Jean talked to her over tea and toast. ‘He’s always felt maimed by the blank in his mind, like a man going through life without an arm or a leg.’
‘It hasn’t been very easy for you all these years with Dad like that, has it?’
‘I knew before we married. And we managed.’
‘It wouldn’t have mattered if it hadn’t made him feel so inadequate.’
Mr Skinner came in and they both looked at him. ‘Yes,’ Liz said kindly. ‘We were talking about you. 1 thought you made a marvellous sailor.’
Skinner grinned back. ‘Nice to have a good report.’ He looked up at Traynor who had followed, filling his pipe and trying to look as if he wasn’t going to ask the impossible. He added, ‘We thought the world of you.’ Liz looked across at Skinner and felt her throat tighten. Traynor lit his pipe smokily and went to the windows. Jean poured another cup of tea. The early mists had cleared from the hillside and the ragged Station sheds showed up hazily.
‘If you want to know how much,’ Traynor turned to Liz, ‘you’ll have to go back and find out.’
The Skinners gasped and Jean snapped out, ‘I suppose you’ll swear on a stack of Bibles that Liz can’t possibly come to any harm and then you’ll apologize when you’re proved wrong.’
‘But,’ Liz cut in. ‘He’s been proved right so far. hasn’t he?’
‘A fat lot of good that’s been. We still don’t really know what happened in there and Simon hasn’t come back.’
Jean was irritated but Traynor kept his cool.
‘You must admit, Mrs Skinner, that no harm has come to the children and we believe Simon is safe. Now please hear me out. We know Mr Skinner dismantled the machine in the secret cabinet because we found the bits after the raid. But those papers and notes of mine behind the skirting ... we don’t know if Gottfried saw them or not. We found them but we can’t know so far if he read them and then put them back. They outlined the theoretical basis for the machine. Gottfried was no fool and now he’s in Russia. Their people picked him up at the Peenemunde rocket site in forty-five. His knowledge, our knowledge would be theirs if he had had twenty minutes with my notes and drawings.’
‘It’s a long time ago,’ Jean said. ‘And why would he put your notes back?’
‘So we wouldn’t know whether or not he knew. To confuse us. Come, Mrs Skinner. What have you to fear? You and Liz can communicate telepathically. Maybe you don’t want to admit it. But you can.’
* * *
After dusk Traynor’s car drew up at the break in the Station wall and with the Skinners he climbed silently into the field. The Skinners hunched together tense and unhappy. Traynor took Liz halfway down the hill.
‘Here?’
‘Maybe. Let me try farther down.’
‘Any luck?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Try farther down.’
‘Still nothing.’
‘Go on.’
‘I’m inside the main block,’ Liz cried out in a strangled voice. ‘And I’m still in 1970.’ She came at full tilt past Traynor, brushing him aside, crying, ‘Frank, Frank, I can’t get back.’
Skinner near the wall caught her in his arms.
‘Ah, Liz, don’t be upset,’ he said quietly.
Jean patted her on the shoulder.
‘Oh, but. Daddy, I do so much want to help you,’ Liz sobbed. ‘I’m sure I could if I can find out what happened in the Station.’
‘Don’t think about it, Liz, darling,’ he said and drew her away from the others. They began to walk aimlessly over the grass.
‘It doesn’t really matter what happened to me,’ he went on. ‘I’ve lived with it all these years and we’ve had a happy life together. Perhaps it’s better if we don’t know.’
They turned downhill and Liz clung to his arm. She thought how brave he must be to face giving up the chance of knowing about himself. They stopped and looked into the ruins and moved down a few paces.
She felt the gently trembling barrier against her body. Her father had disappeared through it.
‘Daddy,’ she gasped.
He reappeared. ‘The barrier?’ he said quietly, looking uphill towards Jean and Traynor hazy against the dark wall.
‘Yes. Can you feel it?’
‘No.’
‘It’s here,’ she put out a hand.
‘Go through.’
‘I have to find the hole for the timeslip to work.’
‘Quick, then.’
