The Doctor nodded. 'Very good.' Then he gave her a mischievous smile. 'But do not try to do it when we are in transit transit,' he warned. Shaking off his sadness, he strode over to the coatstand and took down the frock coat.

Barbara ran over to help him on with it. Then, while the Doctor adjusted the cravat under his awkward wing collar, she threw Ian a pleading look. Ian smiled and nodded and with a shrug of resignation followed Barbara and the Doctor to the door.

'You were quite right, Doctor. We are are in a cave,' Ian said stepping cautiously into the dusty shadows. in a cave,' Ian said stepping cautiously into the dusty shadows.

Barbara sniffed the air suspiciously before leaving the bright security of the police box. 'Strange sort of smell though. It's not like anything on Earth,' she pointed out warily.

Ian groaned and glanced at the Doctor. 'Don't tell us it's not Earth,' he pleaded despairingly. 'So much for getting us home!'

The Doctor bent down to pick up an handful of the coa.r.s.e colourful sand which covered the cavern floor. He sniffed it and pondered a moment. 'It might not be Earth,'

he agreed, peering at the glittering grains in the feeble flashing light from the TARDIS's beacon. 'But I do seem to recognise the olfactory characteristics.'

'Can you identify it?' Barbara asked anxiously.

The Doctor let the sand run through his fingers, studying the sparkling trickle intently as it floated onto the toe of his boot. 'More or less...' he mumbled vaguely, obviously reluctant to admit that he was baffled, or that he had made a navigational error. He yawned exaggeratedly, rubbed his eyes and turned back to the doorway of the police box. 'You two young things have a little wander around. But do not stray too far. We have not had much luck with caves on our travels together so far.'

'What are you going to do?' demanded Barbara.

'I think I shall go-back inside for another little nap...'

the Doctor replied absently, shuffling through the door and disappearing.

'A nap! That's a new one!' Ian snorted. 'Usually he's the first to go off poking his nose into things and causing trouble! And what about taking us home, Barbara? I don't think the old fool's got a clue where we are this time.'

Barbara stared apprehensively around the dark, dusty cavern and then shrugged. 'Perhaps he's just tired,' she suggested, trying to sound unconcerned.

'Well, he's certainly not getting any younger, is he! He's never slept through a landing landing before.' before.'

The hinges on the TARDIS door creaked as the Doctor poked his head out. ' Materialisation Materialisation,' he corrected sternly.

'Chesterton, I may be getting on a bit, but I am not deaf. I can hear everything you say. Pa.s.s me that chunk of rock, please.'

Blushing with shame, Ian handed the Doctor a large irregular lump of gla.s.sy rock lying by his foot. With a curt nod, the old man ducked back into the police box and slammed the door.

'I think it's probably Susan...' Barbara explained quietly, trying to smooth Ian's ruffled feelings. 'He probably wants just to be alone for a while in the TARDIS with all his memories. I mean, we can't expect him to say goodbye to Susan in a different time, and then shrug it off just like that.'

'I suppose you're right,' Ian agreed grudgingly, turning and wandering cautiously towards a pale patch of light which looked as if it might lead to the mouth of the cave.

'Anyway, I wonder what Susan's up to now?'

Barbara laughed. 'Learning to milk cows I expect,' she said. 'I hope she'll be happy. David seemed a nice boy.' She followed Ian as he felt his way round a huge b.u.t.tress of crumbling rock.

'I think this will take us outside,' Ian said, leading the way through a short narrow tunnel that twisted and turned like a maze.

They could feel a hot dry breeze blowing on their faces and the light grew rapidly stronger. 'At least the sun's out by the look of things!' Barbara cried cheerfully, seizing Ian's hand. 'Come on, let's find out where we are!'

As they vanished along the tunnel, the cave behind them was suddenly disturbed by a scrabbling, sc.r.a.ping sound and by the m.u.f.fled hiss of slow, laboured breathing.

Something moved in the darkness between the back of the police box and the wall of the cavern. Sand was kicked up and small rocks and stones dislodged and scattered across the dusty floor. Then the rough surface of the wall itself seemed to stir and move forward, as if some ancient effigy had come alive and was preparing to stalk out into the light.

The huge shape lurched awkwardly along the side of the TARDIS and emerged into the flashing strobe of the beacon in a sequence of monstrous staggers. It walked on two legs like a human, but its horrific head was like the head of some gigantic bird of prey or some colossal insect combined into an almost mechanical hybrid by an evil genius. Its great globular eyes glowed red, protruding at the end of thick tubular stalks. Its domed skull bristled with stubby antennae, some sharply pointed like probes or stings, others gaping open like suckers. The creature's beak was guarded by two enormous horizontal fangs curving inwards from the sides of its squat, segmented neck. The h.o.r.n.y carapace of its body glistened as if it weresweating a viscous oily gum. Its long simian arms ended in vicious pincers like the claws of a crustacean, while its feet were also clawlike but much larger, scouring and ripping the sandy floor with convulsive ferocity. The thing's raucous breath seemed to issue from flapping leathery lips, forced through congested chambers and strangled tubing deep within the armoured chest.

