Doctor Who_ Dinosaur Invasion Part 1

DOCTOR WHO.

AND THE DINOSAUR INVASION.

By MALCOLM HULKE.

The Dinosaurs

Three hundred and fifty million years ago, reptiles became the first animals to breed on land. Reptilian land life developed into many forms, the first true dinosaurs, not more than six inches long, appearing during the Tria.s.sic*period. By one hundred and fifty million years ago, some reptiles had developed into giants. One, the Diplodocus, measured eighty-four feet from head to tip of tail, and must have weighed thirty-five tons. During the Age of the Reptiles, many varieties of dinosaurs-all enormous in size-spread and multiplied over the Earth's surface.Then, over a very short period in geological terms, the dinosaurs died out. Their remains have been found in every continent. Was it a sudden change in the Earth's temperature that killed them off? Was it disease? Or did the newer and more nimble life-forms, the mammals, attack and kill them? Perhaps no one will ever know.Certainly no one ever expected them to come back.

*Tria.s.sic-after the three-fold mountain system in Germany. The first mammals, and also flies and termites, appeared at that time.

1

London Alert!

Shughie McPherson woke up that morning with a pounding headache. For a full half hour he lay on his untidy bed and stared at a crack in the ceiling. He was thinking about the, muddle which was his life. In his thirty-seven years he had had more jobs than he could remember. He was married once, but that hadn't lasted long. One day his wife had said to him, 'Shughie, you're a layabout!' Then she'd packed a suitcase and gone back home to her mother. He had never tried to find her.That was years ago. His mind turned to more recent events. About a week ago some of his Glasgow friends had said, 'Shughie, we're going to London for the Cup Final. Why not come along?''I've nae money,' he explained. 'You'll ha' to do without me this time.''We're going in wee Jamie's van,' they replied. 'It'll cost you nothing.'Eight of them got into the van, two in front and six sitting on crates of beer in the back. By the time they reached London nine hours later, Shughie had forgotten where they were going or why. He was drunk.He remembered waking up in this house the next morning. Donald Ewing, a ship's riveter from Clyde-side, was shaking his shoulders.'Shughie, rouse yoursel! We're awa' back to Glasgee!'Shughie's sleepy brain tried to make sense of the situation. 'But we're in London, and we're going to see the Cup.''Not now we're not,' said Donald. He was already fully dressed. 'Everyone's got to leave London. It's an emergency.'Jamie, the owner of the van, came to the door of the little bedroom and yelled, 'Will you no come and get in the van, Donald? I'm leaving in five seconds! 'Donald protested. 'There's wee Shughie here, still in bed.'Jamie looked down at Shughie. 'If you don't get yoursel into my van double quick, you can stay here and die! Come on, Donald, let's be off.'The two men tumbled out of the room. Shughie thought they'd both gone mad. He turned over and went back to sleep.When he woke up later the house was completely silent. Pangs of hunger drove him out of bed. Standing on the landing, he called out: 'Donald? Jamie? Ian?'No answer. He went down the stairs into the hall and called again. Still no answer. He stumbled into a back room, and through there into the kitchen. Here he found a cupboard well stocked with tinned food. He ripped open a tin of corned beef and gorged the contents. Finding some matches, he turned one of the k.n.o.bs on the cooker to make himself a cup of tea. Nothing happened. He tried another k.n.o.b. No gas. Nothing strange in that. Many times in his life the Gas Board had disconnected his gas supply because he hadn't paid the bills. He went to the sink for a gla.s.s of water. The tap spat out a few drops, and no more. Well, maybe that bill hadn't been paid either. He returned to the back room where he'd noticed a television set: it didn't work. He tried the lights: no electricity. Daylight was beginning to fail. He searched the cupboards for candles: there was a bundle next to the dead electricity meter. He lit one, stuck it to a saucer, and left it in the back room; then lit another and carried it to see by as he investigated the rest of the house. No one had told him whose house it was, but in one room he found children's toys, so presumed a family lived there. In a front room there was a double bed. All the drawers in the room were open. Clothes were strewn about on the floor as though people had packed hurriedly, leaving behind what they didn't want to carry.In the front bedroom, partly hidden at the back of the wardrobe, Shughie found the six bottles of whisky that were to be his only companions for the next four days.After half an hour staring at the crack in the ceiling and thinking about his life, Shughie McPherson got up. Now, after four days, he had become accustomed to living in this house on his own. He kept hoping that his friends would come back, and had completely forgotten why or how they went away.He stretched and yawned, pulled on his trousers and shirt and went down the stairs to open another tin of food. Then he remembered that last night he'd eaten the last tin of corned beef and drunk the last drop of whisky. Standing in the hallway, he scratched his throbbing head, and decided the time had come for action.He went to the house next door and knocked. The front door was unlocked. It swung open when he pushed it.'h.e.l.lo?' he called out.No answer.He stepped into the hall. 'Anyone at home?' Still no answer.'I'm from the house next door. There's no food or water or anything...' He listened. Silence.He tried the next house. The door was locked. He pressed the bell push, but it didn't ring. 'Probably didn't pay their electricity bill either,' he said to himself, and moved on again. No answer this time, either. Shughie began to wish he was back in Glasgow, in the friendly district where he had always lived.A sudden panic gripped him. Where were all the people who lived in these strange houses? Were they all dead?He started running and shouting. Street after street was deserted, front doors of houses gaping open. And then turning a corner, he sighed with relief: a familiar sight. A friendly milk float was standing in the middle of the road.Shughie ran forward. 'Hey! Milkman! Where are you?'He stopped dead. The milkman was lying on the road on the other side of the float. He was a young man with very fair hair. He lay on his back, mouth open, eyes staring in death.Cautiously, very afraid, Shughie crept forward to look at the dead young milkman. The fair hair at the back of the young man's head was a tangle of congealed blood and gravel from the surface of the road.Shughie fell to his knees, clasped his hands together, and started to say the Lord's Prayer. 'Our Father who art in Heaven, hallow'd be thy name...'His words were drowned by a sudden roar from the monster behind him. Shughie turned and looked up. A ma.s.sive claw hit him in the face. In his last moment of life, Shughie McPherson resolved to give up drinking whisky.The TARDIS, looking as always like an old-fashioned London police telephone box, materialised in a pleasant suburban park. The Doctor and his young journalist companion, Sarah Jane Smith, stepped out into bright sunlight.Sarah looked about and sniffed a little dubiously. 'It seems seems all right.' She was hoping they hadn't landed in the poisonous atmosphere of some distant planet. all right.' She was hoping they hadn't landed in the poisonous atmosphere of some distant planet.'Of course it's all right! I promised that I'd get you back home safely,' replied the Doctor indignantly.Sarah looked at some abandoned cricket stumps on the gra.s.s near by. 'We set off from the research centre, not here.''Don't expect miracles,' snapped the Doctor. 'The co-ordinates were a bit off beam. But we can't be far away from UNIT Headquarters.''So where can we be?''Somewhere in London,' said the Doctor.'And what about the date?' Sarah persisted. 'Are we in the future or the past?''Time is relative.' The Doctor locked the TARDIS, and pocketed the key. 'My guess is that we have returned to Earth at much the time we left. Now let's find a public telephone and inform the Brigadier that we're back.'The Doctor strode away towards some distant metal railings at the edge of the park. Sarah was about to follow, but paused when she heard a sound coming from the opposite direction. She turned and saw a clump of trees half a mile away. One of the trees came crashing to the ground. She caught up with the Doctor.'What made that happen?'He shrugged. 