Doctor Who: Target - Novelisations [050] - The Pyramids of Mars by Terrance Dicks

Author:Terrance Dicks
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426116660
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1976-02-14T23:00:00+00:00

6

The Mummies Attack

Sarah saw a huge bleak, barren plain, stretching endlessly away, devastated by a perpetually howling dust-storm.

Here and there were a few shattered ruins. That was all. No plants, no trees, no animals, no people, no life of any kind.

A dead world.

Shuddering, Sarah stepped back, and the Doctor closed the doors. Angrily she said, ‘That wasn’t Earth. It’s all some horrible trick.’

The Doctor shook his head sadly. ‘No, Sarah. That’s your world as Sutekh would leave it. A desolate planet circling a dead sun.’

‘But I don’t understand. Earth isn’t like that.’

‘Every point in time has its alternative, Sarah. You’ve just seen into alternative time.’

Laurence had been listening in fascination.

‘Extraordinary. Are you saying that the future can be chosen, Doctor?’

‘Not chosen but… shaped. The actions of the present fashion the future.’

‘So a man can change the course of history?’

‘To a small extent. After all, the actions of many men are history. But it takes a being of Sutekh’s limitless powers to destroy the future.’ He turned to Sarah. ‘Well?’

Sarah’s face was bleak. She hated the thought of returning to face the horrors they had just left. But she was willing to do anything to prevent the Earth she knew turning into the desolate horror outside the TARDIS doors. ‘We’ve got to go back, haven’t we?’

‘Yes,’ said the Doctor quietly.’ We’ve got to go back.’

His fingers moved once more over the controls.

Sarah and Laurence waited while the Doctor returned the TARDIS to nineteen eleven. He switched on the scanner – the Egyptian room was empty again. He opened the doors, and they left the TARDIS.

The Doctor led them straight towards the window and flung it open. ‘Out we go – and keep down. We’re heading back to the Lodge.’ Sarah and Laurence climbed out and the Doctor followed, closing the window behind him.

Crouching low, they ran for the cover of the woods.

Marcus Scarman was too occupied to be concerned about them. He was standing before Sutekh’s Casket in the alcove. From inside the Casket came an eerie green glow.

Marcus was talking to his Master. ‘Several humans within the deflection barrier have been killed, but others remain.’

Sutekh’s voice was soft and ferocious at the same time, like that of some great beast. ‘Eliminate them!’

‘The Servicers are searching for them, but this delays the assembly of the rocket.’

The voice became angry. ‘Destruction of the humans must not be allowed to delay the construction of my rocket. That is of paramount importance.’

‘Your orders will be obeyed, Sutekh. I shall recall two of the Servicers to the rocket assembly.’

The green glow died away. Knowing he was dismissed, Marcus Scarman turned and left the room.

Rather to their surprise, the Doctor and his friends reached the Lodge quite safely. Inside, Sarah drew back the dining-room curtains, revealing the stiffened corpse of Doctor Warlock. They lifted him on to the sofa, and Laurence spread a sheet over the body. He shook his head in horror and disbelief. ‘I can’t believe my brother was responsible for this. He and Warlock were the closest of friends.

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