Victoria gave him a happy smile, and rushed to the TARDIS’ clothing locker, which held garments in every imaginable size to suit every possible climate. Soon the two of them were kitted out like polar explorers in warm, fur-lined anoraks, with fur gloves and fur-lined boots.
Victoria rushed to the door. ‘Come on, Jamie!’
‘Just a wee moment.’ Jamie went back to the big chest, and rummaged inside. He fished out a huge curved sword – a kind of Turkish scimitar.
‘What on earth do you want that for?’
‘Aye, well, ye never know what ye’ll run in to.’ Grasping the sword firmly, Jamie ushered Victoria outside. If there was something dangerous out there, he was ready for it.
Standing on the little ledge, Victoria looked entranced at the panorama of mountain scenery spread out before them. ‘Look how clear everything is, Jamie. Even the furthest peaks seem close enough to touch. Aren’t the Himalayas beautiful?’
‘Aye, well, they’re no’ so bad.’ As far as Jamie was concerned there were bigger and better mountains at home in Scotland.
‘Let’s climb a little higher, Jamie. Maybe we’ll see the Doctor coming back.’
They scrambled up the mountain track, which became steeper and narrower. Suddenly Victoria stopped. ‘Jamie, look!’ She pointed downwards. Just to one side of the path was an area of churned-up snow. Leading away from it was a set of enormous footprints. They stooped to examine them.
Jamie whistled. ‘Will you look at the size of that? Something’s been prowling round here, right enough. A bear, mebbe.’
Suddenly Victoria gave a little gasp of excitement. ‘Jamie! Perhaps it’s the Yeti – the Abominable Snowman!’
‘The abominable what?’
‘There have been stories and legends about them in the Himalayas for ages. Huge furry creatures. Something between a bear, an ape and a man. Let’s track it, Jamie!’
‘We will not! Look at those footprints. Ye can see how big the beastie must be.’
Victoria jumped up and down in excitement. ‘You don’t understand, Jamie. People have been trying to find the Abominable Snowman for ages. Scientific expeditions and everything. No one’s succeeded. It’d be marvellous if we found it.’
‘That’s all verra well. Suppose it finds us first?’
‘There’s nothing to worry about, Jamie. All the reports say it’s a timid creature. It’ll run as soon as it sees us.’ Jamie still looked dubious. Cunningly, Victoria continued, ‘Of course, if you’re afraid…’
Jamie was outraged. ‘Me? Afraid? I’ll have you know, my girl, we Highlanders fear nothing. Come on!’ Brandishing his sword, Jamie set off. Victoria smiled to herself, and followed him.
The trail of huge footprints led them higher and higher up the mountain slope. They scrambled over boulders and across icy patches. The creature they were following was obviously strong and agile, able to move over the roughest ground. Eventually, the tracks led them straight into the side of the mountain. They found themselves at the entrance to a small cave. ‘Well, there you are then,’ said Jamie. ‘That’s where the beastie lives.’
Victoria peered curiously into the darkness of the cave mouth. Just to the right of it stood a huge boulder, just a little larger than the cave mouth itself. ‘It looks almost like a door,’ said Victoria. ‘Couldn’t we just have a quick look inside the cave?’
‘And mebbe wake the beastie up? We’ll do no such thing. Come on, my girl, it’s back to the TARDIS for us.’ Obediently Victoria started back down the mountainside. On second thoughts, she was rather pleased not to be going inside that dark cave. There was something rather spooky about it. Suddenly she realised that Jamie wasn’t following her. He had moved closer to the cave entrance, and was looking inside.
‘Hey, Victoria, look at this. Just inside the cave. Wooden beams!’
Victoria came to join him. Intrigued, Jamie went up to the cave entrance. ‘Aye, it’s beams, right enough. Kind of supports. Mebbe this thing we’re following is no’ a beastie after all.’ And before Victoria could stop him, Jamie plunged into the darkness of the cave.
‘Come back, Jamie,’ she called. ‘You said we should go back to the TARDIS.’
Jamie’s voice came from within the cave, booming hollowly. ‘That was when I thought we were tracking a wild animal. I’m no’ afraid of a man.’
