Doctor Who: Combat Rock by Mick Lewis Page A

attic! Hide from this obscenity Julius had been only the first; madness had spread like a virus through the once peaceful shanty town. The usually amiable and even rather docile Papul had become ravenous monsters, ripping away the clothes they had once been taught to be proud of, tearing away the layers of civilization Pieter and his fellow missionaries had spent so long insulating them with.
    What had happened to the Word of God? Was it then so fragile to be rejected so suddenly, so savagely? A belief system refined and sophisticated was being butchered, and its initiator could do no more than cower and weep.
    The way had been opened to barbarity. The jungle had reclaimed its children. Brutal gods reigned once more over their heathen domain.
    How long would it be before They came looking for him?
    Wemus and Kepennis looked terrified.
    The aggressive-looking figures held machetes to the throats of the guides and shouted at them in a guttural local tongue. The Doctor made an attempt to communicate with the warriors, who were obviously Papul from what could be detected of their features under the fur balaclavas. A battered-looking rifle barrel stopped his progress.
    ‘Oh, I see...’ he said ruefully, raising his hands with a worried expression on his face. ‘Jamie, don’t do anything silly,’ he added, as the Scot began to protest vociferously behind him
    The warriors encircled the little group of tourists, their faces hard and uncompromising. Santi and Wina stood together, and the Doctor tried to smile encouragingly at them, guessing what would be going through their minds: they were two attractive Indoni girls trapped in the middle of the Papul jungle by a group of hostile guerrillas. It didn’t take a great imagination to guess their possible fate.
    Kepennis and Wemus turned around to confront the Doctor. The warrior who had spoken so aggressively to them now ushered them to communicate with the group they had led into such peril. His balaclava was of black fur and he wore a necklace of bullets and a bracelet of bone. His eyes were malevolent as he waited for the guides to pass on his instructions.
    Wemus looked cowed. Kepennis had dropped his machete and although his face was tense, he also appeared determined not to lose face in front of the tour group.
    ‘We are hostage of OPG now.’ he said simply. ‘Nothing we can do.’
    ‘OPG?’ asked the Doctor with obvious alarm. ‘What might they be, and what do they intend doing to us?’ His voice was full of stubborn indignation, but when the Papul with the black balaclava lifted his machete to prod at the Doctor’s gangly bow tie, he wisely stopped his blusterings and backed away a step, his mouth dropping open with almost comical dismay.
    ‘The Krallik order his men to take us to swamps in south.
    They will negotiate with Indoni President for our release.’
    Kepennis looked a little sheepish as he replied, as if it was all his fault they had fallen into this predicament. The real culprit, Wemus, seemed more interested in comforting Wina, who along with Santi, was looking rather wretched at this new eventuality. Jamie made an effort to aid in consoling the attractive Javee girl, but a guerrilla stepped in his way, bow and arrow raised meaningfully.
    ‘But who is the Krallik?’ demanded the Doctor, looking gingerly at the blade that still rested on his chest. ‘This...
    ahem... gentleman here?’ He made a grotesque attempt at a smile for the benefit of the guerrilla, who was obviously the leader of the pack.
     
    Kepennis shook his head. ‘No. Krallik only send instruction for tourist to be captured. He wait for us deep in swamp jungle far from here.’
    Jamie had had enough. ‘Look, can ye no talk to them?’ he said exasperatedly, rounding on Kepennis and Wemus.
    ‘You’re Papul too: they’ll listen to you. We have tae find Victoria!’
    ‘Thank you, Jamie.’ the Doctor shushed him, fearful of excerbating the situation. ‘I’m sure you could put in a