Subject: Summary: The Abominable Snowmen
Date: 8 Jan 93 12:18:28 GMT

Introduction
------------
Patrick Troughton's first two seasons, from Power of the Daleks to 
Wheel in Space, are widely regarded as forming one of the Golden Eras 
of Dr Who. This was an era which produced a number of highly acclaimed 
classics: "Evil", "Tomb", "Web", maybe even "Power" and "Fury" too. 
"Snowmen", which was never given the accolade of "classic", remains 
one of the lesser known stories of season 5, yet it has all the 
hallmarks of its brothers. It is, in my opinion, an undiscovered gem.
 
It was shown only once in this country in its entirety, from 30/9/67 
to 4/11/67, just over 25 years ago. By 1977 all 6 episodes had been 
wiped / lost from the BBC archives. A few years later episode 2 was 
bought from a collector and returned to the BBC. Since then there has 
been only one rumoured sighting (episode 4 in a London night-club !) 
but no more recoveries. The one surviving episode was shown on BSB 2 
years ago and has been released by the BBC in the Troughton Years 
compilation. To my knowledge the only additional material to exist is 
the soundtrack for all 6 episodes, one still from episode 4 showing a 
Yeti outside the TARDIS with the Dr and Jamie walking away from it 
down the mountain, numerous off screen stills plus a rather charming 5 
min sequence shot on 8mm film of the cast and crew at work.
 
The summaries for this lost story are not scene by scene descriptions. 
Rather I tell the events of each episode in my own words with numerous 
quotations in order, I hope, to get across not just the run of events 
but also something of the atmosphere which was created. My 
descriptions on all but episode 2 are based on the soundtrack plus the 
excellent novelisation by Terrance Dicks. I have tried my best to 
figure out the events I describe but I can only guarantee accuracy 
with the quotations. I hope that by the time you've finished these 
summaries you will be infected with a little of my enthusiasm for this 
story. Now sit back, read and enjoy: "The Abominable Snowmen".
 
Richard Develyn (1/93) (rad@cix.compulink.co.uk)
 
The Abominable Snowmen was written by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln 
and directed by Gerald Blake.
 
Episode 1
---------
 
Camped out on a snowy windy mountainside, Edward Travers is woken by 
the sound of his colleague being attacked by a ferocious animal. 
Taking his rifle he rushes off to help, but what he confronts is a 
large hairy beast which snaps his rifle in two and knocks him to the 
ground ...
 
Higher up the same mountain the TARDIS arrives. The Dr is delighted 
that they have landed in Tibet at the Himalayas (Jamie: "the Hima-what 
? ... I don't fancy another tangle down the Cybermen's tomb !"). The 
Dr pulls out an old trunk and starts hunting for the Ghanta, a Tibetan 
holy bell, and urges Jamie and Victoria to help. Referring to Detsen 
monastery he says the bell will "guarantee us the welcome of a 
lifetime", but first the Dr finds a big furry coat which he dons and 
sets out to explore. Jamie and Victoria are left to do the searching - 
Victoria urges Jamie to find himself something warm but Jamie reckons 
he doesn't feel the cold and instead fishes out a sword. They are 
temporarily startled by a hairy beasty on the scanner which turns 
out to be the Dr in his new coat.
 
Wandering up the mountain the Dr comes across an enormous footprint, 
then out of the corner of his eye something moves. Troubled, he 
returns to the TARDIS, while from behind a boulder further up a large 
hand and shaggy form emerge. He arrives back at the TARDIS where 
Victoria has at last found the bell. Taking it, the Dr decides he is 
to visit Detsen alone, assuring his companions that there is nothing 
wrong though they clearly perceive otherwise (he's so thoughtful he 
nearly goes off without the bell).
 
Picking his way down the mountain the Dr finds Travers' campsite and 
sees a dead body with its neck broken and the broken rifle. Puzzling 
as to what creature could have such strength, the Dr picks up Travers' 
discarded rucksack and continues towards Detsen. When he arrives he 
finds, unusually, that the monastery's gates are closed. He shouts, 
knocks, but there is no answer.
 
The Dr eventually pushes the monastery gates open and enters. Inside 
is a large deserted courtyard. He calls out again, "Hello ... Where is 
everybody ?", and this time hears the gates closing behind him. "Ah, 
there you are", he begins, but then a number of monks surround him 
with their weapons raised. Travers, seeing his rucksack carried by the 
Dr, accuses him of murdering his colleague. He points out to Khrisong, 
leader of the warrior monks, that he confused the Dr for a wild animal 
because of the Dr's furry coat. Khrisong: "This man accuses you of one 
crime, but there have been many others. If you are responsible, be 
sure you will be punished". The Dr is led away despite his protests 
and locked in a cell.
 
Back in the TARDIS, Victoria is getting bored, so she persuades a 
reluctant Jamie that they should go out to explore. Outside, they see 
large footprints of a creature which apparently wandered around the 
TARDIS. Victoria persuades Jamie to follow them and they eventually 
reach a cave next to a large boulder, evidently the creature's lair. 
Jamie cautions against entering but then spots a wooden beam just 
inside: "A wild animal is one thing - I'm no afraid of a man!". With 
Victoria now protesting, they enter the cave. Behind them a large 
creature lumbers up and seals the cave by pushing the boulder back 
across its entrance.
 
The Dr in his cell reflects on "the welcome of a lifetime" that he 
ended up receiving. He moves his bed under the window to seek escape, 
but there is none. Travers' face appears at a grill on the door of the 
cell to taunt him: "Its a 100 foot drop outside that window ... 
There's no way out you know ... How did you track me down ?". Travers 
is convinced that the Dr is a member of the press come to steal his 
glory after all his years of searching for the Yeti. The Dr counters 
by saying that it was probably a Yeti that killed Travers' companion 
but Travers will hear nothing of this: "They're shy. They're afraid of 
men". Travers departs to continue his explorations leaving the Dr to 
his fate.
 