Victoria decided that she was more frightened of being left outside than of going in. She followed Jamie into the cave. Actually it turned out to be more of a tunnel leading into the heart of the mountain, just inside the entrance the walls were supported by what looked like pit-props. They could see other props further down the tunnel. Jamie examined the nearest beam curiously. ‘Now what kind of a beastie builds a thing like this?’
There came a grinding noise from the cave entrance. A huge shadow fell across the light, blocking it out completely. Suddenly they were in darkness. Victoria clutched Jamie’s arm in fear. ‘What is it? What’s happened?’
It took Jamie a moment to work things out. Then he realised. ‘You remember yon big rock by the entrance… the one you said looked like a door?’ Victoria nodded. ‘Well,’ said Jamie grimly, ‘someone’s just shut that door!’
Outside the cave, two huge hairy paws finished jamming the boulder into place. Then a massive shaggy form turned and lumbered away down the mountainside.
By dragging the wooden bed under the window, putting the wooden stool on the bed, and climbing on top of the stool, the Doctor was just able to peer out of the high barred window of his cell. He looked down on the courtyard far below. He grasped the bars and shook them but they were set firmly in the stone-framed window.
There was a rattle from behind the Doctor, and a barred grille in his cell door slid open. He turned and saw the face of Travers peering through at him.
‘It’s a forty-foot drop down there, you know,’ said Travers. ‘There’s no way out.’
The Doctor clambered down from his perch. ‘I didn’t really think there would be.’ He smiled placidly at Travers, who glared back at him, and asked fiercely, ‘How did you track me down?’
‘My dear chap, I don’t even know who you are.’
There was a sharp note of hysteria in Travers’ reply. ‘Don’t you play the innocent with me. You all laughed at me, didn’t you? “Travers, the mad anthropologist!” And now that I’m close to success, you want to steal my glory. Just as I’ve found them at last.’
‘Found what?’
‘You know what I’m talking about. They’re here, on this mountain. The Yeti – the Abominable Snowmen.’
The Doctor nodded. ‘Yes, I rather thought they might be. But don’t you see, my dear fellow, that makes nonsense of your accusing me. Obviously, a Yeti attacked your camp.’
‘Nonsense! The Yeti are timid, harmless creatures. Everyone knows that.’
The Doctor tried another tack. ‘Whoever – whatever – attacked your camp and killed your poor friend must have had enormous strength. Isn’t that so?’
Reluctantly, Travers nodded. The Doctor rose to his modest height and spread out his hands. ‘Well, could I have done it? Could I? Just look at me!’ The Doctor could almost see the self-evident truth of this statement fighting to get through to Travers’ brain. All at once, a look of childish cunning came over Travers’ face. ‘Not going to discuss it any longer. I’ve got work to do. And as for you, while you’re safely locked up here, you won’t be able to steal my credit.’ Abruptly Travers’ face disappeared and the grille slammed shut. The Doctor sighed, stretched out on the hard, lumpy mattress, and prepared for a little doze.
At that very moment, the Doctor was the subject of fierce discussion. In the nearby Great Hall, Khrisong and Thomni were confronting a group of older men in saffron-coloured robes. These were lamas, the priests of Det-sen Monastery, whose lives were spent in peaceful meditation and prayer. Despite their gentle and unworldly manner they had a sort of spiritual strength, a kind of gentle obstinacy, that never failed to infuriate Khrisong. H
e leaned forward urgently in an attempt to carry his point.
‘We have the word of the Englishman, Travers. Why should he lie?’
Sapan, oldest and wisest of the lamas said gently, ‘The man Travers has had a most terrible experience. His mind has been affected. The man is consumed with fear and ambition. He has strayed far from the way of truth!’
Khrisong’s voice was fierce. ‘The death of Travers’ companion is the latest of many deaths. You know how many of our brethren have been killed. We live in terror. The Abbot has sent away most of the brethren to other monasteries for their own safety. The pilgrims, the travellers, the merchants come no more to Det-sen. Only a handful of us remain. My warriors, who fear nothing – and you…’ Khrisong broke off in confusion.
Rinchen, another old monk, smiled gently. ‘We who are so old and feeble and useless that death holds no terrors.’
Khrisong said gruffly, ‘I mean no disrespect, holy one. You know that all I have said is true.’
‘Indeed it is, my son. But we agreed, did we not, that the Yeti were the cause of all our troubles?’
