rr.thebrentfordtriangle-第14部分

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　Omally　whistled。　'As　big　as　that；　eh？'
　'As　big；　and　this　huge　clock　is　kept　accurately　ticking　away　by　the　piles　of　pennies　placed　upon　that　pendulum　by　the　builders　of　the　thing。　Am　I　right？'
　'You　are；'　said　Omally　agreeably；　'you　are　indeed。'
　'Well　then！'　said　Pooley　triumphantly。
　'Well　then　what？'
　Pooley　sighed；　he　was　clearly　speaking　to　an　idiot。　'The　Great　Pyramid　is　to　the　planet　Earth　what　the　penny　piles　are　to　Big　Ben's　pendulum。　Shall　I　explain　fully？'
　'Perhaps　you　should；　Jim；　but　make　it　a　quick　one；　eh？'
　'Well　then；　as　we　are　all　aware；　these　ancient　Egyptians　were　a　pretty　canny　bunch。　Greatly　skilled　at　plotting　the　heavens　and　working　things　out　on　the　old　slide　rule。　Well；　it　is　my　belief　that　sometime　back　then　some　sort　of　catastrophe；　no　doubt　of　a　cosmic　nature；　occurred　and　pushed　the　Earth　a　little　off　its　axis。　There　is　a　great　deal　of　evidence　to　support　this；　the　sudden　extinction　of　the　mammoths；　the　shifting　of　the　Polar　caps；　all　this　kind　of　thing。'
　Omally　yawned。　'Sorry；'　he　said。
　'Now　these　Egyptian　lads　were　not　to　be　caught　napping　and　when　they　realized　that　impending　doom　was　heading　their　way　they　did　the　only　logical　thing　and　took　corrective　measures。'
　'Corrective　measures？'　The　bottom　of　Omally's　glass　was　already　in　sight　and　he　could　feel　the　dartboard　calling。
　'Corrective　measures　they　took；'　said　Jim；　'by　building　a　kind　of　counterbalance　upon　the　Earth's　surface　to　keep　the　thing　running　on　trim。　They　selected　the　exact　spot　which　bisects　exactly　the　continents　and　oceans。　They　aligned　their　construction　to　the　four　cardinal　points　and　then　whammo；　or　not　whammo；　as　the　case　may　be。　There　you　are；　you　see；　case　proven；　we　have　a　great　deal　to　thank　those　ancient　sunburned　builders　for。'
　Omally　seemed　strangely　doubtful。　'There　has　been　a　lot　of　building　work　done　about　the　world　since　that　time；'　he　said；　'some　of　which　I　can　personally　vouch　for。　With　all　that　weight　being　unevenly　distributed　about　the　place；　I　have　the　feeling　that　your　old　pyramid　would　bee　somewhat　overwhelmed。'
　Pooley　shook　his　head。　'The　pyramid　is　a　unique　structure；　it　has　an　exact　weight；　mass；　and　density　ratio　to　the　planet　itself。　It　is　the　one　construction　which　will　fill　the　bill　exactly。　The　stones　quarried　for　it　were　cut　to　carefully　calculated　sizes　and　shapes；　each　is　an　integral　part　interlocking　like　a　Chinese　puzzle。　The　inner　chambers　are　aligned　in　such　a　way　as　to　channel　certain　earth　currents　to　maximum　effect。　It　is　much　more　than　simply　a　big　lump　of　rock。　No　matter　how　many　other　buildings　go　up　all　over　the　world；　the　pyramid　will　still　maintain　its　function。　To　alter　the　Earth's　motion　one　would　have　to　actually　move　the　Great　Pyramid。'
　'I'll　chalk　up　then；'　said　Omally；　but　the　remark　was　apparently　not　directed　to　Jim　Pooley。
