Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters Read Online Free Page A

is no exception here. But that’s if they are real accidents,’ he added in a sinister way.
    ‘Accidents or sabotage,’ said the Doctor, ‘no one has answered my question. What type of accidents have people had here?’
    ‘There was a poor fellow three weeks ago,’ said Dr Quinn, ‘who nearly got electrocuted when the power came on again after a failure. And then three days ago there were the pot-holers.’
    ‘Pot-holers?’ queried the Doctor.
    ‘The caves,’ said the Brigadier. ‘They attract pot-holers. Some of the people here do it in their spare time. Three days ago two of them had an accident – a bit of a mystery, really. A technician called Davis was killed, and his friend, Spencer, is still in the sick-bay here.’
    Dr Quinn smiled. ‘It’s difficult to see any connection between a pot-holing accident and our power losses in the Centre.’
    ‘I agree,’ said the Doctor. ‘But we should look into everything.’ He turned to Liz. ‘While Dr Quinn shows me the cyclotron, would you mind visiting this man Spencer in the sick-bay? I may be along later.’ He turned back to Dr Quinn. ‘And now if you could show me the centre of operations…’
    Dr Quinn took the Doctor out into the corridor. ‘Where do I find the sick-bay?’ Liz asked.
    ‘I’ll take you there,’ said Major Barker. ‘This way.’
    Barker marched out. Liz turned to see what the Brigadier was going to do, but he had already settled himself at a desk and was using the telephone. She hurried after Major Barker. Barker marched like a soldier down one corridor after another, all windowless, all with the gentle hum of air-conditioning – air that was being sucked in from five hundred feet above. He stopped at double-doors on which were the words ‘SICK-BAY’ . ‘I’ll introduce you to Dr Meredith,’ said Barker, and held open a door. Liz entered a well-lit room with a desk, an inspection trolley of the sort you find in a hospital, and two doors leading off to other parts of the sick-bay. Seated at the desk was a good-looking young man writing a report. He looked up, a little annoyed, as Liz and Major Barker entered.
    ‘I wish you’d knock…’ Dr Meredith stopped short when he saw it was Liz, a stranger to him. Major Barker followed close on Liz’s heels. ‘Security check,’ said Barker. ‘No need to knock. This is Miss Shaw, from UNIT. Wants to see the loonie.’
    ‘My patient,’ said Dr Meredith, ‘is under some kind of stress. He is not a lunatic.’
    ‘Swinging the lead, if you ask me,’ said Barker. ‘They all are.’
    ‘ All ?’ said Liz.
    Dr Meredith explained calmly. ‘We’ve had an outbreak of mild neuroses, psychosomatic ailments, and nervous breakdowns.’
    ‘People pretending to be potty,’ said Barker, cutting in.
    Dr Meredith ignored him. ‘I’m afraid that I won’t allow you or anyone to see our latest patient.’
    ‘Then I must insist!’ The voice of Doctor Who boomed behind Liz. He smiled to Liz, spoke quickly and quietly to her. ‘Just seen over their cyclotron. Very interesting clue there.’ But before Liz could ask what the Doctor had discovered, the Doctor was addressing Dr Meredith again. ‘Miss Shaw and I have authority from UNIT to see what and whom we wish. I’m sorry to be so difficult, but you cannot refuse to let us see your patient.’
    Dr Meredith got up. ‘All right,’ he said, ‘but you do so at your own risk. Follow me, please.’
    Dr Meredith opened a door leading to a small passage. Liz went first, then the Doctor. Major Barker was about to follow, but Dr Meredith checked him. ‘Just these two, if you don’t mind.’ He closed the door in Barker’s face, turned to the Doctor and Liz. ‘This way.’
    The young doctor led them down the passage. As they followed, the Doctor whispered quickly to Liz: ‘There’s a log book in the cyclotron room – they keep in it records of these mysterious power losses. But a vital page is missing, and I could see where it was torn