Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace (11 page)

Rather than make their way through the winding tunnels at the back of the secret chamber, the Doctor, Ben and Jamie had risked cutting across the temple which was fortunately empty. They had just reached the great double doors when the Doctor stopped in his tracks.

‘Just a minute, I’ve had a thought,’ he said. ‘Jamie, you’d better stay and watch Zaroff.’

‘Why?’

‘We need a guide and only Ramo knows all the passages.’

Accepting the Doctor’s logic, Jamie turned back to the statue of Amdo in time to see Ramo staggering down the altar steps, his tunic soaked in blood. Jamie and the Doctor rushed to help the dying priest who fell to the floor, Ben rushed up to the idol and through the door into the secret chamber.

‘Is he..?’ asked Jamie.

The Doctor closed Ramo’s eyes and looked sadly up.

‘Yes, Jamie, I’m afraid he’s dead. Zaroff must have been fooling us all along.’

‘Doctor,’ cried Ben as he returned from the hideout.

‘Polly’s gone.’

‘Zaroff must have taken her hostage,’ said the Doctor.

‘Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go after them.’ The Doctor shook his head. ‘No, Ben, there are more important things to do.’

‘What do you mean?’ the sailor burst out. ‘He might kill her!’

The Doctor paused to think and finally said, ‘Jamie, you go after Polly; but be careful – Zaroff s a desperate man.

Ben, you and I have other fish to fry...’

‘I can’t go on any more!’ Polly protested plaintively. ‘You will go on even if I have to drag you,’ barked Zaroff, seemingly ignorant of the fact that he had been doing precisely that for the past five minutes. Having taken Polly forcibly out of her hideout he had pulled her struggling after him through the network of tunnels. Through her tears Polly noted that Zaroff seemed to know his way through the tunnels; perhaps he had used them when he first came to Atlantis; perhaps he had even used the secret chamber and the speaking grille to hoodwink the priests even as she had done.

She fought to free herself from Zarofis strong grip, but the more she struggled the more brutally the scientist would pull her along. Suddenly his grip on her wrist tightened even more.

‘What was that?’ he asked. ‘Did you hear something, girl?’

‘No, nothing,’ Polly blabbed.

‘I thought I heard footsteps...’ Zaroff dismissed the thought from his mind and began to move forward again, still holding Polly.

‘Please... can’t we rest for a little while...’ Polly pleaded; her legs were aching and bruised from the rocky terrain Zaroff had dragged her through.

‘Do you want to suffer the same fate as that priest?’

Zaroff asked cruelly. Meekly Polly allowed herself to be taken away, her eyes welling with tears once again, both at the thought of Ramo’s horrific death and her own terrible predicament.

Suddenly from out of the shadows behind them a familiar Highland voice called out Polly’s name. Startled, Zaroff stopped and turned around and Polly, taking advantage of the diversion, managed to tug her hand free from Zaroff’s. Finding new strength in her legs she ran towards Jamie who stepped out of the darkness. Taking each other’s hand they ran off back down the tunnel with an enraged Zaroff in hot pursuit.

For a man of his age Zaroff was remarkably fit and he had the advantage of knowing the route of the tunnels far better than either Polly or Jamie. Soon he had caught up with them in a small cave which was at the intersection of three tunnels.

Realising the foolishness of trying to lose Zaroff in the tunnels he knew so well Jamie turned to face the mad scientist. Polly gasped as the scientist lunged at Jamie, his hands making for the Highlander’s neck. Despite Jamie’s attempts to throw him off Zaroff proved too powerful and he slowly increased the pressure around Jamie’s throat.

There was little Jamie could do; the scientist’s insanity and singleness of purpose seemed to have endowed him with a superhuman strength.

Polly, who had been standing back watching the scene in horror, finally resolved to do something. Her concern for Jamie overriding whatever thoughts she might have held on the use of violence, she picked up a large rock with the intention of bringing it crashing down on the back of Zarofl’s skull.

Had she succeeded she would have undoubtedly killed the Professor. But, big though the target of Zaroff’s head was, she missed, and instead hit Zaroff on his shoulder. It was enough, however, to make the scientist release his grip on Jamie and spin around, ready to confront a new assailant. As he turned, Jamie jumped at him. But with a mighty swipe of his arm Zaroff knocked the Scotsman away as easily as he might an irritating fly. Jamie landed on the rocky ground with a sickening
thud!

