The forest ended suddenly at the edge of a cliff, running away in a wavering line on either side. Before them, tinted pink by the low rays of the sun, was a sea of softly swirling mist, broken only close to by the crowns of a few high trees. On the far side of this insubstantial ma.s.s, perhaps eight or ten kilometres away, was another ragged cliff face, cut through by the threads of several waterfalls.
Peering cautiously over the edge, they found there was a shelf of rock only a few metres below, with the dim outline of a second ledge beyond that, suggesting a series of terraces that faded away into the misty depths of the shrouded valley. They walked along the clifftop for a short distance and came to a narrow fault in the rock, which would make a workable stairway down to the next level. As they were examining this a muted snorting sound rose up out of the valley, accompanied by a medley of barking cries.
"Clearly there are creatures of some kind down there," Thorrin stated, "and we must a.s.sume they are dangerous, otherwise traversing the valley would not be a challenge."
"Jack Falstaff is as loath to refuse a challenge as the next man,"
said their new companion, "but I have neither the horns nor legs of Pan. Might we not exercise a modic.u.m of discretion and attempt to circ.u.mvent this obstacle rather than needlessly plumb unknown depths?"
Thorrin shook his head. "This cleft seems to reach as far as the main valley walls. It might take days to find a way round, a.s.suming any existed, and we can"t risk the delay." He took out his compa.s.s and examined it carefully. "It seems to have settled down now," he remarked, taking a bearing on the opposite cliff.
Arnella saw her uncle sneer at Falstaff, even as he slid his sporting rifle from his pack and checked its charge gauge.
"Perhaps you are afraid, Sir John? If you would rather stay behind after all, that is your privilege."
"I merely counselled caution," Falstaff replied. "Knowing the difference between bravery and foolhardiness is no cause to gird at me."
"We"re going down," Inspector Jaharnus said firmly. She checked her own side arm, then led the way down the sloping cleft to the first terrace.
"You can come last, if you wish," said the Marquis to Falstaff.
"just make sure you do not fall on top of us."
As they started down, Arnella noticed the DAVE unit that had shadowed Jaharnus and Falstaff from their old camp suddenly turn and speed away, leaving their drone to continue following them alone. Briefly she wondered why Dynes had recalled it.
Gribbs returned to the camp in the hollow a little after dawn.
"They"re all gone," he reported to Qwaid. "Set off for the valley, the cop and the fat one as well."
"Good," said Qwaid, finishing off a self-heating can of soup and tossing it aside. "Now it"s our turn."
Drorgon pulled the Doctor and Peri, who had been sitting together on a boulder, to their feet. The Doctor"s hands were released and he was given his pack.
"Don"t worry about me, Doctor," Peri said, trying to sound rea.s.suring. "I"m just sorry I talked you into all this. You just be careful out there."
"I"ll be all right, Peri. I"m sure these gentlemen don"t intent to take any unnecessary risks," he said lightly.
"That"s right," said Qwaid cheerfully, "specially as we"ve go you along for insurance." He turned to Gribbs, who was gathering up his own pack. "Now you get back to the Falcon Falcon as fast as you can and wait for my call if we need and reconnaissance. Once we find the stash, you bring her across so we can load up." He nodded at Peri. "And don"t let her give you the slip." as fast as you can and wait for my call if we need and reconnaissance. Once we find the stash, you bring her across so we can load up." He nodded at Peri. "And don"t let her give you the slip."
"No chance," said Gribbs, taking hold of Peri"s arm an twisting her about. The strap about her wrist was released so that she could put on her backpack, then replaced. Then she felt a rope being tied about the strap. "A jerk on this"ll soo teach her to behave."
Her last sight of the Doctor was as he, Qwaid, and Drorgo disappeared between the ferns. Then Gribbs gave her a shove and they set off back towards the tiled plain. As the gra.s.s gave way to stone, Gribbs said, "You go first. Walk on the cracks between the big slabs."
She did as she was bidden, wondering if she should reveal the colour-code sequence. Was there any advantage in keeping it safe? If she broke free of him could she move faster and perhaps get away? Probably not, as he"d soon see what slabs she touched.
Could she somehow lure him into stepping on the wrong slab? If she did would he let go of her tether or pull her in after him?