'Some disease that trees get, I imagine. Now come on.'Five minutes later they reached the road that ran along the edge of the park.Sarah said, 'There's no traffic.''Can't you imagine life without smelly motor cars?' The Doctor started to cross the road, Sarah following. He was hurrying towards a public telephone kiosk.'It just seemed strange,' she said.'Nothing seems strange,' said the Doctor, opening the door of the telephone kiosk, 'when you've seen the places I have been to...' He stopped short. The telephone had been ripped from the wall, the coin box smashed open.Sarah said, 'It's been vandalised.''I wish people wouldn't use that term,' said the Doctor. 'The Vandals were quite decent chaps.''I suppose you've met them?' Sarah asked, tongue-in-cheek.'As a matter of fact, yes. We'll have to find a taxi.' The Doctor turned from the telephone kiosk and regarded the deserted road.'How,' asked Sarah, 'do we find a taxi when there is no traffic?''Perhaps it's a Sunday,' said the Doctor. 'Great Britain always closes on Sundays. We'll have to walk.'Twenty minutes later they reached a suburban shopping centre. Sarah pointed across the street excitedly.'Look,' she said, keeping up with the Doctor, 'Woolworths! ''What is so special about Woolworths?''Nothing,' said Sarah, 'but it's nice to see. It means we're back home.'The Doctor paused. 'Really, Sarah! I take you in the TARDIS to Outer s.p.a.ce, to another Time in the history of the Universe, and what really excites you?- Woolworths! Woolworths! ' 'His words were drowned by the roar of a car speeding along the high street. It was the first sign of life they'd seen since their return to Earth. Sarah stepped out into the road, waving her arms, smiling.'Hey! Stop!'The car kept going. Moving fast, the Doctor grabbed Sarah back to safety.'He almost hit me!' she gasped.'Perhaps he doesn't like hitch-hikers.'They watched the car race down the street. At an intersection with dead traffic lights the driver swung the car to the crown of the road, then turned left with a screech of brakes.'Have you noticed there aren't even any parked cars?' Sarah said.'I agree,' said the Doctor. 'It is a bit odd. Let's keep walking. There must be someone somewhere.'They continued towards the traffic lights. Sarah stopped and pointed. 'Look! That car! It's stopped.'The car was standing outside a jeweller's shop. Without a word, the Doctor and Sarah ran towards it. The car's engine was running, but there was no driver.'The driver must have gone inside,' Sarah said, entering the open shop door.'Don't be hasty,' called the Doctor. But it was already too late. Sarah had gone into the shop. The Doctor followed.Sarah was standing in the middle of the shop looking in wonder at the cases of expensive rings, necklaces, and the displays of wrist watches.'Look at all these lovely things,' she gasped, 'and the door wide open.''The door has been forced open,' said the Doctor. 'Now come on, let's go.'The Doctor turned, and found himself looking into the twin spouts of a sawn-off shotgun. Holding the gun was the driver of the car, a young man with greasy black hair and badly bitten fingernails.'I got here first,' said the man. 'Turn round, put your hands against the wall.'Sarah protested, 'You nearly ran me down! 'The man waved the gun at her. 'I said put your hands against the wall!'The Doctor turned and spread out his hands on the wall. 'Do as he says, Sarah.'Sarah put her hands against the wall, her back to the man. Looking under her arm, she could see him scooping precious rings and necklaces into a leather bag.'I appreciate that you're very busy,' said the Doctor calmly, 'but could you tell us what's going on?''You find your own places,' said the man. 'There's plenty to choose from.''We don't want to find any places places ,' the Doctor answered. 'We just want to know why the streets are deserted.' ,' the Doctor answered. 'We just want to know why the streets are deserted.''Because they are,' said the man. His bag was now br.i.m.m.i.n.g with valuables. 'If you both stay exactly where you are, I won't hurt you.' He laughed. 'In any case, I'm leaving you plenty of stuff here!'He dashed out of the shop. Sarah immediately made for the door. The Doctor checked her.'No, Sarah! He may shoot you in panic!'They listened as the car sped away. Sarah hurried across the ransacked shop to a telephone on a ledge behind the counter. She scooped it up and dialled 999.'There's no ringing-tone. Nothing. It's dead.''The sooner we reach the Brigadier, the better,' the Doctor replied.'But do you realise we've got no idea where we are?''That's easily fixed.' The Doctor went behind one of the counters and quickly found the shop's account books and stationery. He read from an invoice, ' The Little Shop, Acton The Little Shop, Acton . So we're in West London. All we have to do is strike east.' . So we're in West London. All we have to do is strike east.''It'll be a long walk.''Don't forget you're over 700 years younger than me, so you should be able to manage it. Let's make a start.'They came out of the shop. Sarah looked up and down the deserted street. 'Which way is east?'The Doctor produced a small compa.s.s from the capacious pockets of his frock coat, and held it steady until the needle stopped rotating. 'That way.' He pointed up the high street.After a few steps Sarah paused. 'Doctor, I'm really very hungry.''If you'd mentioned that while we were still in the TARDIS, I could have fixed you a meal in no time.''Those pills from the machine?' She pulled a face. 'I'd like something real real to eat.' to eat.''There's plenty to choose from here.' He pointed out some of the signs in the street. ' Chinese Take Away, Wimpy's, Bert's Cafe Chinese Take Away, Wimpy's, Bert's Cafe . Take your pick.' . Take your pick.'The door to Bert's Cafe was standing open. Sarah crossed the empty street, followed by the Doctor.The little cafe had plastic-top tables, a counter on one side by the door, and a sign that read ' Thanks for your custom. Please call again. Bert. Thanks for your custom. Please call again. Bert. ' Sarah saw a large ham on the counter. Her mouth watered and she went straight to the ham-then recoiled when she saw the flies cl.u.s.tered on it. 'The food's gone rotten.' ' Sarah saw a large ham on the counter. Her mouth watered and she went straight to the ham-then recoiled when she saw the flies cl.u.s.tered on it. 'The food's gone rotten.'But the Doctor was concentrating on the partly-eaten plates of food on some of the tables. 'Just like the Marie Celeste Marie Celeste ,' he muttered. ,' he muttered.'The what?''A very famous incident in the last century,' he explained. 'A ship called the Marie Celeste Marie Celeste was found on the high seas, intact but totally abandoned. The crew and all the pa.s.sengers had vanished as though they never existed. And, just as here, partly eaten meals were left on plates in the dining-saloon. No one ever discovered what happened to the people on that ship, and they never will.' was found on the high seas, intact but totally abandoned. The crew and all the pa.s.sengers had vanished as though they never existed. And, just as here, partly eaten meals were left on plates in the dining-saloon. No one ever discovered what happened to the people on that ship, and they never will.'A cold shiver of fear ran down Sarah's spine. 'Suddenly I don't feel hungry,' she said.The Doctor smiled. 'Don't worry, Sarah. There must be some logical explanation for all this. Take a couple of bars of chocolate from that shelf. I'm sure you'll be able to eat them later. And, as you said, we've got a long walk ahead of us.'Sarah picked up the chocolate, and placed a couple of tenpenny pieces on top of the till. 'The people eating in here must have all left in a hurry. But why?''Why indeed,' replied the Doctor. 'Now let's recommence our long walk.'An hour later they had reached Shepherd's Bush, an older and less suburban area of West London. In all the miles they had walked they hadn't seen a sign of life anywhere. Sarah stopped.'I'm whacked.'The Doctor looked about the street they were walking down. 'Let's try the Times Furnishing Company over there.' He pointed and grinned. 'The shop door's open. Surely we'll find a seat in there.''There's no need to be funny,' she said. 