For a moment Jamie was unconscious and Zaroff once more advanced upon a screaming Polly who stood paralysed with fear.

Suddenly the cave was bathed in a dazzling light.

Holding aloft two blazing torches Sean and Jacko entered the cave.

‘Get back!’ cried Zaroff and grabbed hold of Polly again, using her this time as a shield between him and the two advancing men.

As he dragged her back into the tunnel whence they had come his arm was around her neck. Polly dug her teeth into his forearm. Zaroff yelped with pain and with an angry snarl flung Polly at Sean, Jacko and Jamie, who had now regained consciousness.

With a maniacal laugh of triumph Zaroff ran off back down the tunnel. Within seconds he had disappeared into the darkness.

‘He’s got away!’ cried Jamie. ‘We’ll never find him in those tunnels – it’s like a maze.’

‘Aye,’ said Sean. ‘He could lose us for days – and according to the Doctor all we’ve got is a few hours!’

‘Quickly, we’ve got to warn the Doctor,’ said Polly.

Jamie did not agree. ‘The Doctor’s going to find a heap of trouble if Zaroff gets back to the laboratory first. I say we try and get there first.’

Polly saw the logic of this. If Zaroff could get back to his laboratory and start the countdown in advance there seemed little point in wasting valuable time in trying to track down the Doctor.

‘How do we get to the laboratory?’

‘Ara,’ said Polly. ‘She’s the only one who knows the way.

Sean and Jacko, you go and find the Doctor and we’ll get Ara.’

In the Council Chamber Damon was a worried man. As a member of the Atlantean ruling council and the city’s chief surgeon he was responsible for the Fish People and, by extension, the provision of food for all the city.

And now the unthinkable had happened: somehow the seeds of rebellion had been sown in the Fish People’s specially conditioned minds; news of their rebellion had even reached some of the slave units at the mines - and the drill head. The society which Zaroff had carefully structured and presided over for the past twenty years was beginning to fall down about them.

‘The slaves are in revolt,’ he told King Thous. ‘They’ve cut off all food supplies. Even some of the mine workers are laying down their tools.’ He added a rather feeble, ‘I just can’t understand it.’

Neither could Thous. He shook his head in dismay.

‘Why do they act like this when the hour of triumph is at hand?’ he asked.

‘They’re just slaves – what can you expect?’ was Damon’s dismissive response.

Defenceless in his confusion the King of Atlantis looked, as he had done for twenty years, to his saviour.

‘Where is Zaroff?’ he asked. ‘He should be here to attend to this.’

‘He’s disappeared.’

‘Disappeared? He can’t have.’ The prospect was too much for the old king to consider. Have the guards go and look for him.’

‘There is no time, Excellency. The people are on the point of panic. You must take control now.’

Thous was silent. From the moment Zaroff had saved his life Thous had looked to the scientist for support and advice, never taking a major decision without first consulting him. For the first time in nearly two decades circumstances were forcing him into making a decision for himself. He was a weak king, this old and weary man whose time of dying long past, but knew where his duty lay.

‘So be it,’ he said. ‘I cannot let my people starve. Bring them before me that I may hear their demands.’

Damon bowed and left the King alone to his thoughts.

Thous prayed silently to Amdo, begging her for a solution to his problem. His thoughts were interrrupted when the doors to the Council Chamber opened. His two personal guards raised their tridents and then looked askance, unsure what to do when they saw that the unannounced intruders were two of Zaroffs black-suited guards, followed by Zaroff himself.

Thous urged his men to put down their arms. ‘Zaroff,’

he said. ‘Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you. The workers are in revolt.’

Zaroff dismissed the problem with a contemptuous sneer. ‘My guards will deal with them.’

Thous found himself protesting. ‘But Professor, they’re only simple people. I’m sure–’

Those who resist will be killed,’ he stated coldly.

‘Killed?’ The old king was shocked; never before had Zaroff advocated such a thing in his presence. ‘I must protest, Professor. At a time like this –’

I have no time to waste with the antics of a few primitives,’ said Zaroff.

Thous’s response was stern. The king had suddenly discovered that he had a will of iron. ‘Zaroff, you are subject to me in all matters. I will not allow you to harm my people.’

