rr.thebrentfordtriangle-第29章

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；　upon　this　site　there　has　been　a　coaching　house　for　several　hundred　years；　it　has　always　boasted　an　excellent　cellar　and　a　natural　water　supply。　Built　in　1898；　the　North　Star；　a　significant　name　you　will　agree；　founded　upon　Brentford's　deepest　freshwater　well。'　The　Professor　slammed　the　book　shut。　'I　need　not　continue；'　he　said；　'I　think　the　point　is　clearly　made。'
　'My　collarbone　is　gone　in　at　least　three　places；'　said　Jim。
　'It　can't　be　the　water　supply；'　said　Omally。　'That　is　ludicrous。　Aliens　do　not　steer　themselves　through　space　guided　by　the　village　waterworks。　Anyway；　every　house　in　Brentford　has　water；　every　house　in　the　country；　surely？'
　'You　fail　to　grasp　it；'　said　the　Professor。　'What　we　have　here　is　a　carefully　guided　natural　watercourse；　with　the　acpanying　electrical　field　which　all　underground　water　naturally　carries；　culminating　in　a　series　of　node　points。　The　node　points　channel　the　ley　earth…forces　through　the　system；　terminating　at　the　Flying　Swan。　If　you　will　look　upon　the　map　you　will　see　that　the　Swan　is　built　exactly　one　third　up　from　the　Thames　base　line　of　the　Brentford　Triangle。　Exactly　the　same　position　as　the　King's　Chamber　hi　the　Great　Pyramid。　A　very　powerful　position　indeed。'
　'It　all　appears　to　me　a　little　over…circuitous；'　said　Ornally。　'Why　not　simply　stick　up　a　row　of　landing　lights？　If　these　Cerean　lads　have　all　the　wits　that　you　attribute　to　them；　surely　they　could　tamper　with　the　National　Grid　and　form　a　dirty　big　cross　of　lighted　areas　across　half　of　Britain？'
　'Possibly；'　the　Professor　replied；　'they　might　be　able　to　do　that　for　an　hour；　possibly　for　a　day；　but　this　pattern　has　been　glowing　into　space　for　a　hundred　years；　unnoticed　by　man　and　untouched。　It　is　reinforced　by　the　structures　built　above　it；　pubs；　thriving　pubs。　This　is　Brentford；　nobody　ever　knocks　down　a　pub　here。'
　'True；'　said　Omally。　'We　have　little　truck　with　iconoclasts　hereabouts。'
　'This　beacon　could　go　on　radiating　energy　for　a　thousand　years。　After　all；　the　Cereans　had　no　idea　how　long　they　would　have　to　wait　to　be　rescued。'
　'There　is　definitely　evidence　of　a　cracked　rib　here；'　said　Pooley；　feeling　at　his　chest。
　'All　is　surely　lost；'　said　Omally。
　'I　didn't　say　it　was　terminal；'　Pooley　replied。　'Just　a　job　for　a　skilled　surgeon　or　two。'
　Professor　Slobe　stroked　his　chin。　'At　this　very　moment；'　he　said；　'somewhere　on　the　outer　rim　of　the　galaxy；　the　Cerean　Strike　Force　is　heading　towards　its　homeworld。　Finding　none；　it　will　inevitably　be　turning　here；　guided　by　the　descendants　of　its　stranded　forebears。　Unless　otherwise　diverted　or　destroyed；　they　will　home　in　upon　their　landing　area；　and　I　do　not　believe　that　we　can　expect　any　of　that　〃We　bring　greetings　from　a　distant　star〃　benign　cosmic　super…race　attitude　to　be　very　much　in　evidence　upon　their　arrival。　We　must　work　at　this　thing；　I　do　not　believe　that　it　is　without　solution。'
　'My　ankle's　gone；'　grizzled　Pooley。　'I　shall　walk　with　a　limp　for　the　rest　of　my　life。'
　'Do　put　a　sock　in　it；　Pooley；'　said　the　Professor。
　'But　I'm　wounded；'　said　the　wounded　Pooley。　'Somebody　might　show　a　little　passion。'
　'I　don't　think　you　realize　the　gravity　of　the　situation。'
　'On　the　contrary；'　said　Jim；　waggling　a　right　wrist　which　was　quite　obviously　a　job　for　the　fracture　clinic。　'I've　never　missed　an　episode　of　〃The　Outer　Limits〃　…　true；　I've　been　in　the　bog　during　many　a　tide　sequence；　or　slept　through　the　last　five　minutes；　but　I　know　what　I'm　talking　about。
　None　of　this　smacks　to　me　of　sound　science　fiction。　All　this　sort　of　stuff　does　not　occur　in　the　shadow　of　the　gasworks。　Alien　invaders；　who　we　all　know　to　be　green　in　colour　and　pictured　accurately　upon　the　front　page　of　the　Eagle；　do　not　muck　about　with　council　water　supplies　or　conveniently　arrange　for　the　location　of　public　drinking…houses。　I　take　this　opportunity　to　voice　my　opinion　and　pooh　pooh　the　whole　idea。　There　is　a　poultice　wanting　upon　these　knees　and　more　than　one　of　my　fillings　has　e　adrift。'
