loathed him.
‘Come on, come on,’ the Doctor said from the entry. ‘We can’t afford to idle away our time like this.’
‘All right,’ Steven replied, and moved towards the door.
Vicki crossed to the Doctor who pressed the door lever. It slid open – and there were the three Drahvins, returned from patrol and still holding their guns, which happened yet again to be pointed at the Doctor. Their faces were as devoid of expression as ever they were, but there was no arguing with the outlets of their weapons. The Doctor surveyed them bleakly: such beauty, yet no being behind it. He would have felt sorry for them, but time was running short. ‘Step aside,’ he said. ‘We’re leaving.’
Drahvin One opened her pretty mouth and spoke. ‘You are not. We await instructions from Maaga.’
Maaga rose to her feet and held out a hand to Steven: ‘My gun.’
Reluctantly he handed it over. She took it and put it in her holster. ‘Now you will help us.’
‘We don’t seem to have a lot of choice,’ the Doctor said.
‘You have none at all. The Rills have fourteen dawns in which to repair their spaceship.’ She paused as she saw Steven glance at the Doctor. ‘It is fourteen, isn’t it?’
The Doctor nodded vigorously. ‘Absolutely.’ She eyed him suspiciously. ‘You’re quite sure?’ ‘Quite.’
‘Suddenly I don’t believe you.’ Her voice sharpened. ‘When is the explosion due to occur?’ ‘As I said. In fourteen dawns’ time.’
Maaga made a gesture and Drahvins One and Two crossed to Vicki and seized her. ‘Let go of me,’ she said. But their grip was firm and she stilled when she saw Drahvin Three aiming her gun at her.
‘If you don’t tell me the truth we shall kill the girl,’ Maaga said. There was no emotion in her voice. She had stated a fact and that was all there was to it.
The Doctor could do nothing but concede the point. It was obvious that the threat was a real one. ‘Very well. We have two dawns left.’
Maaga was clearly shaken. ‘Is that all?’
‘Yes. My calculations were exact.’
Maaga pulled herself together. ‘Then you don’t have a lot of time in which to capture the Rills’ ship.’ She pointed. ‘It is that way. It will not take you long to find.’
The Doctor was taken aback. ‘Just like that? You expect us to stroll over there, announce that we’re in charge and the Rills will simply surrender?’
‘I do not care what method you use. I need that ship and I shall have it.’
‘It may not be repaired yet.’
‘I’ll bet it isn’t,’ Steven said. ‘If it were they’d have gone by now, wouldn’t they?’
‘I am quite sure the Doctor can make good any damage still remaining. And you have one advantage: the Rills believe they have fourteen dawns left. We know differently. That being so, you had better be off. The girl will stay here.’
‘No, she won’t,’ Steven said. ‘I will.’
‘You will go with the Doctor.’
He shook his head. ‘Nope. Vicki can.’
The Doctor could see that Steven had something in mind, though he did not know what. ‘If you want us to help you’ll do as the young man says, or no-one goes anywhere.’
Maaga hesitated, but she was aware that time was passing. She nodded. ‘Very well. The girl can go with you.
Vicki sighed with relief. She had no idea of what the Doctor could possibly do, but anything would be better than incarceration with Maaga and her three morons. She did not know why Steven had been so insistent about remaining, but he was no fool and she presumed his reasons were good.
‘Come along, Vicki,’ the Doctor said as he headed for the door.
Drahvin Three operated the lever to open the door and the Doctor and Vicki went outside, both nodding a farewell to Steven who grinned at them. ‘Don’t get into any mischief,’ he said. The door closed behind his friends and he turned back to Maaga. ‘Surely you don’t think they’ll be able to capture the Rills’ spaceship, do you?’
Maaga
‘Come on, come on,’ the Doctor said from the entry. ‘We can’t afford to idle away our time like this.’
‘All right,’ Steven replied, and moved towards the door.
Vicki crossed to the Doctor who pressed the door lever. It slid open – and there were the three Drahvins, returned from patrol and still holding their guns, which happened yet again to be pointed at the Doctor. Their faces were as devoid of expression as ever they were, but there was no arguing with the outlets of their weapons. The Doctor surveyed them bleakly: such beauty, yet no being behind it. He would have felt sorry for them, but time was running short. ‘Step aside,’ he said. ‘We’re leaving.’
Drahvin One opened her pretty mouth and spoke. ‘You are not. We await instructions from Maaga.’
Maaga rose to her feet and held out a hand to Steven: ‘My gun.’
Reluctantly he handed it over. She took it and put it in her holster. ‘Now you will help us.’
‘We don’t seem to have a lot of choice,’ the Doctor said.
‘You have none at all. The Rills have fourteen dawns in which to repair their spaceship.’ She paused as she saw Steven glance at the Doctor. ‘It is fourteen, isn’t it?’
The Doctor nodded vigorously. ‘Absolutely.’ She eyed him suspiciously. ‘You’re quite sure?’ ‘Quite.’
‘Suddenly I don’t believe you.’ Her voice sharpened. ‘When is the explosion due to occur?’ ‘As I said. In fourteen dawns’ time.’
Maaga made a gesture and Drahvins One and Two crossed to Vicki and seized her. ‘Let go of me,’ she said. But their grip was firm and she stilled when she saw Drahvin Three aiming her gun at her.
‘If you don’t tell me the truth we shall kill the girl,’ Maaga said. There was no emotion in her voice. She had stated a fact and that was all there was to it.
The Doctor could do nothing but concede the point. It was obvious that the threat was a real one. ‘Very well. We have two dawns left.’
Maaga was clearly shaken. ‘Is that all?’
‘Yes. My calculations were exact.’
Maaga pulled herself together. ‘Then you don’t have a lot of time in which to capture the Rills’ ship.’ She pointed. ‘It is that way. It will not take you long to find.’
The Doctor was taken aback. ‘Just like that? You expect us to stroll over there, announce that we’re in charge and the Rills will simply surrender?’
‘I do not care what method you use. I need that ship and I shall have it.’
‘It may not be repaired yet.’
‘I’ll bet it isn’t,’ Steven said. ‘If it were they’d have gone by now, wouldn’t they?’
‘I am quite sure the Doctor can make good any damage still remaining. And you have one advantage: the Rills believe they have fourteen dawns left. We know differently. That being so, you had better be off. The girl will stay here.’
‘No, she won’t,’ Steven said. ‘I will.’
‘You will go with the Doctor.’
He shook his head. ‘Nope. Vicki can.’
The Doctor could see that Steven had something in mind, though he did not know what. ‘If you want us to help you’ll do as the young man says, or no-one goes anywhere.’
Maaga hesitated, but she was aware that time was passing. She nodded. ‘Very well. The girl can go with you.
Vicki sighed with relief. She had no idea of what the Doctor could possibly do, but anything would be better than incarceration with Maaga and her three morons. She did not know why Steven had been so insistent about remaining, but he was no fool and she presumed his reasons were good.
‘Come along, Vicki,’ the Doctor said as he headed for the door.
Drahvin Three operated the lever to open the door and the Doctor and Vicki went outside, both nodding a farewell to Steven who grinned at them. ‘Don’t get into any mischief,’ he said. The door closed behind his friends and he turned back to Maaga. ‘Surely you don’t think they’ll be able to capture the Rills’ spaceship, do you?’
Maaga
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