'Come on, we'll press ahead.'As they started off again they both heard the sound of the lorry. Without a word they stopped, listened intently.Sarah said, 'Where is it?'The Doctor put his finger to his lips. 'Shhh!'The sound of the lorry altered as its driver changed into reverse gear.'That street over there,' said the Doctor, pointing to a side street, 'and it's backing up for some reason.'They hurriedly crossed the main road to the opening of the side street from where they could hear the lorry. As they entered the side street, the sound of the lorry's engine stopped.'We've lost it,' said Sarah.'I don't think so,' said the Doctor. 'Look down there.'Half way down the street of little houses a large warehouse was set well back from the road. Big double doors stood wide open and the nose of a lorry protruded out on to a tarmac ap.r.o.n. The Doctor and Sarah ran down the street towards the lorry. Sarah had forgotten all about her tiredness. As they approached the open double doors the Doctor started calling.'h.e.l.lo? Anyone at home?'There was no response. The Doctor put his hand on the bonnet of the lorry. 'This must be the one we heard,' he said. 'It's warm. The engine has just been running.'Cautiously they edged along the side of the lorry into the warehouse. It was filled with racks of expensive fur coats.'With London deserted, why should anyone want to make a delivery of fur coats?' Sarah sounded puzzled.The Doctor looked at an untidy heap of fur coats in the open back of the lorry. 'I don't think they were making a delivery,' he said, 'but more a collection. I mean they were stealing these furs.'Suddenly two men, one gripping a vicious-looking jemmy, leapt out from behind one of the fur racks. Sarah screamed. The jemmy cracked down on the Doctor's mop of curly hair. Gripping his head in agony, he fell to the ground. The two men ran down by the side of the lorry and escaped into the street. As Sarah knelt down by the Doctor, he opened his eyes and put his hand to his head.'That's going to be a nasty b.u.mp,' he said. With Sarah's help he struggled to his feet, a little unsteadily. 'At least they've provided us with some transport. Let's see if they left the ignition key.'The Doctor started to edge down the side of the lorry towards the cabin. But Sarah was staring towards a gloomy far corner of the warehouse. Something was moving there.'Doctor,' she said, quietly, 'I think there's someone over there.'The Doctor turned. 'h.e.l.lo?' he called. 'If you're another fur thief, we really don't mean you any harm. All we we want to take is the lorry. The furs you can keep.' want to take is the lorry. The furs you can keep.'With a shriek the thing in the far corner floated up into the air. Sarah couldn't believe what she was now seeing-a pterodactyl, the flesh-eating flying reptile that was once the master species on Earth. Its leathery wings, eight feet wide, flapped and its toothed mouth was wide open as it dived down towards the Doctor and Sarah.'Get in the cabin,' shouted the Doctor.Sarah struggled into the lorry's cabin and hastily slammed the door behind her. Outside, the Doctor grabbed one of the furs and flapped it at the attacking pterodactyl. The flying reptile pulled back and hovered for some moments before attacking again. But the pause gave the Doctor the vital seconds he needed to get into the cabin and behind the driving wheel. The ignition key was in the fascia and he turned it. The self-starter worked, but the engine didn't fire. As the Doctor tried again, the pterodactyl landed on the roof of the cabin and leaned over to look at his prey through the windscreen. On the third try, the engine sprang into life. The Doctor slipped the lorry into gear and roared out of the warehouse into the street. Through the rear mirror he saw the pterodactyl turn and fly off in the opposite direction.Sarah, petrified, stared straight ahead. 'I can't believe it. I simply can't believe it. Those things died out millions of years ago.''During the Earth's Cretaceous period to be correct,' shouted the Doctor above the noise of the lorry, as he turned it into the main road and again headed east. 'Next to the tyrannosaurus rex, they must have been the most terrifying creatures this planet has ever produced.''Honestly,' said Sarah, exasperated, 'that's just typical! We're attacked by a monster, and you talk about it like a schoolmaster! That thing could have killed us. And what's it doing here in London in the Twentieth Century?''That,' said the Doctor, 'is something we may soon find out. Look what's ahead.'An Army jeep was blocking the road. Two soldiers with guns, and a sergeant with a loudhailer, were standing by it, facing the oncoming lorry. The Doctor drew up close to the jeep, jumped out of the cabin and walked towards the sergeant.'My dear fellow,' said the Doctor, smiling, 'I'm so glad to meet you-'The sergeant raised the loudhailer to his lips and spoke into its microphone. His voice was harsh. 'Stay where you are! If you advance any further you will be shot!'The Doctor stopped dead in amazement. 'But I just wanted to ask you-'The voice from the loudhailer drowned the Doctor's words. 'The person in the cabin of the lorry is to dismount immediately, or we shall fire!'The Doctor turned to Sarah. 'You'd better do as he says.'Nervously, Sarah climbed down from the cabin. 'Neither of you is to budge an inch,' continued the amplified voice of the sergeant. Dropping the loudhailer, he turned to the two soldiers. 'Smith, keep them covered-and shoot to maim if they move. Wilkins, hop round the back and see what they've got.' The soldier called Wilkins ran to the back of the lorry while the Doctor and Sarah waited.'If you will let me explain,' said the Doctor, 'I and my young friend-'The loudhailer cut in. 'Be quiet!' The sergeant turned to the soldier called Smith. 'Hold that gun steady.'Smith aimed his gun directly at the Doctor's head, finger on trigger. Wilkins returned from the back of the lorry carrying one of the fur coats.'They've got a load of furs in the back like this one, sarge. There must be thousands of quids' worth! 'The sergeant again raised the loudhailer to his lips. Speaking through it gave him great authority. 'I'm placing both of you under arrest. You know what happens to looters. Now it's going to happen to you.'2 'Shoot to kill!''With great respect, sir,' said Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, 'I cannot and will not order troops under my command to open fire on civilians! ''These civilians are looters,' said General Finch, 'the lowest form of life known to man. You will tell your troops to shoot to kill! 'The General and the Brigadier stood facing each other in UNIT's temporary Headquarters-a school cla.s.sroom in North London, on the edge of the area that had been evacuated. A huge map of London, with flags to indicate where pterodactyls and dinosaurs had been sighted, had been pinned over the blackboard. A military two-way radio, manned constantly by a UNIT soldier, had been installed in a corner.The Brigadier tried to control the emotion in his voice. 'I cannot, sir, order the murder of people who may be innocent.'The General's face reddened. His closely cropped moustache twitched. 'Every man, woman and child in the Central London area has been evacuated by order of the Government. It has become a prohibited area. It follows, therefore, that any civilian now found in Central London is up to no good-and that means they are using this opportunity to rob and steal. There is only one thing to do-to shoot on sight!''I agree that what is happening is deplorable, sir,' said the Brigadier, 'but may I remind you that looters are not not our main problem, and shortage of observation patrols our main problem, and shortage of observation patrols is is . Can't more troops be brought to London?' . Can't more troops be brought to London?''Definitely not. They're needed in the reception areas. You're forgetting that ten million people have to be fed, sheltered, and cared for. That's what the Army is doing, Brigadier. Helping all those poor people who have been driven from their city.''I realise that,' continued the Brigadier, 'but the front-line is here here . I think it's more important that we find the cause of the crisis than try to deal with its effects.' . I think it's more important that we find the cause of the crisis than try to deal with its effects.'The General rocked on his heels, clutching his swagger cane behind his back. 