rr.thebrentfordtriangle-第23章

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　'Course　he　knows　things；　he's　always　reading　your　damned　mail　and　squinting　through　people's　letter…boxes。　Vindictive；　grudge…bearing　wee。。。　'
　'Yes；　I　know　all　that；　but　listen！'　Norman　posed　himself。　Neville　took　the　opportunity　to　collect　payment　for　the　drinks。　'He　es　into　my　shop；'　said　Norman；　'wants　his　copy　of　Psychic　News。　Isn't　in；　says　I。　He　mutters　away　to　himself　for　a　moment　and　then；　it's　third　from　the　bottom　of　the　pile；　says　he。　With　the　bloody　corner　up；　says　I。'
　'Well　of　course　you　did；'　said　Neville。
　'May　I　continue？'　Neville　nodded　and　Norman　drew　him　closer　and　spoke　in　hushed　and　confidential　tones。　Old　Pete　turned　up　his　hearing　aid　and　placed　it　upon　the　counter。
　'I　root　through　the　pile　of　papers　and　there　it　is；　plain　as　plain；　third　up　from　the　bottom；　just　like　he'd　said。　Here　you　go　then；　says　I。　Five　Woodbine　also；　says　himself。　I　hand　him　a　packet；　he　has　another　mutter　then　tells　me　they're　stale。　Without　even　opening　them！　I　get　in　a　lather　then；　but　I　open　up　the　packet　just　to　be　polite；　and　damn　if　the　things　aren't　as　dry　as　dust。'　Neville　looked　at　Old　Pete；　who　merely　shrugged。　Young　Chips；　however；　was　taking　it　all　in。　'Anyway；'　Norman　continued；　'he　then　points　to　another　packet　on　the　shelf　and　says　that　he　understands　that　they　are　all　right　and　so　he'll　take　them。　If　this　wasn't　bad　enough；　as　he's　leaving　the　shop；　he　tells　me　that　my　false　teeth　are　going　mouldy　under　the　counter。'
　'And　were　they？'　asked　Old　Pete。
　Norman　drew　a　furry…looking　set　of　National　Healthers　from　his　pocket　and　tossed　them　on　to　the　bar　top。　'Lost　them　a　week　or　more　back。　He　couldn't　possibly　have　guessed　they　were　there。'
　'Curious；'　said　Neville；　scratching　at　his　greying　temples。
　'But　that's　not　the　worst　of　it。'
　'You　mean　there's　more？'
　'Oh　yes。'　Norman's　voice　had　a　disarmingly　tremulous　pitch　to　it。　'He　said　we　must　be　off　now。　We；　that's　what　he　said。　But　we　will　be　back。　With　that　the　shop　door　opens　by　itself；　he　walks　out　and　the　thing　closes　behind　him　of　its　own　accord。'
　'Norman；'　said　Neville　in　a　calm　and　even　voice；　'Norman；　you　are　barred　for　life。　Kindly　get　out　of　my　pub　and　never；　ever；　ever　return。'
　
　15
　Professor　Slobe　was　at　his　desk；　busily　at　work　amongst　his　books；　when　two　bedraggled　and　heavily　bearded　travellers　appeared　at　his　French　windows。　'e　in；　lads；'　he　said　cheerily；　'I　am　sure　I　do　not　need　to　inform　you　where　I　keep　the　decanter。'
　'Do　you　know　how　far　it　is　to　Penge？'　asked　John　Omally。
　'I've　never　troubled　to　find　out；　although　they　tell　me　that　it's　very　nice。'
　'Oh；　very　pleasant；'　said　Pooley；　'but　a　fair　hitch　from　Brentford。'
　'My　apologies；'　said　the　old　man；　when　the　two　men　were　both　seated　and　clutching　at　their　brimming　glasses。　'But　you　see；　I　had　no　wish　to　force　your　hands　over　this　matter。　I　was　not　altogether　certain　that　if　I　simply　confronted　you　with　the　truth　you　would　believe　it。　Rather；　I　considered　that　if　matters　were　simply　allowed　to　run　their　course；　your　inquisitiveness　would　get　the　better　of　you　and　you　would　involve　yourselves。　My　surmise　was　accurate；　I　see。'
　'As　ever；'　said　Pooley。
　'You　quite　suit　the　beards。'
　'Soap　Distant　doesn't　own　a　razor。'
　'Apparently　he　hasn't　grown　a　hair　on　his　face　in　five　years。'
　'An　interesting　man；'　said　the　Professor；　'if　a　trifle　eccentric。'
　Omally's　attention　had　bee　drawn　to　an　elaborate　brass　device　which　now　stood　upon　a　pedestal　in　the　centre　of　the　Professor's　study。　'What　is　that　body？'　he　asked。
　'An　orrery；'　said　the　old　gentleman。　'I　thought　it　might　interest　you。'
　'Pre…eminently；'　said　Omally。　'I　find　little　in　life　more　interesting　than　an　orrery。'
　Professor　Slobe　raised　an　admonitory　eyebrow；　but　after　a　moment　of　brief　consideration　regarding　the　deprivations　suffered　by　his　guests　over　the　last　few　days　he　lowered　it　again。
　'Let　me　show　you；'　he　said；　gesturing　towards　the　instrument。　The　two　men　grudgingly　rose　from　their　fy　chairs；　carefully　bearing　their　glasses。
