fruitcake special camb l4 1900

8/12/2019 Fruitcake Special CAMB L4 1900

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THE FRUTITCAKE SPECIAL.

I never thought I would discover something quite so a mazing by accident.

I was a chemist at the Amos cosmetics factory in New Jersey, USA, trying to

design a new erfume when it haened.

! was trying out all the usual mi" of flowers and things # $ust li%e I always did #

when I decided to throw in a iece nl the fruitca%e &omma had ac%ed for my

lunch. I don't ( now why I did it # I $ust did.I ut it into the mi" with all the other things. )efore long, I had a little bottle of

erfume made from the things I had mi"ed together. I ut some on the bac% of my

hand. I thought it smelled nice, but there was nothing secial about it, so I ut

the bottle into my handbag. I couldn't give something li%e that to my boss.

After all, I am a chemist and my $ob is to ma%e erfumes in a roer way. If I told

him how I made this one he would tell me not to be a silly girl. *ater, he would

robably ma%e a $o%e about it to his friends at the golf club.

+hat's the %ind of man my boss was.

'Anna'

It was my boss, -avid Amos, the owner of Amos osmetics. /e haened to

be wal%ing ast where I wor%ed. /e never usually so%e to eole li%e me.

0hat did he want1 I felt nervous.

'2es, &r Amos.' I said.

'2ou're loo%ing terrific today &mm . . . what's that lovely smell1 It's li%e freshbread and flowers and sunshine all mi"ed together with . . . I don' t %now 3 is it

you, Anna1'

I didn't %now what he was tal%ing about. I couldn't smell anything secial.

&r Amos had an e"ert nose for erfumes. And he %new it.

'2es, it is you' he said loudly. All the other chemists nearby could hear. It was

embarrassing.

I had never heard my boss sea% to3me li%e that before. 4r to anybody else, come

to thin% of it. -avid Amos is a dar%, handsome 5nglish guy who would never

dream of saying nice things to referred to be with retty young models who

li%ed his aearance and his money. 0hen he did sea% to the chemists he was

usually comlaining about something. 0as he laying some %ind of $o%e today1

Suddenly he came over right ne"t to me. /e so%e in a quiet voice close to my ear.

'2ou %now, Anna, I've never really noticed it before 3 I can't thin% why 3 but you

really are a beautiful woman'

'&r Amos. I . . .' I tried to answer but I didn't %now what to say.

'No, it's true, Anna,' he said. 'I must see you outside this dull factory. 0ill youhave dinner with me tonight1'

'0ell, I. . .'I was still too surrised to sea% roerly.

'+hat's great I'll ic% you u at your lace tonight at eight. See you then,' he said.

/e was gone before I could say anything.

As I went home on the bus I thought of the strange situation I was in. &y boss,

who was famous for going out with beautiful women, had told me I was beautiful

and had as%ed me out )ut I %now I am $ust ordinary loo%ing and not his usualtye at all. 0hen I got home my &omma was in the sitting room tal%ing to my

Aunt &imi.

Aunt &imi. I li%e my Aunt &imi, but she simly can't mind her own business.

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She has wanted me to find a husband for ages. She didn't li%e the thought of me

being single and having a career. She thought it wasn't natural for a twenty3seven3

year3old woman li%e me not to be married. Aunt &imi thought that the least she

could do for me was i 6 find me a husband. I was used to this by now, but it was

srill embarrassing.

Aunt &imi 3 how nice to see you,' I saidordinary loo%ing girls li%e me. /e

Aunt &imi loo%ed at me and smiled. 'Anna, my lin%! girl , . . but loo% at

you7 you're not a little girl any more, you're a twenty3three3year3old womanalready /ow time flies

'Actually, I'm twenty3seven, Aunt &imi,i said. Slit3 always got my age wrong.

'So soon1 And you're noc married yet1 2our mather was married when she was

eighteen. 5ighteen And you were born when she was nineteen' Aunt &imi

loo%ed sac as she said this.

She decided to say what she thought at once 3 as she always did.

'So when are you going bring a nice boy home1' she as%ed, loo%ing me right

in the eye.

'+here was that boy Armstrong you saw two years ago. /e was nice,' said

&omma, trying to hel me.

'&omma, Armstrong was the izza delivery man,' I tried to e"lain, but

&omma never did listen.

'Armstrong was here a few times. I li%ed him,' said &omma.

'&omma,' I said, 'that was when the coo%er bro%e down 3 remember1 0e ate

izzas for almost a wee% until it was fi"ed. Armstrong $ust delivered die

izzas.'

'I don't care,' said &omma. 'I li%ed h im 3 he had nice eyes.'Aunt &imi raised her eyes in surrise.

'2ou mean to say you let this Armstrong boy go1 said

Aunt &imi.

')ut he was only the izza delivery man,' I said, wea%ly.

'+hen he was. )y now he robably owns the comany' said Aunt &imi,

'And you let him go Anna'

It was no use arguing. I %new they were not going to listen to me. So I changed

the sub$ect.

'+hat fruitca%e was nice, &omma,' I said.

'Aunt &imi brought it,' said &omma. ')ut don't change the sub$ect 3 your aunt has

something to say to you.'

4h no She's trying to find a husband for me again

Aunt &imi began, 'I've found the erfect boy for you, Anna. 0ell . . . he's not

e"actly young, but neither are you any more . . . and he's still got his own hair. . .'

I decided I had to ut a sto to this 3 I didn't want to meet Aunt &imi's 'boy'

even if he did have his own hair.

'+han%s, Aunt &imi,' I said. ')ut I'm already seeing someone tonight.'I hadn't meant to tell them but I had to do something to sto Aunt &imi. It

certainly surrised them. +hey both loo%ed at me with their eyes and mouths wide

oen li%e a coule of fish.

'2es,' ! went on. 'I'm going out with my boss, &r Amos. /e's ic%ing me u at

eight.'

+hat certainly surrised them

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&omma and Aunt &imi were very leased, of course. +hey went off together to

lan the wedding and left me to get ready for the man they hoed would be my

future husband. I was beginning to wish I hadn't told them. After all, I had no idea

why my boss had behaved towards me in that way. /e had never even noticed me

before now. /owever, he had noticed the erfume I had been wearing. *ately I

had been wearing a erfume calledIntrigue. It was

made by another comany and I actually referred it to the erfumes we made. &r

Amos did have a very good nose for erfumes. 8erhas Intrigue was so good he$ust couldn't sto himself. 0ho %nows1

Anyway, I had to get ready for my evening out. Although I couldn't e"lain

why &r Amos had suddenly found me attractive, I really wanted to find out. In my

own way I'm as bad as my Aunt &imi, I guess. +he funny thing was, I don't really

li%e men li%e &r Amos. )ut I wanted to find out why he had changed.

