The Doctor was entertaining Vince with accounts of famous lighthouses he had visited during his travels. 'Of course, on Pharos they had terrible trouble keeping the bonfire alight. Mind you, they had plenty of slaves to carry wood...'
Vince nodded vaguely. 'I suppose it's all done different abroad. Didn't know they still had slaves though.'
(Vince didn't realise that the Doctor's visit to the famous Alexandrian lighthouse had taken place in the third century BC.)
Reuben entered and gave the Doctor a suspicious stare. He nodded to Vince. 'I'll take over here, lad. Time you got some supper.'
'I'm all right,' protested Vince. Somehow he found the Doctor's company reassuring.
'I'll take over,' insisted Reuben. long night ahead of us.' He glared meaningfully at the Doctor. 'I expect you'll be tired, mister? There's bunks in the crew room.'
'Tired?' said the Doctor in surprise. 'No, no, not a bit of it. You carry on, don't mind me.'
Reuben grunted. 'I've stoked the boiler, Vince, and made poor Ben decent.'
Vince nodded silently. He didn't like to think about the corpse down in the generator room.
Reuben glared at the Doctor, who gave him a cheerful smile. He turned back to Vince. 'Well, off you go, lad!'
Vince went.
Reuben gave the Doctor another dirty look, and this time the Doctor replied with a friendly wink.
Reuben turned away in disgust, reaching for his oil-can. Some people just didn't know when they weren't wanted.
Vince was on the landing by the crew room when he heard a dragging sound from down below. He paused, listening. The sound came again, like someone dragging a heavy sack. 'Is someone down there?' he called. There was no answer. Vince bit his lip. 'Ben?' he called fearfully. Still no answer. Just the dragging sound, moving away. Fearfully Vince began to descend the gloomy stairs. The light of his lantern cast wavering shadows on the walls.
Leela stood tensely in the darkness, feeling both frustrated and angry. She'd been close on the track of the crackling sound, then suddenly she had lost it, somewhere near the lighthouse. Now she was waiting, alert for the faintest sound.
Suddenly the crackling began again. It came nearer, nearer—and now it was mixed with a dragging sound...
Leela peered into the darkness. Was there a faint glow there beyond the densely swirling fog?
The crackling moved away. It became fainter, and then suddenly stopped. The creature had gone back into the sea, Leela decided. She headed back towards the lighthouse.
Fearfully, Vince crept into the generator room. It was brightly lit—and empty. The generator was throbbing steadily. Reluctantly he looked at the dark shape by the wall. With sudden horror he realised that the shape wasn't Ben's body after all. It was the ripped-open empty shroud. He ran to the speaking-tube and blew frantically. 'Reuben!' he screamed. 'Reuben, are you there? It's Ben! He's walking...'
In the lamp room Reuben took the speaker away from his car and stared at it unbelievingly. 'What's that?' he bellowed. 'Talk sense, boy! Pull yourself together.'
Clutching the speaking-tube Vince babbled, 'It's true I tell you. He's not down here now. He's gone! You said he'd walk. You said—' The outer door burst open with a crash. Vince gave a yell of fear and dropped the speaking-tube.
Leela stood in the doorway. 'Did you see it?' she demanded. 'Did it come here?'
Vince was too terrified to speak.
Reuben blew into the speaking-tube and yelled. 'Vince! What's going on down there?'
The Doctor had been on the outer gallery, staring out into the fog. Now he reappeared, tapping Reuben on the shoulder. 'There's a light out there!'
Confused and angry, the old man whirled round. 'What? What's that?'
'There's a light. Out there at sea. I think it's a ship.'
Leela had managed to shake his story out of Vince. She looked at him disbelievingly. 'The dead do not walk. It is impossible.'
'I heard this dragging noise, I tell you—and when I got down here he'd gone.'
'There was something out there on the rocks just now,' said Leela slowly. 'And I too heard a dragging sound...'
The speaking-tube gave a shrill blast. Automatically Vince picked it up and listened. 'It's Reuben. He says there's a ship just off the rocks. He says she's going to strike!'
The call to duty overcame Vince's fears and he began dashing up the stairs. With a baffled glance at the empty shroud Leela followed.
