‘What was that?’
‘Freedom to do nothing, if I wished. To say whatever I wanted without consequence. To think how I pleased. As she must be like me in many ways, I don’t know how my mother survived without going mad.’
‘It is possible that she did. But what’s the point of freedom? Do you think that you can change anything?’
‘Of course not. We are waiting.’
‘For what?’
‘Until the world changes on its own. That is the one truth of history. Everything ends. Civilisations, empires, however powerful and strong. They all end, sooner or later. When it does we will be there, with all the old ideas and thoughts, preserved and ready to blossom. We’re not subversives. We do nothing to bring it about, although some are more impatient. Unfortunately the authorities do not bother to make the distinction. For someone like Oldmanter, merely believing society will collapse is a crime in itself.’
‘It will be a long wait.’
‘Yes. Many generations. Unless someone finds a short cut.’ She stopped for a moment before continuing. ‘Sooner or later the machines will stop, your ideas will fail, and men will have to start again. Meanwhile we are content to survive and remember.’
‘Remember what?’
‘Everything. We all remember things. Each person has a task, of memorising some important, vital, vulnerable field of knowledge. To keep them alive and safe. Each generation passes it on to the next. Ideas of music and poetry, of freedom and happiness. History, philosophy, even stories. Everything that has been written about and thought about. They will have their chance again, one day. We keep it safe, as we are sure that one day the depositories and libraries will be destroyed. Many have been already. Only what is in the minds of men will survive, passed on by word of mouth.’
‘How does your interest in history fit into that?’
‘Anything which is forbidden is important, and the study of the past has been banned for a century, except under licence. They do not want anyone to think there might be an alternative to the way things are.’
‘Quite right. Why study the follies of the past?’
‘It teaches you to recognise weakness. Would a truly confident, strong society worry about such things? Would it persecute people who were so obviously wrong? All these institutions and governments overlapping in their authority will fight each other for supremacy sooner or later. It is always the case and it will be again. The great edifice of authority is convinced it cannot err. It will destroy itself as a result. That is what history teaches us. Thanks to my mother, it may be that the past will become important again.’
She sat down in the shade of a high wall, mixed of crumbling stone and brick like a patchwork, and gestured for him to join her. He didn’t know how to reply, so said nothing. She was deluded, of course, but he found her certainty impressive nonetheless. It was so strange to have someone patiently waiting for something which, if it ever happened, would only take place long after they were dead.
‘What if you are wrong?’
‘Then we would have tried.’
‘You know they may have decided to wipe you out entirely this time?’
‘Of course. If not this time, then next time. We have known it was coming for many years. It won’t succeed, any more than past campaigns did. We have prepared, as you see. We will vanish from sight, hide away and wait. When they lose interest again, we will emerge once more. Are they really so fragile a few hundred thousand like me can bring their world to its knees? I wish we could.’
‘That is why they pursue you.’
‘Come along. Let’s get to work.’
‘Doing what?’
She smiled. ‘Digging carrots, of course. Do you think we offer hospitality for free?’
A few hours later Emily took a break, leaving a red-faced and aching Jack to lean on his shovel and get his breath back, then returned looking pleased with herself.
‘We have managed to establish contact with Dr Hanslip for you. We thought it might be useful.’
Jack followed her to the main building and politely took off the boots he had borrowed so that he would not get mud all over the brilliantly shiny stone floor of the entrance. Then he surreptitiously paused by the big fireplace for a moment to warm his hands.
Emily pointed accusingly and laughed. ‘Weak and feeble man!’ she said, but with a tone of what sounded almost like affection in her voice.
When he was ready, she led him along a dark corridor to another room. ‘You, no doubt, would sneer if I told you this was our communications centre,’ she said, as she opened the door and gestured for him to go in.
‘Perhaps,’ he said.
There was nothing in it except a chair, a desk and couple of antique machines that looked as though they had been salvaged from a scrap heap.
‘Well, it is,’ she said. ‘So sneer away.’
‘What’s that?’ he said, pointing at what was on the desk.
‘That is a telephone. We discovered long ago that the whole of Britain — the whole world, probably — was covered in copper cables before technology made them redundant. It was too expensive to dig them up, so they were left underground and forgotten. We patiently mapped out where they were and worked out which ones were still serviceable and how to use them. They’re not monitored, because they haven’t been used for so long. Fortunately, at the moment we can use more conventional means. While the telephone has a romantic air to it, it doesn’t actually work very well.’
She laughed as she saw the relief crossing his face, then pulled out a perfectly ordinary communicator and handed it to him.
‘There you are.’
‘Hello?’ Jack said tentatively once he had taken it from her.
‘Yes. More?’ came the crackly but distinct voice of Hanslip at the other end. ‘Where are you?’
‘It would perhaps be better if I did not say,’ Jack replied. ‘I am being pursued by Oldmanter, I believe.’
‘I am aware of that. We have been surrounded up here and warrants issued for my arrest.’
‘What charges?’
‘Does it matter? He is more impatient than I thought. We cannot possibly hold out for long if he decides to attack.’
‘Has there been any fighting?’
‘Not yet. Just threats, but that won’t last. I need that data, Mr More. It is the only defence which might offer some protection.’
‘In that case, I have good news. I’ve found it.’
There was a sigh of relief from the other end.
‘I am having it examined at the moment. It was disguised exceptionally well. If I can figure out how it was done, I might be able to find out who helped to do it—’
‘Don’t bother.’
‘Why not?’
‘You will discover it really is as old as it looks. It pains me to say it, but I am afraid Angela was correct. The phenomenon we have discovered is indeed time travel, not transit.’
‘So what do you want me to do with it now?’
‘If it wasn’t for the fact that my life and freedom depended on it, I’d tell you to stick it on a fire.’
‘Do you want me to bring it to you?’
‘You’d never make it through Oldmanter’s forces. Keep it safe and hidden. I will come to you. Just make absolutely certain that it does not fall into Oldmanter’s hands. That is the most important thing of all. If he uses it...’
‘Why would he, if it’s as dangerous as you say?’
‘Orthodoxy says it is impossible.’
‘We have evidence.’
‘Do we? The more evidence we produce, the more he will take it as proof only of fraud. I can’t blame him. I did the same.’
Then he was gone.
‘Well, well. After all that.’
‘What?’ Emily asked; she had discreetly stood outside during the conversation.