appears to be consulting a map of the grounds, and is making for the equipment sheds. Should we destroy him?’
Dr Stevens immediately realised the trick. All the shouting and drum banging at the front gates was a decoy. ‘No,’ he said into the phone. ‘Catch him, then tell me where to find him.’
He put down the phone. Was this anything to do with the Brigadier’s request for cutting gear? If so, he had a surprise up his sleeve.
The Doctor paused by the side of a building and looked at the sketch map again. He was, he calculated, now quite close to the equipment shed. Committing the route to memory he put the map into his pocket and strode along the side of the building. He knew he should shortly turn right and pass through a narrow passageway that ran between two buildings.
He turned the corner and saw the passageway. The equipment sheds, according to the map, were at the far end. From the distance he could hear the demonstrators shouting and singing. Smiling to himself he set off down the passageway. As he reached the middle a metal grille slammed across the way ahead of him. He wheeled round. Another metal grille closed behind him. He looked up to see if there was anywhere to climb. The face of Hinks grinned down at him from a low roof.
‘This is your friendly host,’ called Hinks. ‘We hope your stay at Panorama will be long and uncomfortable.’ He guffawed loudly. It was not often Hinks had the opportunity to make a joke.
Jo and Bert paused in their trudge along the mine.
‘Do you really think you’re going to find this old shaft?’ she asked.
Bert wiped the sweat from his brow. ‘I don’t know. Let’s take a breather.’
They both sank down, sitting on the floor with their backs to the wall.
‘Did you ever think of becoming anything else?’ Jo asked.
‘Than a miner?’ Bert gave a short laugh. ‘Oh yes, I thought about becoming a film star, or winning the football pools. Every man thinks about it, but not many actually do it.’
‘But it seems so dangerous,’ Jo said. ‘And such a terrible place to work.’
‘Think we’re simple-minded, do you?’ There was a gentle smile in his voice as he put the question.
‘I wouldn’t say that,’ she answered. ‘But... well, why do people become miners?’
‘You don’t get much choice,’ he said simply. ‘There’s some people get born in Buckingham Palace, and they becomes kings and queens, because that’s the family occupation. Us, we get born in a place like Llanfairfach, where our fathers and uncles all go down the pit. When you’re old enough you go down too, to show the world you’re a man. Daft, isn’t it?’
‘Not really,’ she said. ‘Someone has to get the coal.’
‘That’s true.’ He was quiet for a moment. ‘There’s more to it than that, miss. When you’re a miner you are part of one big family, and that’s a wonderful feeling. Every man in the pits knows his life depends on the other men. We live together, we die together, and’—he grinned broadly—‘by goodness if the people up top don’t treat us right, we go on strike together!’
‘It’s really like being a member of another nation,’ she said.
Bert got to his feet. ‘That’s exactly how it is, miss. There’s us down here, and there’s them up there.’ He stopped, and looked back the way they had come. ‘And there’s poor Dai where we left him, probably dead by now.’ He turned back to Jo. ‘Well, let’s see if we can find our way out of here, is it?’
Jo got up, and they continued to trudge down the long black gallery of the mine.
‘Who are you?’
Dr Stevens, flanked by Hinks and security guards, stared at the Doctor through the metal grille. Some little distance away Mark Elgin stood watching.
‘Most people call me the Doctor. And may I ask who you are, sir?’
‘My name is Stevens—Dr Stevens. I am the Director of this project.’
‘Delighted to meet you.’ The Doctor was about to put his hand through the grille
Dr Stevens immediately realised the trick. All the shouting and drum banging at the front gates was a decoy. ‘No,’ he said into the phone. ‘Catch him, then tell me where to find him.’
He put down the phone. Was this anything to do with the Brigadier’s request for cutting gear? If so, he had a surprise up his sleeve.
The Doctor paused by the side of a building and looked at the sketch map again. He was, he calculated, now quite close to the equipment shed. Committing the route to memory he put the map into his pocket and strode along the side of the building. He knew he should shortly turn right and pass through a narrow passageway that ran between two buildings.
He turned the corner and saw the passageway. The equipment sheds, according to the map, were at the far end. From the distance he could hear the demonstrators shouting and singing. Smiling to himself he set off down the passageway. As he reached the middle a metal grille slammed across the way ahead of him. He wheeled round. Another metal grille closed behind him. He looked up to see if there was anywhere to climb. The face of Hinks grinned down at him from a low roof.
‘This is your friendly host,’ called Hinks. ‘We hope your stay at Panorama will be long and uncomfortable.’ He guffawed loudly. It was not often Hinks had the opportunity to make a joke.
Jo and Bert paused in their trudge along the mine.
‘Do you really think you’re going to find this old shaft?’ she asked.
Bert wiped the sweat from his brow. ‘I don’t know. Let’s take a breather.’
They both sank down, sitting on the floor with their backs to the wall.
‘Did you ever think of becoming anything else?’ Jo asked.
‘Than a miner?’ Bert gave a short laugh. ‘Oh yes, I thought about becoming a film star, or winning the football pools. Every man thinks about it, but not many actually do it.’
‘But it seems so dangerous,’ Jo said. ‘And such a terrible place to work.’
‘Think we’re simple-minded, do you?’ There was a gentle smile in his voice as he put the question.
‘I wouldn’t say that,’ she answered. ‘But... well, why do people become miners?’
‘You don’t get much choice,’ he said simply. ‘There’s some people get born in Buckingham Palace, and they becomes kings and queens, because that’s the family occupation. Us, we get born in a place like Llanfairfach, where our fathers and uncles all go down the pit. When you’re old enough you go down too, to show the world you’re a man. Daft, isn’t it?’
‘Not really,’ she said. ‘Someone has to get the coal.’
‘That’s true.’ He was quiet for a moment. ‘There’s more to it than that, miss. When you’re a miner you are part of one big family, and that’s a wonderful feeling. Every man in the pits knows his life depends on the other men. We live together, we die together, and’—he grinned broadly—‘by goodness if the people up top don’t treat us right, we go on strike together!’
‘It’s really like being a member of another nation,’ she said.
Bert got to his feet. ‘That’s exactly how it is, miss. There’s us down here, and there’s them up there.’ He stopped, and looked back the way they had come. ‘And there’s poor Dai where we left him, probably dead by now.’ He turned back to Jo. ‘Well, let’s see if we can find our way out of here, is it?’
Jo got up, and they continued to trudge down the long black gallery of the mine.
‘Who are you?’
Dr Stevens, flanked by Hinks and security guards, stared at the Doctor through the metal grille. Some little distance away Mark Elgin stood watching.
‘Most people call me the Doctor. And may I ask who you are, sir?’
‘My name is Stevens—Dr Stevens. I am the Director of this project.’
‘Delighted to meet you.’ The Doctor was about to put his hand through the grille
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