The Planet of the Spiders by Terrance Dicks

Author:Terrance Dicks [Dicks, Terrance]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Life on Other Planets, Fiction, Science Fiction, Children's Stories, Doctor Who (Fictitious Character), General
ISBN: 9780426106555
Publisher: W. H. Allen
Published: 1975-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

The guards marched Sarah deeper and deeper into the complex of caverns that was the home of the Spiders. They led her down a long gloomy tunnel, and then into a small, round chamber. Strands of cobwebby stuff festooned the walls and ceilings. A long cocoon of the same stuff hung from one wall. To her horror, Sarah saw projecting from one end the head of the old man Sabor, Arak’s father.

Holding her firmly, the guards stripped some of the white sticky stuff from the walls and began to wrap it round her. Panic-stricken, she started to struggle – but it was too late. The sticky web held her fast. She could barely move. They cocooned her from neck to feet, leaving her, like Sabor, with only her head projecting. Then they carried her across the chamber and propped her up beside him. The cocoon stuck fast to the walls. She was helpless.

Lupton had been looking, a familiar sneer on his face.

When the process was complete, he said, ‘Do you know where you are, Miss Smith?’

‘Why should I?’ snapped Sarah defiantly. ‘I assume it’s some kind of a prison?’

‘How little you know of the habits of our eight-legged friends, Miss Smith,’ said Lupton with evident relish.

‘You’re not in a prison. You’re in the larder.’

8

The Doctor Hits Back

Dawn was approaching on Metebelis Three. The planet’s huge, bright sun, far closer to Metebelis than our sun is to Earth, was rising rapidly. The gem-stones of the desert reflected its rays in a hundred different colours. In the village, the humans stirred uneasily, knowing that it would soon be time to go and toil in the fields for their Spider rulers.

In Arak’s hut threee men still slept: the Doctor on the bunk, Arak and Tuar sprawled on the floor. The Doctor woke first. A ray of sunshine came through the window and touched his face. He snapped instantly awake, like a human alarm clock. He felt rested, and fighting fit. He looked at his two sleeping companions and his eyes began to twinkle mischievously. He flung back the rough curtains, and sunlight flooded into the little hut. The two brothers stirred and muttered. The Doctor said loudly,

‘Wakey, wakey, rise and shine, show a leg the morning’s fine!’ Arak and Tuar blinked, and muttered. They turned their heads towards the Doctor in astonishment, wondering how a man who had been good as dead the night before could wake up so appallingly cheerful! The Doctor looked at them hopefully. ‘How about a spot of breakfast?’

Soon the Doctor was tucking into a plate of thick broth, brought to him by Rega. Cold water and hard bread made up the rest of the meal, but the Doctor ate with the greatest enjoyment. ‘Excellent broth, this,’ he said. ‘What is it?’

Tuar grunted, ‘Mutton...’ He went on eating.

‘You have sheep on Metebelis?’ said the Doctor chattily.

He held out his bowl for more broth. Rega poured it from a stone jug.

Arak said patiently, ‘Our ancestors brought them from Earth.

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