'On that I agree with you, Brigadier. May I ask what you're doing about it?'The Brigadier explained that his UNIT troops were fully occupied in plotting the sightings of monsters.'And do you call that doing doing something?' smirked the General. 'Where is this famous scientific adviser of yours?' something?' smirked the General. 'Where is this famous scientific adviser of yours?''Temporarily on leave, sir.' It was a white lie. He had no idea where the Doctor was at this moment.'Really?' said the General. 'How inconvenient. Should he decide to return, do you think he may be able to help us with our problem?''In all honesty, sir, if anyone can find out why dinosaurs keep appearing and disappearing all over London, it's the Doctor.''Then the sooner you recall him from leave, Brigadier, the better.' The General turned to go, then paused. 'I shall let you have some extra men, seconded to UNIT from the British Army. But their orders will be to shoot to kill! I hope you understand that.'The General marched out of the cla.s.sroom. The Brigadier sighed with relief, and slumped into the chair behind his make-shift desk. He turned to Sergeant Benton, who had remained standing to attention throughout the General's visit.'Sergeant, you've no idea where the Doctor is, have you?''He could be anywhere, sir', said Benton. 'But I wish he was here to help us.'The Doctor and Sarah were standing between armed soldiers in a draughty church hall. Ahead of them another prisoner, a tough-looking young man in a dirty raincoat, was being questioned by an Army sergeant seated at a bench desk.'Name?''Lodge.'The sergeant wrote down 'Lodge' on the top of a blank sheet of typewriting paper. 'Age?''Twenty-two.'The sergeant noted the prisoner's age, then turned to the armed soldier standing beside Lodge. 'What had he got?'The soldier reeled off a list of goods found in the possession of the prisoner. 'Two tape recorders, one radio, and a colour television set.''Right, my lad,' said the sergeant to Lodge, 'you know where you're going. Take him away!'The soldier yanked on Lodge's arm and steered him to a far corner of the big hall. The soldiers guarding the Doctor and Sarah pushed them roughly towards the sergeant's desk. The sergeant placed a fresh sheet of paper before him.'Names?' He didn't look up when he asked the question.'If I could have a word with someone in authority-' the Doctor blurted out.The soldier standing behind the Doctor shouted in his ear, 'Quiet! Answer the sergeant's question!''Names?' The sergeant repeated his question, still not looking up. He had been on duty for many hours without sleep. He was tired. He hated looters.Sarah spoke up. 'Sarah Jane Smith.' Then she added quickly, 'But you've got to listen to us, please. I'm a journalist. This is all a big mistake! 'The sergeant wrote down Sarah's name, and then looked up at the Doctor, ignoring Sarah completely. 'And your name?''Dr John Smith,' said the Doctor, realising that the sergeant would never believe he hadn't really got a name. He remembered to add, 'We're not related.'The sergeant wrote 'Dr John Smith'. Then he asked, 'Ages? The girl first.'Sarah said, 'Twenty-three.''You'd never believe me if I told you,' the Doctor replied.The sergeant shrugged. 'It doesn't really matter. Age is no excuse for what you people have done.' He turned to the soldier standing behind the Doctor. 'What had they got?''The patrol said they'd got furs in the back of a lorry.'The sergeant wrote down 'furs'. Then he looked up. 'Right. You'll be held for military trial.''Just one question,' said Sarah. 'Why are the military running everything? Where are the police?'The sergeant, pushed his chair back, stretched his arms and yawned. His eyes were bloodshot with tiredness. 'You were found in the Central Zone, which you know is under martial law. Only the military are allowed in the Central Zone.''But why?' asked the Doctor earnestly. 'What's happening?'The sergeant looked at the soldiers guarding the two prisoners. 'You've got a right couple of nutters here.' He turned back to the Doctor. 'Don't you ever read the newspapers, or listen to the news on the radio?''We've been rather a long way away,' explained the Doctor.'Come off it! There's nowhere in the world doesn't know about what's happening here,' said the sergeant, clearly bored by the Doctor's presence. 'All right, lads, take 'em away for their mug shots.'The soldier pushed the Doctor and Sarah to one corner of the church hall where an Army photographer was waiting. They were told to stand facing the camera while a soldier held across their chests their prisoner numbers. Then they were both photographed in profile.Sarah asked the soldiers, 'Do you get pleasure out of treating us as common criminals?''We're treating you for what you are,' said the soldier photographer. 'If you hadn't broken martial law you wouldn't be here.' He took the final photograph. 'All right, I've finished with them.'The soldiers pushed the couple towards the corner where Lodge was already sitting on the floor. One of the soldiers ordered them to sit on the floor.'I'd rather stand, thank you,' replied the Doctor. The soldier levelled his gun at the Doctor. 'I said sit down! 'The Doctor sat.'What do we do now?' asked Sarah.'Wait till an officer turns up.' The Doctor inched over to where the young man Lodge was sitting, hunched up, chin between his knees. 'How do you do!'Lodge gave the Doctor a surly look. 'You've got nothing to be cheerful about, mate.'The Doctor smiled. 'Surely, this is only a misunderstanding.''That's one way to look at it,' said Lodge. 'There's no judge, no jury. It's martial law.'Sarah shuffled over to Lodge. 'But can you tell us why?''The monsters, of course. But you know about that already.'Sarah and the Doctor exchanged glances. The Doctor spoke to Lodge very patiently. 'Let's pretend that my young companion and I have been for a trip into Outer s.p.a.ce, that we've only just returned, and we know nothing about these monsters. Now you tell us what happened.'Lodge grinned. 'Outer s.p.a.ce? You must be joking.''It's only a game,' said Sarah. 'You see, I'm a journalist. I want you to tell me what happened, from your point of view.'This approach made more sense to Lodge. He thought for a few seconds, then spoke. 'It was about two weeks ago that they saw the first one-''Who?' said the Doctor, interrupting. 'Where?''Some kids, I think, on Hampstead Heath. They went home and told their mum they'd seen a dinosaur. Naturally she didn't believe them. They found some friends of theirs, other kids, to go and have a look at it. Their bodies were found a few hours later.'Sarah closed her eyes in horror. 'How terrible.''Do go on,' said the Doctor quietly.'Later that day some sort of big bird was seen flying over Hyde Park. A lot of people saw it. But it wasn't a bird-not really. It was a... a... I can't remember the name for it.''Pterodactyl?' said the Doctor.'That's right! I've seen one of them-horrible-looking things. They've got no feathers, sort of naked. Anyway, that night a ruddy great big thing turned up in the car park by the Festival Hall. It tramped about, swinging its tail, and wrecked two hundred cars. The next day they were turning up everywhere, killing, crushing motor cars, even walking straight through people's houses. There was hundreds of people killed.'Sarah asked, 'But where had they come from?''Hold it a moment,' the Doctor told her. 'We'll talk about that later.' He turned to Lodge. 'What happened then?''It was panic, wasn't it? Everyone with a car packed everything they could get into it and drove out into the country. The Government declared martial law in London, and said everyone had to leave. They got trains and buses for them, and sent them all over the place.''But where to?' asked Sarah.Lodge shrugged. 'They put 'em in peoples' houses in the country, I think. And they set up big camps for them. There's about ten million people gone, you know.''What about yourself?' asked the Doctor.Lodge grinned mischievously. 'I stayed back for the pickings, didn't I? Same as you two.' He looked over his shoulder at the soldier who was guarding them. 'There's only him,' he whispered. 'We could make a break for it. Want to try?''I don't think so,' said the Doctor. 'We haven't done anything wrong. What I really want is to speak to someone in authority-'A sergeant marched into the hall, banged his feet on the bare floorboards as he stood to attention, and shouted, 'Right! On your feet!'The soldier guarding them came over. 