Read Online Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace by Nigel Robinson - Free Book Online
Authors: Nigel Robinson
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softly.
Ramo turned around. ‘Doctor!’ he gasped and was about to call out after the guards when the Doctor raised a hand of caution.
‘We’re both of us on the some side, Ramo,’ he claimed.
‘You distrust Zaroff out of instinct. I distrust him because I know the truth.’
Ramo looked curiously at the Doctor. ‘Why should I trust you, a stranger to our people?’
‘That’s a very good question,’ granted the Doctor. ‘I only wish I could think of a very good answer..
Ramo considered the Doctor’s hopeful, smiling face for a moment and then said, ‘All right, tell me what you know.’
The Doctor looked around the temple. ‘Can we talk here?’ he asked.
‘I know a place where we shall not be interrupted. Come along with me.’
5
An Audience With The King
Keeping to the darkest tunnels for fear that anyone should see them, Ramo took the Doctor to his private quarters. As suited the personality of their occupant, they were sparsely furnished: a bed, a table and a chair, and a small fire in the centre of the room. Ramo spent most of his time in prayer; he had no need for the material comforts which his masters enjoyed.
‘We shall not be disturbed here,’ he promised the Doctor. ‘Now tell me what you’ve found out about Zaroff.’
The Doctor looked around the room, noticing the wall lights. ‘Tell me,’ he asked. ‘Where does the light come from? Is it electricity?’
‘Electricity?’ The word came strangely to Ramo’s lips.
‘All I know is that it is a power Zaroff has given us. He says that it is a force that comes from the matter all around us, from the very heart of things.’
Nuclear power, thought the Doctor, and felt a genuine sense of respect for Zaroff s achievements. But Ramo was pressing him.
‘Zaroff says he’s going to raise Atlantis, doesn’t he?’ the Doctor asked rhetorically. ‘Well, that’s not quite true...
Zaroff has a brilliant mind – if he had a brain in it. He intends to do just the reverse – he intends to destroy Atlantis!’
Ramo’s interest was aroused by the undoubted urgency in the Doctor’s voice but he was not yet convinced. ‘How can he destroy it? We have survived flood and catastrophe for over three thousand years.’
‘He intends to drill a hole in the Earth’s crust and drain away the ocean. Have you any idea what will happen if he does?’ Ramo shook his head. ‘Well then, let me show you.’
The Doctor crossed over to the table and picked up an earthenware pot which was filled with water. He screwed the lid on tight and placed the pot on a tripod over the fee.
‘Imagine that this pot is the Earth and that the water inside is the ocean,’ he said. ‘Now, the centre of the earth is hot, far hotter than this fire. So what happens?’
‘This is mere child’s play,’ protested Ramo. ‘What has it to do with the Project?’
The Doctor raised his hands heavenwards, despairing of the priest’s dimness. ‘But don’t you see, Ramo? This pot is the Project!’ He pointed to the pot. The boiling water inside it was already causing it to shake on the tripod.
‘Watch. The water’s beginning to boil – but the steam can’t get out.’
‘And so?’ Even now Ramo couldn’t quite see what the Doctor was trying to prove.
‘I think we’d better stand a little further back,’ advised the Doctor and took the priest to the far corner of the room.
Suddenly with an ear-slitting crack! the pot exploded, sending shards of debris flying off in all directions.
For a moment neither man said anything. The Doctor glanced over at Ramo: the priest was visibly shaken and his already pale face was even whiter.
‘This is what will happen,’ said the Doctor. ‘Zaroff does indeed intend to raise Atlantis – but in little pieces.’
‘You swear this is true?’ Ramo’s voice was trembling.
‘Well, I thought I might mention it... Of course, if you don’t mind being blown up..
The Doctor looked at Ramo again. He had
Ramo turned around. ‘Doctor!’ he gasped and was about to call out after the guards when the Doctor raised a hand of caution.
‘We’re both of us on the some side, Ramo,’ he claimed.
‘You distrust Zaroff out of instinct. I distrust him because I know the truth.’
Ramo looked curiously at the Doctor. ‘Why should I trust you, a stranger to our people?’
‘That’s a very good question,’ granted the Doctor. ‘I only wish I could think of a very good answer..
Ramo considered the Doctor’s hopeful, smiling face for a moment and then said, ‘All right, tell me what you know.’
The Doctor looked around the temple. ‘Can we talk here?’ he asked.
‘I know a place where we shall not be interrupted. Come along with me.’
5
An Audience With The King
Keeping to the darkest tunnels for fear that anyone should see them, Ramo took the Doctor to his private quarters. As suited the personality of their occupant, they were sparsely furnished: a bed, a table and a chair, and a small fire in the centre of the room. Ramo spent most of his time in prayer; he had no need for the material comforts which his masters enjoyed.
‘We shall not be disturbed here,’ he promised the Doctor. ‘Now tell me what you’ve found out about Zaroff.’
The Doctor looked around the room, noticing the wall lights. ‘Tell me,’ he asked. ‘Where does the light come from? Is it electricity?’
‘Electricity?’ The word came strangely to Ramo’s lips.
‘All I know is that it is a power Zaroff has given us. He says that it is a force that comes from the matter all around us, from the very heart of things.’
Nuclear power, thought the Doctor, and felt a genuine sense of respect for Zaroff s achievements. But Ramo was pressing him.
‘Zaroff says he’s going to raise Atlantis, doesn’t he?’ the Doctor asked rhetorically. ‘Well, that’s not quite true...
Zaroff has a brilliant mind – if he had a brain in it. He intends to do just the reverse – he intends to destroy Atlantis!’
Ramo’s interest was aroused by the undoubted urgency in the Doctor’s voice but he was not yet convinced. ‘How can he destroy it? We have survived flood and catastrophe for over three thousand years.’
‘He intends to drill a hole in the Earth’s crust and drain away the ocean. Have you any idea what will happen if he does?’ Ramo shook his head. ‘Well then, let me show you.’
The Doctor crossed over to the table and picked up an earthenware pot which was filled with water. He screwed the lid on tight and placed the pot on a tripod over the fee.
‘Imagine that this pot is the Earth and that the water inside is the ocean,’ he said. ‘Now, the centre of the earth is hot, far hotter than this fire. So what happens?’
‘This is mere child’s play,’ protested Ramo. ‘What has it to do with the Project?’
The Doctor raised his hands heavenwards, despairing of the priest’s dimness. ‘But don’t you see, Ramo? This pot is the Project!’ He pointed to the pot. The boiling water inside it was already causing it to shake on the tripod.
‘Watch. The water’s beginning to boil – but the steam can’t get out.’
‘And so?’ Even now Ramo couldn’t quite see what the Doctor was trying to prove.
‘I think we’d better stand a little further back,’ advised the Doctor and took the priest to the far corner of the room.
Suddenly with an ear-slitting crack! the pot exploded, sending shards of debris flying off in all directions.
For a moment neither man said anything. The Doctor glanced over at Ramo: the priest was visibly shaken and his already pale face was even whiter.
‘This is what will happen,’ said the Doctor. ‘Zaroff does indeed intend to raise Atlantis – but in little pieces.’
‘You swear this is true?’ Ramo’s voice was trembling.
‘Well, I thought I might mention it... Of course, if you don’t mind being blown up..
The Doctor looked at Ramo again. He had
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