Meanwhile Khrisong, and his sub-ordinate Thomni, confront two aged 
lamas in the monastery's courtyard. These two, Sapan and Rinchen, are 
less convinced about the Dr's guilt. "Had we not agreed that the Yeti 
were responsible", says Rinchen. "True", replies Khrisong, "but had we 
not also wondered why. Those are rarely seen. Timid. Then. Suddenly. 
They become savage ... Did we not wander what or whom had brought this 
change. And now, here is this stranger and Travers accuses him. He may 
be a cause." He wishes to test the Dr in some trial of his devising 
but Sapan and Rinchen oppose this: "You are asking us to condemn a man 
to certain death". Khrisong insists that it is his duty to protect the 
monastery even if it means putting a man's life at risk but the two 
old lamas disagree and decide that the Abbot Songtsen must be 
consulted on such a decision. This they will do after prayers - the 
prayer gong having just sounded. The chief warrior monk is left angry 
and impatient: "This is foolishness. Time will be wasted. Do they wish 
more of our brothers to die before I'm allowed to take action ... Let 
them meditate. Let them consult. I, Khrisong, will act ! Bring me the 
prisoner."
 
Back in the cave, Jamie is unable to push out the boulder. He leaves 
Victoria as guard while he explores further inwards. Just as he finds 
a strange glowing pyramid of silver spheres, a Yeti re-opens the cave 
and lumbers in. Jamie faces the creature with his sword but the Yeti 
wrenches it from Jamie's grasp and snaps it in two. The Yeti then 
advances on Jamie. Victoria screams !
 
Episode 2
---------
 
Jamie runs back into the cave and knocks a tunnel prop out of place to 
bring part of the roof down on the pursuing Yeti, burying it under 
rubble. Dusting themselves off, the two decide to go to the monastery 
to inform the Dr about what they have seen; Jamie takes one of the 
glowing spheres with him. As they reach the cave entrance, the Yeti 
stirs and rises out of the rubble. Jamie and Victoria run off with the 
Yeti once again in pursuit.
 
Alone in his cell, the Dr practices "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on 
his recorder. Thomni arrives to take him to Khrisong but the Dr, to 
Thomni's amazement, first insists they have a little chat. The Dr 
learns that the monastery is besieged by the Yeti. He is about to give 
over the Ghanta to Thomni when Khrisong, impatient, arrives and takes 
him away. Calling over his shoulder the Dr tells Thomni to look in the 
mattress for something to give to the Abbot. Thomni, at first unsure, 
complies and finds, to his even greater amazement, the holy Tibetan 
bell that's been lost to Detsen since 1630 !
 
Sapan and Rinchen, now back from their prayers, intercept Khrisong 
with the Dr in the courtyard. They remind him of their earlier 
decision to first consult the Abbot but Khrisong is fed up with this 
and thinks it's time for action. As Travers passes the group on his 
way out the Dr makes a final plea to him but Travers is glad to have 
the Dr out of the way while he gets on with his hunt for the Yeti: 
"Don't worry, the monks wont harm you. They're men of peace."
 
Khrisong now puts his plan into action. The Dr is tied to the gates: 
if anyone comes to rescue him then his guilt will be proven. The Dr 
protests: "Hasn't it occurred to you that, innocent or guilty, 
whatever's been killing your monks might very well kill me."
 
Meanwhile, Thomni has taken the Ghanta to the doors of the Inner 
Sanctum: the Anteroom. When the 
Abbot Songtsen emerges Thomni, clearly very frightened, hands over the 
bell: "Is it not Ghanta that was lost ?". "IT IS, MY SON", comes the 
reply, out of nowhere, the gentle voice of the master Padmasambvha. 
But the voice turns to a sharper hiss as Thomni explains where the 
bell came from: "SO ... HE HAS RETURNED !" Then once more in calmer 
tones Padmasambvha bids Thomni and the Abbot enter the inner sanctum.
 
Jamie and Victoria, continuing down the mountain, and having shaken 
off the Yeti, now surprise Travers coming up from the monastery. 
"You're a strange pair to find roaming around these mountains." The 
two companions warn him about travelling further up the mountain: "A 
great hairy beasty ... in a cave." Travers, ecstatic, wants to be 
shown where the cave is. Jamie agrees as long as Travers first shows 
them the way down to the monastery. This co-operation forces Travers 
to realise that these two plus the Dr are not part of a rival press 
expedition so he agrees to co-operate.
 
In the Inner Sanctum, Padmasambvha questions Thomni: "THE DR IS OUR 
FRIEND. HE MUST BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND KINDNESS, THOMNI. YOU WILL 
GO TO KHRISONG. TELL HIM THAT THE ABBOT ORDERS THE RELEASE OF THE DR 
.... REMEMBER, THESE WORDS WERE SPOKEN BY THE ABBOT HERE. YOU WILL 
FORGET THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED THIS ROOM OR THAT YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO ME." 
Thomni leaves the sanctum in a hypnotic trance. Padmasambvha's voice 
now darkens to a hiss again: "THEREFORE, SONGTSEN, WE MUST MAKE 
CERTAIN THAT THE DR LEARNS NOTHING OF WHAT IS HAPPENING. HE IS A MAN 
OF GREAT KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLIGENCE. BUT HE MAY NOT SHOW SYMPATHY FOR 
THE POWERS THAT GUIDE US. HE MAY EVEN SEEK TO HINDER THE GREAT PLAN ! 
IT MIGHT BE WISE IF HE DEPARTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE"
 
Outside the monastery, Jamie, Victoria and Travers rush down to where 
the Dr is tied to the doors. The Dr believes Travers is leading his 
companions into a trap but in fact Travers wants to explain his 
mistake to the monks. Khrisong is unconvinced and holds Jamie and 
Victoria hostage as well until Thomni arrives from the inner sanctum 
carrying the message from, supposedly, the Abbot. This forces Khrisong 
to release the Dr and his companions.
 
Back in the courtyard the Dr examines the sphere which Jamie retrieved 
from the cave: "I wonder what made this ... what's it for." Puzzled, 
he puts it down on the ground in front of a large statue of a Buddha. 
Jamie now describes the Yeti and its attack, which Travers can't 
believe, and the Dr starts thinking that it may not be a creature of 
flesh and blood.
 
Outside, some distance from the monastery, three Yeti congregate. 
Khrisong rapidly sets guards in case they attack. The Dr, however, 
wants one to be captured so that he can examine it. Jamie's reply is 
"Aye, we'll wrap it up for you", but then he has an idea. The Dr ("I 
think this is one of those instances where discretion is the better 
part of valour - Jamie has an idea !") quickly whisks Victoria off to 
meet the other lamas.
 