Liz moved to and fro a few paces. Skinner watched, nervous and silent. She disappeared. When she picked herself up from the grass it was a cool May night. Her father stood looking worried a yard away. She reached out to touch him. Her hand went right through him and she shuddered but then remembered she was thirty years away from him. She paused and listened and stepped again towards the hole. Once through she spoke.
‘It works. I saw you. Put an arm through you.’
‘You want to go back in?’
‘Yes, but you go up the hill. It’s horrid being able to see you but not talk to you.’
They separated.
‘Shall I tell Jean?’ he whispered.
‘She knows.’
Then he couldn’t hear her any more.
15
Keys rattled at the door. As it swung open the Commander was pushed through. Graz followed. Simon leapt to his feet. ‘Are you all right, sir?’ he asked shakily.
Traynor was in rough shape, trickles of blood drying on his face. ‘Me?’ he said. ‘I’m right as rain. Who needs all these ribs, anyway?’ He prodded himself over one or two tender areas, as Simon turned to play with the snooker balls. Frank sat quietly on the sofa.
‘The job, sir,’ began Simon. ‘The one Frank had to do. Was it to destroy a sort of ray gun in the secret cabinet?’ Traynor glared at him.
‘I found the switch by accident and Frank came round when he saw this thing. We broke it up and threw the bits among the junk. Was it OK?’
‘Yes,’ said Traynor. ‘It was OK. What makes you think it was some sort of ray gun?’
‘Well, it looked like one. There was this little rod of ruby in the middle of it all. I chucked that in with the rest of the junk...’ He stopped as he caught sight of Traynor’s glowering expression.
‘Sonny, if I had time I’d set up a special inquiry on you. But you’ll have the chance to prove whose side you’re on soon enough.’
‘What’s that mean?’
‘I’ve got a built-in prejudice against rough stuff being used on me. So I’m going to take over command of my Station the hard way. Listen...’
* * *
If Skinner does his bit we may make it, the Commander thought. The boy’s an unknown quantity. At best a disturbance. Well, here goes.
Graz was sitting yawning by the door. Traynor bent over the fireplace and knocked his pipe out into the ashes. The taps ended and from Frank came a long-drawn-out groan as he collapsed to the floor. Graz stepped over to him and, as he bent down, a fast-moving, double-fisted rabbit punch from Traynor connected with the base of his skull. Frank crawled weakly out from under the collapsed guard and staggered away. Traynor grabbed the Luger and Simon leapt at the door, keys in hand.
One keyhole and a dozen keys. He tried them clumsily, hands trembling.
‘Hurry, blast you! ’ gritted Traynor. ‘Here, let me try.’ Neither, panting and distracted, noticed that Graz was again on his feet. Frank did, but after swinging a shaky fist, folded from a low sickening punch from the German.
Traynor grunted sharply as Graz threw a powerful arm round his neck. He twisted, trying to get free enough to use the Luger as a club but Graz shifted fast to an armlock.
Graz swung his whole weight and Traynor was flung across the room. In a mist of pain he heard Simon call, ‘Come on, come on, the door’s open.’
The Luger lay between him and Graz. Mustn’t let him get near my ribs, he thought, and slid down the wall, shamming weakness.
Then fast and sudden he rolled on top
of the gun. It took all Traynor’s guts to whip round once more on the floor, and Graz who came down heavily on one knee screamed with pain. With the Luger held in both hands Traynor swayed breathless to his feet.
‘Drop the pistol. Commander,’ he heard from the door where Gottfried and Fritz stood side by side. ‘Try tunnelling next time. It is less noisy.’
The Luger slid from his hands as Graz hit him savagely from behind. Falling and fading out he heard Gottfried ask sharply, ‘The boy. Where is the boy?’
Simon had made for the front door where — as usual it seemed — signalling was in progress. He tiptoed back to the Operations room and hearing Gottfried snapping at Fritz, he stepped quickly into a tall, broad cupboard full of overcoats, umbrellas, overalls and working gear. The door was ajar and he could see some of the room and hear Gottfried grumbling at Fritz.
Then Gottfried disappeared into the back room and shut the door.
Simon stood wondering what his next chance would be. His ambitions were very simple. Out the front door, through the wire, the barrier and to The Bull.
