was so far round the twist,’ he muttered.
‘Maybe he counted on the Krynoid sparing him if he sacrified us,’ said Sarah.
The Doctor shook his head. ‘No. We were mistaken about who—or what—Chase is.’
The others stared at him.
‘You said he went out in the grounds with a camera and came back unharmed. I should have realised. He locked that door behind us because he is acting as a plant. He’s in league with the Krynoid.’
‘Doctor, the radio’s been smashed.’ The Sergeant pointed to the broken apparatus which once kept Chase in contact with his patrolling guards.
‘Now we’re completely cut off,’ whispered Sarah. Behind the doors leading to the greenhouse the trapped plants could be heard clawing and scratching on the polished metal.
‘We’ve got to find Chase,’ snapped the Doctor, ‘before he does any more damage.’ He strode out into the corridor. ‘Sarah and I will take this wing... you and Scorby check along there, Sergeant.’
The two couples set off in opposite directions along the dim passageway.
Sir Colin Thackeray, looking sleepless and tense in the early morning light, paced impatiently up and down the gravel drive by the gatehouse. The main house was invisible from where he stood and nothing had been heard of Major Beresford and his men after the initial burst of firing. Behind Sir Colin, anxious and expectant, a second unit stood ready for action.
Then, appearing at first in ones and twos, Beresford’s troops began to emerge from the woods. Breathing hard the Major reported.
‘We had to pull back. The laser was hopeless against it. ’
‘And you haven’t made contact with the Doctor?’
‘Not yet. He must be trapped inside the house. I’m going to try and sneak through with a couple of men.’ He hurried off.
Sir Colin twirled his umbrella and pulled hard on the brim of his bowler hat. The Doctor was the only person with any idea of how to combat this alien menace. Somehow they had to get through to him.
Inside the house the Doctor and Sarah had covered the East Wing without coming across Chase. Now they linked up again with Scorby.
‘No sign of him anywhere,’ said Scorby. The Doctor scrutinised his dark, sullen features. There was no telling whether he could be trusted—even in this desperate situation.
The Sergeant ran up. ‘Doctor, there’s a load of creeper breaking through into the corridor back there.’
‘All right, we’d better retreat to the Lab.’ The Doc-tor led them smartly away.
As they disappeared, the lurking figure of Chase stepped from behind a pillar and glided off into the gloom like an evil ghost.
Back in the Laboratory, the Doctor set about mending the two-way radio. Scorby crossed to the window and peered through a chink in the boards.
‘It’s like being under siege,’ he murmured nervously.
‘Yes,’ the Doctor replied calmly. ‘Soon the Krynoid will be large enough to crush the whole house. We haven’t much time.’
As he spoke one of the wooden planks was forced away from the window, making Scorby jump.
‘I’ll try and find some more timber,’ volunteered the Sergeant and hurried out.
‘Be careful,’ Sarah shouted after him.
The Sergeant made his way to the rear of the house where there was more likelihood of finding some spare wood. Too late he realised he was unarmed, he had left his rifle in the Lab. He decided to press on regardless.
Suddenly he thought he heard a noise. He stopped and peered ahead. The passage was deserted. Then, without warning, a figure sprang from the shadows and struck him hard on the back of the head with a heavy metal spanner. Mercifully, that was the last the Sergeant knew.
Quickly his assailant dragged the unconscious body through a
‘Maybe he counted on the Krynoid sparing him if he sacrified us,’ said Sarah.
The Doctor shook his head. ‘No. We were mistaken about who—or what—Chase is.’
The others stared at him.
‘You said he went out in the grounds with a camera and came back unharmed. I should have realised. He locked that door behind us because he is acting as a plant. He’s in league with the Krynoid.’
‘Doctor, the radio’s been smashed.’ The Sergeant pointed to the broken apparatus which once kept Chase in contact with his patrolling guards.
‘Now we’re completely cut off,’ whispered Sarah. Behind the doors leading to the greenhouse the trapped plants could be heard clawing and scratching on the polished metal.
‘We’ve got to find Chase,’ snapped the Doctor, ‘before he does any more damage.’ He strode out into the corridor. ‘Sarah and I will take this wing... you and Scorby check along there, Sergeant.’
The two couples set off in opposite directions along the dim passageway.
Sir Colin Thackeray, looking sleepless and tense in the early morning light, paced impatiently up and down the gravel drive by the gatehouse. The main house was invisible from where he stood and nothing had been heard of Major Beresford and his men after the initial burst of firing. Behind Sir Colin, anxious and expectant, a second unit stood ready for action.
Then, appearing at first in ones and twos, Beresford’s troops began to emerge from the woods. Breathing hard the Major reported.
‘We had to pull back. The laser was hopeless against it. ’
‘And you haven’t made contact with the Doctor?’
‘Not yet. He must be trapped inside the house. I’m going to try and sneak through with a couple of men.’ He hurried off.
Sir Colin twirled his umbrella and pulled hard on the brim of his bowler hat. The Doctor was the only person with any idea of how to combat this alien menace. Somehow they had to get through to him.
Inside the house the Doctor and Sarah had covered the East Wing without coming across Chase. Now they linked up again with Scorby.
‘No sign of him anywhere,’ said Scorby. The Doctor scrutinised his dark, sullen features. There was no telling whether he could be trusted—even in this desperate situation.
The Sergeant ran up. ‘Doctor, there’s a load of creeper breaking through into the corridor back there.’
‘All right, we’d better retreat to the Lab.’ The Doc-tor led them smartly away.
As they disappeared, the lurking figure of Chase stepped from behind a pillar and glided off into the gloom like an evil ghost.
Back in the Laboratory, the Doctor set about mending the two-way radio. Scorby crossed to the window and peered through a chink in the boards.
‘It’s like being under siege,’ he murmured nervously.
‘Yes,’ the Doctor replied calmly. ‘Soon the Krynoid will be large enough to crush the whole house. We haven’t much time.’
As he spoke one of the wooden planks was forced away from the window, making Scorby jump.
‘I’ll try and find some more timber,’ volunteered the Sergeant and hurried out.
‘Be careful,’ Sarah shouted after him.
The Sergeant made his way to the rear of the house where there was more likelihood of finding some spare wood. Too late he realised he was unarmed, he had left his rifle in the Lab. He decided to press on regardless.
Suddenly he thought he heard a noise. He stopped and peered ahead. The passage was deserted. Then, without warning, a figure sprang from the shadows and struck him hard on the back of the head with a heavy metal spanner. Mercifully, that was the last the Sergeant knew.
Quickly his assailant dragged the unconscious body through a
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