Seven Steps
to the Sun

Fawcett Crest Books
by Fred Hoyle:

OCTOBER THE FIRST IS TOO LATE

ROCKETS IN URSA MAJOR (with Geoffrey Hoyle)

SEVEN STEPS TO THE SUN (with Geoffrey Hoyle)

Seven Steps
to the Sun

by FRED HOYLE & GEOFFREY HOYLE

A FAWCETT CREST BOOK
Fawcett Publications, Inc., Greenwich, Conn.

For GRAM

SEVEN STEPS TO THE SUN

THIS BOOK CONTAINS THE COMPLETE TEXT OF THE ORIGINAL HARDCOVER EDITION.

A Fawcett Crest Book reprinted by arrangement with Harper & Row Publishers

Copyright © 1970 by Fred Hoyle and Geoffrey Hoyle.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 73-138786

Printed in the United States of America
January 1973

1

‘I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.’

Einstein

HOT still air hung over the evening rush hour as Mike Jerome walked wearily from the dubbing studio. He stood on the edge of the pavement in Bayswater Road jaded by thoughts of the immense amount of writing he'd put into this film. Distracted by a girl among the rush hour travellers he was reminded vividly of Sue — she'd not been in touch since their bitter parting in New York. Still he wasn't unhappy. Just tired. An empty cab appeared and he moved quickly into the road flailing his arms. The driver manoeuvred his vehicle deftly from the outside lane.

‘47 Frith Street,’ said Mike, as he settled back.

His mind wandered over the petty events that led up to the quarrel with Sue. She'd wanted to stay on in New York, where she could enjoy her new found friends, while he battled with the television and film people to get some work. He wouldn't have minded, as he liked New York, but it was obvious Sue was interested in one of the men she'd met, and he didn't intend spending vast sums of his hard-earned money feathering her nest to share with someone else. The row had been short, sharp and final. Since he'd started working on this film his tolerance level had dropped almost to zero. The flat was a bit of a problem with too much in it reminding him of her.

The taxi suddenly pulled up with a jolt; he was outside 47 Frith Street. Descending the stairs of the building to the basement door, he pushed it open and went into the jazz club. A moment or two and his eyes grew accustomed to the dim light. Standing up against the bar was the vast dark form of Pete Jones. Mike had met Pete some ten years before in Paris, when Pete was studying music at the Sorbonne, and he himself had been picking up spare cash by playing jazz piano in a club. From those very early days in Paris they had remained close friends.

‘How'd it go, man?’ asked Pete as Mike approached the bar.  {5} 

‘So, so.’

‘Drink?’

‘Thanks, when did you start?’

‘Around ten, ten thirty,’ came the bored reply.

‘Idiot, when did you start boozing?’ asked Mike.

‘I think I must have been about six months old. My mother used to get me tight so that I wouldn't cry while I was teething, ever since then I've been addicted.’

‘It must be about time someone put food in that stomach, then.’

Pete's face lit up. ‘You're paying?’ he said, as the two men finished their drinks and started to leave the club.

‘You know, one of these days I'll drop dead with your generosity,’ said Mike.

‘Where to?’ Pete asked, taking no notice of the heavy traffic as he crossed Shaftesbury Avenue against the lights.

‘Wheeler's; it's fish night.’

They made their way through crowded Soho to Old Compton Street.

There wasn't a table ready, so they deposited themselves in the bar with two large whiskys.

‘Got rid of her junk yet?’ asked Pete, draining his glass in one go.

‘No, but I'll get around to it.’

‘Good, you're well clear of that bitch.’

‘Right all along!’

‘Well, now that that relationship's over, who's next?’ asked Pete, with a big hearty chuckle.

‘Got any ideas?’ Mike grinned suddenly.

He remembered the nights they'd spent on boulevard St. Germain, looking for talent in cafes. Usually they'd spend a fortune, or what seemed like a fortune, buying likely young women drinks, only to find themselves almost invariably cut off without any return on their investment. At these times, Pete would shake his head, sigh, and say with relish, ‘Well, now that that relationship's over, who's next?’ They would count up their remaining few francs and start again.

Pete ordered more whisky and looked thoughtfully at his friend.

‘Man, what's bothering you?’

‘This,’ said Mike quietly banging his head with his hand. ‘I'm so tired I don't really have much idea of what I'm doing.’

‘Take a break,’ urged Pete sternly.

‘I can't, I've got this television programme to write.’  {6} 

‘Drop it.’

‘Can't afford to; it'll be a stopgap until the film comes out. Then if everything goes, I'll be able to do what I want to.’

‘Maybe, but it'll be no use to you if you're ill, or dead from a heart attack.’

‘Well, I'm not; and if you were in the same position you'd do the same.’

‘Sure, but you don't use anything to keep you going,’ said Pete.

‘No. I've seen enough of you under the influence of drugs and drink not to want them.’

‘O.K., so go to a doctor, and see what he can do for you.’

‘Why waste the money? I know what they'll say. Take a holiday.’

‘Well, whatever you say, Mike, I still think you need something to keep you from walking under a bus.’

Mike stretched out wearily. ‘There is something I could do with, and that's a good massage, to iron out some of the aches and pains.’

‘That's a great idea. There's a girl in Harley Street. Don't know how good she is at body rubbing, but she looks fabulous,’ said Pete with an evil grin.

‘What's her name?’

‘Couldn't tell you. She was in the club some time ago. You know, a little over-enthusiastic, talked to me most of the evening and then said she worked in Harley Street, and any time I wanted a rub down, to go along.’

The restaurant manager came into the bar and told the two men their table was ready. They climbed the stairs to the first floor and settled into two very comfortable chairs in a corner.

‘You know,’ said Pete, tucking into his sole with relish, ‘you ought to concentrate on writing novels. You never seem to be under as much strain when you're doing that.’

‘True, but novels don't pay as well as screen writing. I have a great objection to film companies’ buying good stories for peanuts, then employing someone at a very high fee to write a screen play.’

‘Maybe you're right, but the money you earned at novel writing didn't leave you exactly poverty stricken,’ said Pete, pouring out more wine.

‘That's true. Maybe after I've finished the television project, I'll get down to writing a novel.’

‘Any idea what you'll write about?’  {7} 

‘I don't really know, but I've always wanted to write a book about the last few seconds of life. I've often thought that in those moments one might see something of the future,’ said Mike seriously.

‘You mean to say that when I snuff it, there will be a moment before death, when the whole future that I might have had will flash before me?’ asked Pete with solemn interest.

‘Something like that. With all the talk of E.S.P., and other forms of telepathic communications, I think it might sell.’

‘It's a bit gruesome, isn't it?’

‘Not really. Think of what one can say. I could even include my thoughts on the inevitable collapse of civilization as we know it today.’

‘That's sheer pessimism. Everyone knows the dangers of overpopulation. Surely something will be done about it?’ said Pete confidently.

‘Maybe, but I feel that it's been left too late. Scientists are not allowed to do much about it, and the politicians won't, for fear of being unpopular.’

They ate in silence for a few minutes.

‘There's only one snag to that bright idea of yours: each person's idea of his future might be different?’ said Pete, emptying the wine bottle.

‘Yes, that's true. Each one of us is conditioned to certain outside events, and finally we will be limited by these conditions. Look at the amount of conditioning the general public have had about the threat of a nuclear war. If this conditioning was released at death, most of them would probably only see their future in relation to a third world war.’

‘I think you're going to have one hell of a problem writing this little lot up,’ Pete said, smiling at Mike, who grinned back.

‘That's why I must get some massage, otherwise my typing shoulders won't be able to function properly.’

The meal over, Mike and Pete made their way out of the restaurant into the street. A clock above a shop showed nine forty-five. The two men started strolling leisurely back to Frith Street. The June evening was still hot, but not too heavy.

‘Are you going to sit in with us?’ asked Pete as they re-crossed Shaftesbury Avenue.

‘I shouldn't think so, but I'll come in for a while.’  {8} 

The club was not full. Pete made his way backstage while Mike squeezed onto a small table with four other jazz enthusiasts. The five-piece band, with Pete playing drums, thundered away for over two hours before they took their first break. Mike came out of his semi-conscious state when Pete got hold of his arm and dragged him to the bar, for whisky.

‘Do you want to tinkle the keys?’ Pete asked, passing Mike a large full glass.

‘I'm glad these are on the house.’

‘That's not what I said, man.’

‘I know. No, I don't feel like it. I must say you've improved since Christmas.’

‘What? I was so high I don't remember Christmas.’

‘I know. You brought Christmas up all over Sue's new carpet and then fell in it.’

‘You didn't do a good job in cleaning up. I remember smelling myself at New Year.’ Pete started to laugh.

‘Cleaning you up. Easier said than done. Have you ever tried bathing two hundred and twenty odd pounds of giggling fun?’

‘No, but I'd sure like to try,’ said Pete, pushing an elbow into Mike's side.

‘Pete, before this conversation drops much lower, I think I'd better make my way home. How about dinner tomorrow night? I'll be here about seven.’

‘Sure, that'll be great. Don't forget your massage,’ said Pete, putting his arm round Mike's shoulders and giving them a squeeze.

‘I won't,’ Mike said, looking for somewhere to put his glass down.

‘You're not feeling sad now, are you?’ asked Pete quietly, as they moved into the fresher air of Frith Street.

‘I don't feel depressed, just tired.’

‘Sure, and you'll find Uncle Pete was right about that bitch.’

‘Come off it. She had her bad side, but she also had some warmth,’ Mike said defensively.

‘Of course, and from looking at you, you could do with some warmth to bring you in from the cold bad side.’

Mike laughed, gave Pete a feigned punch, bade him good night, and walked reflectively away.

The morning sun streamed in through the bedroom window. Mike opened a weary eye. From the height of the yellow  {9}  fireball in the sky he surmised that it must be around nine o'clock. A careful study of the sounds of the traffic activity in Albany Street convinced him. He opened both eyes, stretched, and reached out for his glasses. His guess at the time was only half an hour out. It was almost eight thirty.

Mike got up, turned the radio on and went into the kitchen. He put the kettle on, took a large old mug off a shelf, added two very large heaped teaspoons of coffee and retreated to the bathroom. He studied his beard in the mirror, then shaved. This chore finished, and no sound from the kettle, gave him time to put his contact lenses in. It took him a few minutes to clean them as they always seemed to be covered in muck, especially when he'd been in a smoky atmosphere. He put the clean right lens onto the tip of his index finger, opened the lids of his eye wide, and placed the lens on the iris. Vision came slowly into the eye as the lens settled. He repeated the operation with his left eye.

The kettle whistled and he poured the hot water into his coffee mug. There wasn't any milk. No woman, no milk. He shrugged his defiance and, equipped with his mug of black coffee, dressed. He slid into a pair of honey-coloured cords, and an almost matching roll neck sweater. A rummage round the bottom of the wardrobe produced his old desert boots, which he fought to get on. He closed the wardrobe doors. Sue hadn't been to collect her things or asked for them to be sent on. In a cowardly way he always hoped she'd come and collect her clothes while he was out.

Mike was now dressed, but felt aimlessly that he had nowhere to go. Be industrious, he thought to himself, looking at his desk. He didn't really want to get down to work, so he compromised. He would first go for a massage. He remembered Pete's enthusiasm and booked an appointment, with what sounded like a very sexy voice. He finished his coffee, picked up his old well worn suede jacket. A feeling of guilt swept over him, as he looked again at the notes for the television idea but before his conscience could get the better of him he'd left the flat and descended to the lobby.

‘Morning Sam,’ said Mike, as he sauntered through.

‘Good morning, Mr. Jerome. Lovely day outside,’ observed the commissionaire.

‘Lovely. I'll pick my mail up on my way back,’ Mike said, opening the outer doors.

‘Very good, Mr. Jerome,’ Sam called after him.

The morning air smelt great, as Mike worked his way to the outer circle of Regent's Park, instead of bus-ing it  {10}  down Albany Street. Rush hour was at its peak, and it took him a few minutes to cross the road. Every time he came back from abroad, he found himself looking left first instead of right. Making his way to the central path running through the park, he turned south and walked steadily along, relaxing in the fresh air. On a morning like this, he began to think of holidays in the sun. It was ages since he'd had a real break, in fact the last time must have been five years ago.

Mike crossed Euston Road to Regent Crescent. On seeing the B.B.C. building at the end of Portland Place, he made a mental note to pop in and find out whether there was any work he could do for them. He turned into New Cavendish Street, and made his way to Harley Street. The houses all had a neat, well-kept appearance. He walked to the end of the street, checked the time, as he didn't like the idea of waiting too long, then turned and, walking back, punched the appropriate door bell. When no one came he tried again. Still no results, so he pushed the bell good and hard, and when nothing happened, grew impatient and tried the door. It didn't open, so he gave a really hard push. At the same moment the door gave and he flew into a quietly lit passageway. Gathering himself together he realized that someone was standing there closing the door behind him.

‘Sorry about that,’ said Mike, trying to see clearly the person who opened the door.

‘That's quite all right, it was my fault, I was on the telephone,’ said an extremely attractive woman. ‘You must be Mr. Jerome.’

‘Right,’ said Mike, staring a little. Pete had been right.

‘This way please, I shall be ready for you in a moment,’ said the woman showing him into a small waiting-room.

Mike slowly paced round the room. On the wall were hung old sporting prints, and on a table in one corner was a collection of Country Life, Motor and Punch.

‘Mr. Jerome, I'm ready for you,’ said the woman, coming in through a communicating door dressed in a white coat. Mike smiled and followed her.

‘You can undress here,’ she said, indicating a small cubicle.

‘Tell me,’ asked Mike, undressing, ‘I didn't catch your name on the phone.’

There was a delightful laugh. ‘Colleen, Colleen Winston.’

‘Irish?’ asked Mike.

‘I don't think so. All I know is that my father was a great romantic.’  {11} 

‘You know the friend who told me about you really underestimated your good looks,’ said Mike dreamily from the couch.

‘Really, and who was this friend of yours?’ asked Colleen gaily.

‘Pete Jones, plays drums in a jazz club in Soho. Do you like jazz?’ asked Mike feeling the vibrating machine rubbing hard into his knotted back muscles.

‘Yes, but I think Pete found me very naive,’ said Colleen.

‘I wouldn't say that.’

‘Wouldn't you,’ laughed Colleen. ‘What do you do for a living?’

‘Write.’

‘Anything in particular?’

‘No, not really. I flog certain hobby horses in everything I write but I work on anything,’ said Mike, beginning to relax under the treatment.

‘Why do you write?’

‘I suppose, I suppose I like to entertain people,’ Mike said thoughtfully, ‘or at least to take them out of themselves. And maybe make them think a bit.’

‘Have you ever thought of writing science fiction?’

‘Yes, but I'm not a scientist and an idea has to have a smack of authenticity about it to appeal to me. Given a scientific theme, I reckon I could construct a good plot.’

‘If you could talk to a scientist, would that help?’

‘Of course, but most scientists are far too busy to be bothered,’ laughed Mike.

‘Well, I have a client, a physicist at London University, who is always saying writers can't get the science right. Would you like me to give him a call and see if he is interested?’

‘Certainly.’

‘Any time suit you?’

‘Yes, my time's my own.’

‘Good, I'll give him a call. I'll be back in a moment.’

Nice woman, thought Mike as the rubbers massaged deeply into his back. He began to feel a little giddy, almost as if he'd been out in the sun for too long.

‘Did you get hold of your client?’ said Mike, raising himself on one arm, as the woman reappeared.

‘Yes, he said he'd be at the physics department, just behind the Royal College of Music, all morning on the sixth,’ she said shyly.

‘Day after tomorrow, that sounds fine. I'll be sure to go  {12}  along. Whom shall I ask for?’ said Mike, getting off the couch, and going into the cubicle.

‘Professor Smitt.’

‘Right. And thank you very much,’ said Mike, coming from behind the screen.

The sixth dawned another beautiful day, and as Mike walked down Albany Street looking for a taxi, he wondered whether Cornwall would be a nice place to continue his ideas for the television programme. Then there was always a possibility that this Professor chap might suggest something useful.

Mike took a taxi to the Royal College of Music. He walked round the block to the back of a complex of buildings and eventually spotted a sign saying, ‘Engineering Department.’

‘Excuse me,’ said Mike to the doorman, ‘is there a physics department here?’

‘No.’ The man said slowly, ‘no, not that I know of.’

‘Thank you,’ Mike said, turning to look elsewhere.

‘They might be able to help you in the Engineering Department,’ the doorman said calling after him, ‘along the corridor, first door on the right.’

‘Thank you,’ called Mike to the man.

He pushed the door to the lab open shivering for an instant in the sudden cool. The large laboratory was filled with the usual apparatus, electrical wiring, heating equipment and scientific hardware dotted around on various benches.

‘Can I help you?’ came a pleasant voice from the lab.

‘Yes,’ said Mike, walking in the direction of the sound, ‘I'm looking for Professor Smitt.’

‘Hang on, he was around here a few minutes ago,’ said the fresh-faced young man.

‘Thank you.’

‘Mr. Jerome?’ said a tall, thin man coming from the direction of an office.

‘Yes.’

‘Smitt, Professor Smitt,’ said the man, smiling and holding out his hand.

‘I thought I might have got the wrong building,’ said Mike, shaking hands.

‘No, no, I was expecting you. Colleen Winston tells me you're an author.’

‘That's right, Professor.’

‘You make a living at it?’ asked the man, smiling.

‘Yes. The first years can be rough though.’  {13} 

‘I'm sure that's true, as it must be in many creative fields,’ said the Professor with a fatherly smile. ‘Well, not to waste any time,’ he continued briskly, ‘I think it would be simpler if I told you the idea I had in mind, then you can tell me what you think. Let's go into my office.’ He turned to look intently at his visitor. ‘You know Einstein had a theory called “The Time Dilation”, or just simply “Time Dilation”. Now it occurred to me that one might use this idea in a story.’

‘Rather like H. G. Wells, you mean?’

‘Well, the device would be different from Wells's Time Machine. You see, if we were to travel away from this planet at the speed of light, we would age very little in comparison with the people left here on earth.’

‘I see, so if I were shot away in my high-speed rocket and returned in, say, five years Earth time, people here would be five years older, but I might be only a few minutes older?’

‘Yes, but please remember, there is one very important point in telling time stories, and that is it is not possible to go backwards in time.’

‘So I've heard, but never understood why,’ said Mike.

‘For the moment, let us say that, as far as physics is concerned, one can only go forward. I think to offer you a scientific explanation at this stage would perhaps be too confusing,’ smiled the Professor.

‘If one packs humans into a rocket that travels at the speed of light, even enthusiastic science fiction readers might be a bit sceptical,’ Mike objected.

‘Yes, I agree.’ The Professor nodded briskly. ‘I would say that one could use some source of light, perhaps a laser beam. Reduce the human structure into a form that can be transmitted as electrical pulses, shoot this information down our light beam, and at a convenient point reflect it back.’

‘Very good, but how far can you reduce the human form into electrical information and how would you convert it back again?’ asked Mike, liking the idea.

‘I think you would have to use an explosive breakdown of the human form, involving a highly organized source of energy. To reproduce the information you could use a hologram picture of the total information. So if we used you, before we could proceed we would need such a three-dimensional picture. When the information came back, it would be passed back through the hologram picture and there you'd be. Here, I've jotted down some notes for you.’

‘Thank you, Professor. It sounds most intriguing and certainly I'll be glad of the notes. Probably the best thing for me  {14}  to do is to go away and write up a format and then let you read it,’ said Mike, holding out his hand.

‘I shall look forward to reading it,’ said the Professor.

‘If this goes as a television project there's going to be money involved. How would you see your part in this?’ asked Mike politely.

‘What do you suggest?’ smiled the thin man.

‘Well, if we get paid for the format, how about a fifty-fifty split?’

‘I think that sounds very fair,’ said the Professor.

‘Oh, by the way, do you think it is possible in the last moments before death, to see a certain amount of the future?’

‘It's a thought, but without having the experience I couldn't really say,’ said the man with a jovial twinkle in his eyes.

‘Thanks,’ said Mike, jauntily walking away. The time idea was good. He started to hum as he left the building.

2

‘It's dogged as does it. It ain't thinking about it.’

Trollope

STANDING on the pavement, he wondered what to do. The urge to go back to the flat and write was strong, but he felt reluctant to leave the clear sunny morning. He knew he would have to wind himself up. He didn't know why, but he worked better under tension. When he finished whatever he was writing, he was like a wet cloth.

Defiantly spinning on his heels a couple of times, he set off in the direction of Hyde Park. He aimed a light kick at a piece of paper lying conspicuously on the edge of the pavement. It rose about a foot in the air before being sucked away into the middle of the road by a passing car. That's life, thought Mike as he stopped to cross Kensington Gore to Alexandra Gate. The lunchtime traffic was dense. Cars, vans and lorries roared by giving no time to cross, unless one were an Olympic hundred-metre gold medallist. Mike held up his hand to the oncoming traffic and stepped out into the road. Cars manoeuvred to avoid him, and eventually he reached the island in the middle. He looked up at the traffic light standard, but the signals weren't visible. Mike shook his head at a  {15}  motorist trying to inch into the road from Alexandra Gate. Typical British efficiency, he thought to himself as he made a dash for safety.

The Metropolitan Police were exercising their beautifully groomed horses, completely unaware of the chaos building up outside the Albert Hall. Mike waited for the horses to trot by and crossed towards the Serpentine. Small boys knelt by the water playing at being admirals and ships’ captains, while their coloured blocks of wood plied backwards and forwards over a few feet of water. The line of prams with their custodians in neat pressed uniforms reminded Mike of a picture of a royal gathering in Elizabeth the First's time, watching some gallant sailor going off to sea. He made his way round to the east end of the lake, to a small coffee shop. A duck looked at him from the water and laughed in a cynical fashion. The smell of newly-mown grass was strong, and Mike could almost hear the sounds of a Sunday afternoon cricket match on the village green.

‘Yes?’ said the mini-skirted waitress, showing off her hips by shaking them.

‘Coffee, please,’ said Mike, sitting down at the small metal table.

‘Anything else?’ inquired the girl. Mike shook his head, and the girl turned, revealing a very compact behind.

A motley selection of humans sat stuffing their stolid faces with cakes and inedible-looking sandwiches. No wonder the British economy was in such a pathetic way. Mike couldn't quite see these people around him as the driving force behind the swinging, advancing, new economic growth that the Government had been urging.

‘That'll be one and nine,’ said the waitress. Mike felt in his pocket and produced a handful of pennies. He laboriously counted out the money, but was four-pence short. In his wallet he found three ten-pound notes. The girl grudgingly took one.

‘Your change,’ she said curtly, bored with this inattentive young man.

Mike felt elated as he began to ponder on the morning's meeting. A boat with a young couple in it nosed its way gently along without the assistance of oars.

The idea that Professor Smitt had mentioned to him was developing. Although much had been written on time travel, he felt that the new idea had the makings of a very good story. His central character would be a musician, perhaps a  {16}  top-flight concert pianist who knows that his illness cannot be cured for some time to come. He is involved with an eccentric physicist, who suggests that he should be thrown forward in time, say ten years. The pianist is both amused and angry at the ridiculous suggestion, but after consideration he goes back to see the professor. The man has vanished. He searches round the laboratory, and without warning is swept up into a time change. The mechanics of the time change could be left to Professor Smitt, Mike thought, as he finished his coffee.

He left the coffee shop, and strolled towards Marble Arch. The urge to work was now very strong. Mike decided to go home and start writing. As he walked along the green turf, the story began to take shape. Once the pianist was in the time machine each episode could deal with another period in time. One reason would be that the pianist was summoned from his own time to a future where music has almost been lost, and musicians were needed to fill the gaps. The stories should be almost pure adventure but with a strong social background. In fact, if there were going to be thirty-two or -three episodes, then the overall social picture could be the slow breakdown of civilization as one knew it today. Mike's mind was now really racing. Once he'd sketched the outline, he could see the television people to find out their reaction. If he worked into the night he felt he could get the outline done, and tomorrow go to the TV company.

Reaching Park Lane, he was just about to hail a cab when he changed his mind and descended into the subway leading to the Marble Arch tube station. He found a telephone booth and dialled Pete's flat. The phone was eventually picked up and the line started to blip. Mike forced in a sixpence and waited for the machine to digest it.

‘Hello, Pete?’

‘It's not dinner time yet, is it?’ came a very sleepy voice.

‘No. Listen carefully. I'm going back to the flat to do some work. I want to get a story outline finished tonight, so I think we'll have to scrub dinner unless you want to drop round for a bite later on,’ Mike said in a rush.

‘Going home to write. Can't afford to take me to dinner, so collect food and come round when I'm ready,’ came Pete's yawning reply.

‘That's it. What time?’

‘Seven,’ Pete said and the phone went dead. Mike replaced his receiver, and smiled.

He bought a ticket and made his way via Bond Street and Oxford Circus to Regent's Park. Here he came back into the  {17}  sunlight, and walked quickly up through the gardens. He passed through a small alleyway to the front of the block of flats where he lived. He was about to go in, and stopped. He wasn't quite sure why he'd stopped and then remembered that he still hadn't any milk. He crossed the road, heading towards a small grocery shop where he bought milk and a large jar of coffee. He didn't really like instant coffee, but when he was working it was simpler to make than proper coffee.

He hurriedly left the shop, and reached Albany Street. Clutching his parcels, he stopped, looked left, and stepped off the pavement. His momentum carried him several yards into the road before he looked right. It was too late. The taxi was on him. The driver must have applied his brakes hard—blue smoke rose from the taxi's front tyres. Mike stood transfixed in horror as the vehicle rammed him. He felt the hard metal cut into his legs, before he was thrown up in the air and tossed over the bonnet of the taxi. Mike felt himself hit the tarmac, with a sickening thud. He heard voices and the sound of running footsteps, but consciousness was slipping away. The world around him began to blur grey and then dark grey. Suddenly he saw a small fireball somewhere above him. From this ball of light came small darts which, curving rather than moving in a straight line, seemed to go straight into his head. Everything exploded into tiny fragments of light and he passed into the world of unconsciousness.

Mike's head felt as though he'd been run down by a jet plane. Even with his eyes closed he could still see the little darts of light. Suddenly, whatever he was lying on moved, and he opened his eyes. He found himself being lifted out of an ambulance.

‘Glad to see you're still with us,’ said a cheerful voice.

‘So am I,’ said Mike coughing violently.

He was carried in through large swing doors, down a small corridor to the outpatients. Mike coughed again as he smelled the heavy odour of disinfectant. The stretcher was carried into a cubicle, and left. Mike ached all over but there was no pain except in his chest. He moved his hands over the parts of his body he could reach, and to his joy found no broken bones.

‘What have we here?’ said a peppery-looking man.

‘Carbon monoxide poisoning,’ said a younger man. The peppery-looking man started to give Mike a simple examination.  {18} 

‘Carbon monoxide poisoning?’ said Mike, dumbfounded.

‘You'll be all right. Just a simple injection, and you'll be able to go home,’ said the older man, preparing it. The younger man rolled up Mike's sleeve, and he was given the injection.

‘There. You'll be as right as rain,’ said the older man, throwing the syringe away, and leaving the room.

‘Carbon monoxide poisoning,’ Mike repeated.

‘Yes,’ laughed the young intern, ‘what do you think you've got?’

‘I thought I'd been knocked down by a taxi.’

‘Pity you hadn't, it would have given us something interesting to work on. I think you'd have a job nowadays to get run down,’ said the doctor picking up a sheet of paper. ‘Now, can I have your insurance number, health insurance number.’

‘I'm sorry I don't know it,’ Mike said, wondering what the man was talking about.

‘You must have an insurance number.’

‘If I do, I'm sorry I can't remember it.’

‘Then I'm afraid you'll have to pay for the injection.’

‘How much?’

‘Oh. Six pounds,’ said the intern casually.

‘Where have you been?’ said the intern, looking at the pound notes Mike gave him.

‘Nowhere,’ Mike said, beginning to get fed up. ‘Tell me, what is this business about insurance numbers?’

‘Didn't you get all the bumf, when they changed over from the old National Health Scheme?’

‘No, I'm afraid I didn't,’ said Mike, in great confusion.

‘Well, it's a useful policy to have. You can get one from any insurance company. You know, just like a car insurance policy. You pay a fixed premium to begin with. Then if you have no claims in the year they reduce your premium. You ought to see about it, medicine can cost an awful lot nowadays.’

‘Thanks for the information,’ said Mike, getting up off the stretcher. ‘What hospital am I in?’

‘University College Hospital,’ replied the intern. ‘Do you live far away?’

‘No,’ said Mike. ‘Tell me, why does an injection cost so much?’

‘It's not the injection that's expensive, it's the doctors’ time and things like the ambulance. Drugs only cost a few pence,  {19}  except for the anti-tissue rejection ones,’ said the intern, opening the door.

‘What is a Terminal Ward?’ asked Mike pointing at a sign above a door.

‘We send cases there that might not live more than twelve hours after they've been admitted. If they live for longer, but turn into cabbages, then they are allowed to die. Do you feel all right?’ said the doctor, somewhat concerned by Mike's questions.

‘Fine, just a little confused,’ said Mike trying to force a smile.

Mike left the intern looking after him strangely and walked to the entrance to the hospital. Something must be very odd, Mike thought, as he found himself in Tottenham Court Road. He turned and looked up at the ultra modern building behind him. Tottenham Court Road seemed to be full of traffic. Mike looked at his watch. It showed twelve forty. He held it to his ear, but it had stopped. He crossed the road, and walked to the corner of Euston Road. All the traffic was stationary, and to Mike it looked like a rush hour stoppage on a Los Angeles freeway.

A man came running through the cars towards Mike.

‘Excuse me,’ said Mike to the man as he reached the pavement.

‘Yes?’ said the man nervously.

‘Could you tell me the time, please?’

‘Two twenty-four.’

‘Thank you, isn't this traffic terrible?’ Mike said, adjusting his watch. The man looked hard at Mike, and then muttered, ‘I suppose so,’ and hurried off towards a large building. The traffic in front hadn't moved. A frightening feeling of not knowing where he was slowly seeped through Mike. Everything was different, all the old buildings on the south side of Euston Road had gone. In their place now rose a giant structural complex. Mike hurried along back to the familiarity of his flat. He felt the bang from the taxi had done something to his sense of reality. If this were so, he puzzled, then why had the doctor given him a shot for carbon monoxide poisoning, and why were none of his limbs broken? The fear of this Alice in Wonderland feeling grew as Mike neared his flat, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

His apartment block looked the same as he pushed his way through the main entrance and hurried to his own front door. He inserted his key and tried to turn it. Nothing happened, it wouldn't turn. Panic was now rising quickly. Mike  {20}  tried to force the key to turn. Finally he pulled the key out of the lock and pressed the door bell.

‘Yes,’ said a dark haired woman. Mike looked at her in blank astonishment and pushed into his flat.

‘Hey, what do you think you're doing,’ cried the woman angrily.

‘I live here,’ said Mike curtly, walking into the living-room. ‘What the hell's going on?’ he yelled, looking at the room. All his furniture had gone, replaced with alien stuff.

‘How dare you,’ shouted the woman. ‘This is my home, and has been for a long time.’

‘Don't be bloody stupid. This was my flat when I left here this morning, how could you have lived here for a long time?’ Mike shouted back.

‘Young man,’ said the woman fighting for calmness in her voice, ‘I have lived here for a little over nine years, and, if you won't leave, then I'll have to call the police.’ She moved towards the phone.

‘You've lived here . . .’ Mike felt his legs go weak, and he almost fell over.

‘Are you all right? You've gone a very strange colour,’ said the woman.

‘May I sit down for a moment?’

‘Well. As long as you go when you feel better.’

‘Yes,’ said Mike, sitting down thankfully.

‘Tell me,’ he said at length, clearing his throat, ‘have you got a newspaper?’

The woman looked at him, and then handed a paper to Mike who took hold of it eagerly, and searched for the front page, ‘june 6th, 1979’ read the date. It was unbelievable.

‘This must be someone's idea of a very bad joke,’ he said weakly.

‘I don't understand?’

‘It can't be 1979,’ said Mike, with a nervous laugh.

‘Well, it is, and if you don't leave, I shall call the police.’

‘I'm sorry, Mrs. . . .?’ said Mike not knowing quite what to say.

‘Mrs. Peters; now will you leave?’

‘Yes, of course,’ he said, standing up. ‘Tell me, who did you buy the lease of the flat from?’

‘Please, whoever you are, will you kindly leave,’ said the woman.

‘Was it through a black jazz musician called Pete Jones?’ said Mike, reaching the door.

The woman was so taken aback that she said, ‘Yes.’  {21} 

‘Thank you, Mrs. Peters, I'm sorry to have been such a nuisance.’

The door to the flat crashed shut behind him. ‘Bloody bitch,’ he said to himself as he descended in the lift. He had been positive that he'd been hit by a cab on June 6th, 1969, at around lunchtime, but now he wasn't sure. Perhaps he'd just had a mental black out, and Pete was playing a joke. The trouble was that Pete didn't have that type of macabre sense of humour. Mike walked through the lobby to the main door.

‘Mr. Jerome,’ came a cry of horror behind him.

‘Sam,’ said Mike in great relief.

‘That's right, Mr. Jerome, we all thought you was dead,’ said the old man, staring as if he were seeing a ghost.

Mike couldn't find anything to say, until a thought struck him. ‘Sam, what happened after I was knocked down by the taxi outside here?’

‘They took you away in an ambulance.’

‘Who did?’

‘The ambulance men, Mr. Jerome,’ said Sam, beginning to look frightened by the inquisition.

‘O.K., don't look so worried Sam,’ said Mike. Out in the street he stopped to collect himself as best he could. It was all a bad nightmare. Find Pete, thought Mike. Pete would be solid reality, and once he was found, the rest of the joke might start to fit into place.

If it were truly 1979, that would explain the traffic, that seemed to be stopped in a permanently snarled up rush hour, thought Mike as he went along. It would be a logical progression from the rush hour jams of the past. At Portland Street Station he barged his way through the crowds. He searched the ticket hall for a phone but there was no sign of one.

‘Excuse me,’ said Mike to the man behind the grill of the ticket office, ‘where do I make a phone call from?’

‘Post Office.’

‘Fine. Where would I find a post office?’ said Mike, feeling the eyes of curiosity staring into his back.

‘Down by Warren Street Station,’ said the man in the monkey's cage. Mike struggled back into the street. The sky scrapers that loomed up round him made the old G.P.O. Tower look rather like a garden gnome. A large sign appeared on his right indicating that there was a Post Office in the next building. The door slid open and closed as he passed through. A flashing sign showed the way, a long moving escalator.  {22}  Mike was carried down into a fluorescently lit sub-basement. In front of him as he stepped off the stairs was a large gallery, containing the Post Office, an impressive array of different banks, and what looked like a large jewellery shop.

‘I'd like to make a phone call,’ said Mike to a woman behind a counter marked telephones.

‘Number?’ said the woman as she finished with another caller.

‘727 9209,’ he said, risking that Pete wouldn't have got round to changing his number.

‘Booth number 17,’ said the woman pointing. Mike found the right box and picked up the phone which just appeared to be hanging from the wall.

‘Please replace your receiver until you are called,’ barked an officious voice. Mike looked at the wall and then at the phone. Where the hell was he meant to replace the bloody thing? A small hook in the wall eventually caught his eye, and he attached the phone onto this. If this was really 1979 then he didn't think much of it. The whole atmosphere was rather like walking through a thick, damp fog. Mike shivered. Bip, Bip, went the phone, so he picked the instrument up from its hook.

‘Your number is ringing,’ said the voice. Mike heard the Bip, Bip, Bip and then silence for a moment before the signal repeated itself.

‘Park, no I mean 727 9209,’ suddenly said a very familiar voice. Sudden tears welled up in his eyes and his throat felt tight and dry.

‘Pete, are you thoroughly awake?’ Mike said, clearing his throat with some difficulty.

‘Yes, of course I am, who is it?’ came a rather testy reply.

‘Pete, this is Mike Jerome,’ Mike said, trying to hold back the tears.

‘Mike?’ Then there was silence.

‘Pete, are you all right?’ asked Mike urgently.

‘Man, if it's really you, then I'm O.K.,’ came a very unsteady voice down the phone. ‘Where are you?’

‘I'm at Warren Street Station, or thereabouts. Where are you?’

‘Same old place. Look, it isn't worth me getting out the limousine, as the traffic is really f . . . awful. Can you make your way over, I think it would be easier.’

