Doctor Who_ The Zarbi - Bill Strutton [53]
Barbara rounded on him. ‘Force is not the answer! You have seen what happened on the plateau! Has that taught you nothing? It could mean suicide for your whole army.’
‘She is right,’ Prapillus said. He tapped his head. ‘We must attack the centre. But to get to it — we must think, use... guile...!’
The pigmy-like underground kinsmen of the Menoptera now crowded respectfully around Vrestin and the earth man Ian, listening spellbound to their story and the plan they unfolded for their future.
It was as though Vrestin’s glowing words had opened up new vistas for them. He told them of their rich heritage, of what history had told of the true civilization on Vortis, how rich and splendid it had been.
It was this civilization that the rescuing Menoptera were returning to restore.
But the way would be hard and fraught with danger, Vrestin and Ian had warned them.
Now they crowded about the two men, pointing out the tunnels they had dug with their curious whorl-shaped spears. Their skill with these. implements was impressive.
Not only had they adapted them for their defence, but they burrowed and dug through the ground with incredible speed, turning them around rock and dislodging solid veins of silica with tremendous dexterity. They used the natural underground fissures and chasms they came upon, too, to join the complex of tunnels which made up their underground home.
Now they shouldered their spears and listened afresh as Ian and Vrestin unfolded a plan to reach and bore into the very heart of the planet’s great enemy — the being whose vibrations controlled the hated Zarbi and whose web crawled and tightened its evil grip on Vortis.
Ian was drawing a design on the floor of the chamber in which they sat.
‘We’ll make our way underground, through your tunnels, digging where we have to — until we’re underneath the web.’
Vrestin pointed. ‘Then upwards, into its soft under-belly.’
Hetra straightened. He looked at his comrades, their slitted eyes now glowing with excitement and hope.
‘Very well,’ Hetra quavered. ‘ You know what faces us.
We can only agree.’
There was a mutter of assent.
Hetra beckoned to his deputy, Nemini. ‘It will be better if Nemini leads — there are many dangers in the tunnels.’
Ian looked as Nemini approached. ‘Very well. Tell him we’ll have to hurry. Time is short.’
Nemini paused at that, and looked at Ian. ‘Don’t worry about my speed. You just worry about keeping up with me!’
He shouldered his spear and marched ahead. Hetra signalled to the others. ‘Forward!’ Vrestin watched his dwarfish Menoptera kinsmen march after Nemini. He turned a doubtful face to Ian.
‘I wonder how much we can count on them...’ he said.
‘Do we have a choice?’
‘They are all right down here, Ian – but what when we strike upward? Their fears of the surface may prove too strong.’
‘Let’s worry about that when it happens. Come on!’
They moved off after the pigmy diggers. The leader Nemini paused as they emerged from a tunnel into a natural underground cave, bristling like a forest, with stalagmites and stalactites, reaching from floor and rcofe Nemini swung his coiled tool, snapping off enough of the sharp spars to clear a way for them, and led on.
As Ian followed he saw cracks in the wall of the caves –
and through these seeped wreaths of misty smoke. He nudged Vrestin and pointed, frowning. A wisp of the fumes stung his nostrils. He coughed and they plunged on.
Doctor Who and Vicki, still stepping ahead of the Zarbi, turned into a new tunnel and stopped. In front of then a webbed gate hung down and blocked the exit. Beside it hovered a Zarbi guard. The Doctor turned, stared at the Zarbi standing docilely under his control. He reached out, touched the necklet encircling its scraggy throat and stared into its dull eyes meaningly. Then he pointed towards the guarded web-gate and walked on stiffly, as though under the creature’s control.
He and Vicki dared do nothing but gaze straight ahead of them as they came up to the gate. Out of the corner of their eyes they flashed a brief glance at the guard who now reared