As they set out across the plain, picking their way between the slabs, she saw a camera drone drift along the line of greenery, and then head after them. Was there no escape from Dynes"s intrusions? Then a new thought struck her.
"Hey," she called back to Gribbs. "Don"t you know you"re on camera?"
He glanced behind them and waved. "Yeah, that"s Dexel Dynes"s eye. I always wanted to be on one of his shows. So what?"
"But how can you do this when you know it"s all being recorded?"
Gribbs laughed. "Who cares? You aren"t a citizen of Astroville and the locals don"t seem to mind what we do here. Anyway, what does it matter now? This is going to be the big one. After this we can retire anywhere we like and n.o.body"ll ask what we did to get there. So you"d better behave yourself Now stop gabbing and watch where you put your feet. If you fall into something, don"t reckon on me pulling you out any too quickly."
The descent from terrace to terrace seemed endless, even though the climb was quite an easy one. The sun had vanished after the third level, and all about them was the cold grey mist. The cleft paths were steep in places but sound underfoot. The only vegetation were lichens, damp mosses, and low bushes bearing thick cl.u.s.ters of orange grapelike fruits. The sounds from below were louder and more frequent now, causing them to keep their hands near to their holsters. At Thorrin"s direction, Brockwell had unpacked several egg-sized grenades, which they now wore clipped to their belts, all except Falstaff, who insisted a "gentleman" would use cold steel in his defence. Arnella suspected he was simply scared of the devices, but she found his protestations an unexpected and welcome distraction from the unknown dangers ahead. She hoped her fear did not show, and wished she could be like Thorrin and her uncle, who simply looked defiant and eager to get on. But she knew she could no longer find the same enthusiasm for the undertaking.
And then the grey got darker as the shadowy forms of ma.s.sive trees rose through the mist past them, and suddenly they were on the valley floor, which seemed to slope slightly down from the foot of the cliff. The ground was damp and covered with coa.r.s.e gra.s.s, interspersed with clumps of the orange-grape bushes.
Thick-holed trees topped with crowns of feathery fronds made strange shapes in the mist. The visibility was no better than thirty metres.
Thorrin took out his compa.s.s and checked it carefully "It"s still steady. We should have no problem keeping to a direct course for the opposite side -"
There was a rustle and swish of branches from somewhere in the greyness. As they turned about trying to locate its source there came a panting snort, a monstrous snuffling, and then a huge form loomed out of the mist.
Qwaid, Drorgon, and the Doctor were halfway down the series of terraces when they heard the sounds of battle break out below them: the sharp echoing concussions of microgrenades exploding mingled with the multiple cracks of energy bolts. Rising and falling as though in ghastly accompaniment to this was a series of roars, snarling cries, and bellows of pain.
"Seems our rivals have run into a little trouble," Qwaid said with a grin. "We"ll just wait here until they"re finished - one way or the other."
The Doctor"s face was ashen, while his eyes blazed accusingly.
"They might be killed! Aren"t you going to help them?"
Qwaid simply laughed. The Doctor made as if to start forward, but Drorgon"s ma.s.sive hand restrained him, and he could only wait and listen to the battle.
"They"re putting up a good fight," Qwaid observed. "Least they had the sense to come prepared. Sounds like there"s some good-sized meat down there."
At this remark a questioning frown was added to the Doctor"s expression of anger and dismay. He stared intently into the mist, then at the slopes about him.
The first creature they had killed had resembled a prehistoric terrestrial sauropod, standing five metres at the shoulder and perhaps twenty-five long, including its spiked tail - except that it had three pairs of limbs and a turtle-like sh.e.l.l on its back.
Possibly it was only a herbivore and had simply been curious about them, but Thorrin had snapped off a shot from his pistol that had apparently annoyed it, and it had charged them. It had taken a dozen energy bolts and two grenades to kill it.
A pack of seven smaller four-legged beasts had appeared before the ma.s.sive body had stopped twitching, as though summoned by the scent of spilled blood, forcing the seekers to retreat until they huddled with their backs to the hole of one of the ma.s.sive trees whose tops broke the misty ceiling. The newcomers had powerful jaws filled with rows of dagger-like teeth and tore into the carca.s.s with incredible savagery, making Arnella turn her head aside in disgust, trying not to be sick as the stench of the entrails reached them. Those scavengers that were pushed aside by their more determined fellows started snapping at the quest party. The Marquis shot the nearest cleanly through the brain and it dropped in a flurry of wickedly clawed limbs. Falstaff waved his sword at the beasts as though engaged in a hand-to-claw duel with them and shouted defiance, without coming close to inflicting any actual injury.