So I ut on my best blac% dress, lots and lots of Intrigue and my one air of

high3heeled shoes. +he handbag I use for wor% is the only one I've got because I

don't go out that often. I too% it. +hen I heard the doorbell ring.

&omma and Aunt &imi were at the front door before I could move. +hey wanted

to see my date. )oth of them were trying to get me to hurry u. +hey had big

smiles on their faces.

I oened the door.

'/ello, Anna.'

It was &r Amos. /e loo%ed very handsome. /owever, he was quieter than before

and was loo%ing down at the floor. I could hear &omma and Aunt &imi behind

me. I could tell they li%ed him. It was embarrassing.

'/ello, &r Amos,' I said.I was e"ecting him to say something friendly, li%e 'all me -avid' or something.

)ut he didn't.3

I managed to get him away from my &omma and Aunt &imi without too much

trouble. I guess they thought we

should be alone together if they had any hoe of hearing wedding bells in the

future.

/e hardly said anything in his car, either, aart from olite conversation about

how nice I loo%ed. I could tell he didn't mean it. &en have a way of calling you

'nice' when they really mean they don't care how you loo%.

Anyway, he drove me to an e"ensive 9rench restaurant where we sent some

time having drin%s and ordering food. All the conversation was of the olite

%ind, but I could tell he was getting ready to say something. +hen he turned to me

with a serious loo% on his face and so%e.

'*oo% Anna . . .' he began.

I %new it /e'd changed his mind and was trying to thin% of some e"cuse to get

out of our evening together.

'. . . about today, at the factory,' he continued. 'I don't %now why I behaved li%ethat.'

'I thought it was because you found me attractive, &r Amos. And because you

li%ed my erfume,' I said, wondering why the Intrigue I was wearing didn't seem

to be having any effect on him. )ut it was obvious he hadn't been listening to

me.

'2ou see, Anna,' he said, 'if we can see this as . . . as. . .'

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'As what, &r Amos1' I as%ed.

/e suddenly ut on a smile. As a reward for all your hard wor% at the factory.

After all, you are one of our best chemists. It's the least I can do to show how much

I value your efforts. /ave this meal on me I'll ay for it'

If the meal had been there it would really have been on him 3 I would have thrown

it at him So he had changed his mind and now wanted to get rid of me. I didn't

believe

for one moment that this meal was a rize for being a good little chemist. I neededto be on my own to thin% what to do.

'5"cuse me for a moment, &r Amos,' I said, getting u from my seat.

'4f course,' he answered, loo%ing less nervous than before.

I went to the ladies' room. I felt li%e brea%ing the furniture or something. I was

annoyed I had my ride, after all And why hadn't myIntrigue wor%ed1 8erhas

I hadn't ut enough on, even for his e"ert nose. I decided to ut a lot more on.

8erhas that would wor%. I loo%ed in my handbag 3 it wasn't there All that I

could find was that bottle with the fruitca%e in it that I had made at the

factory. I didn't care, I ut it on. I used u half of the bottle. +hen I went

outside again.

As I was wal%ing bac% to the table I almost ran into the waiter who had served us.

/e stoed and loo%ed at me with a stuid loo% on his face. +hen he

remembered he had a $ob to do, wal%ed on and %noc%ed down a table with some

ca%es on it.

0hen I finally reached the table, &r Amos was loo%ing embarrassed, as if he

didn't want to be seen with me. I could see he was trying to hide it but he couldn't.

Suddenly a strange thing haened7 he oened his mouth, as if he was going tosea%, then stoed. /e had smelled the erfume # the fruitca%e secial # that I

was wearing, and the change that came over him was immediate. /is loo% of

embarrassment $ust disaeared. Instead, he loo%ed li%e a dog who had $ust found

a bone: his eyes shone and he

smiled until I thought his face would brea% in two. /e stood u.

'At last you're bac% 3 I missed you, Anna,' he said. 'I've been in a terrible dream

and I've $ust wo%en u.'

'A dream, &r Amos1' I as%ed. I didn't understand what he was tal%ing about.

'all me -avid, darling . . . ; he said.

Darling? 0hat did he mean1 0hat was haening1

'2es . . .' he continued. 'I dreamt that I was being awful i6 you, treating you as if

you were $ust someone who wor%ed for me. +he truth is that you mean so much

more than that to me . . .'

I wondered what he meant. 0as he going to raise my ay1

/e went on. '2ou must realise that I'm crazy about you, darling.'

/e was calling me darling again. /e was being serious.

I have to say that at this oint I was feeling very confused. 9ive minutes agomy boss didn't want to be seen with me. Now he was saying he was crazy about me

0hat could be ma%ing him behave li%e this1 +hen, all at once, I realised7 it was the

fruitca%e secial Intrigue might smell great, but it didn't ma%e a girl attractive to

men. )ut my fruitca%e erfume did.

'I feel my heart growing with love for you, Anna,' said &r Amos. /e was loo%ing

at my body through the blac% dress.

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Just then a waitress came to the table. She told me that I had a telehone call and

as%ed me to answer it in the lounge.

I wondered what it was about.

'5"cuse me, -avid 3 I won't be long,' I said.

'A minute is a long time when you're gone, Anna,' he said. /is words were li%e

conversation from a bad movie. )ut I %et quiet about it # he was my boss, after

all, even if he had gone crazy.

0hen I got to the lounge I too% the hone. I noticed someone waving their armsat me from another hone across the large room. I could see it was that waiter

again 3there were bits of ca%e all over his trousers.

Now what could he want1

I soon found out.

'&iss . . .'h is voice was e"cited at the other end of the line. '. . . I %now I am only

a oor waiter but love ma%es me brave . . .'

0hy did everybody sound li%e bad movies tonight1

'0hen I saw you $ust now,' said the waiter, 'I couldn't sto myself from falling in

love with you. 2ou are so beautiful. 8lease tell me you will see me . . . I %now I

can offer you more than that rich fool you're sitting with. I may not have his money

or his loo%s, but I love you far more than he ever could. 8lease be mine'

'0ait a minute,


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)ut at that moment our waiter made another

aearance. /e was laying a guitar and singing '4 Sole, &io ' to me at the to

of his voice. 0ell, he did say he wouldn't talk loudly 3 I didn't say anything

aboutsinging loudly. I must remember ne"t time.

