rr.thebrentfordtriangle-第33部分

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ome　world。　Ceres；　here　we　e。'
　The　navigator；　who　bore　a　striking　resemblance　to　his　Captain；　but　whose　rank　merited　a　far　less　heavily　braided　uniform　and　fewer　campaign　ribbons；　tapped　out　a　series　of　instructions　into　a　console　of　advanced　design。　'Goodness　me；'　said　he；　as　the　puter　guidance　system　flashed　up　an　unexpected　reply　to　his　instructions　upon　a　three…dimensional　screen。　'Now　there's　a　funny　thing。'
　Lombard　Omega　leant　over　his　shoulder　and　squinted　into　the　glowing　display　of　nine　orbiting　worlds。　'Where's　the　fucking　planet　gone？'　he　asked。
　'One　hundred　and　forty；'　shouted　the　adjudicator；　oblivious　to　what　was　going　on　at　the　outer　edge　of　the　solar　system。　'The　Horsemen　needs　ninety…seven。'
　'If　they　aren't　cheating；'　said　Pooley；　'they　are　playing　a　blinder　of　a　game。'
　'Oh；　they're　cheating　all　right；'　Omally　replied；　'although　I　don't　think　the　Professor　has　worked　out　quite　how　yet。'
　In　truth　the　Professor　had　not；　he　had　watched　Young　Jack　like　a　hawk　and　was　certain　that　he　had　observed　no　hint　of　trickery。　Surely　the　Horsemen　could　not　be　winning　by　skill　alone？
　Billy　'Banjoed'　Breton；　the　Horsemen's　inebriate　reserve；　was　suddenly　up　on　the　oche。　The　very　idea　of　a　team　fielding　a　reserve　in　a　championship　match　was　totally　unheard　of；　the　role　of　reserve　being　by　tradition　filled　by　the　pub's　resident　drunk；　who　acted　more　as　mascot　and　edy　relief　than　player。
　A　rumble　of　disbelief　and　suspicion　rolled　through　the　crowd。　Two　of　the　Horsemen's　team　pointed　Billy　in　the　direction　of　the　board。　'Over　there；'　they　said。　Billy　aimed　his　dart；　flight　first。
　'Young　Jack　is　having　a　pop　at　the　Professor；'　said　Omally。　'He　is　definitely　working　some　kind　of　a　flanker。'
　A　look　of　perplexity　had　crossed　Professor　Slobe's　face。　He　cast　about　for　a　reason；　but　none　was　forthing。　A　gentle　tap　at　his　elbow　suddenly　marshalled　his　thoughts。　There　is　one　outside　and　one　by　the　machine；'　said　Edgar　Allan　Poe。
　Professor　Slobe　nodded。
　'May　I　ask　the　purpose　of　the　game？'
　'It　is　a　challenge　match　between　the　hostelry　known　as　the　Four　Horsemen　and　our　own　beloved　Flying　Swan；'　Professor　Slobe　replied　telepathically。
　'Then　may　I　ask　why　you　allow　your　opponents　the　edge　by　having　their　missiles　guided　by　a　spirit　form？'　A　smile　broke　out　upon　Professor　Slobe's　face　which　did　not　go　unnoticed　by　John　Omally。
　'He's　sussed　it；'　said　John。
　Professor　Slobe　leant　close　to　the　ear　of　Young　Jack。　'Have　you　ever　heard　me　recite　the　rite　of　exorcism？'　he　asked。　'I　have　it　down　to　something　of　a　fine　art。'
　Young　Jack　cast　the　old　man　the　kind　of　look　which　could　deflower　virgins　and　cause　babies　to　fill　their　nappies。　'All　right；'　said　he；　'we　will　play　it　straight。'
　'That　you　will　never　do。　But　simply　chalk　that　one　up　and　be　advised。'
　'Forty…seven；'　bawled　the　adjudicator；　who　was　growing　hoarse。
　'Unlucky；'　said　Professor　Slobe。
　'The　Swan　need　sixty…eight。'　The　Swan　got　it　with　little　difficulty。
　Lombard　Omega　ran　up　and　down　the　flight　deck；　peering　through　the　Plexiglas　portholes　and　waving　his　fists　in　the　air。　'Where's　it　gone？'　he　ranted　at　intervals。　'Where's　it　fucking　gone？'
　His　navigator　punched　all　he　could　into　the　console　and　shrugged　repeatedly。　'It　just　isn't　there；'　he　said。　'It's　gone；　caput；　finite；　gone。'
　'It　must　be　there！　It　was　fucking　there　when　we　left　it！'
