Arcadia

by Iain Pears

  Rosie shook her head. ‘No. I’ve thought about that. A lot. But as you keep on telling me, I’m there already. One’s company.’

  ‘Two’s a crowd?’

  Rosie smiled. ‘A complication. The other me will be happy because I am here with my parents. Someone will have to look after Jenkins if Professor Lytten is in jail. I have a life here. It’s not brilliant, I sometimes think, but, you know …’

  ‘In that case, we had better succeed,’ Angela said. ‘Come on. I’ll walk you home. There’s nothing more to do here tonight, and I must get out of the country as quickly as possible. I need to pack and find my passport.’

  A few minutes later the two left the house, and Angela locked the door carefully. ‘Quite a day,’ she said. ‘Let’s see how tomorrow entertains us.’

  65

  Jack was shocked at the state of the island when the helicopters flew over it before settling dustily onto the landing site. Big black holes had been blown into what once had been gleaming white roofs covering the main part of the institute; the wreckage of the defensive outposts still smouldered in the light breeze, on the far side of the island a fire still burned and half a dozen of the small ferries half poked above the water, bombed and sunk as they were, tied up to the quayside. Oldmanter’s military had done a thorough, rapid job of it.

  Already the repairs were under way. As they landed, he saw other large machines bringing in the equipment needed to patch holes, get power working again. Supplies of all sorts were stacked in neat piles everywhere. His experienced eye scanned the site as they came lower, but he could see no pens for prisoners, no marks of freshly dug graves.

  Some had already returned to work under their new master; others had left to fend for themselves as best they could. The place was half empty, quiet, gloomy with lack of purpose. The few dozen people brought up from the Retreats were under guard.

  Jack managed to get permission to see Emily, for he was restored to his previous position, awaiting transfer to another part of Oldmanter’s vast empire. He had been offered promotion, everything he might need. Oldmanter was a generous man.

  ‘He is going to keep his word,’ he said to her. ‘The preparations are being made. You still have time to change your mind, though.’

  ‘Why would I want to do that?’

  ‘It’s dangerous.’

  ‘It is hardly safe for people like us here, either.’

  ‘How did Oldmanter know where I was? How did he find me so quickly?’

  ‘Simple enough. I told him. It was obvious he was going to win. You would have died, and so would we. This seemed a good way of saving something from the wreckage.’

  ‘You told me the document was old, and told him that it was a fake.’

  ‘That’s the sort of imprecision you get from people who do not have a thorough scientific training, I suppose.’

  ‘Hanslip says it is dangerous.’

  ‘But to whom, do you think? What about Hanslip?’

  ‘I have permission to see him tomorrow.’

  ‘I liked him. Tell him I know what I am doing.’

  *

  ‘I will try to get your conditions improved before I leave,’ Jack began when he came into Hanslip’s cell the next day and looked around at the damp walls and filthy floor with distaste. ‘There is no reason for you to be treated like this.’

  ‘Have I disappeared?’ Hanslip’s voice was surprisingly clear and strong for someone who had evidently suffered very bad treatment. Jack looked at the bruises, the black eye, the bandages over his hands. Primitive. He hated that.

  ‘I’m afraid so. The electricity surge has been officially attributed to terrorists and the authorities are responding with mass arrests. The institute never existed, nor did you.’

  Hanslip nodded to show he had understood.

  ‘And you?’

  ‘Oldmanter offered me a job. I had little choice, so I accepted it. He has also agreed to send the renegades to their own world in exchange for Emily Strang’s cooperation. It will be a reservation, in effect, where they will live undisturbed.’

  He considered this. ‘I see. Why have you come today?’

  ‘To say goodbye, I’m afraid. You are to be shot. And I wish to apologise to you. One of Emily’s conditions was that you should be offered the chance of going with the renegades. Oldmanter agreed, but he has changed his mind. I have been instructed to tell Emily that you refused the offer.’

