get inside.' He pointed to the panel. On it appeared the words: INTRUDERS. INTRUDERS. INTRUDERS.
Some of the Security guides were about to open the door of the generator, when Pangol stopped them.
'I know who's in there,' he said. 'It seems a pity to disturb him. No, let him have his fun. And I think we ought to have a little, too'
Pangol busied himself adjusting the various settings on the generator. In spite of what had happened to him the last time he had entered the generator, when he had emerged five hundred years older, the Doctor had gone back inside. He had survived the first visit. But Pangol determined to make quite sure that he wouldn't survive his second. Pangol doubted if even the Doctor's remarkable constitution could withstand ageing a further two thousand years. Still they would soon see.
Pangol switched on the power supply. He pressed the start button and felt the generator surge into life.
As it happened, at that moment the Doctor was sitting on a stool in the laboratory, trying to get his breath back. 'There's no doubt about,' he panted. 'All this rushing about takes it out of you when you get to be twelve hundred or so.'
'Do you think Romana's all right?' asked Hardin.
'She knows what she's doing,' replied the Doctor. 'At least I hope she does. Anyway, if she doesn't, she'll make a very attractive old lady.'
The door of the laboratory slid noiselessly open. There was a curious clicking noise behind them. The Doctor and Hardin leapt to their feet in alarm at the creature that entered.
It was something like a Terran lizard in shape, but tall as a man and covered with dark green scales. Two clawed hands gesticulated frantically, while from the throat of the creature came a succession of clicking and whistling noises.
'What the devil is it?' demanded Hardin,
'I don't know,' replied Romana, emerging from behind the creature and closing the door behind her. 'But at least he's a friend. He just saved my life. He got me out of the generator just before Pangol started it up.'
The Doctor frowned. 'You mean he was already in the image chamber of the generator when you got inside?'
Romana nodded.
'I wonder what our friend was doing there,' he mused.
The creature began to make a succession of whistling and clicking noises.
Is he in pain?' asked Romana.
'I think he's just trying to communicate.'
'Where's he from?' demanded Hardin. 'What is he?'
'I don't care what he is,' declared Romana, patting a scaly shoulder. 'He saved my life, or at least saved me from becoming a very old lady.' She produced a small object which she handed to the Doctor. 'And he found that in the Image Chamber behind the second baryon shield.'
The creature whistled and clicked and gesticulated while the Doctor inspected the object. It turned out to be a transparent box containing a complex of slim gold leaves with a mirror on one side. The Doctor studies the box for some time. Then he handed it back to Romana. 'What is it?' he asked.
A cell duplicator, of course,' she said. 'You ought to know that.'
Yes,' replied the Doctor. 'Of course I should. He sighed. 'It's just that I forget lately.'
The creature seized the Doctor by the arm and drew him over to the video screen. He pointed to the screen and then to the Doctor.
I wish I knew what you wanted, my friend, said the Doctor.
'Perhaps he wants to show us something on the screen,' suggested Hardin.
He switched on the video screen.
But the shots of the Great Recreation Hall were obviously not what the creature wanted. He whistled and clicked briefly and shook his head.
It was only when Hardin switched them through to the boardroom that the creature broke into a cacophany of clicks and whistles. He kept pointing to the screen. Pangol and Brock could be seen arguing, while Mena lay back weakly in her chair.
'Maybe he wants to talk to Mena,' said Romana.
The Doctor shook his head, 'It beats me,' he said.
Obviously despairing of making himself understood, the creature took
Some of the Security guides were about to open the door of the generator, when Pangol stopped them.
'I know who's in there,' he said. 'It seems a pity to disturb him. No, let him have his fun. And I think we ought to have a little, too'
Pangol busied himself adjusting the various settings on the generator. In spite of what had happened to him the last time he had entered the generator, when he had emerged five hundred years older, the Doctor had gone back inside. He had survived the first visit. But Pangol determined to make quite sure that he wouldn't survive his second. Pangol doubted if even the Doctor's remarkable constitution could withstand ageing a further two thousand years. Still they would soon see.
Pangol switched on the power supply. He pressed the start button and felt the generator surge into life.
As it happened, at that moment the Doctor was sitting on a stool in the laboratory, trying to get his breath back. 'There's no doubt about,' he panted. 'All this rushing about takes it out of you when you get to be twelve hundred or so.'
'Do you think Romana's all right?' asked Hardin.
'She knows what she's doing,' replied the Doctor. 'At least I hope she does. Anyway, if she doesn't, she'll make a very attractive old lady.'
The door of the laboratory slid noiselessly open. There was a curious clicking noise behind them. The Doctor and Hardin leapt to their feet in alarm at the creature that entered.
It was something like a Terran lizard in shape, but tall as a man and covered with dark green scales. Two clawed hands gesticulated frantically, while from the throat of the creature came a succession of clicking and whistling noises.
'What the devil is it?' demanded Hardin,
'I don't know,' replied Romana, emerging from behind the creature and closing the door behind her. 'But at least he's a friend. He just saved my life. He got me out of the generator just before Pangol started it up.'
The Doctor frowned. 'You mean he was already in the image chamber of the generator when you got inside?'
Romana nodded.
'I wonder what our friend was doing there,' he mused.
The creature began to make a succession of whistling and clicking noises.
Is he in pain?' asked Romana.
'I think he's just trying to communicate.'
'Where's he from?' demanded Hardin. 'What is he?'
'I don't care what he is,' declared Romana, patting a scaly shoulder. 'He saved my life, or at least saved me from becoming a very old lady.' She produced a small object which she handed to the Doctor. 'And he found that in the Image Chamber behind the second baryon shield.'
The creature whistled and clicked and gesticulated while the Doctor inspected the object. It turned out to be a transparent box containing a complex of slim gold leaves with a mirror on one side. The Doctor studies the box for some time. Then he handed it back to Romana. 'What is it?' he asked.
A cell duplicator, of course,' she said. 'You ought to know that.'
Yes,' replied the Doctor. 'Of course I should. He sighed. 'It's just that I forget lately.'
The creature seized the Doctor by the arm and drew him over to the video screen. He pointed to the screen and then to the Doctor.
I wish I knew what you wanted, my friend, said the Doctor.
'Perhaps he wants to show us something on the screen,' suggested Hardin.
He switched on the video screen.
But the shots of the Great Recreation Hall were obviously not what the creature wanted. He whistled and clicked briefly and shook his head.
It was only when Hardin switched them through to the boardroom that the creature broke into a cacophany of clicks and whistles. He kept pointing to the screen. Pangol and Brock could be seen arguing, while Mena lay back weakly in her chair.
'Maybe he wants to talk to Mena,' said Romana.
The Doctor shook his head, 'It beats me,' he said.
Obviously despairing of making himself understood, the creature took
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