As for Sabina, she didn't %now whether to laugh or cry at the sight of two men

both saying how much they loved me at the same time # and whileshe was there.

So she hit -avid in the face.

+he waiter sang even louder than before. -avid hit him on the chin. As Imoved away from the table, a fight develoed between Sabina, -avid, the singing

waiter and several more waiters who were trying to calm things down.

Soon the lace was a loud, confused mess of ca%e, ieces of lobster, ools of

wine and bits of bro%en guitar.

+ime to go, I thought.

I ran downsta irs and caught a ta"i home. +han% goodness the ta"i driver was

a woman

0hen I got home, Aunt &imi had gone and &omma was aslee 3 she never

could stay awa%e when she was e"cited. I had some quiet moments to thin%

about what had haened. 0hy had my erfume had such an effect on men

who would not normally ta%e any notice of me1 Nothing had been ut in that

was any different. Nothing, that is, e"cet Aunt &imi's fruitca%e.

0hat a fruitca%e

+hen I had a thought. 0hat if I, as a chemist, could find out what it was in that

fruitca%e that caused men to go

mad with love1 8eole would ay a lot to %now a thing li%e that. I could ma%e a lot

of money +here was no reason, come to thin% of it, why I should let Amososmetics %now about it. After all, it wasn't their fruitca%e. )ut I couldn't do a

thing unless I %new what was in the ca%e 3and only Aunt &imi %new that.

I decided to miss wor% the ne"t day # I would say I had a cold or something. I

also wanted to avoid -avid Amos who might still be affected by the fruitca%e

secial, or the fight that had followed.

Aunt &imi lived in a nice little aartment on the other side of town. I had

gone out before &omma got u. I didn't want to be questioned about my 'new

young man'. It too% an hour to get there on the bus.

0hen at last I arrived Aunt &imi gave me a warm welcome. Soon we were

sitting in her %itchen, tal%ing about this and that. 0e both %new what Aunt &imi

was going to as% me about in the end, so neither of us minded tal%ing about other

things first. Aunt &imi was good comany when she wasn't tal%ing about

husbands.

I mentioned the fruitca%e.

Anna,' said Aunt &imi, 'I've %nown you since you were born and you've never

ba%ed a ca%e in your life. Now you want to %now how to ba%e a fruitca%e. 0hat's

going on1''Nothing, Aunt &imi, I $ust thought the ca%e was delicious and wondered if I

could ba%e one too. +here's no harm in that, is there1' 4f course, I was lying. 0e

both %new it.

'So,' Aunt &imi said. '+his new man of yours 3 he wants you to ba%e him a

ca%e. 0ho does he thin% you are, his mother1 Just what were you two doing last

night, having a coo%ery class1'

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'4h, lease, Aunt &imi,' I begged. 'I really need to %now. I romise that as

soon as you tell me I'll tell you everything about last night.'

Aunt &imi was interested. 'Everything?'

'5verything,' I said. 'No secrets.'

Aunt &imi smiled. '0ell, my dear, I hate to tell you this but I didn't ma%e the

ca%e. I bought it.'

'2ou bought it1' I said, unable to hide the surrise in my voice. 'Where did you

buy it1''9rom a little lace in the mar%et, the oen3air one that ta%es lace twice a wee%

in the ar%. +here's an old lady there who said she used to ba%e them for her

husbands. She had seven of them, would you believe1 And they all ate her

fruitca%es.'

Somehow I wasn't surrised that she had had seven husbands. Not with those

fruitca%es.

'-id she say what she ut in them1' I as%ed, hoefully.

'4nly that she ut in a ;secial something; that she grew herself,' said Aunt

&imi. 'She wouldn't say what. She told me that she only ba%ed that %ind of ca%e a

few times. As a matter of fact, she %new that I was thin%ing about finding a

husband for you. I don't %now how she %new but she did.

Anyway, this woman who made the ca%e told me to give it to you and your

roblems would be over. I didn't believe what she said, but I used to buy the

fruitca%es because they were delicious.'

I noticed that Aunt &imi was tal%ing about this old lady as if she wasn't around

any more. I feared the worst. 0as she dead1

'an we see this old lady to as% her about it1' I as%ed.Aunt &imi loo%ed at me sadly. 'I'm afraid she died last wee% 3 I went to her

funeral. +hey say she was over a hundred years old. +here were a lot of strangers

there, not from around here, all sea%ing in some %ind of strange way. +hey

seemed to thin% she was imortant, though nobody ever too% much notice of her

around here.'

'5"cet you, Aunt &imi,' I said.

Aunt &imi smiled. '0ell, you %now how I can't mind my own business.'

I %new.

'Sea%ing of which,' she said, moving closer to me, 'it's your turn.'

'&y turn1' I as%ed.

'+o tell me everything that haened last night,' she said.

And so I did. 5verything, $ust as I had romised. I don't %now whether Aunt

&imi believed me or not, but if she didn't she never let it show.

She's not a bad old lady, my Aunt &imi. Not when you get to %now her.

I n the end I had two days off wor%. I said I'd been sic% and in a way I was7 I

wouldn't feel well until I %new the truth about the fruitca%e. I %new that there was

little chance of discovering what actually went into it. I would have to wor% it

out from the small amount I had left in the bottle. I had used u more than I

thought the other night.

)ut I was not sure that I wanted to ma%e my fortune

from the old woman's secret. 8erhas it was only right that the secret should lieburied with her.

+hen again, erhas not.

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Sabina, of course, would now en$oy all the e"tra attention she would get

from strange men, than%s to the fruitca%e secial. I'm not sure that &r -avid

Amos would en$oy the cometition, though.

It haened sometime later, shortly after I had begun to wor% at the factory

where they madeIntrigue. I was trying to ma%e a fruitca%e =I mean you never

%now> when &omma and I heard a %noc% at the door.

'&omma,' I said, 'if it's Aunt &imi with news of another ;erfect boy; for

me, tell her I'm not interested.''It's not Aunt &imi, dear,' said &omma.

'0ho is it1' I as%ed.

'I thin% you'd better come see for yourself,' &omma said.

I went to the front door. It was Armstrong, the izza delivery man. /e was

holding u a izza bo" which had 'Armstrong's 8eachy 8izzas' in big letters on the

front.

Armstrong now owned the izza comany.

/e e"lained that he'd fallen in love with me when he first delivered izza to

us, but he wanted to be a success before as%ing me out. /e said I deserved no less.