In the lamp room, everyone was round the great telescope. Reuben was at the eyepiece. 'It's a ship right enough. Steam yacht by the look of her.'
The Doctor took his place. Through the powerful telescope he could see the fog-shrouded shape of the ship, lights blazing as it ploughed recklessly through the waves, heading straight towards them. 'She's going too fast!'
'Fool to be going at all on a night like this,' said Reuben. 'Any skipper worth his ticket—'
The lamp went out.
Luckily the oil lamps were still burning. Reuben was taking no more chances with electricity. He ran to the siren and began sounding it frantically, sending bellow after bellow through the fog. 'Warning devices, Vince,' he shouted.
'I'll get 'em, Reuben.' Vince had already run down the steps to the service room. A moment later he reappeared, his arms full of rockets and maroons.
'Miss, you take over the siren,' shouted Reuben. He grabbed a Verey pistol and loaded it. The Doctor was already mounting a signal rocket on its firing stand.
'They'll strike any minute now,' shouted Reuben. He fired the Verey pistol and a red flare went sizzling out into the fog.
The ship was very close now and they could see frantic figures scurrying about on deck. Reuben was watching in fascinated horror. The Doctor lugged the signal rocket to the gallery rail, but Reuben waved him aside. 'It's no use, they're too late to alter course. She's going to strike!'
With a grinding crash the yacht smashed on to the jagged rocks.
4
The Survivors
'Too late, she's struck!' shouted Reuben. They caught a brief glimpse of the yacht through a break in the fog. She was well aground on the rocks, her bows thrust unnaturally high into the air. Then the fog closed in, hiding the wreck.
'What will happen now?' asked Leela.
'Sea'll pound her on those rocks till she breaks up, Miss.'
'Then they will all die.'
Leela's prosaic words reminded Reuben of his duty. 'If there are survivors we'll find 'em by East Crag. Tide'll bring 'em in. Mister, you keep that siren going. Vince, bring the rocket-line.'
The Doctor had no intention of missing all the excitement. 'Keep that siren going, Leela,' he ordered and rushed out after Reuben and Vince.
Leela went to the siren and pulled the lever. The deep booming note rang out, like the cry of a love-sick sea monster. Pleased with the effect, Leela pulled the lever again.
Reuben, Vince and the Doctor gathered rescue equipment from the service room, then hurried down the stairs. As they ran through the generator room, Reuben pointed to a coil of rope in the corner. 'Bring that rope, mister,' he ordered.
The Doctor went to obey, amused at the way in which the crisis had restored the old man's confidence. As he bent to pick up the rope, his hand brushed the metal guard-rail around the generator. There was a crackling sound and a flash of blue sparks. The Doctor snatched his hand away. The rail had given him a distinct electric shock.
Puzzled, the Doctor peered at the rail. It was quite separate from the generator. There was no reason for it to be live...
'You coming with that rope, mister?' shouted Reuben.
The Doctor threw the coil of rope over his shoulder and hurried off after the others.
Reuben led them through the foggy darkness at a run, to a point where a narrow cove cut into the coastline. They clambered down a rocky path on to a little shingle beach, and stared out to sea. 'Tide'll bring 'em here, if they got any boats away,' said Reuben confidently. He re-loaded the Verey pistol and fired, s
ending a red flare out into the fog. 'Ahoy there,' he called. 'Ahoy!'
Leela gave another blast on the foghorn, then wandered on to the outer gallery, feeling rather indignant the Doctor had managed to trick her into staying out of danger. She leaned over the rail, hoping to be able to see the rescue party. The fog cleared for a few moments and she suddenly caught a brief glimpse of a shapeless glowing mass, moving towards the sea. It slithered across an edge of rock and disappeared.
Leela stared in astonishment—and the lighthouse lamp came on.
Gazing round the little beach, Vince turned and saw the light. 'Reuben, the light is on again,' he called.
Reuben glanced briefly over his shoulder. 'Danged electricity, wouldn't happen with oil.'
'No, I don't think it would,' said the Doctor, almost to himself. 'It seems to need electricity.'
'Listen,' said Reuben, 'I think I heard something.' He fired off another Verey light and shouted again. 'Ahoy, there!'
'Ahoy...' A faint answering hail came drifting through the fog.
