Free Doctor Who: The Zarbi by Bill Strutton

held an odd implement in its foreclaw. It glittered. It was shaped rather like a large wishbone, and it shone like gold. The Zarbi reached forward to her and she screamed again, shrinking back until she felt her arms seized in a vice-like hold from behind.
    Now she was frozen with horror. The Zarbi facing her reached down with the wishbone-shaped implement towards her face, and though she wrenched her head desperately this way and that, it snapped the open end of the wishbone around her throat, like a necklet.
    With that, Vicki’s struggling, her screaming, the agonizing fear she felt, all faded.
    Her eyes took on a glazed expression and her face relaxed into a dullness as though she were hypnotized. Her arms dropped and she stood motionless.
    Now the leading Zarbi held up its claw, pointing at her, then moved its foreleg till it pointed to the inner wall.
    Slowly in exact obedience to its gesture, Vicki turned and walked dazedly to the wall. She halted and stood there, blank faced, apparently unseeing.
     
    Now the Zarbi gave their attention to Tardis as their leader turned its great luminous eyes on the ship. It scuttled forward. The other Zarbi moved back to make way. At the door of the ship the Zarbi halted, and another Zarbi detached itself from the swarm in the control room to join it.
    Together they peered inside. A chirrup of surprise escaped the leader. It moved forward for a closer inspection, ready to climb inside, and rested its foreclaw against the ship’s hull.
    As it did so, a spark crackled and flashed between the hull and its claw. With a loud, high-pitched shriek, the Zarbi leader pitched backward, hurled from the ship’s door, and collapsed sprawling on the floor, its legs waving feebly, the luminous glare in its eyes blinking and fading.
    Slowly, dazed, it scrambled to its feet, and pulling at its companion, it scuttled in retreat from the ship’s doors.
    A high-pitched whistle came from the control wall and the Zarbi turned. The cluster of lights which had been inching forward now reached the centre of the web pattern, which flashed a bright winking light signal.
    The Zarbi leader motioned and turned towards the doorway of a tunnel leading into the room.
    On the threshold stood Doctor Who and Ian. Behind them in the tunnel their Zarbi escorts swarmed. Prodded forward by their captors, Ian and the Doctor stumbled, staring about them, into the control room.
    Ian turned, saw the ship — then Vicki.
    ‘Vicki!’
    Vicki remained impassive, blank, unseeing. Ian strode across, ignoring the Zarbi now, and grabbed Vicki by the shoulders, staring at her.
    ‘What’s the matter? Vicki — what have they done?’
    She gave no answer, staring through and past him. He shook her, then saw the wishbone-shaped necklet around her throat. He snatched at this and dropped it on the floor.
    As he did so, Vicki blinked. Life and awareness returned,
     

    flooding her face, and she awoke to a delighted smile.
    ‘Ian! Oh — Ian...!’
    She threw her arms around Ian’s neck and buried her head on his chest. He patted her, murmuring, ‘It’s all right, Vicki — it’s all right...’
     
     
    The Zarbi had concentrated their attention on Doctor Who, propelling him against a wall. He stood there stiff and austere — and now the Zarbi leader gestured.
    From one of the hatches along the outer wall a creature emerged. It was a venom grub. It waddled forward on its countless legs with incredible swiftness, entirely under the direction of the leading Zarbi’s pointing claw. It turned until it was opposite Doctor Who, its long spear-shaped snout pointing directly at him.
    Ian let go of Vicki and started forward, glaring. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
    Two Zarbi reared and snatched at him, clamping their claws tight on him... Ian struggled and fought, raving, but was held mercilessly firm. Other Zarbi guards grabbed Vicki. She shrieked.
    Doctor Who, backed up against the wall, stared helpless and a little unnerved