‘Fritz,’ called a voice and the guard from the front door appeared with a message pad. Fritz took a couple of sheets. 'Herr Kapitan,’ he called at the back-room door.
Gottfried read the message and called Fritz back. Simon crouched low and tiptoed along a bank of cabinets. He went softly through the front door where the guard was preoccupied with St Oswald and tiptoed round the comer where he fell over the first of a row of metal dustbins. Lids clattered. He froze.
‘Was ist das?’ called the guard in a tight voice.
Simon repressed a giggle as footsteps drew nearer. The guard kicked the bins, lids rattled. He lifted one loose lid and kicked again. A spitting, enraged cat leapt from the bin and shot away up the hill. The guard flung the lid after it and went back to his post.
* * *
For ten minutes Simon crouched between the bins. Some smelt, some didn’t. Must get on, he thought. If I go uphill a bit, then round. I’ll find the exit.
He set out, keeping low and moving slowly along a wide detour. At first he paused frequently but once his eyes had become used to the dark he moved faster. During one pause in his progress he felt a scream bubble up in his throat. He dug his fingers into the long grass and took a deep breath. An animal of some kind had taken the calf of his leg in its mouth. It was a soft bite but he waited for teeth to pierce skin and crush bone. Lie still, he told himself. If I lie quite still, it must go away.
‘Looking for something?’ A whisper came from his left. He sneaked a glance. He could just see a round object with pale tawny fur. The grip on his leg tightened. He looked harder and his leg began to shake.
‘If you’re looking for the hole it’s farther along,’ said the funny object.
‘Liz. You stupid nit. Playing games out here. I’d kick your face in, you ... You’ve got no sense whatever.’ His rage blew up further as he realized the oddity of Liz being there at all.
‘Anyway, what are you doing here? You got away, now you’re back and it makes it twice as hard for us to escape. Where did you say the hole is?’
‘Farther along. But we can’t go back yet. Come up over the hill a bit,’ Liz whispered.
They crept as silently as they could out of the guard’s hearing and in two minutes Liz had filled Simon in about her return with Sarah.
‘Well, that’s that. Now we go too,’ said Simon.
‘No.’
‘I’ve had enough of it. Things are getting rough in there.’
We can’t get hurt and there are things we have to do.’
‘Like?’
‘Like finding out if horrible Gottfried has read some papers from a secret cupboard in the Commander’s office. It’s important. National security.’
‘NO.’
‘You’re a creep, Simon. Scared. Anyway, I’ve got to go back. Because of Frank. Can’t you see that?’
Simon lay tugging at bits of long grass. He stood up. ‘I think there’s something the matter with me. I’m supposed to be bright. But you seem to be able to talk me into anything.’
Liz jumped up.
‘You’re just good-hearted, that’s all. Come on, down to the Station.’
The guard was working the signalling lamp as they came round the corner.
‘We’ve come back,’ they called.
He dropped the lamp and turned, raising both hands above his head.
* * *
Commander Traynor, still dazed from the blow Graz had struck, sat slumped in a chair opposite Gottfried. He was seated the wrong side of his desk. Gottfried leant across it. ‘Commander, I must apologize again for the way my men behave. This is no way for men of science to conduct their disputes.’
Traynor looked at him with irritation. ‘For the Lord’s sake, Gottfried, stop trying to act out your idea of an “English Gentleman”. There’s a war on and we are enemies. Your men are thugs and I can’t wait to pay back their thuggery.’
‘It was never likely that you would tell me directly what you are doing here. But to deny convincingly conclusions which I put forward — now that would be another matter.’
‘Conclusions? You have none.’
‘We are both scientists. Sailors and soldiers — the professional ones — lie to each other as a matter of course. But not men of science. There would be a look in the eye, a lack of conviction. Imagine trying to deny Einstein’s theory of relativity. It’s not that it can’t be done. It’s that you can’t do it and not look a liar or a fool.’
‘I take your point.’
‘Good. Because there are matters of great interest in this establishment after all.’
‘We’ve been through this once before.’