Jamie and the monks set up a large net outside the monastery gates 
with ropes attached to it thrown over the front wall. When one of the 
Yetis obligingly wanders up the ropes are pulled and the creature is 
bundled into the net. The monks also pummel the Yeti with their 
staves. The Yeti at first fights back ferociously but is then, 
suddenly, strangely, quite still. Jamie and the monks assume it's dead 
and haul it in while in the distance the other two Yeti lumber off. 
But outside, where the struggle occurred, another silver sphere can be 
seen embedded in the soft ground, making strange alien bubbling 
noises.
 
The Dr now has his Yeti to examine. He taps it: "It's metal ... more 
like a robot ... Why's it stopped ?" Pulling back a furry flap on its 
chest the Dr discovers a circular cavity which is now, but hasn't 
always been, empty.
 
Outside the gates the sphere in the ground begins to give off a 
regular high pitched beeping sound. On the other side of the gates, in 
the courtyard by the Buddha, Jamie's sphere mirrors the beeps and 
begins, purposefully, to roll off in the direction of the captured 
Yeti.
 
Episode 3
---------
 
In the courtyard by the Buddha, Jamie's sphere, left there by the Dr, 
begins to beep and roll, in the direction of the captured Yeti.
 
In the monastery's great hall, the Dr concludes that the Yeti is in 
fact a robot. Pulling back a furry flap on its chest he discovers a 
now empty circular cavity which, the Dr explains, must have held a 
control unit of some sort which was dislodged during the fight at the 
gate. This unit must still be out there ! Khrisong, however, wont 
co-operate: "Why does someone wish harm to the monks of Detsen." He 
forbids anyone leave the monastery and, despite their protests that 
they only want to help, sets Thomni to guard them.
 
Travers is the only person, suspiciously, not too bothered by this 
turn of events. He feigns tiredness and hurriedly leaves the hall. 
Following Khrisong he reaches the courtyard where a sentry receives 
instructions to allow no one to leave: "Be watchful. These Yeti are 
more dangerous than we thought." Travers asks to talk to Khrisong in 
private, out of earshot of the sentry but within his sight. Travers 
pleads that since it is now known that these Abominable Snowmen are 
mechanical things that he be allowed to go hunting for the "real" 
Yeti. Khrisong forbids it: "anyone may be controlling these monsters, 
even you." But Travers is undeterred. When Khrisong has left he goes 
up to the sentry and tells him that Khrisong has just given his 
permission to allow him out, and the gullible sentry believes him.
 
Back in the great hall, Thomni, who disagrees with Khrisong's mistrust 
of the Dr, explains that reluctantly he still has to follow his 
orders. Victoria then points out that the sphere that they took from 
the cave would probably fit into the Yeti's cavity. This fact had not 
escaped the Dr who had dismissed it because Jamie's sphere was too 
light, but now he thinks better of it so they go off to find it back 
in the courtyard. They in fact pass the sphere, rolling in the 
opposite direction, in a corridor on the way there, but the sphere 
conceals itself in a dark corner as they trundle past. When they reach 
the statue of the Buddha the sphere is, of course, gone, and 
remembering Travers' hurried departure earlier they suspect him of 
taking it. This 
suspicion is heightened when they discover Travers is not in his room 
sleeping but has in fact tricked his way out of the monastery. But the 
sentry at the gate saw no one taking a sphere in the courtyard and the 
Dr can't bring himself to believe that Travers is behind all of this.
 
Khrisong, meanwhile, leads the Abbot Songtsen to the hall where the 
Yeti has been fastened down with chains. Sapan and Rinchen have also 
been at work, constructing a strange framework of wood and coloured 
thread around it which they explain is a ghost trap. The two aged 
lamas are troubled by the beast: "The devil in his guile wears his 
armour beneath the skin to protect his evil heart ... Such a being is 
against nature, it troubles me". Rinchen reprimands Khrisong for 
allowing the Yeti to be brought into the monastery and Khrisong snaps 
back furiously. Songtsen intervenes but Khrisong's position is very 
difficult: "Rinchen finds much fault with me of late ... I willingly 
would lay down my life for you and my brothers but can I combat this 
with mildness." Songtsen explains, "ours ways are the ways of peace 
.... you must not seek to change them" but Khrisong counters "I would 
fight to preserve them." The Abbot decides to seek guidance from the 
master and, sitting down on the floor cross-legged, enters into a 
trance.
 
The Dr, Jamie, Victoria and Thomni arrive from the courtyard. They 
explain to Khrisong about Travers' trickery and about the sphere's 
disappearance. Somebody is clearly trying to prevent them learning 
what is going on and Khrisong, half convinced, decides that he himself 
will go to look for the other wretched sphere outside the gates. He 
leaves with the Dr and Jamie.
 
Thomni and Victoria are left watching the Abbot in his trance: "Yes 
master. I hear you master. I am coming." He gets up and leaves, moving 
like a sleepwalker. Victoria is puzzled: "Is he all right ? Who's he 
talking to ? Where's he going ?" Victoria starts to follow, but Thomni 
prevents her. He explains about Padmasambvha, the master of Detsen who 
is only ever seen by Songtsen, and who lives in the Inner Sanctum. 
Victoria finds all this rather quaint: "You mean to say you've lived 
here all this time and never been in there. You *are* funny. Aren't 
you the tiniest bit curious ?" Thomni is most definitely not, the 
whole idea shocks him: "It is forbidden."
 
In the Inner Sanctum next to Padmasambvha is a small table holding a 
relief map of the monastery and its surrounding area. On it are 
several small model Yeti. Padmasambvha's hand reaches out over the map 
and moves two of them closer to Detsen. Out on the mountainside, two 
Yeti come to life and begin to move along a corresponding route, 
watched by Travers hiding behind a rock. Songtsen arrives at the Inner 
Sanctum as he was bid. "FAR BETTER IF THE YETI HAD NOT BEEN BROUGHT 
INTO THE MONASTERY". The Abbot explains the Dr's involvement. "HIS 
MIND IS ON A COMPLEX PLANE. IT IS HARD TO FATHOM." But then in a 
harsher hiss, "I MUST NOW MAKE SURE OUR PLAN IS 
IMPERILED NO MORE" and the two Yeti models are moved again, this time 
bringing them right to the 
monastery gates. 
 