Zaroff laughed. ‘
Your
people? They are my people now!

I hold the world in my power!’

‘The Doctor was right about you,’ said Thous in a voice which was a mixture of deep sadness and fierce anger. ‘I order that your Project be stopped immediately.’ He beckoned to his two personal guards who were standing by the open doorway. ‘Take Zaroff to the temple of Amdo and hold him there.’

As the guards advanced upon Zaroff the scientist’s own black-suited guards stepped forward and levelled their guns at them. The Atlantean guards who were armed only with tridents which were largely used for ceremonial purposes stood stock still, unable to defend themselves or their king.

‘You are a fool!’ Zaroff spat the words out at Thous.

‘And I shall give you up to your beloved goddess Amdo to discuss the future of the universe with her!’

‘You dare blaspheme –’

‘Yes, I dare! Your people have grown weak, Thous, lulled by the sweet opiate of religion. I merely played along with you until my great mission was achieved. The day of superstition has passed; now is the time of science!’

‘Zaroff, I demand–’

‘
You
demand, little man?
You
demand!’ mocked Zaroff.

‘You are no longer in a position to demand anything. And since your goddess has developed such an enchanting appetite for people it is only fitting that the great Thous should offer himself up to her!’

‘No!’

‘No –
I
shall offer him. I gave you life when you were dying, Thous. Now I shall take it away!’

From under his black cape Zaroff pulled out a hand gun and raised it at Thous. A shot split the air and Thous fell senseless to the floor.

‘Kill those two men,’ Zaroff ordered his guards who promptly shot Thous’s two personal guards down dead.

Zaroff gazed emotionlessly down at the slaughter.

Trickles of blood were already staining the beautiful mosaic floor of the Council Chamber of Atlantis. Suddenly Zaroff began to snigger and then he threw his head back and laughed – a hard, cruel laugh of triumph. In his eyes a cold evil light blazed as he threw back his arms, as if to gather up the whole world like some insane grim reaper.

The words he spoke next made even his faithful guards shudder with horror.

‘Nothing in the world can stop me now!’

9

The Doctor and Ben’s journey to Zaroffs Power Complex took them by necessity past the Council Chamber.

Expecting to have to deal somehow with Thous’s guards who were always stationed by the entrance they were surprised to find the two doors wide open.

They peeked cautiously inside to see the bodies of Thous and his attendants. The Doctor dashed over to them.

‘Blimey,’ said Ben. ‘It looks like someone’s been having a right punch-up in here!’

The Doctor who was kneeling by one of the guards looked up. ‘Zaroff,’ he guessed. ‘No one else in Atlantis would have done this.’ Feeling no sign of life he shook his head sadly and stood up and crossed over to Thous. ‘The guards are both dead but Thous is still breathing,’ he said.

‘Zaroff doesn’t seem to have hit anything vital.’

Ben looked down pityingly at the pale unconscious figure of the old King of Atlantis. ‘He doesn’t look too good though!’ he remarked.

‘Neither would you with a bullet through you!’ snapped the Doctor. He took a large red spotted handkerchief out of his pocket and applied it to the wound on Thous’s shoulder. Then he held a small vial of smelling salts in front of Thous’s nose. The King began to come round.

‘Doctor, hurry up!’ urged Ben. ‘If we don’t get to Zaroff and stop him soon we’re all going to be for the chop!’

The Doctor needed no reminding as he helped the semi-conscious King of Atlantis to his feet. ‘Come on,’ he said.

‘We must get him to safety.’

‘And then what?’

‘To the generating station!’

Sean, Jacko and Ara sprang to their feet as the Doctor and Ben staggered into the secret chamber, holding between them the injured Thous.

Ara instantly dashed over to her king. ‘What has happened?’ she asked anxiously.

‘He’s wounded,’ said Ben as he and the Doctor helped Thous onto the bench which the others had just vacated.

‘But don’t worry – he’ll be all right.’

The Doctor looked around the chamber and noticed the absence of Polly and Jamie.

‘They’ve gone to Zaroff s laboratory,’ Ara explained.

‘What for!’

‘To look for you! I showed them which way to go and then they told me to come back here and wait for you in case they missed you on the way.’