Doctor Who_ The Zarbi - Bill Strutton [57]
Doctor Who raised his head.
‘M’yes... yes... very detailed sketch... Excellent...’
‘Do we have a chance, Doctor?’ Barbara asked.
Doctor Who considered that. ‘I think so, my dear.’ He turned to the Menoptera Officer, Hilio. ‘Tell me, Captain
— what is at the centre of this web, mm? Do you know?’
Hilio shook his head and turned the question to Prapillus. The old Menoptera came forward.
‘Nobody here knows for certain — an alien Intelligence, definitely... but its shape, or form...?’
Prapillus shrugged.
‘But if it arrived here,’ Barbara said, ‘from another planet — then surely somebody must have seen it!’
Prapillus shook his hoary head. ‘Such research as I have been able to make shows that its presence was only noticed when it was already gaining power, controlling the Zarbi...
spreading its web... only then did they know that something had risen into being here... our people were only interested in a peaceful life. They were probably quite unaware of it for years...’
‘Yes, yes — quite understandable. But — Prapillus, did your studies show where this... this force it possesses is drawn from...?’
Prapillus hunched his frail shoulders. ‘The answer may be found in one fact perhaps,’ he said simply.
‘What is that?’
Prapillus eyed Doctor Who and replied slowly.
‘The centre of the web rests on the magnetic pole of this planet,’ he said.
Doctor Who’s face cleared suddenly and he stared.
‘Of course! Of course! It is drawing on — using — the actual power of the Planet Vortis!’
‘It would explain, would it not, these new satellites that have appeared on the sky, Doctor? They too could have been pulled here by this... power...!’
Doctor Who was wagging his head. ‘Tch-tch — I should have realized that! Yes — the same force drew and held Tardis here! Well, well...!’
He stroked his chin and moved away to digest and ponder this new light on the Intelligence behind the web.
Barbara hesitated to interrupt his reverie. Finally she ventured, ‘Doctor — are you going to go ahead with the plan?’
‘Eh? Mmm? Oh... yes, my dear, er — with a slight variation... Yes!’
‘A change?’ Hrostar asked. ‘What?’
Doctor Who turned and faced them. ‘You can carry out the mock attack as planned — your job, Barbara. We’ll agree a time.’
Barbara nodded. Hilio picked up the Destructor. ‘And this?’
Doctor Who reached out a hand. ‘I’ll take that, if I may, Vicki and I will return to Zarbi Headquarters.’
Hrostar nodded at the Web Destructor. ‘Can you smuggle that past the Zarbi?’
‘I don’t see why not,’ the Doctor said calmly. ‘I came out with this...’
And he pulled out an electron-gun from under his old-fashioned frock-coat.
‘An electron-gun — useless,’ Hrostar growled.
‘So I discovered... when I examined it,’ the Doctor murmured. ‘And for a good reason.’
‘Oh?’
‘I suspect,’ Doctor Who explained, ‘that the reason it could not hit its target was that the Zarbi bodies deflected its aim. Repelled it — magnetically... in some way...’
‘Then the Web Destructor is probably just as useless!’
Hrostar maintained.
Doctor Who shrugged at that. ‘Perhaps there’s a way...’
he murmured, half to himself. He brightened cheerfully.
‘Well, we shall have to take that chance! Eh? To me, the design of this Destructor appears far more promising. Your men of science seem to have given it far more thought...’
He smiled at them, turned away to go, halted, and patted the Destructor.
He said dryly, ‘In any case, we have no choice...’
A pause. The Menoptera eyed each other uncertainly.
‘Any questions?’ Doctor Who murmured.
‘May we get it clear, Doctor?’ Barbara asked. ‘You’re going to return to the Headquarters. Once you are inside, we attack, draw the Zarbi - leaving you to make for the centre of the... web...’
Doctor Who beamed on her. ‘Excellent — full marks, for a clear, simple summary.’ He turned. ‘Vicki, my child...?’
Glumly Vicki came forward. She hung her head in order not to show her dislike for going back to the evil web –
among the Zarbi. Doctor Who saw it and