+hen he gave me some flowers. I never really noticed before, but Armstrong is quite

good loo%ing7 a bit short maybe, a little thin on to 3 but nobody's erfect.

'&omma, get the man a drin%,' I said, en$oying his smile.

And the smell of fruitca%e went ast us and out the door.

THE REAL AUNT MOLLI.

&y Aunt &olly is the %indest, sweetest erson on earth. She may not be the

cleverest woman in the world, but I love her a lot. /owever, a strange thing

haened to Aunt &olly and now we don't %now what to do.

It all started when her husband, Uncle -alton, died. 0ell, I called him Uncle

-alton but she always called him '-ally'. /e was my mother's only brother. Aunt

&olly really loved him, we all %new that.

*ife had been quite difficult for Aunt &olly when she was a child. She was

oor and her arents had died early on. She was left to loo% after herself. She had

never learned to read roerly and left school at an early age. )ut she was always

cheerful and honest and never comlained about the hard wor% she did to earn her

living. She wor%ed as a cleaner wherever there was wor% to do. She li%ed cleaning

because she didn't have to ma%e any difficult decisions. Aunt &olly didn't li%e

ma%ing decisions. 8erhas she wasn't used to it. I don't %now. )ut everybody li%ed

her and she was never out of wor%.

She met Uncle -alton when she was wor%ing as a cleaner at the bus station.

/e was a bus driver and it was when he had $ust finished for the day that he first

saw her cleaning the station office. /e fell in love with her as soon as he saw her. Itwas the same for Aunt &olly. As soon as their eyes met it was love for both of

them. /e soon grew to love her gentleness and she loved his %ind heart and

willingness to ma%e decisions.

+hey got married two wee%s later.

A year after that she gave birth to twin boys. +hey were my cousins and their

names were 0inston and lement. I was born in the same year two months later. I

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was called


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'2ou must be the only erson in the country who hasn't,'

said lement. '&a"well &arvel is an e"ert hynotist # he gives eole suggestions

and orders after he has made them go to slee. 0hen they wa%e u they do all %inds

of funny things. +hen, at an order from &a"well &arvel, they go to slee again.

0hen they wa%e u again, they can't remember a thing about it.'

?randa laughed. 'I've had a few evenings li%e that myself.' ?ran loo%ed at

him. '5r . . . when I was much younger, of course,' he added quic%ly.

'&um would really li%e to see that show 3 I $ust %now it,' said 0inston.'2es, but how do we get your &um on a television show1 0on't it be e"ensive1

/ow will we get the money1' I as%ed.

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were told to do 5ven the quiet loo%ing ones were ersuaded to do things that

loo%ed comletely different from their usual behaviour.

+hen, at a word or sign from &a"well, they became themselves again and

couldn't remember anything about what they had done. Some of them didn't even

believe that they had been hynotised at all and would only believe &a"well afterthey were shown a video of what they had been doing.

5verybody loved it. Including Aunt &olly.

+he final art of the show came when &a"well as%ed for a last erson to come

forward.

'/ere' shouted 0ins ton. /e was ointing at his mother.

'0inston 0hat are you doing1' she said. 'I can't do that 3 I'd die of

embarrassment'

'4h, go on, &um. -o something different for once,' lement whisered loudly.

?randa and I were smiling. Aunt &olly smiled too.

She felt that she couldn't say no after all the trouble they had ta%en. 0hat if shedid loo% silly1 +hat wouldn't matter. Nothing mattered now but her boys.

'All right 3 I'll do it' she said.

Aunt &olly, for some reason, was an esecially easy erson to hynotise. As

she sat on a chair she 'went to slee' to the sound of &a"well's voice li%e a baby.

0e all wondered what hynotic suggestions &a"well would give her. +hen

&a"well turned to 0inston and said7 '0hat suggestions would you li%e to ma%e,

young man1 I'll tell this lovely lady to do anything that won't get her into trouble

with the olice'

+he audience laughed.

+he twins whisered to each other, then 0inston so%e. '0ell . . . &um's alwaysneeded a bit more confidence, so what could you do to ma%e her more . . .'

'Decisive said lement.

'+hat's it,' said 0inston. '&ore able to ma%e decisions and be more confident 3

let her live life to the full'

'*et's see what we can do,' said &a"well. /e first as%ed for her name and

?randa told him. +hen &a"well turned to Aunt &olly who was still fast aslee.'Now, &olly, you will answer only to my voice, do you understand1'

'I understand,' said Aunt &olly quietly, though she was still aslee.

'2ou will be a confident woman, full of strength. 0hatever you want to do,

you will succeed in doing. Nothing is too difficult for you. Is that clear to you,&olly1' said &a"well.

&olly said that it was.

'0hen I tell you to oen your eyes you will be that intelligent, confident woman:

you will live life to the full. 2ou will not remember that you have been hynotised

but you will be a new, confident woman who will live life to the full. 2ou will

continue until I 3 and only I 3 tell you to return to your normal life. Is that

understood, &olly1' said &a"well loudly and with quite aot confidence of his

own.

&olly said she understood.

'Now, &olly,' said &a"well. '4en your eyes . . .' )ut as he said this he suddenlygave a loud cry and fell at Aunt &olly's feet while holding on to his tie. /is face had

turned grey. &a"well &arvel had a heart attac% $ust as Aunt &olly was oening her

eyes.

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+he first thing she saw was &a"well &arvel lying at her feet. She turned to the

nearest erson in the audience and said, '0ell, don't $ust sit there, man +his

man has obviously had a heart attac% 3 call for a doctor and an ambulance at once.

/e needs immediate attention.'

+he man did as he was told while Aunt &olly undid &a"well's tie and ut him

in a comfortable osition. She acted as if she %new e"actly what to do. /el soon

arrived and the unconscious &a"well was ta%en away in an ambulance.

A man from the television comany so%e to the audience and e"lained that,because of &a"well &arvel's sudden and unfortunate accident, the show was at an

end. /e said he was very sorry that things had been cut short in this way.

Somebody behind us called out that it had been the best art of the show.

?randa went u to the man who had so%en to us. /e as%ed him what they

could do to get Aunt &olly bac% to normal now that &a"well &arvel wasn't here.

'2ou heard &a"well,' the man told him. '4nly his voice can undo the orders. I'm

sorry 3 you'll have to wait until &a"well can sea% to her himself.'

')ut what if. . .' as%ed ?randa, '. . . what if he doesn't get better1'

'*et's all hoe that he does,' the man said. 'It's a oular show. Anyway, the order

he gave her wasn't so bad was it1

It's not as if he told her to start acting li%e a mon%ey or something -on't worry

3 we'll get in touch.'

