rr.eastofealing-第26部分

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　'That　Babylon　was　in　Chiswick。'
　'Yes；　but　more　importantly；　that　the　Garden　of　Eden　was　planted　right　here。　Upon　the　very　spot　now　enclosed　within　the　Brentford　Triangle。'
　'Madness；'　said　Omally；　'nothing　more；　nothing　less。'
　'Not　a　bit　of　it。　He　showed　me　all　the　reorientated　maps。　All　the　events　chronicled　in　the　Bible　took　place　right　here　in　England。'
　'And　Christ？'
　'And　did　those　feet　in　ancient　times？　Liverpool　born；　crucified　in　Edinburgh。'
　'Blasphemy；'　said　Omally；　'heresy　also。'
　'It　is　as　true　as　I　am　sitting　here。'　Soap　crossed　his　heart　with　a　wet　finger。　'All　the　stories　in　the　Bible　are　based　upon　more　ancient　texts　than　scholars　suppose。　The　events　took　place　in　a　more　northerly　clime。　They　were　transferred　to　their　present　incorrect　locations　upon　far　later　translations　of　the　Holy　Word。　The　dates　are　thousands　of　years　out。　It　all　happened　right　here；　and；　for　that　matter；　it　is　still　happening。　I　would　have　thought　that　matters　above　make　that　patently　obvious。'
　'Blessed　Mary；'　said　John　Omally。
　'Born　in　Penge。'
　'Where　else？'
　'Makes　you　think；　though；'　said　Pooley；　freshening　his　glass。　'After　all；　we　all　knew　that　Brentford　was　the　hub　of　the　universe。　This　simply　confirms　it。'
　'Exactly；'　said　Soap。　'And　we　have　always　known　that　God　is　an　Englishman。'
　'Steady　on；'　said　John　Omally。　'I　will　swallow　a　lot　but　never　that。　British　at　a　pinch。　But　English？　Never。'
　'Ipso　facto；'　said　Soap；　'or　something　like。'
　'I　will　need　to　give　this　matter　a　considerable　amount　of　intense　thought；'　said　John　Omally；　'which　I　believe　might　necessitate　the　consumption　of　a　litre　or　two　more　of　your　claret　to　aid　cogitation。'　'Cogitate　on　me；'　said　Soap　Distant；　drawing　out　race　of　flagons　from　beneath　his　chair。　'You　are　a　gentleman；　sir。'
　
　25
　Norman　had　the　door　of　his　shop　well…barred。　Trade　had　fallen　off　to　such　an　alarming　degree　that；　but　for　serving　Old　Pete　with　his　newspaper　and　tobacco；　there　seemed　no　point　whatever　in　opening。　Absolute　panic；　and　the　fear　of　his　duplicate's　return；　or　possibly　the　arrival　of　something　far　worse；　had　prompted　him　this　day；　upon　the　ancient's　departure；　to　barricade　the　premises　against　the　outside　world。　The　counters　now　stood　across　the　front　door；　with　what　few　items　still　remained　stacked　upon　them。　Viewing　the　hole　in　his　ceiling；　Norman　considered　these　moves　to　be　little　more　than　token　opposition。　But　even　token　opposition　was　surely　better　than　no　opposition　at　all。　'Many　hands　make　light　work；'　said　the　shopkeeper；　irrelevantly　recalling　a　faith…healing　session　he　had　once　attended；　where　a　defunct　fuse　box　which　had　thrown　the　place　into　darkness；　had　been　miraculously　restored　to　life。
　Norman　tottered　over　the　newly…laid　linoleum；　wielding　his　screwdriver　Excalibur…fashion。　He　entered　the　kitchenette。　There　wasn't　a　lot　of　room　in　there　at　present。　The　object　of　his　most　recent；　all…consuming　attention　occupied　more　than　a　little　floor　space。
　Norman's　time　machine　was　a　big　filler！
