Part 7 (2/2)

Travers obviously didn't care for the Colonel's military manner. He muttered rather sulkily, 'I've been working on a method of jamming the Yeti transmissions. My daughter is trying to develop a control unit to switch them off. So far we've not had much success. Now the Doctor's here I hope we'll do better.'

The Doctor smiled modestly, but said nothing.

Lethbridge-Stewart pa.s.sed on, 'Captain Knight?'

'We've not had much success either, sir.

Communications are our main problem. The mist and the Web absorb radio waves a lot of the time, particularly over any distance. The Yeti cut phone lines as soon as they're laid.

We've tried blowing tunnels to bold back the Web but they've managed to sabotage that too. We're running low on supplies and explosives, particularly hand-grenades. Whenever a truck tries to get through, the Yeti ambush it. They seem to know what we're planning to do before we start.'

As he finished his tale of woe, Knight seemed unaware of the implications of his words, but they were not lost on the Doctor. He looked round the faces in the room. Travers and his daughter, Harold Chorley, Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart and Captain Knight, Sergeant Arnold standing rigidly to attention. Had the Intelligence already chosen its agent? It could be anyone in the room-except of course for himself and Victoria.

Chorley jumped to his feet. 'Isn't it time we started discussing evacuation plans, Colonel? With the. Web creeping steadily closer it will soon be too late.'

'There will be no no evacuation. This Unit will remain at its post and attempt to defeat the enemy until the last possible moment.' evacuation. This Unit will remain at its post and attempt to defeat the enemy until the last possible moment.'

'Then you'll all die down here!'

'Sit down, Mr Chorley!' The whiplash of authority in the Colonel's voice slammed Chorley back in his seat.

Weams hurried into the room with a sheet of paper.

'Latest plottings of,the Web movements, sir.'

The Colonel studied the report, his face grave.

'Queensway, Lancaster Gate, Strand, Chancery Lane, all gone in the last half-hour.' He moved to the map on the wall. 'How long do you think we've got, Professor?'

Travers studied the map. 'Difficult to say. At this rate, we're dealing in hours rather than days.'

'We need time,' said the Doctor. 'Time for Travers and myself to find the solution. If you can blow this tunnel here,'

he pointed to the map, 'we can seal ourselves off for a bit.'

Lethbridge-Stewart nodded approvingly. 'Good practical suggestion. Explosives, Captain Knight?'

'Just about enough left for the job, sir.'

'Excuse me, sir,' said Sergeant Arnold. 'Suppose the Yeti smother the charge like they did last time?'

The Doctor looked thoughtful. 'Have you got anything on wheels? Something that will actually run along the track?'

Knight looked at Arnold, who said, 'I think there's a baggage trolley in stores somewhere. We could adjust the wheel-gauge...'

'Then it's simple. Load the explosives on the trolley and attach a timing device. Blow the thing up while it's still on the move-before the Yeti can use their Web-gun.'

'Excellent idea,' agreed the Colonel even more enthusiastically.

'Splendid,' said the Doctor. 'Captain Knight. if you and the Sergeant will see to the trolley, the Professor and I will rig up a detonator for you.'

Somehow the Doctor seemed to have taken charge.

There was a general bustle of movement as everyone started to go out. 'What about me?' said Chorley plaintively.

'Like to help, would you?' said the Colonel heartily.

'Splendid, you can be liaison officer, keep track of all our progress. Corporal Blake, sec Mr Chorley has everything he needs. I think I'll just take a general look around, get my bearings... Let me know when things are organised.'

He hurried out of the room. Private Weams glanced at Captain Knight. 'Things seem to be moving a bit, sir. Think the Doctor's idea will work?'

Knight glanced at the map, thinking of the relentless advance of the Web. 'It had better...' he said grimly. 'Come on, let's get to the stores.'

The soldiers left, Victoria and Anne following the Doctor and Travers. Chorley was alone, staring at the map.

An expression of cold calculation slowly spread over his face...

A short time later, the Fortress was humming with activity. Blake and Weams were in the Operations Room, plotting the movements of the Web. Travers, Anne and the Doctor, watched by Victoria, were happily rigging up a Yeti-proof detonator and timing device. A party of soldiers was wrestling with a heavy baggage trolley. In the midst of all this activity someone moved quietly along the outer corridor and opened the locking clamps on the door that led to the tunnels. The Fortress was open to attack.

8.

Return of the Yeti Victoria put down the little Yeti with a shudder. The last time she'd seen such a model it had been in the hands of the old monk, Padmasambvha. Controlled by the great Intelligence, he was using the model to summon the Yeti for their attack on Det-Sen Monastery. The Doctor glanced up from his work. 'My word, that looks familiar. Doesn't work, does it?'

Anne Travers shook her head. 'It's dead, so are the others, all four of them.'

Victoria looked at the bench. 'Four? There's only one here.'

Travers spoke abstractedly. 'Others must be about somewhere. Have a look, will you?'

The Doctor and Travers returned to their work, while Victoria started hunting through the jumble of electronic parts and Yeti relics on the bench. But she didn't find the missing model Yeti. Unseen hands had already placed one of them in a dark corner just outside the Explosives Store. The Yeti model was giving out a faint, almost inaudible, electronic bleep.

In the tunnel near the Fortress, a Yeti stood motionless, waiting. As the signal from the model reached it, it jerked into life and began lumbering slowly towards the Fortress.

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