Part 3 (1/2)

'Doctor he's crying...'

The Lukoser, like a stray hound searching for an owner, sank to his knees before Peri and begged her for help.

So sudden was this change from savagery to docility that the Doctor and Peri felt secure enough to approach and comfort the unfortunate animal, but before they could reach him Frax and the guards appeared further down the pa.s.sageway.

At the sight of their uniforms the Lukoser once more became a maddened wolf, hurling himself repeatedly against his chain, slavering and snarling in thwarted rage.

After the first outburst of frenzy the Lukoser turned towards Peri, forced his jaws open and said, 'Go!' wagging his wolf's head in the opposite direction to that of the guards.

'Come on, Peri, do as he says.' The Doctor pulled Peri from the Lukoser who turned back to form a snarling barrier to any further progress by Frax and the guards.

Four.

'Slow down, Peri... they don't seem to be following.' Peri stopped her helter-skelter progress. 'I was thinking we should go back... that man... wolf... whatever... he asked for help.'

'We can't be certain.'

'He said ”Help me....” Doctor, what is going on here? Sea monsters that seem able to operate machinery, a Wolfman that cries and begs us for help.'

'We'll find out,' the Doctor said, looking down the misty corridor.

In the distance a long mournful howl of anguish made Peri start involuntarily towards the sound.

The Doctor said gently, 'Not that way, let's find out some more before we know who we can help. Who we should help.'

Peri tried to close her ears to another howl even more heartrending than the previous cry.

'Who could keep a creature in such torment?'

'I don't know,' the Doctor said, listening to a sound from another direction. 'Someone's coming...'

'Which way?'

'That way,' the Doctor said, pointing in the opposite direction to where the howls of the Lukoser still sounded.

Peri's heart thudded. 'We're caught between the guards back there and whatever's ahead.'

Urgently the Doctor checked the rough, uneven surface of the tunnel wall. 'Nowhere to hide, try the other side.'

Frantically Peri scanned the wall then noticed a shallow fold that, given a lucky swirl of mist, might just hide them.

'Here, Doctor.'

They flattened themselves against the cold damp stone while what sounded like a small procession advanced steadily towards them.

'Can't you squeeze in a bit more?' the Doctor muttered.

'If you'd only lose some weight-'

'Shhh!'

Through the whirls of mist they could see the approach of a strange entourage of bearers and alien creatures that, to Peri and the Doctor, had a familiarity that they could not immediately place.

The first two mottled, green, lizard-like aliens were borne along on thronelike chairs held by carrying poles.

The black-skinned bearers' muscles stood out as they trudged along with their burdens. When the third member of the trio came into view Peri gasped and only just suppressed her cry of surprise.

'Sil,' she breathed in astonishment.

The Doctor glanced at Peri warningly, worried that their old adversary might look towards their hiding place.

But Sil stared ahead haughtily, bobbing slightly under the progress of his bearers and soon disappeared into the pink vapour that seemed to permeate the underground caves of Thoros-Beta.

Peri stepped out into the centre of the tunnel and looked up and down the mist-filled gallery. 'That was Sil, wasn't it?' she asked.

'Oh, yes.'

'How ?'

'This is his home planet didn't I tell you that?'

'You did not not!' Peri's voice was hot with anger.

The steel-blue eyes of the Doctor looked innocently at his companion. 'What's the matter?'

'The matter... the matter... that Sil thing nearly turned me into a birdwoman the last time we met!'

The Doctor chuckled. 'How could I forget...'

'I want away from here I mean it!'

The Doctor chose to ignore the problem and wandered a little way in the direction taken by Sil.

'Seeing Sil does explain one thing, Peri,' he said over his shoulder.

'Does it?' Peri's voice was still angry.

'Yes. Why disintegrator hand weapons came to be on Thordon. Sil would sell anything to anyone for a profit.'

'Can we go somewhere else?'