nonsense. Giles Kent?’ he demanded scornfully.
One glance at Victoria’s face convinced Jamie that he had no choice but to talk—to tell Benik exactly what he wanted to hear. But as he opened his mouth to speak, Salamander walked into the room followed by Donald Bruce. They almost tripped over the semi-conscious guard lying across the threshold.
The Deputy swallowed his surprise in a flash and released Victoria with a furtive shove. ‘I was not informed that you had left the Sanctum, Leader,’ he muttered, glancing resentfully at Donald Bruce and then looking Salamander up and down with a puzzled frown.
‘I had a shower and slipped into something more relaxing,’ Salamander replied quickly, with a glare that put Benik firmly in his place. He turned and surveyed the prisoners with narrowed eyes, his white teeth flashing behind his curling lips. ‘And what have they confessed to so far?’
Benik tried not to look at Bruce’s grimly contemptuous face behind Salamander’s back. ‘Nothing yet, Leader,’ he admitted at last.
‘Nothing?’ Salamander exclaimed. He waved Benik away. ‘You are wasting time. Bruce and I will take over.’
Benik stood motionless a moment, almost visibly curling up with disappointment. Then he thrust his pistol away and walked to the door.
‘And take your puppy dog with you!’ Salamander flung over his shoulder.
Benik helped the dazed guard to his feet. ‘But Leader, you should have protection,’ he protested.
The Security Commissioner shook his head and gave Benik a faint smile as he took out his own pistol and levelled it at the two prisoners.
When the white-faced Benik had dragged the stumbling guard out of the room, Salamander turned to Jamie. ‘And now Señor McCrimmon...’
‘We’ve nothing to tell ye,’ Jamie snapped defiantly, to Victoria’s horror. She could not see how they could avoid a full confession now.
‘Is that the way to greet an old friend,’ the Doctor asked gently, his cynical smile changing abruptly into a mischievous grin.
The shock of hearing the Doctor’s familiar voice and of seeing Salamander’s cruel glint transformed as if by magic into the familiar impish twinkle, made Victoria jump back in alarm. Then she flung her arms round him and hugged him with affectionate relief. ‘Doctor, you’re a genius!’ she cried, laughing.
Jamie thumped the Doctor heartily on the back, smiling with delight and shaking his head in admiration.
The Doctor wagged a cautionary finger and put on his Salamander expression. ‘Take care, Lieutenant McCrimmon!’ he snarled.
Donald Bruce had been watching these antics with an impatient frown. ‘Doctor, this is getting us nowhere,’ he complained.
The Doctor looked hurt. ‘I do not agree. You must admit you’ve just witnessed most convincing proof of my ability to impersonate Salamander,’ he retorted indignantly.
The World Security Commissioner nodded exasperatedly. ‘Yes, yes, Doctor. But please do let’s get on with what we came here to do. We don’t have much time.’
At that moment Theodore Benik was storming into the Security Control Room on the other side of the Administration Block. ‘Why was I not informed that the Leader had left the Sanctum?’ he demanded, his eyes blazing at the duty officer.
The officer glanced at his security systems display. ‘The Leader is still inside the Sanctum, sir. The electrolocks are still engaged,’ he reported, looking puzzled.
‘Impossible. You must have a fault here,’ Benik snapped, leaning over and jabbing a series of touch-buttons.
The officer checked his display once more. ‘I assure you that the Leader has not left the Sanctum, sir,’ he insisted, turning to Benik almost apologetically.
But the Deputy Director had gone. He was hurrying along the anonymous concrete corridors towards the Sanctum. When he reached it, he tried the access switches.
Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. The heavy shutters remained
One glance at Victoria’s face convinced Jamie that he had no choice but to talk—to tell Benik exactly what he wanted to hear. But as he opened his mouth to speak, Salamander walked into the room followed by Donald Bruce. They almost tripped over the semi-conscious guard lying across the threshold.
The Deputy swallowed his surprise in a flash and released Victoria with a furtive shove. ‘I was not informed that you had left the Sanctum, Leader,’ he muttered, glancing resentfully at Donald Bruce and then looking Salamander up and down with a puzzled frown.
‘I had a shower and slipped into something more relaxing,’ Salamander replied quickly, with a glare that put Benik firmly in his place. He turned and surveyed the prisoners with narrowed eyes, his white teeth flashing behind his curling lips. ‘And what have they confessed to so far?’
Benik tried not to look at Bruce’s grimly contemptuous face behind Salamander’s back. ‘Nothing yet, Leader,’ he admitted at last.
‘Nothing?’ Salamander exclaimed. He waved Benik away. ‘You are wasting time. Bruce and I will take over.’
Benik stood motionless a moment, almost visibly curling up with disappointment. Then he thrust his pistol away and walked to the door.
‘And take your puppy dog with you!’ Salamander flung over his shoulder.
Benik helped the dazed guard to his feet. ‘But Leader, you should have protection,’ he protested.
The Security Commissioner shook his head and gave Benik a faint smile as he took out his own pistol and levelled it at the two prisoners.
When the white-faced Benik had dragged the stumbling guard out of the room, Salamander turned to Jamie. ‘And now Señor McCrimmon...’
‘We’ve nothing to tell ye,’ Jamie snapped defiantly, to Victoria’s horror. She could not see how they could avoid a full confession now.
‘Is that the way to greet an old friend,’ the Doctor asked gently, his cynical smile changing abruptly into a mischievous grin.
The shock of hearing the Doctor’s familiar voice and of seeing Salamander’s cruel glint transformed as if by magic into the familiar impish twinkle, made Victoria jump back in alarm. Then she flung her arms round him and hugged him with affectionate relief. ‘Doctor, you’re a genius!’ she cried, laughing.
Jamie thumped the Doctor heartily on the back, smiling with delight and shaking his head in admiration.
The Doctor wagged a cautionary finger and put on his Salamander expression. ‘Take care, Lieutenant McCrimmon!’ he snarled.
Donald Bruce had been watching these antics with an impatient frown. ‘Doctor, this is getting us nowhere,’ he complained.
The Doctor looked hurt. ‘I do not agree. You must admit you’ve just witnessed most convincing proof of my ability to impersonate Salamander,’ he retorted indignantly.
The World Security Commissioner nodded exasperatedly. ‘Yes, yes, Doctor. But please do let’s get on with what we came here to do. We don’t have much time.’
At that moment Theodore Benik was storming into the Security Control Room on the other side of the Administration Block. ‘Why was I not informed that the Leader had left the Sanctum?’ he demanded, his eyes blazing at the duty officer.
The officer glanced at his security systems display. ‘The Leader is still inside the Sanctum, sir. The electrolocks are still engaged,’ he reported, looking puzzled.
‘Impossible. You must have a fault here,’ Benik snapped, leaning over and jabbing a series of touch-buttons.
The officer checked his display once more. ‘I assure you that the Leader has not left the Sanctum, sir,’ he insisted, turning to Benik almost apologetically.
But the Deputy Director had gone. He was hurrying along the anonymous concrete corridors towards the Sanctum. When he reached it, he tried the access switches.
Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. The heavy shutters remained
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