s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

 I ll walkyouthe re, ifyou promisenott om akegurglingsoundsat thecity.I t san
icecity,butI
livehere, andfrankly,t ourismisboring. Jackdidnotreply.Grandfatherto okit
foracceptanceoftheterms. Theywalked.Jackbecameove rpoweredbythesheerweightof
the city.Itwas obviouslyextensive,
massive,andterriblyc lean.ItwashisdreamforWh itechapelcomet
rue.Heaskedaboutslums,abou tdoss houses.Thegrandfathershookhishead. Longgone.
Soi th adcometopass. Thereformsfor whichhepledgedhisimmortalsou
l,theyhadcometo
pass.HeswungtheGladstoneandwalkedjauntily.Butafter afew minutes hi sp
acesaggedoncemore:there wasnoonetobeseeninthestreets.
Justsh iningc lean buildingsandstreetsthatran off ina
imlessdirectionsandcametounexpectedstop
sasthoughthebuildershaddecidedpeoplemight vanish atonepointand
reappearsomeplaceelse,so whyb othermakingaroadfromonepointtotheother.
Thegroundwasmetal,thesk yseemedmeta llic,thebuildingsloomedonallsides,feature
less
explorationsofplanedspacebyinsensitivemetal.Themanfrom1888feltterriblyalone,as
thougheve ryacthehadperformedhadledinevitablytoh isalienationfromthe
verypeoplehe hadsought toaid.
WhenhehadcometoToynbeeHall,andtheReve rendMr.Barnetthadopenedhiseyestothe
slumh orrorsof Spitalfields, hehadvowedto help in any way hecould.
IthadseemedassimpleasfaithintheLordwha
ttodo,afterafewmonthsinthesinkholesofWhitechapel.Thesluts,ofwhatusewerethey?
Nomoreusethanthediseasegermsthathadinfectedtheseverysamewhores.Sohehadsetforth
Page 72
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
asJack, toperformthewillofGodandraisethepoord regswhoinhabitedtheEastEn
dofLondon.ThatLord Warren,th eMetropolitanPoliceCommissioner,andh
isQueen,andalltherestthoughthimamaddoctor,oranamokb utcher,orabeastin
humanform didnotd istresshim.Heknewhewould remain anonymous
throughalltime,butthatth egoodworkshehadsetinmotionwouldproceedtotheirwonde
rful conclusion.
Thedestructionofthemosthideousslumareathecount ryhadeverknown ,andtheopen
ingof Victoriane yes.Butallthetimehadpassed ,andnowhewashe re, inaworldwhe
reslumsapparentlydidnotex ist,asterileUtopiathatwasthepersonification ofthe
Reveren dMr. Barnett sd reams--butitdidn t seem& right.
Thisgrandfather,withhisyoung head. Silenceintheemptyst reets.
Thegirl,Juliette, andherstrangehobby. Thelackofconcernatherdeath.
Theg randfather s expectationthat he,J ack,wouldk ill her.Andnowh
isfriendliness.Whe reweretheygo ing?
[Aroundthem,theCity.Astheywalked,thegrandfatherpaidnoattention,andJackwatchedb
ut didno tunderstand.Butthiswaswhattheysawa stheywalked:
[Thirteenhundredbeamsoflight,onefootwide andseven moleculesthick,e
ruptedfroma lmost-
invisibleslitsinthemetalstreets,fannedoutandwashedthesurfacesofthebuildings;th
eyalteredh uetoa va gueblueandwasheddownthesurfacesofthebuildings;theybentan
dcoveredallopensurfaces,bentatrightangles, then bent again,anda
gain,likeorigamipa perf igures; they alteredhuea secondtime,softg old,andpenet
ratedthesurfacesofthebuildings,expand ing andcontractingins olidwaves, washing
theinnersurfaces; they withdre wrapidly int oth esidewalks ;theent
ireprocesshadtakentwelveseconds.
[Night fell overas ixteen blocka reaof theCity. Itdescendedinaso lidpillar
andwasquitesharp-ed ged,end ingatthest
reetcorners.Fromwithintheareaofdarknesscamethedistinctsoundsofcrickets,
marshfrogsbelching,ni ghtbirds,softb reezesintrees, andfaintm usicof
unidentifiableinstruments.
[Panesof frostedlight appearedsuspendedfreely intheair,overhead.Awavery
insubstantial quality begant o assaultthetopmostlevelsofag reatst
ructuredirectly in front ofthelight-panes.Asthepanesmovedslowl yd
ownthroughthe air,thebuildingbecameindistinct,turnedintomotesoflight, and
floatedupward.Asthepanesreachedthepavement,thebuildingh
adbeencompletelydematerialized.Th e panesshiftedcolortoadee p
orange,andbeganmovingupw ardagain.Astheym oved,anewstructure
begantoformwherethepreviousbuildinghadstood,drawing--itseemed--motesoflightfro
mtheairand formingthe
mintoacohesivewholethatbecame,asthepanesceasedtheirupwardmovement,anew
building.Thelight-paneswinkedout ofex istence.
[Thesoundofabumblebeewasheardforseveralseconds.Thenitceased.
[Acrowdof peopleinrubbergarments hurried out of agray pulsingh oleintheair,
pattedthepavementatthe irfeet ,thenrushedoffaroundaco rner,fromwhe
reemanatedthesoundofprolonged coughing. Thensilence returned.
[Ad rop ofw ater, thick as quicksilver,
plummetedtothepavement,struck,bounded,roseseveralinches,thenevapo
ratedintoacrimsonsmearintheshapeofawhale stooth,whichsettledtothepavementandla
Page 73
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
yst ill.
[Twob locks ofbuildingssankintothepavementandthemetalcoverin gwassmoothand
unbroken,saveforametaltreewhosetrunkwassilveran dslim,toppedbyabal loffol
iageconstructedofgoldenfibersthatradiatedbrightly
inaperfectcircle.Therewasnosound.
[ThelateJuliette sgrandfatherandth emanfrom1888continuedwalking.]
 Wherearewegoing?
 To van Cleef s.W edon t usu allywalk; oh ,sometimes ;but it isn tas muc
hpleasure asit use dto be. I mdo ingthisprimarilyfor you.Areyouen joying
yourself?
 It s...unusual.
 Not muchlikeSpitalfields, isit?ButI ratherlikeitb ackthere, at thattime. I
have theonlyT raveler,d idyouknow?Theonlyoneevermade.Ju liette sfatherconst
ructedit,myson.Ihadtokillhim togetit.Hewasthoroughlyunreasonableab out it,
really.I tw asa casualthingf orhim.Hewasthelastof thetinkerers,and hemi
ghtjustaseasilyhaveg ivenittome.ButIsupposehewasbeingcranky.Thatwas
whyIhadyoucarveupmygranddaughter.Shewou ldhavegottenaroundto mealmostan yt
imenow. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]