By the Time I Get to Pellax by Keith Dersley

Author:Keith Dersley [Dersley, Keith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2019-08-25T06:00:00+00:00

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'What about this Silvera character?' said Venner. 'He came here while you were away,' said Latonia. 'A good-looking guy, but evil. Vile,' said Helen with a shudder. 'The worst white man I know,' said Julian. 'What can he have against me?' 'Nothing personal, Baas, but he helps King Bausi because the King gives him cattle and women.' 'There have been a few signs that the program is breaking down while you were away,' whispered Latonia. 'Such as?' 'A Wells Fargo stagecoach rolled through the centre of Hilldorp.' 'Really? Did it cause any comment?' 'No, everybody went about their business. It could have been a hay wagon passing by.' 'Anything else?' asked Venner. 'Yes,' said Latonia, 'a talleyman arrived with a sack on his back, offering computer wristwatches. They must have a real time warp in the programming. Several of the Boers examined the watches, but said they were too expensive.' 'Did you look at one?' 'I did, and I bought it. But I left it on the bedside table and in the morning it was gone.' 'He also had a catalogue,' said Helen. 'I was looking through. It offered home replicators.' 'I don't know how long we're going to be stuck here, but one of those could be worth sending for. Did you keep a copy of the catalogue?' asked Venner. 'I never thought of that, I was forgetting Latonia would find it valuable in her work on the rocking chair.' 'Assuming the stuff would arrive, I might have been able to make a real jump forward,' said Latonia. 'Of course, the batteries I've got here would never be enough for a replicator, and I would then somehow have to put a massive generator together too.' 'Well, if you managed it there would be plenty of strong-armed Boers to work the handle,' said Venner. 'Where is your rocking chair?' he asked Latonia. She nodded to Helen and before he could offer to help, the two girls went into Latonia's room and brought it out. Latonia went back for the relay of wires, switches, and valves that she had put together and plugged it into a socket on the leg of the rocker. 'Try it,' she said to Venner. He got onto the thing and they all stood in a row against the far wall of the room, looking at him. 'It may flicker, but it's safe,' said Helen. 'No one's been lost on it yet,' said Latonia. Slowly Venner began to rock. The legs and struts of the chair were of thin dark wood highly polished and he was afraid his weight might be too much. But soon he was rocking away like a veteran and the room began to spin. He lifted up from the ground, and looking down he saw his friends still gazing at the spot where the chair had been. He left the air over Hilldorp, then left the atmosphere and shot into what he thought was the blackness of space, though he had no difficulty breathing and saw no stars.

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