On the Slippery Trail (short story)

On the Slippery Trail was the second of two original stories published in The Amazing World of Doctor Who, a promotional book published for Ty·phoo Tea.

Summary
Whilst walking through the woodland of an unnamed world, the Fourth Doctor predictably speeds ahead, entering a cave. Sarah is left to moan about how he always does this sort of thing to her. Mid-whinge, she feels the ground rumbling beneath her. Soon, she is facing a particularly nasty-looking jannosaur. She watches in horror as the giant, slug-like creature begins suctioning up everything in its path. The Doctor appears from the cave in the nick of time to save her from the jannosaur's voracious appetite.

Inside the cave, the Doctor reveals an amazing discovery. The cave is full of salt. He grinds some of it up quickly, filling his hat with the result. The duo then ascend one of the offshoots of the cave so that they end up standing above the jannosaur. They throw the salt onto the beast. As with small, garden slugs on Earth, the salt dehydrates this giant version.

As the creature dies, people start to emerge from hiding. The inhabitants of the world, calling themselves Anthrons, had been at the jannosaur's mercy for years. The Doctor explains to them how to use the salt and the time travellers depart for another adventure.

Characters

 * Fourth Doctor
 * Sarah Jane Smith

Continuity
to be added

Timeline

 * On the Slippery Trail occurs after The Vampires of Crellium.
 * On the Slippery Trail occurs before TVC: The Mutant Strain.