Master. ‘Come along.’
‘I’m having a very important discussion,’ said the Master, put out by this interruption.
‘Never mind about that,’ said the prison officer. ‘I said “come on”, so jump to it.’
The Doctor was amused. ‘Better trot along, old chap,’ he advised the Master. ‘You’re still a prisoner, you know.’
Annoyed, the Master picked up the black box, thrust it under his arm, and went with the prison officer. The door was closed and locked. Alone, the Doctor started to try and slip his hands through the handcuffs. He quickly realised that there was no escape that way.
George Trenchard looked terrified, like a little boy who knows he is about to be caught for doing something terribly wrong. ‘I tell you,’ he said to the Master, ‘Captain Hart’s car is at the gates now. He wants to see me.’
The Master was quite calm. He sat in the most comfortable big leather chair in Trenchard’s office, the compact black box on his knee. ‘Perhaps he wants to talk about your golf tournament.’
‘What if he’s twigged that something’s up?’ Trenchard knew that his whole body was twitching with anxiety.
‘He’s only going to do that if you don’t behave normally,’ said the Master. ‘Pick up that internal ‘phone, and tell the gatehouse officers to admit Captain Hart immediately.’
Trenchard hesitated. He felt that he wanted to be sick. ‘There’s something I didn’t mention to you. That girl—she somehow got away. She must be roaming in the grounds somewhere. Naturally, I’ve got prison officers searching for her.’
‘You idiot!’ thundered the Master. ‘It was the simplest matter to put her under arrest.’
The Master’s momentary outburst hurt Trenchard. He had always been used to people being very polite to him. ‘There’s no need to be rude,’ he complained, clearly upset. ‘We can’t all be geniuses. In any case, it wasn’t my fault.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said the Master untruthfully, realising he had gone too far. ‘Perhaps we are both rather on edge. May I suggest that you lift that telephone, and give Captain Hart clearance to enter the grounds? Then, if he asks any difficult questions, you will have to bluff it out, which I’m sure you will do admirably.’
‘He may want to see you,’ said Trenchard. ‘You’d better be reading, or doing exercises or something, in your room. Then I can show you to him on the monitor.’
The Master got to his feet. ‘You’re forgetting, the Doctor’s in there. But I have a much better idea, something that will really put Captain Hart’s mind at rest.’ He outlined his idea to Trenchard, then had himself led away by a prison officer.
Hand trembling, Trenchard lifted the internal ’phone and told the gatehouse officers not to keep the Captain waiting a moment longer.
Four minutes later Captain Hart was shown in to Trenchard’s office. By now, Trenchard had composed himself and greeted his visitor warmly.
‘John, my dear fellow,’ said Trenchard, ‘made up your mind about the tournament?’
‘I’m here about the Doctor and Miss Grant,’ said Captain Hart. ‘You told my secretary that they went by taxi back to the quayside, presumably en route for London.’
‘That’s right,’ said Trenchard.
‘I lent them a Jeep,’ said the Captain, ‘and it’s now parked down by your gatehouse. I find that a little odd.’
Trenchard felt his mouth suddenly go dry. He had completely overlooked the possibility that the Doctor and Jo had arrived in a vehicle. ‘I simply can’t explain that,’ he said, with all honesty. ‘How very strange.’
‘There’s more,’ said Captain Hart, and recounted how Jo Grant had claimed that she saw Trenchard’s prisoner freely moving around the Naval Base.
‘Absolutely ridiculous,’ said Trenchard. ‘Young women can be very fanciful, so I’m told.’
Captain Hart now came to the real purpose of his visit. ‘Would it be possible for me to see your prisoner,
‘I’m having a very important discussion,’ said the Master, put out by this interruption.
‘Never mind about that,’ said the prison officer. ‘I said “come on”, so jump to it.’
The Doctor was amused. ‘Better trot along, old chap,’ he advised the Master. ‘You’re still a prisoner, you know.’
Annoyed, the Master picked up the black box, thrust it under his arm, and went with the prison officer. The door was closed and locked. Alone, the Doctor started to try and slip his hands through the handcuffs. He quickly realised that there was no escape that way.
George Trenchard looked terrified, like a little boy who knows he is about to be caught for doing something terribly wrong. ‘I tell you,’ he said to the Master, ‘Captain Hart’s car is at the gates now. He wants to see me.’
The Master was quite calm. He sat in the most comfortable big leather chair in Trenchard’s office, the compact black box on his knee. ‘Perhaps he wants to talk about your golf tournament.’
‘What if he’s twigged that something’s up?’ Trenchard knew that his whole body was twitching with anxiety.
‘He’s only going to do that if you don’t behave normally,’ said the Master. ‘Pick up that internal ‘phone, and tell the gatehouse officers to admit Captain Hart immediately.’
Trenchard hesitated. He felt that he wanted to be sick. ‘There’s something I didn’t mention to you. That girl—she somehow got away. She must be roaming in the grounds somewhere. Naturally, I’ve got prison officers searching for her.’
‘You idiot!’ thundered the Master. ‘It was the simplest matter to put her under arrest.’
The Master’s momentary outburst hurt Trenchard. He had always been used to people being very polite to him. ‘There’s no need to be rude,’ he complained, clearly upset. ‘We can’t all be geniuses. In any case, it wasn’t my fault.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said the Master untruthfully, realising he had gone too far. ‘Perhaps we are both rather on edge. May I suggest that you lift that telephone, and give Captain Hart clearance to enter the grounds? Then, if he asks any difficult questions, you will have to bluff it out, which I’m sure you will do admirably.’
‘He may want to see you,’ said Trenchard. ‘You’d better be reading, or doing exercises or something, in your room. Then I can show you to him on the monitor.’
The Master got to his feet. ‘You’re forgetting, the Doctor’s in there. But I have a much better idea, something that will really put Captain Hart’s mind at rest.’ He outlined his idea to Trenchard, then had himself led away by a prison officer.
Hand trembling, Trenchard lifted the internal ’phone and told the gatehouse officers not to keep the Captain waiting a moment longer.
Four minutes later Captain Hart was shown in to Trenchard’s office. By now, Trenchard had composed himself and greeted his visitor warmly.
‘John, my dear fellow,’ said Trenchard, ‘made up your mind about the tournament?’
‘I’m here about the Doctor and Miss Grant,’ said Captain Hart. ‘You told my secretary that they went by taxi back to the quayside, presumably en route for London.’
‘That’s right,’ said Trenchard.
‘I lent them a Jeep,’ said the Captain, ‘and it’s now parked down by your gatehouse. I find that a little odd.’
Trenchard felt his mouth suddenly go dry. He had completely overlooked the possibility that the Doctor and Jo had arrived in a vehicle. ‘I simply can’t explain that,’ he said, with all honesty. ‘How very strange.’
‘There’s more,’ said Captain Hart, and recounted how Jo Grant had claimed that she saw Trenchard’s prisoner freely moving around the Naval Base.
‘Absolutely ridiculous,’ said Trenchard. ‘Young women can be very fanciful, so I’m told.’
Captain Hart now came to the real purpose of his visit. ‘Would it be possible for me to see your prisoner,
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