‘Of course. Look, if the traffic is that bad, then I might have to walk, so expect me in say an hour or so,’ said Mike beginning to feel contact with the world at last.  {23} 

‘About an hour, great, Mike, that's just great. Till then,’ said Pete.

‘Till then,’ Mike said excitedly, and replaced the phone.

Mike was just about to leave the Post Office when he remembered that he would have to pay for the call. He went back to the counter, and waited his turn.

‘That's ten pence.’

Mike felt in his pocket and took out all his loose change. He counted out ten pence and pushed the money over the counter. He didn't wait to hear what the woman called after him.

The streets were still crowded and Mike's patience was beginning to wear thin. He looked round until he saw an empty cab but the driver was nowhere to be seen. He would have been happy to pay well over the top, not to have to walk to Pete's. He went to the tube station just in case, but it looked hopeless. The vast numbers of people walking were not shoppers, as he'd originally thought, but workers. He wondered whether there was a special reason or if the chaos was normal. As Mike walked on into Marylebone Road, all the old buildings he remembered were gone. In their place towered huge sky scrapers. He stopped from time to time to see what they were used for. To him they looked like office blocks, but from studying the long lists of names inside the buildings it became apparent that there was a large residential population. This struck him as very logical. If one couldn't commute to work, then one would have to live near one's work. How pleasant, thought Mike, he could find himself a superb new flat. A penthouse, perhaps. Resilience returned.

3

Jacques Prevert

MIKE turned buoyantly into Craven Hill and walked across the road to Pete's flat. There, standing on the front steps of the house, was a dark form.

‘Man, I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe it,’ said Pete,  {24}  leaping down the steps to greet Mike. The two hugged each other in a long embrace.

‘How are you?’ said Mike, seeing the tears in Pete's eyes.

‘Great. A little over-weight,’ said Pete, patting his trim-looking stomach. ‘Come on, come in, you bloody bastard.’

Mike followed Pete up the stairs and into his flat. Inside Mike took hold of Pete and gave him another bear hug.

‘You know, you really had me worried,’ said Pete, going over to a low table and pouring out two of the usual drinks.

‘You're not the only one,’ said Mike, helping himself to a splash of soda. ‘Did you have a bad time?’

‘Man, did I have a time. I was accused of hiding you, killing you, encouraging you to run away, and after all this I had the damned police on my back for months,’ Pete said with a big grin. ‘You know, the worst person was that damned bitch, Sue.’

‘What the devil was she doing?’

‘She was the one who put the police onto me. She never really liked me, and since I'm black everybody had it in for me,’ said Pete, taking a seat. At this moment a rather embarrassed-looking girl came out of the kitchen wearing nothing but her pants.

‘Honey, why haven't you got dressed?’ said Pete.

‘You two didn't give me very much time, did you,’ came the reply.

‘This is my oldest and best friend, Mike,’ said Pete with pride.

‘Hello,’ said Mike.

‘I've heard an awful lot about you, Mr. Jerome,’ said the girl with a twinkle.

‘I'm sure you have,’ said Mike, looking at Pete.

‘Honey, the man's name is Mike,’ said Pete. ‘Mike, that's Guy,’ he said, as the girl left the room to get dressed. ‘Another drink?’

‘Tell you one thing I'd like to do, and that is to eat early,’ Mike said, getting up and starting to prowl around the room.

‘Sure, we can nip round the corner to the Indian place,’ said Pete, handing Mike his glass.

‘Tell me, Pete, what's the date today?’

‘Sixth of June, I think.’

‘So that makes it ten years to the day that I vanished.’

‘Right,’ said Pete, not pushing the matter, for which Mike was grateful. Pete probably knew more about his moods, and  {25}  the way Mike felt, than anyone alive. There were many times in the past when he'd had to come, cap in hand, to Pete for help. He suddenly stopped pacing when he saw his old desk.

‘It's mine, isn't it?’

‘Sure, it's yours. Haven't opened it since I got it. By the way, I've also got your old filing cabinet, but that's in store at the moment,’ said Pete shyly.

‘How did you get hold of it?’ asked Mike.

‘Well, Sue sold off all your stuff at an auction. Since she wouldn't let me buy it before, I went along and bought your desk, filing cabinet and all your papers,’ Pete said, turning the desk key in the lock.

Mike pulled open one of the drawers and revealed a mass of untidy papers. He put his arm over Pete's shoulder as he turned over a page or two of a manuscript. ‘God, look at this. It was an idea for that TV series I was meant to do.’

‘Yes, I had a few problems persuading the TV company not to sue you for breach of contract,’ said Pete.

‘Thanks,’ Mike said, pushing the papers back into the drawer and closing it. The old upright piano caught his eye, and he went over to it and started to rattle off a twelve-bar boogie blues.

‘You play very well,’ said Guy, coming into the room. ‘Where did you learn?’

‘From him,’ said Mike jerking a thumb at Pete.

‘Careful, Mike. Guy's looking for a good accompanist,’ Pete said.

‘Singer?’ said Mike, playing a jazzed-up version of ‘God Save the Queen’.

‘Right, you could earn some good money . . .’ Guy started to say.

‘I might hold you to that,’ said Mike interrupting.

‘Come on, you two. We've got some eating to catch up on,’ Pete said, picking up his coat.

It was almost four in the morning when Mike got into bed on the converted couch in the living-room. He had been pleased to find that food hadn't really changed, or at least not Indian delicacies. After their meal Guy had gone off to do her singing spot, at some new jazz club in the West End. Only then did Pete settle back to hear Mike's story. He listened to the whole saga without comment, merely asking Mike if he'd gone back to find Smitt. When he learned that he hadn't, he was relieved and advised Mike not to search him out. A heated argument ensued. Mike wanted to find out what had happened to him and was reluctant to remain in  {26}  ignorance. Pete, on the other hand, counselled him to leave well alone.

Then it was Pete's turn to fill in the missing ten years of news as far as he could. Pete cared for very little of what went on in the world, except the world of music, but even Pete was now aware that the politicians hadn't been able to effectively control the population growth and were blaming the explosion on the scientists, who, in their turn, were having to find ways of producing food stuffs in even greater quantities.

Mike slept well, and was feeling very cheerful when Guy brought him a cup of tea.

‘What do you want for breakfast?’ said Guy, still in her cabaret outfit.

‘Have you only just got in?’ asked Mike, raising himself on one arm to get at his tea.

‘Yes, I do two spots, one at eleven, and the other about two in the morning. Unfortunately the club doesn't close until the last drunk has crawled out,’ she said with a smile.

‘Well, if you're going to cook Pete his usual hearty breakfast, I'll have the same.’

‘Pete doesn't eat too much now, it's his heart.’

‘His what?’ Mike said, not believing what he'd heard.

‘His heart, it gives him trouble from time to time, so he has to watch his weight,’ she said, almost in a whisper.

‘Oh, well, anything will do then,’ said Mike, very disturbed about Pete.

‘Eggs, bacon and coffee, O.K.?’ said Guy, moving towards the kitchen.

‘Sounds like a feast. I'll have a few tomatoes if you've got them.’ Mike grinned to cover his worries about Pete. He waited until she'd gone, then he extricated his naked body from the pile of blankets, and went into the bathroom. God, he thought, as he found Pete's shaving equipment; the old cut throat looked really lethal. He studied his chin, there was no getting away from it, he'd have to shave. After finishing his death defying act, he washed his face. Drying it, he looked in the mirror. There were no contact lenses in his eyes.

Yet he could see. Mike shivered violently, and searched his eyes with the tip of his finger. The lack of his contact lenses brought back the whole insecurity of the previous day. What had happened in the last ten years? Did he, Mike Jerome, really exist, or was he dead? He pinched himself and the flesh seemed real enough. Slowly he finished dressing and returned to the living-room, where his breakfast sat steaming on the table.  {27} 

‘What's the matter?’ asked Guy, sitting down.

‘Nothing really. I'm just a little upset about Pete's health,’ Mike lied.

‘You mustn't worry, the modern drugs are simply wonderful, and if the worst came to the worst, he could always have a transplant,’ said Guy, very calmly.

Mike looked up from an egg as Pete appeared in a gloriously multicoloured dressing-gown. Mike blinked at this apparition. He obviously mustn't keep Pete up late in future. It was frightening. Pete really looked his age. Mike realized suddenly Pete must be ten years older than he was.

‘What do you plan to do this morning?’ he said, lowering himself into an easy chair.

‘Well, I suppose I ought to go to the bank, and see how much money I have. Then look for somewhere to live,’ Mike said thoughtfully.

‘Don't rush into finding somewhere to live. That reminds me, when you vanished I took most of your unpublished material to an agent, fellow named Gilbert. We should go to see him before we go to the bank. You might have earned yourself a lot of dough.’

‘What would this fellow Gilbert do with any money my work makes?’

‘I told him to pay it into your bank in Piccadilly. I couldn't think of anything else to do, and I knew that all your royalties were paid in there.’

‘You might be right. What shall we do if I've made a bomb?’ said Mike.

‘Buy a place in the country, away from the mess in this city. You can go on writing while I do some composing,’ said Pete, with a glint in his eye.

‘Good idea.’ It seemed strange to Mike that Pete had just let any money accruing from his work go into the bank. It sounded as though Pete always thought he would come back. He was aroused from his reverie.

‘Ready when you are,’ said Pete, finishing his coffee. Mike rose with alacrity and put his jacket on. He knew from experience that once Pete was ready, so were you. They went down to the rear entrance of the house, where Pete kept a murderous-looking motor bike. Mike immediately thought of the terminal ward in the hospital. The bike roared into life, Pete banged out the clutch, and Mike quickly grabbed the waist in front of him, otherwise he'd have been sitting on the floor. They sped down the street, again blocked by traffic. Pete stopped at the junction of Bayswater Road.  {28} 

‘Why don't these people stay at home if they're going to be stuck in traffic all day?’ Mike said to the back of Pete's neck.

‘They eventually get there, but it's a slow process,’ Pete said, letting out the clutch again. Mike hung on, wondering how much work these people did, or whether they got paid for the time spent in their cars. Pete's interpretation of the Highway Code would have interested a very capable lawyer. Where the road was completely blocked, they would weave across the pavement. If the pavements were full they'd somehow manage to avoid disaster by going in and out of the front doorways of houses and sky scrapers. The snarl of the bike's exhaust seemed to have very little effect on the pedestrians, and Mike had his eyes partially closed so that he couldn't be a witness to an accident.

When the bike stopped Mike opened his eyes. They were almost up against a large plate glass window.

‘Are we here?’ asked Mike, getting off. Pete nodded, dismounted and leant the bike on its stand.

‘Over there,’ said Pete, pointing at a building across the road. The two men made their way through the traffic and in through the main doors of the building.

‘Good morning,’ said the receptionist as they approached.

‘Hi, we'd like to see Mr. Gilbert of Gilbert Associates,’ said Pete firmly.

The girl smiled at Pete while she pressed the buttons on her intercom. ‘What name?’

‘Jones.’

‘Mr. Gilbert, there's a Mr. Jones and friend to see you.’

‘I'm sorry, if they haven't an appointment, I can't see them,’ came a voice from the intercom.

‘Mr. Gilbert,’ said Pete, ‘all we want to know is whether you've made any money for Mr. Jerome.’

‘Mr. Jerome, Jerome,’ said the voice, thoughtfully. ‘You mean the man who vanished?’

‘Right.’

‘Mr. Jones, I'm afraid I haven't the information on hand, so could you come back later today?’

‘I would personally, but my friend here, Mr. Jerome, I think is a little anxious to know what's been happening to his royalties,’ Pete said casually.

‘Hmm, you'd better come up,’ said the voice.

The two men took the lift to the first floor and strode down a corridor until they stood outside a door with Gilbert's name on it.  {29} 

‘Come in,’ came the reply to Pete's knock on the door. Gilbert got up from his desk and came over to greet them.

‘Well, Mr. Jerome, this is a pleasant surprise. I had understood from Mr. Jones here that you were probably dead.’

Tell me, Mr. Gilbert, what would you do with my money if I were dead?’

The man looked at Jerome in amazement, and then laughed. ‘Nice way of putting it, very nice,’ Gilbert said, sitting down. ‘After Mr. Jones brought your properties to me, I had to sell them. I did this and we waited for the seven years to expire before you were officially dead. The last year or so was spent searching for some relative to inherit.’

‘Did you find anyone?’ asked Mike, not liking the man.

‘Oh yes, we eventually found someone,’ smiled the fat, little man.

‘Who?’ asked Mike.

‘Mr. Jerome, there is no reason why I should tell you who got the money. If you are really the right Mr. Jerome, then you'll have to prove it to the courts, before you get your money back.’

‘What do you mean the right Mr. Jerome? Of course I'm the right bloody Mr. Jerome,’ said Mike angrily.

Then you should have no difficulty in proving it, should you,’ said Gilbert smoothly.

‘Who did you give my money to?’ demanded Mike.

‘Mr. Jones, I would suggest you get your friend out of here.’

‘How much did she get?’ Mike asked menacingly.

‘She?’ said Gilbert, a little taken aback, ‘I didn't say it was a she.’

‘No, but I know that it was a she. How much?’ said Mike, grabbing hold of the man.

‘Not much,’ choked Gilbert.

‘How much?’ said Mike applying pressure to the man's throat.

‘A little over twenty thousand pounds,’ coughed Gilbert.

‘Bastard,’ Mike said, not letting him go.

‘Thump him, don't kill him,’ Pete said taking hold of Mike's arm.

‘Why bother?’ Mike said, dropping the now gasping, sweating Gilbert. ‘I'll tell you one thing, Gilbert, you'd better warn your friends that I have every intention of getting my money back. If I can't do it through the official channels, then I'll do it on my own.’

Pete grabbed hold of Mike and pushed him out of the  {30}  room. ‘Man, you can't go around threatening people without proof.’

‘Pete, you know as well as I do that Sue got the money, and I'll lay any bet that that little punk took a fat cut,’ said Mike vehemently.

‘So, what are you going to do?’ Pete asked, as they reached the street.

‘Wait. If I'm right, they'll be in touch with each other immediately. I have a feeling that they'll make the next move.’

‘What can they do?’ said Pete thoughtfully.

‘Their best bet would be to call the police in and try to disprove my story.’

‘Which they will do, without any difficulty,’ Pete said.

‘Right, but by tonight I'll know where that bloody bitch lives.’

‘I don't like it. Look, Mike, why don't you just go to ground?’ said Pete anxiously.

‘As soon as I know they realize I'm around,’ Mike said, with a curious laugh. ‘Come on, since I don't seem to have any credit with Mr. Gilbert, we'd better see how the old bank balance is faring.’

‘And what are we going to do with all this money in the bank?’ said Pete, recovering from the interview with Gilbert.

‘Celebrate, go on an absolute blinder,’ said Mike. Pete's face showed great delight and fear.

The two men danced happily across the road to the bike.

‘To the bank, sir,’ said Pete, with a little bow, as Mike got onto the machine.

‘Quite right, to the bank,’ said Mike grabbing hold of Pete's waist in good time. Pete pressed the starter and the bike's engine roared into life.

‘Let's go,’ yelled Mike, above the noise of the engine. The bike left the pavement in a cloud of rubber smoke.

They wove their way down Regent Street, and into Piccadilly Circus. The circus was now a vast complex of modern buildings standing well back from the road. Eros was still the centre of the circle, but instead of concrete there was almost a field of grass surrounding it. Mike looked round for his bank, but it was nowhere in sight. Pete parked the bike and removed its keys.

‘Won't you get done for parking?’ asked Mike, as he followed the burly figure in front of him.

‘Nope, the traffic situation is so bad the authorities don't really care too much,’ Pete said, with a wave of his hand. He  {31}  led the way down a subway, and along a passage until they came to a large underground shopping centre. They walked down a Burlington-type arcade until they were standing outside Mike's bank. It didn't look big from the outside, but once inside the place was vast. The two men walked across the marble floor to the nearest teller's window.

‘Good morning, 1 would like to see my statement,’ said Mike cheerily.

‘Over there,’ said the teller, hardly looking up.

Pete pointed the room out and then left Mike to look at the ticker tape machine. Mike typed out his request to see his statement, read it and destroyed the information in a waste paper shredder. He returned to the teller for a new cheque book and withdrew two hundred pounds from his account. With his money safely in his wallet, Mike pulled Pete away from a second ticker tape machine which was churning out the stock market results. From the bank they made their way back into the carbon monoxide fumes.

‘Where to now?’ asked Pete, as they reached the bike.

‘Let's pick up a drink then I'll find out where Sue lives.’

‘Man, I agree with the drink part, but leave well alone. Surely you've got enough cash to be going on with,’ said Pete, in distress.

‘Maybe I should leave it alone, but it's the principle. Why should they get away with stealing?’

‘I agree, but the story you told me won't get you anywhere. You'll be shut up in a nut house.’

‘All right. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll find out where she lives, and then I'll leave everything until she and Gilbert make a move,’ said Mike.

‘I still don't like the idea,’ said Pete, getting on the bike. Mike got on behind and they shot off back to Bayswater. They left the evil machine outside the house, and walked round the corner to Pete's local.

‘You know, I think I'll go and live abroad,’ Mike said as they walked. ‘But the question is—where?’

‘The old problem,’ laughed Pete as he pushed the door of the pub open. ‘What about Africa for a nice villa and year-round sunshine?’

‘And long rolling warm sea waves,’ Mike murmured.

‘Morning, Pete,’ said the barman.

‘Two whiskys,’ said Pete.

‘Are all pubs like this?’ asked Mike, in disgust, at the sight of all the chrome and glitter.

‘No, there are still some old-world pubs in the country,  {32}  but with all the rebuilding that's been going on, the breweries decided to go ail-American, and turn pubs into bars.’

‘Two whiskys,’ said the barman, putting the glasses on the bar.

‘How much?’ asked Mike.

‘This is on me,’ said Pete to the barman.

‘Not at all, how much?’ said Mike.

‘One pound fifty-five,’ said the man. Mike almost whistled, but managed to control himself and paid for the drinks. They moved over to a corner table.

‘That's good,’ said Mike, sipping his drink.

‘Mike,’ said Pete thoughtfully, ‘you know, you mustn't rush back into your old way of life.’

‘Sorry?’ said Mike in surprise.

‘Look, you mustn't go around saying that you're back. People are going to think it's a funny business. What you've got to do is to slowly ease yourself back, almost as if you've never been away.’

‘I know. It's just that I'm really so excited to find that I'm a reality, I forget that it will seem strange to other people.’

‘Hmm. You know, your story still worries me?’ said Pete, finishing his drink and signalling the barman for two more.

‘Pete, the whole thing is just as alien to me as it is to you. What can I do about it?’

‘I don't know. If you looked forty-two instead of thirty-two, you could have any story you wanted, but it's the way you look.’

‘Therefore, I mustn't tell anyone what happened to me, just leave them guessing.’

‘Your drinks,’ said the barman, putting two full glasses down.

‘Thanks,’ said Pete, and waited for the man to leave. ‘You should write this up as a book.’

‘Christ, I was going to write this idea up as a TV programme, not as a personal experience.’

‘But what if it isn't?’ said Pete, looking earnestly at Mike.

‘What do you mean?’

‘You might be in limbo, between two living realities.’

‘Pete, do you still believe in reincarnation, and all that crap?’ laughed Mike.

‘You can laugh, and disbelieve, but there are greater things going on in this Universe than either you or I can understand.’

‘What about God? Where does He fit in?’  {33} 

‘There's always good and evil in whatever one's talking about. God is the good image of the Universe.’

‘I'm not going to argue the point. We've talked around this subject for years, but as far as I'm concerned, I am normal flesh and blood, and that's substantial enough evidence for me.’

‘I hope you're right,’ said Pete, frowning.

Mike looked at the deep lines in the dark face. He'd always been fascinated by the supernatural, but he'd only looked on with objective interest. Pete, on the other hand, had become very involved. Mike again suddenly felt overwhelmed as the reality of his new-found world slowly vanished leaving him swimming in the middle of nowhere.

‘Hey man, take a look at what's just walked in,’ said Pete, breaking into Mike's thoughts. He turned to see two very elegant women walking into the pub. They went over to a corner table on the far side of the bar and sat down. Mike was just wondering whether he should go over and introduce himself, when he saw something that almost stopped his heart. Sitting at the same table was a very tall, very thin man.

‘The Professor,’ said Mike, under his breath.

‘What did you say?’ asked Pete, leaning forward.

‘You see the man sitting at the same table as those two women who just walked in? Well, I'm damned sure that's the Professor I was telling you about.’

Pete turned to study the table, and then turned back to Mike. ‘Are you feeling O.K.?’

Mike looked at Pete in amazement. ‘Of course,’ he said.

‘There's no one at that table except the two women,’ Pete said quietly.

Mike looked hard across the room. There was the Professor. ‘Are you looking in the right place?’

‘Sure, over there where the two peaches sat down.’

Mike shook his head and closed his eyes. He had to be dreaming. He opened his eyes to see Pete standing in front of him.

‘You don't look too well to me. Come on, I think a lie-down will do you good.’

Mike obediently got up from the table, and followed Pete. As they reached the door he looked back. There was no man. He looked quickly round the pub but the Professor wasn't anywhere to be seen.

‘I'm sorry, Pete, but I could have sworn that there was a  {34}  man sitting at that table who resembled the Professor,’ said Mike as they walked along.

‘Maybe you did, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be. Anyway, I don't think it would be a bad idea to go home, we both seem to be a little tired.’

Mike was about to protest, but if Pete hadn't seen the man, maybe he hadn't. If he hadn't seen the man in the flesh, then why should he suddenly see an apparition? Pete marched Mm into the flat and once inside pushed Mike into a chair.

‘Now listen to me, Mike. You obviously have had a nasty shock and maybe your mind is still confused by events, but for God's sake, pull yourself together. If you need a trick cyclist then I'll get you one, but you've got to live with the reality that ten years have gone by, and you can't explain it,’ said Pete, exploding with emotion.

‘Pete, I promise I won't mention the subject again,’ said Mike with a winning smile.

‘That's good, that's very good.’

Mike could understand Pete's fear. The experience he'd had couldn't be explained in rational terms. This only left the supernatural as far as Pete was concerned. Pete poured a couple of stiff Scotches and they drank in silence.

‘Well, I think I'll take a little nap,’ said Mike, feeling this might soothe Pete's disturbed mind.

‘Good idea, you put your feet up, and I'll just potter around for a while,’ said Pete, in a very fatherly way. Mike half finished his drink, and then collapsed on the couch. In his own mind he felt that the appearance of the Professor wasn't an apparition. It must have some meaning, but what?

Sue and the Professor. He must try to locate them both. His mind went on working away at the problem, until he fell into a light sleep.

Mike was awakened suddenly by the sound of someone screaming. He swung his feet off the couch, and looked round. Guy was standing by the front door one arm in her coat. Mike started to move towards her when he saw Pete, standing holding his head.

‘You're evil, you're bloody evil,’ yelled Guy. Mike turned round to Pete, who was now down on his knees. Then Mike saw it, hovering on the wall. The blob of light twinkled and sparkled like a small star. He heard the door bang. His mind filled with tiny darts of light increasing in intensity and he slowly crumpled to the floor in a dead faint. Pete tried to  {35}  struggle to his feet, but suddenly he screamed in agony. He hit the wall with a ferocity that snapped the bones in his body.

4

‘When in doubt, tell the truth.’

Mark Twain

MIKE woke with a king-size headache. It was so dark it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. The floor was rough and cold. Mike raised himself on one hand, and looked around. He focused on the bare, shabby walls, and wondered where on earth he was. Far away in the distance he could hear the sound of heavy machinery at work and the occasional raised voice.

The room was suddenly exploded by an eye-splitting thump, and part of the outside wall caved in. Mike was instantly on his feet and grappling at the closed door as the large, menacing weight crashed in again. He pulled hard on the handle and it broke. The weight was swung out of the room. Mike moved back from the door and charged, hitting it hard. The demolition weight had distorted the frame. He pushed urgently through the gap he'd managed to make.

Outside was bright and airy. He was lucky. It was all too apparent that almost the whole building had gone except where he was standing. He heard shouts and looked down. Workmen below had noticed him and were waving frantically. The demolition weight came crashing closely alongside. It was an unhealthy place to be, and he hurriedly made his way through the rubble to safety.

‘What the hell do you think you're doing?’ shouted an irate workman, coming over to him.

‘Sorry, mate, I didn't know you were going to demolish the building,’ said Mike, taking a look around. There was nothing left of the street, and in the far distance he could see the green of Hyde Park. What the hell was he doing there?

‘All right, you'd better come with me,’ said a man in uniform. Mike was going to resist the invitation but, seeing the hard, stocky workmen standing close by, he decided  {36}  that passiveness was a good policy at the moment. They walked over to a neat hut. The uniformed man opened the door and Mike walked in.

‘What is it, Sid?’ said another man in uniform sitting behind a desk.

‘Found this fellow up on the landing of the house we're bringing down.’

‘Where we started work this morning?’

‘Right, he nearly got himself killed,’ said Mike's captor.

‘Rubbish,’ said Mike.

‘You keep your mouth shut until you're invited to speak,’ said the man, getting up from behind his desk. ‘You weren't trying to kill yourself, were you?’ he smiled.

‘Don't be stupid, why should I want to kill myself?’ said Mike in exasperation.

‘Funny, isn't the man funny?’ said the man, giving him a back hand across the face.

‘What the hell was that for?’ Mike said furiously, squaring himself up to the man. He was suddenly grabbed from behind and sat down hard on a seat.

‘What's your name?’ said Mike's attacker, going behind the desk.

‘Why?’ asked Mike truculently.

‘Because I need it. Funny men like you can't come walking onto my building site trying to kill themselves without being reported, dead or alive,’ came the reply.

‘I didn't come here to kill myself. You're mad, bloody mad.’

‘All right, so you weren't trying to kill yourself, what were you doing here then?’ said the man viciously.

‘I came back to visit an old, familiar building before it was destroyed,’ Mike said, inadequately, struggling to remember what had happened.

‘Oh, roll me over and tickle my tummy again, that makes me laugh. Sounds more like you were up to no good,’ said the man, taking up a pen.

‘Name?’

‘Jerome, Michael Jerome.’

‘Fine,’ said the man, getting up and putting on his jacket. ‘You'd better come with me.’ Mike was ushered out of the hut and the two of them made their way to the entrance of the site and to a row of small bubble-like cars. The man went up to the first one and opened the door. Mike got in. As the man walked round to the other side of the vehicle, Mike tried to find a door handle, but he didn't have enough  {37}  time. The man pressed a switch, let the brake off, and they were on the move.

Mike was sharply aware of the emptiness of the streets. It was uncanny. London streets were always an inferno of metal and noise.

They stopped and entered a police station. At the desk the man who had brought him pressed a button and a policeman appeared. He was dressed in a lightweight, blue uniform almost like army combat dress, and carried a gun.

‘Yes?’ said the policeman.

‘Found this fellow on the building site.’

‘Do you want to prefer charges?’

‘No, I'll leave him with you,’ said the man, moving towards a corridor. The policeman nodded and picked up a form and pen.

‘Now, sir, would you like to tell me what you were doing at the site?’

‘I don't really know.’

‘Right, your name please.’

‘Michael lerome.’

‘Address.’

‘I'm afraid I don't have an address at the moment.’

‘What were you doing on the site?’ said the policeman unperturbed.

‘I went back to have a look for an old friend, but I found that the whole street was being demolished,’ Mike said, stating the nearest thing to the truth. He leant forwards to see what the man was writing. The date at the top of the form confirmed his dread. It was 1989. Feeling dazed, he turned round to look for something to sit on.

‘Just a moment, Mr. Jerome,’ said the policeman, leaving the room.

Mike made for the door. He pushed hard on the glass doors but they wouldn't budge.

‘That's the entrance, not the exit.’ Mike turned to see a plain-clothes man standing behind the counter. ‘If you will come this way.’

Mike passed through a half-door in the counter, and looked hard at the pleasant face with its lines of worry running from the corners of the eyes. Mike felt very conspicuous alongside him. Everyone was wearing clothes made from light fabrics, with a military cut about them, whereas he was wearing his roll neck sweater and suede jacket. They passed through a large room which looked like a communications room. In a rabbit warren of passages, the man in front of him stopped.  {38}  Mike hesitated for a moment in the doorway, and was given a push from the policeman he'd first seen. This man slid the door shut behind him, leaving the plain-clothes man and himself. The room contained a semi-circular desk and two chairs. The man sat down behind the desk and motioned Mike to take a seat. Mike was unimpressed by the room; it was so stark it was uncomfortable. The detective read something that was in front of him and clicked a switch on the desk.

‘Sergeant, cross reference the fingerprints and let me have the file on Mr. Jerome, Mr. Michael Jerome,’ said the man, swinging round in his chair and looking out of the window. There was nothing of interest out in the yard, except for a grill in the ground to allow the water to drain away. The sergeant took Mike's fingerprints and went away.

‘There's nothing on him, sir.’ The sergeant had returned, nonplussed.

‘That's ridiculous. Mr. Jerome, can you remember when your fingerprints were taken?’

‘I think the last time that I can remember was when I got my New York driving license,’ said Mike, in all honesty.

‘No, I mean for the computer identification,’ the detective said testily.

‘I don't think I've ever had that done,’ came Mike's reply.

‘You must have, you wouldn't have a passport otherwise. Come to think of it, you wouldn't be able to do anything without this record being taken,’ said the detective, in firm disbelief.

‘There is some information on Mr. Jerome, sir,’ said the sergeant, handing over a very thin file. It was opened and studied. Mike sat there trying to think of any offences he might have committed, but nothing came to mind.

‘Well, Jerome,’ the detective said, his voice changing to a hard, official tone, ‘what were you doing on June 7th, 1979, and where have you been since that date?’

‘I was with a friend called Peter Jones,’ said Mike.

‘And what have you been doing since then?’

‘I don't know,’ said Mike truthfully.

‘Mr. Jerome, you are wanted by the police for questioning. If you won't tell me where you've been then I must assume you've been in hiding, otherwise you couldn't have avoided having your fingerprints taken.’

‘Not necessarily,’ Mike said, wondering what the devil they wanted to talk to him about.

‘Oh yes, every country in the world runs fingerprinting  {39}  computers, and I don't feel you could have avoided them, unless you were purposely hiding.’

Mike sat looking at the detective wondering what he could say.

‘Jerome, I'm waiting,’ said the detective, impatiently.

‘Well, all right,’ said Mike. ‘The answer to your question is very simple, I've been travelling through time.’

‘Sergeant,’ said the detective, and the man left the room.

‘Jerome, before you get yourself into real trouble by telling lies, I suggest you see the police doctor.’

‘What for?’ asked Mike.

‘If you find that you can't tell the truth, then the doctor will help you.’

‘Help me, in what way?’ asked Mike crossly.

‘It's very painless, just a truth serum. It saves a lot of time when a suspect is uncooperative.’

‘Don't I have any choice?’ asked Mike in amazement.

‘No,’ came the simple reply.

‘You mean to tell me you're legally allowed to do this?’

‘Of course, I'll show you the law if you want,’ said the detective opening a drawer.

‘Sounds like Orwell's 1984,’ said Mike sarcastically.

‘I'm afraid that's a little off target. This is just a speedy way of helping a very undermanned police force.’

Mike sat in silence waiting for the doctor. Thrusting his hands deep into his pockets he suddenly remembered the notes Smitt had given him. They were no longer there. As he sat racking his brains trying to remember where he might have lost them, he had an uneasy fear that something or someone had more control over his predicament than he had himself. He had little to fear from the drug as the truth was going to give the police a big headache. But what on earth did they want him for? The door opened and in came a jovial, middle-aged man and a couple of assistants, carrying various pieces of electrical equipment.

‘Morning, Doc,’ said the detective, ‘got a rather stubborn fellow here who needs help.’

‘We'll soon have him sorted out,’ said the doctor, turning to Mike. ‘Morning, could you roll up your sleeve, please?’

Mike obliged and was given a strong jab with a hypodermic needle. The two assistants busied themselves setting up their equipment. The doctor looked at his watch and felt Mike's pulse. Mike waited in great anticipation for something dramatic to happen, but he didn't feel any different.

‘Feel all right?’ said the doctor. Mike nodded.  {40} 

It was a good five minutes before the doctor and the detective settled down to questioning him. The assistants had finished playing with their tape recorder and it was now connected up. Mike still felt no different, but when the questions started, the answers seemed to roll off his tongue without any apparent effort from himself. He told them all about himself, his career, the meeting with the Professor and what had happened to him since. The detective asked him a terrific amount about his relationship with Pete, and particularly about June 7th, 1979. Mike told them what he could remember about the last minutes before he lost consciousness. They went on asking him questions about the event until they'd exhausted their lines of approach. The detective went over and over Mike's statement with a fine toothcomb, trying hard to find some weak link in what Mike had been saying, but he couldn't. Eventually the questions stopped and the doctor gave Mike a second jab.

‘There we are, Mr. Jerome. You'll feel perfectly all right in a few minutes,’ said the doctor cheerfully, packing up his bag, and leaving the room to the detective and the two assistants.

‘You've got me really puzzled. Your story is the most farfetched I've ever heard,’ said the detective looking a little bewildered.

‘Have you anything for a headache?’ Mike asked, feeling a pain building up behind his eyes. One of the assistants produced a box of pills. To Mike's pleasure the pill didn't have an unpleasant taste, as he crunched it up. He then sat there praying that it would soon relieve the pain. The detective got up from his chair and started to pace steadily around the room.

‘How do you feel?’ asked one of the assistants.

‘Awful,’ Mike replied, feeling a little sorry for himself. The assistant took another pill from the box and Mike consumed it.

‘You rest your head,’ said the detective pleasantly, as they left the room. Mike's head suddenly began to ease. He got up and gently tried the sliding door. It opened; he peered out into the corridor. The thought of escaping loomed large in his mind. He turned and went over to the window. There didn't seem to be much hope that way, as the yard was completely enclosed. Perhaps his chance would come later. He had no idea of the layout of the building, and if he were caught, the police would be even more suspicious of him. Mike stopped pacing round the room and studied the  {41}  electronics equipment. Part of it was obviously a tape recorder, but the rest of it baffled him. All it seemed to be was a box plugged into the wall.

‘Interested in electronics?’ said the sergeant from behind.

‘Yes, I was wondering what it was,’ Mike said, pointing at the box.

‘It's very simple really, your statement was recorded on this tape machine. It then went into the box, where it was converted into computer language, and passed on to the central computer. There it is stored. Anyone wanting to hear what you said just has to type out your name on the input machine, and within seconds, we get everything there is to know about you,’ said the policeman, with great pride.

‘Will you come with me,’ said the detective, poking his head round the door.

‘Where to?’ asked Mike, following him.

‘They want a word with you over at Scotland Yard,’ said the detective as they passed through the communications room. They turned through a door marked exit, and out into a car park. Mike was interested to find that the car they were travelling in was petrol-driven.

‘Why do you have petrol cars?’ he asked.

‘All public services are allowed to have petrol-driven machines. They are so much quicker if you have to get to an accident,’ was the reply.

‘Are private citizens allowed motor cars?’

‘Certainly, but they need a permit if they want to travel further than their home area. That's usually a radius of some thirty miles round their point of residence.’

‘How do people commute to work then?’

‘Most firms and businesses are now decentralized. The people remain in their own community and the business firms go to them. That's roughly what happens.’

This explained why there were so few people in the streets. London looked very different with more open space and higher buildings. The old, familiar places like Hyde Park were bathed in the bright sunlight, as they sped past. Everything was incredibly clean. They passed by Buckingham Palace, which didn't appear to have changed. A large, red, single-decker bus went silently by. One or two people sat on the benches in St. James's Park, taking the morning sun. The summer flowers gave the world a sane feeling in Mike's eyes. The car soon pulled up outside New Scotland Yard, as the sign above the door said. Mike followed the detective through the main entrance and into a lift wondering whether he would  {42}  ever see the bright sun again, or whether he was going to be shut away for crimes he hadn't committed. At the seventh floor, they left the lift and made their way towards the back of the building. At length the detective stopped and knocked on a door, and they were told to come in. Mike was amused by the old-fashioned appearance of the office; metal filing cabinets, dusty bookshelves, and the old leather-topped desk.

‘Come in, come in,’ said a young man in army uniform as they stood in the doorway.

‘Good luck, Mr. Jerome,’ said the detective, turning and going off down the corridor. Mike went into the office and closed the door. On the desk there were even in and out trays, which forced a smile from Mike as he waited for instructions. None came so he sat down in a rickety, wheel-back chair.

