Part 6 (2/2)

'I should like the answers to one or two questions. Who is this young lady?'

'Dear me,' said the Doctor, 'I seem to be forgetting my manners. Victoria, this is Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart.

Colonel, this is Victoria.'

For the first time Victoria noticed the revolver in Lethbridge-Stewart's hand. 'What's he pointing that thing at us for?'

'I'm afraid the Colonel's still a little suspicious of me,'

the Doctor said sadly.

Suddenly Victoria remembered. 'So is Anne Travers- Professor Travers's daughter. She thinks you're you're controlling the Yeti.' controlling the Yeti.'

'Oh, does she,' said Lethbridge-Stewart. 'The plot thickens, doesn't it? I think it's time I got you two back to the Fortress.'

'You know about this Fortress place, do you?' asked the Doctor.

'As a matter of fact, I do. I happen to be its Commanding Officer.'

The Colonel led them into the side-tunnel and some way along it. He stopped by a plain iron door, the same one through which Victoria had left, and pressed a hidden buzzer.

The door opened and a suspicious sentry appeared. He was soon overawed by Lethbridge-Stewart, and led them inside. A few minutes later Victoria found herself back in the familiar surroundings of the Common Room. She and the Doctor began recounting their respective adventures, while Lethbridge-Stewart lounged against the wall, a picture of relaxed confidence.

Captain Knight hurried into the room and saluted smartly. Lethbridge-Stewart returned the salute. 'Captain Knight, I am Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, taking over as your new C.O.'

Knight's manner was a little strained. It wasn't easy to question the credentials of a senior officer. 'Forgive me, sir, but we've received no formal notice of your arrival. We were expecting a new C.O. of course but...'

'You don't know me from Adam? Quite right, old chap.

I'm glad you don't take things on face value.' He produced a sheaf of papers and handed them over.

Knight checked them carefully. 'Everything's in order, sir. Welcome to the Fortress. I'm sorry you find us in such a bad state. How did you get down here, sir?'

Lethbridge-Stewart chuckled. 'By a very round-about route! I set off with the ammunition truck. Then we got ambushed. I was driven into a side tunnel. and got lost.'

'Evans didn't mention any other survivors,' said Knight.

'Evans?'

'Driver of the truck. He got away too.'

'Well, it was all pretty confused. Anyway, I wandered around for a while, and then ran into this Doctor chap.'

Preoccupied with the Colonel, Knight had scarcely noticed the meek figure seated next to Victoria. The Doctor stood up, 'I wondered when you were going to get around to me.'

Professor Travers rushed into the room, hair and beard bristling with excitement. 'Doctor! My dear fellow, you've turned up at last. You don't know how glad I am to see you.'

They shook hands warmly. The Doctor, used to the changes wrought by time, had no difficulty in recognising his old friend. 'My word, old chap, it has been a long time, hasn't it?'

The dipped voice of Lethbridge-Stewart interrupted them. 'I gather you know this man, Professor Travers?'

Travers said impatiently, 'Should have thought that was pretty obvious. Don't know you, though!'

'I'm Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, the new Commanding Officer.'

Travers was unimpressed. 'Are you now? Well, the Doctor is an old and valued colleague of mine. His arrival gives us our first real chance of solving this problem.'

'And the girl?'

'Victoria is my a.s.sistant,' the Doctor explained hurriedly.

'Come along, Doctor,' said Travers impatiently. 'We've got a lot of, work to do. The Web's closing in, you know, time's running short. I'll take you straight to my lab. You come too, Victoria...' Still talking, he bustled the Doctor and Victoria away.

'I gather you give Professor Travers his head,'

Lethbridge-Stewart remarked drily.

Knight grinned. 'Not much alternative, sir. He's a pretty strong-willed old boy. Besides, he is in charge on the scientific side. He's got the most important job to do, so I just let him get on with it.'

' We've We've got a job to do as well,' said Lethbridge-Stewart crisply. 'These scientist chaps can't work unless we protect them. I shall hold a formal briefing meeting later on, but right now I'd like you to put me in the picture. Just tell use everything that's been going on.' got a job to do as well,' said Lethbridge-Stewart crisply. 'These scientist chaps can't work unless we protect them. I shall hold a formal briefing meeting later on, but right now I'd like you to put me in the picture. Just tell use everything that's been going on.'

While Captain Knight was recounting the long story of his attempts to deal with the Yeti and the Web, the Doctor was hearing an account of things from Travers. 'It's the Intelligence right enough,' Travers concluded gloomily.

'Not me?' asked the Doctor mildly.

Travers gaped at him 'Eh? What d'you mean?'

The Doctor nodded towards Anne. 'I gather this young lady had one or two suspicions.'

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