Doctor Who: The Nightmare of Eden by Terrance Dicks

Author:Terrance Dicks
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction:Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426201304
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1980-01-01T10:00:00+00:00

8. Man-eater

The Doctor and Romana plunged headlong into the jungle. By the time they stopped for breath, they were surrounded by dense foliage. Broad-leaved plants and long, trailing vines struggled for space between mighty trees, whose leaves formed an oppressive canopy overhead. Between the tree-tops, there was an occasional glimpse of Eden's lurid, orange sky. The ground underfoot was damp and soggy, the air warm and humid, filled with the cries of night-birds and shrill chirping of insects. Somewhere not far away, something heavy was crashing through the bushes.

The Doctor looked down at Romana, mopping his brow. 'Well, What do you think of Eden?'

'Not much!'

'Neither do I. But we might find a few answers here, all the same.'

Romana looked around. 'Which way shall we go?'

The Doctor pointed at random. 'Let's go east.'

'How do you know that way's east?'

'I don't. So, let's go that way and call it east.'

'Why not call it north?'

'All right, well call it north.'

'Tell you what, we'll compromise,' said Romana. 'Call it northeast,'

A savage growl came from somewhere too close for comfort.

'Listen,' said the Doctor. 'Whatever direction we call it, can we please stop talking and get moving?

They set off through the jungle.

A shaggy green-eyed form watched them from behind a nearby tree, its lips drawn back in a savage snarl.

It was hard-going through the jungle. There was only the faintest of tracks, and they were constantly thrusting plants and bushes aside.

The Doctor led the way, doing his best to clear a path for Romana. After a while they came to a tiny clearing and paused to rest.

Romana leaned wearily against an enormous tree-trunk. 'Doctor, how did you know we could get into the projection?'

'Same way I know I can get into the TARDIS. Our friend Tryst doesn't realise what he's stumbled on with that ramshackle machine of his - at least, I don't think he does.'

'What has he stumbled on?'

'He's managed to create a limited relative dimensional field.' The Doctor swept his arm round in a circle. 'All this is recorded on laser crystal. When it's played back, it's restructured on an intra-dimensional matrix - roughly speaking, that is.'

Romana said thoughtfully, 'And without a dimensional osmosis damper, everything got mixed up together after the accident, and we can just walk straight into the projection.'

'That's right.'

'So presumably anything else can just walk straight out.'

The Doctor nodded. 'And we both saw one of the things that walked out, back on the ship. We'd better keep moving.'

As they set off again, something crashed by in the distance. Romana shivered. 'We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for those idiotic customs men.'

The Doctor was struggling to thrust aside a particularly stubborn plant. 'Idiots! They're worse than idiots, they're bureaucrats. All they do is tangle people up in red tape, Wrap them round and round until they can't move.' Suddenly the Doctor gave a yell of alarm. 'Romana!'

'What's the matter?'

'I can't move!'

Romana forced her way to the Doctor's side, tentacle-like vines coiling around her body. 'Neither can I!' She began struggling wildly.

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