Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace by Nigel Robinson Read Free Book Online Page A

Me, sir?’ the man asked innocently in a thick Irish brogue. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ As he turned around to face the supervisor he deftly passed whatever it was behind his back to his colleague.
     
    ‘Guards, search this man,’ ordered the supervisor, ‘and the other one.’
    As the guards began their search the West Indian passed the object into Jamie’s hand. The startled Scotsman held it firmly behind his back. The sleight-of-hand had gone unnoticed by the supervisor and the guards.
    The guards shrugged their shoulders. ‘They’re clean.’
    The supervisor eyed the two men suspiciously. ‘All right, this time you’re lucky.’ He nodded over to Ben and Jamie. ‘These two have just joined us. Teach them to be useful.’
    As soon as the supervisor was out of sight Jamie opened up his hand to look at the object which Jacko, the West Indian, had passed to him.
    ‘What is it?’
    Ben recognised the object but was as confused as Jamie.
    ‘What’s so secret about a compass?’ he asked.
    Sean, the Irishman, snatched the compass from Jamie’s hand. ‘A compass is as important as eyes down here,’ he explained. ‘If they’d found it I’d’ve been for the high jump.’
    ‘But they might have found it on me!’ Jamie protested indignantly.
    Sean laughed. ‘Well, they didn’t, did they!’
    ‘Are you planning an escape then?’ asked Ben.
    ‘That’s our business,’ said Sean defensively.
    What’s the matter?’ persisted Jamie. ‘We’re prisoners too. We’re all in the same boat.’
    ‘That’s right, Jock,’ interrupted Jacko. ‘And we don’t want anyone to rock it. OK?’
    ‘The name happens to be Jamie!’ said the Highlander and took a threatening step towards him.
    Sean laid a restraining hand on Jamie’s shoulder. ‘Take no notice of him, boy. He gets a bit uppity at times.’
    ‘Watch it,’ hissed Ben. ‘One of them guards is looking this way.’
     
    Sean immediately took up his pickaxe. ‘Make out like you’re working,’ he said. ‘There’s a rest period soon. We’ll talk then.’
     
    Back in the laboratory one of his Atlantean technicians had called Zaroff over to a bank of computers and flickering video screens. With Zaroff no longer watching him the Doctor began to edge his way slowly towards the door. In spite of Zaroff s assurances that he was not a prisoner, the Doctor doubted that he would ever be allowed to wander freely through Atlantis again, especially as he had now learnt of the scientist’s plans. But it was imperative that he find Polly and the others and some way of halting Zaroff s mad schemes.
    He was almost at the door when Damon once more stormed into the laboratory searching for Zaroff. The Doctor instantly turned on his most dazzling smile.
    ‘Ah, Damon, you’re back,’ he said pleasantly. ‘Did your operation go well?’
    Damon looked down contemptuously at the little man.
    ‘The girl escaped,’ he said angrily. ‘As if you didn’t know...’
    ‘Oh dear... how very frustrating for you.’
    ‘We’ll get her back. Guards have already been sent out.’
    ‘Yes, yes, of course you will get her back,’ said the Doctor patronisingly. ‘It’s very important to you, isn’t it?
    You need all the human labour you can get, don’t you?’
    ‘It’s cheap and plentiful,’ said Damon matter-of-factly.
    ‘We pick up survivors from shipwrecks who would otherwise be corpses and convert them into Fish People, or set them to work in the mines. We save their lives, Doctor.’
    ‘Yes, yes, I’m sure,’ said the Doctor. ‘But what about the people who work in the mines – slave labour to power Zaroff’s experiments.’
    ‘The Professor is a scientific genius, Doctor. In the past twenty years he has improved life in Atlantis beyond all imagining. Now he plans to restore our land to its former glory. We need workers and our population is very small.
    They should be grateful; without us they would be dead.’
    The Doctor regarded