Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child

Za looked down at Ian. 'Friend?'

Ian looked up, stopping his work in surprise. 'What?'

'Don't stop,' said the Doctor quickly. Hurriedly, Ian went on with his unending twirling of the stick.

'Hur said you called yourself Friend,' said Za. 'I am Za. I am leader. Are you the leader of this tribe?'

Still working, Ian glanced up at the Doctor, who was staring loftily into space.

Ian nodded towards the Doctor. 'No. He is our leader.'

'What are you going to do with us?' asked Susan anxiously.

'Are you going to set us free?'

Za looked thoughtfully at them. 'The old men of the Tribe have been talking. They say you are from Orb, the sun. They say that when you are returned to him we shall have fire again.'

'Returned? How?' asked the Doctor sharply.

'Sacrificed - on the stone of death, outside the great cave. The old men say your deaths will bring back fire.'

'But that's not true,' said Barbara horrified. 'If you kill us, you'll never have fire.'

'That is what I think,' said Za. 'I think you are a new tribe from the other side of the mountain. Show me how to make fire and I will take you back.' Za paused. 'If you do not show me how to make fire soon, I do not think I will be able to stop your dying on the stone of death.'

Ian had been toiling away all this time. Suddenly, he shouted,

'It's working. I really think it's beginning to work!'

Everyone crowded round. A tiny wisp of smoke was rising from the dried grass around the flat piece of wood. 'Put some more dry grass and leaves there, Barbara. Gently though, don't smother it.'

Susan and Barbara crouched beside him, watching eagerly.

The Doctor stared imperiously at Za. 'Do you understand what we are doing? We are making fire for you.'

'I am watching.'

'The whole Tribe should be watching,' said Ian. 'Then everybody would know how to make fire.'

'Only the leader makes fire,' growled Za. 'Everybody cannot be the leader.'

'True enough - but in our tribe the firemaker is the least important man.'

'I do not believe this.'

'Oh yes,' said the Doctor loftily. 'He is the least important because in our tribe we can all make fire.'

Susan put her lips to Barbara's ear. 'I hope he doesn't make grandfather prove that!'

There was a sudden shout from Ian. 'Susan, Barbara! Blow gently just here!'

They knelt beside him and began blowing on the smouldering grass. 'Not too much,' warned Ian. 'That's right. It's glowing. There are embers there. Give me some more grass, Susan.'

By now a thin column of smoke was rising from the grass.

Suddenly there was a crackling. A flame leaped up, and then another...

Ian threw aside the bow and began feeding the tiny blaze with grass and twigs. The flames grew higher, higher, until a little fire was burning on the stone.

'You've done it,' shouted Susan excitedly. 'Ian, you've done it!'

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

Barbara patted him on the back. 'Congratulations, Ian. Well done!'

Only the Doctor did not speak. He was watching Za.

Za was gazing into the flames in utter fascination.

'Fire!' he murmured. 'Fire is back!'

Horg and the elders and the rest of the warriors were gathered around the flat-topped stone of sacrifice, talking in low voices. 'Za has been long in the cave of skulls,' said one of the warriors. 'Soon Orb will rise in the sky.'

'Za talks to the strangers,' said Hur. 'He is learning their secrets.'

'When Orb touches the stone he must bring them out,' said another. 'We shall spill their blood on the stone of sacrifice.'

'And so we wait,' grumbled Horg. 'Za talks - and we have no meat, no fruits from the trees, no roots. Za is no leader.'

'If Za could hear you speak, he would kill you,' said Hur angrily.' You would lie on the old stone till your blood runs out.'

'Perhaps Za is letting the strangers go,' said Horg suspiciously.

'Perhaps he is setting them free, as Old Mother did.'

'It is a lie,' shouted Hur. 'Za sent a warrior to watch over the cave. He told him to kill the strangers if they came out.'

But the muttering went on. Hur, listened, worried. Unless Za acted soon, the Tribe would turn on him and destroy him.

The sentry outside the cave was not a very alert guard. Like all Za's people, he lacked the discipline for any prolonged task. Besides, what was the point of guarding the strangers when Za was with them?

Kal dropped from the rock above, soft-footed like a great cat, and took the guard around the throat from behind.

For a moment they stood locked in silent struggle, Kal's muscles swelling with the effort. Then the guard fell dead to the ground.

Kal drew his knife, and slipped into the tunnel that led to the cave of skulls.

The little blaze had been built up into a proper fire, blazing merrily in the centre of the cave. His brow furrowed, Za listened as Ian explained the working of the fire-bow.

The leaping flames cast giant shadows on the wall - and suddenly Susan realised that one of the shadows was not their own.

A sixth shadow, huge and menacing, loomed high on the cave wall.

'Look!' screamed Susan.

They turned and saw Kal, knife in hand, advancing from the back of the cave.

Za snatched up his axe, and went to meet him.

For a moment they circled around the fire, eyeing each other, and then simultaneously, both sprang to the attack. It was a savage, brutal fight - all the more savage because soon both men lost their weapons. A lucky blow from Za's axe shattered Kal's knife to fragments. As Za raised the axe to strike, Kal sprang in beneath it, grappling with him. For a moment they struggled for possession of the axe. Suddenly Kal twisted it from Za's grasp, losing hold of it himself in the process. The axe clattered to the floor, and from then on the two men fought like wild animals with teeth and claws.

Susan buried her head on Barbara's shoulder and both looked away. Ian watched the fight with horrified fascination. The Doctor looked on dispassionately, following the progress of the battle like some Roman emperor watching two gladiators in the arena.

For some time it was hard to tell who was gaining the upper hand. Za was bulkier and stronger, but Kal was quicker and lithe as a cat. Time and time again, he twisted free from Za's hold. But Za's greater strength gave him victory in the end. Catching Kal in a terrible grip, he hurled him bodily to the ground. As Kal lay there half-stunned, Za snatched up a great rock and brought it smashing down...

Now there was one more shattered skull in the cave of skulls.

Outside the cave, the Tribe was growing impatient. As the first rays of the sun struck the stone of sacrifice, Horg gave an angry roar.

'Orb is above us, and still there is no fire. Orb waits for his sacrifice!

Call Za! Tell him to bring the strangers from out of the cave of skulls! If he does not we will sacrifice him with them!'

Za dragged Kal's body to the back of the cave, picked up his axe, and came slowly back to the fire. There was blood on his hands.

'Kal is dead now. I am leader - and we have fire!'

Suddenly there came the sound of angry shouts from outside the cave.

'Za! Za! Bring out the strangers! The strangers must be sacrificed to Orb!'

'Za! Za! Za!'

The chanting grew louder, angrier.

Ian took a long stick and lit the end in the fire. He handed it to Za. 'Here! Show this to your tribe!'