In the car on the way bac% home we tal%ed about what had haened that evening.

0e had all been surrised, to say the least, at the way Aunt &olly had behaved

when &a"well &arvel had had his heart attac%: she had been more in control than

anybody. It was as if she had %nown e"actly what to do.

'Nonsense,' said Aunt &olly when we ut this to her. '$ust a little commonsense. )esides, everything about his condition showed that his attac% was not a

serious one. /e should get better soon if he rests for a while and loo%s after himself

0as this Aunt &olly tal%ing1 0e could hardly believe what we were hearing.

She sounded li%e a doctor.

'/ow do you %now that, &um1' as%ed 0inston.

'I heard a radio rogramme all about loo%ing after your heart 3 it described

everything about heart conditions very clearly,' she answered.

'And when, e"actly, did you hear this1' as%ed ?randa.

'4h, ten years ago while I was cleaning the caret. 0hen -ally was alive. )less

him,' said &olly with a smile.

+he wee% that followed Aunt &olly's return home was full of surrises for all of

us. She was not the &olly we all %new. 9or a start, she soon discovered that she

could read, after all. After years of hardly loo%ing at even a newsaer,

she began to read anything she could get her hands on. At first it was chea

magazines and love stories. +hen she started on serious newsaers and


14/33


15/33


16/33

nervous. &r -imitri smiled at her with teeth that were large and white. 8erfect

teeth. /is cigar found its way bac% to his mouth. +he smo%e rose u.

'+ell me, ?ina . . . may I call you ?ina1' he as%ed.

'4f course, &r -imitri,' she answered.

&r -imitri continued. '+ell me about your latest wor%: I've heard very

interesting things about it, but I would li%e you to e"lain it clearly to a simle

man such as myself.'

?ina %new that +heodore -imitri was far from beingsimle. 2ou don't get to be the head of S)-, the biggest organisation of its %ind, if

you aren't very clever. She %new his decision could change her life.

?ina began7 'I've discovered a drug which raises intelligence.'

'/old on, ?ina' said &r imitri. '2ou mean to say you've found a way of

ma%ing eole smarter1'

'2es,' ?ina answered. 'And without any harmful side effects as far as I can tell .

'As far as you can tell1' &r -imitri said, his eyebrows raised.

'I mean,' said ?ina, 'the wor% has not been used on eole 3 I've only wor%ed

on animals. 5secially &a".'

'&a"1' as%ed &r -imitri.

'Sorry 3 &a" is a mon%ey,' ?ina e"lained.

'A mon%ey . . .' said &r -imitri but his voice sounded less friendly than it had

before.

?ina %new she had to ersuade him somehow. '&a" has done really well 3 it's

quite amazing. /e now has the intelligence of an eight3year3old human child. /e

can do many things . . .'

'2ou want money for a erforming mon%ey1' said &r -imitri. /e sounded a littleannoyed. 'I can go to any chea show to see smart mon%eys doing tric%s. And I

don't have to ay a lot of money for it, either.'

'&r -imitri,' ?ina said as she reached for her bag, 'I have a video of &a". I

thin% you should see it before you ma%e any decisions.'

'4h, you do1' /is voice was lower 3 not a good sign.

'2es,' said ?ina. 'If you would allow me. I'm sure you'll be as e"cited as I am

once you've seen it.' ?ina did not want to give u without a fight. /er future

deended on &r -imitri's decision.

'*et's see what you've got,' he said in his low voice.

+he video showed &a" three years earlier, before ?ina had begun to wor% on him

when he was still a normal mon%ey. +hen, three months after her wor% had

begun, &a" was seen drawing simle ictures with a encil. After a year he was

selling out simle words. After two years he could add and ta%e away simle

numbers. After three years he could read, write and do basic mathematics. /e also

understood everything ?ina said to him. &a" had come to see ?ina as his mother

and he loved her. +he video finished with &a" utting his arms around ?ina

while ?inC laughed.'+hat's one smart mon%ey. an you ma%e him any smarter1' &r -imitri as%ed.

?ina %new he was interested. She was leased.

'&a" can be as intelligent as we want to ma%e him, &f -imitri,' she said, trying

not to show her leasure in whac she had achieved.

'2es,' he said. ')ut could that mon%ey be made to be as smart as a man1'=4r a

woman, thought ?ina>

16


17/33

'As I said, &r -imitri,' said ?ina, 'we can ma%e him as intelligent as we want to.'

'2ou mean,' as%ed &r -imitri, 'that that mon%ey could get to be smarter than I

am1'

+ suose it is ossible # there's no reason why not, as far as I can tell.

Although, of course, &a" is a long way from that $ust now,' ?ina said.

')ut you're wor%ing on it, right1' &r -imitri as%ed.

'0ell, er. . . yes.' ?ina was less confident now.

'And what if you wor%ed on a human being 3 could you ma%e them smarter1' heas%ed.

?ina answered7 'I thin% so, &r -imitri.'

&r -imitri narrowed his eyes. '2ou only thin% so1'

'0ell,' said ?ina, 'the brains of a mon%ey and a man are built in much the same

way, so I'm almost certain.'

'&lmost certain. /mm . . .' &r -imitri loo%ed out of the window, down at the

streets of the busy city far below them. /is cigar smo%e rose lazily to the ceiling.

?ina's hoes of money and success 3 and her 8h.-. # deended largely on the

decision &r -imitri would ma%e.

'+ell me, &iss aaldi . . .' said &r -imitri.

?ina noticed he had stoed using her first name. +his loo%ed bad.

'. . . have you ever ta%en this stuff yourself to increase your own intelligence1'

0idi that, he turned to loo% out of the window again.

'4f course not, &r -imitri,' ?ina said to the bac% of his head. ')ut if you thin% I

should . . .'

'N4'

&r -imitri had turned suddenly from the window as he said this. +he seed ofhis action surrised her because he was such a large man. /is eyes were wide

and loo%ed angry. ?ina was scared.

'&iss aaldi,' &r -imitri said, lowering his voice, 'your wor% has been very

good. In fact, it has been e"cellent and you have my congratulations.

Unfortunately, I must as% you to sto what you are doing. At ;once.'

?ina's mouth suddenly felt very dry and she felt the hairs on her head rise u.

