Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders

find. Let the fellow reach any sort of town and he’ll disappear
like a piece of straw in a haystack.’
There came a roar from overhead, and a sudden fierce
wind, as the Doctor touched down in his little helicopter. He
leaped out of the cockpit and raced across to them. ‘Gone!’ said
the Brigadier with a sweeping gesture at the rough country that
surrounded them.
‘So he has,’ said the Doctor. ‘We’ll just have to look for him!’
‘I’ll rustle up a patrol,’ said the Brigadier. ‘He won’t have
got far.’
(The Brigadier’s words were truer than he realised. Lupton
was crouched, still as a rabbit, in a fold of ground not very far
away. His old brown sports jacket blended almost perfectly with
his surroundings.)
They heard the sound of another car engine, and a police
car jolted across the heath towards them. The policeman got out,
and produced his notebook. The people were as peculiar as the
vehicles, he thought. A full-blown general (or something), a
bloke in fancy dress, with a trendy-looking bird. In a voice of
official severity the policeman said, ‘I’ll thank you all for a few
particulars. You were touching ninety back there... ‘
From his hiding place, Lupton peered out at the little
group. They were arguing with the policeman, everyone
apparently talking at once. ‘This is the diversion we need,’ said
the icy voice inside Lupton’s head. ‘We can escape in the flying
vehicle.’
‘But I don’t know how to fly it.’
‘I will guide your hands,’ said the Spider. ‘Come!’
The Brigadier had placated angry Prime Ministers in his
time, but an English policeman in hot pursuit of a motoring
offence was beyond his powers. ‘Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart,
eh?’ said the policeman in tones that indicated he suspected it of
being an alias. ‘Would you mind spelling that, sir?’