Menagerie - Martin Day [60]
'And the convulsions we just felt?' asked one of the Dugraqs.
'Probably some little trick of Defrabax's,' said the Doctor.
'I really am looking forward to meeting this man.'
'What can we do to help, Traveller?' asked the leader.
'I'll need a guide,' said the Doctor. 'Someone to ensure I don't get lost. If I can get to the power station and avoid the android then I should have a better idea as to what's going on.'
A Dugraq pulled at the Doctor's sleeve. The Doctor recognized the creature's reddish fur immediately.
'My friend the scout will do the job quite adequately I'm sure,' said the Doctor.
The leader nodded. 'Very well.'
'I must say how nice it is to be trusted for once,' said the Doctor. 'Normally I'm imprisoned, shot at . . .'
'If we Dugraqs have a failing,' said the sad old figure at the back, 'it is that we tend to trust too easily.'
'And look what happened as a result of our trusting Defrabax,' noted the female leader.
'I shall not let you down,' said the Doctor, bowing. He turned to follow the Dugraq scout back across the park.
Despite the savannah walker's surprising turn of speed, the six-limbed killer was slowly gaining ground. Zoe was pleased that her theories about the deadly creature seemed to be correct — that it was prioritizing the destruction of the walker above all other animals — but could only hope that they could get to the town's generators in time. The monster would be upon them soon. Its dark shape, crashing through the undergrowth as it blindly followed its instincts, was getting closer with every passing moment.
Diseaeda urged some more speed from the walker, and shot a worried glance back at Zoe. Zoe smiled back with a confidence she did not feel. Her theory that the massive heat of the furnaces might interfere with its vision was just a hunch. She'd been right about the creature so far, but intuitive speculation was hardly her forte. What if the creature was unaffected by its surroundings? What then?
They had decided to skirt around the town in an effort to minimize contact between the reawakened creature and the townsfolk. So far it had worked perfectly, the animal ignoring all other sounds and movements in its pursuit of the savannah walker. The stunned and fearful shock that had almost palpably descended over the town was perhaps a factor as well. The grim news from the circus had ensured that no one was walking the night-time streets.
Reisaz pointed into the distance. 'There are the generators. Not long now.'
Zoe could see the outline of a series of buildings not far away. The town generators were much cleaner and more efficient than the filthy equivalent she had glimpsed in the distant city, the architecture sharing the playful lines of much of the town. Clouds of white steam settled over the chimneys.
The creature was just a few yards behind the walker, which vaulted a low brick wall effortlessly. It passed through the ornamental gateway into the generating plant just as their pursuer struck.
The creature lunged at the rear legs of the savannah walker, one serrated arm locking into position. The huge horse-like animal crashed to the ground, spilling its riders.
The twins pulled Zoe to her feet, and they ran after Diseaeda towards a small wooden door in the outer wall of one of the ornate buildings. It was locked but the circus owner kicked it down with surprising ease.
By now they could hear the gurgling screams of the savannah walker as it died. Zoe didn't dare look behind her.
'Hide as close to the furnaces as possible,' she said, looking around the orderly generating room. The walls were dotted with large metal doors, with much of the floor space taken up with an enormous turbine.
Zoe knew that self-preservation was the first priority.
They had managed to lure the monster away from the freak show but