'This way,' bellowed Reuben, in a voice as loud as the foghorn itself. He fired off another Verey light. 'Vince, and you, mister, stand by with those lines.'
They waited tensely, staring out into the fog, while waves crashed on to the tiny beach. Then a shape loomed out of the darkness. It was a ship's lifeboat.
Reuben took the line from the Doctor, uncoiled it and threw with surprising force. The line snaked out and a burly figure in the bows of the lifeboat caught it and made it fast. 'Come on now, haul,' ordered Reuben, and all three men began heaving on the line.
As soon as the lifeboat grated on the shingle, the seaman in the bows jumped out and helped them to haul it in. But before they could bring it much closer to land a second, smaller man took a flying leap from the boat, landing face down in the water.
The Doctor helped the spluttering figure to his feet, passed him along to Vince and turned to the other survivors. There were only two more of them, a tall military-looking man, and a shivering fair-haired girl. He helped them out of the boat and up on to the beach.
Not without difficulty Vince helped the soaking, bedraggled figure of the man who'd jumped, into the crew room. Reuben followed with the tall soldierly-looking man and the girl.
Vince's survivor collapsed gasping on a chair.
He was a stoutly-built man with a spoiled, self-indulgent look about him. Diamonds glinted from his cuff-links and tie-pin, and the rings on his plump fingers. His expensive-looking clothes were drenched with sea-water. Vince couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
He did his best to cheer the man up. 'You'll be all right, sir. Come over by the stove and dry yourself.'
'Needn't have got so wet in the first place,' grumbled Reuben. 'No call to go jumping out like that.'
The soldierly man chuckled. 'His lordship was anxious to get ashore!'
'Brandy!' croaked the stout man faintly. 'Give me brandy.'
'Never you mind him and his brandy,' ordered Reuben. 'See to the young lady first.'
Obediently, Vince transferred his attentions to the shivering girl. 'Here ma'am, let me help you.' He lowered her into a chair and wrapped a blanket round her shoulders.
'I'm all right,' she whispered faintly.
'Well, I ain't,' said the stout man. 'I'm soaked to the skin.'
'Sea water's healthy, Henry,' mocked the tall man.
The other gave him a filthy look. 'I need a drink, I tell you. I'll catch my death like this.' He caught Vince by the sleeve. 'Get me a brandy, young fellow.'
Vince pulled away and began tipping coal on the iron stove. 'You don't need no brandy, sir,' he said cheerily. 'Hot soup's the ticket for you. I'll get you all some in a minute.'
'Don't tell me what I need,' said the other peevishly. 'Dammit, hasn't anybody got a flask?'
Reuben looked disgustedly at him. 'You see to 'em as best you can, Vince. I'd better go up and check on the lamp.'
Vince poked the coals into a blaze and then turned to the girl. 'Come over to the stove and get yourself warm, miss.'
He moved her chair closer to the stove and she hunched over it, warming her hands. 'Thank you, that's very kind of you. What's your name?'
'Vince, miss. Vince Hawkins.'
'Thank you, Hawkins,' said the young lady graciously.
Vince stammered, 'I'd best get on with that soup...' He hurried off to the kitchen. The stout man glared indignantly after him, and the tall man smiled in sardonic amusement, enjoying the other's discomfiture.
On the lamp-room gallery, the Doctor and Leela were talking in low voices. Leela told the Doctor about the glowing shape she had seen on the rocks.
'What was it like?' asked the Doctor.
'I couldn't see it clearly. But it shone, like a rotten fungus in the forest.'
'Luminous... Do you think you could take me to the place where you saw it?'
'Yes, I think so.'
'Good. Don't tell the others. We don't want a panic.'
'What do you think be going on here, mister?' asked a voice behind them. Reuben was standing by the door.
'I don't know,' said the Doctor frankly. 'When I find out, I'll tell you.'
'Wouldn't try to find out too much. Some things it ain't wise to meddle with...'
'What do you mean, old one?' asked Leela.
'I reckon I know what you saw. They always said the Beast of Fang Rock would come back.'
'The Beast of Fang Rock?'
