‘Until I turned up. And friend Khrisong decided, on very slender evidence, that it’s all my fault. You know, the last time I visited Det-sen, there was trouble. Something about a threatened attack by Chinese bandits.’
Thomni stared at him in amazement. ‘You must be mistaken. That attack was many hundreds of years ago… It was then that the holy ghanta was lost.’
The Doctor smiled. ‘Indeed? What happened to it?’
‘It is hard to be sure. Some say that it was stolen by the bandits when they attacked. But there is a legend that it was given to a mysterious stranger for safe-keeping. One known only as—’
‘As the Doctor?’ interrupted the man on the bed.
Thomni nodded, surprised. ‘I see you have studied our history. The legend tells us that the stranger swore to return it. Yet he warned that this might not happen for many hundreds of years…’ Thomni stopped, puzzled. ‘You said you were called the Doctor!’
The cell burst open and Khrisong entered, armed monks at his back. ‘Why this delay? Seize him and take him to the gate!’
The monks grabbed the Doctor and pulled him to his feet. As he was bustled out of the cell, he stumbled against Thomni. To his astonishment, Thomni heard the Doctor whisper, ‘Under straw, in the mattress – tell Abbot…’ Before he could say more, the Doctor was dragged away, down the corridor.
Thomni stood puzzled. He went to the bed and examined the straw mattress. Just where the Doctor had been sitting, a little hole had been picked. Thomni felt inside. His fingers touched a little cloth-wrapped bundle. He pulled it out, and unwrapped it. There in his hand was the holy ghanta of Det-sen. The ghanta which had been lost for over three hundred years.
Hand in hand, Jamie and Victoria pelted down the mountainside. Every now and again, Victoria managed a quick glance over her shoulder, but the creature from the cave didn’t seem to be following them. All the same, she sighed with relief when at last they came in sight of the TARDIS. Soon they would be safe.
But as they ran towards the TARDIS, a huge shaggy shape could be seen in the gloom. Jamie and Victoria skidded to a halt. ‘It’s here before us,’ gasped Victoria. ‘But how can it be – we’d have seen it.’
‘Then it canna be the same beastie,’ said Jamie. ‘There’s more than one of them!’
Jamie studied the creature cautiously, fascinated by his first clear look at a Yeti. It was massive, about seven or eight feet tall, Jamie guessed, and covered in shaggy, brown fur. The powerful body was immensely broad, so that the thing seemed somehow squat and lumpy, in spite of its great height.
The huge hairy hands, and the black snout, were gorilla-like. The little red eyes, and the yellow fangs were like those of a bear. He remembered Victoria’s description – something between a bear, an ape and a man. All in all, thought Jamie, it was the biggest, nastiest, hairiest beastie he had ever seen.
Victoria tugged urgently at his arm. ‘Jamie, what are we going to do?’ Jamie looked again at the Yeti. It was making no attempt to attack them, though they were now quite close. It stood like a kind of weird sentry, quite motionless, waiting.
Jamie rubbed his chin. ‘Well, we canna get back into the TARDIS, yon beastie’s blocking the way. We’ll just have to go on – down to this Monastery place. Maybe we can find the Doctor and warn him what’s going on.’
Now too exhausted to run, Jamie and Victoria stumbled down the mountainside towards the Monastery.
In the Monastery courtyard, dusk was falling. The Doctor, guarded by armed warrior monks, stood shivering inside his fur coat. He was the subject of a heated argument between the old lama, Sapan, and a very angry Khrisong.
‘Do not interfere, holy one,’ said the warrior monk furiously.
Sapan’s voice was gentle as always. ‘Did we not agree, Khrisong, that we would consult the Abbot Songtsen, before taking further action in this matter?’
‘No, holy one, we did not agree!’ Khrisong said bitterly. ‘You decided, as always. But I tell you, I cannot always wait to consult the Abbot before I act.’
‘Be reasonable, Khrisong…’
The Doctor stopped listening as the argument raged on. He thought wryly that no one wanted to know what he thought, even though his fate was under discussion. Not that he was worried. Once that boy got the sacred ghanta to the Abbot, Songtsen would put a stop to whatever nonsense Khrisong was planning. Something about a test, as far as the Doctor could make out.
