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.‘His six minutes are almost up.’Hovering in the blackness of space, bones and mind chilled with its icy cold, the Doctor had thought of a way to help himself.It was a ridiculously small chance, but it was all he had.With numbed fingers, he unfastened the other end of the now useless safety-line and cast it from him, watching it shake away into space.Carefully, he took the cricket ball from his pocket, fumbling and almost dropping it.Drawing back his arm he hurled the ball at the ship with all his strength.Unimpeded by air-resistance the ball flashed through the void, struck the side of the space ship, rebounded—and the Doctor caught it on the rebound, a perfect catch.Its momentum carried him gently up to the TARDIS.Watched by a delighted audience, Adric from the hatchway, Bigon and the others at the porthole, the Doctor caught hold of the TARDIS door, fished out his key, opened the door and climbed carefully inside.Monarch, a less than delighted audience, was watching the same scene on his throne room monitors.‘I am not without agility, Doctor.’ And rising with some effort, Monarch descended the steps of his throne.Trapped inside the TARDIS, Tegan had undergone almost every conceivable emotion.She had tried keeping calm, reversing the sequence of actions that had got her in this fix.Nothing happened.She had flung herself at the TARDIS console, hitting every switch in sight.Still nothing.She had forced herself to be calm and study the instruction manual, only to find that she couldn’t understand a word of it.She had erupted into hysterical rage, snatching off her shoes throwing them to the ground and jumping up and down on them.Apart from hurting her feet, that hadn’t achieved anything either.Finally Tegan had slumped to the floor in a kind of despairing coma.There was plenty of food and water in the TARDIS, unlimited room.She would stay here, all alone until she grew old and died—unless some of those nasties from the ship managed to get at her.When the door started to open, Tegan leapt to her feet, fearing the worst.When the Doctor came in she rushed joyously up to him.‘Doctor, how on earth.’Thrusting his space-pack at her, the Doctor hurried to the console, brushing her aside.‘Do be quiet, Tegan,’ he said unchivalrously.‘You’re spoiling my concentration!’The Doctor studied the console, making delicately minute adjustments—easier to travel to another planet, another time than to cross those few metres of space to Monarch’s ship.‘Come on old girl,’ he breathed.‘Come on! Don’t let me down now!’The time rotor began to move.The most spectacular recreational in the history of Monarch’s voyages was still continuing unabated.The fighters fought, the dancers danced, and the dragon weaved its way in and out of the crowd.Angrily Monarch thrust his way through the gyrating throng—and stopped in astonishment when he heard a strange sound.The TARDIS was materialising before his eyes.As the time rotor came to a halt the Doctor snapped,‘Tegan, bring that space-pack.Come to think of it, bring another.’Obediently Tegan went and fetched another pack.‘What are we doing, Doctor?’‘Rescuing Adric and Nyssa.Do exactly what I tell you, and do it quickly.’‘Right,’ said Tegan with unexpected meekness.When the Doctor took charge, she thought, he really took charge.The Doctor and Tegan emerged from the TARDIS and saw Monarch glaring at them from the far side of the room.‘You sentimental fool, Doctor,’ shouted Monarch above the din.He raised his voice again.‘Control! Cut all life-support atmosphere.’ Monarch disappeared into the crowd.‘Quick, this way,’ shouted the Doctor, and dragged Tegan away.The Doctor and Tegan rushed into the Mobilliary to find Adric and Nyssa, surrounded by Bigon, Kurkutji, Lin Futu and the Mayan Princess Villagra.‘We are concerned for your friends,’ said Bigon.‘Monarch has cut the life-support systems.We do not need to breathe, but they.’Adric was still wearing his space-suit, though without the helmet on as yet.They had brought two helmets, and Adric had his own.Three helmets, four people, thought the Doctor.‘Lin Futu, have you a spare helmet?’‘One, but it is in pieces.’‘Assemble it please, as quickly as you can.’Lin Futu hurried off, and the Doctor handed Nyssa the spare space-pack and gave Tegan his own.‘Get them on, you two.Adric, get that helmet back on!’As the three companions obeyed, Tegan asked.‘What about you, Doctor?’Already the Doctor was having difficulty with his breathing.‘I can go into a trance.reduce the need for oxygen.’The Doctor sank to the floor, sitting there cross-legged, breathing shallowly.The others waited.‘Adric!’ called Nyssa.‘What is it?’‘My oxygen’s running out.’‘Don’t talk,’ whispered Adric.‘Be still.’The Doctor’s breathing became shallower, more irregular.Lin Futu hurried in with a helmet of a design similar to those used by the Doctor.The airline had become detached and Lin Futu began reassembling it.Monarch felt secure when he was back on his throne.He sealed the doors and ordered the life-support system to be restored—just in the throne room.‘All I have to do now is wait—and that is something I do very well indeed.’Working swiftly, Adric and Lin Futu completed the repairs to the helmet and slipped it over the Doctor’s head.The flow of oxygen revived him with remarkable speed and he leapt to his feet.‘Thank you, you two! Bigon, can you change the course of this ship?’‘Where to, Doctor?’‘Back to Urbanka?’Bigon smiled and nodded.‘Good.As soon as it’s done, meet me in the reception hall.’Bigon hurried away.The Doctor went over to the mounted poison flask and lifted it carefully from the wall.‘Monarch’s poison, Adric, the only danger left on this ship.Be very careful with it.’‘What do we want it for?’‘We can’t just leave it about.Anyway, I want to analyse it.’‘Right,’ said Adric.Gingerly he took the flask.The Doctor winked at the hovering monopticon.‘I’d go home if I were you, you won’t stand an earthly where we’re going!’Monarch greeted the simple jest with a snarl of rage.‘Confound you, Doctor!’ He rose.‘Control, restore all life-support.’ Taking a ray-gun from a hidden locker, he descended the steps of the throne.The Doctor turned to Lin Futu, Kirkutji and Princess Villagra.‘Come on, let’s go to the TARDIS.As soon as Bigon arrives, I’m taking you back to Earth.The Urbankans can just go back where they came from!’The Doctor led them all from the room, Adric carrying the flask.The monster recreational was still going on when they arrived back in the hall.Perhaps it would go on forever, thought the Doctor.Perhaps the androids would dance and fight all the way back to Urbanka.It would help to keep poor old Monarch amused [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]