rr.thebrentfordtriangle-第15部分

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nd　each　walked　with　a　mechanical　precision。
　Pooley　and　Omally　watched　their　progress　with　wide　eyes　and　slack　jaws。　'We　should　follow　them；'　said　John；　'see　what　they're　up　to。'
　'With　the　corner　up　we　should。'
　'Poltroon。　e　on　man；　let's　sort　the　thing　out。'
　Pooley　sloped　his　drunken　shoulders。　'John；'　said　he；　'are　you　honestly　suggesting　that　any　good　whatsoever　will　e　from　following　this　gang　of　weirdos？　I　feel　rather　that　we　would　be　walking　straight　into　a　trap。　This　is　only　my　opinion　of　course；　and　it　is　greatly　influenced　by　the　state　of　blind　panic　I　find　myself　in　at　present。　There　is　something　altogether　wrong　about　every　bit　of　this。　Let　us　leave　the　allotment　now；　depart　for　ever；　never　to　return。　What　do　you　say？'
　Omally　weighed　up　the　situation。　Things　did　seem　a　little　iffy。　They　were　greatly　outnumbered　and　there　was　definitely　something　unnatural　about　the　striding　men。　Perhaps　it　would　be　wiser　to　run　now　and　ask　questions　later。　But　there　were　a　lot　of　questions　that　needed　asking　and　now　might　be　the　best　time　to　ask　them；　emboldened　as　they　both　were；　or　he　at　least；　by　the　surfeit　of　alcohol　pumping　about　the　old　arteries。　'e　on；　Jim；'　he　said；　encouragingly。　'One　quick　look　at　what　they're　up　to；　what　harm　can　it　do？　After　the　day　we've　had　nothing　else　can　happen　to　us；　can　it？'
　Pooley　thought　that　it　possibly　could；　and　as　it　turned　out　Pooley　was　absolutely　correct。
　
　13
　Ahead　the　red　light　glowed　evilly　and　the　spectral　figures　moved　into　its　aura　to　bee　cardboard　silhouettes。　Pooley　and　Omally　lurched　along　to　the　rear　of　the　strange　brigade　as　silently　as　their　inebriate　blunderings　would　allow。　None　of　the　queer　horde　turned　a　head；　although　the　sounds　of　their　pursuers；　as　they　stumbled　amongst　corrugated　plot　dividers　and　galvanized　watering　cans；　rang　loudly　across　the　silent　allotments。　As　the　stark　figures　neared　the　light　they　fell　into　line　and　strode　through　the　doorway　of　Soap　Distant's　hut　like　so　many　clockwork　soldiers。
　When　the　last　of　them　had　entered；　the　light　grew　to　a　blinding　intensity　then　dimmed　away　to　nothingness。　'There；'　said　Pooley；　faltering　in　his　footsteps；　'a　trick　of　the　light；　nothing　more；　probably　landing　lights　on　a　Jumbo　or　some　such。　Off　to　our　beds　now　then；　eh？'
　Omally　prodded　him　in　the　loins　with　the　rake　he　had　wisely　appropriated　in　the　interests　of　self…preservation。　'Onward；　Pooley；'　he　ordered。　'We　will　get　to　the　bottom　of　this。'
　His　words；　as　it　happened；　could　not　have　been　more　poorly　chosen；　but　Omally；　of　course；　was　not　to　know　that　at　this　time。　The　two　men　neared　Soap's　hut　and　peered　through　the　open　doorway。　There　was　nothing　to　be　seen　but　sheer；　unutterable；　unfathomable　darkness。
　'Lighter；'　Omally　manded。　Pooley　brought　out　his　aged　Zippo　and　sucked　at　the　wick。　Omally　snatched　at　the　well…worn　smoker's　friend　and　as　the　flame　bravely　illuminated　the　hut's　interior　the　two　men　gave　forth　with　twin　whistles　of　dismay。
　The　shed　was　empty：　four　corrugated　walls；　a　ceiling　of　slatted　asbestos　and　a　concrete　floor。
　John　Omally　groaned。　Pooley　shook　his　head　in　wonder。　'These　council　lads　certainly　leave　the　great　Houdini　with　egg　on　his　chin/　he　said　respectfully。　'How　do　you　suppose　they　do　it？'
　'I　utterly　refuse　to　believe　this；'　said　Omally；　holding　the　lighter　aloft　and　stepping　boldly　through　the　doorway。　'There　is　no　conceivable　way　they　could　all　have。。。　'