A curiously furtive movement caught the corner of the Doctor’s eye. He turned and saw Travers about to slip out of the main door. He was fully kitted-out for travel, a loaded rucksack on his back.
‘Travers!’ the Doctor called. ‘Don’t you think all this has gone far enough?’ He indicated the arguing monks, the armed guards at his elbow. ‘For Heaven’s sake, tell them you were mistaken.’
Travers shook his head. ‘Sorry, nothing I can do.’
‘What do you expect to gain by all this?’
‘Time,’ said Travers fiercely. ‘Time to find the Yeti, even though I’m on my own. You won’t get another chance to get in my way. Your little expedition stops right here.’
The Doctor was indignant. ‘I am not an expedition, and I’m not interested in your precious Yeti. But you’ve put me in a very nasty position. These chaps are liable to do something silly.’
Travers laughed. ‘Don’t worry, the monks won’t harm you. They’re men of peace.’ Settling his rucksack on his shoulders, Travers turned away, and slipped through the main door, disappearing into the evening shadows.
The Doctor turned back to the arguing monks, just in time to hear Khrisong say, ‘I tell you the stranger is a killer. We have Travers’ word for that. I believe this man may have found some way to control the Yeti, and make them savage. I shall tie him to the main doors. If the Yeti come to rescue him, my warriors will be waiting…’
‘You cannot use a human being as live bait,’ Sapan protested.
Overriding the old lama, Khrisong turned to the Doctor’s guards. ‘Take him outside, and tie him to the door.’
Cupping the ghanta in reverent hands, Thomni crept timidly into the ante-chamber of the Abbot Songtsen. He looked around him in fear and wonder. He had never dared enter this part of the Monastery before. The room was dimly lit by the prayer lamps. There were no windows. All around were ornate carvings, statues and hangings. Many of the treasures of Det-sen Monastery were here, sacred objects of immense value, treasured and worshipped through the ages. But none were so valuable, or so holy, as the little bronze bell, the ghanta, that Thomni held.
Thomni froze like a statue as the door of the Inner Sanctum creaked open, apparently by itself. This was the most sacred place of all, the very heart of the Monastery. The Abbot Songtsen emerged. Terrified, Thomni prostrated himself. The Abbot backed away from the Sanctum doors, which closed behind him. He turned and crossed the Anteroom, his wise, wrinkled old face still and trance-like. He seemed not even to notice Thomni, and would have walked right past him. Thomni managed to produce a terrified whisper, ‘Master Abbot!’ Songtsen stopped, consciousness slowly returning to his face. ‘Master Abbot!’ Thomni whispered again.
A look of horror came over the old man’s face as he saw the boy crouching at his feet. ‘Thomni – you know well that only I may enter this sacred place.’
Silently, Thomni held out his hands, the ghanta cupped in their palms. The Abbot leaned forward and peered at the little bell. ‘What is this? Where did you get it?’
Thomni’s voice was low and reverent. ‘Master Abbot, is this not the sacred ghanta which was lost?’
Suddenly another voice spoke. It came from nowhere, and yet from everywhere in the room. It was old and wise, yet strong and vigorous too. The voice said, ‘It is indeed the holy ghanta, my son. Lost to us for three hundred years. How came you by it?’
Terrified, Thomni looked round for the source of the voice. But, apart from himself and the Abbot, the Anteroom was empty. Yet the power of the speaker’s personality filled
the entire room. Too frightened to speak, Thomni looked to the Abbot, who said gently, ‘It is the Master, Padmasambvha. Do not be afraid.’
The voice spoke again. ‘Bring the ghanta to me – both of you.’ The Abbot bowed his head in assent, and indicated that Thomni should follow him. Thomni scrambled to his feet, and followed the Abbot through the door to the Inner Sanctum. The doors opened silently as they approached.
The handles of the great doors of Det-sen Monastery were in the form of huge, bronze rings. To one of these rings, the Doctor was being firmly lashed with leather thongs. Khrisong gave a final check to the knots, and nodded in satisfaction. He turned to the little group of warriors around him. ‘Place yourself at the windows, on the walls, and in cover behind the doors. Be ready with your bows.’ As the warrior monks went off to take their places Khrisong looked grimly at the Doctor. ‘If your servants attempt to rescue you, we shall slay them!’
