The Ice Warriors by Brian Hayles

of sight, Penley dashed into the medicare room, to find Clent sprawled and bleeding from a head wound. Crouching by him, Penley felt expertly for a pulse. He nodded with satisfaction and then, moving casually across to a compact automat machine that dispensed pharmaceutical components, dialled the correct formula. Almost immediately, several phials and syringes appeared in the tray beneath. Taking them up, Penley now dialled a fresh formula, a light smile playing on his lips. The mixture duly arrived, and he turned to deal with Clent – only to find the Doctor kneeling by the unconscious body, head to its chest, listening for the tell-tale heartbeat. The Doctor straightened up, but stayed kneeling; Penley moved to his side. For a brief moment, the two bizarrely dressed men solemnly looked at each other without fear or anger. Penley smiled faintly, and handed the phial to the Doctor for his approval.
    ‘He isn’t dead,’ he remarked casually. ‘I was going to give him a whiff of this.’
    The Doctor sniffed at the open phial warily – then pulled a sickened face. ‘Revolting!’ Almost gleefully, he thrust it beneath Clent’s unresisting nose. ‘This should do the trick very nicely,’ he chuckled, then looked from the cut on Clent’s forehead to Penley. ‘Did you do this?’
    Penley shook his head. ‘I’ve come close to it at times. In fact, I’ve never seen him looking so peaceful.’
    ‘He’ll be all right. Did you see anything of what happened?’
    ‘A great monstrous-looking creature – reptilian biped. But not prehistoric – possibly a robot.’
    The Doctor studied Penley keenly; his summary displayed scientific deduction of the highest quality. But there was a more urgent question in the Doctor’s mind. ‘Was there a girl with this creature – captive, or under duress?’
    Penley nodded. ‘Yes,’ he frowned. ‘She was unconscious.’ He saw the glare of accusation in the Doctor’s eyes, and hurriedly explained. ‘I couldn’t have stopped that giant. No one man could.’ He glanced down at Clent. ‘Anyway, I came here to get drugs – to save a man’s life. I don’t intend getting caught.’
    His eyes held the Doctor’s gaze challengingly. Mild though the ragged intruder appeared, the Doctor knew that he would let little stand in the way of his original purpose. It explained something of Clent’s bitter attitude, too.
    ‘Look, Penley,’ the Doctor said hesitatingly.
    Penley looked suddenly wary. ‘You know about me, do you? My dreadful escapades in computer-land…’
    ‘Whatever happened in the past,’ declared the Doctor earnestly, ‘they need you here now. They’re in desperate trouble!’
    ‘Needing isn’t getting. I’m free of their problems for good. And I’ve a friend who’ll die unless I get back quickly.’
    ‘The problems here are yours as well! It’s your world that’s threatened, isn’t it?’
    Penley smiled gently, and tapped the side of his head with one finger. ‘My world’s up here, my friend – strictly private and no admittance. Clent can keep all this!’ He looked keenly at the Doctor, almost daring him to interfere, then spoke quietly. ‘I’m leaving. All right?’
    ‘I’m sure you’ve got good reasons, old chap,’ the Doctor replied soberly. ‘Good luck.’
    Penley reached the door, then turned and smiled. ‘Nice to meet someone who hasn’t been got at,’ he said cheerfully, and was gone.
    A quiet groan came from the floor by the Doctor’s feet. He looked down at Clent’s body with an air of pained surprise. ‘Good heavens, Clent, I’d forgotten all about you!’ He crouched, and thrust the evil-smelling phial under the Leader’s nose once more. Coughing and spluttering, Clent struggled to sit upright, and avoid the pungent fumes. The movement brought an awareness of throbbing pain in his head. He looked at the Doctor with a dazed expression, before the full memory of what had happened flooded back.
    ‘The Ice Warrior!’ he