‘Tea or coffee?’ asked the man.

‘Coffee,’ said Mike, a little bewildered by the casualness of the proceedings and being questioned by a military person.

‘Major Leadbury,’ said the man holding out his hand. Mike stood up and shook it firmly. The communications door opened and a very pretty Wren came in with a couple of cups of coffee. The Major made no effort to help her as she held the door open with her foot. Mike reached for the door and held it. The woman smiled in appreciation, put the tray down, clicked her heels and left.

‘Help yourself,’ said the Major. Mike did.

‘Mr. Jerome, you probably wonder why you've been brought to me?’

Mike nodded and took a drink of his coffee.

‘You pose a very interesting problem. Your statement given under truth serum has rather stumped the police, so they've handed you over to me,’ said the Major.

‘Why the military?’ asked Mike politely.

‘Good question. The police have put forward the theory that you have been conditioned to say what you've said. If this is true, then you might come under the heading of unwanted alien, which is my department.’

‘That's ridiculous,’ said Mike.

‘Not really, I've had cases of people entering this country with fantastic stories, and some of them have turned out to be crack-pots, and the others, spies.’

‘Spying? God, what are you people going to think up next?’ said Mike with a laugh.

‘Are you a British subject?’

‘Yes.’  {43} 

‘Can you prove it though? There is no record of your existence.’

‘What about these?’ said Mike, handing over his wallet and cheque book. The Major studied them and then handed them back.

‘You're going to need a little more than that.’

‘What happens if my story is true?’

‘Then you'll be a very interesting subject for the physicists,’ said the Major, smiling.

‘Why don't you see what they have at Somerset House, or get hold of Sue Kimbell, or Pete Jones?’

‘Pete Jones, he's dead,’ said the Major, watching for the reaction.

‘When did he die?’ asked Mike after he'd collected himself together.

‘June 7th, 1979,’ said the Major, reading from some papers in front of him. Mike was thunderstruck, it wasn't possible. The Major took a bottle from off the top of his filing cabinet and poured Mike a drink.

‘You know,’ said the Major, handing the drink to Mike, ‘your birth certificate shows that you were missing in 1969, and in 1979 you were presumed dead, so that doesn't help you. You could have taken on the identity of a dead man.’

‘This whole situation is bloody ridiculous,’ said Mike. ‘I know that I am a British citizen. I'm not conditioned to tell my story. I know it's true.’

‘Fine, don't worry, we'll soon know some of the answers,’ said the Major, in a friendly way.

‘What are you going to hold me on, what charge?’ said Mike, not really trusting the Major's manner.

‘I'll charge you if you want, but I'd prefer it if you'd just co-operate for a little while.’

‘Why?’

‘Jerome, your story is so fantastic that there may be some truth in it. If I charge you, the authorities would assume I'd made up my mind and they might take you from my custody. All I'm doing is to give you the benefit of the doubt and a little dignity.’

‘What happens if you find out that I am a spy?’

That depends on whether the case is a civil or a military one. If it's civil you'll get a prison sentence, if it's military, I wouldn't like to say,’ said the Major, getting up. ‘Come on, let's start our inquiry.’

Mike got up and followed the Major. He wondered whether to belt the man one and make a run for it. This idea froze  {44}  in his mind when he saw the two M.P.s standing in the corridor with their automatic rifles. There wasn't much chance of escape as the beefy-looking men fell in behind him. They all climbed into a lift. Mike had been visualizing a deep dungeon in the sub-basement, where they would start an agonizing torture to extract a truth he didn't know, but instead the lift took them to the roof of the building, where several helicopters were parked. They approached one of them and got in. A soldier in a private's uniform climbed into the pilot's seat, and they were soon airborne.

The view of London was superb. The whole character of the city had changed. Instead of a sprawling mass of buildings and roads, there were now just groups of buildings set out in great parks of grass and trees. This must be the decentralization Mike had been told about. From the position of the sun he reckoned they must be travelling west. Surrounding the complexes of buildings he saw cars and trucks, travelling back and forth like ants. The progress of society back to small communities struck Mike as a splendid idea, and it seemed strange that the authorities hadn't done this sooner. They were now over open country.

‘What's that?’ asked Mike, pointing to a huge line of excavation running away into the distance.

‘They're laying down a tunnel to carry a vast communications system which will link up the whole country,’ said the Major.

‘About time,’ said Mike, remembering how bad the phones had been. The helicopter began to descend. Below them was a vast area surrounded by fencing. Mike looked carefully to see what kind of prison he was entering. Dotted over the compound were long buildings, and in one corner was a collection of field-guns.

‘Where are we?’ asked Mike as the helicopter landed.

‘Aldermaston,’ came the abrupt reply from the Major.

All Mike could remember about the place was that it used to be a research establishment. The rotors of the helicopter stopped and Mike was ushered out onto the concrete. The four of them moved over to one of the long, low buildings. A soldier smartly saluted the Major, and the two of them vanished farther into the building. Mike looked round for some clue as to what kind of place this was. The Major returned, and led Mike down the passage to a room where he was left alone. The room was absolutely empty without any obvious lights. He walked over to the window and peered out through the heavily barred frame. Apart from the odd  {45}  soldier who went by, there seemed to be a large number of white-coated men and women hurrying around. This made Mike uneasy, as he felt that Aldermaston might still be a research centre. If it were, he didn't like the idea of being put on the operating table, or being brain washed. A grill opened in the door and a pair of eyes studied him for a moment and then vanished.

Turning back to the window, Mike felt very lost and sad. Sad because of what he'd learned about Pete. Was it the shock of the time change that had killed Pete, or was it his heart that had caught up on him? It was probably a combination of the two. If there had to be an immense amount of power to bring aboiit the time change, this could have hurt Pete if he'd tried to fight against it. Mike wondered if Pete had been meant to come with him. What a hell of a tragedy. The two of them, together, could have stormed the world. Outside the traffic of people seemed to be diminished and Mike noticed that the sun's shadows were lengthening out. Maybe Pete was around.

The door slid silently open and a soldier came in.

‘Please empty your pockets.’ Mike obliged and gave the man all the odds and ends he had.

‘Are you taking these to Major Leadbury?’ asked Mike.

‘Yes,’ came the reply.

‘Good. Could you ask him whether there's a piano here?’ said Mike. The soldier nodded and left. The door opened a few minutes later and there stood the Major.

‘Why do you want a piano?’ he asked curiously.

‘Because I'd like to play.’

‘Well, that seems very reasonable,’ said the Major, ushering him through the door. He had the feeling that the Major was taken aback by the request.

‘Do you play well?’ asked the Major.

‘After a fashion. Tell me what happens if I run away?’

‘Probably give me a stronger case against you.’

‘You might not catch me.’

‘I don't think you'd get very far, without friends or money. Then it's only a matter of time before you'd give yourself up through hunger, or a mistake,’ said the Major in his offhand way, opening large double doors. Mike found himself in a hall, and at the far end on a platform, stood an upright piano.

‘There you are, help yourself,’ said the Major.

‘Oh, just in case you feel like leaving us, you'll find all the exits guarded, with instructions to shoot on sight.’  {46} 

‘What a nice place,’ said Mike under his breath, watching the Major leave. He turned and walked up the gangway between rows of comfortable looking chairs. He climbed slowly onto the platform and walked round. Behind the backcloth were large charts of Europe, a silver screen and piles of curtains. Mike saw some stairs and hurriedly descended them. Near the bottom he found his way barred by a locked door. Back on the stage, he looked round for the light switches, but couldn't find any, so he'd have to play in the dark. The piano turned out to be an organ of sorts, he couldn't get a peep out of it. He became irritated at not being able to find any power lead or power point. He pushed and pulled buttons and switches without result. Then he gave the instrument a sharp push, and found what he'd been looking for. The power point was underneath the damned thing. He plugged in a lead, and pressed the keyboard. The hall was filled by the sound of a D minor seventh chord. Holding this chord he pushed and pulled all the switches and buttons until he was satisfied with the function of the organ. One switch turned the machine from an organ into a piano. This intrigued him as there seemed to be no sound from the machine, and yet the chord sounded in the hall. An electronic piano, thought Mike, as his fingers moved swiftly over the keys. He turned up the volume until the hall boomed with sound, then started his playing with a medium tempo twelve-bar blues, intermingled with Christmas carols.

After a while, Mike turned the machine back into an organ, and really started shaking the building with pounding rhythm and blues. This brought back memories of Pete and a mounting conviction that he would find him. Suddenly the lights went up, leaving him blinking. Sitting in the hall were a number of people obviously enjoying the impromptu concert. Mike finished with the number called ‘High Society’. His small audience applauded vigorously as he got up from the organ, bowed and left the platform.

‘That was very enjoyable, Mr. Jerome,’ said an oldish man standing next to Major Leadbury.

‘Thank you,’ said Mike, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

‘This way, Jerome,’ said the Major, pleasantly. He was led from the building, across the concrete and into another small building. A soldier stood to attention as they came through the door, then took out some keys and walked with them. The soldier had unlocked a door. Mike wasn't quite expecting a comfortable room. This had wall to wall carpeting, incandescent lighting and a soft looking bed.  {47} 

‘You've got a very nice hotel,’ said Mike, turning to the men behind him.

‘Glad you like it,’ said the Major. ‘You'll be able to get a good night's sleep. If there's anything you want just give that a push,’ he said, pointing to a button by the door.

‘Thanks,’ said Mike, as the men left. He was surprised when the door was left open. Mike looked out into the corridor, but there was no one there. He moved stealthily down to the outside door and peered out. A couple of M.P.s stood chatting a few yards away. He went back to his room and lay down on the bed.

Mike was soon asleep, but it wasn't a good sleep. He was troubled by a vivid dream. In it he woke to an appetizing breakfast. He poured himself a cup of coffee and went over to the washstand and found what looked like an electric razor. He put the razor to his face, and he soon had a perfect shave. The door slid open and two M.P.s came in. Mike smoothed out his very old-fashioned, crumpled clothes as best he could, and went off with the soldiers. They crossed back to the building of the previous day. This time he was taken straight to the big hall. His heart began to race, as all the chairs had been removed and in their place were a couple of tables near the platform. He walked forward to the tables and his escort withdrew. Mike looked up at the platform where there was another table and several chairs. Soldiers came in carrying chairs and set them down in the hall. They weren't the comfortable ones of the night before. He pulled one towards him and sat down.

‘Stand up,’ came a shout that made him jump. Mike turned to see a Sergeant Major striding towards him. The man arrived alongside him but didn't say anything. The main doors opened and in came a group of people. Mike suddenly recognized them. There were Sue, Gilbert, Pete's girl friend, Guy, and a number of army officers. Mike was just about to go and find out what was going on, when he felt a firm hand restraining him. Four top-ranking officers came out onto the platform accompanied by Leadbury.

‘Mr. Jerome,’ said one of the men from the platform, ‘we are here to hear your defence on the serious charges that have been brought against you. Do you plead guilty or not guilty?’

‘What?’ asked Mike in amazement.

‘Guilty or not guilty?’ came the voice from the stage.

‘Guilty,’ roared the people from the other table.  {48} 

Mike woke to the vigorous shaking of his shoulder.

‘What is it?’ he asked, in a bit of a panic.

‘You're having a rough time,’ said Leadbury cheerfully. ‘What were you dreaming about?’

‘This bloody mess I seem to have got myself into,’ said Mike, feeling very sweaty and uncomfortable.

‘Do you feel guilty about it?’ asked the Major, sitting down.

‘How can I feel guilty about anything? Nothing makes sense. You don't make sense, and the disappearance of my friend, Pete, makes no sense,’ said Mike crossly.

‘I understand how you feel about your friend,’ said the Major, with a worried look on his face.

‘Do you, do you really?’ said Mike bitterly.

‘I think I do.’

‘What's worrying you?’ asked Mike, watching Leadbury's face.

‘My superiors are insisting that I make a decision about you.’

‘Why?’

‘They like everything cut and dried, and I'm afraid your story isn't.’

‘So what are you going to do?’ asked Mike.

‘I don't really know. One of our biggest problems is the fact that you still look on yourself as an individual.’

‘Why shouldn't I?’

‘Because this alienates.’

‘Surely the individual has the right to try to survive,’ said Mike, not grasping what the Major was talking about.

‘I'm afraid the freedom of the individual has been superseded by the group.’

‘Why?’

‘Mainly because the group has a better chance to survive economically.’

‘Sorry, I'm lost.’

‘It's just a form of community living which is beginning to spread round the world, brought about by the breakdown of cities and the move towards decentralized living,’ said the Major.

‘And I suppose to make everything cut and dried, everyone has to belong to a group.’

‘Right. There's a sort of unwritten law that everybody belongs. You see, a community can have good, strong administration. Therefore, everyone in that group must be a  {49}  member. They can then have a plentiful supply of food, good communications, medical services, so on and so forth.’

‘You mean these people are willing to spend their money and supply other services at the discretion of their administration!’

‘Right. Total local government. The country's government still makes the basic laws, but over the years the general populace objected to over taxation, health schemes and so on, so the central government had to give the population more freedom. The people organized themselves into economic groups. The central government gave each group a yearly target for things like taxes, population growth and the supply of personnel for government jobs.’

‘And you say this has become the general practice throughout the world?’

‘Yes. Some countries are farther advanced than others, but from what one hears, they're all moving in that direction.’

‘Why should this complicate the issue in my case?’

‘It wouldn't if you were willing to join in and co-operate. But my superiors, after reading your statement, have decided that you wouldn't be able to adjust to normal society. This gives me a problem; either I must have you confined, or conditioned to our way of thinking.’

‘And you yourself feel that I couldn't adjust?’

‘Honestly, no. If your story's true, then you have come from an era where the freedom of the individual was held very high. If you hadn't been a writer there might have been a chance,’ said the Major, standing up.

‘What would I need to be to make me acceptable?’

‘Oh, any occupation that didn't require original thought. All I can advise you to do, is to think carefully about what we've discussed. In the morning you'll come before my superiors, and I suppose if you could persuade them that you were ready to fit into a group, they might agree.’

‘Otherwise?’ asked Mike.

‘I'll try and get you the lightest sentence I can,’ said the Major, moving to the door. ‘So think really hard.’ He then vanished down the corridor.

A picture began to form in Mike's mind. The development of society became clear. Instead of a steady progress towards stricter central government control of the people, as was happening in the late 1960s, the situation had reversed itself. The people were taking over some of the central government's duties and creating their own type of home rule.

But the freedom of the individual had gone. Mike thought  {50}  about his own position for a while, and then quickly decided his plan of action.

5

‘When in doubt, win the trick.’

Hoyle

MIKE got up off the bed and pressed the button by the door.

‘Yes, sir,’ said a soldier coming to the door.

‘Is there anywhere I can get something to eat?’

‘Yes,’ said the soldier, looking at his watch. ‘You'll just make it before the canteen closes.’

Mike followed the soldier through the lighted alleyways between single-storey buildings which seemed to be the standard architecture of the establishment, and on to the canteen. It was humming with civilians relaxing and talking. Walking down the room he glanced carefully at the crowded tables, just in case he caught a glimpse of the Professor, but he wasn't there. A clock at the back of the counter showed a quarter to twelve.

After a meal of stew and coffee he was restless and needed the relaxation of a walk. The soldier did not object and the two men set off on a tour of the establishment. Mike had been thinking he might be able to hurdle his way over the high perimeter fence but, on close inspection of the fifteen-foot wire enclosure and the look-out posts, he decided against this idea of escape. It was when he saw a building marked ‘bath’ that a more feasible plan began to form. Telling the soldier he'd like a bath, he left him waiting at the main door while he quickly and efficiently went over the building, but it was empty. What he'd had in mind was to borrow a soldier's uniform and make a bid for his freedom through the main gate. Deciding to be more patient, he found himself in a bathroom, undressed and lounged in the luxury of deep, warm water.

‘Come in,’ said Mike in reply to a knock at the door.

‘Enjoying your bath?’ asked Leadbury.

‘Yes.’

‘Thinking about what we were talking about earlier?’

‘Perhaps.’  {51} 

‘Have a good soak,’ said the Major, closing the door behind him.

Mike turned to check that the man had left. Curious that Leadbury should also be keeping an eye on him, he thought. Maybe the Major was a rather pent-up individual at heart. He shivered as the bath water suddenly felt cold, got out, dried, and dressed quickly swearing aloud when he remembered that they had taken his wallet. Maybe it was a good thing after all. If he were picked up, he could say he'd lost his memory, or even call himself Charles Dickens.

Outside the building there was no sign of the soldier. He stood looking round but nobody appeared. Catching sight of the main entrance, on a sudden impulse he decided to chance it. Hurrying footsteps made him freeze but after a moment they retreated into the distance. He started off warily, looking over his shoulder from time to time. The distance between himself and the cover of the retreating buildings looked enormous. There seemed to be no sign of activity by the main gate, but he wasn't taking any chances. On reaching the back of the guard hut he listened, but there was no sound. He hadn't time to wonder why. He cautiously made his way round to the door and peered in. It was empty. Someone must have set this all up. Bastards, where were they? He looked back at the buildings in the far distance, hesitated and then started to run past the hut and out of the main gate. From there he sprinted across the road into a large open field, stumbling and jumping his way across.

‘Stop, or we fire,’ came a voice through a loud hailer.

Mike had no intention of stopping, and went on running faster than before. Somewhere up in front of him he could see a barrier of sorts. Suddenly light flooded the whole area round him and he saw that the barrier was a fence. Behind him he heard the sound of gunfire. He felt hard lumps of earth hit his back as the bullets sprayed the ground. The fence was only a few yards away, but with no time to stop or think he hurled himself at the top, grabbed the wire and frantically dragged himself over. A machine gun started up somewhere behind, and raked the fence as he fell over the other side. The sounds of the deadly lead pinging through the fence made Mike try to throw himself in a different direction from his line of fall. He gave a mental sigh of relief as he went to the right, that the gunner had started his sweep from right to left. The hovercraft machine-gun carrier was throwing up the dust as it swept to the fence. Mike picked himself off the ground and started to run.  {52} 

A single shot rang out and he started to zig-zag. Another shot threw him bodily sideways. He felt no pain, except his aching muscles. The sound of the vehicle somewhere behind him made him cling to the ground. He listened intently to the engines until they died away, then lifted his face from the ploughed field, wiped the dirt off and looked back. The machine was making its way along the fence away from him. Struggling to his feet he moved unsteadily to the trees up in front. He knew he shouldn't rest, but he had to and leant gasping against a tree trying to catch his breath. Once he was sufficiently recovered he felt over his clothing to see where he'd been hit. A bullet had passed through his jacket and sweater just under his armpit, leaving a mass of torn wool and suede. The noise of the hovercraft's engines brought him back to reality, and he started out in the opposite direction from the sound of the machine.

The fields and wood rolled gently away in front of him as he jogged along steadily, trying hard not to trip and fall in the darkness. Behind him the ominous sounds of the engines could still be heard. How much longer would it remain dark, giving him an advantage over his pursuers? Suddenly he stopped. Somewhere up in front of him came the sound of another engine. This was impossible, they couldn't have got round in front of him, or could they? The sound behind him came closer and closer. Mike moved on, ready to dive to the ground and bury himself in the dirt. He came to more trees, and made his way cautiously through them to the edge of the copse, where in the open space in front of him was a vehicle, lights full on. The machine seemed to be moving up and down the field, as if searching every inch of ground. As it reached the edge of the wood, he saw with relief that it was only a giant combine harvester busy at work. Even so he must keep as far away as possible. He'd only just rounded the field when his pursuers came into sight and as they approached the harvester Mike moved away quickly. He trotted on and on along the sides of fields, until up in front of him he heard a low rumbling. It was a sound that he had heard before, many times. He couldn't place it immediately, but it gave him a sense of security. Maybe he was mistaken but in Mike's mind it was better than the harsh exhaust note of his pursuing vehicle. He crawled up an embankment. That's why the sound was familiar. It was a highway.

The traffic was heavy and it took a number of minutes to cross to the other side. Giant trucks lumbered along, and it occurred to Mike that he might be able to thumb a lift. Then  {53}  he had another idea. He would try and find a place where he could hop on a vehicle without being seen. After a moment's thought, he decided to travel in the direction of the heaviest flow of traffic keeping within sight of the yellow carriageway lights that seemed to brighten up the whole sky.

On reaching the giant intersection he walked under the arches of the fly-over and onto the down ramp of the east-bound traffic. He lay on the verge looking for a good point to take a run at a truck. He noticed that on the entrance to the motorway there were traffic signals flashing red, and then green for a moment, and then back to red. He watched for a while until he saw their purpose. On red it meant that there was traffic on the motorway in the slow lane, but on green it was clear to proceed. Traffic coming off the fly-over was very good about obeying these signals and would slow right up until it saw the go-ahead. All he had to do now was to wait for the right truck coming off the ramp with no vehicle following it and he'd have a chance to climb aboard.

Mike lay there in the damp grass feeling very miserable as the dew seeped through his clothes. The last forty-eight hours reminded him of a Chekhov play. It seemed strange that Leadbury had given him such a good chance to escape. Perhaps it was set up so they could shoot him on the run and obviate the difficulty of disposing of him.

A group of trucks came over the fly-over and slowly down the ramp and, as the last one went slowly by, he stood up and ran in behind the trailer. Fortunately the load was covered by some sort of canvas, securely fastened. He took hold of a strap and pulled himself up. When the truck accelerated he nearly lost his grip but doggedly climbed to the top of the load where he wriggled his legs under the strap and lay down flat. The wind that whistled over him was cold, and he soon began to shiver in his damp clothes. The truck moved on at great speed for about half an hour, then slowed. Mike turned his head and his heart missed a beat. Up in front there seemed to be a check point. Lying flat and still, he wished that he could stop his heart thumping as they reached their turn in the queue.

‘Where are you from?’ said one of the uniformed men.

‘Southampton,’ came the reply from inside the cab.

‘Going through to London?’

‘Yep. Chiswick depot.’

‘What are you carrying?’ asked the official.

‘Lettuces,’ came a laughing reply from the cab.

‘O.K. Don't lose that valuable load,’ said the official,  {54}  moving back from the vehicle. The truck ground off in bottom gear. Mike was relieved that the check spot was only for the truck and not him. Must be for vehicles moving from one zone to another.

It was about half an hour later when the truck swung off the motorway onto the Chiswick fly-over. Mike slid his legs from underneath the strap. The truck slowed up as it turned onto the northern ring road. Mike jumped backwards, landed on his feet but, misjudging the speed of the lorry, fell forward into the road. He rolled to a stop, picked up his bruised and battered body and rushed for the safety of the verge as another large truck thundered towards him. He would have never recognized this great expanse of motor road as the old north circular. He followed the direction signs to Hammersmith, walking along with a jaunty gait.

‘Want a lift?’ said a voice alongside him. Mike clenched his fists and turned as naturally as he could. A man's head appeared from the door of an electric taxi.

‘I'd love a ride, but I've run out of money,’ said Mike, smiling and shrugging his shoulders.

‘That's all right, mate. I'm off duty and on my way home,’ said the driver.

‘Where are you going?’

‘Shepherd's Bush,’ replied the cabby.

Mike hadn't really wanted to go back to the vicinity of his arrest, but the offer of the lift was too tempting.

‘Well, if you could drop me as near as possible to Notting Hill, that would be very kind.’ He'd go to Notting Hill, to see if he could find evidence of Pete's death. It was a mad decision in the circumstances. He would have to be very careful. The taxi gathered speed and they silently passed through the sleeping city.

‘Been on a gambling spree?’ asked the driver, with a cheery smile.

‘Something like that, they nearly had the shirt off my back.’

‘It's always the way,’ said the man shrewdly. ‘That's why I work as much as I can, otherwise I would be doing the same. The young people are going to be worse off than we are.’

‘Do you think so?’

‘Well, with total automation in the factories and such places, the young man of tomorrow is going to have a hell of a lot of time on his hands. I'm old fashioned, I like working for my living. I wouldn't want to be paid for not working, as a lot of people are today.’  {55} 

‘Beginning of a cabbage society,’ said Mike pondering.

‘I think they're that now,’ said the man, strongly.

‘I hope I don't come under that classification,’ said Mike, with a smile.

‘Depends on what you do. I must admit you're the first person I've offered a lift to who refused because he hadn't the fare. Gives me a little hope. What do you do?’

‘I write for a living.’

The man's eyebrows went up at this, and he looked inquisitively at him.

‘Anything wrong with being a writer?’ asked Mike.

‘No, I like reading but there's lots of people who don't. You must have a rough time, unless you're one of those writers who writes what he's told,’ said the man sarcastically.

‘I'm a story teller,’ Mike offered.

‘Where would you like to be dropped?’ said the driver.

‘Near the tube station, if that's all right.’ The taxi pulled into the side of the road. First reasonable man he'd met, thought Mike as he thanked the driver warmly for the lift. The tube station was still open and in the ticket hall he found what he was looking for; a large illuminated map of London. A cemetery was marked in the Notting Hill area, and he decided he would start his search there.

It was still dark and the gates of the cemetery were locked. He felt he should have brought a spade as he climbed in over the wall. Once inside he began to see the size of the task in front of him. There were acres of tombstones. His only hope was that they had a system of burying people in different sections depending on the year in which they died. Mike walked round and round, in hopeless quest. Dawn was coming up and he felt very tired. He started to look round for somewhere to rest his bones. Ghostly thoughts of sleeping with the dead were far from his mind as he settled down on a bench in the cover of a vast tomb. He couldn't quite make out who was buried there but he reasoned that they wouldn't begrudge him a little sleep.

Mike woke with a terrible headache and a feeling that he might be developing a cold. A bird sang sweetly to him from a bush near by. He got up and the bruises really hurt, but he couldn't worry about that, as he heard footsteps on the gravel pathway. Looking carefully out from his tomb he saw an old man in dirty overalls, carrying a spade, go by a few yards away. He allowed the man a few yards start and then left his hiding place, to follow him.

‘Excuse me,’ he said catching up with the old man. ‘Sorry  {56}  to bother you, but I'm looking for the grave of someone who might be buried here.’

‘What for?’ said the man suspiciously.

‘I'm going abroad and I'd like to pay my last respects,’ Mike said with great authority, as he was fed up with people looking suspiciously at him.

‘What's the name of your friend?’

‘Peter Jones, and I think he passed away on June 7th, 1979.’

‘Do you know what he did for a livin'?’ asked the man.

‘He was a musician,’ said Mike, irritated.

‘Ah, musicians, you'll find them over in the north corner,’ said the man.

‘Thank you, you've been most helpful,’ said Mike, moving quickly away. He soon found the north corner he'd been directed to, and from there it was an easy job to trace the headstones. Mike, moving around in the damp grass absorbed in his task, saw, with a sudden shock, the cold, hard words engraved on a stone ‘Pete Jones.’ He had not wanted to believe the story that Pete had been killed. It was only on seeing the grave that the full reality of what might have happened came rushing back.

‘You stupid bastard, why didn't you just let it happen, instead of fighting it?’ said Mike quietly to the damp earth. ‘You know if you hadn't spent all your life fighting your way around you might be alive today.’ The tears welled in Mike's eyes, and he fiddled with the earth around the grave. Then standing up abruptly he made his way back to the entrance where he found an office.

‘Yes, sir, do you want to arrange your funeral?’ asked a slick individual, as Mike came through the door.

‘Not at the moment, thank you. There is something I'd like to do. You've got a man buried here, a Pete Jones up in the musicians’ section. I'd like the grave kept tidy, and fresh roses every week.’

‘Right, just let me make a note of all this. Can I have your name, please?’ said the man, writing down the information.

‘Jerome, and I'll pay for this by banker's order.’

‘I'm afraid we don't do that,’ said the man with a self-satisfied smile.

‘You bloody well will do it that way, or I'll have the body removed somewhere where they will do as I want,’ said Mike, wanting to smack the fellow.  {57} 

‘Certainly, it seems such a shame to waste money though,’ said the man greasily.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well you're the first person to take an interest in that grave, and there's no one buried there,’ said the man, with a laugh.

‘What the hell are you talking about?’

‘Nothing, I'm sorry I mentioned it.’

Mike took a grab at the man but missed.

‘There's no need for violence, I will accept a banker's order, and carry out all your instructions,’ said the man, retreating behind a desk.

‘Fine, now what do you mean, there's no one buried there?’

‘I'm afraid, Mr. Jerome, that cemeteries are a bad way of making a living.’

‘Fine, I get your meaning. You'll have to wait until I've been to the bank.’

‘Then, when you return, I shall be glad to tell you what I know,’ said the man. Mike took hold of the desk and banged it against the wall, trapping the man's legs behind it.

‘Right, what do you know?’ asked Mike, smiling into the whitening face.

‘Well it's nothing really, please let me go,’ pleaded the squirming individual.

‘Tell me,’ said Mike, pushing against the table.

‘Well, it was a cremation case. We didn't do the cremation here, as we were told it was going to be done outside London. Eventually we got the canister. Unfortunately for me, I am over curious, so I had to peek inside. It was empty,’ said the man.

‘What did you do?’

‘I phoned up the number we'd been given, and told this lady. She said she would see that I was looked after, so we buried the empty urn and that was the end of it until you came on the scene.’ Mike let go of the table, and the man scurried for safety.

‘Can you remember the name of the woman?’ said Mike thoughtfully.

‘No,’ was the prompt reply.

Thanks, I'll get back to you some time in the day and we'll settle up, O.K.?’

‘That would be very kind of you, Mr. Jerome, very kind of you, indeed.’  {58} 

‘One other question. Have you ever buried a man called Michael Jerome, he was a writer?’

The sleazy looking man suddenly went absolutely white in the face. Mike smiled and left him to wonder what kind of ghost he'd just been talking to. He took a few steps from the door and then tiptoed back. As he expected, the man had picked up the phone and was speaking urgently to someone.

Mike wondered whether he should have found out who the man had been talking to, as he marched with great determination across the damp morning grass of Hyde Park. He felt that everything might be going his way as he strolled down Piccadilly. The thought of keeping himself out of sight from the public had vanished. He was now happy. There was a chance that Pete hadn't been killed but had been caught up in the same time change as himself.

On reaching Piccadilly Circus, he looked round for the subway. Impatiently he dived into the nearest one and descended to the underground shopping centre. To his surprise, although there were no signs of activity above ground, here people were rushing about from shop to shop as if their lives depended on it. Mike walked through various galleries, looking for his bank. He stopped and asked his way at a sort of news stand and a feeling of relief swept over him as he pushed the automatic sliding doors of the bank and stumbled through.

‘I'd like to draw some money out, but I've mislaid my cheque book,’ said Mike to a teller.

‘Can I have your account number?’ asked the man.

‘I can't remember that either, I'm afraid.’

‘Then I'd better have your name,’ said the man smiling.

‘Michael Jerome.’

‘Michael Jerome,’ repeated the man, writing it down and going off to a central desk in the open space behind him. He typed something out, and waited. The answer didn't satisfy him so he typed out more instructions.

‘I'm sorry, Mr. Jerome,’ said the man, as he came back, ‘but you don't seem to have an account number.’

‘But that's ridiculous. The last time I cashed a cheque I had over two hundred pounds in my current account and several thousands in a deposit account,’ said Mike.

‘How long ago was the last time you cashed a cheque, sir?’ asked the man.

‘It must have been about ten years ago,’ Mike said, as naturally as he could. The man's eyebrows went up. He jotted this information down and returned to his typewriter. It  {59}  seemed an age before the fellow came back. Mike was relieved to see a smile on the man's face.

‘You're quite right, sir. But since you weren't available to sign the relevant documents, your account isn't filed under our new filing and accounting system,’ the man said cheerfully, delving into a drawer. He produced a sheaf of papers and a small credit card, which Mike signed. With this new form of cheque book he learnt he could buy anything anywhere, all over the world. Mike withdrew three hundred pounds from his account and left the bank.

After a brief stop at the Information Desk he surfaced from the multicoloured subterranean cave feeling much better with money in his pocket. He hailed a cab and asked the driver to take him to Park Lane. With all the modern buildings it was difficult to see where number 140 was, but eventually he found the right entrance and went in to look at the name plates. He saw what he wanted, and took a lift up to the thirty-seventh floor. The lift opened straight into the offices of the musician's union.

‘Can I help you?’ said a pretty girl at the reception desk.

‘Yes. I want to know if a Mr. Peter Jones has paid his union dues.’

‘Just a moment, please. Mr. Rodgers is the man who would know.’

A few minutes later he was ushered into Mr. Rodgers’ office. A young man got up from his seat and came to greet Mike.

‘What can I do for you, Mr. . . . ?’

‘Jerome, I am just inquiring whether a Mr. Peter Jones has paid his union dues recently,’ said Mike, looking round.

‘Just a moment,’ said Rodgers pleasantly, going back to his seat. After a little time Rodgers got up and came back to Mike. ‘It appears that Mr. Jones hasn't paid his dues since 1979. Do you want to pay them, Mr. Jerome?’ asked the young man, enthusiastically.

‘No, but I'd like you to do something. If Mr. Jones should come in to pay his dues, could you say that I'd like to see him, and to leave a note at my bank?’

Rodgers made a careful note of Mike's instructions.

‘All right?’ said Mike.

‘Fine, I'll do that,’ said Rodgers cheerfully.

Thank you Mr. Rodgers, thank you,’ said Mike leaving the room and descending back to Park Lane.

Mike felt ready to return to the cemetery and pay the greasy fellow a last visit. He waited for an empty cab, and  {60}  drove in style to Notting Hill. The cemetery didn't look nearly as fearsome now that the gentle morning sun warmed the air. The office was empty. He walked into the cemetery but couldn't see anyone, so he made his way back to the entrance. Suddenly he realized that he'd fallen into a trap. The main gates had been closed. Mike ducked down behind a tomb and listened.

‘Morning, Jerome. You might as well give yourself up,’ came the familiar voice of Major Leadbury. Mike remained silent.

‘You know, you should never have come back here. You had a good chance of getting away,’ said the Major, from somewhere in the graveyard.

‘Bloody, bloody bastard,’ Mike said coldly, under bis breath. A movement in front of him made him look cautiously round the headstone. The sleazy fellow he'd encountered earlier was now standing dressed in uniform, guarding the gates. A movement off to his right caught his attention. A soldier was moving up towards him. Standing up, he turned, and ran through the headstones. Somewhere behind him an automatic weapon clattered. They really meant business, Mike thought to himself as he dived for cover, waiting for a moment before running on.

Towards the back of the cemetery he found a large tombstone. He stood carefully controlling his breathing. A sound of crushed gravel made him look for his next move. Behind him he could see the boundary of the cemetery, and as the footsteps on the gravel were coming nearer, he decided to keep moving towards it. Weaving in and out of the cold pieces of stone, he suddenly found there was no way round the headstones in front of him. He stood up and jumped, putting a foot on top of one of the stones, like a Steepler. Mike realized his mistake too late. He was in full flight and couldn't stop. The old grave digger was standing in his path with a spade at the ready.

Mike dived for the legs of the grave digger as the spade tore through the air. He landed awkwardly hitting his head against a stone and failing to bring his opponent down. The man took the advantage and gave him a sharp blow across the shoulders. Mike avoided the next jab, then, suddenly, to his surprise, the ground opened up and he fell into a newly dug grave. He heard a command, a volley of shots and the man fell in on top of him. With the old man's fusty clothing in his mouth and nose, darkness closed in on him.  {61} 

6

‘I travel light.’

Christopher Fry

MIKE lay with his eyes firmly closed. The humidity seemed impossibly high, and he wondered whether he was buried alive. Rubbing his hand across his eyes, he opened them. His ringers glistened with sweat, and he made a supreme effort to sit up. From his pocket he withdrew a crumpled, dirty handkerchief and selected the cleanest part to mop his soaking face. He shook his head vigorously, and decided if this were hell, he didn't like it. He looked round but, unable to see much, was forced to stand up. Everything was very puzzling. A few minutes ago he'd been in the middle of a graveyard dodging an evil spade and now he was in the country.

He moved from the grass into the shade of near-by trees but they provided no respite from the humidity, and he pushed on up a steepish rise. At the top he had a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. A deep blue heat haze stretched away into the distance. He saw no signs of life as he searched the ground below him. His eyes were now stinging sharply but there was little he could do, as his handkerchief was soaked with salty sweat. Mike knelt down and closed his eyes until the pain began to diminish. When they felt more normal, he opened them and slowly straightened up. Again he studied the surrounding country until the clear image he had at first began to swim with the concentration. He still couldn't make out any sign of human habitation. The only thing he could think of was that London had been wiped out by a bomb.