  ‘Lying for Oldmanter already? Will you do that?’

  ‘Yes. I must.’

  ‘Do you realise how dangerous using that machine could be? Does Oldmanter?’

  ‘I know nothing. You tell me it is dangerous, Oldmanter is sure it is not. As he is the most successful person on the planet, then his opinion is likely to prevail. Emily told me she knows what she’s doing.’

  ‘Did she indeed?’ Hanslip’s eyes narrowed as he thought. Then his face cleared and became almost contented. He nodded to himself and almost smiled. ‘Yes. Maybe she does. She’s her mother’s daughter, after all. I told you that Angela was a ruthless woman. Would you tell Emily that I understand what she is doing, and wish her luck? Also that she can count on me.’

  ‘If you wish.’

  ‘Thank you, Mr More. I appreciate your kindness in coming to visit me. Good luck to you, as well. You will need it more than any of us, I think.’

  *

  That evening Jack, with three armed soldiers, got Emily from the enclosure once more and walked her along the corridors into the open air. He led her through, then ordered the guards, ‘Keep far away. Within eyesight, as I suppose you must, but in the background, please.’

  ‘A man of authority,’ she commented as the guards dutifully fell back and allowed them to head down to the shore unaccompanied.

  ‘That’s me. They’re all right, those three. They don’t really care what happens as long as they don’t get into trouble.’

  ‘Like most people.’

  ‘I suppose.’

  They walked along in silence for a while, Emily absorbing the fresh air. ‘It’s empty up here. I like it.’

  ‘Good. You will be getting to know it quite well.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘It’s your destination,’ he said simply. ‘They’ve decided it is too expensive to move you geographically. So whenever you arrive, it will be exactly at the point where you left. On this island, in fact. You’ll have to make your own way after that.’

  ‘How many of us will go?’

  ‘Just you, to start off with. I’m afraid they intend to use you as an experiment, to see if it works. If you think about it, it shows they are taking it seriously. They want to do it properly.’

  ‘That’s unfortunate. When will the rest follow?’

  ‘You are asking the wrong person. I am only a security officer, remember.’

  ‘Then I must hope he will keep his word.’

  ‘He will, I think. In his odd way it is important to him. But it’s not too late to change your mind if you have any doubts.’

  ‘I might, if I could think of anything better. What date am I going to?’

  ‘I’ve no idea.’

  ‘Have you seen Hanslip?’

  ‘I have. He does not wish to go. He also said that he understands what you are doing and wishes you luck. And that you can count on him. What does that mean?’

  ‘Are they going to kill him?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then it means that he has grasped that it doesn’t matter if they do or not. He is going to die anyway if he doesn’t come with me. Why don’t you come instead?’

  ‘You must be joking.’

  ‘I really do know what I’m doing.’

  He eyed her curiously, trying to understand what she was saying.

  ‘Won’t you trust me?’ she added. ‘It’s important. I cannot tell you why.’

  He hesitated, then shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘You’re a renegade. I don’t share your opinions or values, even if I do not object to th
em as much as most people do. Besides, everything I want is here. I am secure, I have proper privileges for the first time in my life. I have a place and a value. I know that doesn’t mean much to you, but it is all I want.’

  She nodded. ‘I suppose. Still, I tried. Let’s go back.’

  *

  Jack had seen it all before, but while the transmission of Alex Chang had been low-key and without ceremony, this time it was done with considerable fanfare. It was recorded, for one thing, so that in due course Oldmanter could present his discovery to an awed world in a suitably spectacular fashion. He even allowed himself to be filmed, for the first time in decades, so important was it to his power and reputation.