Khrisong, unaware that two Yeti are closing in on him, refuses to 
allow the Dr and Jamie to help him search, leaving them in the 
courtyard. Just as he finds the sphere, which begins to give out a 
loud beeping sound, the Yeti arrive. One lifts him up by the wrist and 
wrenches the sphere from his grasp. The monks emerge to fight them off 
but the Yeti ignore them, disappearing into the darkness. The Dr 
explains to Khrisong that these creatures are controlled: they were 
not programmed to fight but just "came to get their ball back."
 
"IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE YETI HAVE CAUSED SOME LITTLE UPSET AT THE 
GATES." Padmasambvha then instructs Songtsen that he must take a small 
glowing pyramid to the cave up in the mountain. Three Yeti, pointed 
out on the map, have been allocated to escort him there. When the 
pyramid 
is in place the Great Intelligence will focus its will upon this 
planet. Then, "IT WILL BEGIN TO GROW AND AT LAST TAKE ON PHYSICAL FORM 
.... MY WORK WILL THEN BE DONE."
 
Jamie mentions the strange beeping sound which emerged from the sphere 
as it was found by Khrisong. The Dr explains that this is some sort of 
signalling which, with the proper equipment, could be traced to its 
source. Khrisong, defeated, allows the Dr and Jamie to go to the 
TARDIS for whatever they need. Soon after they depart, Songtsen 
arrives at the courtyard, manned again by just the lone sentry, 
Garbachan, who he hypnotises so that he can pass by undetected.
 
Jamie and the Dr reach the three Yeti which are waiting to escort 
Songtsen. They are clearly switched off so the Dr would like to 
examine them but Jamie cautions against this and they carry on towards 
the TARDIS. Songtsen arrives with the pyramid soon after. The Yeti 
jerk into life and form a protective triangle around him. Together the 
four of them move off up the mountain.
 
Aware of Victoria's childish curiosity everyone in the monastery 
agrees that she should be kept an eye on especially as she keeps 
wandering near the sanctum. Thomni is given this task but is soon 
tricked by Victoria who runs off to do some nosing around. When she 
reaches the Anteroom she is warned off by Padmasambvha: "THE MONKS 
WOULD LOOK UPON YOUR PRESENCE HERE AS SACRILIDGE. 
GO QUICKLY !" She returns to the hall where the captured Yeti lies 
bound and finds, at her feet, Jamie's sphere, which has finally 
finished its long trek from the courtyard. Curious, she picks it up, 
but then the sphere comes to life and forces itself into the cavity at 
the Yeti's chest. The flap over the cavity snaps shut and for a moment 
nothing happens. Then the Yeti's eyes snap open and it begins to 
thrash about, breaking chains and ghost strap with equal ease.
 
Episode 4
---------
 
Thomni, searching frantically for Victoria who's given him the slip, 
suddenly hears screaming coming from the Great Hall. When he gets 
there he finds that the "dead" Yeti is now very much alive and free 
from its various chains and ghost traps. Victoria runs off to get help 
while Thomni tries to hold the creature off, but to no avail, the Yeti 
seeming hardly interested in Thomni's futile attacks. It lumbers off 
towards the courtyard where Khrisong, informed by Victoria about the 
turn of events, is waiting with a posse of monks. A fight starts. The 
monks, however, have little chance against the Yeti and seeing this 
Victoria urges Thomni to open the gates to let it out. Khrisong orders 
Thomni not to do so but Thomni disobeys and the monster is allowed to 
escape.
 
Trudging up the mountain en route to the TARDIS the Dr and Jamie stop 
for a breather. The Dr is uneasy, everything's too quiet: "There's 
something happening on this mountain. I can feel it." Further up, by 
the cave which Jamie and Victoria had visited earlier, Travers 
crouches in hiding, waiting for what he hopes will be a real Yeti 
returning to its layer. Two Yeti do arrive: the ones that attacked 
Khrisong by the gate. One of them holds the recovered sphere in its 
giant paw. They enter the cave to deposit the sphere, then stride off 
back down the mountain.
 
Back in the Inner Sanctum, Padmasambvha is in a trance: "OH GREAT 
INTELLIGENCE. HAVE I SERVED YOU WELL ? AFTER SO MANY YEARS CAN I FEEL 
THE GRIP OF YOUR POWER LOOSEN ? HOW LONG BEFORE YOUR GREAT EXPERIMENT 
BEGINS AND I CAN REST ? [pause] SO SOON. I AM NOT SORRY. WHAT OF THE 
OTHERS ? [pause] IT WILL BE DONE. SONGTSEN IS MAKING FINAL 
PREPARATIONS !"
 
The Dr and Jamie reach the TARDIS only to find that a Yeti is standing 
guard outside it. The Dr speculates that this one is also switched 
off, or not receiving, like the other three that they passed a little 
earlier. To test his theory out, the Dr bungs a rock at it, and sure 
enough the Yeti does not react. Feeling more confident now, he goes up 
to it and removes the control unit from its chest with a screwdriver. 
Passing the sphere to Jamie the Dr enters the TARDIS.
 
Songtsen, with his escort of three Yeti, reach the cave where Travers 
is still observing secretly from behind a rock. Travers is amazed to 
see the Abbot, trance like, carrying a glowing pyramid, enter the cave 
with Yeti in attendance. Soon after, they all emerge and start off 
back down the mountain towards the monastery. Plucking up courage, 
Travers also enters the cave. Inside, Songtsen has rearranged the 
spheres into an intricate pattern with the pyramid at its centre. The 
whole construction gives out a sickly glow and an eerie, alien, hum. 
As Travers watches in dreadful fascination, the pyramid cracks open 
and a viscous sludge bubbles out and starts to spread around the cave 
floor. It seethes, it oozes, it reaches out towards the 
explorer and it looks very much alive. Half crazed by fear, Travers 
screams and runs out into the wilderness.
 
