"TerranceDicks-DrWho-DoctorWhoAndTheMonsterOfPeladon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dicks Terence)

`Oh, they'll come round in time,' said Eckersley tolerantly. `At least they agreed to try out the sonic lance.'
There were yells from down the tunnel, and the sound of rushing feet. A group of terrified miners rounded a bend in the tunnel, shot past them and ran on.
Eckersley reached out a long arm and grabbed the last of the group, forcing him to a halt. `Hey, Ettis, what's going on? What's all the panic?'
`It is Aggedor! We brought the sonic cannon as you ordered and the spirit of Aggedor appeared and slew one of us for blasphemy.' Ettis wrenched himself free. `Do you think anyone will use your alien equipment now, Earthman?'
Before Eckersley could reply, Ettis had followed the others down the tunnel.
In the throne room of the Citadel of Peladon, the great castle on the peak of the sacred mountain, a meeting was held to discuss the crisis.
The huge stone-walled chamber was richly draped with hanging tapestries. Torches flared smokily in holders formed in the shape of the snarling face of Aggedor.
At the end of the great hall on a raised dais was the great ceremonial throne, now occupied by the slender figure of Queen Thalira. A frail and beautiful girl, still very young, she seemed almost crushed by the weight of her crown and ceremonial jewels. Behind her towered the massive figure of Blor, the Queen's Champion, powerful arms folded over his mighty chest. At the Queen's right hand, a little behind the throne, stood Ortron, who was both Chancellor and High Priest. An ornately robed, impressively bearded figure, he was the Queen's chief adviser and the holder of the real power on Peladon.
A strangely assorted group was assembled before the throne. At the centre were the two engineers, Eckersley and Vega Nexos. Beside them stood Alpha Centauri, Ambassador of the Galactic Federation. To the Peladonians, unused to the infinite variety of intelligent lifeforms, his was an extraordinary figure. The body was a single column, draped in a cloak emblazoned with the insignia of a Federation Ambassador. The head was octopoid with a single enormous eye. Six rippling tentacles projected from beneath the cloak. They waved and stirred continuously, like branches in the breeze, reflecting every shade of Alpha Centauri's feelings. For all his rather intimidating appearance, Alpha Centauri was a gentle and sensitive creature. He was finding the position of Federation Ambassador on a primitive and strife-torn planet a considerable strain on his delicate sensibilities.
Chancellor Ortron surveyed the motley group with disfavour. He was no lover of aliens, however politically distinguished or technically qualified. His glare settled on Eckersley. `One of our miners has been killed; the others are terrified and refuse to work. Explain!'
Eckersley had worked on a lot of planets and it took more than an angry Chancellor to intimidate him. `Not up to me to explain, is it? The miners say it was the spirit of Aggedor, whatever that means.'
`Do not blaspheme, alien,' rumbled Ortron.
Alpha Centauri said `I am sure no disrespect was intended, Chancellor.' His voice was high-pitched and twittering, a fitting expression of his nervous temperament.
In his low grunting voice, Vega Nexos said, `I am a practical engineer. I find it difficult to accept that this incident was brought about by supernatural means.'
`Then what is your explanation?'
`Sabotage.'
`And who are these saboteurs?'
Eckersley said, `Saboteurs or spooks, the result's the same. Your miners are refusing to use the sonic gun.'
Queen Thalira spoke for the first time. `The use of this sonic cannon is essential to you?'
Eckersley shrugged. `It will increase output tenfold, Your Majesty. Save your miners a lot of hard work with pick and shovel.'
`Then arrange an immediate demonstration. If our people see that we have faith in the new technology, it may calm their fears.'
Alpha Centauri's tentacles rippled as he inclined forward in a bow. `Allow me to thank Your Majesty on behalf of the Federation.'
Thalira raised her hand. `Thank you, Ambassador. The audience is at an end.'
The aliens left in a group, and Ortron leaned closer to the throne, dominating the Queen with his bulk. `I must protest, Your Majesty. To expose yourself to danger...'
`You know as well as I, Ortron, that it was my father's dream to see Peladon a member of the Federation. He signed the treaty, and now I must honour it - even if it means my people must make sacrifices in a quarrel not their own.' Queen Thalira sighed. `We must accept the duties of Federation membership, Ortron, as well as its privileges.'
Ortron bowed, `I shall go to the temple, Your Majesty, and seek guidance from the spirit of Aggedor.'
In one of the tunnels just beneath the Citadel, a guard on routine patrol was astonished to hear a strange wheezing, groaning noise and even more astonished to see a square blue box appearing out of thin air. Strange rumours of terrifying events in the mines below had been circulating through the Citadel, and overcome with superstitious terror, he turned and fled.
Since he was a brave and conscientious man despite his fear, he stopped at a bend in the tunnel keeping the box under observation from a safe distance.
He was amazed to see its door open and a tall white-haired man in strange clothes step out, followed by a female alien, equally strangely dressed.
The Doctor looked around him and rubbed his chin.
`Well, according to my calculations, Sarah, we should be in the Citadel of Peladon, one of the most impressive sights-'
`Well, we're not, are we?' interrupted the girl. Her name was Sarah Jane Smith. She was an independently minded freelance journalist from the planet Earth in the twentieth century, and she had been the Doctor's more or less unwilling companion on a number of adventures.
She was already regretting that she had let the Doctor talk her into this trip. He had persuaded her with the promise of a fascinating visit to a picturesque and primitive planet, just making the transition from feudal savagery to technological civilisation.
Sarah looked round disgustedly. `We're not in your precious Citadel of Peladon at all, we're in another rotten gloomy old tunnel!' For some reason tunnels seemed to feature largely in their adventures-and there was usually something nasty at the other end.
`I'm afraid the scanner must still be on the blink.'
`There's more than the scanner on the blink,' muttered Sarah darkly.
`I'm afraid the spatial co-ordinates must have slipped a bit,' said the Doctor apologetically. `We may not actually be in the Citadel, but we're not far away. It's built on the peak of a mountain, you see, and the mountain is honeycombed with mining tunnels.'
`I don't suppose we could just get back in the TARDIS and go home?'
`Have a heart, Sarah, I've been looking forward to a return visit to Peladon for ages.'
The Doctor set off, and Sarah sighed and followed him.
Silently the watching guard slipped away.
In the main cavern a party of miners was setting up the sonic cannon, supervised by Eckersley and Vega Nexos.
Ettis looked on gloomily. Beside him was an, older man, a burly, thick-set miner, with an air of natural authority. This was Gebek, leader of the Miners' Guild. Fiercely loyal both to his Queen and to the miners he led, he was having a difficult time reconciling the conflicting claims.
They looked up as Queen Thalira swept in, attended by Blor, her Champion, Chancellor Ortron and a squad of guards.
Gebek fell to one knee. `We are honoured by your presence, Your Majesty.'
`And we are grateful for yours,' said Thalira regally. `Can your miners be persuaded to overcome their fears?'
`The demonstration may help, Your Majesty. But as Ettis will tell you . . . '
Ettis threw himself on his knees before the Queen. `I beg you not to permit this blasphemy, Your Majesty. I have seen the wrath of Aggedor . . . '
`You have seen the work of alien spies and saboteurs, agents of Galaxy Five,' interrupted Vega Nexos peevishly.
A guard ran in and threw himself down before Ortron. `Aliens, my lord. They appeared in the tunnel as if by magic.'