'Aye,' said Reuben. And with gloomy relish, he launched into a long rambling tale of tragedy in the early days of the lighthouse. A three-man crew had been overtaken by some mysterious and tragic fate. 'When the relief boat come, there was only one left alive, and he was stark staring mad. They found the body of the second cold and dead in the lamp room —and the third was found floating in the sea. Two dead, one mad—that was the work of the Beast! And now it's back.'
In the crew room Vince was still fussing round the blonde young lady. The tall man looked on with quiet amusement, the stout one kept up a constant stream of protest. 'I need some dry clothes, and I need them now,' he said petulantly.
'All in good time, sir! I'll just give the young lady her soup, and then I'll get round to you.'
'But I'll catch my death of cold standing about like this!'
'Shouldn't be so impulsive, Henry,' said the tall man with mock concern. 'Jumping right out of the boat like that! '
'When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it. Now, what about this brandy, young fellow? Surely you keep some in the medical supplies?'
Vince shook his head. 'No liquor allowed on this lighthouse, sir. Against regulations.'
The stout man said angrily, 'To hell with your regulations—' He broke off as the Doctor and Leela came into the room.
The Doctor looked round. 'Where's the other man, your cox'n?'
'Oh, Harker, he stayed to secure the boat, I believe. No doubt he'll be up directly.'
'Good. I'll wait.' The Doctor sat down, and there was a moment of uneasy silence. Leela stood in the doorway, looking round the little group. She could feel the tension in the air.
'Excellent fellow, Harker,' drawled th, tall man. 'It was his seamanship got us ashore.'
'Whose seamanship was it that got you on the rocks in the first place?' asked the Doctor blandly.
The tall man looked sharply at him. 'I don't believe we've met, sir. Are you in charge here?'
'No—but I'm full of ideas.'
Vince brought bowls of soup for the two men and said, 'Beg pardon, Doctor, but I think it's time I stoked the boilers.' He looked appealingly at the Doctor, making no attempt to move.
'Off you go then, Vince. Leela, you go with him.'
Vince and Leela left, and the girl looked reprovingly at the Doctor. 'You're a Doctor then?'
'That's right.'
'And you send a woman to stoke boilers?' The young lady was obviously shocked.
'Leela's a rather unusual young lady. Besides, one of the keepers was el
ectrocuted this evening. Since then young Vince doesn't like to go to the generator room alone.'
The soldierly man nodded understandingly. 'Disturbing thing for a young fellow, the first sight of death. Remember when I was in India...'
The other man groaned. 'Oh not one of your army stories, Jimmy. They're even more boring than your House of Commons anecdotes.'
The Doctor looked curiously at the two men. They were travelling companions, and presumably friends, yet they were completely different types, one laconic and soldierly, the other like a spoiled, greedy child. Moreover, they spoke to each other as if they were bitter enemies. He decided that it would help if he had names to attach to all these new faces. He addressed the tall man. 'Shouldn't we introduce our-selves?'
'Yes, of course. The young lady is Miss Adelaide Lesage, Lord Palmerdale's confidential secretary. The wet gentleman is Lord Henry Palmerdale, the well-known financier. And I'm Colonel James Skinsale, Member of Parliament for Thurley. And you are...?'
'I'm the Doctor—my companion's name is Leela. Where were you heading for, when your yacht struck?'
It was Lord Palmerdale who answered. 'Southampton. I've a special train waiting to take me to London. I must be there before the Stock Exchange opens.'
Adelaide sighed theatrically. 'The pressures of business, you know. If we'd been able to stay on in Deauville none of this would have happened.'
'We'd popped across the Channel in the yacht,' explained Palmerdale airily. 'We all had a little flutter in the Casino. Though in Jimmy's case it was more of a plunger—eh Jimmy?'
'You're very cheerful for a man whose yacht has been wrecked,' Skinsale said sourly.
Palmerdale waved a disparaging hand. 'Insured.'
'What about the crew?' asked the Doctor. 'Were any other boats launched?'
Skinsale shrugged. 'I'm afraid we didn't wait to see, Doctor. His Lordship was in rather a hurry to leave the sinking ship!'
Palmerdale shot him a venomous look. 'I've already told you, it's imperative that I reach London before the stock market opens.'
DOCTOR WHO AND THE HORROR OF FANG ROCK Page 3