Jamie, on the other hand, was completely different. He welcomed each new adventure with tremendous gusto. Jamie was a fighter by nature. English Redcoat soldier or alien monster, it was all the same to Jamie. He grabbed his trusty claymore and charged.
Victoria looked on indulgently as the Doctor peered into the little scanner screen, almost hopping up and down with excitement. As usual, she and Jamie had no idea where or when they were – or for that matter, why. No doubt the Doctor would get round to telling them in his own good time.
‘Marvellous,’ the Doctor was chortling. ‘Absolutely marvellous! And after all this time!’ He adjusted the scanner controls and the picture of snowy wastes changed to that of a distinctively-shaped peak.
Jamie looked over the Doctor’s shoulder. ‘I dinna see what’s so marvellous about a lot of snowy mountains.’
The Doctor looked up in amazement. ‘But it’s the Himalayas, Jamie! The Himalayas!’
‘The Hima – what?’ Geography wasn’t Jamie’s strong point. Anywhere outside Scotland was unknown territory to him.
Victoria leaned forward. ‘The Himalayas. They’re a range of mountains. On the border between India and Tibet, I think.’
The Doctor turned away from the scanner. ‘That’s right! Tibet, that’s where we are. Tibet!’ The Doctor beamed at Victoria, then said briskly, ‘Well, come on then, no time to waste. Help me find the ghanta.’ He rushed across the TARDIS, opened a wall-locker and dragged out an enormous old chest, covered in antique carving. ‘Now I’m sure I put it in here somewhere!’ The Doctor started ferreting inside the chest, rather like a dog at a rabbit hole, throwing things over his shoulder with gay abandon. Jamie and Victoria looked on in amazement. After a moment, the Doctor’s head popped up indignantly. ‘Come on, you two. Aren’t you going to help me?’
They came over to join him. ‘That’s all verra well,’ said Jamie. ‘Can you no’ tell us what we’re looking for?’
‘I’ve already told you. The ghanta!’ The Doctor went on burrowing.
‘Yes, but what’s a ghanta?’ Victoria asked gently.
The Doctor was amazed. ‘You mean you don’t know? It’s a Tibetan holy relic. A bell actually. Quite small. You see it was given to me to look after when…’
The Doctor broke off as he pulled an enormous fur coat from the bottom of the chest. ‘Ah,’ he exclaimed delightedly, ‘now I’ll have that. Just the thing for this climate.’ The Doctor began to struggle into the coat. It completely swamped him, coming right down to his ankles. ‘Tell you what, I’ll just go and have a scout around.’ Suddenly he couldn’t wait to be off.
Jamie looked up from the chest. ‘What about this precious ghanta?’
The Doctor looked uneasy. ‘Ah. Well, I thought you and Victoria might find it for me.’ He looked pleadingly at them, like a small boy begging to be allowed to go out and play.
Victoria smiled. ‘All right, Doctor, off you go. We’ll find your bell for you. But what do you want it for? Why’s it so important?’
The Doctor paused at the door. ‘Because when we get down there, it’ll guarantee us the welcome of a lifetime.’
‘Down where?’ called Victoria. But the Doctor was already gone, the door of the TARDIS closing behind him.
Jamie sighed. ‘When you’ve been with the Doctor as long as I have, you’ll realise ye canna hope to know what he’s talking about most of the time. Let’s find his bell, there’ll be no peace till we do!’
Jamie went on rummaging in the chest. Victoria wandered over to the scanner and switched it on, hoping to see where the Doctor was off to. Suddenly she jumped back from the screen in terror. ‘Jamie, look!’
Jamie came over to the scanner, and peered in amazement at the huge, hairy form on the little screen. ‘It’s a beastie,’ he muttered, ‘a huge hairy beastie!’
Victoria felt a sudden stab of fear. ‘We must warn the Doctor…’
Jamie held up a restraining hand. ‘Just a wee moment. Let’s have another look.’ He adjusted the scanner controls to give a closer view of the shambling figure. Then he looked up, grinning. ‘Ye needna worry about warning the Doctor. Yon great hairy beastie is the Doctor!’
And indeed the Doctor did look rather like a huge animal as he plodded up the mountain path in his enormous fur coat. He gazed around him with child-like pleasure.