　There　was　very　much　of　the　electric　chair　evident　in　the　overall　design　of　the　thing。　But　also　a　good　deal　of　NASA's　mission　control　and　a　fair　degree　of　Captain　Nemo's　Nautilus。　A　soup？on　of　the　pumping　station　at　Kew　and　Doctor　F's　laboratory　pleted　the　picture。　The　thing　bristled　with　the　banks　of　twinkling　lights　Norman　always　felt　were　so　essential　to　lend　the　necessary　atmosphere　to　such　a　project。　Above　the　driving　seat；　mandeered　from　his　Morris　Minor；　a　slim　brass　wheel　turned　at　precisely　twenty…six　revolutions　per　minute。　From　the　axle…rods；　wires　trailed　to　every　pass　point　like　the　ribbons　of　an　eccentric　electronic　maypole；　enshrouding　the　entire　contraption；　which　rested　upon　a　kind　of　Father　Christmas　sleigh。
　'Now　then。'　Norman　consulted　a　ludicrous　wiring　diagram　scrawled　on　to　the　back　of　a　puter　stock　control　print…out。　It　was　all　something　to　do　with　E　equalling　MC2；　the　parallax　theory；　whatever　that　might　be；　and　the　triangulations　of　Pythagorus。　Oh　yes；　and　the　space…time　continuum；　not　that　that　even　bore　thinking　about。
　Norman　shook　his　head　at　the　wonder　of　it　all。　Scientists　always　did　tend　to　over…plicate　the　issues。　Professional　pride；　he　supposed。　To　him　science　was；　and　always　had　been；　a　pretty　straightforward　affair；　which　required　only　the　minimum　of　writing　down。　Once　you'd　nicked　the　idea；　this　time　from　HG　Wells；　you　simply　went　down　to　Kay's　Electrical　in　the　High　Street　and　purchased　all　the　ponent　parts。　What　you　couldn't　buy　you　hobbled　up　out　of　defunct　wirelesses　and　what　was　left　of　the
　Meccano　set。　Scientists　always　made　such　a　big　deal　out　of　things　and　did　it　all　arse　about　face。　Norman　was　the　happy　exception　to　this　rule。
　Brentford　seemed　to　be　in　a　bit　of　schtuck　at　the　present；　but　the　shopkeeper　considered　that　once　he　had　the　machine　on　the　go　he　would　at　least　be　able　to　set　matters　straight　once　and　for　all。　He　always　liked　to　think　that　he　was　helping　out；　and　seeing　as　how　nobody　had　cared　to　put　him　in　the　picture　he　meant　to　go　it　alone。　Not　being　at　all　silly　he　had　tracked　down　the　root　cause　of　the　Parish's　ills　to　the　dreaded　Lateinos　and　Romiith　concern；　and　it　seemed　but　a　simple　thing　to　him　to　slip　back　into　the　past　and　make　a　few　subtle　changes。　Like　murdering　the　bastards　where　they　slept　in　their　cribs　for　a　first　off。　Then　bending　the　council　records　so　he　got　that　planning　permission　to　do　his　loft　conversion。　And　he　had　always　wanted　to　shake　the　hand　of　that　editor　of　the　Brentford　Mercury　who　had　run　off　with　his　wife。　There　was　quite　a　lot　you　could　achieve　once　you'd　got　time　travel　licked。
　Norman　had　definitely　decided　to　travel　backwards　first；　the　future　looked　anything　but　rosy。　He　dived　forward　with　his　screwdriver　into　an　impenetrable…looking　network　of　wires　and　fuse　boxes　and　twiddled　about　here　and　there。　The　strains　of　the　Rolling　Stones'　legendary　position　'Time　Is　On　My　Side'　sprang　almost　unconsciously　to　his　lips。　The　whole　concept　of　the　enterprise　pleased　Norman　with　its　every　single　detail。　There　was　the　sheer　naked　thrill　of　hurtling　into　the　unknown；　allied　with　the　potential　power　a　man　might　wield　once　able　to　traverse　the　fields　of　time。　Also；　and　by　no　means　the　smallest　part　of　it；　was　the　infinite　variety　of　puns　and　proverbs　that　could　be　drawn　from　the　word　'time'。　Such　things　must　never　be　overlooked。　'Time；　gentlemen；　please；'　said　Norman；　tittering　loudly　to　himself。　He　flicked　a　random　selection　of　likely…looking　switches　in　the　hope　that　he　might　get　some　clue　as　to　why　he　had　fitted　them。　One　brought　his　old　Bush　Radiogram　bucketing　into　life；　'It's　time　for　old　time；'　sang　a　disembodied　voice。　Norman　creased　up。　He　was　having　the　time　of　his　life。