The Doctor sighed wearily. ‘This is all very pointless, you know. I assure you, no one’s going to rescue me – least of all an Abominable Snowman.’ Khrisong turned to go back inside the Monastery. ‘And there’s something else,’ yelled the Doctor. ‘Does it occur to you that whatever has been killing your monks might also kill me?’
Khrisong said ironically, ‘If the Yeti attack you, that will be proof of your innocence. Then, of course, we shall rescue you – if we can.’ He turned and went back inside the Monastery.
The Doctor sighed wearily. ‘This is all very point—’ and then gave up. It was almost dark now, and gloomy shadows covered the mountain path and the area before the Monastery doors. Everything looked odd and sinister in the half-light. The Doctor wondered what was happening to Thomni. Perhaps he hadn’t even found the ghanta. And what about Jamie and Victoria? They must be getting pretty bored by now…
Jamie and Victoria were far too frightened to be bored. It was no easy task, picking their way down to the Monastery in the fast-gathering gloom. Several times they had wandered off the snow-covered path, finding their way back only with difficulty. As the gloom thickened and the shadows grew darker and longer, every rock and boulder seemed a Yeti waiting to pounce.
Victoria clasped Jamie’s hand tighter and wailed, ‘Oh, Jamie, I’m sure we’re lost again.’
Jamie did his best to sound confident. ‘I tell you we canna be lost. The path leads down the mountain, and the Monastery’s at the bottom. All we’ve got to do is keep going.’
But Victoria wasn’t listening. She stopped and whispered, ‘There’s something moving. Ahead of us, down there.’
Jamie sighed. ‘Ever since we set off, you’ve been seeing things…’
‘I’m not imagining it this time. Listen!’
Jamie peered through the gloom, straining his ears. Sure enough, there was something… a sound of shuffling feet, and heavy breathing. Jamie looked round for a weapon. He grabbed a football-sized rock from the side of the path, and stood poised and ready. A shadowy figure loomed up out of the darkness, huge and threatening. Victoria gave a little scream and Jamie was just about to let fly, when the figure spoke. ‘Hey, you two! What are you doing here?’
Jamie dropped the rock with a sigh of relief. The figure came nearer and was revealed as a man wearing a rucksack. But Jamie was still cautious. ‘I might ask you the same,’ he said stoutly.
‘My name’s Travers. I’m a sort of explorer.’
‘We’re on our way to the Monastery,’ said Victoria.
‘Are you now? You wouldn’t be anything to do with a feller calls himself the Doctor, would you?’
‘Aye, that we would,’ said Jamie. ‘Have you seen him? Is he all right?’
The man laughed. ‘Oh yes, I met him at the Monastery. He’s perfectly all right.’
‘Come on, Jamie, we’d better go and find him,’ said Victoria.
‘Yes, why don’t you do that,’ said the man. ‘I expect the monks will give you quite a welcome.’ He nodded and set off up the path.
Jamie hesitated. He hadn’t taken to the man at all. His eyes were bright and feverish, and there was something odd about his manner. All the same, it was only fair to warn him.
Jamie called after the retreating figure. ‘I’d watch your step, Mister, if I were you. There’s some kind of great hairy beasties prowling about. They live in a cave higher up the mountains.’
The man turned and ran back towards them. ‘You’ve seen the Yeti? You’ve actually found their lair?’ He grabbed Jamie’s arm and tried to pull him off by force. ‘You’ve got to take me there. Now, right away.’
Jamie pulled his arm away firmly. ‘I will not. I’ve seen enough of those things to last a lifetime.’
‘But I’ve got to find them. I’ve got to.’ Travers was almost babbling with excitement.
Jamie was unmoved. ‘Ye canna go up there now, man. It’s nearly dark. I couldna find the place myself.’
‘Will you take me there tomorrow?’
‘Aye, mebbe. But on one condition.’
Travers glared at him suspiciously. ‘What’s that, then?’
‘You say you’ve come from the Monastery?’
Travers nodded.
‘Then you can just guide us back there – now. That’s if you want my help tomorrow.’
Travers hesitated, obviously still wanting to get after the Yeti right away. But it was nearly dark. And if this boy had found their lair…
‘All right, then. Come on.’ Travers turned and set off back down the path.