')ut &r -imitri,' she said, 'I've done so much . . . all my wor%, my 8h.-'

'0ho is going to believe you if they wonder for one moment if you too% some

of this stuff yourself1' &r -imitri's voice softened. '+hey would say that

anybody could get a 8h.-. with your wonder drug to hel them. And they'd be

right.'

')ut I never . . . I mean . . . I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing' said ?ina.

She tried not to show the disaointment she felt.

'0ouldn't you1' said &r -imitri. '+here are many eole that would ta%e this

stuff. And many that would thin% thatyou had, too.'

?ina loo%ed alarmed, but said nothing.

'2es,' he continued, 'it's a sad fact but a true one. &any eole would thin% thatyou had ta%en your own drug to ma%e yourself smarter. +hey would see you as

being no different to those athletes who ta%e stuff they're not suosed to ta%e. It

might ma%e them do better but it's not honest, is it, &iss aaldi1 And it's no

different for S)- 3 we do not want eole to thin% that we are anything other

than a comletely honest organisation. If they ever thought we had anything to do

with such behaviour they would never trust us again'

17


18/33

')ut I romise you . . . my wor% has all been done honestly,' said ?ina. 'I never

too% anything'

')ut,' said &r -imitri as he loo%ed straight at ?ina's eyes, 'you would if I as%ed

you to, wouldn't you1'

?ina %new it was true, so she said nothing and loo%ed at the floor.

&r -imitri turned his great weight towards her and ut his hand on her shoulder.

'I understand how much you want to succeed, &iss aaldi. -on't worry. . . I'm

going to tal% to the eole at your university # I thin% you should have a 8h.-. forthe wor% you've done so far. . .'

?ina raised her eyes.

'2es, &iss aaldi, I believe in your honesty and believe you are a brilliant young

scientist. I would very much li%e you to continue to wor% for us. . .'

?ina shut her eyes. She was tod hay to sea%.

'. . . but in a different area,' &r -imitri added.

?ina oened her eyes. She could hardly believe what she had heard.

')ut what about my wor%1' she as%ed.

'2ou may carry on if you wish,' said &r -imitri, 'but you will have no money

from us if you do. And I thin% I can say that nobody else will hel you if I have

anything to say about it 3 and I will.'

?ina felt bad about losing her wor%. )ut she had been offered a $ob 3 and her

8h.-.

'If you leave all your wor% with us, &iss aaldi, we'll ma%e sure that it is

roerly ta%en care of. After all, yDu have made a discovery which could change

the world someday. And you can be sure that we will recognise you as the erson

behind it all when the time comes. )ut it could ta%e a long time.')ut right now we would li%e to use your clever brain to the full in doing

imortant wor% for us. And, of course, you will be safe in the %nowledge that you

have the S)-

behind you. 2ou will never be short of money again. So why not $oin us, ?ina1

0hat do you say1'

?ina felt surrisingly good about the offer.

And I'll get recognition for my wor%1' ?ina as%ed.

'-efinitely' said &r -imitri.

'&r -imitri, I accet'

+here were smiles and goodbyes and, soon after, a hay ?ina aaldi left the

room.

&r -imitri sat down, lit another cigar and watched the smo%e rise u to the

ceiling before it finally disaeared. /e %new that business was not good when

eole as%ed too many questions. If eole were made to be too smart they would

do $ust that. And once they didn't get the answers they wanted, they might not buy

things. And if they didn't buy things there would be no money to be made.

No3one would li%e that. No3one at all.&iss aaldi's wor% would be ut away somewhere nice and safe. Somewhere

secret. Along with all the other dangerous ideas. *i%e the car that ran on water,

or the shoes that never wore out, or the battery that never stoed.

)ut he was glad to have &iss aaldi. She was bright. /e ought to give her

something to do. Something that would ma%e a lot of money. /e ic%ed u his

telehone.

18


19/33


20/33

As he wal%ed towards his favourite hinese restaurant, he saw that the lights

were still on in an old antique sho. /e had often thought of loo%ing into this sho

because he li%ed shos that sold old things. /e stoed and loo%ed. +here were

bo"es full of old boo%s iled outside the sho. 4n the sho window was a notice. It

read7 Sorry sho% closed today. %en again tomorrow.

/e bent down to loo% at the boo%s. /e saw all the usual old boo%s7 school boo%s,

coo%ery boo%s and other boo%s with dirty, yellowing ages that were of no value to

him. +here was one small, old boo%, however, that he noticed at once. It loo%edmuch older than the rest of the boo%s. /e ic%ed it u.

'+a%e it' said a voice behind him. hester turned to see a man of about eighty

years old. +he man had oened the sho door ane%was carrying another bo" full of

old boo%s. '+hese have all been around for years. &y nehew is ta%ing over the

business and I don't want to leave him with all this rubbish. Nobody wants to buy

any of it, so ta%e what you want 3 go on, hel yourself'

'+han%s,' said hester as he ut the old boo% into his $ac%et oc%et and went on

to the hinese restaurant.

hester sat at his table drin%ing a beer. /e had been loo%ing forward to his chic%en

and rice. 0hen it arrived, he found that the chic%en had not been coo%ed roerly.

It was in% inside. /e decided to comlain and called the waiter.

'Sir1' as%ed the waiter.

hester noticed that the waiter was new to the lace.

'I'm not eating this,' hester told him. '+he chic%en is in% inside # it hasn't

been coo%ed roerly.'

'It's rare chic%en, sir,' the waiter said. '&any of our customers refer its finer

taste.'hester loo%ed straight at the waiter. /e thought the waiter was not showing

him enough resect.

'


21/33

hester thought it must be one of those old boo%s which offered advice about

life. /e felt disaointed.

/e tried to oen the boo% but it had an old metal loc% which stoed him. +hen

suddenly the boo% seemed to oen quite naturally at the middle ages. It was

almost as if it wanted him to read it.

0hat he saw when he loo%ed surrised him. +he ages had nothing written on

them and they were clean and white, not at all li%e the yellowed ages one would

e"ect to find in a boo% this old. -id all the ages have no writing on them1Just then the waiter returned with hester's chic%en and rice and laced it before

him.

'+han% you,' saidDlhester.

'&y leasure, sir,' answered the waiter with a smile.

hester haened to loo% at the oened boo%. It now had writing on the ages

which only a moment before had been clean and white. +he writing said7

(e wouldn 't look so %leased with himself if he knew what I had %ut on to his

chicken while I was in the kitchen. !hat will teach him to make me look silly.

' hester couldn't believe what he saw. 0as this what the waiter was thin%ing1

'Anything else, sir1' as%ed the waiter olitely.