　'An　uncle　of　mine　has　connections　with　the　Proves；'　said　Omally。　'If　you　will　sanction　the　exemption　of　the　Swan；　I　might　arrange　for　the　levelling　of　every　other　relevant　pub　in　Brentford。'
　Professor　Slobe　smiled　ruefully。　'That；　I　think；　might　be　a　little　too　extreme；'　he　said。　'I　am　sure　that　a　less　drastic　solution　can　be　found。'
　'Nobody　ever　listens　to　me；'　said　Jim；　going　into　a　sulk。
　'As　I　see　it；'　said　Professor　Slobe；　'the　Flying　Swan　is　the　epicentre　of　the　entire　configuration。　It　has　been　so　aligned　as　to　act　as　the　focal　point。　The　harnessed　Earth　forces　flow　through　the　alignment　and　culminate　therein。　There　must　be　something　located　either　within　the　Swan　or　beneath　it　into　which　the　energy　flows。　Something　acting　as　locative　centre　or　municating　beacon　to　these　beings。　As　to　what　it　is；　I　have　not　the　slightest　idea。'
　'Maybe　it's　the　darts　team；'　said　Pooley。　'We've　held　the　shield　for　five　years。　Perhaps　your　lads　have　infiltrated　the　team　and　are　guiding　their　mates　in　through　a　series　of　pre…planned　double　tops。'
　'You　are　not　being　obstructive　are　you；　Jim？'　the　Professor　asked。
　'What；　me？　With　the　collapsed　lung　and　the　damaged　cerebral　cortex？　Perish　the　thought。'　Pooley　took　up　his　glass　in　a　grazed　fist　and　refilled　it。
　'Now　we　know　where　it　is；'　said　the　Professor；　'it　surely　cannot　be　that　difficult　to　find　it。'
　'But　what　are　we　looking　for？'　asked　Omally。　'You　find　a　great　triangle；　we　find　the　constellation　of　the　Plough。'
　'I　find　it；'　said　Pooley。
　'Pooley　finds　it；'　said　Omally；　'one　thing　leads　to　another；　but　we　just　go　around　in　circles。　What　are　we　looking　for？'
　'I　think　I　can　make　a　reasonable　guess；'　said　Professor　Slobe。　'We　are　looking　for　something　which　is　the　product　of　a　high　technology。　Something　which　utilizes　the　vast　power　fed　into　it　and　acts　as　the　ultimate　homing　beacon。　It　must　have　been　placed　in　the　Swan　during　the　last　year　or　so；　for　it　was　only　during　this　time　that　the　Earthbound　Cereans　gained　knowledge　of　their　prodigals'　return　and　wished　to　announce　their　own　presence。'
　Pooley　shrugged。　'Product　of　a　high　technology；　runs　off　its　own　power　supply　and　recently　installed　in　the　Swan。　Can't　see　anything　filling　that　bill；　it　would　have　to　be　pretty　well　camouflaged。。。　'　Pooley　ceased　his　discourse　in　mid…sentence。　An　image　had　suddenly　appeared　in　his　brain。　It　was　so　strong　and　crystal　clear　that　it　blotted　out　everything　else。　It　was　the　image　of　a　large　bulky…looking　object　shrouded　beneath　a　groundsheet　and　secured　with　baling　wire；　and　it　was　humming　and　humming　and　humming。
　'By　the　light　of　burning　martyrs；'　said　John　Omally。　'It　has　been　staring　us　in　the　face　for　months　and　we　never　even　twigged。'
　'What　is　it？'　the　Professor　demanded。　'You　know；　don't　you？'
　'Oh；　yes；'　said　Jim　Pooley。　'We　know　well　enough；　but　believe　me　the　thing　will　not　be　easily　tampered　with。　It　will　take　an　electronics　expert　with　the　brain　of　an　Einstein　to　dismantle　it；　and　where　are　we　going　to　get　one　of　those　in　Brentford？'
　Norman　Hartnell　was　not　a　happy　man。　Apart　from　being　barred　from　the　Swan　with　darts　night　rapidly　approaching；　which　was　the　kind　of　thing　that　could　easily　drive　a　sensitive　soul　such　as　himself　to　the　point　of　suicide；　he　also　was　suffering　a　grave　amount　of　concern　over　his　camel。　Still　wedged　firmly　into　the　eaves　of　his　lock…up　garage；　and　gaining　bulk　from　its　hearty　consumption　of　cabbage　leaves；　the　beast　still　showed　no　inclination　whatever　to　return　to　Earth。　On　top　of　these　two　insoluble　problems；　Small　Dave's　untimely　return　to　Brentford　and　his　disconcerting　perceptions　were　causing　the　shopkeeper　a　good　deal　of　grief。　He　really　would　have　to　get　rid　of　the　camel。　It　was　damning　evidence　by　any　account；　and　he　also　had　the　definite　feeling　that　Small　Dave　was　on　to　him。　The　nasty　vindictive　grudge…bearing　wee　bastard　seemed　to　be　dogging　his　every　move。　If　he　was　ever　to　transfer　the　Great　Pyramid　of　Cheops　from　its　present　foundations　in　Egypt　to　its　planned　relocation　upon　the　turf　of　Brentford　football　ground；　he　really　couldn't　have　the　dwarfish　postman　blundering　in　and　spoiling　everything　before　the　project　was　pleted。
　Norman　dropped　into　his　kitchen　chair