Back at the TARDIS, the Dr finally emerges with a signal tracing 
device which he intends to use on the Yeti's control units. As if on 
cue, the sphere in Jamie's hand begins to give off a loud beep and, 
alarmingly, to force itself towards the Yeti it was taken from. Panic 
ensues as the Dr intercepts the sphere with his body; it wrenches 
itself away from Jamie's grasp and thuds into the Dr's chest. Gasping 
for breath the Dr tells Jamie to stick a rock into the Yeti's cavity 
and, fortunately, when this has been done the sphere goes dormant once 
again. "Jamie, these things are programmed to return to their Yetis. 
That one that disappeared in the monastery: Travers didn't take it, it 
moved itself." Jamie finishes the Dr's train of thought: "It could 
have got to the Yeti - the one that we captured !" Unaware that the 
catastrophe they fear has already happened, the two hurry off towards 
the monastery.
 
In the aftermath of the battle at the monastery courtyard, Khrisong 
scolds Thomni for disobeying his orders. Victoria comes to his defence 
saying that opening the gates was her idea anyway. Rinchen is 
suspicious: "Was it also your idea to breathe life into the Yeti ?" 
Thomni now tries to defend Victoria and Rinchen accuses them of being 
in league together. "Where is your authority, Khrisong, that your 
warriors forget their allegiance ?" Angered, Khrisong orders that they 
both be locked away.
 
Halfway back to Detsen, the sphere in Jamie's hand begins to beep 
again. This time the Dr identifies that it's giving out a different 
signal and he starts to take readings. Further down the mountain, the 
three Yeti with Songtsen pause, as if listening, then turn around and 
start moving back up, leaving the Abbot to continue his return journey 
alone. The Dr now picks up an answering signal to the sphere and 
starts getting excited. Jamie doesn't share his enthusiasm: "While 
you're fiddling with that thing, this thing's calling up all the Yeti 
in creation !" As if to confirm his fears, the three Yeti arrive from 
below, blocking their progress further, two others arrive behind them, 
blocking their retreat !
 
Back in the courtyard, Khrisong meets up with Sapan and Rinchen. He 
wishes to see Songtsen but Rinchen informs him that the Abbot has not 
been seen for many hours and is doubtlessly seeking guidance from the 
master. Khrisong's faith is faltering. He criticises Songtsen as 
escaping his responsibilities and questions whether this Padmasambvha 
actually exists. When all three have gone there is a loud knocking at 
the gates. The sentry lets in the errant Abbot, and finds himself once 
more, under hypnotic influence, forgetting what he has seen.
 
When Songtsen reaches the Inner Sanctum, Padmasambvha has further 
instructions: "ALREADY THE 
GREAT INTELLIGENCE BEGINS TO TAKE ON MATERIAL FORM. BUT IT DEMANDS 
MORE, IT MUST EXPAND. THAT IS WHY YOU AND OUR BROTHERS MUST DEPART 
FROM THIS PLACE ... THE STRANGERS ? OH YES, I WILL TELL YOU HOW TO 
DEAL WITH THEM *IF* THEY RETURN"
 
And talking of which, the Dr and Jamie are in a pretty poor 
predicament. The Dr realises that the Yeti only want their sphere 
back. So he allows the three from below to get close and then rolls 
the sphere back up the path towards the other two. The three Yeti 
ignore the travellers and follow the signal from the sphere instead, 
allowing the Dr ("When I say run, run!") and Jamie to tear off down 
the mountain.
 
Victoria, meanwhile, is locked in the Dr's old cell with Thomni. 
Thomni is curious to find out about the three of them so Victoria 
tells him about the TARDIS, time travelling, and how the Dr would have 
come about the Ghanta three hundred years ago. The young monk takes 
all of this in his stride, believing the Dr to be a wonderfully 
enlightened super-monk like Padmasambvha. Victoria is rather more 
interested in escape. When, some minutes later, Rapalchan arrives with 
some food for them, she puts her plan into action. First she feigns 
that she's been poisoned, causing Rapalchan to run off to get help. 
Then, when Thomni's back is turned, she slips out of the cell and 
locks it, with Thomni still in it, behind her.
 
In the Great Hall Songtsen addresses all the monks and lamas telling 
them of Padmasambvha's decision that they should leave. This goes 
against the grain for Khrisong, "I have felt the strength of these 
Yeti ... but still I will not meekly turn away. I mean to fight !" 
Furthermore he explains that the Dr has returned with equipment to 
fight the Yeti, but Songtsen insists that the word of the master must 
be obeyed. Over in the courtyard, the Dr and Jamie are caught in the 
general confusion, some monks supporting Khrisong, some Songtsen. This 
confusion is added to when a dishevelled Travers arrives at the gates, 
mutters something about a pyramid in the mountain and then falls 
unconscious, and when news arrives that Victoria, the "devil girl", 
has escaped again. Songtsen blames the strangers for leading Khrisong 
astray and orders them all be 
locked up. The Dr, Jamie, Travers and Thomni, who is still under 
suspicion, find themselves in a cell, while a hunt takes place for 
Victoria.
 
Songtsen is concerned. He enters into a trance to speak with 
Padmasambvha: "Khrisong turns his warriors away from the path of 
obedience." A voice in his head replies: "I HEAR SONGTSEN AND I 
UNDERSTAND. WELL, IF THEY WILL NOT BE LED, THEN THEY MUST BE DRIVEN 
FROM THE MONASTERY." Songtsen receives his instructions. He goes to 
the gate and orders the sentry, the only other monk left in the 
courtyard, to join the search. Then the Abbot opens the gates wide - 
leaving the monastery defenceless.
 
Meanwhile, Victoria has reached the Anteroom again. Padmasambvha's 
voice calls out to her: "COME IN MY CHILD." She feels forced to obey 
as the great bronze doors swing open. "COME IN. YOU HAVE 
NO ALTERNATIVE."
 
Episode 5
---------
 
Victoria comes face to face with the aged emaciated form of 
Padmasambvha. He speaks gently to her: "DO NOT BE AFRAID ... YOU WISH 
MY HELP, IS THAT NOT SO ?" Victoria starts to explain about the Dr but 
Padmasambvha interrupts her as he realises that Songtsen has carried 
out his instructions. "THE COURTYARD IS EMPTY," and now his voice 
seems almost apologetic, "I MUST DO WHAT I AM COMPELLED TO DO." 
Reaching out over the model landscape he picks up a miniature Yeti. 
This he shows to Victoria, who recognises it ("it's one of those 
horrible creatures - a Yeti !"), but then with a gesture she is put 
into a hypnotic trance. Padmasambvha places the Yeti plus two others 
right inside the monastery. Out on the mountainside, three Yeti lumber 
off in obedience, down the mountain, into the deserted courtyard and 
then in separate directions into the rest of the monastery.
 