'You heard the sergeant! Jump to it!'They stood up. A young Army lieutenant entered the hall, looked at the prisoners, then sat down at the desk. He took off his cap, placed it carefully on the desk, and spoke to the sergeant. 'Bring them over, please.'The prisoners were herded towards the desk. 'I'm terribly glad to meet you,' said the Doctor, offering his hand. 'This is just the opportunity I've been looking for to-'The sergeant barked, 'The prisoners will remain silent unless spoken to!'The lieutenant asked. 'What are the charges?'The sergeant pointed to Lodge. 'This one, sir, was found illegally in the Central Zone, and illegally in the possession of two tape recorders, one radio, and a colour television set.''Anything to say?' The lieutenant seemed very bored, and not at all interested in whatever the prisoner might have to say.Lodge said, 'I found the stuff, see. I was going to hand it in.''Yes, I see,' said the lieutenant, as though he had heard that story many times before. 'You have been found guilty of looting. Under the authority vested in me by the Emergency Powers Act I am sending you to be held in detention for an indefinite period. You will be handed over to the civil authorities for trial and sentence when time permits. Next prisoner step forward.'The Doctor went up to the desk. 'Lieutenant, I really must protest. My young companion and I are totally innocent of the charge-''Be quiet,' said the lieutenant. 'What is is the charge?' 'Picked up with the girl,' said the sergeant. 'Found in possession of furs and a stolen lorry.' the charge?' 'Picked up with the girl,' said the sergeant. 'Found in possession of furs and a stolen lorry.''Anything to say?' asked the lieutenant.'A great deal,' said Sarah. 'We found other people stealing those furs-''And you were going to hand them in?' queried the lieutenant, with an unconcealed sneer.The question threw Sarah off her guard. 'Not exactly,' she admitted. 'We were mainly concerned with escaping from a pterodactyl.''And I I think you were mainly concerned with getting away with those furs,' said the lieutenant. He cleared his throat before p.r.o.nouncing verdict. 'You are both found guilty of looting. Under the authority vested in me by the Emergency Powers Act I am empowered to hold you in detention for an indefinite period. You will be handed over to the civil authorities for trial and sentenced when time permits.' He stood up and clapped on his cap. 'Thank you, sergeant. Get them away from here as soon as possible.' think you were mainly concerned with getting away with those furs,' said the lieutenant. He cleared his throat before p.r.o.nouncing verdict. 'You are both found guilty of looting. Under the authority vested in me by the Emergency Powers Act I am empowered to hold you in detention for an indefinite period. You will be handed over to the civil authorities for trial and sentenced when time permits.' He stood up and clapped on his cap. 'Thank you, sergeant. Get them away from here as soon as possible.''Yes, sir! ' The sergeant stood to attention and saluted as the lieutenant hurried out of the church hall. The sergeant turned to the prisoners. 'Back in your corners, you lot.''I'm hungry,' said Sarah. 'Is starvation part of the punishment?''If you behave yourself, I'll get some food sent in to you.' The sergeant turned and left the hall.One soldier now remained to guard the prisoners. He levelled his gun at them. 'Back to the corner, and sit down. You won't have long to wait. Transport will be arriving to take you to the detention centre any minute now.'Seated on the floor once more, the Doctor turned to Lodge, 'Did you say something about making a break for it, old man?''Doctor,' exclaimed Sarah, quite shocked, 'we mustn't do anything of the sort! We'll get ourselves into even more trouble.''I hardly think that's possible,' said the Doctor. 'No one will listen to us. Escape seems the only way out of this mess.' He turned back to Lodge. 'How do you propose we get away?'Lodge glanced round furtively at their guard. The soldier had sat down, his back to them. 'There's three of us. We could jump him.''My dear chap,' said the Doctor, 'let us be a little more subtle than that.'Lodge, whose friends didn't normally use such words as 'subtle', turned to Sarah in despair. 'What's the old geezer talking about?''The "old geezer",' she said, hotly, 'is much brighter than you are, so listen to him!'Lodge turned back to the Doctor. 'All right. What's the plan?''We have a fight,' said the Doctor.Lodge didn't understand. 'Eh?'The Doctor put on a loud, c.o.c.kney accent. 'It was you what gra.s.sed on us!'Lodge understood now. In his world, 'to gra.s.s' meant to give information to the police-the worst possible social behaviour. He immediately reacted: 'I never gra.s.sed in my life!'The Doctor stood up, towering over Lodge. 'Get on your feet, you low-down dirty stool pigeon!''Stool pigeon' was another term that meant an informer.Lodge jumped up and faced him. 'You don't call me names like that and get away with it!''Don't I?' sneered the Doctor. 'I know what they say about you in these parts. You've always been a copper's nark. Your family are well known for it.'This stung Lodge. The only loyalty he knew was to his immediate family. The insult deeply offended him. 'All right, you great dressed-up twit,' he bellowed. 'You asked for it!' He swung his fist at the Doctor's face. The Doctor sidestepped, and landed a light blow to Lodge's chest.Sarah screamed at the soldier: 'Stop them!'The soldier ran forward, waving his rifle as though he was about to strike his two struggling prisoners. Sarah stuck her foot out. The soldier tripped, tumbling forward. Lodge grabbed and held on to the rifle. The Doctor caught the soldier, applying a Venusian karate hold to the man's neck. The soldier pa.s.sed out, unconscious. The Doctor gently lowered him to the bare floorboards. Lodge watched in amazement.'What did you do?''Never mind,' said the Doctor. He looked around for means of escape. 'We can get through that window.' There was a brick wall opposite the window: clearly it let on to an alleyway.Lodge aimed the gun at the Doctor. 'You go through the door, the way we came in! ''But we'll all three go together,' Sarah said.'Not while I've got the gun,' said Lodge viciously. 'You two-out through the door. While you're being overpowered by the soldiers, I'll go through the window.'Sarah stood up and faced Lodge. 'You dirty cheat! We shouldn't have had anything to do with you.'Lodge grinned. 'That's right. But then I didn't have your nice education, did I? Where I was brought up life was rough. You had to look after yourself or go under...' His attention focused on Sarah, he didn't notice the Doctor's quick move to come behind him. The Doctor's hands slipped round Lodge's neck, again applying the Venusian karate hold. Lodge gurgled for a moment, dropped the gun, then fell to the ground unconscious.'What a boring fellow,' said the Doctor. 'Now let's get out of here.'They raced to the window, climbed out into the alleyway. 'This way,' said the Doctor, grabbing Sarah's hand and dragging her towards the street that ran in front of the drill hall. As they came out into the street, the Doctor stopped. 'Just what we need,' he said, eyeing a parked Army truck. It was a small vehicle with a covered-in back. 'In that we're not so likely to be stopped by military patrols.'The Doctor jumped into the driver's seat; Sarah got in beside him. He looked at the ignition switch.'We're not in luck this time,' Sarah said. 'There's no key.''But with a piece of wire I could jump the ignition.Let's see what they've got in the back.'The Doctor turned and slid back the door that led into the rear of the van, and looked straight into the snout of a levelled rifle.'Ready to go to the detention centre now?' asked the soldier. 'Because this is the van that's going to take you!'The Doctor and Sarah sat side by side in the back of the detention centre van as it sped through the deserted streets of London. Their wrists were handcuffed together.'Honestly, Doctor, that wasn't very clever,' said Sarah reproachfully.'How was I to know it was the detention centre van?'The van turned sharply, throwing them sideways. Sarah regained her crouched position on the hard wooden bench. 'What do we do now?''Someone at the centre will listen to us.''No they won't,' she said. 