The Trouble With Sunbathers by Magnus Mills

Author:Magnus Mills [Mills, Magnus]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

12

The three men were obviously following the road around towards the MovieDrome. Rupert and I set off at a gentle pace, keeping them in sight but taking care not to get too close. Fortunately they never thought of looking behind them. Moreover, the light was failing rapidly. There was a very long curve ahead of us, then a junction where the men turned right onto a straight, narrow road.

They jogged so slowly that we were now in danger of catching up with them. For a moment we were tempted to overtake them to show that we were faster, but we managed to resist the urge. We could now see the MovieDrome looming up ahead of us. Before that the road widened briefly at the point where the buses used to turn around. Here the men came to a sudden halt, apparently to catch their breath.

‘All their talk about working the British until they melt,’ said Rupert. ‘They ought to sort themselves out first.’

After a brief pause the men continued at ordinary walking speed. They looked small beside the high fence surrounding the MovieDrome. This had been designed in such a way that passers-by would be unable to see the film being shown. We knew that the main entrance was further along the road. Nearby, however, was a service door which the three men now approached. We watched as Carruthers produced his bunch of keys, unlocked the door and ushered his two companions inside. He went in last, closing the door behind him.

Rupert and I allowed a couple of minutes to pass before strolling over and cautiously trying the door. It was locked. We walked along to the main entrance, which was closed and blocked with concrete barriers. We then followed the perimeter fence all the way around, looking for other ways in, but there were none. We stood outside the MovieDrome and waited as darkness fell.

Shortly afterwards we became aware of a flickering in the sky immediately overhead. We could also hear a soundtrack which, despite being muffled by the high fence, we recognised at once. There was the familiar theme tune that always went with the newsreels, together with an effusive commentary. Now we were certain beyond doubt that it was the film about Lee Montana. The voice-over portrayed her as a star in the making and bewailed the loss of her untapped talent, destined never to be enjoyed by a disappointed public. Rupert and I had seen the newsreel on numerous occasions. As we listened, we could easily picture Lee Montana riding her elephant bareback through the savannah, accompanied by some ostriches, some zebras, and a young giraffe.

Nonetheless, we were at a loss to explain why the men in the MovieDrome kept watching it over and over again. After it finished there was a slight delay before the film started once more from the beginning. By now we practically knew the soundtrack by heart. When it was repeated for a third time we decided to head for home.

There was no street lighting so we went via the main road.

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