Four more of the scavengers appeared and began circling the tree. They fired upon them, but they moved swiftly and were difficult targets. A grenade killed one and injured another, but gradually the beasts edged closer as they became used to the flash and crack of their weapons.
Then a ma.s.sive horned lizard head emerged from the greyness, followed by a long scaled body supported on many pairs of short legs. Fanged jaws yawned wide, and a long tongue flickered, tasting the air. It vented a hissing roar that caused the scavengers momentarily to lose interest in the seekers as they turned to face a more deadly foe.
"Come on!" shouted the Marquis. "While they"re distracted!"
They ran for the next clump of trees, snapping shots to the left and right to discourage any pursuers. Even Falstaff maintained the frantic pace, puffing and wheezing like an ancient steam engine, until the mist had swallowed up all sight and sound of the primitive conflict. Only then did they sink down in the shelter of a thicket and catch their breath.
Peri stumbled and almost fell. Walking on the cracks was hard work, especially when you couldn"t use your arms for balance.
And to think when she was young she"d tried not to step on the cracks in the sidewalk. It was also very slow going. She looked at the morning sun and made a quick calculation, then said, "Hey, I can tell you a quicker way to get across this..."
She explained about the rainbow tile sequence, and suggested it could be reversed for travelling in the opposite direction.
Gribbs was suspicious.
"Are you trying something? Why didn"t you tell me this earlier?"
"You expect me to make things easy for you? Look, I"ll go first to show you it"s safe, only please let"s get a move on."
She"d wanted to reach the cool of the wood before noon. Even Gribbs"s company was preferable to the heat of the plain. She tried to convince herself, like Mr Micawber, that something would turn up when they got back to the ships.
The TARDIS stood in the glade, its door slightly ajar.
Through the crack between door and frame light flickered erratically, pulsating brightly with multicoloured flashes, then sinking almost to extinction. And accompanying the lights were noises, sometimes m.u.f.fled and indistinct, then loud and shrill.
Even without words they told of fear, confusion, and pain.
CHAPTER 12.
STAIRWAY.
Qwaid waited for ten minutes after the sound of gunfire eased before letting them descend the rest of the way to the valley floor.
It didn"t take them long to find the scene of the conflict - the smell alone was sufficient to guide them. carca.s.ses littered the ground, being greedily consumed by a host of scavengers ranging in size from that of small dogs to rats. A trail of blood and flattened gra.s.s leading off through the trees suggested where one whole animal had been carried bodily away by something even larger. There was no sign of any humanoid remains among the carnage.
"Looks as though they were lucky," Qwaid said. "See if you can pick up their trail, Dro. We"ll keep following on after them if we can."
Drorgon began quartering the ground, all the time keeping his portable cannon at the ready. The Doctor walked around the carca.s.ses and began examining the surrounding trees and hushes carefully. Qwaid watched him with a frown. After a minute he asked, "What are you looking for, Doc?"
"I"m trying to establish what the indigenous life in this valley eats."
"You, if you"re not careful. If you want your friend to stay healthy, try not to get yourself killed."
"I have no intention of risking that eventuality," replied the Doctor absently, still peering intently at the vegetation.
Apparently coming to some conclusion, he turned to Qwaid and launched into a rapid breathless explanation. "I see evidence of chewed tree bark, split nuts, rooted ground, cropped gra.s.s and leaves. However, not one of the five bushes bearing orange berries in this immediate vicinity has been touched, yet the fruit seems soft and ripe. There aren"t even any piles of droppings near them. It was the same on the terraces, which was what first brought them to my attention. Also, note, we haven"t seen any form of flying predator yet, though you"d think all this carrion would have attracted a few by now."
"So what?"
The Doctor picked a berry, split it open and sniffed cautiously.
His nose wrinkled. a has a distinctive, not to say penetrating, smell. The creatures down here appear to avoid them, possibly because they"re naturally poisonous, or because they have been conditioned to stay clear of them by the Gelsandorans. This would explain the absence of any flying creatures here, since I suspect the bushes are intended to serve as a sort of botanical barrier which would only work against ground-dwelling animals, preventing them leaving the valley. Therefore, if we apply some of their juice to our persons, and carry a few berries with us for the unforeseen, they should also avoid us."
