Doctor Who_ The Zarbi - Bill Strutton [59]
They began attacking it, weaving aside as the rock they levered came crashing down to the cave floor. The diggers exchanged worried glances among each other as they hesitated and dug farther upward.
Ian noted their fear. He exchanged a look with Vrestin.
‘I... hope they will not let us down,’ he muttered, eyeing the diggers anxiously.
Cautiously, Barbara led her Menoptera companions in the wake of the distant figures of Doctor Who, Vicki and the obedient Zarbi. She halted them and they sheltered in the shadow of a crag.
Doctor Who had reached an opening in the great web which now reared ahead, its light wheeling and flashing over the landscape and outlining the crag under which they stood.
‘The web is opening - they’re going in!’ she whispered.
‘We’ll wait on your word... when to attack,’ Prapillus murmured.
Barbara nodded, watching. ‘Thank you. We’ll wait -
make sure the Doctor has got back to the Control Section..
The Guard let the Doctor and Vicki into the entrance tunnel, together with the Zarbi, without challenge or hindrance.
Once inside the web tunnel Doctor Who halted and turned. He gestured commandingly to the Zarbi and pointed.
The creature stopped, hesitated. Doctor Who glared, willing it to understand him and obey. He pointed again.
The Zarbi wheeled and scuttled back towards the entrance through which they had come. The Zarbi guarding the outer door paused, staring, then raised the webbed barrier and let its comrade through - watching it lurch away across the landscape.
Doctor Who and Vicki saw it go. The Doctor rubbed his hands.
‘Excellent - excellent! ... doing exactly as it’s told! Let’s hope that old... er, let’s hope Prapillus makes good use of him. Come, child...!’
The Doctor took Vicki’s arm and headed down the corridor in the direction of the control room.
As they made their way tortuously down tunnel after tunnel leading inward, they were aware of furious activity, somewhere ahead of them.
The whole air throbbed and even from a distance they could hear the agitated chirruping. The noise of it burst upon them afresh as they rounded a corner and saw, ahead of them, the figures in the control room at the end of the corridor.
Vicki clung to Doctor Who, trembling all over now, knowing that something was wrong.
‘I’m... I’m... frightened. Please, Doctor, can we—?’
Doctor Who laid a calm hand on her arm. He smiled and marched purposefully forward. As they entered the control room, assuming a trance-like look and pretending to step like sleepwalkers, the agitated figures at the control panel wheeled and saw them.
A furious burst of chirruping rose and three of the Zarbi whirled and came scuttling menacingly towards them, rearing, their forelegs waving, their eyes glaring murderously.
Vicki covered her mouth to stifle a scream of fear and dismay.
‘Doctor — they’ve missed us! Now the plan will never work...!’
CHAPTER SIX
Centre of Terror
The Zarbi pounced on Doctor Who and Vicki and jostled them forward towards the centre of the room.
The Doctor looked up. His expression grew grim as he saw what awaited him. There was a great humming in the room – and the Dome was descending towards them. His hand sought and found Vicki’s. He muttered to her out of the corner of his mouth.
‘Here, child – take the Web Destructor. We don’t want it discovering that – as it did the recorder.’
He nodded ahead and upward at the Dome. Amid the jostling from the Zarbi Vicki took the Destructor and slipped it under her jacket. Angrily Doctor Who attempted to shake off the claws that now gripped him, but the Zarbi thrust him roughly, reeling, towards the spot where the Dome was descending.
The Doctor stood there and it closed about his silvery head. He stood stiffly, hemmed in by Zarbi on all sides, awaiting the verdict of the Voice.
The Zarbi ignored Vicki. She began to edge away towards the Tardis’ control table.
Now the Voice boomed and surged around the Doctor