　Norman；　however；　was　entranced。　Could　there　possibly　be　any　conceivable　truth　behind　Pooley's　ramblings？　It　all　seemed　impossibly　far…fetched。　But　what　if　it　were　so？　The　implications　were　staggering！　If　one　could　actually　alter　the　course　of　the　Earth　by　moving　the　Great　Pyramid　about；　then　one　could　wield　quite　a　lot　of　weight；　in　more　than　one　sense　only。　A　bit　of　a　tilt　northwards　and　Brentford　would　enjoy　tropical　summers；　a　mite　more　later　in　the　year　and　there　would　be　tropical　winters　too。　It　was　all　in　the　wrist　action。
　It　would　be　quite　a　task；　though；　the　Great　Pyramid　was　estimated　to　weigh　upwards　of　five　million；　nine　hundred　and　twenty…three　thousand；　four　hundred　tons。　It　would　take　more　than　a　builder's　lorry　and　a　bunch　of　willing　lads　on　double　bubble。　Possibly　he　could　bribe　coachloads　of　tourists　into　each　bringing　back　a　bit　with　them。　That　would　be　a　lengthy　business　though。
　Norman's　gigantic　intellect　went　into　overdrive。　He　had　been　experimenting　for　years　with　a　concept　based　upon　Einstein's　unified　field　theory；　which　was　concerned　primarily　with　the　invisibilizing　and　teleportation　of　solid　objects。　It　was　rumoured　that　the　US　Navy　had　made　a　successful　experiment　during　the　war；　creating　some　kind　of　magnetic　camouflage　which　to　all　intents　and　purposes　made　an　entire　battle　cruiser　vanish　momentarily。　Einstein　himself；　it　was　said；　had　forbidden　any　further　experimentation；　due　to　the　disastrous　effects　visited　upon　the　crew。
　Norman　had　recalled　thinking　on　more　than　one　occasion　that　Einstein；　although　an　individual　given　to　the　rare　flash　of　inspiration；　had　for　the　most　part　been　a　little　too　windy　by　half。　Now　if　the　Great　Pyramid　could　be　teleported　from　one　site　to　another　it　might　be　very　instructive　to　observe　the　results　。　。　。
　Norman　scuffed　his　feet　amongst　the　wreckage。　It　had　all　been　so　long　ago；　a　lot　of　peanuts　had　lodged　under　the　old　bridge　since　then。　But　he　had　proved　that　at　least　some　of　it　was　possible。　In　fact；　the　more　he　thought　about　it　the　more　he　realized　that　to　teleport　a　live　camel　from　the　Nile　Delta　to　the　St　Mary's　allotment；　in　a　matter　of　seconds；　wasn't　a　bad　day's　work　after　all。　He　was　definitely　well　on　his　way。
　Norman　smiled　contentedly；　picked　his　way　over　to　the　corner　sink　and；　drawing　back　the　undercurtain；　took　out　a　bottle　of　Small　Dave's　home…made　cabbage　beer；　a　crate　of　which　he　had　taken　in　payment　for　an　unpaid　yearly　subscription　to　Psychic　News。　It　was　a　little　on　the　earthy　side　and　had　more　than　a　hint　of　the　wily　sprout　about　it；　but　it　did　creep　up　on　you　and　was　always　of　use　if　your　lighter　had　run　low。
　'The　ultimate　quest；'　said　Norman；　raising　the　bottle　towards　the　charred　ceiling　of　the　war…torn　kitchenette。
　It　had　long　been　a　habit　of　his；　one　born　it　is　to　be　believed　at　a　Cowboy　Night　he　had　attended　some　years　previously；　for　Norman　to　wrench　the　hard…edged　cap　from　the　bottle's　neck　with　his　teeth　before　draining　deeply　from　its　glassy　throat。
　In　his　enthusiasm　he　quite　forgot　the　matter　of　his　wayward　dentures。
　The　ensuing　scream　rattled　chimney　pots　several　streets　away　and　caused　many　of　the　'sleeping　just'　to　stir　in　their　slumber　and　cross　themselves　fitfully。
　
　12