Back in the crowded little cell, Jamie's wondering why Victoria ran 
off from the monks. Thomni can't help: "Her motives were not clear to 
me, Mr Jamie." Then, with a yell, Travers regains consciousness.  The 
Dr tries to get him to calm down and explain precisely what it was he 
saw, but Travers can only remember a bright light, a piercing noise, 
and "evil, a feeling of evil, like a shadow on my mind ... I felt as 
though I was going to drown".  As, exhausted, he falls into a deep 
sleep, there comes the sound of screams and smashing furniture as the 
Yeti set about their rampage. The Dr is pleased by this as he starts 
fiddling again with his signal measuring device.
 
Songtsen once more addresses all the monks and lamas, though Khrisong 
now admits he should have 
listened to him in the first place and swears his allegiance. Sapan is 
worried about Rinchen who was convinced that Victoria was behind all 
the trouble and refused to stop searching for her and go to safety. As 
all around them the destruction continues, Rinchen's broken body is 
found and brought to the monastery gates. This sight makes Khrisong 
bitter: "The monastery of Detsen is accursed !" With their work now 
done, the Yeti depart and head back to the mountains.
 
In the Inner Sanctum, Padmasambvha communes with the Great 
Intelligence: "NOW IT IS COMPLETE; 
NOW THE MONKS WILL LEAVE. BY NIGHTFALL THE MONSTERY WILL BE EMPTY - 
THE MOUNTAIN YOURS. WILL THIS THEN BE YOUR FINAL COMMAND ? WILL YOU 
THEN BE CONTENT ? [pause] I DO NOT UNDERSTAND, BUT I WILL CONTINUE TO 
SERVE YOU." Turning to Victoria, still in her hypnotic trance, his 
voice becomes a little gentler: "THE DR IS NOT EASILY FRIGHTENED LIKE 
MY POOR MONKS. THEREFORE MY CHILD YOU WILL ASSIST ME. TOGETHER WE WILL 
MAKE SURE THAT HE LEAVES."
 
Thomni draws a map of the monastery and its surrounding area on the 
cell floor as the Dr explains that he has obtained one reading but 
must obtain a second if he is to find out *where* the control units 
are obtaining their instructions from. Of course that still doesn't 
explain *why*. Travers suddenly awakes, still suffering from amnesia, 
and now with a dreadful headache. He tries to go out for a breath of 
fresh air but finds, to his consternation though no-one else's 
surprise, that the cell door is locked.
 
Back in the courtyard, Songtsen reassures Khrisong that there was 
nothing he could do to prevent 
Rinchen's death. After the next hour of meditation, they are all to 
leave. Padmasambvha will stay, the strangers will come with them. As 
Sapan points out that the girl is still missing, Victoria arrives, in 
a trance, carrying the holy Ghanta. From her lips the voice of 
Padmasambvha speaks: "THIS IS A TIME OF MUCH DANGER. I HAVE CHOSEN TO 
SPEAK TO YOU MYSELF THROUGH THE LIPS OF THIS MAIDEN. SHE BEARS THE 
HOLY GHANTA. BEAR IT AWAY TO SAFE KEEPING. TREAT THIS CHILD WITH 
KINDNESS. SHE AND THE STRANGERS ARE INOCENT OF ANY MALICE TOWARDS YOU. 
THEIR WISH IS BUT TO HELP YOU AGAINST THE YETI. BUT IN MY WISDOM I 
TELL YOU: THERE IS NO HELP ! DETSEN MUST BE ABANDONED ! WHEN THE WIND 
DESTROYS THE NEST SO THE BIRD WILL BUILD ANOTHER." Songtsen voices his 
doubts 
but Padmasambvha is insistent: "GO WITH MY BLESSING ... I WILL REMAIN 
HERE UNTIL THE END." Sapan's question "Will the day come for our 
return to Detsen ?" is left unanswered. Songtsen 
orders the prisoners be released as the prayer gong goes off for the 
last time in Detsen.
 
Khrisong arrives at the cell and unlocks it to release the prisoners, 
bringing with him Victoria, apparently still in her trance. As soon as 
the Dr speaks to her she reacts to his voice as follows: "Dr (yes 
Victoria) There is great danger. You must take me away. Take me away. 
Take me away!" The second time this happens her voice is just a little 
bit more frantic. Jamie and the Dr are concerned so Khrisong explains 
about her speaking with the voice of the master, and Thomni adds that 
she was trying to reach the Inner Sanctum certain that Padmasambvha 
would recognise the Dr since he had visited Detsen before. The Dr 
can't believe his ears: "But that was 300 years ago! The same man !" 
Travers, Khrisong and Thomni, now forgiven, go off to the courtyard to 
get ready to leave. Jamie is still concerned about Victoria but the Dr 
reassures him that he will be able to do something about it after he's 
visited a very old friend.
 
While in the mountain cave the ooze  gushing from the pyramid spreads 
further and further, in the Inner Sanctum Padmasambvha speaks : "OH 
INTELLIGENCE. YOU PROMISED TO RELEASE ME. 
YET STILL I FEEL YOUR GRASP UPON THIS FRAIL BODY. WHY ? WHAT IS 
HAPPENING ? THIS WAS NOT YOUR PLAN BUT IF YOU CONTINUE TO EXPAND ...", 
and now with a note of sadness he reaches the inevitable conclusion: 
"I HAVE BROUGHT THE WORLD TO ITS END !"
 
The Dr arrives at the Inner Sanctum and Padmasambvha bids him enter as 
the doors creak open. "it's good to look upon your face again" he 
tells the Dr, and now his voice sounds like a frail old man, weak and 
wavering. The real Padmasambvha is in control: "I've been kept alive 
.... so many years", but his voice is barely audible. He explains to 
the Dr how he made contact with the Intelligence floating 
insubstantially in space. He allowed it to pursue its experiment 
without realising what its real purpose was. Before the Dr can solicit 
any substantial information from him his body goes limp and apparently 
dead. Sadly, the Dr leaves the Inner Sanctum, not seeing 
Padmasambvha's body jerk back into life, its eyes glaring with the 
malevolence of the Great Intelligence as it once more regains control.
 