‘True, Rinchen. And we wondered why. They were so rarely seen, so timid. Suddenly they became savage. Now here is this stranger, and Travers accuses him. I ask you again, let me put this man to the proof.’
Sapan shook his head. ‘You ask us to condemn a man to almost certain death.’
‘I am chief warrior. It is my duty to protect you.’
‘Not by taking a man’s life,’ said Sapan firmly. ‘You cannot use a human as live bait.’
Khrisong leaped to his feet. ‘If it is necessary – yes, I demand that you…’
Sapan spoke quietly as always, but there was an authority in his voice that made Khrisong fall silent. ‘No, Khrisong. The price is too high.’ There was a murmur of assent from the other lamas, which was interrupted by the boom of a temple gong.
‘Come, my brothers,’ said Sapan placidly. ‘It is time for prayer.’ He turned to Khrisong. ‘After our meditations, I shall consult with the Abbot.’ The little group of lamas filed from the room. Once they were gone, Khrisong exploded with rage.
‘This is madness. Must more of our brothers die before we act?’
Thomni looked at him in astonishment. ‘But the holy ones have decided. There is no other way.’
‘There is for me,’ said Khrisong. ‘Let them meditate. Let them consult. I, Khrisong will act. Bring me the prisoner!’
Panting with exhaustion, Jamie abandoned his attempt to shift the boulder that blocked their exit. ‘Och, it’s no use. I canna shift it at all.’ Victoria shivered beside him in the darkness, wishing desperately that they’d never left the TARDIS.
‘Jamie, what are we going to do now?’
Jamie considered. What was it that the Doctor was always on about? The exercise of logical thought. ‘Well, since we canna go back, and we dinna want to stay here – we’ll just have to go forward, or rather I will. There’s mebbe another exit!’
‘But there might be more of those things in there.’
‘Aye, there might. That’s why I want you to wait here. Just yell if you need me.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Victoria. ‘I’ll yell all right.’
Jamie gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Gripping his sword tightly, he set off down the dark tunnel.
For quite a while he had to feel his way along the walls. Then, to his astonishment, he saw a gleam of light ahead of him. Not daylight, though. More a kind of eerie glow. Summoning up all his courage, he moved towards it. As the glow grew brighter he saw that it came from the entrance to some kind of chamber leading off the tunnel. Jamie moved to the entrance, and then stepped inside, looking round in wonder.
He was in a completely circular cave with smooth stone walls. In the centre of the cave stood the source of the light – a little pile of silver spheres, arranged as a pyramid. Each of the spheres was glowing gently, and their combined radiance lit up the cave. Wonderingly, Jamie approached the spheres. He was just reaching out to touch one when a sudden scream echoed down the tunnel.
‘Jamie! Jamie, come back!’ He turned and ran down the tunnel towards the sound of Victoria’s voice.
As he dashed up to her he saw that a rim of light was appearing around the edge of the boulder. He could hear the noise of rock grinding on rock. ‘It’s coming back,’ whispered Victoria fearfully. ‘It’s taking away the boulder.’
‘Aye, that it is,’ said Jamie. ‘You flatten yourself against the wall. It’ll likely go past without seeing you.’
‘But what about you?’
Jamie hefted his sword. ‘I’ll give yon beastie a welcome it doesna expect.’
Jamie backed away as the boulder was swung completely clear. Light flooded into the tunnel, silhouetting the enormous shaggy figure in the cave mouth. With a blood-curdling roar, claws outstretched, it bore down on Jamie. Gripping his sword in both hands, the Highlander brought it round in a savage slashing cut that should have struck the beast’s head from its shoulders. But to Jamie’s amazement the sword simply bounced off, as though the creature was made of steel. The Yeti lunged forward, wrenched the sword from Jamie’s grasp, and snapped it in two like a matchstick. Remorselessly the Yeti lumbered forward, clawed hands outstretched to grasp him…
3
Live Bait to Catch a Monster
Jamie backed away before the advancing Yeti. ‘Stay back, Victoria!’ he yelled. ‘I canna stop it!’ Terrified of being separated from Jamie, Victoria edged along the wall of the tunnel. She was actually following behind the Yeti, which didn’t seem to have noticed her. Jamie retreated along the tunnel as far as the inner cave. Trying to run backwards, he crashed full into one of the pit-props supporting the tunnel. A trickle of rubble fell from the tunnel roof. The Yeti suddenly stopped, as if alarmed by the falling rock.