‘True, but not with this in evidence.’ He let his fist fall on the desk and opened it. The ruby rod lay gleaming under the desk lamp.
‘What, I wonder, would a ruby be doing lying about in the back room?’
‘So you found my little ruby?’ Traynor asked with a trace of amusement.
‘Tossed a bit too casually among some radio parts on the work bench.’
‘You’re a man of the world in your way, Gottfried. I picked the stone up in London and one of my fitters here who was in the jewellery trade is going to make a pendant of it for a girlfriend of mine. Simple as that.’
‘Don’t joke with me. Commander,’ an angered Gottfried replied. ‘We will be serious. Rubies may flatter girlfriends but they also have hardness, clarity and other properties that make them ideal for carrying out experiments with light. This isn’t a jewel. It’s an industrial ruby. There is also some other evidence. So don’t be stupid. It isn’t becoming to a man of your standing.’
‘You aren’t getting far, Herr Kapitan,’ began Traynor when Fritz appeared in the door. He looked a little mad.
‘Was geht?’ Gottfried snapped, angry at the interruption.
‘Die Kinder,’ sighed Fritz.
They appeared one each side of him.
‘Hello,’ they said.
‘Why?’ a long questioning look from Gottfried. •
‘We just thought we’d come back,’ Simon began.
'Because you don’t belong to the village and even Commander Traynor doesn’t know who you are. You’ll stay under close guard until we move off.’
They listened and Simon’s eyes took in the contents of the desk top. The ruby shone under the lamp and he raised his eyes to Traynor whose glance was severe and warning. I get the message, thought Simon, and he shuffled his feet and looked meekly over at Gottfried.
‘I’m sorry, sir, only it was a bit late to get back,’ he said.
‘Go with Fritz,’ said the Kapitan, and gave long instructions to the guard. Neither Simon nor Liz understood but Traynor frowned.
‘Behave yourselves,’ he said. ‘This time they really are furious with you. And me,’ he added tapping his chest with his finger.
They turned and followed Fritz. Gottfried was saying, ‘So Commander — light �
�� now we will talk about light and its uses.’
* * *
Graz opened the Recreation room and Fritz pushed in Liz and Simon. He talked a long minute to Graz, passing on Gottfried’s orders. Graz locked the door, turned to Simon and cuffed his ears. Liz had gone swiftly across to Frank.
‘Frank,’ she said and put an arm round his shoulders. He looked dazed.
‘Are you all right, Frank?’ Liz asked.
‘Girlie,’ he asked. ‘Are you all right? I mean, who are you?’
‘You know. You arrested me.’
‘What are you doing in a place like this, anyway?’
‘I think he’s lost his memory already, Liz,’ Simon said quietly.
Liz looked aghast.
‘Already? Oh no.’
Frank looked at them both. ‘There’s something familiar about you two. But you keep making me think there’s something I had to do.’ He turned away towards the billiard table. Full of concern Liz followed him. Simon stood overshadowed by a menacing Graz. He caught Simon’s hair and twisted back his head. A heavy slap to and fro across Simon’s face brought a shout of rage from Simon who began to kick ineffectually at Graz’s shins. Liz flung herself into the fight, screaming and flailing at Graz with her fists and Frank roused to consciousness shouted, ‘Stop it, stop it, — treating kids like that.’ He leapt on Graz’s back and started to pull him over towards the sofa.
‘Liz, Liz, the window. Graz is crazy, he’ll kill us,’ shouted Simon. He ripped down the blackout and shoved and pushed at the stiff window.
Like a great bear breaking a flimsy cage Graz shook Frank off, whipped out his Luger and fired. Liz screamed as the shot echoed round the room. From outside came a hammering on the door and shouts in German.
‘Come on, Liz, we’ve got to get out of here,’ called Simon. ‘Come on.’
He pulled her towards the window and helped her up and out. The hammering and shouting outside grew louder. Frank struggled to his feet to take on Graz who raised the Luger and fired again. Liz fell unconscious from the window-sill and a dark bloodstain seeped across her right side. Behind them the door burst in, falling from its hinges. Gottfried and his two guards moved swiftly, weapons ready, into the room.
Timeslip Page 7