　The　navigator　covered　his　ears　to　the　obscenity。　'It　honestly　isn't；　now；'　he　said。　'There's　a　lot　of　debris　about；　though；　a　veritable　asteroid　belt。'
　'You　find　something　and　find　it　quick；'　growled　his　manding　Officer；　'or　you　go　down　the　shit　chute　into　hyperspace。'
　The　navigator　bashed　away　at　the　console　like　a　mad　thing。　'There's　no　trace；'　he　whispered　despairingly；　'the　entire　system's　dead。'　He　tapped　at　the　macroscopic　intensifier。　'Oh　no　it　isn't；　look；　there's　a　signal。'
　Lombard　was　at　his　side　in　an　instant。　'Bring　it　up　then；　you　wally。　Bring　the　frigging　thing　up。'
　The　navigator　enlarged　the　image　upon　the　three…dimensional　screen。　'It's　on　Planet　Earth；'　he　said。　'A　triangulation　and　a　ley　image；　the　constellation　of　the　Plough　surely；　and　look　there。'
　Lombard　looked　there。
　'One　third　up　from　the　base　line　of　the　triangulation；　a　beacon　transmitting　a　signal。　The　coordinates　of　an　approach　run；　that's　where　they　are！'
　'Hm。'　Lombard　stroked　his　Hollywood　chin。　'The　bastards　have　moved　closer　to　the　Sun。　Wise　move；　wise　bloody　move。　Take　us　in　then。　Earth　full　steam　ahead。　Lock　into　autopilot；　the　beacon　will　guide　us　in。　Anybody　got　a　roll…up？'
　Omally　rolled　a　cigarette　as　the　Professor　joined　them　at　the　table。　'You　found　them　out；　then？'　he　asked　between　licks。　'I　don't　think　we've　entirely　got　the　better　of　him；'　the　old　man　replied。　'He's　a　trick　or　two　up　his　sleeve　yet；　I　believe。'
　'I　won't　ask　what　that　one　turned　out　to　be。'　'The　Swan　lead　by　one　game　to　nil；'　croaked　the　adjudicator。　'Second　game　on。　Horsemen　to　throw。'
　As　this　was　a　championship　match；　by　local　rules；　the　losing　team　threw　first。　Young　Jack　ran　his　forked　tongue　about　the　tip　of　his　dart。　'Straight　and　true　this　time；　Professor；'　quoth　he。
　'With　the　corner　up；'　the　old　man　replied。
　Young　Jack　flung　his　darts　in　such　rapid　succession　that　they　were　nothing　more　than　a　triple　blur。　They　each　struck　the　board　'straight　and　true'　within　the　wired　boundaries　of　the　treble　twenty；　which　was　nothing　more　nor　less　than　anybody　had　expected。　The　grinning　demonologist　strode　to　the　board　and　tore　out　his　darts　with　a　vengeance。
　'I　should　like　very　much　to　see　the　fellow　miss　once　in　a　while；'　Pooley　told　the　Professor。　'Just　to　give　the　impression　that　he　isn't　infallible。'　Professor　Slobe　whispered　another　Latin　phrase　and　Young　Jack　knocked　his　pint　of　mild　into　his　father's　lap。　'Thank　you；'　said　Jim；　'I　appreciated　that。'
　Archie　Karachi　was　throwing　for　the　Swan。　Dressed　this　evening　in　a　stunning　kaftan；　oblivious　to　the　damage　wrought　upon　his　kitchen；　he　was　definitely　on　form。　Archie　had　a　most　unique　manner　of　play。　As　a　singles　man；　his　technique　brought　a　tear　to　the　eye　of　many　a　seasoned　player。　Scorning　the　beloved　treble　twenty；　he　went　instead　for　bizarre　binations　which　generally　had　the　chalksman　in　a　panic　of　fingers　and　thumbs。　On　a　good　night　with　luck　at　his　elbow　he　could　tear　away　an　apparent　two　hundred　in　three　throws。　Even　when　chalked　up；　this　still　had　his　opponents　believing　that　he　had　thrown　his　shots　away。　Tonight　he　threw　a　stunning　bination　which　had　the　appearance　of　being　a　treble　nineteen；　a　double　thirteen　and　a　bull's　eye；　although　it　was　hard　to　be　certain。
　The　degree　of　mental　arithmetic　involved　in　puting　the　final　total　was　well　beyond　the　man　on　the　chalks　and　most　of　the　patrons　present。　When　the　five　hundred　and　one　was　scratched　out　and　two　hundred　and　fifty…seven　appeared　in　its　place　nobody　thought　to　argue。