God, he suddenly thought to himself, he'd been involved in another time change. But where was he? No bombs had been dropped round here, otherwise the ground would be black and burnt. Mike sat down and started to do a little geography. The land was of a rolling nature, with groups of trees dotted over the area and, after careful thought, he decided that he must be somewhere in the Cotswolds. The topography wasn't rugged enough for the north or even the west country. If this were so, it might explain the lack  {62}  of inhabitants, and habitations. Looking carefully round, he couldn't see any better vantage point so decided to stay put until dark, when perhaps he could catch a glimpse of any lights.

A high-pitched whine shattered the silence. Mike stood up abruptly and looked around; the noise seemed to be coming from somewhere directly below him. He listened carefully, and decided to investigate. On the way down the hill he heard something else. Looking up he saw tiny dots that grew bigger until he recognized them as helicopters. He moved quickly into cover and waited, but the machines just proceeded on their way. Mike struggled down into the bottom of the valley moving cautiously through the undergrowth.

At length he reached a clearing where he found the helicopters. No one was there so he walked in the direction of the whining noise and, coming to the edge of some trees, stood in utter surprise. Twenty yards or so away, giant machines were mangling up large blocks of concrete which looked like the remnants of a giant motorway. Mike made his way down into the dust and rubble. A couple of men stood under a tree in deep discussion. Neither of them looked like Leadbury or a British soldier.

‘Yeah?’ shouted one of the men, above the noise. ‘I'm sorry to bother you but I'm a bit lost and I'm wondering where I am,’ Mike said.

‘You're about ten miles from White Plains,’ the man replied.

‘Could you tell me the best way to get there?’ asked Mike, wondering where the devil White Plains was. The two men looked at each other in amazement.

‘You been out all day?’ said one of the men. ‘Yes’ replied Mike.

‘Well, it's a long way to walk. If you hold on a while we'll give you a lift,’ said the man, obviously thinking Mike had had enough sun for one day.

‘That's very kind of you,’ Mike said, wondering what he looked like.

‘We'll be leaving in around ten minutes.’ Peering into one of the ‘choppers’ Mike caught a glimpse of himself. His face was very dirty, lips pale and puffy, and when he stuck his tongue out it was white and swollen. He suddenly felt as if he'd been in the desert for days.

The controls appeared very simple in comparison with the amount of technical equipment he remembered, and there were other differences such as the two rotor blades above the  {63}  cockpit. Mike was just about to return to the shade when the men appeared. One of them beckoned him as he climbed in and Mike slipped quickly round the machine and opened the door on the passenger side.

‘Name's Joe Blinberg,’ said the swarthy-faced man who'd originally spoken to Mike.

‘Mike Jerome,’ said Mike, shaking hands.

‘Gee, that name rings a bell,’ said Joe, starting up the helicopter. ‘Give me a clue, what do you do?’

‘I write,’ said Mike, nervously.

‘That's right, didn't you write a novel called Section Q?’ asked Joe.

‘Yes,’ said Mike, surprised.

‘Great spy thriller, absolutely great. I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Jerome. Say, I would have thought you'd be an older man,’ laughed Joe in a big-hearted way.

‘I think they call it wearing well,’ laughed Mike.

The helicopter lifted off the ground and they were soon speeding back to civilization.

‘Say, what are you doing up here near White Plains?’ asked Joe, above the noise of the engines.

‘Oh, I've been hiking around and got a little lost. Then I heard the whine of those concrete-eating machines,’ he lied. Mike now knew where he was. It wasn't the Cotswolds as he'd thought; he was for some reason about thirty miles north of New York.

‘What are you doing back there?’ he asked, wanting to keep the conversation away from himself.

‘I run the contracting company that's demolishing that road.’

‘Why are you breaking it up?’

That freeway's been out of use for several years. The kids started using it as a speedway, so the authorities decided to do away with it; there've been bad accidents.’

‘If you're doing away with the roads, how does one get around?’ Mike inquired before he realized what he'd said.

‘If you can afford it, you have one of these; if not, you don't do any travelling, except on vacation,’ the man said, without showing suspicion at Mike's unguarded question.

‘And mono-rail systems?’ asked Mike.

‘Man, where have you been?’ said the man, with a laugh.

‘Studying in the sticks,’ Mike laughed back.

‘You sure must have been out there for some time. Monorails are like the old brontosaurus. You must have seen them when you came in from the airport. They never really  {64}  worked. I tell a lie, I think somewhere out west like Detroit they still use them for local commuting,’ Joe said, warming to Mike.

‘Sorry about all the questions,’ said Mike.

‘That's O.K., I often think that you writing fellas must be a damned curious bunch, and you sure are.’

Both men laughed. Mike more out of relief than amusement. He wondered where Joe had got hold of his book. The last thing he'd heard it was being reprinted, and that was 1968. Joe was either very polite, as he knew the Americans could be, or a fool. Section Q had been first published in 1965, and if he'd been through two or three time jumps, he ought to look definitely middle-aged; but maybe the dirt was an effective disguise.

‘You researching for another book?’ asked Joe.

‘Yes. I could kick myself, I forgot my tape machine,’ said Mike trying to be a writer.

‘Not to worry, I think I know where I've got a spare one you can borrow.’

‘That's very kind of you, Joe. I might buy it from you.’

‘We'll see about that.’

‘You know, I was always under the impression that helicopters were unsafe,’ said Mike, peering out into the distance.

‘I think they still are. There's a hell of a lot of servicing to do, and if you don't, wham,’ Joe said, smacking his hands together. ‘The thing that saved the chopper is the amount of research and development that's gone into the rotor blades. Because of that you just fly the thing like a little old plane,’ Joe said, putting the helicopter into a loop the loop. Mike held on but the machine did a perfect loop and came back onto an even keel. Joe cut the engine. Mike waited with baited breath for the helicopter to fall out of the sky but it didn't, it just started to glide gently towards the ground.

‘You see what I mean?’ Joe said, looking proudly at Mike.

‘Very good, but the pilot's pretty good, too,’ said Mike, playing the game. Joe gave an embarrassed smile and pointed into the distance. White Plains was now in sight. The sky scrapers stood tall and elegant against the blue heat haze. Joe eased the chopper to a stop and put it gently down on top of one of the buildings.

‘That was very, very kind, Joe. Thank you,’ said Mike, when they cleared the machine.

‘Not at all, Mr. Jerome, it was my pleasure too.’ He added hesitantly, ‘Mr. Jerome, I know this might sound rude, but  {65}  if you're stuck for a bed for the night, my wife and I would feel honoured if you would stay with us.’

Mike smiled warmly at Joe. He had always found the Americans almost over generous in their hospitality. Most of the time this kind of invitation would be very embarrassing, and on occasions a downright nuisance, but now he was grateful that the tradition was still maintained.

‘That's one of the nicest things I've heard in days. Are you sure it won't be too much trouble for you and your wife?’ asked Mike.

‘Not at all, not at all; Til give her a call. Then if you don't mind waiting for a bit, I'll just wind up what I have to do here, and we can take the rest of the day off.’

‘Fine, you take all the time you need. But you know I could do with a really cool drink.’

‘Sure.’ Joe led the way from the lift to his very plush apartment.

‘Here's the kitchen, help yourself to whatever you want.’ Joe went whistling on his way.

Mike looked in dismay at the strange kitchen and pulled and slid the drawers and cupboards open until he found the refrigerator. It was crammed full of delicious tit-bits. A jug contained orange juice and, not finding a cup, Mike drained it.

‘Find what you wanted?’ asked Joe from his desk.

‘Yes, thank you. I was just admiring your apartment.’ The flat wasn't big, but it was planned to utilize all available space.

‘Glad you like it. We used to live here before we were able to afford a house.’

‘You use it as an office now?’

‘Yes, actually I can work from here, or home, depends on how I feel and what I'm doing,’ said Joe, feeding punch cards into a small reading machine. With a slight ticking a screen recessed in the wall began to flicker. A woman's face appeared.

‘Say, Honey, we have a guest. Mr. Jerome here. You remember the book I was reading the other day, well this is the man who wrote it,’ Joe said into thin air.

‘That's great, Joe. What time will you be back?’ asked the woman.

‘This is my wife, Mary,’ Joe said, pointing at the screen.

‘Hello, Mary,’ said Mike.

‘Hi, Mr. Jerome, it's a great pleasure meeting you,’ she said with a smile.

‘We'll see you in about an hour, O.K.?’ said Joe. His wife  {66}  nodded, and the picture vanished. Joe turned to Mike, as he inserted more cards into the phone machine.

‘I just want to have a word with my partners, and then we can go.’ The monitor screen began to glow again, and Mike watched with a child-like interest. This time however the screen split up into six segments, and in each one appeared a face. Joe started to talk about the demolition of the road, giving them a progress report, and notes on more equipment that they were going to need. This phone system seemed to Mike to be a very good idea. Here was Joe having a full board meeting. The use of offices must now be a thing of the past, rather like the motorway he'd seen them digging up. It was an obvious step to go from the man commuting to his office to the man remaining in his own environment and conducting his business through the use of advanced electronics. The office had only really been an innovation to bring everyone's specialized knowledge together in one place.

Mike didn't want to impose on Joe, so he walked away but Joe turned towards him and stuck five fingers in the air. Mike took this to mean five minutes. He sat down cautiously on an ergonomic-looking chair. Much to his pleasure, the chair, which looked frighteningly uncomfortable, wasn't. It fitted into all the peculiar nooks and crannies of the human body. Joe finished his meeting, and threw the switch in a final dramatic gesture of triumph.

‘Right, I think we're ready to leave now. Oh, I nearly forgot.’

He rummaged around in a cupboard until he found what he was looking for. ‘Here's that tape machine I was talking about,’ he said, handing over a small box about the size of a two-ounce tin of tobacco.

Thank you, but I must give you something.’

‘A present. When you've finished your new book, you can send me a signed copy.’

‘Sorry, I'm not good with these things,’ Mike said, looking helplessly at the machine.

‘Very simple. You just hold it in your hand and talk,’ said Joe, giving a demonstration.

‘What makes it work?’

‘Well, the motors work from the heat of your hand, and the on/off switch is activated by the voice. The only hard work you have to do is setting the replay button,’ said Joe, handing back the toy.

‘How many hours’ recording does one getT

‘Oh, I don't know. I think the instruction card said  {67}  something like twenty-four hours. Why? How many hours of recording do you need for a book?’

‘Well, I reckon to speak around eighty words per minute. So for a book running eighty thousand words, that's about twenty hours playing time, allowing for some correction.’

‘Then you should be fine with that tape.’

They made their way back to the lift and then up to the chopper. They were soon airborne and passing swiftly over White Plains. Mike remembered the city below him as a suburb of New York, all sprawling and untidy. Now it was bright and clean, and appeared to cover a very small area with buildings of strangely unusual shapes.

‘I see you're experimenting with new materials,’ Mike ventured.

‘Yes. Clay. You can turn clay into a material hundreds of times stronger than steel or concrete. The process is expensive, but not as expensive as producing high-quality steel.’

‘How do they do it?’

‘Don't know, it's a highly guarded industrial secret.’

‘It must be incredibly strong,’ said Mike, as they passed another building which was built like a letter L upside down.

‘Oh, it is. Not only is it incredibly strong, but it has phenomenal flexing rates. They did a demonstration at a conference I attended where they had a bridge made of the stuff, and ran heavy loads over it. The bridge was built to withstand loads of up to fifty tons. They showed us that you could run loads of up to three hundred tons over it. I must admit the thing flexed in a crazy way, and I wouldn't have liked to be out on it,’ said Joe, flying round the building for Mike's benefit.

Mike looked where they were going to land. From the air the houses below looked as if they were grouped in a park. The sight of real petrol-driven cars made him feel more at home. Joe picked up his over jacket and came round to let Mike out.

‘I'm stupid, Joe. I should have bought fresh clothes,’ said Mike, remembering he hadn't a stitch apart from the smelly things he had on.

‘Don't worry about that, Mr. Jerome, we'll pick some things up for you later.’

‘Joe, stop calling me Mr. Jerome, my name is Mike.’

‘Sure, Mike, sure,’ said Joe, putting his hand on Mike's shoulder and directing him towards the house.

Mike was very impressed with the pleasant layout. Each house was situated so that it couldn't be seen by any of the  {68}  surrounding ones. They walked on across the close-cut grass and eventually into a little dell which effectively hid the house. The front door opened as Mike trod on the welcome mat. Joe ushered him in.

‘Mary, honey, we're home,’ Joe called. There was a sound from somewhere in the house and Mary appeared.

‘Hi, Mike, welcome,’ Mary said, coming forward and greeting Mike. Joe then gave her a big hug.

‘It's very kind of you and Joe to invite me,’ Mike said, taking a longer look at her; she was a good bit younger than her husband.

Joe took him out past a beautiful swimming pool to a very small cabana.

‘Here you are, and if there's anything you want, just give us a shout on the house intercom,’ said Joe.

‘Could I go for a swim?’ asked Mike.

‘Sure, there are suits over there in the cupboard. The only thing is, could you take a shower first as we get very short of water during the summer, and I try and keep the pool as clean as possible.’ Joe bowed his head a little and shuffled his big feet.

‘Of course,’ said Mike, smiling at Joe's embarrassment. Mike gave a sigh of relief as Joe closed the door behind him. Being happy, pleasant and mentally alert knocked hell out of him. He crossed to the window and looked at the pool, slipped quickly out of his clothes and went into a cubicle that seemed to contain just a thermostat. Mike turned it towards hot and water deluged out of pin holes in the sides of the wall. The water was hot, but he could bear it. Indeed it felt like a million dollars, as the old corny movies would have said. Mike pressed a soap dispenser and jets of soap spurted from above, mixing with the water, to form a massive foam mountain.

Standing under the bouncing jets, he recalled the problem of his contact lenses. Usually before taking a bath or shower he would have removed them. He looked closely at the big mirror; there were no lenses but he thought he could see a small scar in each eye. Mike had no urge now for a dip in the pool. Only the state of his clothes bothered him, they were cold, damp and smelly. As he struggled into them he felt in his trouser pockets to make sure his money was still intact. It was. Touching the crisp bank notes brought back the strange feeling he'd had on discovering the disappearance of the Professor's notes. This sensation sharpened the urgency to find Pete to establish his own real earthly existence.  {69} 

Mike found Joe near the pool, swinging in a hammock chair.

‘Joe, I'm sorry to be such a nuisance, but I really must get a change of clothes.’

‘Sure thing. Mary said she'd got to go into town and would do your shopping for you.’

‘Oh, I can't ask her to do that,’ said Mike.

‘She buys all my clothes so she won't go too far wrong in what she buys you,’ said Joe, looking amused by Mike's remark.

‘Fine, the only other thing I could do with is some money.’

‘How much do you want?’ asked Joe, getting up.

‘Five hundred dollars,’ said Mike, feeling in his pocket for his bank card. He didn't want Joe to see the bundle of notes he was carrying, otherwise the man might wonder why he hadn't cashed them.

‘Good, you've got a bank card. What I'll do is get the bank to send the money over to the office, and Mary can drop in and pick it up,’ Joe said making his way into the house, and going into his study. He thumbed through a pile of punch cards and selected one.

Mike handed over his bank card, and Joe put it on top of the punch card in the machine.

‘Could you take the money over to my office,’ Joe said to the man on the screen.

‘Sure, Mr. Blinberg. Will there be anything else?’

‘No, thanks,’ said Joe and turned the phone off. Suddenly there was a buzz and Joe turned the screen on again. On it appeared a piece of paper. They watched a message being typed out. The monies had been cleared in London. Mike gave a silent sigh of relief.

‘I'm off to town,’ said Mary, coming into the room.

‘Fine. Mike here would like you to pick up some clothes, and could you go to the apartment, as there's a packet of money waiting.’

‘What kind of clothes?’ asked Mary, turning to Mike.

‘Oh, just a change of clothes. I didn't bring any with me.’

‘I'll do my best. See you fellas later,’ said Mary, leaving the room.

‘Don't forget to go to the apartment to get that money, will you honey,’ called Joe. Mary's reply came singing back that she wouldn't.

‘Would you care for a drink?’ asked Joe, after Mary had gone.

‘Love one.’ Mike followed Joe into the living-room.  {70} 

‘What will you have?’

‘Whisky and soda.’

‘Ice?’ asked Joe, getting a bottle from the sideboard. Mike nodded his approval of the ice idea. Joe made up the drink and handed it to Mike. It made him shiver at the first sip. They strolled back to the side of the pool, where Joe brought Mike a hammock chair from behind the cabana. Mike sank into it, and stretched out his limbs.

‘This drink is very welcome,’ said Mike, contemplating the sky from his position.

‘Glad you like it. It's getting more and more difficult to get hold of real spirits,’ came Joe's voice from deep in his chair. ‘And you know, I don't really approve of these new change-your-personality drugs that you can take with your drink. I suppose folks have to fill their lives with some forms of fantasy otherwise they wouldn't survive, but the whole thing is getting out of hand, and there will eventually be more of the voting public under drugs than sane hard working men. When it gets to this stage, God help the sane people. The problems in this country will never be solved,’ Joe said, throwing his arms in the air in despair.

‘Or any country for that matter.’

‘True, but take the fear that's been created in this country by its total isolation from the rest of the world.’

‘Yes,’ murmured Mike.

‘I wouldn't have believed twenty years ago that we would now be facing a crisis in the production of food. I must admit at that time I was sceptical about the articles and statistics relating to the population explosion and food production. But here we are, in what was one of the richest countries in the world, struggling through a policy of isolation to produce enough for our own people's needs.’

‘What do you feel will happen?’

‘Without direct control over population by the politicians, I hate to think what's going to happen. Total breakdown of our society, I shouldn't wonder.’

‘But surely the developments of synthetic foods can cope?’ suggested Mike.

‘I would have thought so but again the politicians left everything too late. No scientist can be expected to produce all the right answers at the drop of a hat. I believe most synthetic food is good, but they're still troubled with side effects produced by their consumption,’ said Joe getting up. ‘Let me give you another drink.’

‘Thanks,’ said Mike longing to pump Joe for more  {71}  information but realizing he should obviously know as much, if not more, about existing world problems. Again the question of finding his friend came forcefully to the front of his mind.

‘Joe, if you didn't have to live here in the States, you know, if you could freelance like me, where would you go?’

‘Australia, why?’

‘Oh, I have an old friend I need to contact and I don't seem to be getting anywhere.’

‘If you like, we'll try and locate him, it shouldn't be too difficult,’ said Joe dropping asleep.

Mike didn't ask any more questions. He was just about to relax himself when he heard footsteps. Raising himself into an upright position, he saw Mary crossing towards him alongside the pool.

‘That was quick,’ Mike said with a grin, nodding towards Joe.

‘I hope these will be O.K.,’ she said.

Mike thankfully took the various packages offered to him, and headed towards the guest house. Once inside the room a little of the built up nervous tension vanished, and he relaxed. Inside the parcels he found very thin pants, a thin transparent vest, socks and a jump suit. The underclothes were soft and close fitting, he would have preferred them a bit more on the loose side, but he couldn't be fussy. The jump suit was made up in two halves which just seemed to stay together without any apparent way of fastening. Mike pulled the trousers on, they fitted like a glove, and so did the top. Good for Mary, she obviously knew her shopping. Mike was fascinated by what held the top and bottom of his jump suit together, and he kept joining and breaking the two halves in an effort to find the answer, but couldn't. The last chore, before he was fully clothed, was to get his boots back on. He knew in his heart of hearts that he should never have taken them off in the first place. His feet had probably grown at least a size with the heat. He went into the shower and ran the cold water on them for a while. After much pulling and heaving he got the blasted things on. He couldn't win, as the effort made him sweat, and he was now as damp and uncomfortable as he'd been before. There was a gentle tap on the door and Mary came gliding in. She had a book in her hand.

‘Is everything all right?’

‘Yes, how do I look?’ Mike said turning round to show himself off.

‘Fine, it fits you very well,’ she said, coming up close to  {72}  him. Mike could almost feel her body touch his. It was her fresh womanly smell that nearly upset the cart, so he took a step back. Mary noticed and smiled in a knowing way.

‘I wondered whether you'd mind autographing your book, Joe would be so happy,’ she said putting the book on the bed.

‘Certainly,’ said Mike as she vanished again. It struck him that she was playing a game with him. It disturbed him. She'd pierced his armour with a sharp knife. Her smell, and the sensuous manner. They brought all kinds of thoughts into his head. He walked up and down the room for a while, telling himself that he was just a randy old man, and Mary was only being nice to him, not making a pass. He picked up the book and opened it. He smiled to himself at the biography on the inside sleeve, until his eye caught something at the bottom that he hadn't written. It said that he was dead.

7

‘I travel for travel's sake.’

R. L. Stevenson

THE following morning Mike found Mary sitting in the kitchen. She was watching a television programme about the servicing of communication satellites. The figures floated about, their co-ordination obviously impeded by the lack of gravity.

‘Do you want something to eat before you go?’ Mary left her stool in front of the screen and began to make coffee.

‘I've thrown that book away,’ she added over her shoulder.

‘Thanks. I'd love some coffee but nothing to eat. Then I'll be on my way.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘Home,’ Mike lied.

‘And forget about this supposed friend of yours?’ said Mary, sarcastically.

‘I reckon so, it wasn't really a very good idea.’

‘Well, let's say it wasn't a very convincing story. If you really had a friend you wanted to find you would just go to any missing persons bureaux and check on their computer. Wherever your friend is, the computer would tell you,’ said Mary, looking at him for the first time.  {73} 

Mike looked back smiling. ‘Maybe,’ he said.

If this woman knew the half of it, she wouldn't be quite so bloody cocksure, he thought.

‘And where might I find a missing persons bureau?’ asked Mike casually.

‘Every police office has one, you'll probably find one at the airport.’

Mike walked away from the house, round the pool and out of sight before turning to look back. He was glad Mary had not told Joe he was an impostor. Joe had been a good brick to him at a time when Mike needed a house to lean on. A taxi was waiting in the car park.

‘You the fella who wants a ride to the airport?’ asked a squat individual coming from behind the helicopter.

‘I am.’

‘Any particular airline?’ said the man, looking at Mike's little bundle.

‘Is there a general departure lounge? I have one or two things to clear up before I actually leave,’ said Mike, getting in.

‘Yeah, O.K., it was just that I was told you'd be going to London,’ said the man.

‘Fine. Just take me to the main building,’ Mike said firmly.

The helicopter lifted off the ground, and Mike looked back for a moment before settling himself in for the journey.

‘Which way d'va want to go,’ asked the driver, breaking into Mike's thoughts.

‘Let's go down Fifth, across the Tribo and on to the airport,’ said Mike automatically.

‘Fine,’ said the man with a crack on his face that might be called a smile.

‘It must be over ten years since I was last here. Has much changed?’ asked Mike, fishing.

‘Sure it's changed, it's a dead city, no life, no clubs, no nothing, it's better to live out of town.’

‘Has this happened all over the States?’

‘Couldn't say for sure, but I've heard some of my fares saying that the whole country's dead. It seems that way too, if you watch the television. Nothing goes on except for the killings, and the young people trying to exert their feelings by shouting about it. There isn't very much entertainment either.’

‘You mean there are no more football games, or baseball matches?’

‘Oh, sure there are big ball games, that's about the only  {74}  thing this country's got left. The trouble is that it costs so much to get to a game, I've lost interest. All I do is watch it on the box,’ said the little man, a little sadly. Below them the island of Manhattan came into view.

‘No Empire State building?’ said Mike, looking around.

‘Fella, they ripped that down years ago. It was one of the smallest buildings around,’ said the driver. The helicopter dropped into Fifth Avenue, and they flew along, surrounded by fantastically high monsters of glass.

‘What are they?’ asked Mike, pointing at the sky scrapers.

‘Apartments, but you've got to have a real bundle to be able to live there.’

‘If they cost so much, why not live in the country?’

‘Because this is their town, their own rules and regulations. You even need a permit to go in,’ said the man in disgust.

‘What happened to places like Harlem and Brooklyn?’

‘They were bought up by the wealthy, and the people who were thrown out moved down to Philadelphia and places like that,’ he said, pointing to the south.

‘Where do you live?’

‘White Plains,’ said the driver settling down in the seat. Mike took this to mean that conversation was over. They were now crossing the river and on towards Kennedy.

The layout of the inside of the central building seemed to be the same as he remembered it. Mike went over to a desk marked American Airlines.

‘What time's the next flight to Los Angeles?’ he asked.

‘Four o'clock,’ said the man, going on reading.

‘I'll have a ticket.’

‘Sure, round trip?’

‘No, one way.’

‘Here you are, that'll be seventy dollars,’ said the man tearing a ticket out of a book.

‘Thanks,’ said Mike giving the man a hundred-dollar bill.

‘Departure is out of the exit doors, turn left and it's the second building on your left,’ said the man giving him his change.

At the end of the concourse was a general store where Mike bought a reasonably sized brief case for his bundle of clothes. He checked his appearance before approaching a policeman lounging at a bar.

‘Excuse me, do you have a missing persons bureau?’

‘Nope. But the security office can help you. Through that door and second on the right,’ said the policeman pleasantly. Mike followed the man's instructions. Left, left, he thought  {75}  to himself, not right. He knocked on the door and went in.

‘Yes,’ said a grim looking man sitting at a desk.

‘I am looking for a friend, and I was told that you might be able to help.’

‘Maybe, maybe not. What's your friend's name?’

‘Peter Jones.’

‘Why do you think he'd be in America?’

‘It was just a guess. He lit out one day not saying a thing to his wife, and she asked me to find him.’

‘How long ago was this?’

‘Oh, about two years ago, and since he's a jazz musician, I thought he might have come to the States.’

‘Shouldn't think so, he'd be more likely to go to Canada or Australia. Just hang on a minute I'll check out whether he's here or not,’ said the man, going into another room. Mike waited, wondering how they could say people were here or not.

‘Sorry,’ said the security man, ‘there's no British jazz musician by that name on our files.’

‘And you have everybody who's in America on your files?’

‘Of course,’ said the man, frowning.

‘Thank you.’

It occurred to Mike that there was one person in America who hadn't got his name on the computer's memory and it made him nervous.

He went over to his departure building and strolled across to the large tinted windows to look out at the planes. All the aircraft were very small, they reminded him of a scaled-down version of a Caravelle. In shape much cleaner than the planes he remembered, they seemed to have engines in the tail. He checked his time of arrival in Los Angeles—the flight would take only one and a half hours. Over a coffee and a hamburger he decided he was going to have to try very much harder to find Pete, who he was still convinced was alive. But where? What would a detective do? Pete would have to make a living. If he couldn't in America, then where would he go? Canada didn't seem to fit. Pete had done a job there once and had never particularly liked the place, therefore where? Australia, he's never been to Australia.

Mike's mind wandered on—What were the time changes? Why was he involved? How many fellow travellers had he? It was impossible to draw any real conclusions as he didn't know anything. This was the most infuriating and frightening part of the whole strange phenomenon. He was worried, and at times he was nervous enough to vomit, but he controlled  {76}  feelings of panic and frustration, in order to remain rational. He was now highly curious to know where the whole thing was leading. Would it stop in a time and place that he didn't like, rather like hell? Or would it go on for ever?

The call for the four o'clock flight came over the loud speakers. The plane held about thirty people and was luxuriously appointed, with plenty of room for legs between the seats. Mike sank back comfortably. The outer door shut and the plane began to shake gently as immensely powerful engines started up. It took off vertically, climbing very quickly and Mike slept soundly until the plane just dropped out of the sky and all of a sudden they were hovering alongside the arrivals building. They didn't go straight into the main hall, but along a glass corridor into a room marked, ‘travel innoculations’. There was nothing for it but to follow the crowd into the room, which contained cubicles.

‘Roll up your sleeve, please,’ said the man, in a white smock. Mike rolled up his sleeve and was given a jab with a needle.

‘What was that for?’ asked Mike, as he rolled down his sleeve.

‘It's your time injection,’ the man said, preparing for the next passenger.

‘My what?’ Mike asked, in horror, as he was ushered from the cubicle by a petite young woman.

‘You have just had an injection that will put your biological clock back in order,’ said the woman.

‘Do I need to have my biological clock put in order?’ asked Mike.

‘Well, if you don't you'll suffer the effects of the time

change,’ said the girl sweetly as they went into the main hall.

‘You're not kidding,’ mumbled Mike. He was about to add a few crude comments about his own time-change problems, but she was off.

Once he left the airport building he realized how hot it was. He stood for a moment blinking hard in the fierce sunlight. He moved over to a large area filled with helicopters, some of them obviously privately owned, but after a little investigation he found a taxi rank.

‘Can you take me to the Beverly Rodeo Hotel?’ Mike asked the driver.

‘Sure thing,’ said the man unwinding his vast legs from around the controls. ‘Afraid I can't take you right up to the door, but I can drop you within a block.’ Mike nodded his approval and climbed in alongside. The engine burst into  {77}  life and they lifted up and off in the direction of Beverly Hills. The sprawl of the Los Angeles bowl was still there. Acre upon acre of single-storey houses, set out in true Roman fashion.

‘There's a lot of demolition going on, isn't there?’ Mike shouted.

‘Where?’ said the driver looking at Mike. Mike pointed to a vast expanse of rubble.

‘That's not demolition, or at least it's not man made,’ the man laughed, ‘that's what happened in the last earthquake.’

‘Why aren't they rebuilding?’ asked Mike, looking at the huge area of destruction.

‘Look, see the line of destruction running north. That's part of the San Andreas fault, and it's so unstable you can't build on the surrounding area,’ said the man, taking the helicopter round in a circle so that Mike could get a better look.

The fear of a big earthquake had always been in the minds of some Californians, but this one must have been the king of kings. The city seemed to be split in half with a path of terror. On the fringe of the debris he could see the remains of a rebuilding scheme. The line of destruction ran north through Hollywood, with all its studios and glamour. They started to follow the famous Sunset Strip going east. Below them Mike could see Westwood and the giant complex that made up the University of California. Hardly any vehicle, yet the roads looked intact. The helicopter came in to land alongside the old Beverly Hills Hotel, which still stood in its own block, but was now surrounded by grass. Mike went to ask where he could find the hotel he wanted. Under normal circumstances it should have been just down the street, but the geography of the area had changed.

It was still there, narrow fronted, but long in depth. He'd stayed here the last time he was in California, and from outside it hadn't changed at all. He pushed his way through the tinted doors. Inside it was cool and dark. The reception desk was deserted, so he waited. When no one came, he went over to the bar, where several men were lounging in front of a television.

‘Can I get a room here?’

A man rose wearily.

‘Single or double?’ He gave Mike a form.

‘Double,’ said Mike. ‘What's this for?’

‘Hotel registration,’ laughed the man suddenly.  {78} 

‘Do you want me to fill it out now?’

‘No, do anything you like, tomorrow will do. Room number seven,’ the man said giving him a key. ‘Your room's on the first floor overlooking the pool.’

Mike picked up his bags and walked down the corridor past the pool, which was in a courtyard in the middle of the hotel. He felt as though he'd walked into a sleepy one-horse town somewhere in the Midwest. What happened to the glorious Golden State of years ago, when California was buzzing with the high-pressure living he remembered? After finding his room he took himself off to the Beverly Hills to see what entertainment the town could offer. He skirted the side of the hotel until he found the coffee shop.

‘Coffee,’ said Mike to the woman behind the counter.

‘Cream?’ asked the woman handing over the cup.

Mike nodded.

‘Why's the city so empty?’ Mike asked pouring the generous quantity of cream into the cup. It hardly changed colour.

‘You a stranger? You can always tell, they all ask the same question,’ said the woman with a tired smile. ‘The city started to go down about seven years ago, just before the quake. The prices of land and buildings were so high folks started to move back east. When the quake came, millions of people lost their homes and jobs, mainly through the insurance companies not paying up. So all those people left,’ said the woman, as though she were telling him that the President slept here.

‘What happened to all the industry? You know, films, aircraft, and so on?’

‘Oh, there's still plenty of industry around, but they don't employ many people. You've got the aircraft factories down towards San Diego, then to the north there are the big electronics people, and everywhere else, where there are no people, they've turned the land over to the oil men,’ she said, helping herself to a cup of coffee.

‘What happened to the film industry?’ asked Mike, pushing his cup forward for a refill.

‘From what I hear, the prices went up so much over the years, it became too expensive to make films here any more. If you're looking for a job in that area you'll have to go to San Francisco. That's where all the studios are now.’

‘Weren't they affected by the earthquake?’ asked Mike.

‘No, for some strange reason they missed it. I hear that  {79}  it's a real swinging town,’ said the woman, getting Mike his coffee.

‘Many clubs, jazz clubs up there?’ ‘There could be, but I don't rightly know.’ ‘Do you know where I can hire a car?’ asked Mike, finishing his coffee.

‘Can't help you, but if you go to the hotel, they'll be able to tell you,’ said the woman, in a very sad way. Mike didn't know quite what to make of her. Maybe it was the pressure of living in a sort of no-man's land, where decisions of what to do with it hadn't been fully thought out. He paid for the coffee, and went through the connecting door into the hotel. Here he asked the receptionist where he could hire a car, and whether she had an entertainment guide. The girl rang the car hire people. Mike gave her a tip, and pinched her entertainment guide. Not long after a small wheelless vehicle came speeding up the street and stopped.

‘You the fellow who wants a hire car?’ said the driver, hopping out.

‘I am,’ replied Mike very regally. ‘Fine, jump in, and I'll run you down to the depot.’ Mike went round the car and got in. The man slammed the door and set off at great speed.

‘Don't get much call for cars, except on weekends, and during the winter vacations,’ said the man, as he turned into a garage. Mike followed him into an office.

‘Now let's see. You want a hire car, how long for?’ asked the man sitting busily down behind his table.

‘Just a few days, no longer than a week,’ Mike said, not knowing the answer.

‘Fine, we'll say a week. Then if you want it for longer, you just ring up and I'll automatically extend the hire period,’ said the man writing this down. ‘Where do you think you might be going?’

‘In and around Los Angeles, and possibly a trip to San Francisco.’

‘Fine, you'll want one of the long-distance cars, that'll be three dollars a day, plus a fifty dollar deposit.’ Mike took out his bank card and handed it over.

‘Will you pay for the whole week?’ the man asked, starting to put the cards into the phone. Mike nodded and the man carried out the operation. Within a few minutes the man had his money, and stamped the form.

‘This way, Mr. Jerome.’ Mike again followed the man into the garage.  {80} 

‘Ever drive one of these before?’ said the man, pointing at the wheelless car.

‘No,’ replied Mike.

‘Well, it's the easiest thing in the world. It works on a floating principle, so you can use it on and off the road,’ said the man proudly, opening the door. The car itself looked for all the world like an overgrown bubble, except that it would seat four people.

‘As I said, it's very simple. The stick, here, is like the old steering wheel. To start you pull it backwards, wait until the engine starts, then push it forward to lift off the ground. This pedal here is the throttle, press it down and faster you go. Move the stick to the left or right and that will turn the car. The switch here will allow you to go either forwards or backwards, and this one will give you maximum clearance for rough country. Speedometer, fuel gauge and oil pressure. I think that's it. Your maps are in the pocket, and there's a list of fuel stations. Don't get too low on fuel as there aren't many around.’ He said it all in one long spiel, then got out and handed Mike his copy of the hiring agreement and waited for him to get in.

Mike pulled the lever back and the engine fired up. He pushed it forward and felt the car lift off the ground. Pushing the accelerator pedal down moved the car forward at a sedate speed. Once clear of the garage, Mike stuck his foot down and the car rocketed away up to seventy miles an hour. A slight panic came when he arrived at a corner, as he didn't know where the brake pedal was. He lifted off the accelerator, and the car slowed so quickly he was thrown forward with great violence.

Mike stopped the car after this and caught his breath. While stopped, he quickly thumbed through his entertainment guide. It was quite an interesting document. It told him where he could fish and hunt, where to buy guns and waterproof clothing, but it didn't tell him anything about night clubs or jazz concerts.

He decided to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening driving around and went all over the Los Angeles basin, satisfying the urge to explore. It was strange to see the once bubbling community shrunk into the status of a mammoth ghost town. On his way back to the hotel, he found a self-service petrol station and filled up in readiness for the morrow. The idea was to get up early and drive north, perhaps as far as San Francisco.