The surrounding peaks seemed to sparkle in the clear frosty atmosphere. The Doctor took deep, satisfying breaths of the fresh, sharp mountain air, puffing it out again like steam. The path climbed sharply upwards, and soon the Doctor was breathing hard. He reached the point he was making for and leaned thankfully against a boulder. A hidden valley lay far below him. And there nestling in the valley was the Monastery. The Doctor sighed with quiet satisfaction. For once the TARDIS, and his navigation, hadn’t let him down. He’d come to exactly the right spot. Clumps of snow had built up on the Doctor’s boots, making walking difficult. He began kicking his boots against a boulder to clean them. Suddenly he stopped, his eye caught by something at his feet. It was an enormous footprint, many times the size of his own.
The Doctor began to cast about the area, like a hunting dog. There were other footprints, a line of them, leading to the other side of the boulder. Cautiously, the Doctor followed the tracks. On the other side of the boulder there were more footprints, deeper ones. The snow was churned as though the creature had stood for some time. There were other tracks leading away down the mountainside.
The Doctor stood, pondering. The story in the snow was clear. Some enormous creature had climbed to this spot, and stood there, looking down at the Monastery below. Then it had moved away. Not long ago, either. The tracks leading away from the boulder were still fairly fresh.
The Doctor’s scientific curiosity was roused. Could it be – he’d heard the stories, of course, on previous visits to Earth – The Abominable Snowman? Known to the Tibetans as the Yeti. A giant man-like creature that lived somewhere on the remotest peaks, seen only in glimpses by terrified natives. But surely the creature had never been heard of in this part of Tibet? The Doctor was puzzled. For a moment he was strongly tempted to follow the tracks still further.
The Doctor had seen so many amazing creatures on so many planets that he was prepared to believe in anything. Then he checked himself. What would he do with the creature if he found it? Come to that, what would it do with him? There was the Monastery to be visited. And Jamie and Victoria still waiting in the TARDIS. Congratulating himself on his self-control, the Doctor turned and retraced his steps.
Suddenly he stopped. Had there been a flash of movement, higher up the mountain? There, behind the clump of boulders? The Doctor peered, but could see nothing. He continued on his way, back to the TARDIS.
Behind those same boulders there was a stir of movement. An enormous hairy hand appeared on the top of a sheltering boulder. A giant, shaggy form pulled itself upright. It stood looking down at the tiny figure of the Doctor, plodding on his way far below.
Jamie rose from the empty trunk in disgust. ‘He must have put this ghanta thing somewhere else. It’s no’ in here!’
Victoria looked round at the amazing collection of objects spread over the TARDIS floor: clothes, weapons, curios and carvings from a hundred different planets. There was something of the magpie in the Doctor, she thought despairingly. ‘Are you sure the trunk’s empty? Really empty?’
‘Och, see for yourself!’
Victoria groped in the inner recesses of the enormous trunk, practically disappearing inside. ‘I’m afraid you’re – wait a minute!’ Her fingers touched a scrap of cloth wedged in a corner. Stretching, she pulled a tiny bundle from the trunk. ‘Look, there’s a label on it. “Ghanta of Det-sen Monastery.”’ Victoria unwrapped the bundle. Triumphantly, she held up an ornately carved bronze bell.
‘Wouldn’t you know it’d be the verra last thing?’ groaned Jamie disgustedly. The TARDIS door opened and the Doctor came in. He saw the little bell in Victoria’s hand.
‘Fo
und it, have you? Splendid. Knew it wasn’t far away.’ Gently he took it from Victoria and slipped it in his pocket.
‘It took a wee bit of searching, ye ken,’ said Jamie dryly.
The Doctor frowned abstractedly. ‘Yes, I’m sure it did…’
Jamie looked at him. ‘You’ve seen something, haven’t you? Out there?’
The Doctor glanced quickly at Victoria. ‘Oh, nothing really, Jamie. Probably nothing.’ He came to a decision. ‘I’ve just got to pay a quick visit to the Monastery, and then we’ll be on our way. Stay here in the TARDIS, will you, Jamie?’
‘Would it no’ be better if I came too?’
The Doctor shook his head. Victoria looked from one to the other. ‘Look, what’s happening? Is there something dangerous out there?’
The Doctor smiled. ‘Just a lot of snow! I’ll be as quick as I can.’ The Doctor left the TARDIS, closing the door behind him.