　'I　admire　that；'　said　Professor　Slobe。　'It　is　a　form　of　negative　psychology。　I　will　swear　that　if　the　score　does　not　e　up　in　multiples　of　twenty；　nobody　can　work　it　out。'
　'I　can；'　said　Omally；　'but　he　is　on　our　side。'
　'I　can't；'　said　Pooley。　'He　pulls　his　darts　out　so　quickly　I　couldn't　even　see　what　he　scored。'
　'Ah；'　said　Omally；　'here　is　a　man　I　like　to　watch。'
　The　Four　Horsemen's　most　extraordinary　player　had　to　be　the　man　Kelly。　He　was　by　no　means　a　great　dartsman；　but　for　sheer　entertainment　value　he　stood　alone。　It　must　be　understood　that　the　wondrous　scores　previously　recorded　are　not　entirely　typical　of　the　play　as　a　whole；　and　that　not　each　member　of　the　team　was　a　specialist　in　his　field。　The　high　and　impossible　scores　were　the　preserve　of　the　very　few　and　finest。　Amongst　each　team；　the　Swan　and　the　Horsemen　being　no　exception；　there　were　also　able　players；　hard　triers；　and　what　might　be　accurately　described　as　the　downright　desperate。
　The　man　Kelly　was　one　of　the　latter。　When　he　flung　a　dart　it　was　very　much　a　case　of　stand　aside　lads；　and　women　and　children　first。　The　man　Kelly　was　more　a　fast　bowler　than　a　darts　player。
　The　man　Kelly　bowled　a　first　dart。　It　wasn't　a　bad　one　and　it　plunged　wholeheartedly　in　the　general　direction　of　the　board。　Somewhere；　however；　during　the　course　of　its　journey　the　lone　projectile　suddenly　remembered　that　it　had　pressing　business　elsewhere。　The　man　Kelly's　dart　was　never　seen　again。
　'A　little　off　centre？'　the　player　asked　his　fuming　and　speechless　captain。
　His　second　throw　was　a　classic　in　every　sense　of　the　word。　Glancing　off　the　board　with　the　sound　of　a　ricocheting　rule　bullet　it　tore　back　into　the　assembled　crowd；　scattering　friend　and　foe　alike　and　striking　home　through　the　lobe　of　Old　Pete's　right　ear。
　The　crowd　engulfed　the　ancient　to　offer　assistance。　'Don't　touch　it；'　bellowed　the　old　one。　'By　God；　it　has　pletely　cured　the　rheumatism　in　my　left　kneecap。'
　Lombard　Omega　scrutinized　the　instrument　panel　and　swore　between　his　teeth。　'I　can't　see　this；'　he　said　at　length。　'This　does　not　make　any　fucking　sense。　I　mean；　be　reasonable；　our　good　world　Ceres　cannot　just　vanish　away　like　piss　down　a　cesspit　in　the　twinkling　of　a　bleeding　eyelid。'
　The　navigator　whispered　a　silent　prayer　to　his　chosen　deity。　It　was　an　honour　to　serve　upon　the　flagship　of　the　Cerean　battle　fleet；　but　it　was　a　hard　thing　indeed　to　suffer　the　constant　stream　of　obscenity　which　poured　from　his　mander's　mouth。　'We　have　been　away　for　a　very　long　time；'　he　ventured。　'More　than　six　thousand　years；　Earth　time。'
　'Earth　time？　Earth　bleeding　time？　What　is　Earth　time？'
　'Well；　as　target　world；　it　must　be　considered　to　be　standard　solar　time。'
　Lombard　Omega　spat　on　the　platinum…coated　deck　and　ground　the　spittle　in　with　a　fibreglass　heel。　'This　doesn't　half　get　my　dander　up；'　said　he。
　Standard　solar　time　was　approaching　ten…fifteen　of　the　p。m。　clock；　and　the　Four　Horsemen　and　the　Flying　Swan　now　stood　even　at　two　games　all　and　one　to　play　for　the　Shield。　Tension；　which　had　been　reaching　the　proverbial　breaking…point；　had　now　passed　far　beyond　that；　and　chaos；　panic；　and　desperation　had　taken　its　place。　Omally　had　ground　seven　Biros　into　oblivion　and　his　book　now　resembled　some　nightmare　of　Einsteinian　cross…calculation。　'I　sincerely　believe　that　the　ultimate　secret