Jamie took Victoria’s arm and gave her a reassuring grin. They both hurried off after their guide. Travers waited for Jamie to catch up and said, ‘Tell me exactly where you found this cave…’
The Inner Sanctum was even darker and more mysterious than the Anteroom. In its centre was a raised dais, upon which was set a kind of ornate golden chair, like a throne. There were thin veils arranged in a canopy, a transparent tent obscuring the throne and the figure upon it. A giant golden statue of the Lord Buddha stood against the far wall.
Thomni and his Abbot stood before the throne. Both had the blank expressionless faces of men under deep hypnosis. Padmasambvha spoke. Even though he was now seated before them, his voice still seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, filling the room. ‘We are grateful for the return of our holy ghanta. The Doctor is our friend. Thomni, you will go to Khrisong. Tell him that the Abbot orders the Doctor’s release.’
Thomni bowed. Still in the same trance-like state, he turned to leave. The voice spoke again. ‘Remember, these words were spoken by the Abbot. You have never seen me or heard my voice. You have never entered this room.’
Thomni bowed again and left. He did not even notice when the doors of the Sanctum opened and closed behind him of their own accord.
In the Anteroom, Thomni seemed to wake up with a jerk. He gazed around him wildly. Then he remembered. He had been given a most important errand, by the Abbot Songtsen himself… Thomni ran from the room.
In the Sanctum, the voice of Padmasambvha was saying, ‘We must make certain, Songtsen, that the Doctor learns nothing of what is happening here. He may not be in sympathy with the power that now guides us. He might even seek to hinder the Great Plan. It would be well if he were to depart as soon as possible.’
The Doctor was starting to feel cold and cramped as he hung in his bonds from the ring on the Monastery door. Khrisong and his warriors were cold and cramped too, waiting high on the walls. But they stood guard bravely, spears and bows ready to hand. Suddenly one of them turned excitedly to Khrisong. ‘There – coming down the path. Three of them.’
Khrisong looked. ‘Yes, I see them. Your eyes are keen, Rapalchan! Make ready, all of you!’ Khrisong’s archers fitted arrows to their bows. Others balanced spears, ready to hurl.
Nearby, on the mountain path, Jamie and Victoria had just seen the lights of the Monastery.
‘There it is, Jamie. Look – there’s the Doctor waiting for us by the door.’ In her excitement, Victoria began to run ahead. Jamie ran to catch up wi
th her. Travers, behind them, broke into a trot.
On the Monastery walls, Khrisong and his warriors waited, bows drawn and ready, watching the three figures running towards them in the darkness. ‘The Yeti are coming, brothers,’ whispered Khrisong exultantly. ‘As soon as they are in bowshot – slay them! Kill them all!’
4
Jamie Traps a Yeti
The Doctor strained his eyes, trying to pick out the three shapes running down the mountain path towards him. For a moment the distance and the gloom misled him. Perhaps the Yeti really were coming to rescue him. He looked again, then chuckled to himself. Of course – Victoria and Jamie! And that looked very like Travers behind them.
Suddenly a terrifying thought struck the Doctor. If he could mistake the three for attacking Yeti, might not Khrisong and his warrior monks do the same? Tired, nervous men, bows and spears in their hands, waiting in the darkness to be attacked. They’d let fly at anything that moved!
Frantically the Doctor yelled, ‘Victoria, Jamie, keep back. They’ll kill you!’
On the mountainside Victoria could just hear the Doctor’s voice, but the wind carried away his actual words. ‘All right, Doctor, we’re coming!’ she cried, and ran even faster.
Up on the wall, a young monk panicked. Without waiting for Khrisong’s order, he drew his bow and fired.
An arrow thudded into the snowy ground at Victoria’s feet. Jamie came up beside her. ‘Look,’ cried Victoria. ‘They’re shooting at us.’
Travers joined them and gazed in amazement at the arrow. ‘Damn fools – what do they think they’re doing?’
Khrisong meanwhile was leading a picked band of warriors down from the wall, and out of the main gate, ready to do battle with the Yeti. As Khrisong emerged, the Doctor called, ‘Please! Don’t shoot! Those are friends of mine.’
‘We know that, Doctor,’ shouted Khrisong, ‘but your Yeti shall not rescue you!’
The Doctor strained at his bonds. ‘They’re not Yeti, man. They’re hardly more than children.’
Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen Page 4
