they neared a metal staircase leading upwards.
The Doctor bounded up the stairs. ‘Hello? Anyone at home?’
Now they were on another deck. They stopped and listened, but there was no sound of any living thing.
‘I definitely heard someone moving up here,’ Jo said.
‘We can but search,’ said the Doctor, and moved off down one of the many corridors leading from the deck.
Jo thought to follow, then realised it would save time if she did a little searching on her own. She went to the opening of another corridor, and stood stock still. ‘Doctor,’ she called, ‘quick!’
The Doctor came running to her side. ‘What is it?’
Jo pointed down the corridor. ‘I think it’s a man.’
The light was failing fast, and all they could see at the far end of the corridor was a huddled mound on the deck. The Doctor led the way to the end of the passage. It was indeed a man, doubled up and lying very still. His rough denim trousers and heavy roll-neck sweater suggested that he worked on the rig. The Doctor bent down close to the man and touched him. Then he straightened up.
‘Poor chap. He’s dead.’ The Doctor moved round so that he could see the face of the corpse. ‘I don’t see any obvious marks. He might just have had a heart attack.’
Jo knew the Doctor was only saying this to put her at ease. ‘He’s been killed,’ she said. ‘I think it’s time we found a radio, if there is one, and got someone out here to us.’
‘Perhaps you’re right,’ said the Doctor. ‘Also this poor fellow’s people will have to be told the sad news.’
They moved back down to the main deck. Just as they came to the bottom of the stairway, they both stopped dead. There was no mistaking the sound of dragging footsteps coming along one of the corridors that opened on to the deck. The Doctor looked round quickly, and drew Jo into the opening of one of the passage-ways. ‘I suggest,’ he said, ‘that we keep absolutely still.’
The dragging footsteps came closer. Then, from their hiding place, they saw a man emerge from one of the corridors. He was a big fresh-faced man, wearing grubby blue jeans and a heavy sweater. Clutched firmly in his giant-sized hand was an evil-looking monkey-wrench.
‘Just an ordinary homo sapiens,’ whispered the Doctor. ‘Let’s be grateful that it was nothing more terrifying.’ He stepped out on to the deck where the man could see him. ‘Hello!’
The man stopped and turned. He was breathing very heavily, like someone in a state of severe fright. On seeing the Doctor his eyes dilated and he rocked on his heels.
‘I know we’re trespassing,’ said the Doctor pleasantly, ‘but we wanted to find out a few things.’
Suddenly, the man raised the monkey-wrench and charged straight at the Doctor. The Doctor sidestepped, then tripped the man as he went by. He fell heavily on to the metal deck, the monkey-wrench spinning from his hand. Before the man had time to struggle to his feet, the Doctor had sprung upon him and was applying a Venusian judo hold. The man was not in pain, but he was as helpless as a child where he lay.
‘It’s all right, old man,’ said the Doctor. ‘We don’t mean to harm you.’
The man looked up into the Doctor’s face, his eyes wild with fear. ‘Hickman,’ he said, his breathing becoming heavier, ‘he’s dead. It killed him.’
‘What killed him?’ asked the Doctor.
‘Lizard,’ said the man. ‘Tall as a man—taller!’ Then he collapsed into a faint. The Doctor relinquished his hold on his captive.
Jo stepped out