　He　never　actually　finished　the　sentence。　Pooley's　lighter　was　suddenly　extinguished　and　Omally's　words　were　swallowed　up　as　if　sucked　into　some　great　and　terrible　vacuum。
　'John？'　Pooley　found　himself　alone　in　the　darkness。　'John；　this　is　not　funny。'　His　voice　echoed　hollowly　in　the　sinister　hut。
　'Oh　dear　me；'　said　Jim　Pooley。
　The　moon　slowly　withdrew　itself　from　its　cloudy　lair　and　shone　a　broad　beam　of　light　through　the　open　doorway。　The　tiny　hut　was　empty。　John　Omally　had　simply　ceased　to　exist。　Jim　snatched　up　Omally's　discarded　rake；　prodding　ahead　of　him　as　he　gingerly　moved　forward。　The　moon　was　still　shining　brightly　and　now；　along　the　nearby　rooftops；　the　thin　red　line　of　dawn　was　spreading。
　'Oh！'　The　tip　of　Pooley's　protruding　rake　had　of　a　sudden　bee　strangely　fuzzy　and　ill…defined。　Another　step　forward　and　Pooley　noted　to　his　utter　stupefaction　that　it　had　vanished　altogether　into　empty　air。　He　withdrew　it　hastily　and　ran　his　finger　along　its　length；　it　was　intact。　Jim　looked　at　the　rake　and　then　at　the　empty　shed　before　him；　he　scratched　at　his　head　and　then　at　his　chin；　he　weighed　the　thing　up　and　tried　to　make　some　sense　of　it。
　The　shed　was　obviously　not　what　it　at　first　appeared。　An　ingenious　camouflage　indeed。　But　to　camouflage　what；　and；　most　importantly；　where　was　John？　Obviously　somewhere　behind　the　simulated　reality　of　the　empty　shed　lurked　another　something；　and　obviously　it　was　a　thoroughly　unwholesome　something　which　boded　ill　for　unwary　golfers。
　Pooley　approached　the　doorway　once　more；　and　thrust　the　rake　in　up　to　the　hilt。　He　waggled　it　about　and　swished　it　to　and　fro；　it　met　with　no　apparent　resistance。　Jim　pulled　out　the　rake　and　stood　a　moment　rescratching　his　head。　It　really　was　a　very　clever　thing　indeed。　Possibly　that　was　how　these　council　lads　had　eluded　them　before。　Probably　the　one　in　the　Swan's　bog　had　simply　switched　on　some　sort　of　3…D　projector；　whipped　up　an　image　of　an　empty　cubicle　and　sat　down　on　the　seat　for　a　good　sneer　whilst　Omally　got　foamy　about　the　jaws。　They　were　probably　standing　there　in　the　shed　even　now　doing　the　same。
　Pooley　took　a　step　backwards。　He'd　show　the　buggers！　Wielding　the　rake　in　as　menacing　a　manner　as　he　could；　he　took　a　deep　if　drunken　breath　and　rushed　at　the　image。　'Ooooooooooh；'　went　Jim　Pooley　as　the　concrete　floor　of　the　shed　dissolved　beneath　his　feet；　plunging　him　down　into　the　perpetual　darkness　of　the　now　legendary　bottomless　pit。
　How　far　Jim　fell；　and　how　long　his　plummet　into　the　nether　regions　of　the　great　beneath　actually　took；　must　remain　for　ever　a　matter　for　conjecture。　That　his　life　had　plenty　of　time　to　flash　before　his　eyes　was　of　little　consolation；　although　it　did　give　an　occasion　for　him　to　recall　that　during　it　he　had　consumed　a　very　great　deal　of　alcohol。　Also；　that　should　he　survive　this；　he　had　every　intention　of　consuming　a　great　deal　more。
　Finally；　however；　after　what　had　been　up　until　then　a　relatively　uneventful　if　windy　fall　to　oblivion；　Pooley's　descending　form　made　a　painful　and　quite　unexpected　contact　with　a　body　of　ice…cold　and　seemingly　unfathomable　water。
　'Ow。。。；　ooh！'　wailed　that　unhappiest　of　men。　'Ow。。。　ooh　and　glug。'　Pooley　surfaced　after　several　desperate　and　drowning　moments；　mouthed　several　very　timely　and　well…expressed　obscenities　and　sank　once　more　into　the　subterranean　depths。
