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very much in evidence. He turned to look at the group he had to guide
to safety. They all appeared terrified apart from Ace, and even she
looked distinctly worried. The Doctor took a deep breath.
'Now,' he said briskly, 'three rules for keeping on the right side of a
Cheetah Person. Number one: they won't bother you unless they're
hungry. Do these Cheetahs look hungry?' He stared searchingly at each
of them in turn.
Below them, one of the Cheetahs yawned. Ace shook her head. Shreela,
Midge, Paterson and Derek glanced at each other before reluctantly
following suit.
The Doctor beamed. 'Right then.' Very slowly he got to bis feet. The
others followed.
The Cheetahs watching the fight turned their heads; the sleeping
Cheetahs opened their eyes; the fighting Cheetahs stopped clawing at
each other. All the Cheetahs looked up at the humans on the slope
above them.
'Gently now,' murmured the Doctor and he led them down the slope
into the middle of the animals.
Chapter 5
As they stood back to back in a tight group at the centre of the valley,
Ace wondered yet again why she had ever thought this lifestyle was
appealing. You could get used to Perivale, she reflected as Cheetahs
with bared teeth rapidly circled the group. What, after all, was so
alarming about the idea of trying to communicate with your own
parents, she wondered as a set of claws swiped close to her eyes.
Boredom, yes, boredom got to you, but she had never yet heard that it
was terminal.
The second thing to remember,' said the Doctor conversationally, 'is
that they are essentially a fun-loving species.'
The tatters of Shreela's clothes fluttered in the wind. A Cheetah swiped
at the streamers of cloth. Shreela sucked in her breath.
Another Cheetah made a dive on to a trailing shoelace from Derek's
shoe. He yelped, jumping back.
'No!' The Doctor gripped his shoulder. 'Don't move!' Pinning Derek with
a glare he continued quietly. 'You weren't using that shoe were you?'
Derek looked at the Cheetah staring up at him. He was shaking.
'Take off your shoe, dough brain!' hissed Ace.
Midge bent down, wrenched the trainer from Derek's foot and hurled
the shoe away from them. Two Cheetahs fell on it, snarling and clawing.
'You see?' beamed the Doctor. 'Playful.' He led them forward again.
Apart from the Cheetahs that were shredding Derek's trainer, most of
the animals had slumped back on the grass, bored with the humans. As
they passed the flattened circle of earth the two battling Cheetahs
leapt at each other again, claws rending fur.
The group edged nervously past the Cheetahs. Only the Doctor
maintained a casual stroll.
The Cheetahs snarled and howled. There was a renewed flash of
eruptions on the skyline.
The Doctor paused. 'Is it my imagination,' he murmured, 'or is it
growing rather hot?'
Ace glanced anxiously at the lethal struggle that still continued only feet
from where they stood. 'Doctor, I think we better keep moving.'
They walked on. Most of the Cheetahs were now behind them. Midge
relaxed slightly and quickened his pace. The Doctor held up a warning
hand.
'Gently. Keep it casual. We're just taking a little stroll.' He smiled
benignly at two recumbent Cheetahs as they circled them. The path
ahead was clear. 'You see?' he said jubilantly. 'It's perfectly simple.'
Ace looked back. It seemed to her that a significant number of yellow
eyes were still watching them, that pink tongues were running
reflectively over teeth.
'The third rule, of course,' continued the Doctor, 'is that once you have
passed a Cheetah Person, never, ever, look back.'
Ace snapped her head round. They were approaching the end of the
valley. Gradually the Doctor was picking up speed. 'It's really just a
matter of keeping your head and allowing for the unexpected,' he
tossed over his shoulder.
It was at that moment that the milkman appeared out of the air on the
slope above them.
The kitling moved over a landscape of black rocks, leaping agilely from
one to the other. Following it, the Master had to pick his way through
the boulders. They were making their way down a steep slope. The
Master's eyes were on his feet; his thoughts were turned to the quarry
he sought - the Doctor. The kitling had picked up a fresh trail and was
moving faster. Soon the Master would have his old enemy within his
grasp once more.
A low growl jerked the Master from his thoughts. At the foot of the
slope, a mounted Cheetah stared up at him. It tore at a piece of flesh it
held in one paw. The Creature's eyes fixed on the Master, it paused in
mid bite and bared its teeth.
The Master froze. He stared back at the animal; his face was
expressionless. He breathed out slowly.
'Get out of my way.' His voice was low and controlled.
The Cheetah tore off another mouthful of flesh and bared its teeth
again. It made no other movement.
The Master drew himself up. 'You will get out of my way!' He glared
with the full force of his will at the Cheetah.
For a moment the animal stared back at him. Abruptly it spurred its
horse forward and clattered away along the gully.
The Master briefly closed his eyes before he began to follow the killing
again. To anyone watching, he might have appeared to be tired.
The whole scene in the valley full of Cheetahs had remained frozen for
a second. The milkman stood where he had staggered out of the air and
gazed in amazement at the Doctor, his companions and the animals
beyond. They in turn had simply gaped back. The Cheetahs still lay on
the grass; the Doctor and the others were checked in their escape up
the slope.
A Cheetah on a horse appeared out of the air behind the milkman. It
did not pause to study the scene: it saw its prey and charged straight
down the hill at him.
The milkman screamed and ran as six mounted Cheetahs appeared
behind the first.
'Oh dear,' murmured the Doctor.
'Help me!' screamed the milkman as he fled past them, straight into the
waiting claws of the Cheetahs below. They were roused and hungry
now.
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