why are they taking so long?’ Zoe cried exasperatedly alter a long silence.
Kully yawned. ‘Everything takes time on Dulkis.
Nothing’s eh rushed. Not any more,’ he mumbled.
Zoe clasped and unclasped her hands in frustration. ‘If what you told them about the robots is true...’
‘So even you don’t really believe me,’ Kully said disconsolately.
Zoe tousled her neat black hair. ‘I don’t know. I’m really worried. Jamie and the Doctor should have got here ages ago.’
‘Perhaps my imaginary robots have gobbled them both up!’ Kully chuckled.
Zoe gave a little sigh of apprehension.
‘Sorry,’ Kully said gloomily. ‘You don’t believe me. The Council don’t believe me. It’s my own fault, I suppose.’ He stared at the little heaps of sand on the floor by the chair.
Then he suddenly leaped out of the Director’s seat and grasped Zoe by the shoulders. ‘Would you come back to the Island with me?’ he asked earnestly.
Perplexed and miserable, Zoe gazed listlessly at his grimy bulbous features. ‘Why, what are you going to do?’
‘Bring back some evidence. Make them believe me before it’s too late. Will you come, Zoe?’
Zoe thought for a moment. ‘What kind of evidence?
Anyway, how could we get past your father and the Council out there?’ she objected.
Kully seized her hand and headed straight towards the blank wall of the Chamber. It dissolved in front of them and before she could resist, Kully dragged Zoe through.
‘We’ll go through my father’s private apartments,’ he explained.’ Then we’ll have to steal a capsule somehow...’
Suddenly Kully stopped. ‘Your clothes, Zoe... not exactly Dulcian, are they?’ he said with a frown.
Zoe glanced down at her tee-shirt and slacks and then at Kully’s shapeless, pleated tunic ‘No, I’m glad to say they’re not,’ she retorted indignantly.
‘They’ll give us away. We’ll never get past the Transport Monitors...’ Then Kully’s face brightened. You can borrow something from Zanta! She’s in the Antipodes’
‘Zanta?’ Zoe echoed doubtfully.
‘My younger sister,’ Kully explained. ‘You’re about the same size,’ he grinned. ‘Come on. ’
Five minute, later, as arranged, Zoo met Kully in the curved shimmering corridor outside Senex’s apartments.
Kully whistled approvingly. ‘At least you look more like a girl now.’
Zoe grimaced at her chunky pleats and rather loose sandals. ‘This clobber isn’t very practical, is it?’ she complained.
‘Never mind, you look 90 per cent Dulcian,’ Kully chuckled ‘Your friends won’t recognise you.’
Zoe looked worried.’We’ll probably pass them going in the opposite direction.’
Kully led the way rapidly along the smooth deserted corridor. ‘Luckily I discovered some travel permits in Father’s pockets,’ he whispered, flourishing aome small plastic tokens. ‘All I have to do is forge his signature.’
‘Kully, you’re a shameless villain...’ Zoe giggled admiringly.
you arc an alien imposter,’ Kully grinned, seizing her hand and breaking into a trot...
Their huge figures lit by a lurid multicoloured glow, the Dominators were studying a large seismological map of the Island displayed in fluorescent graphics on a panel in their control centre. Five red stars forming a regular pattern pulsated rhythmically, and complex clusters of symbols and figures flashed up in ever-changing sequences over the map. Beside the display, two Quarks were operating a large computer terminal.
‘Depth of fourth bore revised in accordance with latest seismological data,’ Toba reported in a voice hushed with concentration.
Rago nodded, his leathery face a livid red in the glare from the screen and his green eyes piercingly intent. ‘Link with trajectory angles and collate detonation limits,’ he ordered quietly.
‘Command accepted. Computing now.’
The figures and symbols danced and flickered madly.
‘There must be no error,’ Rago warned in
Kully yawned. ‘Everything takes time on Dulkis.
Nothing’s eh rushed. Not any more,’ he mumbled.
Zoe clasped and unclasped her hands in frustration. ‘If what you told them about the robots is true...’
‘So even you don’t really believe me,’ Kully said disconsolately.
Zoe tousled her neat black hair. ‘I don’t know. I’m really worried. Jamie and the Doctor should have got here ages ago.’
‘Perhaps my imaginary robots have gobbled them both up!’ Kully chuckled.
Zoe gave a little sigh of apprehension.
‘Sorry,’ Kully said gloomily. ‘You don’t believe me. The Council don’t believe me. It’s my own fault, I suppose.’ He stared at the little heaps of sand on the floor by the chair.
Then he suddenly leaped out of the Director’s seat and grasped Zoe by the shoulders. ‘Would you come back to the Island with me?’ he asked earnestly.
Perplexed and miserable, Zoe gazed listlessly at his grimy bulbous features. ‘Why, what are you going to do?’
‘Bring back some evidence. Make them believe me before it’s too late. Will you come, Zoe?’
Zoe thought for a moment. ‘What kind of evidence?
Anyway, how could we get past your father and the Council out there?’ she objected.
Kully seized her hand and headed straight towards the blank wall of the Chamber. It dissolved in front of them and before she could resist, Kully dragged Zoe through.
‘We’ll go through my father’s private apartments,’ he explained.’ Then we’ll have to steal a capsule somehow...’
Suddenly Kully stopped. ‘Your clothes, Zoe... not exactly Dulcian, are they?’ he said with a frown.
Zoe glanced down at her tee-shirt and slacks and then at Kully’s shapeless, pleated tunic ‘No, I’m glad to say they’re not,’ she retorted indignantly.
‘They’ll give us away. We’ll never get past the Transport Monitors...’ Then Kully’s face brightened. You can borrow something from Zanta! She’s in the Antipodes’
‘Zanta?’ Zoe echoed doubtfully.
‘My younger sister,’ Kully explained. ‘You’re about the same size,’ he grinned. ‘Come on. ’
Five minute, later, as arranged, Zoo met Kully in the curved shimmering corridor outside Senex’s apartments.
Kully whistled approvingly. ‘At least you look more like a girl now.’
Zoe grimaced at her chunky pleats and rather loose sandals. ‘This clobber isn’t very practical, is it?’ she complained.
‘Never mind, you look 90 per cent Dulcian,’ Kully chuckled ‘Your friends won’t recognise you.’
Zoe looked worried.’We’ll probably pass them going in the opposite direction.’
Kully led the way rapidly along the smooth deserted corridor. ‘Luckily I discovered some travel permits in Father’s pockets,’ he whispered, flourishing aome small plastic tokens. ‘All I have to do is forge his signature.’
‘Kully, you’re a shameless villain...’ Zoe giggled admiringly.
you arc an alien imposter,’ Kully grinned, seizing her hand and breaking into a trot...
Their huge figures lit by a lurid multicoloured glow, the Dominators were studying a large seismological map of the Island displayed in fluorescent graphics on a panel in their control centre. Five red stars forming a regular pattern pulsated rhythmically, and complex clusters of symbols and figures flashed up in ever-changing sequences over the map. Beside the display, two Quarks were operating a large computer terminal.
‘Depth of fourth bore revised in accordance with latest seismological data,’ Toba reported in a voice hushed with concentration.
Rago nodded, his leathery face a livid red in the glare from the screen and his green eyes piercingly intent. ‘Link with trajectory angles and collate detonation limits,’ he ordered quietly.
‘Command accepted. Computing now.’
The figures and symbols danced and flickered madly.
‘There must be no error,’ Rago warned in
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