Read Online Doctor Who: The Rescue by Ian Marter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ian Marter
Ads: Link
Vicki hovered anxiously nearby.
‘Is he dead?’ Vicki asked in a quavering voice, wringing her hands.
Barbara finished checking Bennett’s pulse and laid her palm on his brow. ‘No, he’s alive,’ she replied eventually.
‘It must have been the effort of walking that made him collapse like that.’
‘If he does not recover...’ Vicki began. She bit her lip and gazed intently at Bennett’s pallid features.
Barbara loosened the round collar of his tight-fitting tunic. ‘Look, he’s coming round,’ she murmured as Bennett’s eyelids flickered. ‘How do you feel?’ she asked gently as the big man opened his eyes.
Bennett stared blankly up at her and his head lolled wearily from side to side.
‘This is Barbara...’ Vicki said, leaning tentatively over him.
Bennett nodded feebly. ‘Koquillion told me about your arrival,’ he told Barbara. ‘He killed your companions.’
Barbara’s lips trembled but she managed to keep herself detached from the awful possibility. ‘I’m sure... I’m sure they have survived somehow,’ she said, smiling bravely.
All at once Bennett raised a hand and pulled Barbara’s head down closer to his own. ‘Koquillion never makes mistakes,’ he rapped in a surprisingly alert tone.
Barbara freed herself and shrugged. ‘Well, he made a mistake about me, didn’t he!’ she retorted, with a glance at Vicki’s frightened face. ‘I don’t think he’s so infallible.
Next time the ugly brute shows up I think we ought to surprise him. He doesn’t know I’m here, so why don’t we set a trap of some kind and overpower him?’
Vicki’s face suddenly lit up with reborn determination and she clutched Bennett’s shoulder. ‘Bennett, that’s a wonderful idea isn’t it!’ she cried. ‘The three of us should be able to do something to avenge all those cold-blooded murders.’
Bennett’s pockmarked features creased with contempt.
‘No, it damn well is not a wonderful idea!’ he shouted.
‘Revenge is a barbaric affair. We humans should have no truck with anything so despicable.’
Barbara was shocked to see how instantly Vicki’s spirit was broken and how easily she was cowed. She rounded on Bennett. ‘It’s worth a try,’ she insisted. ‘What have you both got to lose anyway? You won’t be any the worse off if it fails.’
Bennett struggled into a sitting position. ‘Won’t we!’ he scoffed. ‘There is a rescue craft on its way, or has the stupid girl not told you that?’ He glared fiercely at the cowering Vicki. ‘We sit here quietly and do as Koquillion tells us and then perhaps we get a chance to escape... Go back to Earth or at least somewhere we can live decently.’
Vicki considered this for a moment and her chin jutted out defiantly. ‘But we could still go!’ she blurted out.
Bennett laughed cruelly. ‘You are a child. You have no knowledge of these things.’
‘Just a minute...’ Barbara interrupted.
But Bennett forged relentlessly on. ‘If we do dispose of Koquillion we gain nothing at all. And if things go wrong then he will kill us.’
Vicki’s frail body slumped in defeat. ‘Yes, yes, Bennett is right, Barbara.’
‘Of course I am right!’ Bennett shouted boorishly. ‘Just because I am injured and forced to lie on that bunk all the time you must not assume that I’ve lost the use of my brain!’
Barbara nodded and gave him a faint smile.
Bennett softened a little. ‘Would you be kind enough to assist me back to my quarters?’ he asked in a calmer voice.
The two girls helped him to his feet. It was no easy task manoeuvering the big man through the hatch and across the fantastic muddle of wreckage between the compartments. When they reached the hatch to Bennett’s quarters, he eased himself free.
‘You will obey Koquillion?’ he asked them earnestly.
‘You do realise what is at stake?’
Barbara nodded.
‘Thank you,’ he said.
‘I’ll help you to your bunk,’ Barbara offered.
‘No need. I can manage,’
‘Is he dead?’ Vicki asked in a quavering voice, wringing her hands.
Barbara finished checking Bennett’s pulse and laid her palm on his brow. ‘No, he’s alive,’ she replied eventually.
‘It must have been the effort of walking that made him collapse like that.’
‘If he does not recover...’ Vicki began. She bit her lip and gazed intently at Bennett’s pallid features.
Barbara loosened the round collar of his tight-fitting tunic. ‘Look, he’s coming round,’ she murmured as Bennett’s eyelids flickered. ‘How do you feel?’ she asked gently as the big man opened his eyes.
Bennett stared blankly up at her and his head lolled wearily from side to side.
‘This is Barbara...’ Vicki said, leaning tentatively over him.
Bennett nodded feebly. ‘Koquillion told me about your arrival,’ he told Barbara. ‘He killed your companions.’
Barbara’s lips trembled but she managed to keep herself detached from the awful possibility. ‘I’m sure... I’m sure they have survived somehow,’ she said, smiling bravely.
All at once Bennett raised a hand and pulled Barbara’s head down closer to his own. ‘Koquillion never makes mistakes,’ he rapped in a surprisingly alert tone.
Barbara freed herself and shrugged. ‘Well, he made a mistake about me, didn’t he!’ she retorted, with a glance at Vicki’s frightened face. ‘I don’t think he’s so infallible.
Next time the ugly brute shows up I think we ought to surprise him. He doesn’t know I’m here, so why don’t we set a trap of some kind and overpower him?’
Vicki’s face suddenly lit up with reborn determination and she clutched Bennett’s shoulder. ‘Bennett, that’s a wonderful idea isn’t it!’ she cried. ‘The three of us should be able to do something to avenge all those cold-blooded murders.’
Bennett’s pockmarked features creased with contempt.
‘No, it damn well is not a wonderful idea!’ he shouted.
‘Revenge is a barbaric affair. We humans should have no truck with anything so despicable.’
Barbara was shocked to see how instantly Vicki’s spirit was broken and how easily she was cowed. She rounded on Bennett. ‘It’s worth a try,’ she insisted. ‘What have you both got to lose anyway? You won’t be any the worse off if it fails.’
Bennett struggled into a sitting position. ‘Won’t we!’ he scoffed. ‘There is a rescue craft on its way, or has the stupid girl not told you that?’ He glared fiercely at the cowering Vicki. ‘We sit here quietly and do as Koquillion tells us and then perhaps we get a chance to escape... Go back to Earth or at least somewhere we can live decently.’
Vicki considered this for a moment and her chin jutted out defiantly. ‘But we could still go!’ she blurted out.
Bennett laughed cruelly. ‘You are a child. You have no knowledge of these things.’
‘Just a minute...’ Barbara interrupted.
But Bennett forged relentlessly on. ‘If we do dispose of Koquillion we gain nothing at all. And if things go wrong then he will kill us.’
Vicki’s frail body slumped in defeat. ‘Yes, yes, Bennett is right, Barbara.’
‘Of course I am right!’ Bennett shouted boorishly. ‘Just because I am injured and forced to lie on that bunk all the time you must not assume that I’ve lost the use of my brain!’
Barbara nodded and gave him a faint smile.
Bennett softened a little. ‘Would you be kind enough to assist me back to my quarters?’ he asked in a calmer voice.
The two girls helped him to his feet. It was no easy task manoeuvering the big man through the hatch and across the fantastic muddle of wreckage between the compartments. When they reached the hatch to Bennett’s quarters, he eased himself free.
‘You will obey Koquillion?’ he asked them earnestly.
‘You do realise what is at stake?’
Barbara nodded.
‘Thank you,’ he said.
‘I’ll help you to your bunk,’ Barbara offered.
‘No need. I can manage,’
Similar Books