The Dr arrives, thoughtful, back to Jamie and Victoria, triggering off 
Victoria's crazed soliloquy. Jamie's getting anxious about her. He 
reminds the Dr that he should deal with her problem first and the Dr 
agrees: "It may be just simple post hypnotic suggestion. On the other 
hand, it may be something worse."  As Victoria starts her routine 
again, the Dr interrupts: "Listen to me. You've *been* taken away. 
You're no longer in the monastery - you're safe in the TARDIS ... Look 
at me. Look at my eyes. You're feeling tired. Very sleepy. Drift away. 
Let yourself drift away to sleep. Deeper. Deeper. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. 
Sleep". "Oh, not you Jamie !", as Jamie's eyes begin to close.
 
"I don't think I dare probe too deeply. The important thing is to get 
rid of this implanted fear. It's growing every minute !"
 
"What if you can't ?"
 
"We'll just have to do as she says and take her away. If we don't ... 
she'll go out of her mind ... That's the object of the exercise - to 
get us away from the monastery. But I'm not beaten that easily."
 
"You're taking an awful risk."
 
"I know", but happily the Dr succeeds in removing the implanted fear. 
Victoria wakes up having forgotten everything that happened after she 
was in the cell with Thomni. His work done, the Dr goes off towards 
the gates and meets up with Travers, who still can't remember what 
happened up the mountain. The Dr needs to take another measurement 
with his device in order to be able to pinpoint where the instructions 
for the Yeti are coming from. He persuades Travers to help him and 
together they move up the mountain towards three Yeti in the distance, 
standing immobile after their destruction of the monastery was 
completed. When they reach them, Travers goes over to the monsters to 
stir things up while the Dr takes his readings.
 
Meanwhile Khrisong reports to Songtsen that the evacuation of Detsen 
is complete; the Abbot then leaves to get a last blessing from 
Padmasambvha before they depart. He has just gone when the Dr and 
Travers arrive, very excited. They explain to Khrisong that they have 
discovered that the source of the control signals is right inside the 
monastery. Since the only person left in Detsen is Padmasambvha it 
must be him that is behind all this danger. Khrisong, fearing for 
Songtsen's safety, rushes off towards the Inner Sanctum. At the same 
time Travers' memory slowly starts to return - he begins to remembers 
about the events in the cave.
 
And in that cave, the Intelligence has grown to cover all of the 
tunnel floor, and is expanding faster and faster.
 
Episode 6
---------
 
As the viscous bubbling ooze which is the intelligence pours forth 
more and more into the mountain cave, over in the monastery Travers 
explains to the Dr, Victoria, Jamie and Thomni about his experience 
earlier when he saw the Abbot with 3 Yeti enter the cave carrying a 
glowing pyramid. The Abbot's connection is news to the Dr - this 
provides him with a missing link in his theories, and now it is clear 
the Khrisong has rushed headlong into danger. The five off them rush 
off to help.
 
Outside the doors to the Inner Sanctum, Khrisong catches up with 
Songtsen and warns him that he is in danger from the master. 
Padmasambvha's voice speaks out, its tone harsh: "WHENCE CAME YOU BY 
SUCH FOOLISH THOUGHTS ?"  But Khrisong is unimpressed: "Don't try to 
frighten me. Who are you ? ... A master who controls the Yeti. What is 
hidden in there ?" After giving Songtsen more instructions, 
Padmasambvha opens the doors to the Inner Sanctum and bids Khrisong 
enter. Khrisong is still awed by what he is doing and foolishly hands 
over his sword to the Abbot when requested ("you may not take weapons 
into the presence of the master") even though he can see that Songtsen 
has been put in a trance. This mistake is fatal; as soon as his back 
is turned, Songtsen runs him through. "YOU HAVE DONE WELL, SONGTSEN. 
YOU WILL NOWWWW..... why are you making me do this ? why ? release me. 
I beg of you. I have ..... SONGTSEN. YOU WILL NOW GO FORTH WITH THE 
MONKS. YOU WILL NEVER RETURN !" As the doors to the Inner Sanctum 
close the Dr and his companions arrive to see Khrisong's stricken body 
and the Abbot with a blood-stained sword in his hands. "SONGTSEN! KILL 
THEM !" but the Abbot is quickly overpowered. Khrisong is in his death 
throes: "My time has come ... My brothers, they are not to blame 
Songtsen. He was in a trance ..." And so the warrior monk dies and, in 
sadness, the Dr and the others leave the Anteroom taking the Abbot 
with them. When they have gone, the room is filled by the hideous 
laughter of the Intelligence.
 
Back in the great hall Thomni explains to Sapan and the other monks 
how it is that Khrisong has been slain by Songtsen. When Sapan tries 
to question the Abbot about this he screams into life and must quickly 
be overpowered again. This outburst causes great consternation in the 
monks but they are quietened when the Dr arrives to explain more about 
what is going on. "Songtsen is merely a puppet ... Your Abbot is not 
responsible, but neither is Padmasambvha. He too is controlled. Now, 
do as you'd planned: leave the monastery. There is great evil here." 
Travers, however, is convinced that the evil emmanates from the cave, 
but Sapan is practical: "Wherever it may be, what can we do to 
overcome such a force. My brothers, let us obey the Dr."
 
The Dr elects to stay: "I have to. This thing that's here. This evil. 
It will spread. It has to be stopped and I can do it." Thomni stays to 
help, as does Jamie, as does Victoria despite the Dr's protests. 
Before all the monks leave, the Dr hypnotises Songtsen in order to 
elicit more information about the intelligence and its purpose: " (the 
Yeti ?) They were designed to serve the intelligence ... (This 
intelligence - it is confined to the cave ?) No. It has broken its 
promise. Now it demands the whole mountain ... (These yeti, they are 
controlled ... the control units they were made somehow ? somewhere ?) 
The master laboured for nearly 200 years. With the help of the 
intelligence he built the creatures and the other wonderful machines 
(These small Yeti models their movement must be mirrored by the real 
robots ... but there must be a controller - a machine that gives out 
the orders. Now where is that controller ?) Sanctum ... behind the 
throne there lies a hidden room." The Dr can feel himself close to 
success: "How do I get into it ? Songtsen, how do I get into it ?" But 
the Abbot will answer no more.
 