Victoria turned to Jamie. ‘There is something the matter, isn’t there?’
Jamie nodded reluctantly. ‘Something’s worrying him, right enough. But don’t go asking me what, for I dinna ken!’
Victoria looked at the litter of objects on the floor. ‘Come on, Jamie. Let’s put this lot away.’
The Doctor was slowly picking his way along the uneven track that led down towards the Monastery. Every now and again he would stop, looking around him uneasily. He kept getting the feeling that something malevolent and hostile was watching his every movement. Sometimes he thought he saw a flicker of movement on the slopes above him. But always it vanished before he could pin it down. Warily the Doctor plodded on his way.
He followed the path round the curve of the mountain, and on to a little plateau. It formed a kind of natural camp-site, and the Doctor saw that someone had indeed made camp there. A few charred sticks marked the remains of a fire. Close by were two empty sleeping-bags. Something glinted in the cold ashes of the fire. The Doctor fished it out. It was the barrel of a rifle, bent almost double. The charred, splintered stock was burnt almost completely away. The Doctor wondered what kind of strength could bend the steel of a rifle barrel like plasticine.
Footprints, human footprints, led over the edge of the plateau. Peering over the edge, the Doctor saw a huddled shape a little further down. He scrambled towards it.
The body lay face down in the snow. Gently the Doctor turned it over. To his surprise he saw that the man was a European. As he shifted the body, the head lolled over at a strange angle. The man was dead, his neck broken by a single savage blow.
2
The Creature in the Cave
The Doctor straightened up, and stood looking down at the body. For a moment he considered going straight back to the TARDIS. All around him he sensed the presence of some alien evil. Then he remembered the ghanta.
Slipping his hand in his pocket, the Doctor took out the little Tibetan bell. He gazed at it for a moment, and sighed. A promise was a promise. But as soon as he had returned the ghanta to the Monastery, he would go back to the TARDIS and whisk Jamie and Victoria off to a safer place and time. Not far from the dead man, a rucksack lay in the snow. It held maps, warm clothes, brandy, concentrated foods – the provisions of an experienced explorer. Perhaps he would find the owner at the Monastery – if he had survived the attack on the camp.
After a long and weary journey, the Doctor finally reached the lower slopes of the mountain. The path sloped sharply, leading him at last to the Det-sen Monastery. With a sigh of relief, he looked up at the huge old building he remembered so well. Protected by its high stone walls, the Monastery huddled as if for shelter in the valley between two mountains. It had been many years since his last visit, yet nothing had changed. Or had it? In former days, the massive bronze doors had always stood open, welcoming the entry of pilgrims and travellers. The monks of Det-sen were peaceful, hospitable men, always willing to provide shelter. But now the gates were closed. An oppressive silence seemed to hang over the Monastery.
The Doctor took a deep breath. ‘Hello! Hello! Anyone about?’ His voice echoed round the high forbidding walls. He hammered on the doors, but his fists made almost no sound. The Doctor put his shoulder to the heavy, bronze doors and shoved – more as a kind of gesture than with any hope of success. To his surprise, he felt them shift a little. Using all his strength, he managed to push one of the doors ajar, creating just enough of a gap to slip through. Once through the doors, the Doctor gazed round him. The long rectangular courtyard was unchanged. The stone flagstones were worn smooth by the sandalled feet of generations of monks. Doorways and cloisters led off into different parts of the rambling old Monastery. But still this mysterious silence and emptiness. The Det-sen Monastery had always buzzed like a beehive – the chatter of pilgrims, the cries of pedlars in the courtyard, the low humming of the temple bells, the endless drone of the monks at their prayers. It had been a lively, bustling place. Now it was as quiet as a tomb. The Doctor shivered. He walked to the middle of the courtyard, his footsteps echoing hollowly. ‘Hello! Where is everyone?’
Suddenly there came a shattering clang. The Doctor whirled round. The bronze doors had been pushed to, and barred. A little group of men stood watching him. They wore the simple robes of the Det-sen monks, but they carried bows and swords. They ran forward and surrounded the Doctor, weapons raised.
Their leader, a tall man with a dark, hawk-like face, towered over him.
‘Who are you? Why do you come here?’
Quite unintimidated, the Doctor smiled up at him. ‘First may I ask who you are? By what right do you question me?’