8

Edward Lear

IT wasn't Mike's morning. By the time he'd finished breakfast and was ready to go out it was raining hard. Despondency made him lethargic but the thought of spending the day drinking with the men in the bar drove him on out to the car. He took a last look round the room and impulsively picked up the small tape recorder. If the day continued hopeless he could at least concentrate on recording his bizarre experiences. Once in the car, he couldn't find the windscreen wipers. He tried all the switches without any success.

The engine started immediately he pulled the lever, and he edged the car into the street. To his fury and pleasure the windscreen wipers promptly started to work. He flicked all the switches, but nothing stopped them. Mike could only think that their operation must be triggered off by contact with water. He looked at the map to refresh his memory of the route north, and set off west down Sunset Boulevard. Twenty minutes later he found himself at the intersection of the freeway heading north along the coast and then on to San Francisco. He could see why a vehicle on wheels would be no use. The road had pot holes in it like shell holes in a battle field. The hovercar just skimmed gently along without a bump or jolt. The rain beat relentlessly on the outside of the car with a pleasant drumming sound which made him feel very drowsy. Mike hummed a selection of jazz tunes to keep himself awake.

Twenty miles or so from the outskirts of Los Angeles the freeway came to an abrupt halt. Mike stopped the car and studied the barrier across the road. His map showed the freeway going straight north without any interruptions. He swung off the road and drove alongside the fencing until he found a gap that allowed him to get back on the road. He was so pleased with his new toy that he didn't notice the warning signs of earthquake damage until it was too late. Grabbing hold of a handle in the car, he prayed that the hole he was  {82}  plunging into wasn't too deep. The car flew over the edge of the crater and he waited for a terrifying crash. Although the drop wasn't great and he remained conscious as the car somersaulted over and over the handle broke under the strain of the final impacts, and he hit the roof of the car with a hell of a bang. Unconsciousness overtook him as he struggled to get out.

Mike's head ached, like the inside of Big Ben at striking time. He got unsteadily to his feet, and went over to the wreck. No wonder the car cracked up, it only had a very thin skin of plastic for the bodywork although, pulling at a bit of it, Mike discovered it was stronger than it looked. He must have been unconscious for some time, for the rain had stopped and the ground was very dry. From the position of the sun he reckoned it must be after midday. Checking that he still had his money, bank card, and tape machine, he inspected the sheer sandstone cliffs surrounding him and made a move to climb back up, but the sandstone crumbled under his weight. He walked round his prison studying the walls and then pulled a piece off the bodywork of the car to dig foot-holes in the face of the stone. It was long hot work but ultimately rewarding. He lay on the top of the crater, breathing hard. The countryside looked bare and desolate, with only the yellow-red sandstone for scenery. Mike sat up and crossed his legs Yoga fashion and studied the lie of the land. After much consideration he decided that the only way back to Los Angeles was down the disused freeway.

He picked himself up off the ground and started to walk back down the road, seeking somewhere to shelter from the sun. He walked for over an hour before he came across an old petrol station, looking as if it had been deserted since the time of the earthquake. He kicked down the half hung wood door to the workshop and went in. It was bare of equipment, but contained the usual rubbish found in deserted places. Mike hunted around until he found a water tap, and turned it on. To his surprise, there was a gurgling and banging and water trickled out. He waited and slowly the flow increased until it was gushing forth. It took another minute or so before the water lost its discolouration. He smelt it and washed his face. He hesitated about drinking the stuff, then decided that if the water were bad they would have turned it off. It wasn't very good reasoning, but he needed a drink, and the reassurance to take a drink. He tried the water, which to his surprise tasted fresh and sweet, and drank slowly, until he felt  {83}  satisfied. He was just about to turn away when he saw a yellow copy of the New York Times. However old it was, it would give him something to read, while he waited for the sun to go down.

Outside he sat against the side of the workshop where there was enough shade to make his stay quite pleasant. He opened the paper and shook the dust from it and stared at the date. February 9th, 2005. He shook his head and then the paper, to see which of them was playing tricks. The date remained the same. He couldn't tell how old the paper was, so he could only conclude that he must be in the first ten years of the 21st century. There was no point in analysing his feelings at this new time change. He'd decided before it was a pointless exercise, and he was going to need all his concentration to get him back to Los Angeles.

He started to read the paper. The main headline of the paper stated that the federation of Africa was sending troops to Cambodia to give them protection against infiltration from the north. He turned to page 4, as the article suggested, and studied the map. It seemed from the map that Cambodia was now the third most important country in Indo China. The paper explained that the Cambodians had a military pact with the federation of Africa. They appeared to be having a stand-up row with Thailand and Vietnam over rice stealing, and had asked for help from Africa. The Russians and the Chinese had attempted to pour oil on troubled waters with little effect, so the Africans had sent their troops in to stop the food-stealing. Mike looked through the paper for news about Europe, but couldn't find any and put the paper aside as it wasn't really going to help his journey back down the road.

He got up and went back into the garage to look round for some sort of container for water but there was nothing suitable. The only place he hadn't inspected was the office, which was joined to the end of the building and still seemed to be intact. He tried the door, but it was locked. It seemed a little strange that nobody had broken in and smashed the place up, as usually happens. He pushed hard on the door to find that it wasn't locked, just jammed by the twisted frame. It stuck about half way open which gave him enough room to squeeze through. The sight that greeted him turned his body cold and rigid. Sitting in an old fashioned wooden chair was a skeleton. Chilling enough in itself, but the exaggerated leanness of the bones and the smile of the skull startled him for an instant into thinking he was looking at the Professor.  {84} 

Mike recovered from the initial shock and went up to the white parched bone. A board in the floor moved and the skeleton fell apart, ending in a heap on the floor. Mike picked up the skull and in the forehead were three sizeable holes. Bullet holes? On the back of the door he noticed the dead man's jacket. Inside he found a wallet, identification paper and three hundred dollars, which he put in his pocket. The man's name turned out to be William Rite, born in 1973, which would mean the man must have been in his thirties when he was killed. The drawers in the desk contained nothing of interest to him but he picked up a rifle propped in a corner. It was still well oiled, although covered with dust and cobwebs, and the magazine, to his surprise, was full. Outside, after making sure he wasn't being watched, he took aim at a rock with the rifle. There was a loud report and the bullet ricocheted into the distant desert. Hurrying back to the shelter of the garage he listened intently for a few minutes, but there wasn't a sound and he sat down to wait patiently.

His eyes closed as he watched the distant heat waves dancing, and he recalled a time when he'd taken a few days off with Sue in the north-west of Scotland. The day had been very stormy, but towards evening it cleared and they'd sat with a flask of whisky on the white sand, watching the surf roll in. Mike suddenly felt very sad within himself at this memory from the long gone past.

The sun was sinking before he stirred again. The emerging long shadows made him shiver and he half expected the pile of bones to take shape and move. He went into the workshop for a long drink of water and, after a last look round, set out. He was glad to get moving. The twilight came and went, leaving him in a starlit landscape. The pot holes in the road seemed bigger in the dark but he struggled and stumbled along, reckoning that, if he walked at a steady pace, he'd cover about three miles an hour. This, if his memory proved correct, should bring him to the outskirts of Los Angeles by morning.

It was a couple of hours’ hard slog later that he heard calls of a jackal. It sounded too far away to bother him but the farther he walked the nearer it came, until he stopped, aware of scrabbling on the roadside. The jackal howled again. Mike stood rigid. He was now fully alert, the cry of the jackal was miles away, but the scrabbling was still going on. Swinging the rifle off his shoulder he peered into the dark to see what was making the noise. It seemed impossible to gauge exactly where the sound came from. Suddenly it stopped  {85}  and the night became very still, even the jackal was silent. Mike could feel his fear of the unknown thing out there in the dark mounting to a ridiculous pitch. He steeled himself, rose slowly, rifle at the ready and walked on down the road. Nothing happened. He began to gain confidence and his stride lengthened. The shot that rang out made him jump so hard he tripped and fell. The second shot ricocheted uncomfortably close. ‘What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?’ Mike bellowed at the top of his voice. Another bullet hit the ground by his side as the only reply. It struck him as a macabre thought that maybe they didn't hunt animals any more, only humans. No more shots were fired, so after several minutes Mike started walking on.

The hand that touched his shoulder was the last straw. He turned in a flash bringing the rifle butt hard into the stomach of the owner. There was a terrific intake of air from the fellow, who started to sink to his knees. In his fury, Mike followed the blow to the stomach with one to the head before he could stop himself. The man folded up into a silent heap on the ground. A sound a few yards off made him pull back from the body.

‘Did you get him?’ said a voice in the darkness.

A light went on perhaps six feet away. Throwing himself at the second man, who realized too late that the body on the ground was his friend, Mike hit him with the butt of the rifle across the back of the head. He found the torch and shone it on the two unconscious bodies. It was a relief to see they weren't policemen. Both were carrying rifles, so Mike emptied the magazines and threw them away. He removed their wallets and, with a sudden grin, took their boots off and flung them far into the night. That would stop them following for a bit, he thought, as he set off again at a good pace. Whatever they wanted, he had nothing to offer.

Mike walked on steadily through the night. He had hoped that he would come across the vehicle the two men had used, but he didn't have any luck. Dawn came quickly, and soon the sun lumbered up above the Sierras. From where he was he could see the mountain that made up the north side of the Los Angeles basin, within a mile or so. It took him several hours to reach the pass in the hills, where the highway cut through. Years ago, at this point, there would have been the city below, but now he looked down on a wilderness of ruins and scrub. To his right he could see the sea and the island of Cataiina glistening in the morning sunshine. What a difference it made without the smog. A sudden fear caught  {86}  him. What would he do if there were no airport any more? He quickened his pace.

The ground surrounding the ruined highway was deserted scrub land, where once it had been acres upon acres of houses. From his vantage point, there didn't seem to be even any rubble left. The sun was now beginning to beat down in its intensity, and he wished he'd taken a hat from the two men he'd tangled with. He had to use his memory to find the turn off from the road to the airport as all signs had long since gone. Walking up the flyover, he saw the road stopped, but to his intense pleasure he could see the airfield. He ran down the embankment and into the scrub. The cactus and other vegetation grew very close together, impeding progress. He moved cautiously as some of the innocent-looking cacti had barbs like fish hooks but eventually he reached the edge of the airfield, and looked at the high fence. They must be damned suspicious, thought Mike, as he climbed over. He soon found the perimeter road and walked along until he came to what looked like the main buildings. There was no sign on the entrance to say what building it was, so he started to walk into the doorway. He was about half-way through when he was suddenly thrown backwards, landing hard on his bottom. He collected himself and picked up his bruised body.

Trying to get in?’ said a man, coming over with a big grin on his face.

‘I was,’ replied Mike rubbing his backside.

‘What are you looking for?’ asked the man, with an even bigger grin.

‘I was looking for the departure building, in the hope of getting a plane out of this crazy place,’ Mike said, with feeling.

‘Over there,’ pointed the man.

‘Why couldn't I get into this building?’ asked Mike still rubbing his behind.

‘There's an electric door. If you have the right pass it lets you through, if you don't you get slammed on your ass,’ the man said, laughing as he himself went inside.

Mike noticed that all the men were either carrying guns or gun cases. California seemed to have become a hunters’ paradise, he thought cynically.

Outside the civil airport terminal a flashing sign advertised the Airport Motel. It was situated on the edge of the airfield. It wasn't very big but it had a bar, pool, rooms and a restaurant, as the sign outside indicated.  {87} 

‘Can I get a shave and a shower?’ Mike looked at the desk clerk.

‘O.K. chalet nine. That'll be four dollars.’

Mike took the money from one of his many wallets then made his way to chalet nine. He shut the door but there was no lock on it, which surprised and annoyed him. He had not forgotten the two men he'd met in the night and, taking no chances, he removed the handle so that the door couldn't be opened from the outside. Satisfying himself that no one could surprise him by coming in through the windows, he undressed. A thought struck him as he stood stark naked in the middle of the room. He grabbed his clothes, took everything out of the pockets, and searched the garments carefully. Suppose the time changes were caused by something he was carrying? Otherwise how did they always find him? Discovering nothing hidden in his clothing, he abandoned that line of thought, stepped into the shower and turned the water on.

Considering the events of the night, he didn't feel particularly tired. In fact the refreshing shower had a stimulating effect. He felt ready for anything until the struggle with his boots slowly reduced him to helpless giggles as he ineffectively tussled to get them on. Finally he had to sit down, the effort of laughing reducing his physical strength to nil. Mike wiped the tears away from his eyes and pulled the second boot on. He went over to the wash bowl and picked up the razor.

In the departure building he moved smartly across the hall to the inquiry desk and asked for a list of flight departures. The girl produced a sheet of paper containing all the d lily flights. Mike made his way to the news room. Inside it looked like a library. Long low tables with pieces of machinery sitting in the middle. Each black box had its own small typing machine set into the table. Mike walked round until he found a spare machine and sat down. He had no idea of what to do, so he looked at the man next to him. The fellow sat with a glazed expression on his face, a small pair of earphones stuck on his head and his feet resting on a stool. Mike looked at the blank screen and then at the typing machine. There didn't seem to be any instructions anywhere. He picked up the headphones in front of him and put them on.

‘Blip, blip. For your local news, instruct computer with code, 733/4445/23944. For world events and news, use code, 744/3333/34955. For book library refer to punch cards,’ he heard the metallic voice saying in the headphones. The message repeated itself. Mike looked at the typewriter in front of him and typed out the numbers for the local news.  {88}  The screen in front of him began to warm up, and the earphones crackled. He found himself watching and listening to a report on the weather followed by a detailed account of the hunting.

Mike turned his back on the man next to him and opened up the time table. On it were listed all the airlines operating out of the area from San Diego to San Francisco. About ninety per cent of the table covered internal flights, all over North America and Canada. He found the airlines operating overseas had very few flights going east non stop to Europe. The choice of westbound nights was unlimited, every carrier seemed to go to the Far East. He looked round for a clock but couldn't see one. He turned to the man sitting next to him and attracted his attention. It was a little after four. Mike smiled his thanks and took another look at his time table. Flights to Sydney were scheduled every half hour. He would try to make the next flight. He took the earphones off, and left.

He soon found the National Australian Airways desk. ‘Is there any room on the four thirty, to Sydney?’ Mike asked the kangaroo girl behind the circular counter.

‘I fear we're fully booked,’ said the girl, with a smile.

‘What about the five, or five thirty flight?’ asked Mike.

‘Can I speak to Captain Smyth,’ said the girl, into an intercom.

‘Captain Smyth,’ said a voice.

‘I've got a passenger here who wants to travel on the four thirty, but it's full. I was wondering whether you'd be willing to travel back on the four thirty instead of the five thirty, and let this gentleman have your five thirty seat?’ asked the girl.

‘Sure, I think I can get my stuff together in time. Is there a spare seat?’

‘No, but I've got a cancellation, which has been taken up. I'll tell the passenger that he can't have it.’

‘O.K., I'll leave the decision to you, darling,’ said the voice, and then gave a laugh.

‘Fine, you will be travelling on the four thirty, Captain,’ said the girl.

‘I can get on the five thirty, then?’ asked Mike.

‘Yes.’ The girl smiled, put a ticket into her uniform pocket and came out from behind the desk.

‘Won't be long,’ she said, going across the hall. Mike had very little alternative but to wait until she reappeared with another girl in tow, who looked at Mike from the corner of her eyes and went in behind the desk.  {89} 

‘This way,’ said the girl, taking hold of his arm. Mike felt like a dog out for a walk. They went out of a side entrance and turned in the opposite direction from the Motel. Five minutes’ walk brought them to a tall building near the perimeter of the airfield.

‘What happens here?’ asked Mike, as they went into the building.

‘Airline residential apartments,’ said the girl, with a smile.

‘Why bring me here?’ Mike asked, feeling that not everything was going his way.

‘Gillian, Gill for short,’ she said.

A man in a similar type of uniform came out from the lift. As he passed Gill he gave her a big wink. That was probably Captain Smyth, thought Mike, as they proceeded to the second floor.

‘Mike Jerome,’ Mike said, as they walked down the corridor.

‘Good, now that we've been formally introduced, I feel better,’ said Gill, taking a plastic disc from her pocket and flashing it in front of a door. As the disc broke a light beam, the door clicked open and they went in. Out of curiosity Mike tried the door from the inside but he couldn't budge it.

‘Afraid you're trapped, even if you get hold of this disc,’ Gill laughed, ‘you still don't know where the light beam is.’

Mike looked at the door frame for a moment and then moved towards her.

‘Mike, don't look so cross,’ Gill said, with a slightly nervous laugh.

‘Wouldn't you be annoyed if you were suddenly shut up in a room with a strange man?’

‘Well, I'll take you back to the departure building and let the two men who talked to me find you,’ said the girl.

‘Did the man at the motel put you up to this?’

‘God, no. I wouldn't do anything for him,’ Gill said. ‘Now sit down and relax.’

‘What do you use for furniture?’ asked Mike, seeing the solitary chair in the living room.

‘Where have you been lately? Furniture is a thing of the past, try sitting on the floor,’ said Gill.

Mike did exactly that. The floor sank beneath his bony knees. He stretched himself out to find that it was rather like sitting on very thick rubber.

‘Like it?’ asked Gill.

‘I'll let you know.’

‘Fine, do you mind making yourself at home while I see to a number of things?’  {90} 

‘Sure,’ said Mike, watching her move off into another room.

Mike got to his feet and walked round. There was no sound from his pacing and he felt as if he were in a clinical cell. A stark bare room, white walls and floor, and that bright blue solitary chair in the middle. He sat down and a small table slid out from under the left arm. It was littered with magazines and brochures. A list of night clubs in Sydney caught his eye and he began to read the advertisements.

‘You like night life?’ asked Gill, coming into the room again.

‘No, just seeing if an old friend of mine might be playing,’ Mike said, reading on.

‘Who's your friend?’

‘Just a friend. Why did you bring me here?’ Mike said, turning to Gill.

‘Curiosity. Why did those men want you?’

‘I beat them up, and stole their wallets, because they were rude enough to try to kill me.’

‘Typical American hunters, shoot at anything that moves, and ask questions after. Why did you take their wallets?’

‘Oh, impulse I should think. I was so mad, I wanted to leave them as helpless as possible,’ Mike said, getting up and going over to an open cupboard in the floor. In it was a mass of tapes and old fashioned records.

‘Did you ever hear a drummer called Pete Jones play?’ asked Mike, as he thumbed through the music.

‘No, but his name is familiar. Why might I have heard that name?’ Gill said to herself. Suddenly Mike could hardly breathe as he waited for her to answer.

‘He's a fantastic drummer, if you like that end of a jazz band,’ he said sitting down on the floor next to Gill.

‘I've never really followed jazz music, there are so few really good groups or even players left. Rather like art and writing. There aren't any good people coming forward. Pete Jones’ trio, that's what I heard the other night. It was on telly,’ Gill suddenly said.

‘Where was this?’ Mike asked, a little too urgently.

‘Pete Jones is the old friend then?’ Gill said shrewdly.

‘Yes.’

‘I was at home, in Sydney.’

‘How long ago?’ asked Mike, urgently.

‘It was the last night before I started on this run, so that would be three days ago,’ she said at length.

‘You wonderful, wonderful girl,’ Mike exploded, and grabbed hold of her. Gill didn't try to release herself. Mike  {91}  gently caressed her and then kissed her. She responded with a pure emotion that took Mike a little by surprise. Through the heat and passion of this embrace, came a dampening thought. He would have to take his bloody boots off.

9

Winston Churchill

THE small high velocity plane dropped its passengers at Sydney International Airport. Mike shivered violently as he stepped out. The airport clock showed twelve forty-four. Why were all winters like this, he thought to himself, looking at the leaden grey sky. He followed the line of passengers into a large hall, where they filed past a couple of desks in the centre.

‘Papers, please,’ said the giant of a man.

‘Sorry,’ said Mike vaguely.

‘Identification papers,’ said the man looking at Mike.

‘Will this do?’ he asked, as he produced his bank card. He had been very tempted to use some of the papers he'd picked up in California, but he couldn't risk it.

‘Fine,’ said the man, pushing it into a machine. They both waited. At last the reply came back. ‘How long do you intend to stay?’

‘A few days.’

‘And where are you going to stay?’ said the man pleasantly.

‘A place called Windwood, or Woodwind. I believe it's a block of flats,’ said Mike, beginning to feel he'd dropped into a new world where everything seemed to have a normality about it that he remembered.

The Woodwind. When you leave the country, just hand this in.’ The man gave Mike a card with holes punched in it. ‘If you intend staying longer than a week take it along to any police station and they'll renew your permit.’

Thank you,’ said Mike and went to change some money.

The taxi put him down almost outside the Opera House. People were sitting on seats overlooking the river. Mike looked round and was surprised to see that Sydney's famous  {92}  bridge had gone. He went over to a young couple and asked them where he might find the block of flats he wanted and was shown an exotic building hung out over the river. The lobby seemed to be seething with people and it took him a moment or two to get a lift.

Gill's flat was on the fifteenth floor. Mike used the key she'd given him and was soon standing in the quiet of her large studio fiat. He walked over to the window and looked out at the breathtaking view. He could see the sails of the small boats bobbing up and down at the head of the estuary. Mike tried to remember what Gill's instructions were about operating all the gadgets, but his mind was almost a blank. The emotional and physical efforts of the last twenty-four hours were beginning to tell, especially when everything here in Australia was so normal. Normal in relation to his life in 1969.

The sun had gone down when Mike woke. His eyes felt heavy and sore, as he stretched out on the lump in the floor. The flat was in darkness and it took him some time to find the light control panel. After a quick shower he dressed. He needed a shave but since Gill didn't use a razor, he'd have to try to buy one. More important in his mind at the moment was the urgency to locate Pete.

Mike left the flat and made his way through the chill night air along the Circular Quay. At a junction he stopped suddenly to check what was following him. He turned but the street was empty. It crossed his mind that his nervousness must be caused by the accumulation of his past experiences. He shivered and decided to look for a good warm coat. He wasn't afraid of catching cold, but feeling cold depressed him. Mike's heart started to beat a little faster as he saw a car pulling up in the street. Out of it climbed a policeman. He plucked up all his courage and moved towards the car. As he did so he heard again the sound of footsteps behind him.

‘Excuse me,’ said Mike cheerfully, trying not to sound nervous.

‘Yes?’ asked the policeman.

‘Could you tell me where I'll find the nearest police station?’

‘Over there,’ said the man, pointing across the street.

‘Thank you, I'm afraid I'm a stranger in these parts.’ The policeman smiled and opened his car door. Mike crossed the street, and went into the building.

‘Can I do anything?’ asked a policeman turning in his seat.  {93} 

‘Yes, I'm looking for a friend,’ said Mike, looking past the man at all the electronic gadgetry lining the walls of the office.

‘When did he go missing?’ asked the policeman ready with his typewriter.

‘He isn't actually missing, I just want to get in touch with him.’

‘That's not really our job,’ said the man severely.

‘Maybe not, but I've travelled half-way round the world trying to catch up with my friend,’ said Mike in a tired voice.

‘Give me his name and I'll see what I can do for you,’ said the man.

‘Peter Jones, he's a jazz drummer, and was seen on television about a week ago.’

‘Programme?’

‘I'm sorry I don't know.’

‘Why do you want to find him?’

‘I want to talk to him about a family matter, and finish a story I'm writing about him,’ said Mike boldly.

‘When did you last see him?’

Two, three months ago.’

‘Why don't you know where he is?’

‘Why should I? He has his career, and I have mine. We meet up when and where it's possible; we don't live in each other's pockets.’

‘O.K., wait here,’ said the man leaving Mike for his electronic equipment. Eventually he tore off a piece of print out paper and came back. ‘Here you are, it looks as though you might be in luck.’

Thank you.’ It gave a complete list of all towns Pete had visited since he'd landed in Australia. Mike quickly looked down to see where he'd been within the last twenty-four hours.

‘Excuse me,’ he said to the policeman.

‘Yes,’ said the man turning round.

‘It says here that my friend is with the Military, playing concerts. What it doesn't tell me is where the Military is.’

‘That'll mean he's up in the Northern Territory. Your nearest town would be Darwin, but I doubt whether they'll let you in up there without special permission,’ said the policeman.

‘What kind of permission?’

‘You will have to have more of a reason to visit the Northern Territory than to see an old friend.’

‘What about a press pass?’  {94} 

‘That might do, but it would have to be signed by someone either from the Military or perhaps the Governor of New South Wales might do it,’ said the man with a smile.

‘Thank you,’ said Mike feeling depressed. If he'd been at home, he could have easily got a press pass from any of his friends in Fleet Street. Here it would be another matter: he knew no one. He slowly made his way back to the flat.

Mike rummaged through Gill's phone cards until he found Ed Bolton. Gill had told him that she would ask this friend Ed to look after Mike until she returned, which she hoped would be sometime during the next few days.

‘Hello, Ed Bolton?’ said Mike as the phone was answered.

‘Speaking.’

‘This is Michael Jerome, Gill . . .’

‘Yes, she rang about you,’ came the brisk voice.

‘I thought I'd just make contact.’

‘Well look, I'm busy tonight, but I'll drop in in the morning, and if you're free tomorrow night perhaps you'd join me.’

‘That would be very pleasant.’

‘Good, would you like to go to a concert I'm arranging?’

‘I'd love to.’

‘Fine, I'll see you in the morning; good night.’

Mike smiled ruefully. He'd wanted to ask the man about getting a pass to travel north and instead he was going to a concert.

Mike sat thoughtfully for a while and then picked up the pile of phone cards and thumbed through them. He found one for the Darwin information service and slotted it into the telephone. He tried hard to discover a way of contacting Pete by phone, but the information service couldn't help him. He even tried to get hold of any northern military base, but they were apparently unobtainable. The thought of securing documents to travel north now became of paramount importance. It was on reaching the lobby that the thought of obtaining illegal documents struck him.

He walked briskly from the flats and out past the vast new music centre. In front of him he could see the old Government House and the Botanical Gardens. Striding purposefully across the park he slackened his pace as his suspicions about being followed began to take the shape of a slightly built man. It might be a good idea if he used his brains rather than his brawn. First, he planned to go to the King's Cross area to see if there were still any clubs there. If not, he'd have to think again, but in any case he didn't want to be followed. He eventually reached the old Conservatorium of Music, to find  {95}  that it had become a museum. He stood there in the dark studying a notice board, which dimly showed the opening times, before turning to look where his shadow was. The man stood about a hundred yards or so back along the path he'd followed. There was no obvious escape here so he continued his walk, waiting for an opportunity.

The chance to make a break came when he reached Parliament House. A hovercar with a big sign on it saying ‘City Taxi’ was pulled up outside the old colonial style building. His shadow was still some hundred yards behind. Walking to the entrance of the House, he prayed that nobody else would take the cab. He heard it start up and moved in behind. When he felt he was close enough he turned and jumped into its line of travel. By the time the cabby had the vehicle at a standstill, Mike was inside.

‘Get moving,’ he growled as he looked back. Then to his surprise he felt something move underneath his legs. He looked down to see that he was half sitting on a woman's lap.

‘I do apologise, I didn't realize this cab was taken.’

‘Well, it is,’ said the woman recovering. He looked back. His tail appeared to be making rapid progress towards Parliament House.

‘Again, my apologies,’ said Mike with a smile, opening the door. He quickly pushed it shut and then, keeping the cab between himself and the House, he slipped into Macquarie Street. Not wanting to stay on the open street too long, he soon returned to the park.

Mike didn't know how much time he would now have, but he hoped it would be enough. He quickened his pace across the ‘Domain’, kept to the little sidewalks and byways as he crossed through ‘Woolloomooloo’, and eventually found himself in Victoria Street. It seemed very strange to be walking through a city without seeing any people. The trouble with new replanned cities is that all the slum areas and low dives vanish, and then reappear somewhere else, and he felt that if his first stab in the dark was wrong, he wasn't going to get another chance. He walked round and round the empty streets until he found himself in Bayswater Road, where he saw a sign saying ‘Hotel Mansions’. He walked into the smallish entrance and looked round for someone to talk to. In many ways he wished Gill had come back to Sydney with him, instead of staying on in California until the end of her tour of duty. For one thing she would have been able to tell him where to go. The place he'd walked into seemed to be devoid  {96}  of any sign of life and he was just about to leave when a flashily dressed woman came lurching through the lobby.

‘Excuse me, but where are all the clubs and night life in this town?’ said Mike, stepping up to the woman. She looked at him and kept on walking until she bumped into him. Then she banged her hip up against his thigh.

‘How about me?’ she asked in a blurred voice. He was about to back off, as the smell of booze hit him, but the woman grabbed hold of his arm.

‘Luv, I could fancy you if that was what I was looking for, but you see I'm in trouble and I need some advice,’ he said, holding onto the woman to stop her falling over.

‘Running from the little old police force? I'll hide you, in fact I'd love to hide you,’ she babbled on.

‘Not the police, the secret service,’ said Mike very seriously.

‘Who?’

‘M.I.6., Q.E.D., K.B.G., or whatever you call it, police no, government yes.’

‘You mean a nice young fellow like you is wanted by the security fellows,’ she said with a gay laugh. ‘What do you want, guns?’ she asked, lowering her voice.

‘No, I need some documents, special documents,’ he said in a whisper.

‘And if I tell you, maybe, where you can get some documents what do I get, what does little old Liz get,’ she said, while Mike tried to keep her on her feet.

‘A cuddly teddy bear?’

‘Yes, I think I'd like you as a cuddly teddy bear,’ giggled the woman.

‘Right, I'm now your faithful cuddly teddy bear. Where would we find some documents, because, without papers, you've got no teddy bear,’ said Mike, putting the pressure on.

‘Let the lady alone,’ came a cool hard voice behind them.

Mike turned to see the figure of his tail standing a few yards away.

‘What the devil are you following me for?’

‘Got a guilty conscience,’ taunted the man with a flicker of a smile.

The woman tapped Mike on the shoulder, smiled apologetically and beat a hasty retreat.

‘All right. Let's go,’ said Mike.

‘Where?’

‘To whoever sent you.’

The man looked a bit surprised, then with a sullen shrug  {97}  of the shoulders motioned Mike out of the building in front of him.

They made their way to the corner of William and Victoria Streets, where a line of taxis stood silently awaiting some abundance of passengers. They moved about half-way down the rank and the man opened a cab door. Mike climbed in and they were soon travelling quickly and silently across town to their destination.

Mike watched the route, trying to orientate himself. At length the cab pulled up outside a small neon sign saying bar in Lower Fort Street. They walked under the sign and down in to a sub basement. Once inside, his ears were shattered by a blast of canned music. The room seemed to be full of rough darkly tanned faces staring intently at him as he was hurried through the bar. A door at the far end was opened by some unseen hand and he passed into a quiet cell-like room.

A moment later the door behind him opened and a small powerfully built man in his sixties came in spritely.

‘Sit down,’ he said with a thick accent.

‘What the hell is all the cloak and dagger stuff about,’ said Mike remaining on his feet.

The man looked hard at him and sat down.

‘Who are you?’ said Mike as the sharp eyes studied him.

‘Mr. Jerome, let's not beat about the bush, we're both business men and can dispense with formalities.’

‘O.K.,’ said Mike heatedly. ‘Let's start both knowing who we are.’

‘It seems stupid of you to play games, but if that's what you want, call me Uncle Tom.’

‘This is ludicrous,’ said Mike grinning suddenly.

‘Perhaps, Mr. Jerome, but that smile of yours will stretch from ear to ear unless you listen to a few words of advice,’ came the cold icy voice of Uncle Tom. ‘This town has been relatively free from serious crime for a number of years now and I have every intention of keeping it that way. So, if your trip here is to start trouble, forget it, and leave quietly while you're still intact.’

‘So you had me followed.’

‘Just to see what areas of the town you and your lot might be interested in.’

‘You're all bloody mad. I just want papers so that I can get out of this place.’

‘What kind of papers?’ asked Uncle Tom suspiciously.

‘A press pass or anything that will allow me into the Northern Territory.’  {98} 

‘Northern Territory. Try the authorities.’

‘I haven't time,’ Mike barked back.

‘That's what they all say. Why do you want to go north?’

‘I'm trying to locate a friend and I believe he's up there playing jazz for the Military.’

‘All right, Jerome,’ the man said abruptly. ‘I'll supply papers. If what you've said is lies either they'll get you or I will.’

‘I don't want your bloody patch. I'm not usually around long enough at any one time to enjoy the perks of any patch.’

‘When do you want them?’

‘Tomorrow morning.’

‘Tomorrow morning, fine,’ said Uncle Tom, as he left the room.

‘Where's he gone?’ asked Mike, turning to the tail.

‘Work on those papers.’

‘But he doesn't know anything about me.’

‘He soon will,’ said the man showing him the door.

Reaching the street, Mike looked carefully up and down and made his way back to the flat. The winter's evening had chilled his whole being. He stood at the window gazing thoughtfully at the night sky, trying to find reassurance in something he knew was real. The evening had started perfectly reasonably, but as the images and people moved before him, he found they dissolved like a mirage at each step forward he made. A great wave of loneliness flooded his mind as he struggled for knowledge of this strange void.

He was woken from a dead sleep by a sharp ringing. He opened his eyes, and looked round. The ringing stopped and a steady thumping started. At length he realized that it must be the front door.

‘Morning,’ said Uncle Tom.

Mike was so surprised to see the man he just stood there for a moment collecting his thoughts.

‘Hello, I didn't expect you so early,’ he said, closing the door.

‘I reckoned you'd probably not expect me at all this morning. Sorry about last night.’

‘You mean you can't get my press pass.’

‘No. Accusing you of trespassing on my patch. After you'd gone, they brought another fellow in from America. Looked just like you, but he was the one we wanted,’ said Uncle Tom happily.  {99} 

‘I'm glad.’

‘Yes, very fortunate. Anyway, here they are. Some forged, some genuine,’ said the old man taking a bundle of cards from his pocket.

Thanks.’

‘Sorry again for last night,’ Uncle Tom said. ‘Been eating into me that man had.’

‘How much for . . . ?’

‘Don't give it another thought, it's by kind courtesy of the Sydney Syndicate.’ Uncle Tom waved goodbye from the half-closed door.

Thanks,’ said Mike again as the door closed. Very well informed man, he thought, taking the cards and looking through them. At first he could see no difference between them, then he noticed that some of them had more holes punched in them than the others. He selected a couple of each kind and shoved them in his clothes.

Mike was in the shower when there was more ringing. This time he went straight to the door to find a well-built man in his early fifties.

‘Ed Bolton? Come in. Sorry, I was taking a shower,’ said Mike, shaking the outstretched hand.

That's fine, I just called in to say hello before this evening, and to tell you that you're sitting in “C4” next to me at the concert.’

That sounds great.’

‘Should be, and after that on to a party given by the Governor. What are your plans? Gill said she wouldn't be back for a few days and I was to have looked after you, but I am afraid I have got to travel north to arrange some concerts.’

‘That's a coincidence,’ said Mike, recovering. ‘I want to travel north to see an old friend of mine who's playing for the troops.’

‘You could always come with me. I am going up with some public relations people from the government,’ said Ed generously.

‘That's good of you,’ said Mike. ‘You know, I feel very much at home in this country.’

‘I'm glad,’ said Ed, smiling happily at the compliment.

‘What time is the concert tonight?’

‘Starts at eight, they won't open the doors until about a quarter to, so if you can get at the front, you won't be crushed in the rush.’

‘How many people do you expect?’  {100} 

‘Fifteen, twenty thousand. I wouldn't worry too much about getting in, just be ready to leave when I say so. I must dash now, otherwise I'll start running late tor the rest of the day. Good to meet you, Jerome, I look forward to this evening,’ said Ed going to the door.

‘I am looking forward to it immensely,’ Mike said, opening the door and watching Ed march off down the hall.

He spent the rest of the day preparing to go north. He had a shave and a haircut, and his clothes cleaned in the big automat.

Feeling neat and tidy, he made his way to the lobby of the music centre for a quarter to eight. The mass of people reminded him of one time when he went to a Beatles concert. At the appointed hour the humanity moved forward into the main auditorium. Mike left his safe position by the wall and followed. On reaching the doors to the main hall he was confronted by a metal bar. Just like a car park, thought Mike, as he looked round for Ed Bolton. A man in a uniform came towards him through the crowd.

‘You Mr. Jerome?’

‘Yes,’ Mike shouted.

The man beckoned him. He fought his way against the flow of bodies until he caught up with the man who was now standing by a small doorway.

‘This way, Mr. Jerome,’ said the man leading the way into the auditorium, ‘third row from the front, “C4”.’

Mike manoeuvred himself through the people to his seat and sat down feeling as though he'd just played a strenuous game of squash.

