to catch his breath, and to listen. The sound was repeated, this time from within the cave where he was standing. Then he realised that he could see the far end of the cave, not from the light of his torch but from daylight filtering in from a distant opening to the outside world. Something down there was moving.
‘Whoever you are,’ he called, ‘stop, or I shall shoot to kill!’
The movement, whatever it was, continued. Barker raised his rifle to his shoulder, released the safety catch. He looked sideways at the faint area of light at the end of the cave, a trick he’d learnt from night-fighting. Little by little the unmistakable form of a man appeared at the far end of the cave. Barker held the form in his sights, but decided to give the fellow one final chance.
‘If you raise your hands in surrender,’ he called, ‘I shall take you prisoner, and you will get a just and fair trial in a British Court.’
The man-like form appeared to take no notice, and even seemed about to turn away back into the gloom.
‘All right then,’ Barker called, ‘you’ve asked for it.’
He squeezed the trigger. The explosion of the cartridge in the confined area of the cave was like a bomb going off. To his pleasure, Barker saw the man-like form reel and stagger. Then, suddenly, something huge reared up from the darkness by Barker. He felt a great claw strike his face. After that, he didn’t remember anything.
7
Quinn Visits His Friends
Dr Quinn heard about the armed party in the caves from Miss Dawson. He was in his cottage at the time, having taken home some of his research centre work. The moment he heard her voice on the telephone he knew it was bad news.
‘Matthew? This is Phyllis. I need to see you immediately.’
‘Where are you speaking from?’ he asked.
‘The research centre of course,’ she said. ‘Can you come back here straight away?’
He hadn’t thought to warn her that telephone calls in and out of the research centre were probably being tapped by Major Barker. He tried to indicate this now in a way that anyone listening-in would not understand. ‘My dear Phyllis,’ he said, ‘you know how I’d love to be with you at this moment. But the personal things you and I have to say to each other cannot be said in the research centre, with all those other people listening . Couldn’t we meet in ten minutes’ time in Wenley village?’
‘There isn’t time for that,’ she said desperately. ‘And if you’re thinking of Major Barker tapping this ’phone, he can’t. He’s in the caves with the Brigadier and some soldiers. They are all armed.’
‘I see,’ he said. Then he put on his false, woo-ing voice again.’ Well, well, they must be having a jolly time in there. I’ll have to get along now, I’ve got so many things to do. But I’ll speak to you again soon. ‘Bye.’
He put down the ’phone and thought for a moment. If only those wretched reptile men had kept their fighting animals under proper control, Davis would not have been killed. And if that hadn’t happened, no one would have interested themselves in the caves. The worst thing that could happen now was an armed confrontation between the UNIT people and the reptile men. With these thoughts in mind Quinn slipped out of his cottage by the back door, got into his car and drove as fast as he could to one of the cave’s minor entrances. On the way he passed the main entrance and saw the two UNIT Jeeps standing there, which confirmed what Miss Dawson had said. Within a couple of minutes he was well out of sight of the main entrance, and was parking his car near a very small entrance in a cliff face which he had found only recently.
He groped his way along a narrow passageway, found a mark on the cave wall that he had put there to remind himself, and proceeded down one after another narrow passage. Finally, he came to the big passageway that led to the main entrance. He was just going to step out into the big passageway when he heard
‘Whoever you are,’ he called, ‘stop, or I shall shoot to kill!’
The movement, whatever it was, continued. Barker raised his rifle to his shoulder, released the safety catch. He looked sideways at the faint area of light at the end of the cave, a trick he’d learnt from night-fighting. Little by little the unmistakable form of a man appeared at the far end of the cave. Barker held the form in his sights, but decided to give the fellow one final chance.
‘If you raise your hands in surrender,’ he called, ‘I shall take you prisoner, and you will get a just and fair trial in a British Court.’
The man-like form appeared to take no notice, and even seemed about to turn away back into the gloom.
‘All right then,’ Barker called, ‘you’ve asked for it.’
He squeezed the trigger. The explosion of the cartridge in the confined area of the cave was like a bomb going off. To his pleasure, Barker saw the man-like form reel and stagger. Then, suddenly, something huge reared up from the darkness by Barker. He felt a great claw strike his face. After that, he didn’t remember anything.
7
Quinn Visits His Friends
Dr Quinn heard about the armed party in the caves from Miss Dawson. He was in his cottage at the time, having taken home some of his research centre work. The moment he heard her voice on the telephone he knew it was bad news.
‘Matthew? This is Phyllis. I need to see you immediately.’
‘Where are you speaking from?’ he asked.
‘The research centre of course,’ she said. ‘Can you come back here straight away?’
He hadn’t thought to warn her that telephone calls in and out of the research centre were probably being tapped by Major Barker. He tried to indicate this now in a way that anyone listening-in would not understand. ‘My dear Phyllis,’ he said, ‘you know how I’d love to be with you at this moment. But the personal things you and I have to say to each other cannot be said in the research centre, with all those other people listening . Couldn’t we meet in ten minutes’ time in Wenley village?’
‘There isn’t time for that,’ she said desperately. ‘And if you’re thinking of Major Barker tapping this ’phone, he can’t. He’s in the caves with the Brigadier and some soldiers. They are all armed.’
‘I see,’ he said. Then he put on his false, woo-ing voice again.’ Well, well, they must be having a jolly time in there. I’ll have to get along now, I’ve got so many things to do. But I’ll speak to you again soon. ‘Bye.’
He put down the ’phone and thought for a moment. If only those wretched reptile men had kept their fighting animals under proper control, Davis would not have been killed. And if that hadn’t happened, no one would have interested themselves in the caves. The worst thing that could happen now was an armed confrontation between the UNIT people and the reptile men. With these thoughts in mind Quinn slipped out of his cottage by the back door, got into his car and drove as fast as he could to one of the cave’s minor entrances. On the way he passed the main entrance and saw the two UNIT Jeeps standing there, which confirmed what Miss Dawson had said. Within a couple of minutes he was well out of sight of the main entrance, and was parking his car near a very small entrance in a cliff face which he had found only recently.
He groped his way along a narrow passageway, found a mark on the cave wall that he had put there to remind himself, and proceeded down one after another narrow passage. Finally, he came to the big passageway that led to the main entrance. He was just going to step out into the big passageway when he heard
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