The creature stopped to examine the silent police box.

Its glowing eyes tried to penetrate the dimly illuminated frosted panes. Its huge claws gripped the door and tried to tear it open. Then, with a menacing hiss, it swung itself round to face the tunnel, c.o.c.king its hideous head as if listening for its prey. Lifting its huge hooked feet high in the air with each jerking step, it slowly stalked across the cavern and entered the tunnel in pursuit of Barbara and Ian.

3.

Blinking and coughing, Barbara and Ian stumbled out into the light, their throats rasping with the dust they had stirred up in the tunnel. s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up their eyes, they stood on the small plateau at the tunnel mouth and looked out over the deserted arid landscape which stretched far away into the hot hazy distance.

'It doesn't look too promising, does it!' said Barbara, echoing Ian's words in the TARDIS earlier as she shook the dust off her hair.

Ian leaned over the steep precipice. 'Look at that!' he exclaimed. 'It looks like ruins and some kind of wreckage at the bottom of the cliff'

Barbara held onto his arm and cautiously peered over the edge. The vast silver and black wreck of the Astra Nine Astra Nine was awesome, like a gigantic metallic building that had fallen in an earthquake. was awesome, like a gigantic metallic building that had fallen in an earthquake.

'It must have crashed here,' Barbara murmured in amazement. 'I've only seen s.p.a.ceships like that in pictures.'

Ian stared down at the shattered terraces below them.

'Perhaps it didn't crash, Barbara. It might have been destroyed on the ground with the buildings.'

'There's something printed on the side, Ian.' Barbara shaded her eyes. 'But I can't quite make it out.' She looked unenthusiastically at the horizon. 'So it Iooks like Earth after all, I suppose. But when? There's no sign of life anywhere.'

Ian shrugged. 'Wherever or whenever we are, there must be people or... or things somewhere around.' He walked gingerly along the crumbling ledge, trying to see the half-buried ruins more clearly.

'Are we going to tell the Doctor about the ruins and the wreckage?'

Ian stopped. 'Yes of course. Why shouldn't we?'

'Knowing him, he'll insist on going down there to investigate,' Barbara objected.

'And why not? I'd agree with him for once. If the crew of that wreck are alive down there, surely we should...'

Barbara's short shrill scream froze the words on Ian's lips. He swung round, almost overbalancing, and saw her staring in dumb horror at the mouth of the tunnel. Then he gasped in shock as something stirred in the entrance to the cave and the monstrous creature emerged.

In the ruddy light from the sun the apparition looked even more terrible, its talons gleaming like bloodstained scimitars. It stared at the humans in turn, its breath rasping in s.n.a.t.c.hed spasms.

Suddenly it spoke. 'You are stangers here...' The croaking voice seemed to come not from its flapping beak but from deep inside its carapace. 'Where do you belong?

Do you come from Earth?'

Barbara glanced at Ian. He nodded. 'Yes, we do,' she said faintly.

The creature swung its nightmare head from side to side and sliced the air with its claws. 'Then by what means did you travel here? Where is your craft?'

Ian stepped boldly forward and took Barbara's trembling hand. 'You must have seen it. It is there in the cave,' he replied, his voice wobbling with suppressed fear.

The creature paused, its red eyes glowing malevolently.

'You travelled here in that... that ancient artefact?'

Barbara gripped Ian's hand tightly. 'Yes, we did.' She struggled to sound casual, but her voice quavered. 'We realise it must sound fantastic, but we have no reason to lie to you.'

Ian gave her hand a congratulatory squeeze.

The alien creature half-turned towards the cave, as if to consider their explanation. Then it swung back to face them. 'Are you the only personnel, or are there others?'

'Yes, there's the Doctor,' Ian blurted out before Barbara could stop him.

The monster's head jerked with sudden interest. 'A doctor?'

Ian gave Barbara an apologetic look. 'Yes, he's in the TARDIS,' he added shamefacedly.

The creature nodded slowly. 'I must meet this doctor,' it rasped. 'I will conduct you all to our citadel.' It gestured towards the tunnel with a scything motion of its claw.

Barbara and Ian knew they had no choice. Short of hurling themselves over the cliff there was no escape. After a mutual smile of encouragement, they stepped forward obediently.

But the creature raised a talon, barring Barbara's path.

'Not you!' it rasped. 'You remain here.'

Swallowing her fear, Barbara bravely retreated a step.

'Don't worry,' Ian told her out of the side of his mouth.

'I shan't be long.' Patting her arm, he edged past the grotesquely gesticulating creature and entered the tunnel.

But instead of escorting Ian into the cave, the hideous spectre began to advance on Barbara. She backed away towards the precipice, mesmerised by the flaring red eyes.

'What is the matter?' the thing demanded harshly.

'What are you afraid of?'

Barbara hoped against hope that Ian would have the sense to rush into the cavern and warn the Doctor while the monster was distracted. 'Keep away from me!' she gasped, edging ever closer to the gaping drop behind her.

'I am a friend,' the thing a.s.sured her. 'You can trust me.'

'Can I?' Barbara whimpered in desperation, craning to see if Ian had done as she hoped he would. There was no sign of him in the tunnel entrance.