The thunderous applause woke him with a start. He carefully looked from left to right and observed a multitude of hands banging themselves together. Ed Bolton was sitting on the edge of the next seat.

‘Come on,’ said Ed, getting up. They went quickly backstage while the applause continued. Ed led him down to a dressing-room, ‘I'll be back in a moment.’

Mike looked round the room and listened to the terrific noise coming from the hall. It sounded like a stampede. The door burst open and in rushed Ed with the conductor of the orchestra.

‘Mike Jerome,’ said Ed, ‘John Howes.’

‘Hello.’ The man slid from one set of clothes to another.

‘Ready?’ asked Ed, breathlessly.

‘Right,’ said Howes, gathering up his belongings.  {101} 

The three of them left the room, hurried down a corridor and out onto the river bank. Mike was pushed forward until he saw the water lapping below him. In the dark it took him a moment to realize there was a boat waiting. He stumbled into it, and within seconds they were being driven away. Looking back at the music centre he understood why they had fled, for, as he watched, he caught glimpses of people running along the bank towards the stage door.

That was a bit close,’ observed Mike.

‘I'm going to have to do something about it,’ mused Ed.

Mike settled down in the stern of the boat while the two men in front of him talked. He shivered as the chill night air started to cool his body. The inside of the hall must have been very hot, and that was why he'd dropped off to sleep. Up in front of him he could just make out a light jutting into the blackness of the river.

‘Are you all right?’ asked Ed.

‘Bloody cold, but apart from that, fine,’ said Mike through chattering teeth.

‘Won't be long,’ came the reply.

The boat made very fast progress to the landing stage and Mike was soon moving quickly up a long lawn towards a palatial house.

‘Ed,’ came a powerful booming voice as they entered the house.

‘Evening, Governor, I see you made it,’ Ed said to a big burly man.

‘Hello, John, wonderful concert,’ said the Governor, shaking hands.

‘Governor,’ said Ed, ‘this is the journalist friend of mine, Mike Jerome.’

‘Very welcome,’ said the Governor, crushing Mike's hand.

‘Thank you,’ said Mike, pulling his hand from the vise.

‘This way.’

They all went into a vast reception room, where to Mike's immense pleasure he found a large wood fire crackling and smoking to the accompaniment of murmuring voices.

It was an extraordinarily happy and pleasant evening. The whole atmosphere of this Australian party made Mike feel confident that he would find Pete and that everything would be all right from now on.

10

‘Am I my brother's keeper?’

Genesis

MIKE sat on the plane looking out of the window. A soldier had called for him at the flat and taken him to the military base at Hornsby, where they herded him along with everyone else for the flight. In contrast with his own wonderful spirits, after the very pleasant party and a good night's sleep, Ed had a superb hangover.

Before they took off, the Captain told them that, because of bad weather and high-level turbulence, the aircraft would fly on a slightly longer route. They flew along the coast of Brisbane, then north-west up and out across the wilderness towards the northern territory. The coastline north of Sydney was far more populated than he remembered, but he was amazed by the change in the interior of Queensland. Looking down he saw instead of a barren landscape a beautiful patchwork of colours, large outcrops of yellow and orange sand, intermingled with lush expanses of irrigated green. The pattern of the countryside remained identical until they were two or three hundred miles north of Alice Springs. There, everywhere was green as far as the eye could see.

They arrived at the military base, some three hundred miles east of Darwin, just after lunch. Ed looked a little more alive as he stepped off the plane. The camp commander met them and they were shown to their billets.

‘Looks all right,’ laughed Mike, as he slewed water over bis face.

‘One day you'll feel like this, and I shall have great pleasure in ribbing you,’ said Ed, still a little high.

‘There's a very good cure for hangovers. Next time, before you go to bed, take two anti-cold pills, and I'll bet you wake up feeling reasonably human,’ said Mike.

‘Isn't that a rather old fashioned remedy?’ said Ed, sitting on a cot and looking at him curiously. Mike hastened to cover his mistake.

‘What's the programme for the rest of the day?’

‘That's what we're going to find out when you're ready.’  {103} 

‘Tell me, were those other fellows journalists?’ said Mike, drying his hands.

‘Other people,’ said Ed in surprise. ‘Oh, those men. Yes, they're something to do with the Government's publicity campaigns.’

They left Mike's room and walked to another building. Ed opened a door and went into an outer office. A soldier on guard didn't know what to make of Ed, and just let him wander to another door, which he opened and stuck his head round.

‘Afternoon, is it all right if I and my friend make an entrance?’ Mike heard him say.

‘Certainly, Ed, come on in,’ came the voice of the Commander.

Mike following him into the office, found all the people from the plane were there, as well as a multitude of top brass. Ed dragged him forward to some seats.

‘Gentlemen, we have with us today all the camp Commanders from our outposts up here,’ said the Commander, banging a map with his pointer. ‘The object of this meeting is to outline your programme. I have suggested to my colleagues that you spend today here and go on to New Guinea tomorrow morning.’

‘We'd like to go straight to Pagoria,’ someone said from behind Mike.

‘Right, tomorrow you'll go to Pagoria, in the afternoon on to Roebourne, spend the night there, and then on to Cairns the following morning. Any questions?’ said the Commander, looking into the sea of faces.

‘Commander, will we be allowed to go out with the night patrols?’ asked a questioner.

‘I think I must leave that up to each camp Commander. Here, for instance, I wouldn't want to allow you out, although it might be very instructive.’

‘What is the morale of the men like?’ asked someone else.

‘Not very good, they have had a long frustrating winter. But the politicians are at long last recognizing this fact, and allowing us to arrange concerts and other forms of entertainment. In fact there's a show tonight which I hope you will all attend.’

Mike was just about to stand up and ask who was playing when Ed tugged at his clothes.

‘If there are no more questions, I would suggest that you make your way to the information centre, after you've had  {104}  some refreshments, which will be here in a moment I understand,’ said the Commander, turning to a junior officer.

‘That's right, sir.’

‘What the hell's going on here?’ Mike whispered in Ed's ear.

‘I told you it's something to do with Government publicity.’

‘Yes, but I came up here to do a job, not attend a public relations campaign,’ said Mike, his voice rising.

‘You'll keep your mouth shut until you are asked,’ Ed suddenly commanded.

‘How are things, Ed,’ said the Commander coming over to him.

‘Just about keeping sane, John. Oh, this is a friend of mine from England, Michael Jerome,’ Ed said, waving a flipper at Mike.

‘You're very welcome, Mr. Jerome. I hope you'll find it of interest up here,’ said the Commander.

‘I'm sure I shall,’ said Mike.

‘Commander,’ asked a beady-eyed man, ‘what kind of entertainment are the men getting at the moment?’

‘I think the only thing we haven't been able to lay our hands on is a strip show. The girls in Darwin don't trust the camp Commanders.’

‘Do you think it helps?’ asked another man.

‘Oh definitely. The men need something to distract their minds,’ said the Commander, as soldiers marched in with tables and trays of refreshments.

‘I don't quite understand why your men should be so demoralized?’ asked Mike, taking a quick look at Ed, who sighed in relief.

‘Well, as you all know,’ said the Commander, food is at a premium in the world today even though every form of food production is being exploited. Prices have risen dramatically and so has the desperation of hungry people. In this country we have a very good productivity, which is incensing those countries in Asia who still have the strength to shout. Our job here is to protect the food produced, and the farmers, from infiltrators,’ said the Commander.

‘Fine, I see all that, but why should it demoralize your men?’ Mike went on.

‘Under normal circumstances I don't think it would bother them, if it were just a question of keeping out black marketeers, but these infiltrators are superbly trained guerrillas who can just slip in and burn vast areas of crops without ever being caught.’  {105} 

‘Even so, surely the worst problem our fellows up here have to face is their own countrymen,’ came a voice.

‘Yes, you see Mr. Jerome, there are many black marketeers here in Australia, and the soldiers always have it in the back of their minds that they might meet up with a friend or a member of the r family.’

‘Very unpleasant,’ said Mike.

‘Yes, it is a heavy responsibility.’

‘I would have thought other countries would have been only too pleased to buy foodstuffs at any price,’ said Mike.

‘Yes,’ said the beady-eyed man. ‘But there is a shortage of money in the most densely populated countries, and the people see themselves slowly starving to death and argue that other countries should be humane enough to share.’

‘And the people here don't agree, so if you don't stop the looting and burning the farmers are liable to suffer terrible persecution,’ mused Mike.

‘Not persecution of individuals, the whole defence system would be for the high jump. That's why these gentlemen come and see us from time to time, to keep the record straight. The army's very grateful to them too,’ said the Commander.

‘Trouble is,’ said a big hairy man, ‘this situation will never change, it will only get worse.’

‘True, that's why it's a very depressing subject. Unofficially I think the whole thing will get out of hand and then God only knows what will happen. Gentlemen, I think if you've finished your refreshments we should move on from this sad topic of conversation, to the other side of the coin, at the control centre,’ said the Commander moving towards the door.

‘Do you want any?’ said Ed, pointing at a table of refreshments. Mike went and helped himself to some coffee.

‘Excuse me, gentlemen,’ said a soldier, ‘are you going to the centre?’

‘Yes,’ said Mike.

‘Could I have your names please, and then I can leave passes for you,’ said the young man.

‘Bolton and Jerome,’ said Ed.

‘Thank you,’ said the soldier writing this down. ‘May I say that if you get Colonel Ryan to show you round, he'll give you a very comprehensive tour.’

‘Thank you, that's a good idea,’ said Ed going over to join Mike and helping himself to coffee. The soldier clicked his boots together and departed.  {106} 

‘Why don't you want me to ask about Pete Jones?’ Mike said, turning on Ed.

‘Because it isn't politic. You'll have to trust my judgement.’

‘All right.’ Mike was a little disappointed.

‘Come on, I'm going to lie down and you can go on your conducted tour,’ Ed said, going into the outer office.

‘Where can we find Colonel Ryan?’ he asked the soldier on duty.

‘He should be in his office, second door on the left,’ came the reply.

Ed banged hard on the door and went in.

‘Hello, Ryan, got a job for you,’ said Ed, as he entered the office.

‘You usually have,’ came the reply. Mike followed Ed in.

‘Mike Jerome here would like a Ryan tour of the set-up,’ Ed said.

‘Hi,’ said Ryan. ‘AH right, Ed. If I get into trouble you'll have to square it with the General.’

‘Go on, I must get some rest,’ said Ed, leaving them to it.

‘Brave man,’ commented the Colonel reaching for his hat.

‘Why?’ asked Mike, watching Ed make his way across the compound.

‘He lost his brother out here about three years ago, Commander of one of the camps. They were close friends. Right. Where shall we start?’

‘How about the control centre?’ said Mike.

‘Just a moment,’ Ryan returned to his desk. ‘Hello, have they left the centre yet?’

‘Yes, sir,’ came a crackling reply from the intercom.

They made their way across the compound to a concrete bunker with a metal door guarded by two stony faced individuals, who didn't even salute the Colonel. Ryan handed them a card which was fed into a machine. After considerable clicking the door swung open. The two soldiers drew themselves up smartly and saluted. Mike followed the Colonel into the Bunker.

‘Good afternoon, Colonel,’ said a soldier standing up behind his desk and saluting.

‘Afternoon, Sergeant. Mr. Jerome and I want clearance to go into the main control room,’ said Ryan, returning the salute.

‘You've got quite a security set-up here,’ said Mike, looking round the empty bunker as the soldier tapped away on a typewriter.

‘All right, Sergeant?’ asked Ryan.  {107} 

‘Yes, sir,’ said the man, pressing buttons in front of him. A moment later a very well hidden door slid quietly open revealing a lift.

‘How can they tell that you're really Colonel Ryan?’ asked Mike, as they descended.

‘I don't think they can, but the technical boys say they can tell the fake from me. Although you can imitate virtually all other physical things, they say it's very difficult to imitate the human voice. You saw the card I gave the guards, well that opens the doors to the bunker, it's a pass word that changes every twelve hours on the computer. It would be very easy to get hold of that card, and dress up to look exactly like me, you know, plastic surgery. The difficulty would be talking to the man on duty. All the words spoken are recorded and run through the computer. If the computer finds that the speech pattern is mine it sends the lift up, if it's unsure or suspicious, no lift,’ said the Colonel with a smile.

‘And you don't believe this is foolproof?’ said Mike, smiling.

‘Not really, it's all too complicated. I don't like complicated things.’

‘Well, what happens if something does go wrong?’ asked Mike, as the lift came to rest.

‘There are masses of spare circuitry and electrical safeguards. If an enemy really tried to get in and used up all these safeguards, the computer here stops, and the central one in Canberra comes into play. They say that nobody up here can fiddle with that one down there. It just goes on evaluating the information and, if it's satisfied, it brings the lift up, if not there would be a general military alert and all hell would break loose.’

They were now standing in a largish room, which seemed to contain enough equipment to sink a ship, or give an electronics buff blood pressure. Ryan marched him round the machinery explaining all the military information that was required to keep the enemy at bay with the help of the computer. All the northern coast of Australia was protected by a vast system of radar, which according to Ryan covered the entire length of the coastline. The constant information from these radar posts passed simultaneously to all the military camps throughout the country. This information was then sifted and everything of interest to security was checked out. Even if all the power in the country were cut off they had secret auxiliary power plants, which made the whole system look efficiently faultproof. Mike found it a little difficult  {108}  to assimilate all the alternatives, for not only were there vast tunnels of wire to carry information but also microwave links, radio links, and apparently they could send messages through radio jamming. Mike had always thought that the idea of jamming was to stop radio messages being sent, but here he was told they could use someone else's jamming to send messages.

Having been shown all this technical machinery, they moved on to the camp's own closed-circuit radar system. This covered all the territory in their own patch, as Ryan put it. From watching the radar screens it looked to Mike as though a terrific amount of activity was going on outside. They left the communication bunker, which involved another voice check, and Ryan took Mike over to a large hall, where he was left to his own devices.

Mike wandered irresolutely to the end of the hall, banging his hand against the backs of the chairs. He wasn't happy, the whole place had a stagnant smell about it. He wasn't fond of death, but that was preferable to the smell of long drawn out decay. He felt as if he were in an empty house that was cold, damp and eerie. Looking round the end of the hall, where there was a long table and dais, he wondered idly how the platform was set up for a concert. He left the hall and made a tour of the camp on his way back to his quarters. Even as he walked round in the dying afternoon, he felt chilly, and finally found his way back to Colonel Ryan's office.

‘Sorry to bother you again, Colonel,’ he said entering the office.

‘Not at all, what can I do for you?’

‘You know I did a stupid thing, I forgot to bring warm clothing. I was wondering whether I could borrow some.’

‘Of course,’ said Ryan, taking out a form and signing it. ‘Here nip over to the P.X., and get yourself what you need. Couldn't have a visitor freezing to death,’ laughed the Colonel, handing Mike the piece of paper.

‘Thanks, Colonel. By the way, who's giving the concert tonight?’ asked Mike.

‘I don't think it's a musical show. I think it will be some sort of comedy.’

‘Where do all these people operate from?’

‘Darwin,’ said the Colonel.

‘Thanks again, sorry to disturb you,’ said Mike, gently closing the door behind him. He walked round every building he could see, but there was no sign of the P.X. Mike eventually had to go up to a couple of guards on duty and ask.  {109} 

Mike followed the man's instructions and eventually found out why he hadn't seen the place before. It was in another bunker, like the communications one. He pushed the door open and went in.

‘Good afternoon,’ said Mike to the soldier on duty.

‘Afternoon, sir, what can I do for you?’ the man asked.

‘I've come for a good warm coat,’ said Mike, handing over the order. The soldier took it and read it carefully.

‘I'm afraid we haven't anything smart,’ said the man.

‘That doesn't matter as long as it keeps me good and warm,’ Mike said.

The soldier smiled, and went behind a counter. Mike was a little surprised when instead of bringing back a coat, the man came back with a tape measure.

‘Must have a coat that fits,’ said the soldier, carefully measuring Mike and relaying the information to a typewriter.

‘What did you do before you were drafted?’ asked Mike as they waited.

‘Grew roses,’ said the man shyly.

‘What a pleasant occupation,’ said Mike.

‘In a way, I suppose. I used to have a supermarket, but when my two sons were killed I lost interest, sold up and went in for growing roses.’

‘How did you lose your sons?’ asked Mike, before he could stop the question.

‘Up here. They were killed in a shooting match. Do you realize that their lives and the lives of everyone up here aren't worth that?’ The soldier snapped his fingers.

‘Why do you say that?’ asked Mike.

‘One of my sons was killed on an exercise, and the other while trying to help his brother,’ said the man. ‘Did you know that on exercises they send you out across open country with machine guns in trucks shooting at you?’

‘I knew they fired real bullets, but only over your head,’ said Mike.

‘That was a long time ago. You ought to see the weeping families at the funerals nowadays,’ said the soldier with tears in his eyes. He turned and went to a hatch in the wall.

‘I'm sorry,’ said Mike inadequately. He felt he'd been right about the smell of decay. The soldier didn't reply, just stood with his back to Mike for a moment, before returning from the hatch with a neat bundle of garment. He shook it out and helped Mike on with it. There was almost no weight to the parka.

‘Sorry about the colours,’ said the soldier with a slight grin.  {110} 

‘That's all right,’ said Mike smiling at the orange and yellow camouflage pattern on the coat.

‘Tell me something, how would I make a phone call to Darwin?’ asked Mike.

‘You wouldn't. There's no outside line.’

‘Why not?’

‘They say it's for security reasons,’ said the soldier.

‘You mean there's no communication with your family or friends?’

‘Except by mail, and that's always censored,’ said the soldier.

‘Thanks for the coat.’

Nothing seemed to make sense any more. Mike walked through the cold evening air back to his room. The soldier was right about the coat, it was dead warm. He stopped when he got to his door, and then moved to Ed's. He knocked but there was no reply, so he gently opened it and looked in. No Ed. He turned and went back to his room.

Mike suddenly woke from his doze with Ed shaking his arm. All he remembered was sitting down on the bed, and bang.

‘I thought I'd better wake you,’ said Ed, hovering round the room.

‘Why, what's the time?’ said Mike, yawning.

‘Quarter to seven, and time for a drink and dinner.’

‘When's this great show tonight?’ he asked, wondering what he'd have to sit through.

‘Nine, but the Commander has been called out to a farm, so he and some of those government fellows may not be around.’

‘I see, where's this drink you were talking about?’ asked Mike enthusiastically, putting on the coat.

‘Over in the Commander's office,’ said Ed, looking at the coat. Mike let Ed lead the way to the Commander's office.

‘Here we are,’ said Ed, pushing open the door. Inside was a long table set for dinner.

‘Why are we eating here?’

‘I gather the Commander may be late and he didn't want to keep the kitchens open for him. Gives the men a break before the show,’ said Ed, pouring water onto a couple of pills, ‘I hope you like whisky, that's all the old man usually has.’

‘Fine. When am I going to get to talk to Pete Jones?’

‘Tomorrow, he'll be back in Darwin from a trip to New  {111}  Guinea, and the Commander said there was a plane going over there in the morning, so you can hitch a ride,’ said Ed, calming Mike down.

‘Oh fine,’ said Mike, relaxing.

‘Evening, Gentlemen,’ said the Commander, coming in with a group of the observers.

‘Evening,’ said Mike getting out of his chair.

‘Successful?’ asked Ed.

‘Not really, they had the barns well alight by the time we got there. I'm afraid some of the people here were a little disappointed in the way we just let the place burn. As I told them, you have to conserve water in these parts,’ said the Commander, taking a drink from an orderly.

Mike was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol by the time trolleys of food began to appear. He helped himself to a delicious steak, mushrooms and saute potatoes, and washed all this down with quite a good red wine. While they were eating some of the men were making notes. Mike wasn't interested in the general conversation, which seemed to revolve round the topic of tighter security. In a way he wished Colonel Ryan had been there, as the man had a good sense of humour. After cleaning up his plate, he didn't feel like any of the sweets, which consisted mainly of fresh fruit prepared in different ways, so he took coffee and a brandy. Mike wondered what the Commander and Ed had in common, as all through the meal they were thicker than thieves. The Commander eventually rose and announced that they should proceed to the assembly hall. Everyone seemed pleased with the idea, except Mike, who would have felt much happier talking to men like the soldier in the P.X. store.

The hall was packed with a mass of happy jabbering faces. The Commander led the way down the aisle to their seats near the front. Mike sank down into his seat and watched the Commander take the stage. The audience quietened down, and waited for the CO. to say something. The Commander was very good at keeping the audience in suspense. To Mike's surprise and delight the evening's entertainment was going to be given by a magician called Maestro Normande, a tall man in traditional dress of black tie and cape. Mike loved magicians. In London he and Pete used to go to the Scala Theatre every year to watch the magicians from all over the world perform.

The show was a great success. Every time the maestro finished his final trick the audience went into thunderous applause and wouldn't stop until the man returned to the  {112}  stage and performed more magic. Even Mike was on his feet bellowing along with the others until the Commander and a Sergeant Major managed to bring the show to a close. The Sergeant Major's bellow brought the whole hall to its feet and the maestro was given three cheers for his performance. He looked relieved that the show had finally stopped and Mike wondered whether he was beginning to run out of ideas.

The whole group of them, including the magician, went back to the Commander's for a nightcap. It was an hour before the party broke up and Mike returned to his room and his cot. He lay there with his mind racing and sleep miles off. He'd heard Ed go in next door shortly after he climbed into bed. The light was still burning when he opened the communications door but Ed wasn't there. Funny, he thought, but returned cheerfully to his own room.

Mike had gone to sleep with a pleasant warm friendly feeling, but when he woke in the morning suspicion pervaded his mind. Again he'd had dreams about Pete, and the Professor. He'd dreamt that they were all sitting in a dark cinema watching the film he'd scripted. At the end of it they just applauded but didn't talk to him, almost as though he were on a pinnacle, inaccessible. There was now an urgency in his mind to find his friend. There was some gloom hanging over him that he couldn't explain, some kind of disaster.

Mike washed and shaved, climbed into his clothes and packed his bags. The sooner he got out of this place the better. He looked out of the window and saw soldiers square bashing. Watching them, he was thankful not to have to be up and out with the men at some unearthly hour, running round in full kit, waiting for a Sergeant to criticize his buttons or his boots. The sun must be up, judging by the shadows that were created, and he worked out that he must be looking south. It was a strange feeling to see the sun rising to the north side of a vertical line, and not the south side as in the northern hemisphere. He went outside and stretched in the brisk morning air. Mike walked over to Ed's door and banged hard.

‘Come on, you lazy old . . .’ said Mike as he opened the door and went in. The bed was empty. It hadn't been slept in. Mike looked round the room and discovered that none of Ed's clothes was there. He came out of the room and made his way quickly to Colonel Ryan's office.

‘Good morning,’ said Ryan, as Mike burst into the office.

‘Morning,’ said Mike coming up to the soldier.  {113} 

‘Sit down, I'll be with you in a moment,’ said Ryan, reading some papers in front of him. Mike stood fidgeting until he noticed a jug of coffee on the sideboard.

‘Help yourself,’ said the Colonel, looking up for a moment.

Mike poured coffee into a cup and felt better after taking a good drink.

‘Did you sleep well?’ asked Ryan, finishing his reading.

‘Yes thanks,’ said Mike, refilling his cup.

‘Jakins,’ called Ryan. A communicating door opened and a soldier came in.

‘Yes, sir,’ said the soldier.

‘Is everything ready for Mr. Jerome here?’ asked Ryan.

‘Yes, sir. Whenever you're ready,’ said the man.

‘Fine, Jakins. I'll let you know when he's ready,’ said Ryan. The soldier saluted and left the room.

‘What's ready for me?’ asked Mike.

‘Your transport to Darwin, Ed Bolton asked me to arrange it,’ said Ryan.

‘By the way, where is Ed?’ asked Mike.

‘He packed his bags early this morning and left for Darwin.’

‘Why did he do that?’ asked Mike, puzzled by the sudden departure.

‘He doesn't like it up here, I told you about his brother. He tends to drink a lot when he comes, and sometimes he just gets up and goes,’ said Ryan.

‘Poor fellow,’ said Mike thoughtfully.

‘Are you going home from Darwin?’ asked Ryan.

‘No, I want to find a man called Pete Jones, I'm writing an article on him,’ said Mike.

‘I hope you get your story,’ said Ryan, smiling pleasantly.

‘So do I. When do I leave?’

‘Any time you want to.’

Til go now.’

‘Right, if you get your things together, I'll let the pilot know,’ said Ryan, switching on the intercom.

Til nip and get my bag, and say my goodbyes to your Commander,’ said Mike from the door.

‘He's out of the camp, he was called out early this morning to check a farm,’ said Ryan, with his finger on the intercom button.

‘Would you say goodbye for me, then?’ said Mike.

‘Certainly,’ said Ryan. Mike smiled and closed the door behind him. Funny coincidence both Ed and the Commander  {114}  leaving early in the morning, thought Mike as he went for his bag.

11

‘I am quite perplexed in a world of doubts and fancies.’

Keats

AT first Mike thought the helicopter would take him to Darwin, but after half an hour's flying it came to rest on the edge of a large runway. The pilot said cheerio and left him standing in the middle of a wilderness.

The runway appeared to be built on a plateau among bills. Mike stood looking around searching for a sign of life. After what seemed like hours he heard the whine of jet engines somewhere to the north. His ears had just tuned themselves to the noise, when the air was shattered by a low-flying aircraft. It was on top of him before he could get his hands to his ears, leaving his head buzzing with the vibrations when it had gone. Several minutes later he saw the plane again, coming in very low at the far end of the runway. There was a puff of smoke from the wheels and the plane was down. It taxied up to him and the noise of the engines died as it did so. The plane was as thin as a pencil, with slim delicate wings. As first he couldn't see any cockpit, then a bubble on top opened and a helmet appeared.

‘Mike Jerome?’ came a voice from inside the helmet.

‘Yes, you nearly deafened me last time round,’ said Mike but the helmet had vanished.

‘Here.’ Mike looked up just in time to see a bundle coming towards him. ‘You'll be more comfortable if you put the suit on,’ came the voice.

‘But I'm only going as far as Darwin.’

‘You are, so please yourself, they tell me it's very unpleasant without oxygen.’

‘Git,’ said Mike, unstrapping the bundle. A flashy helmet dropped to the ground. Mike pulled the overalls on and donned the helmet. ‘Just to go on a bus ride.’

‘What was that?’

‘What do I do now?’ asked Mike, waiting to get at the man.

‘See where it says fuel filler?’

‘Yes,’ said Mike looking at the large red letters.  {115} 

‘Well, that's where the ladder is,’ said the voice in desperation.

‘So I see,’ said Mike, climbing up.

‘Ready?’ said the voice. Another bubble-like cover lifted up and Mike climbed crossly into it. A dark coloured visor prevented him seeing the man's face. He settled back into the narrow seat and the canopy above him snapped shut. Belting himself in, he felt like an overgrown baby in a pram. Somewhere behind him, the engine started and suddenly he felt very sick, as the ‘G’ forces for take-off built up. His stomach steadied when the plane levelled out a moment or two later. Looking directly above him at the intense blue he felt they must be at a terrific height. Once he was sure of the behaviour of the plane, he started to study his surroundings. He found a lead coming from his suit which he plugged into a panel in front of him. A faint hum came over the earphones in his helmet.

‘Hello,’ Mike said, ‘can you hear me?’ Nothing happened apart from the humming but a strange light-headedness started to overcome him and an increasing difficulty in breathing. Lack of oxygen flashed across his mind as his movements became slow and clumsy. He swore roundly at the pilot for not showing him what to do before take-off. Finding an oxygen pipe he plugged it in, the suit inflated slightly, and his breathing began to ease. He sat there catching his breath, and thinking how strange it was for the pilot to be so uncommunicative. The man must have known he was a civilian, and should have shown him the ropes before they set off.

It took a little time to regain his normal breathing. Meanwhile he sat watching the dials in front of him. His fury at the pilot's negligence cooled as he watched the joy stick in front of him move with nervous gestures correcting the flight of the plane.

‘Hello up front, can you hear me?’ he said, in some frustration. There was no reply. He tried again for something he heard in the earphone attracted his attention. When he spoke he found the hum vanished, but when he stopped speaking it came back suggesting the crazy thought that perhaps there was no pilot up front at all.

Impatiently dismissing this absurd idea, he once again became interested in the panel in front of him. He took hold of the joy stick and pushed it gently forward trying to rouse some reaction from up front. The plane started to go into a dive. It took only a moment for Mike to feel this and he waited for the pilot to correct the plane but the suspense  {116}  proved too much and he pulled the joy stick gently back. The plane came gracefully out of its dive and levelled up. He pulled the stick sharply backwards and the plane climbed quickly. He levelled it out and sat in total bewilderment. Looking at the air speed indicator didn't tell him much as the dial was marked in segments not miles per hour. On the joy stick he noticed two small buttons. He took hold of the stick and pressed the right hand button. Nothing happened at first so he pushed a little harder, and this time got a punch in the spine for his trouble. He glanced at the air speed indicator to see that the plane had accelerated one whole section on the dial. He gently pushed the left hand button and the air speed dropped. He tried calling on the intercom, again without any response. The answer to his problem was obvious, the ejector seat. He looked around for the release handle, which he found located on the side of the cockpit. Suddenly Mike remembered the compass. There seemed to be no marker on it, so he gave it a bang. A green line appeared racing madly from one side of the dial to the other. Eventually it settled down and gave a steady reading of three hundred and ten degrees northwest.

Mike now knew something was terribly wrong, for although Darwin might be north-west of the army camp, by now they must have passed it. The fuel gauges were flickering around the half empty mark. Suddenly as he sat there thinking the plane started to accelerate. Grabbing hold of the joy stick he pressed hard on the left hand button but the plane went on accelerating. The air speed dial reached its stop mark and then shattered. Darkness started to envelop him. He tore at his hands in an effort to keep awake and scrabbled at the cockpit above him, but nothing seemed to prevent the sudden drowsiness he felt and he slowly passed into a deep black abyss.

He woke with a start, and looked quickly round. The cockpit still encased him and he eased himself up to get a closer look at the control panel. Air speed was back to normal, and the compass needle pointed north-west. The fuel gauges now showed empty. Mike tapped the front of the air speed dial, and small pieces of glass fell out, revealing a stuck and bent needle. Above him the canopy was spattered with blood. He looked at his hands to see deep scratches which he must have made trying to stay awake. The situation was now clear, either the plane had malfunctioned or he'd gone through another time change.  {117} 

Phlegmatically he plumped for the time change. He took hold of the joy stick and, easing it forward, was relieved to find the plane was still functional and that he wouldn't have to bail out at altitude. He cut back the air speed and watched the needle on the altimeter drop until it reached its lowest point then he levelled the plane out. With a hand on the ejector, he pressed the ‘slow engines’ button. The plane slowed down until he felt he was hanging in mid air. Pulling the ejector handle he was shot skywards, and when the upwards motion stopped he felt for the rip cord. To his horror and final despair he couldn't find one. His falling speed increased, and his mind was dizzy with the somersaulting and turning as he plunged to his death. Then his whole body was violently jerked as the parachute opened. He wondered what would happen to the seat when he hit the ground. With his present luck it would probably break his legs, just for fun.

He found he was worrying for nothing for, as he looked down from his swinging position, he saw a great expanse of blue water. He wondered where the devil he was, and whether the water would be shark infested as, ten feet above it, he banged his harness release button.

Mike sank holding on grimly to the seat and returned to the surface underneath the parachute. He couldn't find any way of disconnecting the parachute from the chair, but turning the seat upside down, discovered a false bottom containing a raft. Pulling out the life raft he swam to the edge of the parachute and cautiously peered beyond. He couldn't see anything alien so he swam into the open pushing the bundle.

As he pulled the inflation cord there was a hissing sound and the raft went woosh, and blew itself up. Mike grabbed hold of the side and, carefully pulling himself aboard, dropped exhausted into the bottom of the boat. On each side of the raft were large pockets containing emergency rations, a solid fuel burner with cooking container, a box of pills for purifying water, distress rockets, a small radio, a compass, an instruction book on how to use the radio, and a small box marked lethal. Inside the box he found a suicide pill. He picked up the radio, along with the instruction book, and settled back to find out what he could do with it.

Mike read the booklet from cover to cover. At the end of the book he found a map of the world with quaint characters dotted all over it. He dug back into the text to verify what the characters meant. They were beacons, homing beacons, for aircraft that had to put down in an emergency.  {118}  Picking up the radio, he started to rotate the dial but not a squeak came and nothing in the book told him about operating the radio. Perhaps the plunge in the water had put it out of action. Then he cursed himself for being a gormless idiot as he realized the radio would need an aerial. Up in the roof he found an aerial lead and plugged it in, but turning the dial again produced nothing but static. Shivering with cold after his enforced swim, he helped himself to some of the food rations before tackling the long job of establishing his position.

It was very disappointing when, after covering a line that went round the world, he'd not had a peep from the radio. He positioned the compass at approximately the point of departure and re-checked that he'd covered all the stations along the line. Nothing. He put the radio down and sat thinking. His clothes seemed to be drying out quite fast and it was becoming hot and stuffy in the raft. He stood up, waited for the rocking to stop and opened up one of the flaps in the roof. The sea glistened in the sunshine and the air smelt fresh and good. From a cord trailing in the water Mike could see that he was travelling quite fast. He picked up the compass and found that he was drifting west, with the sun to the south of him. This information should narrow down his search, so he tried dialling the stations on the east and west coasts of Africa. Nothing, so he tried the Gulf of Mexico. Finding no response there either, he picked up the map to see what other areas he might be in. He looked at the European side of the map, and then banged his finger down hard on the Black Sea. Moving the dial on he suddenly heard a signal. He could hardly believe it at first, but as he listened the same dot dash notation came over the wave length. He cursed the fact that he couldn't understand Morse code, but after a quick look at the map at least he knew where the beacon was, at the mouth of the Bosphorus. He hurriedly thumbed through the book and found the page relating to the exact location of beacons. The next thing to do was to find more beacons and then draw lines from each signal until they coincided. Mike turned the radio dial to other stations along the coast near the Bosphorus beacon, but none responded so he referred back to the book and discovered that his beacon, and all the other beacons in the Black Sea area, had a range of a hundred miles. He took a rough measurement with his thumb nail against the scale of the map and then drew a circle round the beacon.

The day was so superb, he undid the roof and lay soaking  {119}  up the sun. An hour or two of this made him realize that survival wasn't as simple as he'd expected. A parching thirst overtook his sun-drenched body, and he started to make himself a drink. A search of the raft produced no means of creating a fire. He knew his luck had been too good, and sat back with a sick feeling in his stomach. If only he hadn't given up smoking. Mike stood up and fixed the roof back on, but it didn't cool the dryness of his mouth. Without any form of light, the distress rockets were useless. All he could do now was to wait for the raft to make land. He picked up a box of food, swallowed some of the ridiculous looking pills and settled back reflectively. The first question that came into his mind was did the wind blow off the land at night or from the sea. He went over the problems of whether land retained heat longer than the sea or vice versa, until no solution came, just sleep.

It was dark when he woke and for a moment or two he couldn't remember where the hell he was, but standing up quickly reminded him that he was in a rocky raft. He located an opening and stuck his head out. Up above he could see the wonders of the heavens, but no moon. He squinted hard into the semi-darkness to see if he could see the cord at the end of the boat. To his great dismay it was dangling motionless in the water. He looked round the skyline but there wasn't a sign of land anywhere. He knelt down and fished around for the compass. His eyes were now growing accustomed to the dark and, with the help of the luminous dial, he could just make out the needle pointing north. He sat watching it for a while then moved his position until he sat facing west. He tried to get his boots off but he rocked the boat so much he left them on.

He carefully climbed over the side into the water checking with the compass that he was still pointing in a westerly direction and started to swim towards the land, wherever that might be. Lying half in the raft and half in the water didn't seem conducive to progress, so he slid all the way into the water. Suddenly his feet touched something, and he drew them up quickly. It took a little time before he'd plucked up enough courage to lower his legs again. The water slid up over his waist, up his stomach and chest, until it was near his shoulders, then his feet touched something. This time he steeled his nerves and lowered himself further, making sure he had a good grip on the raft in case he had to pull himself up quickly. Whatever it was beneath his feet, it was firm and held his weight. He quickly turned the raft round until he  {120}  found the cord and holding onto it dived down to see what he was touching. It was sand.

Within minutes he was standing in a few inches of water. Looking round him he understood why he hadn't been able to see land. There were no cliffs or high ground in silhouette against the skyline.