'5r. . . no, than% you,' said hester.

As the waiter wal%ed off the writing disaeared. hester loo%ed at his

meal. /e didn't feel hungry any more. And he could hardly comlain to the

manager about the waiter. Not without telling them about the boo%. 0ho would

believe him1

hester left the chic%en and rice alone, aid his bill and went. /e did not leave

the waiter a ti.

* * *

0hen hester got home he felt e"hausted. /e too% out the boo% and loo%ed inside

it once more. +he ages were now all white and clear again. 8erhas it had all been

a result of his tiredness. /e had been thin%ing too much about wor% # and about

-orothy. +hat must be it. +here was no other ossible e"lanation7 he was simly

too tired to thin% straight.

/e went to bed and slet almost at once.

* * *

+he train was less crowded than usual the following morning. /e was luc%yenough to find a seat for his short $ourney. /e li%ed to watch eole as they all sat

or stood with faces that gave no sign of what they were thin%ing. 5verybody

avoided loo%ing at another erson in the eye 3that might cause trouble.

hester rela"ed in his seat. /e had decided that the e"erience of the night

before was best forgotten. 0ho ever heard of a boo% that read thoughts1 +he whole

idea was crazy

+hen he remembered that he still had the boo% in his

oc%et. /e ought to throw it away in the ne"t rubbish bin. 2es, that's what he

would do. ?et rid of the stuid thing.

/e noticed that the woman who sat oosite was an attractive, smartly dressedmiddle3aged lady. /er eyes loo%ed down and her face showed nothing of her

thoughts. hester wondered what she was thin%ing.Should he loo% at the boo%1

21


22/33


23/33

why is he smiling now1'

+hen he remembered his little boo%.

/e too% it out of his oc%et and hid it behind some aers. /e retended to

be loo%ing at his notes and thought of &r Shaw. +he words aeared

immediately7

I'll teach that young fool a lesson. I've got some figures he doesn 't know a)out

hidden in my office. I've )een working on this longer than he has. When he can't come

u% with the right figures he'll look stu%id. !hen I'll %roduce them and save the day.

(e'll look like a )oy trying to do a man's ,o). (e needs to learn some res%ect forex%erienced %rofessionals tike me.

hester felt a cold sweat on the bac% of his nec%.

'So the old man really does disli%e me, after all'

hester wondered what all the others thought about him but had no time to

consult his boo%.

'+han%s everybody # see you all this afternoon,' hester told them all. '5n$oy

your lunch.'

0hile &r Shaw was eating his sandwiches in the ar%, as he always did, hester

sent his lunch hour loo%ing for the missing figures in &r Shaw's office. Shaw

was old3fashioned and referred to use aer rather than recording things on a

comuter. It was a simle matter to coy the figures then leave Shaw's coies

where he had found them 3in a bo" in a cuboard. hester felt almost disaointed.

+his was too easy

hester had missed his lunch but it had been worth it. /is little boo% was

turning out to be most useful.

+he meeting that afternoon was a great success. /e had all the figures he needed.+he 5astern comany eole were hay and the aers were signed. hester's

future loo%ed good. And as for Shaw. . . well, hester could tell from his red face

that he was angry because his little lan had gone wrong.

hester made himself a romise7 he would ma%e sure that Shaw's future would

notbe good. Not if he could hel it.

hester did not li%e to lose.

After the meeting there would be $ust enough time to call in on -orothy.

8erhas she would li%e to congratulate him over a drin%.

0hen he got to her des% he found that she was away on a training course. She

would be bac% the ne"t day.

Just my bad luc%, thought hester. 3

Ah, well: for the time being he could find somebody else to share this hay time

with. )ut how and who with1

S-uash* It was his favourite game. 0hy not arrange a

game with Fim, his younger brother1 Fim was a salesman. /e had not gone to

college but he had, li%e hester, moved to the city. hester always beat Fim at

squash. /e li%ed laying with Fim. /e would telehone him as soon as he gothome and see if a game could be arranged for that very night.

'2eah . . . mmm . . . I see.'

yhester was in his aartment sea%ing on his mobile telehone. As he so%e he

held the telehone more tightly than usual. /e was listening to Fim. Fim was

telling him that he had already romised to ta%e his girlfriend to the cinema. As he

so%e, hester tried out the boo% to see if it would wor% over the telehone.

23


24/33

It did. It read7

E hate it when #hester and I %lay s-uash he always wants to )eat me. $ut he's

always wanted to )e a winner at home at school / it never sto%s even when he has

a career of his own. (e never thinks of me )ut then he never was much of a )rother.

(e can do without his game this time. I'm staying home to watch television.

'4F, Fim,' said hester. '5n$oy the film. 2es . . . goodbye.'

hester had never realised that his brother felt li%e that towards him. It came as a

shoc%./e sent the evening watching television and drie%ing wine with a ta%eaway

meal.

At least, he thought, he would see -orothy tomorrow.

+he ne"t morning hester was sitting on his train to wor%. /e was wondering

whether he should loo% at !he $ook of !houghts again when he noticed a

hotograh of the attractive middle3aged woman he had seen the day before. It

aeared on the front age of a newsaer held oen by the erson sitting oosite

him. /er icture was ne"t to that of an older man. +he headline read7 +04 -I5

IN *4B5


25/33


26/33


27/33


28/33

And all the while a total, erfect silence.

/arry sat down again. /e could hardly thin%. /ow could he ma%e sense of

this1 +his had haened after he had blown the whistle. /ad the whistle done this1

0hat would haen if he blew it again1 /e certainly didn't want things to remain as

they were

/e blew the whistle again. 4nce again it gave its thin, clear note.

All at once the normal world returned. Normal sounds, normal movement. +he

fly flew, the ball was caught, eole laughed and tal%ed.It was as if nothing had haened.

/arry was sha%en. /e ut the whistle in his oc%et. /e would have to thin%

about this. /e would have to thin% hard.

)ut by the time /arry had got home he had somehow ersuaded himself that he

had imagined everything. /e felt better after a good suer and some +B. It had all

been a wa%ing dream. /e was tired, that's all. /e $ust needed a good night's slee.

And so he slet. )ut his slee was troubled and his dreams were full of

shadows.

/arry went bac% to wor% the ne"t day. /e found nothing interesting. +hat's what

he told 8rofessor +eo.

Are you certain, /arry1' as%ed the rofessor. '0hoever buried this man was afraid

of him, that's for sure. /is body was covered in ieces of aer with words on them.

0ords which were meant to %ee harm away. Strange.'