'No one's listened to us up to now. I can see us being prisoners for months, probably sewing mail bags or whatever they have to do, and mixing with criminals...'The van screamed to a stop, hurling them both forward. Suddenly, a thunderous roar made the van vibrate. The Doctor edged forward and slid open the door behind the driver's cabin. The soldier-driver and his companion were scrambling out, guns in hand. Through the windscreen the Doctor could see the gigantic shape of a tyrannosaurus rex blocking the road.'What is it?' Sarah shouted.'Come over here,' said the Doctor, sliding the door back a few more inches. 'That's one of the biggest and deadliest land animals that has ever existed on your planet.'Sarah looked and gasped. The tyrannosaurus rex was standing upright on its two hind legs, balancing on an enormous tail. Head raised, it was considerably taller than a double-decker bus. Compared with its huge head and six-inch-long teeth, its little two-fingered 'hands' looked weak and futile. The two soldiers were crouched against the buildings on either side of the street, firing their automatic guns into the reptile's neck. The monster roared with pain and anger as dribbles of bright red blood flowed down its leathery green skin.'I've always wanted to study one of those,' said the Doctor, observing the scene in his typically scientific manner.'Well I haven't!' screamed Sarah.'During their heyday,' the Doctor went on, as though oblivious to the danger they were in, 'they dominated all other living creatures except the pterodactyls, which could fly away. Do you notice the way the serrated teeth curve backwards?''I've got my eyes closed,' Sarah replied, honestly.'That was to tear at their victims. Another thing about the tyrannosaurus rex,' he continued, 'was that they were much more intelligent than all the other giant reptiles. That still meant they were pretty stupid compared with the smallest mammal. But it gave them a great advantage.''Doctor, do you think we could have the natural history lesson some other time? I'm terrified!''Of course, my dear,' he said. 'How inconsiderate of me. With our soldier guards so preoccupied, this is an excellent opportunity to escape. Come along.'He grabbed her by the hand so that the handcuffs wouldn't tug at their wrists, and went through the doorway into the driver's cabin. The soldier-driver had cautiously removed the ignition key before jumping out to fight the monster.'We'll have to run for it,' said the Doctor, helping Sarah down on to the road. 'I suggest we go away away from our reptile friend.' from our reptile friend.''What a brilliant idea, I'd never have thought of it.'The Doctor didn't react to her sarcasm. He started running, Sarah beside him. As they neared the end of the street there was an explosion behind them. They stopped and turned. A cloud of smoke filled the street near the reptile's tail. One of the soldiers threw another hand-grenade at the reptile. It exploded with a brilliant flash and a 'boom' that must have been heard miles away.'That,' said the Doctor, 'should bring every soldier in this part of London to this street. The sooner we find somewhere to hide, the better.'They hurried on down the next street. Then the Doctor stopped abruptly.'A mews,' he said.'A what?' asked Sarah.The Doctor pointed to a small opening off the street they were now in. The opening led to a cobblestone mews, a narrow street lined with garages.'In days gone by,' said the Doctor, 'London's mews were for the stables of the gentry. Now they have all been turned into garages. Garages have work benches, vices, and files. Let's see what we can find.'As the Doctor had predicted, the entire mews was lined with big garage doors, most of them carrying the words 'In Constant Use-No Parking'. There wasn't a car in sight.'Won't they all be locked?' Sarah asked.The Doctor moved from door to door, testing them. 'Under the circ.u.mstances,' he said, 'hardly likely. Remember all the shop doors we found open? Ah! ' He had found a little door let into the bigger doors of a garage-and it was unlocked! 'Mind the step,' he warned, and went through into the garage, tuggingSarah after him. Inside, a little daylight filtered through a filthy window at the far end. The floor of the garage was thick with black oil. There were various machines for car repairs, and a well-equipped work bench. Clamped to the work bench was a vice.'Exactly what we need,' said the Doctor. 'Now all we want is a file.' He looked along the tool shelf, found a foot-long file. 'Let's get your cuff open first.'Sarah held her wrist so that part of the metal cuff encircling it was between the plates of the vice. The Doctor screwed up the vice, closing the plates in on to the metal cuff. Then he started to file through it.'Where did that monster come from?' Sarah asked.'The Upper Cretaceous Period.''I mean how did it come to be here in London today?' she persisted.'Ah,' he said, 'a very good question.''Don't you know the answer?''That isn't such a good question,' he said, working hard with the file. 'How could I possibly know?' He paused. 'Am I hurting you?''Not yet,' she said. She could see that she might be hurt once the file neared her flesh.He continued filing. 'Since the only people we have spoken to up to now have been either criminals or rather stupid soldiers, I haven't much to go on.'Sarah tried to work it out. 'Suppose there was an egg buried in the ground somewhere, and somehow or other it hatched!''Producing a sweet little baby monster?' asked the Doctor, smiling.'Yes,' she said, enthusiastically. Then she realised the fallacy in that idea. 'But how did it grow to that size without anyone noticing?''Maybe someone kept it as a pet,' said the Doctor, 'and turned it out when it got too big to feed.''You're making fun of me.''Because I think you're forgetting the pterodactyl. I'm almost through now. Grit your teeth in case I hurt you.'Sarah closed her eyes and nerved herself to feel the file run across the flesh of her wrist. But the Doctor took great care. After a moment Sarah felt the cuff fall away from her wrist. She opened her eyes.'Thanks.' She rubbed her wrist.Wasting no time, the Doctor opened the vice a fraction of an inch, let the remains of Sarah's cuff fall to the floor, then put his own cuff in the vice and set to work again with the file.'You see,' he said, 'we are talking about many reptiles, not just one. According to that unpleasant young man we met in the drill hall, there have been a large number of monsters popping up.''Could it be something that we're all imagining?' asked Sarah hopefully. 'A kind of ma.s.s hallucination?''It's possible-but unlikely. You can, if you know how, hypnotise a whole crowd of people, and make them believe they're seeing all sorts of things. But I don't think you could do it to millions of people spread all over a city the size of London.''Then what is the explanation?''I think it's got something to do with Time,' speculated the Doctor. 'There! I'm through!' He opened the vice, and the cuff fell to the floor. 'People tend to think of Time as being inflexible, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. But if you apply Einstein's Theory of Relativity to the question of time, you find that it may may move in great curves...' move in great curves...'His voice trailed off. He was staring towards a darkened corner of the garage.Sarah said, 'What is it?''I think we are not alone,' he said. He raised his voice. 'h.e.l.lo, old chap. What can we do for you?'Sarah watched, her heart beating fast, as a man came forward from the corner. He was about forty with long straggly hair and a faded blue smock that came down to his knees. On his feet were crudely-made leather shoes, encrusted with mud. His right hand clutched a rusted knife.'Back, back, accursed wizard!' He spoke with a strong Midlands accent.'We're not wizards,' replied the Doctor quietly. 'There's nothing to be afraid of. Do you know where you are?'The man's frightened eyes darted from the Doctor to Sarah.'The witch,' he said. 'She put a spell on me. I shall tell the priest and he will burn her at the stake.''Do you know what year it is?' asked the Doctor.The man looked puzzled. 'What strange tongue do you people speak?''Modern English,' said Sarah. 'Tell me, what is the name of the king?'''Tis a stupid thing to ask,' said the man. 'All people know the name of the king.''But we don't,' said the Doctor. 'At least, not your king. Think of us as strangers in your land. Who is your king?''Richard, but he's in the Holy Land, fighting the Infidel. John rules now.''Good gracious,' cried the Doctor. 'We're not only dealing with reptiles that died out millions of years ago. This man has just stepped right out of the Middle Ages!'