Qwaid realised he was gaping and shut his mouth quickly.
"Now that"s smart thinking," he acknowledged. The Doctor smiled back coolly.
"That is why, shall we say, you acquired my services."
"Right, we"ve had long enough to rest," said Thorrin, rising from the thicket.
"A little longer," pleaded Arnella. "I still feel sick."
"My dear, we must keep going." her uncle said.
"Surely a few minutes don"t matter?"
"A modest boon that I too would dearly crave," puffed Falstaff, still mopping his brow.
"We do seem to be safe here, Professor," Brockwell said. "If we"re all properly rested we can move faster."
"Oh, very well," said Thorrin impatiently. "Five minutes only."
Arnella realised her uncle was looking at her with a troubled expression. "You insisted on coming, my dear. Now you must keep up. We cannot go back or afford to waste any time now. What we are after is too important to let any personal weakness slow us down."
"I know, Uncle. But let"s not kill ourselves in the process," she said with a weak smile, trying to lighten the mood.
He looked at her blankly. With a tiny shiver she saw he hadn"t realised she"d been joking.
They set off exactly five minutes later. The mist had not lifted appreciably, and Arnella wondered if the valley was permanently shrouded all day. The diffuse unchanging light had a disorientating effect, and she kept checking her watch to see how much time had actually pa.s.sed. The mist bleached the colour out of everything more than twenty metres away, and the drabness added to her sense of detachment. It was hard to believe they were moving, and that it was not the pale shadows of the distorted trees and bushes that were drifting past them. There seemed to be animal noises all round and they flinched at every one and each twitch of a leaf or rustle of undergrowth.
A creature like a four-metre-long turtle with a spiked sh.e.l.l shuffled out of the greyness towards them. The professor raised his gun but Brockwell said quickly, "Look at its mouth - I think it"s a herbivore. "The animal paused, sniffed, and peered at them with tiny stupid eyes, but then continued on past.
Two minutes later a slightly smaller version of the horned multilegged lizard they had seen earlier lunged at them from out of the bushes in a flurry of churning limbs, jaws agape. They all fired without thinking, blinding it and burning off its forelegs.
Then they ran before the creature"s death throes could attract another of the fleet-footed scavenger packs.
Arnella was desperately afraid, but she steeled herself not to show it. Exhaustion could be admitted to before strangers, but not fear. Perhaps her uncle had been right about every minute counting. What would it be like here at night?
The land continued to slope gently downward. After covering what must have been five or six kilometres, she noticed that the ground was getting spongier underfoot. The tall trees that had loomed like grey spires on either side of them appeared less frequently and the mist, though not thinning, became slightly lighter. From ahead of them came a faint splashing. In a minute they were standing by the rushes that fringed the sh.o.r.e of a broad lake that stretched away into the white opacity. Out across the water they saw a dark swanlike neck rise into view and glide along serenely for several seconds before submerging again.
"So, our resolution is tested again as we have to face yet another change of terrain, no doubt with its own special dangers," said Thorrin. "Fortunately we came prepared. The inflatable, please, Will."
Brockwell rummaged in his pack and pulled out a rectangular package almost as compact as the tent had been. Unravelling a thin cord from one end, he tossed the package into the water.
With a hiss its thin but extraordinarily tough fabric expanded and unfolded. It was driven by ducted electrostatic panels set in its underside and powered by sheets of flexi-batteries. They climbed in, Thorrin at the front with his compa.s.s, Brockwell steering with the slender telescopic tiller and throttle control. The light craft settled alarmingly under Falstaff"s weight but maintained an adequate freeboard. Silently they set off. The Marquis had his rifle ready, while Jaharnus held a primed grenade in her hand. Both stared intently at the slate-grey water as it rippled sluggishly past.
Qwaid had to admit that the Doctor"s berry juice worked perfectly.
They strode slowly through the sombre valley, letting the aroma diffuse through the heavy air before them. Half-seen forms shuffled between the trees about them. They heard snorts and grunts, then heavy feet stomping away. Drorgon began to look annoyed that he had no opportunity to use his portable cannon.