idol and through the door into the secret chamber.
‘Is he..?’ asked Jamie.
The Doctor closed Ramo’s eyes and looked sadly up.
‘Yes, Jamie, I’m afraid he’s dead. Zaroff must have been fooling us all along.’
‘Doctor,’ cried Ben as he returned from the hideout.
‘Polly’s gone.’
‘Zaroff must have taken her hostage,’ said the Doctor.
‘Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go after them.’ The Doctor shook his head. ‘No, Ben, there are more important things to do.’
‘What do you mean?’ the sailor burst out. ‘He might kill her!’
The Doctor paused to think and finally said, ‘Jamie, you go after Polly; but be careful – Zaroff s a desperate man.
Ben, you and I have other fish to fry...’
‘I can’t go on any more!’ Polly protested plaintively. ‘You will go on even if I have to drag you,’ barked Zaroff, seemingly ignorant of the fact that he had been doing precisely that for the past five minutes. Having taken Polly forcibly out of her hideout he had pulled her struggling after him through the network of tunnels. Through her tears Polly noted that Zaroff seemed to know his way through the tunnels; perhaps he had used them when he first came to Atlantis; perhaps he had even used the secret chamber and the speaking grille to hoodwink the priests even as she had done.
She fought to free herself from Zarofis strong grip, but the more she struggled the more brutally the scientist would pull her along. Suddenly his grip on her wrist tightened even more.
‘What was that?’ he asked. ‘Did you hear something, girl?’
‘No, nothing,’ Polly blabbed.
‘I thought I heard footsteps...’ Zaroff dismissed the thought from his mind and began to move forward again, still holding Polly.
‘Please... can’t we rest for a little while...’ Polly pleaded; her legs were aching and bruised from the rocky terrain Zaroff had dragged her through.
‘Do you want to suffer the same fate as that priest?’
Zaroff asked cruelly. Meekly Polly allowed herself to be taken away, her eyes welling with tears once again, both at the thought of Ramo’s horrific death and her own terrible predicament.
Suddenly from out of the shadows behind them a familiar Highland voice called out Polly’s name. Startled, Zaroff stopped and turned around and Polly, taking advantage of the diversion, managed to tug her hand free from Zaroff’s. Finding new strength in her legs she ran towards Jamie who stepped out of the darkness. Taking each other’s hand they ran off back down the tunnel with an enraged Zaroff in hot pursuit.
For a man of his age Zaroff was remarkably fit and he had the advantage of knowing the route of the tunnels far better than either Polly or Jamie. Soon he had caught up with them in a small cave which was at the intersection of three tunnels.
Realising the foolishness of trying to lose Zaroff in the tunnels he knew so well Jamie turned to face the mad scientist. Polly gasped as the scientist lunged at Jamie, his hands making for the Highlander’s neck. Despite Jamie’s attempts to throw him off Zaroff proved too powerful and he slowly increased the pressure around Jamie’s throat.
There was little Jamie could do; the scientist’s insanity and singleness of purpose seemed to have endowed him with a superhuman strength.
Polly, who had been standing back watching the scene in horror, finally resolved to do something. Her concern for Jamie overriding whatever thoughts she might have held on the use of violence, she picked up a large rock with the intention of bringing it crashing down on the back of Zarofl’s skull.
Had she succeeded she would have undoubtedly killed the Professor. But, big though the target of Zaroff’s head was, she missed, and instead hit Zaroff on his shoulder. It was enough, however, to make the scientist release his grip on Jamie and spin around, ready to confront a new assailant. As he turned, Jamie jumped at him. But with a mighty swipe of
‘Is he..?’ asked Jamie.
The Doctor closed Ramo’s eyes and looked sadly up.
‘Yes, Jamie, I’m afraid he’s dead. Zaroff must have been fooling us all along.’
‘Doctor,’ cried Ben as he returned from the hideout.
‘Polly’s gone.’
‘Zaroff must have taken her hostage,’ said the Doctor.
‘Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go after them.’ The Doctor shook his head. ‘No, Ben, there are more important things to do.’
‘What do you mean?’ the sailor burst out. ‘He might kill her!’
The Doctor paused to think and finally said, ‘Jamie, you go after Polly; but be careful – Zaroff s a desperate man.
Ben, you and I have other fish to fry...’
‘I can’t go on any more!’ Polly protested plaintively. ‘You will go on even if I have to drag you,’ barked Zaroff, seemingly ignorant of the fact that he had been doing precisely that for the past five minutes. Having taken Polly forcibly out of her hideout he had pulled her struggling after him through the network of tunnels. Through her tears Polly noted that Zaroff seemed to know his way through the tunnels; perhaps he had used them when he first came to Atlantis; perhaps he had even used the secret chamber and the speaking grille to hoodwink the priests even as she had done.
She fought to free herself from Zarofis strong grip, but the more she struggled the more brutally the scientist would pull her along. Suddenly his grip on her wrist tightened even more.
‘What was that?’ he asked. ‘Did you hear something, girl?’
‘No, nothing,’ Polly blabbed.
‘I thought I heard footsteps...’ Zaroff dismissed the thought from his mind and began to move forward again, still holding Polly.
‘Please... can’t we rest for a little while...’ Polly pleaded; her legs were aching and bruised from the rocky terrain Zaroff had dragged her through.
‘Do you want to suffer the same fate as that priest?’
Zaroff asked cruelly. Meekly Polly allowed herself to be taken away, her eyes welling with tears once again, both at the thought of Ramo’s horrific death and her own terrible predicament.
Suddenly from out of the shadows behind them a familiar Highland voice called out Polly’s name. Startled, Zaroff stopped and turned around and Polly, taking advantage of the diversion, managed to tug her hand free from Zaroff’s. Finding new strength in her legs she ran towards Jamie who stepped out of the darkness. Taking each other’s hand they ran off back down the tunnel with an enraged Zaroff in hot pursuit.
For a man of his age Zaroff was remarkably fit and he had the advantage of knowing the route of the tunnels far better than either Polly or Jamie. Soon he had caught up with them in a small cave which was at the intersection of three tunnels.
Realising the foolishness of trying to lose Zaroff in the tunnels he knew so well Jamie turned to face the mad scientist. Polly gasped as the scientist lunged at Jamie, his hands making for the Highlander’s neck. Despite Jamie’s attempts to throw him off Zaroff proved too powerful and he slowly increased the pressure around Jamie’s throat.
There was little Jamie could do; the scientist’s insanity and singleness of purpose seemed to have endowed him with a superhuman strength.
Polly, who had been standing back watching the scene in horror, finally resolved to do something. Her concern for Jamie overriding whatever thoughts she might have held on the use of violence, she picked up a large rock with the intention of bringing it crashing down on the back of Zarofl’s skull.
Had she succeeded she would have undoubtedly killed the Professor. But, big though the target of Zaroff’s head was, she missed, and instead hit Zaroff on his shoulder. It was enough, however, to make the scientist release his grip on Jamie and spin around, ready to confront a new assailant. As he turned, Jamie jumped at him. But with a mighty swipe of
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