Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders

‘More than that, Barnes. I just might take over the whole
stinking world.’
Looking guiltily over his shoulder, Tommy slipped into the
cupboard under the back stairs. No one ever came here – it was
his own special hideaway. He switched on the cupboard light,
blinking in the harsh glare from the naked bulb. Buried under a
pile of junk in one corner was an old cardboard shoe-box –
Tommy’s treasure chest. He took off the lid to reveal a collection
of odds and ends: pieces of glass, brightly-coloured stones, odds
and ends of broken, worthless jewellery – anything that sparkled
and shone enough to appeal to Tommy’s magpie instinct. The
brooch that Sarah had given him rested on top of the collection.
Next to it Tommy carefully laid the blue crystal from Metebelis
Three. He put the lid back on the box, returned it to its hiding
place, switched out the light and slipped back into the corridor,
an expression of innocence on his face.
Lupton was just putting his jacket back on when he saw
Barnes’s face fill with horror. Barnes pointed a shaking finger.
By the door, the Spider crouched looking at them. Lupton said,
‘You’d better go, Barnes.’ Thankfully, Barnes slipped out of the
room.
The Spider said, ‘Lupton, the one called the Doctor is here.
You will go and see him, lull his suspicions.’
Lupton said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. He knows me. He saw me.
He’s too dangerous to trifle with. I intend to keep out of his
way.’
Lupton felt a lash of cold rage from the Spider’s mind. She
was not used to disobedience. A sudden wave of psychic pain
washed through his brain. His face twisted in agony. Yet
somehow Lupton knew that he could endure the pain. He could
master it. He could even... send... it... back! Lupton’s face twisted
with effort and suddenly the Spider began to thrash convulsively
on the floor. ‘No, Lupton, no! Stop – please!’