3

The Time Eddy

At UNIT's temporary Headquarters in the cla.s.sroom, the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton stood watching the radio operator as another report came in about the sighting of a monster.'The signal's very faint, sir.' The radio operator turned up the volume control on his console to 'full'. 'It's no good, sir. They've faded out altogether.'The Brigadier had noticed that this always happened. There must be some connection between the appearance of the monsters and his radio operator's inability to pick up signals from the military mobile patrols.'Did you hear anything?' he asked.The radio operator turned to the Brigadier. 'Only that one of the big flesh-eaters had stopped a truck taking two prisoners to one of the detention centres, sir. I think they said the prisoners escaped.''I can hardly blame them.' The Brigadier turned away.'But they are villains, sir,' protested Sergeant Benton. 'I mean to say, any civilian in the Central Zone must be there for the pickings. We have to stop the looting.''So I keep being told,' snapped the Brigadier, returning to his desk, 'by General Finch, and now by special despatches from the Government. What they all forget is the main problem. We seem to be far more interested in capturing petty crooks than slaughtering monsters.' He glanced across at Benton's desk where the 'In' tray was piled high with despatches recently received. 'You'd better get on with your filing, sergeant.''Yes, sir,' Benton obediently returned to his desk.The Brigadier sat down at his own desk. As an officer he was supposed to set a good example of leadership and hard work. At this moment in his career he had no idea where to lead anyone, and could think of no work that he could usefully do. It had been so much easier when he was fighting reptile men*in the caves of Derbyshire, or even trying to exterminate giant maggots**that came up from a disused mine in Wales. In both instances, the enemy was tangible and permanent. With these giant reptiles, he had no idea at all where they came from; even worse, he didn't know where they went. In every instance when his troops had pursued a monster it had gone behind buildings-and, by the time his troops turned the corner, the monster had vanished as though it never existed. He earnestly wished that the Doctor had not gone off on one of his jaunts into Time and s.p.a.ce.'Sir!'The excited voice of Sergeant Benton interrupted the Brigadier's thoughts. He looked up.'What is it, Sergeant?''Look, sir.' Benton was holding a photograph of the Doctor before the Brigadier's eyes.'Very good, Benton. Pin it on the wall as a souvenir, and we can all wish he was here.''But he is, sir,' Benton persisted. 'It's a mug shot from one of the Army posts. Listen to this.' Benton read from an official paper. '"Found accompanied by a young woman in possession of stolen furs and a stolen van."'The Brigadier sprang to his feet. 'The Doctor's been arrested as a looter?! ''That's right, sir. And Sarah Jane Smith with him. They're being held, or were were being held, at Number Five reception area.' being held, at Number Five reception area.'The Brigadier hurried across the cla.s.sroom to the radio operator. 'Get Number Five reception area on the R/T.'The radio operator shook his head. 'Can't do it, sir. The interference is too bad. Must be more monsters about, sir.''All right, then,' said the Brigadier. 'I'll go myself. Sergeant Benton, I don't know what the Doctor thinks he's playing at, but he's going to have to answer to me!'The Brigadier marched out of the cla.s.sroom.The Doctor smiled at the peasant from the Middle Ages. He was acutely aware of the man's fear-and the knife clutched in his hand.'Tell me, old chap, can you remember what happened to you?'''Tis a curse of the witches.''Quite probably,' replied the Doctor, wishing to sound agreeable. 'But what were you doing when. when it it happened?' happened?''I were doing no harm to G.o.d nor Man,' said the peasant. 'I were about to slaughter a pig with this knife.'Sarah recoiled. 'Perhaps this is a vengeance on you for killing a poor defenceless animal.'The peasant glared at her. ''Tis no crime to slaughter swine,' he roared. 'I have always been a good man, paying the t.i.thes, tilling my master's land three days of the week, and my own for three days. I go to church on Sundays and have my children christened.''But you also believe in witches,' said the Doctor.'They cast spells against good Christian folk,' saidthe peasant. 'Be a friend, wizard, and take the curse off me.''Unfortunately I can't,' confessed the Doctor. 'You see, I'm not a wizard-'The man, without listening to the rest of the Doctor's sentence, raised his knife high above his head. 'Then I'll slaughter you as I would that pig!'As the peasant lunged forward with the rusted knife, the Doctor jumped back, tripping and falling. Sarah flung herself at the peasant, trying to grapple with him. All at once, as the knife was poised to slice into the Doctor's throat, Sarah felt a strange force pulling her back to where she had been standing. At the same time, the peasant went backwards until he also was exactly where he had been standing. Then, as Sarah watched, the peasant became transparent-and disappeared.The Doctor staggered to his feet. 'Are you all right?''Are you you all right?' she asked in return. all right?' she asked in return.The Doctor felt his throat, and grinned. 'He never touched me.''I can't understand what happened,' she said, 'I went backwards-and so did he. Everything Everything seemed to go backwards.' seemed to go backwards.''Fascinating,' commented the Doctor, brushing down his frock coat. 'A time eddy. Just for a moment, Time went into reverse.''That's impossible, Time can only go forward.''Are you sure of that?' queried the Doctor.'It's the only way I can think,' she said, lamely.'Then let me stretch your thinking a little,' said the Doctor. 'Light travels at about 186,000 miles per second. Right?''Everyone knows that.''I imagine our friend from the Middle Ages didn't know that,' continued the Doctor with a smile, 'but let that pa.s.s. If you are looking at a distant star, you may be looking at it as it was at the time of the birth of Jesus. If that star, or sun, has a planet and there are people living on it with a telescope strong enough to observe events on Earth, what would they see?'Sarah got the point. 'The Romans invading Britain. But that doesn't explain people and animals appearing from the past.''No,' said the Doctor, 'but it puts to question the idea that Time is inflexible. On your planet, it was that chap Einstein who began to realise what was happening. Time, you see, moves at different speeds in different parts of the Universe. If I can find something to write on, let me show you some equations...'The Doctor looked about for something to write with. But Sarah's attention was focused on sounds coming from the mews outside.'I think you'll have to continue the lecture tomorrow,' she whispered. 'I'm sure that's soldiers outside-probably looking for us.'The Doctor listened. Nailed boots were clattering on the cobblestones beyond the big double doors. 