‘I am Khrisong, leader of the warrior monks.’ The tall man indicated a younger monk who stood at his side. ‘This is Thomni – my guard captain. Now – you will answer. Who are you?’
Gently the Doctor said, ‘You can call me the Doctor.’ He looked at the group. ‘Warrior monks – that’s a contradiction in terms, isn’t it? I thought the monks of Det-sen were men of peace.’
There was grim irony in Khrisong’s reply. ‘Most of them still are. But these are dangerous times. If the men of peace are to survive, they need men of war to protect them.’ His tone hardened. ‘Now – you would do well to answer quickly. Who are you? What is your business at the Monastery of Det-sen?’
Before the Doctor could answer a man ran out of the cloisters and up to the little group. He flung himself on the Doctor, wrenching the rucksack from his shoulders.
‘You murderous devil. We’ve got you now!’
The Doctor looked curiously at his attacker. He was a European, dressed in a ragged, travel-stained anorak. His eyes were red-rimmed with exhaustion, and a stubble of beard covered his chin. His manner was hysterical, like a man in the grip of some over-mastering obsession. He glared angrily at the Doctor.
Khrisong turned to the newcomer. ‘Travers! Do you know this man?’
‘No – but this rucksack’s mine all right. He must have stolen it when he attacked my camp.’ Travers hugged the rucksack protectively.
‘You told us that a beast attacked you,’ said Khrisong sharply.
‘Well, that’s what I thought. I just saw a shape in the darkness – felt the fur. But look at his coat! That’s what I felt. It must have been him. How else did he get my rucksack?’
The little group of armed men gathered menacingly round the Doctor. ‘Why did you attack this man?’ snapped Khrisong.
The Doctor kept his voice low and calm. ‘I attacked no one. I found this rucksack by a wrecked camp. There was a dead man—’
‘Yes – and you killed him!’ shrieked Travers. Dropping the rucksack, he hurled himself at the Doctor. Thomni and another of the warrior monks held him back.
Khrisong said, ‘We have heard enough. Seize him!’
Before the Doctor could move, two brawny young monks had grabbed his arms.
‘Look,’ said the Doctor mildly, ‘this is ridiculous. I’ve killed no one. I brought the rucksack here to return it to its owner. I came on a most important…’
‘Silence,’ interrupted Khrisong. ‘You have been accused of a crime. There have been many other such crimes of late. All strangers are suspect. If you are guilty, be sure you will be punished. Take him away!’
Lifting him almost off his feet, the two warrior monks carried the protesting Doctor away. At a nod from Khrisong, Thomni released Travers. He seized Khrisong’s arm, looking up at the tall monk with a kind of crazy intentness. ‘He’s a dangerous man, Khrisong. Watch him carefully!’
Thomni, the young guard captain, said thoughtfully, ‘We do not know that this man is the killer…’
‘Of course we do,’ Travers interrupted. ‘I’ve just told you so.’
Thomni ignored him. ‘After all,’ he went on, ‘we still do not know why he came here.’
‘That, too, we shall discover – in good time,’ said Khrisong impassively.
The two warrior monks half-carried, half-dragged the Doctor along the endless stone corridors of the Monastery, ignoring his spirited protests. ‘Do put me down, you chaps. I can walk, you know. Anyway, I’ve got something important to tell you…’
The monks came to a halt before a massive wooden door, studded with iron. They opened it, thrust the Doctor inside, slammed the door and bolted it. Then they turned and marched away.
The Doctor looked around him. He was in a bare stone cell, with a little window high up in the wall. There was a wooden stool, and a wooden bed with a straw mattress along one wall. The Doctor sank down on the bed and sighed. He remembered his own words, back in the TARDIS. ‘The welcome of a lifetime!’ said the Doctor ruefully.
Jamie and Victoria sat looking at each other blankly. The contents of the massive chest had been tidied away long ago. Now they were just sitting waiting – and waiting. Jamie gave a massive yawn.
‘I’m getting very bored,’ Victoria said. ‘Couldn’t we take a look outside?’
Jamie shook his head. ‘The Doctor said to wait here.’
‘I’ll go by myself.’ Victoria stood up decisively.
Jamie sighed. It was in the nature of females to be contrary. ‘Och, all right. Just a wee look round. We’d better wrap up warm.’
Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen Page 2