6

The Cave of Skulls

There was a moment of tense silence.

Za saw the leadership slipping from his grasp. He could not use words cunningly as Kal did, clouding the minds of the Tribe. But he could kill...

Grasping his axe Za poised himself to spring. Suddenly Hur shouted, 'The creature has opened its eyes!'

The Doctor sat up, groaning, his hand to his head. 'Susan!' he shouted. 'Susan!'

Susan, Barbara and Ian were hurrying down the forest path, when Susan suddenly stopped. 'Listen!'

'What is it?' asked Barbara.

'I heard grandfather's voice. It was very faint, but I heard it!

You heard it, didn't you, Mr Chesterton?'

'I heard something... it might have been a bird or a wild animal.'

'It was grandfather,' said Sudan positively. 'Come on, we've got to find him!' She ran off down the path.

'Susan, wait for us,' shouted Ian. 'Come on, Barbara.'

By now Susan was almost out of sight. They hurried after her.

As the Doctor came to his senses, his panic died down. He studied the savage skin-clad creatures crowding around him, saw the heavy, brutal features, the skin garments, the stone-headed axes and spears. He saw Kal and rubbed his head gingerly, remembering how his attacker had sprung out at him. 'Must have wanted to take me alive,' thought the Doctor. 'He could have shattered my skull like an egg-shell.'

The Doctor looked at the burly figure nearest him. He was the biggest and strongest, so presumably he was the Ieader. 'Where's Susan - ' he began, and then broke off. There was no point in making these savages aware of the existence of his companions. The Doctor fell silent, glancing shrewdly around him, trying to work out what was going on.

The bearded savage who had captured him seemed to be making some kind of speech. Even in the stone age, there were still politicians to deal with, thought the Doctor. He watched and waited.

'Do you want fire?' Kal shouted. 'Or do you want to die in the cold?'

'Fire!' shouted the men of the Tribe. 'Give us fire, Kal!'

Kal raised his hand for silence. 'Soon the cold comes again, and now you have lost the secret of fire, the tiger will come again to the caves at night. Za will give you to the tiger, and to the cold, while he rubs his hands and waits for Orb to remember him!' He pointed to the Doctor. 'This creature can make fire come out of his fingers. Kal brought him here. He is Kal's creature!'

Za shouldered his way forward. 'He is only an old man in strange skins. There is no fire in his body. The thing is not possible.'

He brandished his axe. 'I say that Kal has been with us too long. It is time he died!'

As Za advanced on Kal, Horg stepped between them. 'I say there is truth in both of you. Za speaks truth that fire cannot live in men... and Kal speaks truth that we will all die without fire. If this creature can make fire, we must have it for the Tribe.'

Daringly, Hur thrust herself forward. 'Will my father listen to the words of a woman? It is easy to see where truth lies. If this old man can make fire come from his fingers, let him do it now, before all the Tribe!'

There was a shout of approval from the crowd.

Za glared angrily at Hur. He knew that she was trying to help him, that she believed Kal's claim was impossible. But Za knew, too, that Kal was cunning. Impossible as it seemed, he would not have risked making such a claim before all the Tribe unless he was confident that he could back it up. And if Kal's creature succeeded in making fire, Za's own claim to the leadership would be gone forever.

'I am the one who decides what is done here,' said Za. 'Not old men and women - or strangers.'

Kal was quick to seize his advantage. 'Perhaps Za does not wish to see fire made. Perhaps he is frightened. I, Kal, am not afraid to make fire. I will make my creature create fire for the Tribe. I will take this creature to the cave of skulls, and he will die unless he tells me the secret!'

Hurriedly, the Doctor jumped up. 'I can make fire for you,' he shouted. 'Let me go, and I'll make all the fire you want.'

Impressed the crowd drew back. 'You don't have to be afraid of me,' said the Doctor. 'See for yourselves. I'm an old man. How could I possibly harm you?'

'What does he say?' growled Za.

'Fire!' said Horg in awe-stricken tones. 'He says he can make fire for us!'

Suddenly, Kal saw his new advantage slipping away. 'For me!'

he shouted. 'He will make fire for me, and I will give it to you. I will be firemaker!'

Just as suddenly, Za saw how he could turn Kal's discovery to his own advantage. 'If the creature makes fire, he will make it for me, and for all the Tribe.'

The Doctor meanwhile was searching frantically through his pockets. 'Where are my matches? I must find my matches!' He knew that he'd had them earlier, because he could remember lighting his pipe with them. He realised his pipe was gone as well. Had he left them both behind when he was attacked? Or had the matches dropped from his pocket when he'd been unceremoniously carted here over that savage's shoulder. Whichever was the case, the matches were gone.

Za watched bemused, as the Doctor patted his pockets. What does he do now?'

'See, he is Kal's creature,' said Kal. 'He will make fire only for Kal.'

The Doctor abandoned his search in despair. 'Take me back to my ship, and I'll make you all the fire you want,' he said hopefully.

Za swung round on Kal. 'This is more of your lies, Kal. The old man cannot make fire.'

'There was a tree,' said Kal desperately. 'It came from nowhere.

The old man came out of it, and there was fire in his fingers. Smoke came out of his mouth.'

The men of the Tribe were muttering discontentedly. With the Doctor's failure to perform the promised miracle, opinion was beginning to swing against Kal.

Za seized his moment. Pushing Kal aside, he sprang onto the rock himself. 'Kal wants to be as strong as Za, son of the great firemaker. Yet all he can do is lie. You heard him say we would have fire - and still we have no fire. Za does not tell you lies. He does not say, "Tonight you will be warm," and then leave you to the cold. He does not say, "I will frighten the tiger away with fire," and then let the tiger come to you in the dark. Do you want a liar for your chief?'

There were shouts of 'No!' Men began to glare threateningly at Kal.

Kal brandished his axe above the Doctor's head. 'Make fire!'

The Doctor looked up helplessly. 'I cannot.'

'You are trapped in your own lies, Kal,' said Hur mockingly.

She moved closer to Za.

Za gave a great roar of laughter. 'Look at the great chief Kal who is afraid of nothing! Oh great Kal, save us from the cold! Save us from the tiger!'

Kal saw his hopes of leadership dissolving in the laughter of the Tribe. He grabbed the Doctor by his shoulder, lifting him almost off his feet. 'Make fire, old man! Make fire come from your fingers, as I saw today!'

'I can't,' shouted the Doctor. 'I tell you I've lost my matches. I can't make fire - I can't!'

Za was almost helpless with laughter. 'Let the old man die. Let us all watch the great Kal as he fights this mighty enemy!'

Kal drew a stone knife from beneath his skins and held it to the Doctor's throat. 'Make fire! Make fire, or I will kill you now!'

'We will keep the great Kal to hunt for us,' bellowed Za. 'It is good to have someone to laugh at!'

Kal raised his knife.

'No!' screamed a voice. Susan ran into the centre of the circle of astonished Tribesmen. She stumbled and fell at Kal's feet.