It appears that No.6 was expecting someone during, or a sign of some kind, people from his world. This resulting from the message he heard on that radio he was listening to on the outlook on top of the cliffs in ‘Dance of the Dead.’
Of course No.6 gained that radio from finding that body washed up on the shore, that through spending the night on the beach. But eventually he went home, as there's no other place he can go. It seems that No.2 allows No.6 to get away with some things, I suppose that is born out of the fact that there is no escape, and that he must return home to his cottage sooner or later. Anyway they know where he is, and there was no harm he could possibly do spending a night on the beach.
Not like that time when No.6 followed the doctor-No.14 in ‘A B & C’ to that laboratory somewhere in the woods. He actually gained entry without being observed, checked out what was happening, figured out that third and final syringe, diluted the solution therein and departed without leaving a trace of him ever being there. So was it the water which was drugged, or was No.6 feigning it? If he was, that means he wasn't unconscious at all on that third occasion when he was taken the that laboratory. And the doctor, surely she would have detected that No.6 was conscious lying on that operating table. So it was the water after which had been drugged. But due to the diluted solution of the third syringe No.6 was able to manipulate his own dream, "Its dreamy, this is a dreamy party!"
But he really was going on holiday, those important papers being nothing more than various travel brochures. there was no indication of exactly where he was going on holiday, Italy , France or Greece were three such possibilities.
But of course this is purely incidental to the matter in hand, in that No.6 is allowed to get away with things "Don't worry my dear" No.2 began at hearing the report that the observer-No.240 who couldn't find No,6 "Its will test our affiances."
Is that what No.6 could have been doing in those escape attempts of his? And what about those dependable men he recruited in ‘Checkmate,’ but then they were put back on the chessboard. The Shopkeeper certainly got his back up when No.6 asked to inspect his books "They've never been inspected before!" "Always a first time, isn't here!" No,6 tells him with authority.
So why hadn't the shopkeepers books been inspected before? Perhaps the General Store accounts didn't really mean anything. After all everything sold there was on account, on credit if you prefer. But the strange thing is there is a till on the counter, perhaps this to keep the clippings he had taken from customers credit cards. this in the same way that 'ration cards' and coupons were clipped for their points during the war, and for a time after. Into the early to mid 1950's in fact when things were still on ration.
BCNU
No comments:
Post a Comment