Meanwhile Travers, still convinced that the Dr is barking up the wrong 
tree, persuades one of the other warrior monks to go with him up the 
mountain towards the cave so that he can take a shot at the glowing 
pyramid with his rifle. On their way up they pass several Yeti going 
down, towards the monastery. When they reach the cave they see that 
the intelligence has oozed right out and is now spreading around the 
mountainside. There's no way that they'll be able to get to the 
pyramid to shoot it and so, defeated, they are forced to turn back.
 
As the monks prepare to leave, the Dr warns his companions of the 
dangers they will face when they confront Padmasambvha in the Inner 
Sanctum: "Whatever happens, Thomni and you must smash the controls ... 
Padmasambvha will use supernormal powers if necessary." Victoria is 
particularly under threat by being hypnotised again and Thomni is 
instructed to teach her the Jewel of the Lotus chant to help her 
combat this. Sapan offers the help off the warrior monks but the Dr 
insists that they are needed to protect the lamas. As the monks and 
lamas leave, the Dr explains to Thomni, Jamie and Victoria what they 
must do: "I will go into the Sanctum first and deal with Padmasambvha. 
As soon as it's safe, make for the curtain behind the throne, that's 
where the control room is." Of course, when the Dr is asked what will 
happen when the machinery is destroyed his reply, as is usual in these 
cases, is that he hasn't the faintest idea. Jamie protests: "We might 
all be blown to smithereens !", but the Dr thinks this unlikely.
 
When Travers and his companion monk arrive back at the monastery, all 
the monks have left, the Dr and his companions have gone to the Inner 
Sanctum and three Yeti are standing guard outside the gates. They are 
activated but immobile - waiting.
 
"WHY ARE YOU HERE ? WHY DID YOU NOT HEED MY WARNING ? YOU ARE 
STUBBORN, DR." The Dr, like Khrisong before him, is also unimpressed: 
"Who are you ?"
 
"YOU KNOW WELL IT IS I THE MASTER PADMASAMBHA WHO SPEAKS."
 
"Oh no it isn't. I know Padmasambvha, he's my friend. Where've you 
come from ? Why are you using his body in this fashion ?"
 
"SUCH A BRAIN AS YOURS IS TOO SMALL TO GRASP MY PURPOSE ... I HAVE 
MUCH POWER", and a torch lifts from the wall and swipes towards the 
Dr. "Simple levitation - a childish trick. Now stop playing games and 
open these doors, or are you afraid to meet me face to face." The 
taunt seems 
to work and the doors to the Inner Sanctum creak open. "Anything could 
happen now", the Dr warns, "just trust me and above all dont panic". 
As previously planned he goes in first on his own, bringing himself 
under mental attack from the Great Inelligence. The Dr cries out and 
Jamie nearly runs in after him but Victoria reminds him that they must 
wait for the Dr's signal,which comes soon after. When the companions 
enter they too find themselves held immobile by the mind of the 
Intelligence. Sensing victory, it gives out a ghastly laugh, but then 
the Dr steps up his efforts and Jamie and Thomni break free from its 
grip. They run to the control room behind the throne and start 
smashing up all the alien artefacts within. Victoria, still stuck, 
sees the hand of Padmasambvha move over to the models by his side and 
bring in the Yeti to help him.
 
Outside the monastery gates, the three Yeti come to life and start 
moving in, rapidly, towards the Inner Sanctum. Travers and the warrior 
monk follow them in.
 
The Dr tries to get Victoria to go to the Yeti models and smash them 
up but, despite chanting the Jewel of the Lotus desperately, she is 
unable to move. Jamie, in the control room, can't understand why the 
Yeti are still active since they've destroyed all the machinery but 
then he recalls a large sphere in there which looks like one of the 
Yeti control units. When they smash this up, the control units in the 
Yeti explode, just in the nick of time as one's about to murder the 
Dr. The Intelligence is undeterred: "ONE STROKE OF FORTUNE WILL NOT 
SAVE YOU". Travers, who arrived with the Yeti, fires a shot into the 
body of Padmasambvha. "STUPID MAN. DID YOU NOT FEEL ENOUGH OF MY POWER 
WHEN YOU MET ME IN THE CAVE ?" "The cave", thinks the Dr, "Jamie, 
there was a pyramid in the cave". "There's one here too!", comes the 
reply. "Destroy it !" "NOOOOOOooooooooo........" As Jamie and Thomni 
smash the pyramid in the control room, Padmasambvha's body convulses 
and drops back limp onto the throne, and the pyramid in the cave 
bursts in a huge exposion which takes out most of the mountain. The 
Great Intelligence is defeated - it's links with the Earth severed. 
Padmasambvha regains control of his body for 
the last time: "At last. Peace ... Dr."
 
The Dr breathes a sigh of relief, as does everyone else there 
(Travers: "It was decidedly tricky for a minute or two"). Thomni can 
summon back the other monks and lamas now which he does by slowly 
sounding the Detsen gong. He would like the Dr to stay so that he 
could be thanked by Songtsen and the others but the Dr decides, as 
usual, that it is time for them to leave. They say their goodbyes and, 
with Travers accompanying them, set off up the mountain. Halfway up 
they see the remains of one of the Yeti. "They were clever machines", 
the Dr comments, "it's almost a pity to have had them destroyed. But 
at least you'll have something to take home from your expedition, Mr 
Travers". But the explorer is sceptical: "Nobody'll believe me. They'd 
think I'd had it made." Then Victoria spots a timid furry creature up 
the mountain, a real Yeti ! Travers, excited, sets off to pursue it 
while the Dr and his companions laugh.
 
Jamie is fed up with the cold: "It's all right for you", he tells the 
Dr, "in your home made Yeti kit ... Just look at my knees - they're 
bright blue ! Can you no land us somewhere warmer next time ?" The Dr 
replies enigmatically, "Well, Jamie, you never know do you", and as 
they enter the TARDIS he starts a little tune on his recorder.
 
------------