She was just about to attempt to dive past the grasping talons and make a bid to reach the tunnel herself when the creature suddenly reached out and seized her arm.

Shrieking with terror, Barbara struggled to get free, but the sharp claws cut into her flesh. She recoiled in disgust as she felt the hot stale breath on her face. Relentlessly she was propelled backwards ever closer to the precipice, her a.s.sailant's pustular antennae quivering only centimetres from her cheeks. Powerless to resist, she felt the crumbling lip of the ledge under her heels and the next moment she was flung off the cliff with a savage sweep of the creature's powerful arm. She fell headlong down the steep scree, her dying scream echoing briefly among the ruins far below.

The creature goggled over the precipice at its brutal handiwork for a moment. Then it turned towards the tunnel entrance with a vicious hiss of satisfaction, raising in its claws a kind of rectangular club about seventy centimetres long. The weapon's head consisted of a ring of lenses and at the thinner end there was a small control grip with trigger and primer b.u.t.tons and a liquid crystal sight.

Despite its awkward pincers, the creature seemed able to manipulate the delicate adjustments quite successfully. It directed the lens head at the tunnel mouth and took careful aim with one globular red eye.

The Doctor peered intently at the translucent chunk of rock Ian had given him, his eye hugely enlarged in the lens of the old-fashioned bra.s.s-handled magnifying gla.s.s. From time to time he consulted a dog-eared notebook on the control pedestal beside him, nodding and muttering to himself as he compared the specimen with the data scrawled untidily in the book. Eventually he shook his head in frustration at the barely decipherable notes.

Plonking the magnifying gla.s.s on the control panel, he delved into his coat pocket and unearthed a pair of halfmoon spectacles. He slipped them onto the end of his nose and tried again. But it was no better. Clicking his tongue with irritation he s.n.a.t.c.hed off the spectacles, picked up the magnifying gla.s.s again and held the notebook at arm's length, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up his eyes into tiny points.

Still unsuccessful, the Doctor stuck the spectacles back on his nose and peered through the magnifying gla.s.s as well, moving the notebook to and fro in a vain attempt to decode his own atrocious handwriting. Finally, with an exasperated sigh he flung the lot onto the control pedestal.

'My handwriting gets worse and worse...' he complained to the empty TARDIS, ma.s.saging his tired eyes behind the spectacles, his nostrils flaring with annoyance. He mooched around the pedestal several times, his head bowed, fiddling with the fob of his watch chain. Then he stopped and squared his shoulders resolutely.

'I really must stop moping about Susan!' he told himself sternly.

He picked up the chunk of rock and studied it for a long time. At last he put it down carefully on the control panel, his mind made up. 'Not a shred of doubt,' he announced to the deserted chamber. 'We have materialised on the planet Dido... Thirteenth planet in the rotating binary star system Proxima Gemini in the Galaxy Moore Eleven, Subcl.u.s.ter Tel... Remarkable! I'm so looking forward to meeting these friendly, civilised creatures again after so many years.'

The Doctor stood staring up at the murky image on the monitor screen. Then he sighed ruefully. 'I do not imagine there is any point in my telling Chesterton that I brought them here intentionally,' he mused. 'No, no, no, of course not. I was fast asleep, was I not? Pity.' Brushing his dusty hands carelessly on his lapels, the Doctor took off his spectacles and slipped them into his pocket together with the notebook.

He was just about to settle himself in the armchair for a peaceful nap when there was a sudden frantic hammering on the door. Glancing at the screen, the Doctor saw Ian's pale and frightened face distorted into a bulbous mask.

'Doctor... Doctor... For heaven's sake open the door!'

Ian yelled, his eyes huge with panic.

'I wonder what he's done with young Barbara...' the Doctor muttered hurrying to the controls and operating the door switch.

All at once the TARDIS shook violently and then rocked drunkenly from side to side. The Doctor winced as he heard the thump of falling rocks bouncing off the frail wooden structure. The image on the scanner screen was obliterated as a storm of sand and dust erupted in the cavern. Next moment the sound of a ma.s.sive explosion flung open the door and sent a whirlwind of sand and splintered rock into the chamber. The Doctor clung to the control pedestal, more out of concern for his precious machine than for his own safety, until the police box finally settled back onto an even keel.

Coughing and choking, he staggered to the door and tried to see through the swirling dust. 'Chesterton? Where are you? Are you all right? I can't see a thing!' he spluttered, shaking his head to try and stop the awful ringing in his partially deafened ears.

There was no reply: only the clatter of crumbling rock and the trickling rain of settling sand all around.

The Doctor ran back inside, rummaged behind a panel in the wall and unearthed a powerful torch. He returned and, guided by its intense beam, he began to search the area around the police box, kicking in feeble desperation at the fallen rock scattered everywhere and calling Ian's name over and over again. Eventually the torchbeam picked out Ian's spreadeagled body lying among boulders against the far wall of the cavern.

The Doctor scrambled over. 'Chesterton! What happened? Are you all right?' he gabbled anxiously, kneeling beside the motionless figure half-buried under the debris.