Doctor Who: The Sea-Devils Read Online Free PDF

handing the stamped passes back to Jo, and avoided the Doctor’s eyes as he spoke. ‘Oh? What’s that?’
    ‘The prison officer whom we saw on the monitor screen,’ said the Doctor, ‘he asked if the Master was ready to change his book yet.’
    For the first time Trenchard did not seem completely at ease. ‘Well, a prisoner has a right to have something to read, you know.’ He seemed to have a sudden idea, one that might take them off the subject of the Master. ‘They deprived Sir Thomas More of his books when he was a prisoner of King Henry in the Tower, you know! That was jolly cruel of them. They were a lot of savages in those days.’
    But the Doctor was not to be deflected on to a general conversation about the treatment of prisoners. ‘Since he has wall-to-wall carpeting and coloured television, why doesn’t he have a library of books down there in his room?’
    Trenchard was momentarily thrown by this question. Then he rallied. ‘Prison regulations, old chap! Got to keep to the rules, you know.’
    ‘I agree,’ said the Doctor. ‘It’s just that the two things don’t seem to fit.’
    ‘If you really want to know,’ said Trenchard, as though taking both the Doctor and Jo into a great confidence, ‘when they gave me this job I read the rule book from cover to cover. You see, there’s nothing to say that a prisoner mustn’t have the little comforts that we’ve provided. Therefore I used my own discretion. But there is a rule laid down by the Prison Department about the issue of books to prisoners, so I had to keep to it.’
    ‘Very crafty of you,’ said the Doctor with a smile. ‘Well, we shall be on our way. It’s been most pleasant to meet you, Mr. Trenchard.’
    Trenchard summoned the Minimoke to the front door of the chateau, and within a few minutes the Doctor and Jo were being slowly driven back to the main gates by Prison Officer Snellgrove.
    Jo asked, ‘What was all that about books?’
    Out of Snellgrove’s vision, the Doctor put his fingers to his lips to keep Jo quiet. He said, loud enough for Snellgrove to hear: ‘I was just glad that they gave him plenty to read, to keep his mind occupied.’
    Once outside the big gates, and back on the road leading to the quayside, Jo tried again. ‘I still didn’t understand your interest in the Master getting books to read.’
    ‘I think Mr. Trenchard may have misread the prison rules,’ explained the Doctor. ‘A prisoner is allowed three books per fortnight, not one at a time.’
    ‘Does it matter?’ asked Jo, hurrying to keep up with the Doctor’s long strides.
    ‘I’ve no idea,’ said the Doctor. ‘It just struck me as being strange.’
    Meanwhile Trenchard was talking to the Master about the incident of Prison Officer Wilson and the book.
    ‘I think we fooled them nicely,’ said Trenchard. ‘Wouldn’t you agree?’
    ‘I hope so,’ said the Master, pouring himself a small whisky from the concealed drinks cabinet in his room, and not offering any to Trenchard.
    ‘That hypnotism wheeze really took them in,’ Trenchard went on. ‘Remember, I was watching them while they were watching you.’
    ‘Let’s hope you’re right.’ The Master raised his glass to Trenchard. ‘Cheers. Now, do you really think he came here to see me?’
    Trenchard was puzzled. ‘Why else would he come?’
    The Master tried to restrain his impatience with Trenchard. He regarded the prison governor as a fool, but had to be careful not to show it. ‘The sinking ships, of course.’
    ‘Oh, that ,’ said Trenchard, as though the recent deaths of a great many mariners was of no importance. ‘He didn’t seem particularly interested.’
    The Master studied Trenchard, forcing himself to hide his low regard for the man’s intelligence. ‘What do you mean, “he didn’t seem particularly interested”? Did he talk about it?’
    ‘He didn’t,’ said Trenchard. ‘But I did just mention it.’
    ‘You did what ?’
    Trenchard laughed foolishly.