Jamie flung his arms round the base of the loose beam and pulled with all his might. It shifted! There was a steady rumble as more rubble trickled down. Victoria shrieked, ‘No, Jamie, don’t! We’ll be buried alive.’ But Jamie ignored her. With a final mighty heave he wrenched the supporting beam free. A cascade of rock began pouring down from the roof. ‘Back, Victoria, back!’ yelled Jamie.
With Victoria on one side, and Jamie on the other, the great pile of falling rock landed neatly on the Yeti between them, burying the creature completely, except for one paw, which stuck out from under the pile.
Dust filled the tunnel as the rock stopped falling at last. Coughing and spluttering, Jamie called, ‘Victoria! Where are you? Are you all right?’ To his vast relief he heard the sound of more coughing. Dimly he saw Victoria’s dust-covered form clambering over the rocks towards him. He grabbed her arm and led her into the little inner chamber. Victoria dusted herself down in an attempt to recover her composure.
‘That horrible creature,’ she gasped. ‘What was it?’
‘I dinna ken, lassie. But it was verra strong. Did you see what it did to my sword?’ said Jamie indignantly.
Looking round the cave Victoria saw the pyramid of spheres. ‘What are those things?’
Jamie picked one up, and hefted it in his hand. ‘Feels like some kind of metal…’
Victoria suddenly shivered. ‘Jamie, let’s get out of here.’
Jamie nodded. ‘We’re lucky that rock-fall didna block the whole tunnel!’
Slipping the sphere into his pocket, Jamie grabbed Victoria’s hand and pulled her out of the cave, back towards the pile of rock. For a moment she hung back, afraid to go too near the buried Yeti.
‘Dinna be afraid,’ said Jamie reassuringly. ‘The thing’s dead right enough! Nothing could survive a ton of rock on its head.’
Victoria clambered over the pile of rocks, keeping as far away as she could from the projecting hand. Suddenly she screamed and clutched at Jamie. ‘Look!’
The Yeti’s hand was clenching and unclenching slowly, as if making an attempt to grab her. Before their horrified gaze, the hand, and part of the arm, began to wr
iggle out of the pile of rocks. The creature was alive, and struggling to free itself.
‘Come on!’ said Jamie grimly. He almost dragged Victoria over the rocks, down the tunnel and out into the open air.
Victoria looked round in amazement. ‘It’s starting to get dark. We were in there for ages.’
For a moment the two of them stood gasping, drawing the sharp, fresh air into their lungs. From inside the cave came a rumble of rock, and then the savage roar of the Yeti. ‘Come on,’ said Jamie. ‘It’ll be after us any minute.’
They began running down the mountain slope, towards the TARDIS.
Thomni the guard captain was a worried young man as he went along the corridor towards the Doctor’s cell. He could sympathise with Khrisong’s impatience. The lamas didn’t realise that not every problem could be solved by prayer and meditation. But even so, to disobey the will of the holy ones in the way that Khrisong was planning…
Thomni unbolted the door of the cell, and threw it open. The stranger was sleeping peacefully on the bed. Thomni looked down at him. The face was gentle and relaxed with something of the serenity of the holy ones themselves about it. Thomni jumped, as the man on the bed spoke without opening his eyes. ‘Have you come to release me?’
Thomni felt strangely at a disadvantage. ‘Er, no… sir.’
The Doctor sat up on the bed and beamed at him. ‘It’s Thomni, isn’t it? Captain of the Guard? By the way, I’m usually called “The Doctor”.’
Somehow the name was familiar to Thomni. ‘You must come with me, Doctor,’ he said.
‘Let’s have a little chat first, shall we?’
‘Khrisong is waiting…’
‘What’s come over this place?’ asked the Doctor plaintively. ‘No one wants to listen to me. You seem a reasonable sort of lad. What’s going on, eh? Why is everything so military? You’d think there was a war on.’
‘So there is – and we are besieged. The Yeti have turned on us. At least, that is what we thought until…’ Thomni stopped, confused.
Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen Page 3