Mike pulled the raft up onto the beach. He took the rations, compass, radio and map, and put them into his pockets. The raft presented a bit of a problem, as he had no sharp instrument with which to puncture it. Finding nothing on the beach with which to let the air out, he shoved it back into the water. Further up the beach, he stopped and looked back. At first he couldn't believe his eyes, the raft was lit up like Blackpool Tower. Mike decided to leave it and move on to find a drink of water and somewhere to hide, until he found out where he was and whether the people were friendly. He felt he'd rather spend a little time evaluating his situation than walk gaily into the arms of the authorities.

He set off into the scrub. The heat of the night didn't improve his dry mouth. After half an hour of stumbling through the darkness, the moon started to rise above the sky line. Mike sat down and rested until it was high enough for him to see where he was going. He suddenly swore when he remembered he'd forgotten the radio aerial. The moon was now beginning to light up the countryside. To the west it looked flat, almost like the countryside of Holland. Over to the north he could make out a bank of clouds, or what might be a range of mountains. He checked his way with the compass and set off to the west. The scrubland now vanished and he found himself walking on very heavy loam soil which impeded his progress as the dirt built up on his boots. The warm night hummed with the sound of crickets and at length he arrived at a large ditch filled with evil-smelling water. Mike looked up and down the canal, but there was no manmade crossing, so he started into the water. He had to hold his breath as the smell was vile where he'd stirred up the mud. He moved up a bank and climbed across a low fence to get on to what looked like a road, running north and south. Mike felt that this might be a good time to check his position with the radio. He walked along the fence until he found a broken piece of wire and bent the end of it until it was big enough to fit into the radio socket, then tuned into the Bosphorus beacon. There was a lot of static, but no signal. He tried several other stations that seemed to be nearby, with the same results.  {121} 

Suddenly he stopped and listened. Somewhere he could hear the sound of footsteps. Disconnecting the wire from the radio, he climbed back over the fence, and lay in the long reeds. The footsteps came near and he heard low voices. Mike listened carefully to see if he could recognize the language. The footsteps and voices seemed to be right on top of him but they didn't stop, they just started to retreat into the distance. Why should those men be talking Italian? he thought to himself, as he climbed out of the reeds. They appeared to be soldiers, and heavily armed, from the glint of metal in the moonlight. He was still very puzzled by the men speaking Italian, it didn't make any sense, maybe Turkish or Russian, but not Italian. Perhaps the Italians had invaded Turkey? Mike opened the map just in case he'd made a stupid mistake, but the map showed the pencil ring he'd drawn round the Bosphorus beacon. There was only one thing he could do and that was to check the beacons on the east coast of Italy. He found the end of the wire and plugged it in. He tuned the radio into a beacon at Venice and south down the coast until the machine bleeped like mad. From the position of the beacon on the map, he was somewhere near Ravenna. If it was Ravenna in Italy, then how had he managed to pick up signals from the Black Sea coast?

Suddenly from the direction that the troops had gone came the sounds of small arms fire. Mike hurriedly unplugged the radio and set off at a fast walking pace in the opposite direction. He walked briskly along until lights up in front of him made him stop. They seemed to be waving around and, at first, he thought they were very powerful torches but the sound of engines soon dispelled that idea. He dived over the fence as the first vehicle came thundering down the road. It was large with what looked like an array of tubes sticking out of it. Once out of sight Mike stood up, only to throw himself back on the ground again as he saw several other sets of lights approaching.

It seemed an age before the air was still again. Mike lay for several minutes with his face in the dirt until he was sure there were no more vehicles. The night was now uncannily quiet, the gunfire, and even the crickets, had stopped. He stood up, listened and, detecting no more unusual sounds, started off. Somewhere behind him the silence of the night was again shattered by the sounds of more gunfire. This time it was a very heavy calibre and occasionally the sky would light with an explosion. It was very mystifying, and he was  {122}  stuck in the difficult position of not knowing who was fighting whom, or even in which direction lie should go.

The night sky was beginning to lighten, heralding a hot day. He wondered how long it would be before he found some sort of civilization. Rounding a bend in the road he saw ahead of him buildings, blackened by the heat of some ferocious fire. Mike hesitated on reaching the first building, as the full pungent smell of burning hit his nostrils. It was a repulsive smell. Lying at the corner of one of the houses was a cow, from its dead body rose plumes of smoke. He felt sick and walked on. High above the countryside towered more buildings and he quickened his weary pace. On the outskirts of the dusty town lay a broken sign. Mike turned it over. Ravenna.

He walked cautiously along what appeared to be the main street. Homes that had once held happy smiling people now stood sad dusty and deserted. The wind had blown piles of rubble into the entrances of the buildings. He moved carefully through the deserted town in search of a cold drink of water.

Returning down the main street he saw a battered bar sign. The door was open so he went in. A thorough search of the room revealed nothing, not a glass, empty bottle, or even a tap of water. A sharp command from behind sent him spinning round. Standing there in the door was a dusty young man in army combat clothes. A great deluge of Italian burst from the man's lips. Mike looked and shrugged his shoulders. The young man went on with his discourse and then, waving a gun, indicated to Mike that he should leave the bar. The soldier backed off a little as he drew alongside and followed him into the street. Wondering where the fellow sprang from Mike was marched to a small alleyway. Half-way, along he was poked in the back by the gun indicating he should stop while the soldier called out. A shutter above them creaked open and a deep voice called in reply. Mike was poked in the back again, and they entered the building. Inside he was greeted by four pairs of stony eyes. A thickset man in his fifties stood by the window, while two other soldiers sat on the floor with the fourth member, who was badly injured. The young soldier closed the door and moved over towards the man at the window. They exchanged staccato remarks in explosive Italian before the older man directed a question at Mike, who just replied, ‘Sorry, I don't understand Italian.’

The only Italian he could think of at this moment were musical expressions.  {123} 

‘You, American?’ asked the older man, coming right up to Mike.

‘No, I'm English,’ said Mike, with great emphasis on the word English. The man nodded and went back to the position by the window. The young man, obviously incensed by this, drew out his gun, which was sharply banged back into its holster by the older man.

‘Aqua, I would like a drink of aqua,’ Mike said, pointing to the inside of his mouth.

‘Water, no good.’

‘How bad is the water?’

‘Bad, very bad.’

Mike thought quickly for a moment. If they were out of water they'd be dead before long, and so would he. The purification pills in his pocket started to burn a hole. They might just take the pills and kill him. He had to risk that and rely on the sense of the older soldier.

‘I have something that might help.’

The older soldier turned and looked.

‘Can you make a hot fire? Then put some water on to boil.’

‘No good, we have tried, make you very sick,’ the man on the floor said, holding his stomach.

‘May I get something from my pocket?’ said Mike, indicating what he wanted to do.

The man nodded. Mike put his hand in his pocket, undid the box and took out one of the pills. Everyone in the room studied it and instructions were given to one of the men, who left the room.

‘We will try,’ said the older man, coming over and giving the pill back to Mike.

‘You have no guns?’

‘No, I'm afraid I haven't.’

‘Then why are you here?’

‘I've been entertaining up in the north,’ Mike said without a moment's hesitation.

‘What you do?’

‘Play the piano, music’

‘Musician, have you papers?’

‘Yes, here,’ he said, taking out all the cards he had in his pocket. The man took hold of them and shook his head as he handed them back. Mike looked into the man's face, but there was no expression which might give him a lead as to what they had in mind for him.

12

‘Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky!’

Kipling

THE soldier returned with water and cooking utensils. He piled wood into a heap, lit it, and carefully lowered onto it the helmet full of murky-looking water. Mike watched until it boiled then dropped the pill in. It crossed bis mind that the water might have been poisoned with special chemicals, resistant to purification. One of the soldiers spoke gently to his wounded companion, who Mike learnt was the superior officer. The stench from the water was dreadful, and his eyes began to water. The wounded man looked up at Mike and started to say something.

‘Sorry, I don't understand,’ said Mike moving towards the man. A faint smile crossed the soldier's mouth and he reached up to pull Mike nearer to him. The smell from the wound was terrible, but any discourtesy might be very dangerous to his safety.

‘What was the pill you used in the water?’ asked the soldier in excellent English.

‘One of these!’ said Mike taking the box from his pocket. The man took bold of them feebly and studied the label.

‘Where did you get them from?’

‘I was in Australia some years ago, on a walking trip.’

‘Then put another pill into the water.’

‘I also have food,’ said Mike, taking the food rations from his pocket. He couldn't risk being searched.

‘You are a strange man to find in such a wilderness.’

‘Are you going to kill me?’

‘No, but others might,’ said the man, weakly, as he signalled for the older soldier to come over. Mike was pushed roughly out of the way. He went back to the water and dropped a second pill into the brew.

‘You are welcome,’ said the older soldier coming over.

Thank you, can you tell me what is going on?’

‘I thought you were north, entertaining?’ asked the older soldier briskly.

‘Right, but I never learnt what was actually happening,’ he  {125}  said covering his mistake. The soldiers in the room turned their eyes on him.

‘Come here!’ said the officer. ‘Don't shake your security,’ he said nodding towards the soldiers in the room.

‘I would like to know,’ he persisted.

‘Your question is almost impossible for anyone to answer. All we know is that total anarchy has spread throughout the world,’ said the man, breathing with difficulty.

‘Anarchy?’

‘I understand so, and now brother fights brother, son fights father and so on in a huge bloody bath.’

Mike turned away as the man coughed. He took the boxes of rations over to the older soldier and handed them to him who, after a whispered conversation with his superior, shared out the pills. Mike thought over what the officer had said. The situation sounded as though the civilization which he knew was at an end. Why hadn't it been avoided? Surely the Governments of the world had seen it building up? Why hadn't they acted?

An exclamation from the soldier holding the helmet announced that something had happened to the water. A cup was produced from a pile of kit bags and given to Mike. He dipped the cup into the boiling water and after a moment took a sip. It tasted sweet so he drained the cup. Handing it back he waited for them to have a taste, but they just watched him instead. The water was taken off the fire and allowed to cool while the older soldier kept looking at his watch until he was satisfied that Mike wasn't going to die.

‘You feel good?’

‘Never felt better,’ replied Mike, very confidently. The soldier barked orders and two soldiers left the room at the double.

‘More wood, more water,’ said the soldier to Mike, who took the box of pills and handed them over. For the first time the man smiled.

‘Good we make many good water, for many days.’ He then took a capsule from his pocket and handed it to Mike.

‘You get caught, then caput,’ said the soldier, with an explosive gesture.

‘Thank you,’ he said, wondering if it really had an explosive effect. ‘Will I have to use it?’

‘Who knows what is to happen?’

The door burst open and the two soldiers came running in. Their voices were even as though they'd been dealing with awkward situations all their lives. Having reported to  {126}  the older soldier, they all went over to their commanding officer.

‘You can stay, or come.’

‘What's wrong?’ asked Mike, kneeling to talk to the officer.

These men have to leave, there is a large force of rebels coming into town,’ said the Captain, raising himself with difficulty.

‘Well, if it's all right I'll tag along with your men,’ said Mike.

‘Yes, you will have a better chance with them. They are going to the mountains. I think it will be the only place to stay alive. Go with them,’ said the officer with a wheeze. The soldiers were now putting on their packs. The captain gave an order. They stopped and looked at him. He repeated his order and the older soldier replied with some reluctance. They lifted the officer to his feet and left the room.

Mike followed them up a short flight of stairs to a flat roof where the captain was manoeuvred into a sitting position by the parapet. A couple of the soldiers went over to a low door on the other side of the roof and brought back a heavy machine gun. Mike crawled over to the Captain. The officer had a commanding view of the main street. A soldier rolled out a length of cable and connected it to a detonator box.

‘Bye,’ said Mike, taking the limp hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

‘Come, we must hurry,’ said a soldier, handing him an automatic rifle and boxes of ammunition.

‘What will happen when we've gone?’

‘The street, boom,’ said the soldier, with tears in his eyes. Outside he could hear the sound of engines grinding away in the distance. At the end of the alleyway they stopped. One of the soldiers moved from the protection of the narrow passage out into open country. The man zig-zagged through the dusty field to the far side, stopped and signalled for the others to follow. On reaching him, they didn't stop but all kept going. Mike realized in horror there was hardly any cover in front of them for miles. They ran on and on, stopping briefly in ditches, and behind scrubby bushes as they watched for the enemy. At length they threw themselves into a ditch. The hot sun burnt down onto Mike's sweating body. He turned himself round and looked back. The older soldier gave some instructions and one of the men climbed out of the ditch and vanished.

‘He goes to see the road is clear, if not we wait for night,’ said the soldier sucking in air hard. They all lay watching  {127}  the town but nothing happened. The scouting soldier came slithering back into the ditch. Catching his breath he gave his report.

‘Come,’ said one of the soldiers as they started to crawl out of the ditch and on towards the road. Mike felt they'd crawled all the way to the Alps by the time he saw it. The man in front of him stopped, then continued forward. Mike moved up alongside the soldiers to see what they were looking at and one of them silently pointed to a clump of trees a little way down the road. There was a glint of metal in the sunlight. The soldier smiled at him and made a driving motion with his hands.

‘What's happening?’ asked Mike, as he heard a short burst of automatic fire.

‘Too late,’ said one of the soldiers, crossing himself.

Mike looked at the town. So the Captain had died before he could press the detonator. There were a few sharp orders and they moved off towards the clump of trees. A hundred yards from it they dropped down. Up in front of them was a small vehicle with a couple of men standing alongside. They lay watching the movements of the men. Mike noticed they were dressed in civilian clothes, but carrying ammunition belts. There was no cover at all along the road, which made surprise by the soldiers nearly impossible. Mike manoeuvred himself alongside the older soldier.

‘I'm going up to attract their attention.’

‘You go up there?’

‘Yes, and talk to them while you come up behind.’

‘No good.’

‘Better one man get killed, than five.’

‘O.K.’ said the man shaking his head, suggesting Mike was crazy.

Mike checked there was a bullet in the breach before crawling to the edge of the road. Standing up he started to walk towards the car. With every step he took, he expected a shout or a shot, but none came. On reaching the place where the car was parked he was surprised to find no one there. The sound of running footsteps made him turn to see his friendly soldiers running jauntily along. One of them was wiping his knife clean, while another of them had a long piece of wire. They came up to him and laughingly slapped him on the back. The piece of wire was attached to the door of the car and they all descended into the ditch. He stood there for a moment not quite seeing what they were going to do. A shouted command in his ear made him throw himself alongside the smiling  {128}  soldiers. The wire was pulled and the car door opened. Mike watched them as they went over to the car with great care, making sure it wasn't a booby trap.

It was a bit cramped for five of them. The machine was started up and turned in onto the road while the man next to the driver took a map and with a compass worked out where they should go. At length he pointed across a field, and the car floated off. He sat in his cramped position, with his eyes closed. His own plan was to stick with these fellows until they reached the mountains, then to try and work his way over into the region of Corvara close to Cortina d'Amr pezzo. Pete and he had once spent a summer holiday climbing there. In the evenings they used to discuss the blissful idea of living simply in the mountains. Pete had made up his mind that if there should ever be a nuclear war he would go to Corvara, climb high into the mountains and live in one of the climbing huts. They had both found the topic very funny, and, as young people do, just laughed at the possibility of war and concentrated on the women. He felt however mad the idea might have seemed at the time, there was now a possibility that Peter would remember the conversation and attempt to get there.

Mike must have fallen asleep, for the next thing he remembered was the sound of the engine dying. He shook his head and opened his eyes. The countryside hadn't changed much, but to the north he could make out a mountain range.

‘The Alps?’

One of the soldiers in the front leant back with a map and showed him where they were. The man's finger was resting on a spot north of Verona.

‘Thanks.’

‘No more gas,’ said the older soldier. Mike eased his rifle out of its wedged position and climbed wearily out. The sun was now far over to the west, and when evening came it would be reasonably cool for walking.

The older soldier handed round some of the emergency rations and a sip of water before they picked up their gear and set off towards the mountains. Mike worked out that they must be heading for Lake Garda. He thought hard about the problem of leaving them. Somehow he didn't think they would want to let him go. He would do the same if he were in their shoes for, if he was picked up on his own, he might give away their route or plan. Suddenly the soldiers in front of him dropped to the ground. He followed suit. When  {129}  nothing happened he crawled up to the front. There he was shown an old broken up road, and a small cottage.

‘Why are you waiting?’ asked Mike.

‘I wait until I am sure, no one,’ said the man quietly.

Mike began to realize just how exhausted he was. These men were probably feeling the same, and since trouble always seems to come when you're tired they weren't taking any chances. He made his way back to the end of the queue, lying there trying to keep alert and awake.

The mountains to the north began to take on an evening glow. He wondered whether there was much snow on the higher slopes. He remembered wistfully when he'd driven over all the high passes in the mountains behind Nice. It had been early summer, just before the tourist season started. The towns along the coast were still applying the finishing touches to their new summer services. The beaches were quiet and the locals treated him as a resident. He remembered that the mountain roads were empty of traffic, except for the occasional bus. He would lope along, stopping to pick cherries from a roadside tree, and farther up, above the tree line, he would find all the spring mountain crocuses and cowslips out in June.

Mike gave a little sigh and turned to look back over the way they'd come during the afternoon. Suddenly he noticed a column of dust rising from the valley floor. He tapped the boots of the soldier in front of him. The soldier looked at the dust and then inched his way to the front. Soon they were all staring down intently. The older soldier glanced at his watch, swore, and then turned. Keeping out of sight of the houses and road they started their journey uphill. At a convenient point they stopped and took another look at the road. It was empty and quiet. The house was no longer in sight, and after another pause they crossed the road one by one. As the gradient steepened, their pace slowed considerably, which upset the older soldier.

Mike was all right for the first hour of the steady climb, but the fellow in front kept slowing and speeding up, which threw him out of rhythm, making it necessary to spend the next five minutes using up energy regaining a steady pace. This form of exercise showed how unfit he was. He was beginning to feel twinges of cramp. To take his mind off the agony at each step, he hummed popular songs to himself. This was fine for half an hour or so, after which it didn't help much and the pains in his legs became more intense. He'd  {130}  long since given up watching the man in front of him, so it came as a surprise when he ran into him.

The joy of standing still couldn't be surpassed by any other emotional experience, he felt, as he stood there, looking down on the valley below. Up in front of him they were studying the map. A few yards farther on a large wide track crossed their patch. He was relieved when the party turned on to the track and started following it up hill. With its gentle gradient the aches and pains of the last few hours seemed to vanish. Striding along he spotted a mountain lily and reached down to pick it. A soldier stopped a little way up in front and waited. Mike showed him the lily and the man smiled wearily and smelt it. The expression on his face showed that it had been a while since the fellow had thought of flowers and peace, and the general pleasures of living.

Mike quickly tucked it into the front of his clothes as they hurried after the rest of the party. The sky was turning a burnished red. A number of rifle shots rang out in quick succession. He stopped and peered into the dusk. The soldier in front of him paused and listened. There was no sign of the others. They waited a moment or two then continued along the track. A hundred yards farther on the soldier halted again. Mike drew up alongside him and looked down. The three bodies of their companions lay still and lifeless, splayed out at different angles on the path. The soldier whispered something in Italian and then moved forward, bent low. Several more shots rang out. The soldier straightened up suddenly, and fell backwards. Mike threw himself fiat on the ground and waited. No more shots, and nobody appeared. He began to feel very nervous and jumpy. He crawled back to the three dead men for a pistol and ammunition then crept back to the side of the fourth soldier. He put his fingers gently on the man's throat. The soldier grabbed hold of the hand and opened his eyes, but didn't speak.

‘Where are they?’

The soldier touched the flower in Mike's clothes and lay still. He was dead. Mike hurriedly pressed the flower into the still warm hand then, crawling sideways, made his way up into an outcrop of rocks. A sound below him on the track made him freeze. Several hundred feet down he could just make out the shapes of sheep. A dog barked and the sound of voices came clearly through the night air. He manoeuvred himself into a position in the outcrop where he couldn't be attacked from behind and, sitting there, in the chilly night air, listened quietly. He cursed the fact that he hadn't taken  {131}  the rations or any water, as he couldn't eat the bloody pistol although the thought of shooting a sheep appealed to him.

He waited what seemed a reasonable time and then crawled from the rocks. Down on the track below him a fire burnt. With only a general picture of the area in his mind, he decided to go west until he hit Lake Garda, or fell into it. The mountainside was rough and rugged and in the dark it was a thousand times worse. His ankles started to weaken under the strain of constant tripping and twisting of his legs as he missed his footing. There was no sense of time as he made his strenuous way down the hillside.

Suddenly his foot hit something hard and firm. He stopped and stood still, then bent down and felt it. At first he thought he'd walked onto a flat outcrop of rock but, after crossing and recrossing the hard surface, he decided it was a road. He took his compass out to check his direction and moved off to the west. His progress took him farther down hill, until he heard the lapping of water. He stumbled to the water's edge and flopped down. Plunging his hands into the cool, refreshing water, he splashed himself. The more he splashed the more human he began to feel. His eyes stopped burning, and, after drinking a little, even his mouth began to feel less like the morning after. He now had to find somewhere to hide, as the colour in the eastern sky told him dawn wasn't far away.

Mike unwound his aching body and stood up. The mental strain of always pushing on was beginning to tell. The desire to sleep became overpowering and he began to nod off as he walked. He staggered doggedly for some several kilometres, before he saw, through a haze of sleep, what he wanted. The sky was lightening quite rapidly, as he stumbled down to the water's edge. There in the shallows floated a log. He waded into the water and took hold of it. A quick look at the opposite bank revealed nothing, no people, no buildings. He knew he was too tired to walk round the lake, so the log was the only way. Once out of his depth he realized for the first time how far he had to go but the buoyancy of the log gave him confidence and he started to swim in a slow deliberate way to the other side.

The sun was rising above the mountains as his feet touched the bottom of the lake. He held onto the log until he was sure that he was within his depth, and then pushed it back into the water. He lay for a moment on the stony shore, exhausted. A bird started to sing. Memories of warm mornings in early summer flooded into Mike's mind and a wave of homesickness engulfed him. He climbed to the top of a short  {132}  incline where he found himself on another old disused road. He stumbled along and, rounding a corner, saw something that lightened his heart. It stood about three hundred feet above the road. He climbed through the deep undergrowth, until he reached the large ungainly villa. His first thought had been one of resting here, but on looking back he realized how exposed it really was. Above him was a tangle of unkempt garden. He struggled through it until he saw what he needed. It wasn't much, a mere broken-down garden shed, but it had four walls and what remained of a roof. None of the nearby undergrowth appeared to have been disturbed recently but he wasn't going to take any chances. He pulled out the revolver and proceeded cautiously towards the hut. At a hole in a wall he stopped, looking back to see how much damage he'd done to the undergrowth, before climbing through. Inside smelt of decayed vegetation. He propped the rifle up in a corner, took a pile of leaves and branches, and sitting down on them dropped into a deep sleep.

Mike woke with a start. It was too dark to distinguish the hole in the wall. A twig cracked outside and Mike almost stopped breathing. Sweat broke out on his forehead when he couldn't feel the revolver. A sound from the hole made him stiffen and someone climbed through and started to grope his way round the hut. Mike waited until the figure was almost on him, then kicked his boot up into the person's stomach. There was a rush of air and a body sank to the ground.

‘Bernie, what's happened?’ asked an alert voice from outside. Mike grabbed hold of the person's head, covered his mouth, and waited.

‘What the devil's going on, Bernie?’ asked the English voice once more.

‘You'd better come in,’ growled Mike, back to the wall.

‘Who are you?’ asked a voice, as it climbed into the hut.

‘All right, throw down any weapons you're carrying.’

‘But we don't have any weapons,’ came the startled reply.

‘Not even a bread knife?’

‘I've got a pocket knife.’

‘Then throw the bloody thing on the floor.’ Something fell to the floor with a dull thud. ‘Got any form of light?’

‘A torch.’

‘Where is it?’

‘Bernie had it.’ Mike went through his victim's pockets until he found the light, then threw him to the floor.

‘Did you kill him?’  {133} 

‘My God,’ said Mike as he turned the light onto the intruders. They were two young men in their twenties, who looked as though they'd been through a meat grinder.

‘Who are you?’ asked Mike.

‘John Fitzgibbons, I'm British and am protected by diplomatic immunity.’

‘Maybe you are. Who's your friend?’

‘Bernard Coleman, American, and also protected by diplomatic immunity.’ Mike flashed the light quickly round the room, saw his revolver and picked it up.

‘What are you going to do?’ said Fitzgibbons.

‘Nothing. Now, tell me, if you are protected by diplomatic immunity, what are you doing here, and why in such a mess?’

‘We were being escorted from Rome, by the military. The column was attacked and we were taken prisoners.’

‘Who were you attacked by?’

‘Local people near Modena. We were told, since we were foreigners, they wouldn't kill us if our governments would pay ransoms. We were allowed to contact our respective ambassadors but they couldn't help as the whole world seems to be in absolute chaos.’

‘You mean it's like this back in England?’

‘Yes, that's why Bernie and I made the effort to escape, otherwise we would be dead by now; neither London nor Washington could offer us any form of help.’ John sat wearily down by his friend.

Mike looked at the two men, and wondered what to do.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘I'm a journalist, and got caught out on the wrong side.’

‘You mean you approve of this destruction?’ said the young man.

‘No, but there must be a right side to be on. I don't like being shot at.’

‘But there isn't any right side,’ said John passionately. ‘It's everyone for himself until there's nothing left.’

‘Fine, it makes things easier.’ There was a groan from the American lying on the floor.

‘Bernie, are you O.K.?’

‘I think so, who's that?’ Bernie said, looking up at Mike.

‘I don't know.’

‘Where were you heading when you came here?’ asked Mike.

‘Anywhere. We were trying to shake off the men who have been trailing us,’ said John.  {134} 

‘You mean there are people out there looking for you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Bloody marvellous. Why didn't you say so before?’

‘Because we thought you were one of them,’ replied John.

‘How many are after you?’

‘No idea,’ said Bernie.

Mike went over to the hole in the wall and peered out. He turned back into the hut, picked up his rifle, and started to leave.

‘Where are you going?’ asked John.

‘Out,’ he replied, tersely, looking at the torch and handing it back.

‘Aren't you going to take us with you?’ asked John, apprehensively.

‘No, you are hot, fellow, really hot.’

‘But they'll kill us,’ said Bernie.

‘Everyone for himself, you said.’ Mike climbed out.

‘Do you want this?’ he asked, poking the revolver at them through the hole.

‘No.’

He stuck the gun in his pocket and started off away from the lake wondering as he went how far behind him the enemy were. He felt he needed to put a good distance between himself and the hut by daybreak. The gradient in front of him began to steepen and soon the chilly feeling he'd had was replaced by sweat and heat. He stumbled once or twice and stopped to gain his composure, as he was hurrying far too quickly to last the night. It was when he stopped that he heard the scrabbling behind him. Turning, he took out the pistol and waited.

‘Where the hell are you going?’ he asked, as he saw the two figures of John and Bernie draw alongside him.

‘If you can stay alive, we can,’ came an out-of-breath reply from Bernie.

‘You don't give up, do you?’

‘No, and from what I gathered neither do you.’

‘No,’ said Mike, moving ahead of the two men and starting off again.

‘Where are we heading?’ asked John, from behind.

‘Save your breath, we're going to be walking all night.’

‘Sorry.’

He pushed on at a steady even pace hoping for their sake that they could keep it up. At length he came across a path leading up hill. He stopped and checked which direction it was going, taking advantage of the flat surface of the path  {135}  to rest his feet. He looked at the two young men, who were suffering from the climb. Suddenly in the distance he saw small bobbing lights. Mike turned and set off again at his steady pace. It was really rough going now, as the ground varied from steep grassy slopes to large outcrops of rock.

‘Could we have a breather?’ asked John, pulling up to Mike.

‘No, we've got to keep moving.’

‘Maybe, but I'm no mountain goat.’

‘Pity; you'd be laughing, wouldn't you. We'll take a break when we reach the top.’

‘And after resting, where?’

‘Down the other side. And up and down and on and on until the sun rises,’ said Mike, feeling John's tiredness.

He had no idea where the top might be, but when at last the steep ground started to ease he didn't stop. The downhill journey was rest enough, and it would put more distance between them and the bobbing lights. The journey was fairly easy now, not only because it was downhill, but because a moon was coming up. A familiar smell hit his nostrils and, like a dog, he sniffed the air. He wasn't absolutely sure what the scent was, but he thought it could be lime trees. The slightly depressed feeling he'd had since the sudden death of the soldiers started to lift. He quickened his pace as he could see more of the ground, and was soon running happily downhill.

Mike was in very high spirits when he reached the flat ground in the valley. He waited for John and Bernie who were gamely lolloping down the mountain, some four hundred feet behind.

‘Where do you think you're going?’ asked a puffing Bernie.

‘For a ramble,’ he said, watching John come slowly up to them. ‘What's wrong?’

‘It's my foot,’ the young man said taking off his very flimsy shoe. His sock was stuck to his foot.

‘No, don't try and take it off. Put your shoe back on.’ The lad's foot was probably one whole blister and once he stopped walking, it would be some time before he'd do so again.

‘You all right?’ Mike asked Bernie.

‘Sure.’

‘Fine. From now on, stick close to John.’ They slowly crossed a field of burnt stubble and halted at a broken fence that ran alongside a road.

‘You two stay here, while I go and have a look round,’ said Mike, taking the rifle off his shoulder.  {136} 

He gave John a pat on the shoulder and, climbing the fence slowly, made his way up the road, keeping to what cover he could find. When he was satisfied there was no one on his side, he crossed over for the return. As he did so, he noticed a post sticking out of the ground some two hundred yards farther up the road. Reaching it, he found that at one time it would have told him where he was going but now the sign post arms had gone. Mike looked at the road and followed it with his eyes. The compass showed that it went north east. Although it would be risky he felt it would lead them into the mountains quicker than a long slog over the next hill. He ran back to the two fellows, who were sitting quietly by the roadside with their eyes closed.

‘Come on you lively lot, I'm going to make life easy for you by taking the road for a bit.’

‘I bet it goes up hill,’ said John, getting up.

‘By the way, what's your name?’ asked Bernie.

‘Mike.’

‘All right, Mike, we're ready,’ said Bernie, standing unsteadily on his feet.

‘Good, off you go up the road. Stick to the side and any cover you can find, I'll be with you in a minute,’ he said, helping John over the fence. He started covering up any clues indicating which way they might have gone. The job he did wasn't very thorough but it would gain them a few more minutes. He climbed over the fence, crossed the road, and started to trample the grass on the far side. Satisfied with this, he turned to look back at the way they'd come. High above him on the mountainside he could see the little bobbing lights.

13

Marlowe

MIKE stood looking back, dumbfounded at the speed with which their pursuers had gained on them. He checked that the rifle was fully loaded, then crossed the road into what  {137}  cover he could find and quickly moved up to the two young men.

‘How much time have we got?’ asked John, sitting on the ground.

‘I should think about an hour,’ said Mike, following their gaze.

‘Then what?’ asked Bernie, without any emotion.

‘Come on, we haven't time to speculate on what happens if they catch up with us. We've got to keep our advantage,’ said Mike, taking hold of John's arm and helping him to his feet.

‘Where are we going?’

‘We'll follow this road for a while.’

‘But they'll see us.’

‘They must have done already, so it won't make any difference.’

‘That means we don't have a chance.’

‘If you feel like that, stay here,’ said Mike, turning in anger.

‘Come on, John,’ said Bernie, taking his friend's arm.

Mike set off up the road at a fair old pace. He pondered on what would happen if they were caught. He looked back just to make sure he hadn't lost his charges and then pressed on, eyes alert, up the increasing gradient of the road. Suddenly, in the ditch not too far in front of him, he saw something glinting in the moonlight. Dropping onto one knee he signalled the others to do the same. The object didn't move. Taking a calculated risk he walked along the verge in full view of anyone in the ditch. Below him a metal object glinted.

‘What is it?’ asked Bernie, coming alongside.

‘I don't know.’

Bernie started down into the ditch to see what it was.

‘Hang on, it may be a trap. Here, hold on to these,’ Mike said, giving up the rifle and revolver.

Bernie stood looking at the object and then back at Mike.

‘Go on, get your head down,’ Mike said firmly, beginning to feel the sweat break out. He moved carefully into the ditch and then wondered what the hell he was doing this for. He should have just left the glinting metal and moved on, time was too precious. His foot hit something hard and, groping in the long grass, his hand touched a rubber tyre. Gone was the fear of a booby trap, as his searching revealed what looked like a very old-fashioned motor bike.

‘What is it?’  {138} 

‘Looks like an antique motor bike,’ said Mike, pulling the machine upright.

‘Shouldn't we be moving on?’

‘In a minute, in a minute.’ He was weighing up the possibility that the bike might work. It was an awful risk, but he had to find out, for, if it worked, it could put them hours in front of their pursuers. Mike unscrewed the petrol filler cap. The cool liquid suggested that the bike might not have been abandoned very long. He tried to turn it around, but it was too heavy.

‘Bernie, give me a hand,’ he said urgently.

They pushed the bike out onto the road and quickly cleared it of earth and grass.

‘Come on, we're wasting time, that's not going to work,’ said John.

‘It's worth a try.’

Mike put his foot on the starter and pushed down hard. The engine revolved and coughed. The adrenalin in Mike's body was now working overtime. He gave the starter another kick. The engine coughed again and stopped.

‘It's not going to go,’ said Bernie, in a disappointed tone of voice.

‘Wait, let me think.’ His mechanical knowledge was limited, but he knew from the feel of the starter that the compression was all right and the magneto was sending a spark. The answer must be lack of fuel. He felt for the carburetor and pulled at the odd bits of earth that were blocking the inlet throat. Mike pushed down hard on the starter, but the engine still only coughed.

‘The lights are getting closer,’ said John, trying to be calm as the tension of the situation rose.

‘One more try. I'm going to see if a push start down hill will fire the engine.’

‘What shall we do?’ said John.

‘You two start walking along the road, if it doesn't start I'll soon catch you up,’ said Mike, getting astride the bike. The two young men didn't move.

‘Go on.’ They reluctantly turned and left him to his own devices. It was a heavy piece of metal, and even with the help of the gradient it was reluctant to start rolling. He balanced the bike with his feet for a moment while he manipulated the clutch and gears. He let the clutch out, the engine coughed and spluttered and then caught. Mike frantically twisted the throttle, but the engine died. He tried again, with the same results. Now almost at the bottom of the gradient,  {139}  he had one more try, but the bloody thing wouldn't run. He stopped the bike and sat with the sweat running freely from his forehead. Once again he got up on top of the starter and brought all his weight to bear in a final effort. Suddenly the valley was filled with the harsh rasp of the bike's exhaust as it fired and died, then caught and revved. He gingerly found a gear, turned the bike and let the clutch out. The engine revs dropped and almost died. Mike selected another gear and tried again. This time the bike jumped forward and accelerated up the hill. The sound of the engine and the bite of the chill early morning air were exhilarating.

‘All right,’ he shouted, above the noise, as he pulled up to his companions, ‘climb on.’ He put the bike in gear and off they went, weaving from one side of the road to the other, until he had the balance of the machine right. At a corner Mike managed to take a quick look back. The lights were almost at the bottom of the mountainside. The night was bright enough to see most of the road even at the speed they were going. At the top of the gradient, Mike managed to find another gear and the bike moved forward with even more momentum.

The road was in a terrible state and he had to weave the bike and its load in and out of the pot holes. After twenty kilometres or so he took a left hand fork. He had no idea of where he was going, but at the moment the most important thing was time. Not long after the fork, the road deteriorated into nothing more than a wide track.

Mike's leg was beginning to feel very bruised for every time they went over a bump the rifle, which Bernie had over his shoulder, banged onto the top of his leg. The road now rose steadily and he could make out the giant sleeping forms of the Alps. Dawn was beginning to come up, when a side road appeared on their left leading to the mountains high above them. He turned the bike onto the road and accelerated up the even steeper gradient. Somewhere to his right he could see the first rays of the sunrise as they entered a small ruined village. The place seemed deserted, but he stopped on the outskirts.

‘What now?’ said Bernie, refreshed by the ride.

‘Better take a thorough look round. Can you use one of those?’ he said, taking the rifle.

‘Yes,’ replied Bernie, competently handling the revolver.

‘Good. John, you stay here. Bernie, you take the left-hand side of the village. Remember there may be booby traps in the houses, so go carefully. O.K.?’  {140} 

‘Sure.’