  They were also using the new machine, unfinished when Angela fled but now completed and equipped with sensors to give a much better idea of where the subjects landed. It was in a large room, dramatically lit and prepared. A suitable hush attended the technicians, hunched over their instruments and concentrating hard, the very picture of technocratic excellence. The volunteer was led in and received a round of applause as she mounted the podium. No one said she was a renegade; rather she had been given the profile of a heroic explorer, a pioneer wishing to better humanity. The child of distinguished scientists ready, yet again, to demonstrate the devotion of her calling to the betterment of mankind. She sat down, nodded to say she was ready, and the magnetic field was raised, trapping her inside.

  The cameras focused lovingly on her face until it disappeared into the blue darkness; pretty, fresh and uncomplicated, everything the viewers would like to look at.

  Then the room itself darkened until only the blue light could be seen, pulsating rhythmically. Ordinarily the transmission was instantaneous; one moment the subject was there, the next it was gone. This wasn’t good enough; the publicity department had insisted on something more visual and dramatic. Can’t you keep it going for longer? We need a sense of journey, and what you’ve got is about as exciting as switching off a light bulb.

  It could be done, but only by keeping the volunteer in a state of artificial non-existence for that time. As long as the power was running through the system, she would be kept in limbo; they could add in lighting effects, cut to anxious looks on the faces of technicians, have a commentary building up to the moment when the power shut down and the traveller – presumably – exited at her destination. The lights would come on to reveal the now completely empty podium. It still wouldn’t look much, but it was better than nothing. Eventually it had been arranged. The transmission would be dragged out as required. They didn’t tell Emily about this, in case she worried. The producers needed her to smile.

  Oldmanter watched from the side; he had set it all in motion and was more than happy to leave the technical operation to others. When the theatricals began, he became impatient and walked to the room down the corridor containing the smaller, older machine, the one used in the days of Hanslip. On the transmission pad was nothing but a black metal sphere, about two feet across. Jack went with him; he was instructed to make sure no one else came in.

  ‘I thought you might like to see this,’ Oldmanter said as they walked in. ‘It is the more serious experiment taking place today.’

  ‘What was that down the corridor?’

  ‘A little publicity. Sending one girl isn’t going to accomplish anything. But she looked good and will tug at people’s heartstrings.’

  ‘So what’s this, then?’

  ‘This, Mr More, is a nuclear bomb. You can have no idea how difficult it was to get hold of it. They are very well guarded, as you can imagine. It’s small, but unfortunately that is the maximum density this device can cope with. Sending metal of any sort requires gigantic amounts of energy. The world, I’m afraid, is about to suffer another major power failure.’ He turned to Jack with a smile. ‘These terrorists, eh? There’s no limit to their audacity.’

  ‘What are you going to do with it? What’s the point?’

  Oldmanter smiled. ‘We are going to clear a world for colonisation. Might as well get started to test the practicality.’

  ‘With one bomb?’

  ‘Just one. We can rely on the inhabitants to do the rest for us. It’s cheaper, you see. Otherwise we have to go back further and that is more expensive.’

  ‘I hope you’re not sending it to the same world as Emily has gone to?’

  ‘Unfortunately we have to,’ he said with a slight tone of regret. ‘There is a little technical hitch, and we can only access one universe at the moment. No one knows why, but until we sort it out, there is nothing we can do.’

  ‘She’ll be killed.’

  ‘No. We decided to send her forwards. No one has ever done that, and one of our consultants is desperate to find out if it is possible. If there is to be communication between the worlds, we need to establish if forward transmission is possible. She will go as far as the power available permits.’

  ‘So you lied to her?’

  ‘I said I would transport the renegades to a different world, and I will do so. I didn’t say I’d send them all to the same time zone, nor did I promise not to send a nuclear bomb as well.’

  ‘Where has she gone?’

  ‘Nowhere yet, as far as I understand it. She will arrive when the power to her device cuts off. That will be about ten minutes after this experiment finishes. At the moment she is in a fascinating state of non-existence. Now, if you will excuse me …’

  A technician had come up to him, bearing a piece of paper.

  ‘The list of options, sir, for your final approval. We will be ready in five minutes.’