　'It's　a　mechanical　device　of　great　age；'　the　Professor　explained；　'demonstrating　the　movement　of　the　planets　about　our　Sun　and　their　relative　positions　to　one　another　during　their　endless　journeys。'　He　drew　their　attention　to　a　brazen　sphere。　'Here　is　the　Earth；'　he　said；　'and　here　the　legendary　planet　Ceres。　You　can　see　that　its　path　of　orbit　lay　exactly　between　those　of　Mars　and　Jupiter。　Fifth　from　the　Sun。　I　have　no　wish　to　labour　this　point；　but　might　I　explain　that　although　it　was　a　paratively　small　world　its　mass　and　density　were　such　that　its　destruction　caused　a　chain　reaction　in　our　system　which　had　very　serious　consequences　hereabouts。'
　'So　we　heard。'
　The　Professor　began　to　hand…crank　the　amazing　piece　of　machinery　and　the　brass　globes　pirouetted　about　the　central　sphere　in　a　pleasing　dance　ronde。
　'Here　upon　this　small　date　counter　you　can　follow　the　time…scale　of　each　yearly　revolution。'
　Pooley　and　Omally　watched　the　years　tick　by　as　the　tiny　planets　spun　on　their　courses。
　'Now　here；'　said　the　old　man；　halting　the　mechanism；　'is　where　the　catastrophe　occurred。　You　will　notice　the　alignment　of　the　planets；　almost　a　straight　line　from　the　Earth。　With　the　destruction　of　Ceres　the　gravitational　effects　would　have　been　shattering。'
　Pooley　noted　the　date　upon　the　tiny　brass　counter。　'The　time　of　the　Biblical　Flood；'　said　he。
　'Exactly。　I　personally　subscribe　to　the　theory　of　Ceres'　existence　and　of　its　destruction；'　said　Professor　Slobe。　'It　ties　up　a　good　many　historical　loose　ends；　and　I　will　go　further。　It　is　stated　in　the　Bible　that　after　the　waters　of　the　great　Flood　subsided；　God　set　his　bow　in　the　heavens　as　a　sign　that　no　such　event　would　occur　again。　I　believe　that　the　popular　view　that　it　was　the　rainbow　is　incorrect。　Rainbows　must　surely　have　been　observed　before　the　time　of　the　Flood。　More　likely；　I　think；　that　it　is　to　our　Moon　that　the　Almighty　alluded；　the　lunar　disc's　journey　describing　as　it　does　a　bow…like　arc　in　the　sky　each　night。'
　'Has　a　certain　ring　to　it；'　Pooley　agreed。　'But　what　puzzles　me　is　to　why　these　Cereans　should　choose　Brentford　of　all　places　as　a　landing　site。　I　take　it　that　by　what　Soap　said　regarding　gravitational　landing　beams　this　is；　in　fact；　the　case。'
　'Indeed　yes；　Brentford　has　been　singled　out　as　the　target。　I　thought　originally　that　it　was　Soap's　network　of　tunnels　which　had　drawn　them；　but　I　find　that　the　Cerean　tunnel　system　extends　beneath　a　greater　part　of　the　globe。　My　second　thought　was　that　some　great　centre　existed　here　in　the　distant　past；　possibly　a　previous　landing　site；　but　I　can　find　no　evidence　to　support　this。'
　'What　then？'
　'I　feel　it　to　be　the　influence　of　the　Brentford　Triangle！'
　'The　Brentford　what？'　said　both　men　hi　unison。
　The　Professor　poured　a　scotch　from　the　crystal　decanter　and　seating　himself　in　a　fireside　chair　did　his　very　best　to　explain。　'The　borough　which　is　Brentford　proper；'　he　said；　'exists　within　the　bounds　of　a　great　triangle。　The　sides　of　this　figure　are　the　Grand　Union　Canal；　the　Great　West　Road　and　the　River　Thames。　These　follow　the　courses　of　three　major　ley　lines。　As　you　may　know；　these　are　lines　of　subterranean　force　which；　although　never　having　been　fully　explained；　nevertheless　appear　to　exert　an　influence　upon　the　surface　of　the　planet。　I　walk　the　boundaries　of　the　borough　every　day　and　I　have　dowsed　these　lines　many　times。　They　never　move。
　'The　ancients　knew　of　their　existence　and　aligned　their　tumuli；　barrows；　standing　stones　and　circles　upon　them。　Apparently　they　believed　that　the　power　could　be　tapped。　Sadly；　down　through　the　centuries　man　has　built　across　the　leys；　interrupting　their　flow　and　nullifying　their　power。'
　'So；'　said　Pooley；　'if　the　power　of　the　leys　is　lost；　why　do　you　attach　any　significance　to　this　Brentford　Triangle　business？'
　The　Professor　tapped　at　his　nose；　and　for　the　first　time　both　Pooley　and　Omally　realized　where　Soap　Distant　had　got　the　habit　from。　'Simply　because　man　appears　to　have　lost　touch　with　the　leys'　power　does　not　mean　that　other　creatures　also　have。　Certain　are　still　susceptible；　the　most　obvious　being　our　feathered　friends。'
　'Darts？'　queried　Pooley。　The　Professor　ignored　h