Read Online Doctor Who: The Green Death by Malcolm Hulke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Malcolm Hulke
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awful!’
‘Good grief!’ the Doctor exclaimed. ‘We must get out of here.’
‘We can never get to the old shaft,’ said Jo, ‘not through that pool of filth.’
‘We’re not going to try,’ said the Doctor. ‘I think I can remember how I got here. We must go back.’
The Doctor swung Jo round to re-trace their route. As they turned to leave, rocks in the wall of the tunnel ahead started to dislodge. Instinctively they both stood still. Now a large piece of rock fell from the wall, pushed from behind by a thick river of the green slimy liquid. In a moment the liquid had spilt across the floor of the mine, cutting off their escape route. Then, from the gap left by the dislodged rock, three maggots oozed out and fell squirming on the floor. Jo recoiled from the sight of the creatures.
‘What is it about those things?’ she screamed. ‘I can’t even stand looking at them!’
‘Try to keep calm, Jo,’ said the Doctor. ‘A maggot is a perfectly ordinary creature, even if these are two feet long. They revolt you because they make you think of things that are rotten and decaying.’
‘Do you think we could discuss my psychological reactions some other time?’ she begged. ‘Let’s start talking about getting out of here.’ Her knees were still trembling with fear.
‘Well,’ said the Doctor, ‘there’s that thing over there.’ The Doctor pointed towards an upturned coal tub, its wheels pointing towards the mine roof. ‘If we can get it back on to its rails, we might stand a chance.’
The Doctor crossed to the coal tub, looked about and saw a wooden stave lying on the floor. ‘Now give me a hand,’ he called to Jo. ‘This is going to take a lot of effort.’
Using the stave as a lever, they pushed together to turn the coal tub back on to its wheels. The Doctor got his hands under one end of the coal tub and heaved, moving that end of the tub a few inches nearer to the track.
‘Doctor,’ said Jo, who had just looked over her shoulder, ‘that stuff’s coming closer.’
It was true. Where they saw the rock dislodged the green slime was now pouring in. As Jo looked, two more maggots oozed out of the hole in the mine wall and fell squirming and writhing on the floor.
‘Try to think about something pleasant,’ said the Doctor as he went to the other end of the heavy coal tub. ‘It’ll take your mind off things.’ He got his hands under the end of the tub, heaved, and brought that end within an inch of the track. ‘A couple more goes and I—should have done it,’ he said, adding ‘without much help from you.’
Jo suddenly realised she was panicking and not helping. ‘I’m sorry, Doctor. I’ll give you a hand.’
‘Two would be better,’ he said, ‘under here where I’ve got mine.’
Together they lifted an end of the tub, and this time settled two of the four wheels on to the railway track. They ran round to the other end of the tub, repeated the process and now had all four wheels on the track.
‘Now,’ said the Doctor, ‘climb on board.’
Jo saw that the railway track ran straight into the main pool of green writhing slime. ‘We’re going to go through that?’
‘The track doesn’t go any other way,’ said the Doctor. He got into the coal tub. ‘Are you going to join me?’ He held out his hand to help her in. ‘Ever done any punting?’
She climbed into the tub. ‘Punting?’
‘Watch me.’ The Doctor held the wooden stave over the side of the tub and pushed it hard against the floor. The tub started to move freely along its little track, straight into the pool of slime.
‘I feel sick,’ said Jo.
‘Then pretend you’re at sea and lean over the side,’ said the Doctor. ‘Now, here we go!’
He drove the punt into the floor again and pushed with all his weight. The truck went along through the pool of slime. The maggots, sensing danger, turned towards the coal tub. Wide toothless mouths opened, and they snapped at the wheels. The Doctor pushed the
‘Good grief!’ the Doctor exclaimed. ‘We must get out of here.’
‘We can never get to the old shaft,’ said Jo, ‘not through that pool of filth.’
‘We’re not going to try,’ said the Doctor. ‘I think I can remember how I got here. We must go back.’
The Doctor swung Jo round to re-trace their route. As they turned to leave, rocks in the wall of the tunnel ahead started to dislodge. Instinctively they both stood still. Now a large piece of rock fell from the wall, pushed from behind by a thick river of the green slimy liquid. In a moment the liquid had spilt across the floor of the mine, cutting off their escape route. Then, from the gap left by the dislodged rock, three maggots oozed out and fell squirming on the floor. Jo recoiled from the sight of the creatures.
‘What is it about those things?’ she screamed. ‘I can’t even stand looking at them!’
‘Try to keep calm, Jo,’ said the Doctor. ‘A maggot is a perfectly ordinary creature, even if these are two feet long. They revolt you because they make you think of things that are rotten and decaying.’
‘Do you think we could discuss my psychological reactions some other time?’ she begged. ‘Let’s start talking about getting out of here.’ Her knees were still trembling with fear.
‘Well,’ said the Doctor, ‘there’s that thing over there.’ The Doctor pointed towards an upturned coal tub, its wheels pointing towards the mine roof. ‘If we can get it back on to its rails, we might stand a chance.’
The Doctor crossed to the coal tub, looked about and saw a wooden stave lying on the floor. ‘Now give me a hand,’ he called to Jo. ‘This is going to take a lot of effort.’
Using the stave as a lever, they pushed together to turn the coal tub back on to its wheels. The Doctor got his hands under one end of the coal tub and heaved, moving that end of the tub a few inches nearer to the track.
‘Doctor,’ said Jo, who had just looked over her shoulder, ‘that stuff’s coming closer.’
It was true. Where they saw the rock dislodged the green slime was now pouring in. As Jo looked, two more maggots oozed out of the hole in the mine wall and fell squirming and writhing on the floor.
‘Try to think about something pleasant,’ said the Doctor as he went to the other end of the heavy coal tub. ‘It’ll take your mind off things.’ He got his hands under the end of the tub, heaved, and brought that end within an inch of the track. ‘A couple more goes and I—should have done it,’ he said, adding ‘without much help from you.’
Jo suddenly realised she was panicking and not helping. ‘I’m sorry, Doctor. I’ll give you a hand.’
‘Two would be better,’ he said, ‘under here where I’ve got mine.’
Together they lifted an end of the tub, and this time settled two of the four wheels on to the railway track. They ran round to the other end of the tub, repeated the process and now had all four wheels on the track.
‘Now,’ said the Doctor, ‘climb on board.’
Jo saw that the railway track ran straight into the main pool of green writhing slime. ‘We’re going to go through that?’
‘The track doesn’t go any other way,’ said the Doctor. He got into the coal tub. ‘Are you going to join me?’ He held out his hand to help her in. ‘Ever done any punting?’
She climbed into the tub. ‘Punting?’
‘Watch me.’ The Doctor held the wooden stave over the side of the tub and pushed it hard against the floor. The tub started to move freely along its little track, straight into the pool of slime.
‘I feel sick,’ said Jo.
‘Then pretend you’re at sea and lean over the side,’ said the Doctor. ‘Now, here we go!’
He drove the punt into the floor again and pushed with all his weight. The truck went along through the pool of slime. The maggots, sensing danger, turned towards the coal tub. Wide toothless mouths opened, and they snapped at the wheels. The Doctor pushed the
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