meant the Doctor left the room.
On one of the
walkways which led from the Palace of the Elders the City
Administrator walked confidently with his collaborator, the Sensorite
Engineer. Upon his chest the Administrator wore the sash of the
Second Elder.
From time to time
Sensorites would pass by them and bow in deference to the
Administrator's assumed rank. He smiled and remarked to his
assistant, 'My plan is a success. All recognise me as the Second
Elder.'
'But what if your
disguise is seen through?' asked the nervous Engineer.
'The First and
Second Elders are well known only to those in high office,' he
explained. 'The lower castes rarely see them except at a distance,
and it is to the common folk that I shall expose the true nature of
the Earth-creatures' perfidious schemes.'
As a Sensorite
scientist rushed past them on his way to the Palace the Administrator
commanded him to halt. He was eager to try out his newly acquired
status.
'Sensorite, why do
you not acknowledge the Second Elder?' he asked.
The scientist bowed
respectfully to his superior. 'Forgive me, sir, but I have an urgent
appointment with the First Elder in the Palace.' He indicated the
glass jar he was carrying. 'The Doctor has found a cure for the
poisoning in our water supply. Here is the antidote.'
'You take it to the
Earth-creature that is ill?'
'The scientist
nodded and the Administrator held out his hand. 'Give the antidote to
me. I will deliver it. Return to your duties.'
The scientist
complied without question. He had no wish to cross a superior. After
he had left, the Administrator turned triumphantly to his accomplice.
'They are trying to
poison us all!' he declared. 'They say that without the antidote the
young man will die; I say he will live because he merely pretends to
be ill. This will prove it one way or another!'
He flung the glass
jar to the ground, smashing it into a hundred shimmering pieces.
Within minutes the precious antidote had soaked into the ground and
was gone.
The Senior
Scientist had treated the Doctor's request to see the City's aqueduct
with surprise. After some initial protests he had however bowed to
the Doctor's new status as an honoured guest of the Sensorite Nation
and had led him down to a vast underground cave system near the foot
of the Yellow Mountains, some miles out from the City.
Hewn out of the
solid rock was an enormous chamber, through which passed massive
leaden pipes, carrying water to the ten Districts of the Sensorite
City. The contrast between the airy brightness of the Palace of the
Elders and the enclosed darkness of the aqueduct was pronounced, a
fact the Doctor remarked upon.
'There is some
natural phosphorescence in the caves,' explained the Senior
Scientist. 'But all our attempts to light the cave and tunnel system
artificially have met with failure.'
'That must make it
rather difficult for you,' observed the Doctor. 'You Sensorites
dislike darkness, don't you?'
'We have no reason
to go down the aqueduct anyway,' the Sensorite said defensively.
'Perhaps it's
because you've neglected it so long that the waters have become
poisoned?' the Doctor supposed, with a hint of disapprobation in his
voice.
The Senior
Scientist ignored the Doctor's conjecture. 'Shall we return now?' he
asked. 'I find the darkness ... uncomfortable.'
'Return? My dear
fellow, I haven't come here just to look-I'm going in there!'
The Scientist was
shocked. 'You must not!' he protested. 'You won't be able to see!'
'But I have a
torch,' exclaimed the Doctor as he produceda long silver object from
the equipment case he was carrying.
'There are monsters
. . .' continued the Scientist. 'We have heard them . . .'
'And not seen
them?'
'No. But they are
there,' he insisted. 'The noise is terrible.'
The Doctor smiled
kindly at his companion. 'I think you should return to the
laboratory,' he suggested. 'I shall be perfectly safe.'
The Senior
Scientist stared at the old man as if he were mad, and then
On one of the
walkways which led from the Palace of the Elders the City
Administrator walked confidently with his collaborator, the Sensorite
Engineer. Upon his chest the Administrator wore the sash of the
Second Elder.
From time to time
Sensorites would pass by them and bow in deference to the
Administrator's assumed rank. He smiled and remarked to his
assistant, 'My plan is a success. All recognise me as the Second
Elder.'
'But what if your
disguise is seen through?' asked the nervous Engineer.
'The First and
Second Elders are well known only to those in high office,' he
explained. 'The lower castes rarely see them except at a distance,
and it is to the common folk that I shall expose the true nature of
the Earth-creatures' perfidious schemes.'
As a Sensorite
scientist rushed past them on his way to the Palace the Administrator
commanded him to halt. He was eager to try out his newly acquired
status.
'Sensorite, why do
you not acknowledge the Second Elder?' he asked.
The scientist bowed
respectfully to his superior. 'Forgive me, sir, but I have an urgent
appointment with the First Elder in the Palace.' He indicated the
glass jar he was carrying. 'The Doctor has found a cure for the
poisoning in our water supply. Here is the antidote.'
'You take it to the
Earth-creature that is ill?'
'The scientist
nodded and the Administrator held out his hand. 'Give the antidote to
me. I will deliver it. Return to your duties.'
The scientist
complied without question. He had no wish to cross a superior. After
he had left, the Administrator turned triumphantly to his accomplice.
'They are trying to
poison us all!' he declared. 'They say that without the antidote the
young man will die; I say he will live because he merely pretends to
be ill. This will prove it one way or another!'
He flung the glass
jar to the ground, smashing it into a hundred shimmering pieces.
Within minutes the precious antidote had soaked into the ground and
was gone.
The Senior
Scientist had treated the Doctor's request to see the City's aqueduct
with surprise. After some initial protests he had however bowed to
the Doctor's new status as an honoured guest of the Sensorite Nation
and had led him down to a vast underground cave system near the foot
of the Yellow Mountains, some miles out from the City.
Hewn out of the
solid rock was an enormous chamber, through which passed massive
leaden pipes, carrying water to the ten Districts of the Sensorite
City. The contrast between the airy brightness of the Palace of the
Elders and the enclosed darkness of the aqueduct was pronounced, a
fact the Doctor remarked upon.
'There is some
natural phosphorescence in the caves,' explained the Senior
Scientist. 'But all our attempts to light the cave and tunnel system
artificially have met with failure.'
'That must make it
rather difficult for you,' observed the Doctor. 'You Sensorites
dislike darkness, don't you?'
'We have no reason
to go down the aqueduct anyway,' the Sensorite said defensively.
'Perhaps it's
because you've neglected it so long that the waters have become
poisoned?' the Doctor supposed, with a hint of disapprobation in his
voice.
The Senior
Scientist ignored the Doctor's conjecture. 'Shall we return now?' he
asked. 'I find the darkness ... uncomfortable.'
'Return? My dear
fellow, I haven't come here just to look-I'm going in there!'
The Scientist was
shocked. 'You must not!' he protested. 'You won't be able to see!'
'But I have a
torch,' exclaimed the Doctor as he produceda long silver object from
the equipment case he was carrying.
'There are monsters
. . .' continued the Scientist. 'We have heard them . . .'
'And not seen
them?'
'No. But they are
there,' he insisted. 'The noise is terrible.'
The Doctor smiled
kindly at his companion. 'I think you should return to the
laboratory,' he suggested. 'I shall be perfectly safe.'
The Senior
Scientist stared at the old man as if he were mad, and then
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