‘Don't shout out if you find anything, come back here.’

Mike gave John a reassuring pat on the shoulder before moving off himself. The village had once been inhabited by small Alpine farmers and there were still signs of animal life, although the houses had been destroyed by fire.

‘Find anything?’ asked Bernie, when they got back.

‘Nothing of interest to us. And you?’

‘Well, there's a small track leading up into the mountains.’

‘Then that's where we'll go,’ said Mike climbing onto the bike.

‘I don't think you'll get that up,’ said Bernie, sceptically.

‘Maybe, but before we ditch it, we may as well go as far as we can,’ said Mike, engaging the lowest gear and starting up the narrow track. He was glad the weather was dry, otherwise the rubber tyres wouldn't have had much grip on the rocky surface. The sun was now somewhere just below the mountain tops, making it easy to see where they were going.

The track eventually vanished and they found themselves on a flattish shoulder that led up onto the main ridge of the mountain. A yell from John made Mike stop the bike and turn to see what had happened. At first Mike couldn't see why he was making all the fuss. Then he saw it. Just below a col, about a mile away, was a hut, or what looked like a hut.

He cut across the shoulder towards the col and stopped the bike about a quarter of a mile from the hut. Bernie and John stretched themselves while he looked round the open mountainside. There wasn't too much he could do with the bike to hide it, so he just lowered it to the ground.

‘Come on,’ said Bernie, starting towards the hut.

‘Wait, you follow me. When we're within a hundred feet of the hut take cover, while I have a look around.’

‘But if there's anyone there they'd have heard us by now,’ said John, rubbing his legs.

‘Possibly.’

Mike left them just short of the hut, well hidden by rocks, and moved to the hut. With his back flat against the wall, he pushed hard against the door with the butt of the rifle. It creaked slowly open, leaving him staring into the dark interior. There wasn't a sound, so with the rifle at the ready he moved into the hut.

Going over to the shuttered window he opened it a little. The room was bare except for a pile of straw in one corner.

‘O.K., lads, it's all yours,’ said Mike, rejoining the others.  {141} 

‘Empty?’ asked Bernie.

‘Absolutely.’ It was the first time he'd had a chance to look at his two companions. Bernie's face was a mess, all bruised and battered as though he'd withstood ten rounds with a heavy-weight champion. John's face was white from the pain of his feet and legs. He cursed himself for lack of foresight in not picking up the emergency rations from the soldiers. •

‘Boy, does this look good after some of the places we've been in recently,’ said Bernie, as he walked into the hut.

‘Mike?’ said John, stopping him going in.

‘Yes?’ said Mike quietly, looking at the grey face.

‘It's my feet,’ said John simply.

‘We'll soon have them feeling better,’ said Mike, encouragingly, not knowing what on earth he could do for the man's feet. He had nothing really clean to use as a bandage, and if they weren't attended to, they'd soon be septic.

‘I'm really hungry,’ said Bernie, from the door. ‘How about doing a bit of hunting?’

‘Afraid not, one shot will be heard miles away.’

‘Then if we can't shoot anything, we must find other ways of catching our lunch,’ said Bernie, very perkily.

‘Fine, you have a good think about that, but listen, before you go hunting or in fact doing anything, I'm going to take a look round. If you could stay here and keep an eye on the way we came, I'll be back.’

He slung the rifle over his shoulder and moved towards the top of the col. High above him, he could see the remains of the previous winter's snow sparkling in the warm golden rays of the sun. He satisfied himself that it would be virtually impossible for anyone to come up the col and surprise them from behind and returned to the hut.

‘Any ideas on hunting?’ he said cheerfully to Bernie on his return.

‘Yes, I reckon I could make a snare if I had some wire.’

‘Good, we'll get you some in a moment. Let's have a look at John's feet.’

John sat up. Mike took the nonexistent shoes off and with the aid of the knife carefully cut off the socks. The feet were one mass of broken blisters. Even in taking off the socks Mike hadn't been able to completely clear the area of material.

‘What are you looking for?’ asked John following his searching look.  {142} 

‘I was trying to think what we could use for bandages.’

‘How about this?’ said Bernie, holding up a piece of cloth. Mike took hold of it, but rejected it.

‘John, try not to let those feet of yours get too dirty. Bernie, come on, there's a lot we've got to do,’ he said.

The two of them went back to the motor bike, and dragged, pushed and hauled it back to the hut.

‘Now what?’ asked a very breathless Bernie.

‘Without destroying the whole bike, help yourself to some wire,’ said Mike, studying the petrol tank with the idea of using it as a boiler to clean some cloth for bandages. Looking at the bike brought back the memory of Pete's bike. The more he looked, the more he felt that the bike might have belonged to Pete. He remembered that it had obviously been there for some time. Otherwise, the awful thought that he might have left Pete without his transport crossed his mind. Bernie was now removing one of the brake cables, which proved very difficult without tools. Mike opened up a small pannier on the side of the bike, but it contained nothing but an old oily rag. Without tools getting the tank off wasn't possible.

‘What are you thinking?’ asked Bernie, standing next to Mike with a length of cable.

‘We've got to find something to boil water in, plus some water,’ he said, still wondering whether he could have left Pete sitting out in the middle of the valley.

‘I could use a drink. If we find water close by, I can get John to it.’

‘Fine, let's see if we can find some. But first just check that he's all right.’

Bernie looked round the doorway and reported: ‘John's asleep.’

‘Probably a very good thing. He must be in great pain.’

‘Yes, I think without the bike ride he'd have given up,’ said Bernie.

‘We were lucky. Look, let's go down over there,’ said Mike, pointing at a great outcrop of rocks.

‘How did you manage to get involved in the fighting here?’

‘I came in from Australia.’

‘Where did you land?’

‘I don't know. Everything was deserted and I hitched a lift with some soldiers. They were making for the mountains here. It took me a little nearer home.’

‘You'd have been better off staying in Australia.’

‘It would seem so!’  {143} 

‘Yet the whole world's gone mad.’

‘How do you mean mad?’ asked Mike skirting a large rock.

‘Well, it's really crazy. Last month we were in normal communication with Washington and I was watching a demonstration march in protest about the lack of foodstuffs. A small scuffle started, the demonstrators and the police had a go at each other, one of the demonstrators got shot, and the crowd went mad. We got progress reports from our normal communications, as the television transmission went off the air, and learnt that the people were taking over. Looting, burning, killing. The police lost control and the military were completely ineffective. Within an hour of the first shooting in Washington, it seemed that all law and order had vanished. We lost contact with Washington and never got it back,’ said Bernie, following Mike.

‘That seems incredible.’

‘You might think so, but within a few hours of the Washington incident, Rome was in the same predicament.’

‘It strikes me that somebody's made a big howler.’

‘They sure have. Anyone could have seen from the way people have been starving to death that eventually some of them would just be too hungry to care. At that stage, they've nothing to lose. To die from a bullet is quick compared with slow starvation.’

‘Why do you think it happened?’

‘It's all to do with the total lack of authority over many years from the politicians. They've always been so interested in their own personality politics that they've conned the public into believing they know everything. This time they've really come unstuck and so have their advisers.’

‘What do you think they should have done then?’

‘They should have listened to the cries from the wilderness, from the great minds of the last fifty years. The emotional section of society nowadays is too bloody scared of science, as they have been for more than sixty years. I bet people sixty years ago wouldn't have believed that the breakdown of civilization would have started with a simple demonstration. They probably thought the end would come in fire and brimstone from a nuclear war. You realize that if the politicians of the sixties had acted on the symptoms that were being pointed out about overpopulation and food production, by the scientists and philosophers, we wouldn't be in this situation today. But the politicians were so sure of themselves. Fools,’ said Bernie, in a way that made Mike smile.  {144} 

‘If you hate politics so much, why go into the diplomatic service?’

‘It is one of the few professions that is still well fed.’

‘That's honest.’

Mike looked at the hard, unyielding rocks. Suddenly he put a restraining hand on Bernie's shoulder and they listened. Below them he could hear a splashing sound. They dropped quickly down over the boulders and soon found a small cascade of water splashing over a large boulder.

‘This is great,’ said Bernie, going under the shower of water.

‘You forgot your soap and towel.’

‘Who cares. I think I'll have breakfast out here in the sun. Just above the terrace, where I can see those exotic girls on their way to the beach.’

‘Keep your voice down and your erotic thoughts to yourself. While you're contemplating in your shower, have a think about how you intend to get the breakfast you're talking about,’ said Mike, cupping his hand and drinking water from it.

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Try and think up something for John's feet and make , sure we're not being followed.’

‘I'll bring some water for John on the way back.’

‘Although the sun was now warming the air, Mike gave an involuntary shiver. It was imperative to find a proper mountain climbing hut, otherwise they wouldn't survive very long. He followed the marks they'd made by dragging the bike over the rocky ground back to the point where they'd originally stopped. His heart sank as he glanced round and saw the glaring tracks leading to the hut. Only wind, rain and time would erase them.

Mike walked on until he reached the shoulder of the mountain. He looked hard at the village and the path leading up from it. His view was bright and clear for a moment, then the dead blood cells in the eyes started to cloud his vision. He tried to recollect what he'd noticed on his tour round the village. He couldn't remember seeing any cooking utensils but felt sure there must be some. He wondered which cable Bernie had taken off the bike. It didn't matter, they wouldn't be using the bike again. The warm sun, and his relaxed sitting position, made him realize just how much his bones ached. His eyes closed but he forced them open. He couldn't allow himself to sleep. He concentrated his thoughts on what Bernie's remarks had implied.  {145} 

The collapse of civilization, or whatever was happening, starting from a simple demonstration, brought back to mind the May demonstrations in France of 1968. It wouldn't have seemed possible before May to envisage a babble of students bringing eight million workers out on strike. What was going to happen when the shooting stopped? Would enough good people, wanting to start again, be left, or would they enjoy their rule of anarchy too much and make the future society into the ideal bad man's land, rather like the wild west of America in the nineteenth century? The urge to sleep was now so great that Mike climbed to his feet, took a last look down at the village and moved towards the hut.

When he found it empty he dropped down to the water, where John and Bernie were asleep in the sun. Mike struggled with his boots and eventually got them off. His own feet weren't in too good a shape, as they were heavily bruised. He pulled the rest of his clothing off and stepped into the shower of water. His first reaction was to jump clear as the cold water hit his back but he clenched his teeth and quickly rubbed his body with his hands before drying himself in the sun as the others had done. He dressed quickly and woke the others. Between them they helped John back to the hut. Mike walked to the window and propped it half open till he had a good view of the shoulder of the mountain. He was in two minds as to where to put the rifle, eventually deciding on propping it up against the wall by his hand. Outside, the sun shimmered down. Mike could understand why people enjoyed poetry when he looked at the peaceful countryside.

Suddenly, there was a shot and half the window frame exploded in Mike's face. He threw himself to the floor and motioned the others to stay where they were. Several more bullets tore into the woodwork of the hut.

‘Where are they?’

‘Just keep your heads down,’ said Mike briskly. He raised himself against the wall and slowly edged his head round the corner of the window. His eyes searched the hillside but he couldn't see anything. Groping for the rifle he felt it being pushed into his hand. A quick look down revealed Bernie, crouching by the window.

‘Can you see them?’

Mike shook his head and slowly raised the barrel onto the window frame. It struck him that they, whoever they were, might be behind the hut.

‘Have a look at the rear wall to see if there are any chinks you can see through,’ said Mike, watching the hillside.  {146} 

‘Found one.’

‘Good, keep a close watch for any movements out there behind us.’

‘What do you want me to do?’ said John.

‘Sit tight, for the moment.’

It took Mike a few minutes to see the obvious; the grooves the bullets had made in the window frame. He quickly moved to the other side of the window and, sure enough, two figures were coming up from the direction of their showering place.

‘John, come here. Keep your head down,’ said Mike. John came across the floor and raised himself by the window. ‘Ever seen them before?’ he asked.

‘I don't think so, it's still too far away to be sure,’ John said, peering out at the two figures steadily gaining on the hut.

‘What are you going to do?’ asked Bernie.

‘Get back to your post.’ He looked hard at the approaching figures and carefully took aim.

‘Mike, look,’ said John in an excited voice. Ducking his head under the window ledge, he looked towards the shoulder of the mountain. Along the skyline he could see small black dots.

‘Bugger,’ he said emphatically and went back to his post. He couldn't do anything now but hold his position, both against the two approaching men and the tiny dots. He let the two figures come on until he was sure they were well clear of any cover. He aimed carefully and gently squeezed the trigger. The gun recoiled and he swung the sights on to the second man and fired just as he hit the ground. He waited until the man was lying on the ground and fired a third time. Neither body in the dust just short of the hut moved.

‘Here,’ he said, handing the rifle to John, ‘I'm going to see if they're dead. Bernie, give me the revolver.’

Gun in hand, he cautiously left the hut. They were dead. He picked up all their equipment and returned quickly.

‘Mike, what the hell are we going to do?’ asked Bernie, becoming unsettled.

‘Keep at your post. Here, there's a rifle each. John, see if there's any food in those packs,’ said Mike, going back to the window.

‘Yes,’ said John, handing rations from one of the rucksacks.

‘All right, the plan is this. We keep everyone at a distance until nightfall, then you two can slip over to the col while I'm keeping them busy.’  {147} 

‘But you might get caught,’ said John.

‘And we all will, for sure, if you don't have a good start with those feet of yours.’ Mike watched the people coming over the shoulder and tried to count them, but he couldn't do it accurately. Ducking under the window he looked at the two bodies and was relieved to see them still lying there.

‘Mike, there are men coming over the col,’ said Bernie.

He didn't see them at first, then several men came into view below the rocks on the col. Mike looked at the captured rifle, checked the magazine, and pushed the barrel through the crack but it only went about six inches and then stuck.

‘I could get underneath the hut,’ Bernie suggested.

‘Not at the moment, just keep watching them.’ He didn't want to send Bernie out until he had a true picture of the situation.

‘John, while I'm watching those fellows coming over the hill, you keep an eye on the valley,’ said Mike.

The men were now advancing in a long line, about halfway from the shoulder of the mountain to the hut. Something familiar struck his eye as he watched the line advance. They drew nearer and nearer. Mike watched. Suddenly his mind clicked; the advancing line of men were wearing uniforms, Italian army uniforms. He turned from the window and hurried to Bernie's spy hole. The men coming down the col were dressed in civilian clothes.

‘John, Bernie,’ said Mike in a whisper, ‘we might have got ourselves mixed up in somebody else's fight.’

The others nodded. A movement outside made them freeze. Suddenly four men went running by. An automatic weapon started up, one of the running men flew in the air and there was a thud as the lifeless body hit the ground. The line of soldiers had now melted into the cover of the terrain. Occasionally Mike would see a uniform break from one piece of cover to run to another. He gently crossed the floor and peeped through the crack but there was no sign of anyone outside. He returned to his position and waited. Everything was quiet, nothing stirred.

It was a good fifteen minutes of agony before the shooting started again. At first it was directed away from the hut. During the first bout Mike stood trying to judge which way the fighting was moving. His grip tightened on the rifle as he heard heavy footsteps outside. They started shooting, the fire was returned. Mike dropped to the floor as the whole wooden structure broke into thousands of holes and splinters. He manoeuvred himself into a position where he could cover  {148}  the door and the window. The sound of gunfire grew loud and menacing until the air around the hut cracked in one continuous sound. A couple of bullets ploughed into the floor near-by and he wondered whether this was the end. Suddenly it all stopped. Mike got up and moved to the window. A couple of soldiers appeared a few hundred feet away. He held his rifle in anticipation, but they moved off. Pushing the barrel of the rifle out of the window, he covered the soldiers.

‘Look,’ said John, tapping Mike on the arm. Down in the valley he could see a man making his way up towards them. Mike moved John out of the way and swung the sights onto the oncoming man. The sun above him seemed uncannily bright, blinding him with lights. He looked down the barrel of the gun. The figure climbing towards them seemed to be coloured black. Mike looked with great intensity at the Negro coming towards him. The sunlight was obscuring his vision. In sudden horror he realized the sun was above the line of the sights, the blinding light he saw was coming up the barrel of the gun. Mike started to fight, he had to remain conscious, but the tiny darts of brilliant light pierced his eyeballs and his brain. The gun slipped from his hands and the darkness of unconsciousness overtook him.

14

‘What's past is prologue.’

Shakespeare

THE first thing Mike felt when he regained consciousness was a firm hand pressed hard into his. The hard wooden floor of the hut was now replaced by a soft mattress. He opened an eye. His hand was held by a very competent black one which he realized, when he looked into the semi-darkness, was attached to Pete.

‘You got here in time,’ said Mike, through a dry throat.

‘Man, I never thought you were coming back,’ said Pete, giving his friend's hand a gentle squeeze. ‘How do you feel?’

‘Rather like coming to after a week's drunk. Isn't there any light in this place?’

‘Sure,’ said Pete, leaving the room. Mike tried hard to  {149}  figure out where they were. Pete came back with two men in white coats and a very pretty nurse.

‘Well, Mr. Jerome, how do you feel?’ said one of the white-coated men.

‘Lousy, and who are you?’ Mike said, as the man peered through a light into his eyes.

‘Dr. Robinson.’

‘How long have I been here?’

‘Hmmm, Mr. Jerome,’ said the doctor, still looking.

‘What is it?’

‘Nothing. You were admitted here at about two thirty this afternoon.’

‘To where?’ asked Mike trying to sit up. It was then that he saw the bottom of his leg encased in plaster.

‘University College Hospital,’ said the doctor, taking his pulse. Mike looked at Pete. The hut in the Italian Alps slipped into the back of his mind, as the reality of the accident came back to him.

‘You're a very healthy specimen. I'll be back to see you tomorrow,’ said the doctor, leaving.

‘Doctor, two rather urgent matters. I've got a terrible headache and I'm hungry,’ said Mike.

Pete looked at him and smiled and gave a thumbs up behind his back as he went out with the doctor. Mike could hear a discussion going on outside the door.

They're going to lay on food and coffee. The nurse said it would be tea, so I guess you might get cocoa,’ said Pete, coming in and closing the door.

‘I suppose you asked for a steak and the nurse said it would be lamb, so you guess I might get a soft boiled egg. You know I hate soft boiled eggs,’ he said, mimicking Pete.

‘If you weren't an invalid, I'd push you downstairs for the worry you've caused me,’ said Pete, taking a chair and sitting down by the head of the bed.

‘How long have you been here?’

‘I got to your flat around seven and they told me you'd had an accident. Man, I was really worried when I found you unconscious. You know they said there was nothing to do but wait until the internal swelling of the old head had gone down.’

‘What happened there?’ asked Mike, pointing at the plaster on his right leg.

‘I don't really know. I think they said you got your leg broken. What the hell were you doing walking in front of an oncoming car?’  {150} 

Mike put his hand out and touched Pete's shoulder. ‘In future, I'm going to study the Highway Code before I cross any roads when I'm just back from abroad.’

‘It'll be a little more than that, I'll knock your brains out if I see you crossing a road without looking.’

‘Don't think you'll do much good. They found corporal punishment at school never helped me remember anything. Are you working this evening?’ asked Mike.

‘Yes, when they throw me out.’

‘How long will they keep me here?’

‘I should think they'll let you know tomorrow.’

‘Why a private room?’

‘They put you in here and were going to move you once they had space in a general ward. I told them to leave you here,’ said Pete with a twinkle.

‘You think I'll get a bit of crumpet. I like the thought but there are a couple of minor points,’ Mike said, looking down at his leg.

‘Why do you always think that men should do all the work? Man, I'm going to take you in hand. Always let the woman do the hard work.’

‘Did they find anything else wrong with me?’

‘No, but they will, have no fear.’

‘Good evening, I've brought you something to eat,’ said a nurse, putting her tray down.

‘I told you—eggs and cocoa,’ said Pete, inspecting the food.

‘Bloody marvellous.’

‘Here are your pills, to be taken after you've eaten,’ said the nurse, leaving two blue and orange capsules and an aspirin on the tray.

‘They obviously want to starve me,’ he said, bashing his spoon into the top of his egg.

‘I'll bring you something in tomorrow. Anything in particular?’

‘Salami and a nice bottle of wine,’ said Mike, sniffing the liquid in the cup. ‘Would you like to try it?’

‘No, if I collapse when I get home, then I'm in trouble. If you do it here, at least they can bring you back.’

Mike took a sip and decided he liked it. He was glad that Pete was growing restless, as it meant he'd begun to get over the shock of the accident.

‘You'd better be off,’ he said.

‘Yes, I'm going,’ said Pete, picking up his jacket. ‘I'll be  {151}  back some time late afternoon tomorrow. Is there anything else you need?’

‘Yes, could you drop into the flat, get my typewriter and in the right-hand desk drawer you'll find paper and ribbons.’

‘Salami, wine, typewriter, paper and ribbons,’ repeated Pete.

‘Yes, and the most important part of the list is my writing material.’

‘Mike, can't you give it a rest just for a few days? You can't go on working at this pressure.’

‘Yes. Yes. We'll be away on holiday before you know it, but I must get something down as it could be big, big television.’

‘All right, but this is the last project. You realize the reason you're here is because you're too tired to know which direction the traffic comes from.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Mike gave Pete a salute.

‘See you tomorrow, and don't be bad.’

‘I thought you wanted me to be good—rest and relax.’

‘Sure, but you can't do without entertainment,’ said Pete, with a twinkle, and nipped through the door before any missiles flew his way. Mike shook his head, picked up the pills and swallowed them.

He lay on his many pillows and began to think about his strange dream. He pressed the button by his bed.

‘Yes?’ asked the nurse, poking her head round the door.

‘Could you find me today's paper?’ Mike asked.

‘I really think you should be going to sleep.’

‘At the moment all I can think of is a paper. I promise to go to sleep if I see a newspaper.’

‘All right.’

The nurse soon reappeared with a copy of the Daily Mirror, and took away his tray. Mike looked carefully for the date, June 6th, 1969.

Three days later he was allowed to go home.

Sam, Pete and Mike struggled to the lift. Mike's peg leg made getting up to the flat a real pantomime.

‘It's lucky it's not Friday the thirteenth,’ said Mike, putting one leg into the lift, ‘otherwise, I'm sure we'd have a few more interesting problems.’

‘Yes, Mr. Jerome,’ said the sweating doorman, closing the lift doors.

In the flat Mike explored the living-room. ‘Pete, what's missing?’  {152} 

‘Sue. I got in touch with her and told her to get all her stuff out of here. So, along she comes in high dudgeon and removes most of her and some of your stuff. I then got some paint and a painter, hey presto,’ said Pete.

‘Looks better,’ Mike said appreciatively. ‘Let's have a drink.’

Pete was delving in Mike's bag of things from the hospital.

‘Hey, Mike, you must get new boots, these are in a terrible state,’ he said holding them up.

‘You're right.’ The well worn boots looked as though he had tramped miles in them. He wondered whether he had. ‘I can buy some at that shop in the King's Road, but I shan't need them yet.’

‘By the way, could you find me some new typewriter ribbons this afternoon? Pm on my last one.’ He opened his machine and put it on his desk.

‘I'll make a deal with you, I'll get the ribbons if I can read what you've written,’ said Pete, lounging in a chair with his drink.

‘As soon as I've finished, O.K.? This is going to be a humdinger of a programme.’

‘What's it about?’

‘Science fiction.’

‘Who are you going to show it to?’

‘Abe Leinstein.’

‘I didn't know he was interested in science fiction.’

‘He will be after he's read my pilot script.’

‘Well, let's hope so.’ Pete got up and went to the door. ‘I'll be in tomorrow when I wake up. Remember the doc says you're not to go out for a few days.’

‘It'll take me all that time to produce this material,’ said Mike, settling down to the typewriter.

He typed quickly, telling the story that led up to the first time change. He wanted to use that at the end of the pilot to trigger off the rest of the series. Mike stopped abruptly half-way down a page. He got up, found the clothes he'd been wearing at the time of the accident and searched for Professor Smitt's notes, but they'd gone. On his way back to the typewriter he hesitated and went into the bathroom. He looked at his glasses sitting on a shelf and again checked the contact lens container but it was empty. In his apparently secure world a disturbing discord still persisted. He shook himself resolutely and started to work again. He typed on, hour after hour, nothing penetrating his mind to disturb the  {153}  flow onto the page. As he wrote, his character, a top-flight musician, began to sound more and more like Pete.

Suddenly he left his typewriter and stumped over to the telephone. He called Imperial College and London University asking whether they had a Professor Smitt on their staff. There was no one by that name. He tried the Cavendish Lab in Cambridge, but no one there had heard of him. Apparently there was no Smitt of his description connected to any university in this country, or of any standing at any university anywhere.

He checked next on the house in Harley Street, which turned out to be used by a number of different medical practices, including one of physiotherapists. Mike decided to go back when his leg was out of plaster for massage, which would give him the ch nee to look at the pi ce for his stoVs accuracy. He worked on through the evening, past his bed time and well on into the night. It was four in the morning when he eventually finished the pilot. The rest of the presentation wouldn't take him much time so he rolled himself onto the sofa and immediately went to sleep.

Mike woke to the early morning sounds of rush hour. He got up and made his ungainly way into the kitchen and washed his face. He made himself a cup of coffee and staggered back into the living-room. At the typewriter he swore quietly to himself as Pete hadn't come back with his ribbons and the one he had in was now very tatty at the edges.

It was early in the afternoon when Pete at last turned up.

‘Finished?’ he asked, as he placed the ribbons proudly on the desk.

‘Yes,’ said Mike, pointing to a pile of paper.

‘What time?’

‘Late.’

‘I bet,’ said Pete, giving Mike a gentle prod in the back.

‘You going to read it now?’

‘Of course, but I must have coffee before I start this mammoth project.’

‘If you're making it I'll have some.’

‘Should you?’

‘Don't know. I think I'll have it with milk this time round.’

Mike watched Pete settle down, then turned back to finish the last pages of his presentation. Hardly a word was spoiwn until Mike had finished his last page. He stood up and unsteadily made his way to an easy chair. Pete looked up and grinned.  {154} 

‘What do you think?’ asked Mike, when Pete put the last page down.

‘You never give me a chance to finish, do you.’

‘No, I've been watching for too long and my nerves won't stand much more. What did you think of it?’

‘Man, you know what I think of your work; it's great, absolutely great.’

‘What do you want to do now?’

‘I want you to take it round to Abe on your way to work. Ask him to get on and read it, then let me know immediately what he thinks.’ Mike took a file out of a drawer and put the presentation into it.

‘But Abe won't read it, he'll probably just pass it on to the script department.’

‘No, he won't. I'll have a word with his secretary.’

‘You sure you're happy with what you've done? Wouldn't it be better to have a think about what you've written?’

‘No, there'll be improvements but the most important part of this operation is to get the television boys interested, then I can set all my ideas in motion.’

Mike phoned Abe Leinstein before Pete went to work that evening. Abe was happy that he was out of hospital but not too happy about being pressured into reading a pilot. Mike wouldn't listen to all the old guff about all the television time being allotted, or even the fact that Abe was short of cash, as all the budgets for the current year had been approved. He saw Pete wince once or twice, as he hammered away for his pilot, extracting a promise from Abe that he would read it quickly.

The next few days were spent in returning everything back to normal. Pete took Mike to see the doctor, who seemed very pleased with his progress. They spent the weekend planning a holiday. Pete had a concert tour to do in America, but as soon as he returned they could go to Italy. Mike kept waiting for an opportunity to tell Pete a little about the origin of the television pilot but the time never seemed to be quite right, so the experiences began to fade and the only part of it that remained sharp was the idea for the series.

It was the following Friday when Mike got a phone call from Abe Leinstein's secretary. They wanted him to go over to the studios in North London and discuss budgets and his own contract.

He picked up the phone again and dialled Pete's number.

‘Yes?’ came Pete's voice.  {155} 

‘Morning,’ he said cheerfully.

‘What's the matter?’

‘Aren't you meant to be going to the States today?’

‘Christ, what time is it?’ said Pete, suddenly alert.

‘A little after ten thirty. Don't panic, you've got plenty of time.’

‘What time do I have to be there?’

‘Your plane leaves at four thirty. Now listen, I've got to go to the studios this afternoon and I shan't be able to see you off.’

‘They actually want to talk turkey? That's great. Now you remember that you can't get down to any more writing until September.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Do you want me to arrange a car?’

‘No, I'll take a cab and get a lift back with one of the lads. Now, I've got to be there at three. Is there anything you want me to do before I go?’

‘No, just sit down for an hour or two and work out what you're going to say to these people. Then get yourself dressed and go and bash them on the head. If everything goes well, phone me at the Plaza Hotel in New York tomorrow morning, New York time, O.K.?’ Pete had caught Mike's enthusiasm.

‘I'll do that. Have a wonderful time. Give my love to everyone.’

‘Will do, see you soon.’

‘Bye,’ Mike said, putting the phone down.

The taxi pulled up outside the studio and Mike got a helping hand from the doorman.

‘Yes, Mr. lerome?’ asked the receptionist.

‘Phil Newman, at three.’

‘Mr. Jerome's here, Mr. Newman. Right away,’ said the girl putting the internal phone down. ‘He's waiting for you on the second floor.’

‘Thanks,’ he said making his way to the lift.

‘Mike, great to see you,’ said Phil Newman.

‘You don't look so bad yourself,’ observed Mike.

‘You'll have to excuse me, but I wasn't reckoning on your getting here until about three thirty,’ said Phil, opening the door to his office.

‘Phil, I think I'll turn over a new leaf and go back to being late for you.’

‘Yes, that would help. We'll wait till the others get here, then we'll tear you apart,’ said Phil with a grin.

‘Who's coming to this meeting?’  {156} 

‘Bobby, John and Hugh.’

‘You're thinking of having Hugh direct?’

Those are the instructions I have. You've always wanted to write something for Hugh to direct?’

‘Of course, I think he's one of the best up and coming directors we have in this country. Bobby's going to script edit7’

‘Not necessarily. John's going to Executive Produce. Bobby, I thought, ought to sit in on all the meetings, just in case we need a script editor in future,’ said Phil, a little cautiously.

‘Come in.’

‘Hi, Hugh,’ said Mike.

‘At last,’ smiled Hugh, shaking Mike's hand.

John and Bobby expressed their greetings and all sat down.

‘Well, gentlemen, we are here to discuss the suggested pilot, and subsequent television series, entitled “Seven Steps to the Sun”,’ said Phil, looking down at some papers in front of him. ‘Mike, let me first tell you what has happened since Abe read it.’

‘He actually read it?’

‘Yes,’ laughed Phil, ‘not only read it but gave it straight to me on Monday to work out costs with John. I think we can say that the old man has given us the go ahead, as long as we don't go mad and waste all the firm's money. Mike, on reading your presentation, there are several things that I would like to know. What is your participation going to be?’

‘What I would like to do is to write the pilot, and then script edit the rest. I think you should get four good writers and set them to work. They can use any amount of imagination, as long as it fits into the overall series, otherwise, your special effects bill will be enormous.’

‘Have you thought of any scientist to give the scientific information for the programme?’ asked John.

‘No, but I will approach some and see what they say.’

‘Another thing that isn't quite clear is whether each series ends with the end of the hour or with a time change.’

‘I think that you can have as many episodes within a particular time change as you like,’ interrupted Mike.

‘John,’ said Phil, ‘we can spread the costs of special effects over a wider area in that case.’

‘Mike,’ said Bobby, ‘there is one point I'm not happy about, and that is your main character is a professional musician who, because of his growing paralysis of the arm, is whisked forward into the future by this mysterious professor and  {157}  girl. Do you think a musician, especially a pianist, would he quite the right character for all the adventures he has?’

‘Yes, this was one of my queries. A professional pianist would look after his hands, and never really get involved in some of the situations here that you've suggested,’ said Phil.

‘All right, how about a writer?’ said Mike thoughtfully.

‘A painter would be better. Paralysis would affect his work, and he's in a profession where he'd be useful to these people in the future time. Are you going to develop this?’ asked Phil.

‘Sorry, how do you mean?’

‘Well, you say here that the Professor and the girl have come back in time to look for musicians and people of other professions, because in their time in the future these arts have been lost, or at least no one is practising them.’

‘Yes, I think that the girl should drop in and out of the series. To begin with, I think we should emphasize the artist's adventure, then slowly introduce the fact that he's been taken forward in time for a reason. Say, once he's reached the point where he has to make the decision whether to go into the future, or go back to his time.’

‘Do you think this civilization will start its own destruction by a simple demonstration?’ asked John.

‘Look what happened in France in May last year.’

‘Surely it will be more like a nuclear war,’ said Bobby.

‘At the moment we haven't got to story number thirty-two, so although I feel that this whole collapse will happen in the simple way I've described, I can always change it,’ said Mike.

‘You're right,’ said Phil. ‘Anyway, I think I like the idea. So you're saying after he goes on into the future, the girl's with him more or less all the time?’

‘Right. If we have the first year's programmes going up to the collapse of present-day civilization, then the second year is rather like the wild west in America. It should be very cheap to do. Since nothing is really left, we can make up what sets we like. The main theme running through these second-year programmes is the fight by the goodies to create a new society against the baddies who are quite happy living off others,’ said Mike.

‘So you think the expenditure wouldn't rise in the second year?’ asked John.

‘It shouldn't.’

‘The biggest problem I have is, how little can we do the special effects for?’

‘Look, go and talk to this fellow at O.R.T.F. in Paris. He's  {158}  apparently got a new technique for making special effects. I can't get over there at the moment, so one of you, in fact, Hugh, why don't you go?’ said Mike turning to him.

‘Fine,’ said Hugh quietly.

‘So where do we start?’

‘Well, we've got a pilot budget of around five thousand pounds,’ said Phil.

‘And?’

‘How much are you going to ask for the idea?’

Ten per cent of the budget for the idea, salary for script editor, and a percentage of the overseas profits,’ said Mike, rolling it off.

‘Abe thought you might be asking for the sky. You'll have to fight that out with him,’ said Phil, with a grin.

‘Fair enough. If I don't see him till Monday, will this slow anything up?’

‘No, we can pack Hugh off to Paris, while Bobby gets down to finding some really good writers for you to work with,’ said John.

‘Do you want an office here?’ asked Phil.

‘Yes, I'll have an office and a good secretary.’

‘Good, we'll grab them for you. Anything else?’

‘Nope.’

‘Right, we have a production and casting meeting next Wednesday.’

‘How are you getting home?’ asked Hugh, as Mike struggled to his feet.

‘I'll get a cab. What's the time?’

‘Nearly five, said Bobby.

‘If you stop on, one of us will run you home,’ said Phil.

‘You lot don't really leave till six. No, I'll ask your secretary to get me a taxi. I'm still a little ropy on my feet.’

‘Fine, have a word with Alice on your way out.’

They all left Phil's office. Hugh waited for Mike while he arranged for a taxi. Then the two of them moved slowly to the lift.

‘What do you think?’

‘It's a very good series. I just hope that they aren't too stingy with the budget,’ said Hugh.

‘We should be able to do the pilot for five thousand, though?’

‘Oh, yes, if this fellow in Paris can do a good job reasonably, then I'm happy.’

‘Great. I think it's going to be fun working together.’

‘So do I. Will you be all right?’  {159} 

‘Yes, I'll see you when you get back from Paris,’ said Mike, getting aboard the lift.

‘See you, then,’ said Hugh. Mike pushed the button and the lift made its way to the ground floor.

‘Your taxi's outside, Mr. Jerome,’ said the receptionist.

‘Thanks, love,’ he said, as he hobbled by. The doorman helped him to the taxi.

‘Where to?’ asked the man, as he helped Mike into the taxi.

‘87 Albany Street, please.’

‘87 Albany Street, driver,’ said the doorman to the cabby. The man nodded, started the engine and moved off. The taxi turned onto the A1 leading into London. The traffic spewed forth from the direction of town and Mike wondered vaguely whether Pete had actually got off. He looked at the shoe on his good foot and the thought of his boots came back to his mind. It seemed a strange coincidence that they should be so knocked about. Perhaps it was the accident.

The taxi bowled along at a fair old pace. Mike inched himself up on the cushions and watched the road. The driver was obviously in one hell of a hurry, as he manipulated the cab through the traffic and on into Mill Hill. Mike suddenly exploded. He leant forward and opened the connecting window.

‘Look, I don't mind anyone driving fast, if they do it safely, but your driving is dangerous,’ he said, leaning over his plaster leg.

‘I'm sorry, Mr. Jerome, I didn't mean to frighten you,’ said Professor Smitt, turning and smiling gently.