the next thirty minutes they carefully followed the route sketched on Dr Quinn’s map. It brought them into the huge cathedral-like cave where a little daylight came in from a distant opening to the outside world.
Liz said, ‘What do you hope to find? I mean, what does the X mean on the map?’
But the Doctor pulled Liz sharply into a recess in the cave wall and signalled her to be silent. As they watched a reptile man appeared from one of the passages leading into the great cave. He went up to a huge rock and stood facing it. After a second or two his third eye glowed a brilliant red. The rock opened like a door and the reptile man went inside. The rock closed behind him. The Doctor could feel Liz quaking beside him.
‘It was an upright lizard,’ she said, ‘a reptile!’
‘It was also a man,’ said the Doctor. ‘An intelligent being.’
‘But the reptiles were all stupid,’ she said, as though she was desperately trying to believe it. ‘Brains the size of kittens.’
‘We only know about the reptiles whose fossils we have found,’ said the Doctor. ‘But what if for some reason the more intelligent reptiles hid themselves away in shelters under the Earth’s crust?’ As the Doctor talked he crossed over to the huge rock and inspected it. ‘You see, there isn’t even a crack to show how it opened.’
‘Do we want to open it?’ Liz asked.
‘Of course we do,’ said the Doctor. ‘We must get inside there somehow.’ He stood very still for a moment. ‘Do you notice a slight breeze down here?’
‘There’s that opening up near the roof,’ said Liz. ‘Maybe it’s windy outside now.’
The Doctor shook his head. ‘It’s a steady breeze, and it’s moving in this direction.’The Doctor hurried off, Liz following. ‘There you are,’ he said, pleased with himself, ‘an air-vent.’
Set in the wall of the cave was a circular tunnel about three feet high. The Doctor could feel air being sucked into it. He put his hand into the tunnel and felt the wall of the tunnel. It was perfectly smooth. ‘I think this has just been made. What’s more, it hasn’t been drilled – it’s been melted.’
‘They’ve melted through this thickness of rock?’ said Liz, hardly believing it possible.
‘They certainly didn’t cut their way through with a hammer and chisel,’ said the Doctor. ‘Now let’s see where it takes us. Hold on to my coat tails.’
The Doctor got on to all fours and started to climb into the tunnel. Liz scrambled along behind him. As they continued along the tunnel they could hear the humming of some electronic apparatus. The tunnel had a wide-angled bend in it, and as they passed the bend they could see a ring of light at the end of the tunnel.
‘I’d rather have gone in by invitation,’ said the Doctor, ‘but at least this is a good second best.’
‘Don’t you think they’ll be waiting for us at the other end?’ called Liz.
‘If they are,’ said the Doctor, ‘let me do the talking.’
Finally they reached the end of the tunnel. They emerged from it in a dark corner of the reptile men’s giant shelter. The Doctor stood up and looked at the scene before him. They were in a huge, almost square cavern. All the walls and ceiling were made of sheet metal bolted together, like the hull of a ship. At one end was a huge pit with prison-like bars across its top, but the Doctor could not see what was kept in the pit. Elsewhere there were work-benches and tables. At one of these two reptile men were busy dismantling and inspecting an FN .303 rifle, clearly trying to understand how it worked. In a corner another two reptile men stood by a third which was lying on its back on a metal slab. Electrodes were attached to its head and feet. One of the reptile men in attendance pulled a big electrical switch set in the wall. The Doctor watched fascinated as the reptile man on the slab started to twitch.
‘That’s horrible,’ said Liz, ‘they’re electrocuting
Liz said, ‘What do you hope to find? I mean, what does the X mean on the map?’
But the Doctor pulled Liz sharply into a recess in the cave wall and signalled her to be silent. As they watched a reptile man appeared from one of the passages leading into the great cave. He went up to a huge rock and stood facing it. After a second or two his third eye glowed a brilliant red. The rock opened like a door and the reptile man went inside. The rock closed behind him. The Doctor could feel Liz quaking beside him.
‘It was an upright lizard,’ she said, ‘a reptile!’
‘It was also a man,’ said the Doctor. ‘An intelligent being.’
‘But the reptiles were all stupid,’ she said, as though she was desperately trying to believe it. ‘Brains the size of kittens.’
‘We only know about the reptiles whose fossils we have found,’ said the Doctor. ‘But what if for some reason the more intelligent reptiles hid themselves away in shelters under the Earth’s crust?’ As the Doctor talked he crossed over to the huge rock and inspected it. ‘You see, there isn’t even a crack to show how it opened.’
‘Do we want to open it?’ Liz asked.
‘Of course we do,’ said the Doctor. ‘We must get inside there somehow.’ He stood very still for a moment. ‘Do you notice a slight breeze down here?’
‘There’s that opening up near the roof,’ said Liz. ‘Maybe it’s windy outside now.’
The Doctor shook his head. ‘It’s a steady breeze, and it’s moving in this direction.’The Doctor hurried off, Liz following. ‘There you are,’ he said, pleased with himself, ‘an air-vent.’
Set in the wall of the cave was a circular tunnel about three feet high. The Doctor could feel air being sucked into it. He put his hand into the tunnel and felt the wall of the tunnel. It was perfectly smooth. ‘I think this has just been made. What’s more, it hasn’t been drilled – it’s been melted.’
‘They’ve melted through this thickness of rock?’ said Liz, hardly believing it possible.
‘They certainly didn’t cut their way through with a hammer and chisel,’ said the Doctor. ‘Now let’s see where it takes us. Hold on to my coat tails.’
The Doctor got on to all fours and started to climb into the tunnel. Liz scrambled along behind him. As they continued along the tunnel they could hear the humming of some electronic apparatus. The tunnel had a wide-angled bend in it, and as they passed the bend they could see a ring of light at the end of the tunnel.
‘I’d rather have gone in by invitation,’ said the Doctor, ‘but at least this is a good second best.’
‘Don’t you think they’ll be waiting for us at the other end?’ called Liz.
‘If they are,’ said the Doctor, ‘let me do the talking.’
Finally they reached the end of the tunnel. They emerged from it in a dark corner of the reptile men’s giant shelter. The Doctor stood up and looked at the scene before him. They were in a huge, almost square cavern. All the walls and ceiling were made of sheet metal bolted together, like the hull of a ship. At one end was a huge pit with prison-like bars across its top, but the Doctor could not see what was kept in the pit. Elsewhere there were work-benches and tables. At one of these two reptile men were busy dismantling and inspecting an FN .303 rifle, clearly trying to understand how it worked. In a corner another two reptile men stood by a third which was lying on its back on a metal slab. Electrodes were attached to its head and feet. One of the reptile men in attendance pulled a big electrical switch set in the wall. The Doctor watched fascinated as the reptile man on the slab started to twitch.
‘That’s horrible,’ said Liz, ‘they’re electrocuting
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