/arry thought about the whistle. It was still in his oc%et.

'I'm certain, 8rofessor,' said /arry. 'I found nothing unusual. Nothing at all.'

/arry didn't drive. /e usually got the bus home but sometimes he li%ed to wal%. +hat

evening he wal%ed. /e li%ed to loo% at the shos in 4rchard


29/33

the university. Nobody even noticed if he too% anything there. /ere he would be

stealing, $ust li%e any thief.

/e loo%ed around at the frozen world. +his was surely meant to be. +he whistle

had come to him. /e should use it. 0hy not1 It was only right. It was far better

that such beauty should go to him rather than stuid eole with more money

than sense. It was only fair.

)ut he would have to do it right. If he was the last one to be seen with the $ade

dragon he would be loo%ed for once it had gone. /e blew the whistle and theworld moved again. /e waited for a while, then went to the sho%eeer and as%ed

to see it.

'It's a fine iece of wor%, sir,' the sho%eeer told him. 'And only twenty

thousand dollars.'

'It is lovely,' said /arry as he held it in his hands. /e wanted it. /e would have

it. )ut he made a oint of handing it bac% so that other customers 3 and the video

cameras set u in the sho 3 could see him do it. '+han%s for letting me loo% but

I'm afraid that's all I can afford to do $ust now,' he said to die sho%eeer.

/e wal%ed out of the sho, into the shoing centre, out of sight of the

sho%eeer. /e sat down on a nearby seat, too% out the whistle and blew.

+he whole shoing centre went still and silent.

/arry felt more e"cited than he had ever felt in his life. /e could wal% into any

sho he li%ed and $us t ta%e whatever he wanted. Anything at all. And nobody

would see him. It was erfect.

)ut, for the time being, he would $ust ta%e the $ade. /e wal%ed bac% into the

sho, too% the dragon from its lace on the shelf, ut it into his oc%et and wal%ed

out of the sho. /e went bac% to his seat and blew the whistle once more. +heshoing centre came bac% to life. &ovement and sound returned. /e had done it.

And who could blame /arry hen for the disaearance of the $ade1 After all,

the sho%eeer had seen him leave after he had returned the $ade. So had the

cameras in the sho. It had been easy.

As he wal%ed home he felt li%e a god. +he little $ade dragon was the best

thing in /arry's collection. /e %et all his things in a rosewood bo". /e would

soon need a bigger bo".

And, as /arry slet that night, he dreamed that the whole world was still and

he was the only moving thing in it. /e and the shadows.

+he ne"t day /arry thought that he would see what the whistle could do. /e

decided to try it out at wor%. 8erhas on that old fool, 8rofessor +eo. )ut,

whatever he did, he must not draw attention to himself or the whistle. /e was sure

of that. It was his whistle and he did not want to lose it. /arry was used to as%ing

questions about things. It was what archaeologists did. It was art of the $ob. /e

wanted

to find out more about the whistle. +he first thing he wanted to find out about

was this7 did the whistle simly sto things moving or did it, in some way, stotime itself1

It was imortant to %now. /e didn't want eole to notice that they'd lost

time. +hat would be a roblem. )ut if time had stood still there would be no

roblem. +hey wouldn't even %now about it.

8rofessor +eo came into /arry's office. +his could be his chance to test the

whistle.

29


30/33


31/33

/arry felt something he had never felt before. /e felt owerful. And his heart warmed

when he thought of all the things that were now ossible for him. /e could now use the

whistle to get himself money, %nowledge 3 anything in the world that he wanted. 9or he,

/arry hen, had ower over +ime itself.

/arry did not use the whistle any more that day. 0hen he got home he rested well. /e

would need to lan things carefully. Nobody else must %now his secret. /arry hen had

been given a great gift and so /arry hen would use it. Nobody else. It was only fair.

/arry thought carefully about how best to use the whistle. After all, he couldn't use itto actually see in the future. +hat was unfortunate. If he %new the names of winning

horses or could find out the luc%y numbers in the lottery he need never worry about

money again. Never mind.

)est to start with small things before trying out his discovery on anything big. +hat

would be best. )ut what should he do first1

/e decided he would loo% around his favourite shos for all the things he

could never afford before but had always wanted. Just the small, beautiful things

he had always loved. +hings small enough to carry. +hen he would steal them.

It was the evening of the ne"t day. It was dar% outside but the shoing centre

was brightly lit, as usual. /arry had already had a good loo% around. /e %new what

he wanted and had his bag with him, ready to ut his 'shoing' in. /e had ta%en

the day off wor% 3 hadn't 8rofessor +eo himself told him to ta%e some rest1 /e

had earned a brea% and he was going to ma%e sure he en$oyed it.

/arry decided to have a coffee at his usual cafe before ma%ing a start. After all, he

thought, there was no hurry As he rela"ed over his coffee he smiled at the tourists

who were at the ne"t table utting more film into their camera. +he man loo%ed fat

and rich # $ust the tye of tourist he had always disli%ed. +he woman smiled bac%li%e the silly, simle thing she was. +he fools. 0hat did they %now1 /e could rob

them of everything and they wouldn't %now it. )ut that would be a waste of time.

/e had better things to do. And there was, after all, lenty of time

/arry finished his coffee and stood u. It was time to begin. /e ut his hand

into his oc%et and too% out the whistle. /e felt li%e a child at hristmas who

was $ust about to oen his resents. /arry hen's time had come, at last

/e ut the whistle to his mouth and blew. )ut, as he blew, there was a

brilliant, blinding light that shot through

his eyes. /e droed the whistle in his confusion. +he light did not go away.

It too% him a few moments before he realised what had haened. /e wal%ed

away from his table to see the stuid tourist ta%ing a icture of his stuid wife

using the flash from his camera # $ust as he had blown his whistle. +he bright

flash was frozen in time. +hat was all7 It was $ust a camera. )ut he had droed the

whistle.

/e had to find it. /e began to loo% around the bright stillness which was all

about him. +hen he felt something brea% beneath the weight of his shoe. /e

loo%ed down. +he whistle lay in ieces./is heart seemed to rise to his mouth as he realised what had haened. And the

whistle lay in tiny ieces on the ground. /arry %new, as soon as he saw it, that it

was too difficult even for him to reair. /e was stuc% there.

/arry tried shouting at the still3smiling tourist, at the waitress, at everybody he

saw. )ut it was useless. +hey could not hear him. +hey could not see him. /e

might $ust as well not be there. /e did not %now whether time had stoed for the

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fruitcake special camb l4 1900

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