'I think you're right,' he said. 'I'll try to bolt the door.'He hurried over to the big double doors and looked desperately for some means to hold them fast. The approaching footsteps had now reached immediately outside, and someone was trying the handle of the door through which the Doctor and Sarah had entered.'Hide!' The Doctor called across the garage to Sarah in an urgent whisper. She quickly hid behind some of the machinery.The Doctor poised himself by the door to attack whoever might enter. Suddenly the door flung open and a khaki-clad figure stepped into the garage. The Doctor moved forward to apply Venusian karate to the intruder's neck.The Brigadier, aware someone was approaching him from behind, turned to face the Doctor, whosehands were poised ready for his neck.'Good grief, Doctor,' he said calmly, 'whatever do you think you're playing at?''I was just about to render you unconscious,' grinned the Doctor.'So I gathered. If you can resist the temptation, perhaps you'd be good enough to accompany me back to our temporary Headquarters. We're having a bit of bother with prehistoric monsters popping up. You should be just the person we need to help sort out the mess.'The Doctor regarded the cla.s.sroom which had been taken over by UNIT. 'Is this the best you could do, Brigadier?''We have everything we need. A school provides plenty of rooms, toilet facilities, and a big kitchen. And with all London's children gone, no one was using it. Would you care to take a seat?'But the Doctor had become too interested in the map of London that covered the blackboard. 'What do all the flags mean?'Sergeant Benton stepped forward to explain. 'It's a colour code, Doctor. Red flags for the sightings of a tyrannosaurus, blue for a triceratops, green for your stegosaurus, and pink for the pterodactyls.''You've had all those different types of monsters?' Sarah asked.'Those are the ones we know about,' replied the Brigadier. He turned to the Doctor. 'We soon realised that these giant reptiles only appeared in central London. The Government therefore ordered the evacuation of the entire area.''Apart from evacuating millions of people,' said the Doctor, 'and chasing after looters-''And arresting innocent people,' Sarah cut in.'-what,' continued the Doctor, 'have you actually done done ?' ?''When these creatures appear,' replied the Brigadier, 'we try to make sure that they keep within the evacuated area and do not wander off into populated areas beyond the boundary of this line.' He pointed to a heavy red line on the map that ringed central London.'But having contained them in this way,' continued the Doctor, 'what do you do do ?' ?'The Brigadier smiled. 'That's where you come in, Doctor. We've no idea where they come from, or where they vanish to. In fact that really puzzles me-the way they just seem to disappear.''I should think the explanation is pretty simple,' said the Doctor. 'They return to where they came from. The past.'General Finch marched into the cla.s.sroom, followed by Captain Yates. Sarah took an instant dislike to the General, but warmed when she saw young Captain Yates of UNIT. Sergeant Benton leapt to attention. The Brigadier straightened his shoulders and turned to greet his superior officer.'All right, Brigadier,' the General's voice boomed, 'I've arranged for the extra patrols you want. But I warn you, I shall expect results.'Ignoring the General, the Doctor went forward to shake Captain Yates's hand. 'My dear Yates,' he grinned, 'how nice to see you again. How are you?' Only recently, when UNIT and the Doctor had been battling against an artificially created outbreak of giant maggots in Wales, Captain Yates had been captured by a group of villains and mentally 'readjusted' so that he would do their bidding. At their orders he had almost murdered his good friend the Doctor, but his own conscience had prevented him from carrying out the order at the last moment. Although the Doctor had eventually helped Yates recover control of his own mind, it was generally believed that the young Captain had undergone terrific mental strain. He was given a very long leave in which to get better.'I'm fine now,' said Captain Yates, 'thanks to you.'General Finch, who did not like being ignored at any time, turned and stared at the Doctor. 'Who is this man?''This is the Doctor, sir,' said the Brigadier, 'our scientific adviser.''We've all been waiting for you to show up. May I ask where you've been?' said the General.'Certainly,' replied the Doctor.There was an awkward silence. The General realised the Doctor was making a fool of him. 'Well?' he rapped.'You may ask,' replied the Doctor, 'but I don't intend to give an answer, not if you speak to me in that tone of voice.'The Brigadier stepped in quickly. 'Doctor, this is General Finch. He has overall charge of this entire operation.''Really?' said the Doctor. He smiled disarmingly and extended his hand to the now red-faced General. 'How do you do? I'm terribly pleased to meet you.'Before the General could utter a word, the Brigadier spoke rapidly. 'The Doctor's already come up with a most interesting theory, sir. He believes that these creatures are coming to us from the past.'The General touched his closely cropped moustache. 'Very interesting. How?'The Brigadier turned back to the Doctor. 'That's a good point, Doctor. How do they do it?''Somebody or something,' said the Doctor airily, 'is causing temporal displacement on a ma.s.sive scale.''Temporal displacement?' queried the Brigadier, not understanding the terminology.'Putting it another way,' continued the Doctor, 'someone is mucking about with Time.'37033036'Rubbish,' said the General. 'Absolute nonsense!''I take it you have a better theory, General?'The General cleared his throat noisily. 'Some mad scientist fellow has been secretly breeding these things. Now they've escaped.'Sarah piped up, 'That wouldn't account for the man from the Middle Ages we met in the garage! 'General Finch turned and stared at Sarah, as though he hadn't noticed her before. 'Who is this person?''Sarah Jane Smith. I'm a journalist.'The General swung back to face the Brigadier. 'No journalists are allowed in this zone. Have her evacuated immediately.''Miss Smith is acting as my a.s.sistant, General,' the Doctor turned to her. 'You were saying, my dear?'Sarah quickly told of their encounter with the peasant from the time of King John. 'Don't you see, General,' she concluded, 'it's not only reptiles, it's people. Maybe anything anything will pop up from the past now., will pop up from the past now.,The General rocked on his heels, his favourite stance. He tapped his leg with his swagger cane. 'Have you never heard of mentally deranged people believing they were Napoleon? I suggest your so-called peasant was mad.''He vanished before Miss Smith's very eyes,' said the Doctor. 'Madmen can't do that.'From his radio console, the operator turned excitedly to Sergeant Benton. 'Another sighting, sarge. Just come through.'In a flash Benton went to take the note the radio operator had scribbled down while listening to reports of the new sighting.'Where is it?' asked the Brigadier.Benton helped himself to a