It
was late morning, the village was its usual self as a number of citizens
occupied themselves by promenading around the pool and fountain in the Piazza,
while others enjoyed themselves on the beach. The café was doing its usual
daily business, citizens were either enjoying an early lunch, a late breakfast,
or a simple cup of tea.
Customer “Good morning, nice day for it.”
Waiter “It will be another nice day for it
tomorrow.”
“Oh you think so?”
“Well according to the weather forecast it
will be.”
“Have you noticed anything different about
today?”
“No should I have done?”
“You haven’t noticed?”
“Alright, I’ll buy it, noticed what?”
“There haven’t been any announcements about
the Professor’s lectures!”
“Now you come to mention it……….”
“Look at the people, all going about their
daily business as though nothing’s happened.”
“Well nothing has happened.”
“Precisely my point.”
“Do want tea or coffee?”
“You don’t miss it?”
“The Professor’s lectures. They do tell me
that Madam Professor’s art seminars have also stopped.”
“Who told you that?”
“I was talking to Number 34 in the General
Store.”
“Perhaps Madam Professor and her husband have
left the village.”
“Well the house is closed up.”
“Well there you are then.”
But of course that does not take into
account the two fresh graves in the cemetery, and standing at one grave the
grieving widow.
“Did you know that a new No.2 arrived
today?”
“No, but then I’ve been busy here.”
“I saw the helicopter arrive the other day,
and I saw who got out.”
“What’s he like this new Number 2?”
“It’s not a man, it’s a woman, slim,
attractive, elegant. She wore a dress made up of different coloured diamond shapes.”
“Sounds like Pierrette has dropped by!”
“I’ll tell you something else as well, she
had her own maid with her.”
“What was she like?”
“Oh you wouldn’t look at her twice. Here
have you heard?”
“I’ve got work to do, I’ve no time to bandy
words with you, heard what?.”
“They say there’s no sign of Number 6, they
say he went and gone!”
“Gone, gone where?”
“I saw workers down on the quayside this
morning, busy removing rope, long logs, and black steel barrels.”
“What do you think’s happened?”
“I think Number 6 built himself a raft and
put to sea on it!”
“You do talk rot!”
“I’m not in the habit of talking rot. He’s
not been seen about, and if he’s not here where is he?”
“Waiter……”
“Yes sir I’ll be with you in a minute, look
I’ve got customers to serve.”
“You see Supervisor people are asking
questions, they want to know why there are no more of the Professor’s
lectures.”
“What is the official line?”
No.22 “There isn’t one. You know what
happened, the General destroyed. Both the Professor and Number 12 dead. And
already this new Number 2 has been flown in, and then gone back to London
“She was here just long enough to oversee
Number 6’s escape from the village. Then she left and an interim Number 2 was
put in place.”
“So what do we tell the students whose
education has been left incomplete, and who will not now get there university
degree?”
“Think about it 22, even if the students
had attained a university degree, what possible use would they have for that
here?”
“So where’s Number 6?”
The Supervisor turned and looked up at an
area of the World map, then pointed “His last reported position was just about
there.”
“Reported position, you’re having him
shadowed?”
“You didn’t think Number 2 would simply let
Number 6 set sail on the open sea all alone did you?”
“I’d best be on my way, and see if I can be
of any assistance to this new interim Number 2.”
“He’ll be gone soon enough” the Supervisor
said “I give him three days!”
Number 22 departed the control room through
the opening steel doors, leaving the day shift to its business.
“Supervisor, Number 81 acting suspiciously,
he’s just stolen a screwdriver from the electrics truck.”
“Right, let’s have him on the screen, put
up camera twelve sound and vision.”
Be seeing you
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