　The　shopkeeper　straightened　his　back　and　scratched　at　his　head　with　the　end　of　his　screwdriver。　It　did　all　look　about　finished　really。　He　could　always　tighten　up　the　odd　bolt；　or　give　the　gleaming　brasswork　another　polish；　but　apart　from　these　niceties　it　looked　very　much　plete。　'And　not　before　time；'　chuckled　Norman；　making　nudging　notions　towards　an　imaginary　panion。
　The　sounds　of　sharp　tapping　suddenly　drew　his　attention。　Someone；　or　something；　was　knocking　upon　the　barricaded　shop…door。　An　icy　hand　clutched　at　the　shopkeeper's　heart。　Of　course；　it　could　be　just　a　customer　anxious　to　pay　his　newspaper　bill？　Well；　it　could　be。
　The　Lateinos　and　Romiith　puter　scan　monitored　Norman's　infra…red　image　as　it　dithered　about　in　the　crowded　kitchenette。　The　sensors　gauged　the　increase　in　his　pulse　rate　and　analysed　the　sweat　particles　which　broke　out　on　his　forehead。　It　also　relayed　this　information　instantly　to　the　shopkeeper's　mirror　image；　which　was　even　now　rapping　left…handedly　upon　the　door。　A　cruel　smile　appeared　upon　the　duplicate's　face　as　it　turned　and　strode　purposefully　away；　bound　for　the　backyard　wall。
　Norman　gnawed　upon　his　knuckles。　Now　would　certainly　seem　like　an　ideal　time　for　a　bit　of　a　test　run。　He　climbed　rapidly　into　the　driving　seat　and　fastened　his　safety　belt；　as　he　had　no　way　of　telling　exactly　which　way　up　time　was　when　you　travelled　through　it　he　did　not　wish　to　fall　out。　Carefully；　he　swung　a　pair　of　great　calliper　arms；　heavily…burdened　with　switch…boxes　and　levers；　about　him；　and；　turning　the　ignition　key；　put　the　machine　into　reverse。　Lights　pulsed　and　flashed；　and　the　great　brazen　wheel　tumbled　on　above　him；　a　ring　of　sparks　encircled　the　machine　in　a　twinkling　halo。　The　sudden　crash　of　brickwork　informed　the　aspiring　time　traveller　that　an　unwele　visitor　had　just　entered　his　backyard。　The　buzzing　and　hammering　of　the　mechanism　increased　at　a　goodly　rate；　but　to　Norman's　dismay　he　did　not　appear　to　be　going　anywhere；　either　backwards；　or　forwards；　or　even　upside　down。　'Get　a　move　on；'　shouted　the　distraught　shopkeeper；　thumbing　switches　and　squinting　up　at　the　kitchen　clock　in　the　hope　of　a　fluctuation。　The　machine　shook　and　shivered。　The　lights　flashed　and　the　engine　roared。　The　sounds　of　splintering　woodwork　as　the　kitchen　door　parted　pany　with　its　hinges　were　swallowed　up　in　the　cacophony。
　Norman's　fearsome　replica　stood　in　the　doorway　clearing　its　throat　and　rubbing　its　hands　together。
　Norman　flung　levers　in　all　directions　and　waggled　the　joystick。　The　creature　stalked　towards　him　wearing　a　most　unpleasant　expression。　It　reached　down　slowly　and　grasped　one　of　the　runners；　meaning　to　up…end　the　whole　caboodle。　Norman　cowered　back　in　his　seat；　kicking　at　any　levers　which　lay　beyond　his　reach。　The　creature　strained　at　the　runner　but　the　thing　would　not　shift。　Norman　stared　up　at　the　great　wheel　spinning　above；　its　gyroscopic　effect　was　such　that　the　machine　could　not　possibly　be　overturned。　The　robot；　being　Norman　to　its　finger　ends；　twigged　this　almost　instantaneously；　and　abandoned　this　futile　pursuit　to　deal　with　matters　more　directly。　Its　hands　stretched　towards　Norman's　throat。　The　wee　lad　shrank　away；　burbling　for　mercy。　The　demon　double　clawed　towards　him；　its　eyes　blazing　hatred；　and　its　lips　drawn　back　from　gnashing；　grinding　teeth；　the　talons　were　an　inch　from　Norman's　throat。　Norman　unceremoniously　wet　himself。　Not　the　wisest　thing　to　do　when　surrounded　by　so　much　unearthed　electrical　apparatus。
　'Oooooooooooh！'　Norman's　voi