Although neither of them realised it, this was in its way as historic an encounter as that between Stanley and Doctor Livingstone.  Promoted to Brigadier, Lethbridge-Stewart would one day lead the Brritish section of an organisation called UNIT (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), set up to fight alien attacks on the planet Earth.  The Doctor, changed in appearance and temporarily exiled to Earth was to become UNIT'S Scientific Adviser.  But that was all in the future.  For the moment the two friends-to-be glared at each other in mutual suspicion.

'Never mind how I got here,' said the Doctor impatiently.  'You wouldn't believe me if I told you.  The important thing is that there are Yeti in these tunnels.  They're robot servants of an alien entity called the Great Intelligence.  We must warn the Authorities at once.'

Lethbridge-Stewart's revolver, which he had lowered on seeing the Doctor's harmless appearance, was raised to cover him once more.  'The Authorities already know about the Yeti, Doctor.  But not, it seems, as much as you do.  I think you'd better come with me.'


Professor Travers's laboratory had originally been an army workshop.  Now the heavy machinery had been cleared away and the benches were loaded with a complex array of electronic equipment.  Travers was hard at work.  Having discovered, more or less by accident, how to activate a control sphere, he was reversing the direction of his researches, and trying to find a means of jamming these inside the Yeti.  If he could manage this, he would be able to render the Yeti harmless.

Absorbed in his work he didn't notice his daughter Anne come in.  She had to speak twice before he looked up and grunted,  'What is it?  You can see I'm busy.'  Suddenly he remembered.  'Oh yes.  How did the demolition go?'

'Apparently it didn't!  Captain Knight has sent some men to investigate.  I didn't come about that, Father.  The soldiers found two youngsters in the tunnels.  I've just been talking to them.  They seem to know a great deal about the Yeti.  They know they're robots, they know about the control spheres.  And they talked about something called the Intelligence, which first appeared in Tibet.'

Travers put down the control sphere he was working on.  'I think you'd better take me to see them.'

Jamie and Victoria stood up as Anne and Travers came into the Common Room.  Travers didn't speak.  He just stood staring in utter disbelief.  A small dark girl and a boy in Highland dress.  The Doctor's two companions - Travers remembered meeting them on the snowy mountain path outside Det-Sen Monastery, remembered the incredible adventures they had shared.  Now they were here, over forty years later - but looking exactly the same.