　'I　forgive　all；'　he　vowed　as　his　head　bobbed　aloft　for　a　second　time。　Possibly　Jim　would　have　survived　for　a　goodly　while　bobbing　up　and　down　in　this　fashion。　It　is　more　likely；　however；　that　he　would　have　breathed　his　last　as　he　went　down　for　that　famous　old　third　time；　had　help　not　arrived　from　a　most　unexpected　quarter。
　'Climb　aboard；　Jim；'　said　a　voice　which　struck　a　strange　chord　in　Pooley's　rapidly　numbing　brain。　Jim　squinted　up　from　his　watery　grave　to　realize　for　the　first　time　that　he　was　no　longer　in　darkness。　Above　him　he　could　see　the　cowled　head　and　shoulders　of　a　man；　leaning　from　what　appeared　to　be　a　coracle　of　skin　and　bark；　extending　a　rugged…looking　oar。　Without　hesitation　Pooley　clutched　at　the　thing　and　was　unceremoniously　hauled　aboard。　Huddled　low　in　one　end　of　the　curious　craft　lay　John　Omally；　swathed　in　blankets。
　'Nice　of　you　to　drop　in；'　said　the　Irishman　with　the　rattling　teeth。　Pooley　made　some　attempts　to　wring　out　his　tweed　lapels；　but　soon　gave　up　and　resigned　himself　to　death　by　pneumonia。
　'Where　are　we？'　he　asked；　peering　about　him。
　A　wan　light　emanating　from　some　luminescent　substance　within　the　very　rocks；　which　swept　dome…like　and　dizzying　high　above　them；　illuminated　a　monstrous　cavern。　The　black　waters　of　the　subterranean　lake　spread　away　in　every　direction；　losing　themselves　into　a　great　vastness　of　absolutely　nothing。
　It　all　looked　a　little　worrying。
　Jim　shuddered；　and　not　from　the　icy　cold　which　now　knotted　his　every　muscle。　It　was　the　sheer　mind…stunning　hugeness　of　the　place；　and　the　fact　that　it　actually　existed　somewhere　deep　beneath　the　roads　where　he　daily　set　his　feet。　And　those　waters；　what　might　lurk　in　them？　It　didn't　bear　thinking　about。　Jim　turned　to　his　saviour。
　'You　have　my　thanks；　sir；'　said　he；　'but　tell　me。。。　'　His　words　trailed　off　as　the　dark　figure　turned　from　the　oar　he　had　been　carefully　slotting　into　its　rowlock　and　confronted　the　dripping　Brentonian。　'Soap？'　said　Jim。　'Soap；　is　that　you？'
　The　boatman　slipped　back　the　cowl　which　covered　his　head　and　grinned　wolfishly；　'Have　I　changed　so　much　then；　Pooley？'　he　asked。
　Jim　surveyed　the　darkly…clad　figure；　whose　black　robes　threw　the　deathlike　pallor　of　his　face　into　ghastly　contrast。　His　hair　was　peroxide　blond　and　his　eyebrows　and　lashes　naught　but　snowy　bristles。　Soap　was　as　white　as　the　proverbial　sheet。　Pooley　recalled　the　ruddy…faced　Hollow　Earth　theorist　with　the　sparkling　green　eyes　who　had　regaled　them　with　talk　of　Rigdenjyepo　and　the　denizens　of　the　world　beneath。　He　also　recalled　only　too　well　that　terrible　night　when　Soap　had　invited　him　and　Omally　down　into　a　fantastic　tunnel　system　beneath　his　house　to　witness　the　opening　of　what　Soap　believed　to　be　the　Portal　to　Inner　Earth。
　Pooley　and　Omally　had　made　a　rapid　exit　from　the　workings；　but　Soap　had　gone　through　with　the　thing　and　opened　what　turned　out　to　be　the　stopcocks　of　the　old　flood　sluices　of　Brentford　Docks。　An　entire　stretch　of　Grand　Union　Canal　had　drained　forthwith　into　Soap's　diggings　and　that　had　been　the　last　Brentford　had　seen　of　the　Hollow　Earther。
　Pooley　stared　at　Soap　in　disbelief。　'You　do　appear　slightly　altered　in　your　appearance；'　he　said　carefully；　as　he　gazed　into　the　latter's　eyes；　now　pink　as　an　albino's；　and　slightly　luminous。
　'Five　years　below　can　alter　any　man；'　said　Soap；　readjusting　his　cowl。　'I　have　seen　things　down　here　that　would　stagger　the　senses　of　the　strongest　man。　I　have　seen　sights　wh