　Elsewhere　other　early　recumbents　were　stirring　to　the　sound　of　fire…engine　bells　and　the　cheers　of　an　assembled　throng　of　spectators。　There　was　a　fair　amount　of　noise　and　chaos；　smoke　and　flame；　when　the　front　bedroom　floor　at　twenty…seven　Silver　Birch　Terrace　collapsed；　bringing　with　it　a　hundred…thousand　volumes　of　Poe　and　an　apparently　atose　postman　of　below　average　height。
　When　the　firemen；　who　had　been　amusing　themselves　by　flooding　neighbouring　front　rooms　and　washing　out　carefully…laid　gardens；　finally　finished　their　work　upon　Small　Dave's　house；　the　ambulance　men；　who　had　been　grudgingly　aroused　from　their　dominoes；　moved　in　to　claim　the　corpse　in　the　interests　of　medical　science。　They　were　more　than　surprised　to　find　the　postman　sitting　virtually　uncharred　in　the　ruins　of　his　living　room；　legs　crossed　and　bearing　a　baked　sprout　hi　his　right　hand。　He　wore　a　smiling　and　benign　expression　upon　his　elfin　face　and　seemed　to　be　hiunming　something。　Shrugging　helplessly；　they　wrapped　him　up　in　a　red　blanket　and　bundled　him　into　the　ambulance。
　When　the　sound　of　its　departing　bells　had　faded；　along　with　those　of　the　appliance；　away　into　the　night；　the　observers　of　the　holocaust　drifted　away　to　brew　cocoa　and　prepare　for　their　beds。　Eventually　just　two　members　of　the　jolly　band　remained；　one　a　fellow　of　Irish　extraction　and　the　other　a　man　with　a　twitching　right　forefinger。
　'What　now？'　asked　John　Omally。
　'A　nocturnal　tournament？'　Pooley　suggested。　'One　for　the　road　before　we　turn　in；　how　does　double　or　quits　suit　you？'
　'Very　well；　I　think　you　owe　me　something　for　the　evening　of　embarrassment　you　have　given　me。　Care　to　put　an　extra　wager　upon　the　course　record？'
　Pooley；　who　considered　his　sobriety　to　give　him　the　natural　edge；　nodded　enthusiastically　and　the　two　men　wandered　off　towards　the　allotment。　Omally　affected　the　occasional　drunken　side…step　in　the　hope　of　adding　weight　to　Pooley's　conviction　and　causing　him　to　bet　a　little　more　recklessly。
　It　was　a　clear　night。　A　hunter's　moon　swam　above　in　the　heavens；　edging　the　corrugated　sheds　with　a　priceless　silver。　The　course　was　illuminated　to　such　a　degree　that　there　was　no　need　for　the　employment　of　the　miner's　helmets　Pooley　had　improvised　for　late　matches。
　The　allotment　gates　were　barred　and　bolted。　An　officious　Council　lackey　had　also　seen　to　it　that　they　were　now　surmounted　by　a　row　of　murderous　looking　barbs　and　a　tangle　of　barbed　wire。　Exactly　why；　nobody　could　guess。　Pooley　and　Omally　were　obliged　to　use　their　own　private　entrance。
　'A　nine…holer　or　the　full　eighteen；　Jim？'
　'The　night　is　yet　young　and　I　feel　more　than　equal　to　the　task；　remembering　that　you　are　already　deeply　in　my　debt。'　Pooley　quietly　unlocked　his　shed　and　withdrew　the　two　sets　of　hidden　clubs。
　Omally　tossed　a　coin。　'Heads；'　he　said；　as　the　copper　coin　spun　into　the　night　sky。
　Had　the　falling　coin　actually　struck　terra　firma；　as　one　might　naturally　have　assumed　that　it　would；　it　is　possible　that　the　events　which　followed　might　never　have　occurred。　It　is　possible；　but　it　is　unlikely。　The　coin　tumbled　towards　the　allotment　dust；　until　it　reached　a　point　about　three　inche