  Oldmanter took the piece of paper and glanced casually at it. Berlin, October 1962; London, November 1983; Calcutta, May 1990; Beijing, July 2018.

  ‘Which is recommended?’

  ‘Analysis suggests all will work perfectly well. You may choose whichever you prefer.’

  Oldmanter ticked a box, initialled the bottom and handed it back.

  ‘Go ahead then,’ he said, and walked out of the room to where Jack was standing in the corridor, looking at the artificial window.

  ‘You find me brutal, Mr More. That, I am afraid, is the nature of discovery. We do not wrest nature’s secrets from it by asking nicely. We have to tear them out using whatever ruthlessness is needed. You are worried for that girl, I suppose. But she is just one person amongst many billions who need help and resources. Humanity has a long future ahead of it now. It is worth sacrificing one person for that.’

  ‘She thought that this world would destroy itself through its knowledge,’ Jack replied.

  ‘She was wrong.’ He glanced at the clock on the wall. ‘I will prove it in twenty seconds from now.’

  ‘Are you sure? Would it not be better to wait?’

  Oldmanter grunted dismissively, and he and Jack turned to the projection of tranquillity in front of them; another ideal landscape, and still Jack had no idea why anyone bothered to install it. But they both seemed to find it distracting as, behind them, the monotonous tone of a technician called out the last seconds.

  ‘The world is about to change for ever, because of what we are doing here,’ Oldmanter said quietly. ‘We can make something truly wonderful of it.’

  66

  ‘Master Henary!’ Jay called, running after the heavy figure walking slowly back towards the great house. ‘Wait!’

  Henary stopped as the boy – maybe not so much a boy any more, but still distressingly young – caught up with him.

  ‘Master Henary,’ Jay repeated, then stopped. ‘I don’t know what to say.’

  ‘For the first time in my life, Jay, I am disappointed in you,’ Henary replied mildly.

  ‘What has happened?’

  ‘I have no idea. Except that you have demonstrated what a magnificent teacher I am. You have kept calm through heaven knows what difficulties, you have made your first speech and defeated one of the finest orators in Anterwold, and you have stared a spirit in the eye without flinching. I claim some credit for your achiev
ement.’

  ‘By all means.’

  ‘Alas, not much. You will far exceed me. I will be known to future ages only as your first teacher.’

  ‘Hardly.’

  ‘You took risks I would never have dared take and triumphed.’

  They continued on, heading for the assembly, until Henary spoke once more. ‘We have seen marvels today. The fulfilment of a prophecy, the descent of spirits, the end of the world. A great injustice rectified. Extraordinary things. Do you know, a part of me really does feel almost disappointed.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because all I heard was common sense. Esilio descended and all he told us was what we already knew. What we should have known, at least. Strange, don’t you think?’

  ‘It was terrifying, though.’

  ‘It was. And the news will spread across Anterwold like a forest fire in summer. It will change everything, and for ever. We may perhaps help it to change in the way the spirit instructed. I would say I needed your help, but let me rather offer you such assistance as I can.’

  ‘I … well …’

  ‘There is so much to do, Jay. It will be wonderful and frightening for us all. Do not think everyone will agree with us. We will need to argue, persuade and cajole.’

  Jay smiled. ‘What do you think we should do first?’

  ‘First? Well, first we go and watch this ceremony. Then we go to Ossenfud. Do you know, I think it would be good to get there before Gontal does. After that, well, that’s when the fun really begins. Now, what I suggest is …’

  And the large old man and the thin young boy walked, laughing and talking, into the darkening night, each more excited than ever before in their lives, until they came to the large courtyard where the assembly was being held, in front of all the adults of the domain who had managed to get there in time. The atmosphere was one of high tension and great noise. The Chamberlain was already speaking when they arrived, but was having trouble being heard. Twice he had recited the required words, but had to shout them out for a third time before enough calm descended for the ceremony to continue. Who, he almost shouted, presented themselves first to the assembly?