Arcadia (56 page)

‘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.

‘He nearly told me just to burn it.’

‘So what are we meant to do with it?’

‘Hide it, keep it safe.’ He stretched and looked out of the window. ‘There are places I can go where no one will find me, and you will not have to be associated with whatever crime Old-manter decides I have committed.’

She nodded. ‘It’s a bit late to set off now. Stay tonight and leave in the morning. We can take you part of the way, if you wish.’

49

When they were all prepared to leave and make their way to Willdon, the little group stood at the edge of the camp to make their farewells. Rosalind and Antros – who had offered to go as hostage in exchange for Catherine – were to be accompanied by Pamarchon, who said he wanted to make sure they were safe on the journey.

‘Well,’ he said to Jay, who had come to wish them luck, ‘when you arrived I did not think that you would play such an important part in my life,’ he said. ‘I congratulate you on your intervention. It showed learning and wisdom in equal measure.’

‘Thank you, but I now think it is a lunatic scheme. It can’t possibly work.’

‘It is worth trying. From my point of view I gain nothing if Gontal becomes the new Lord. So I will throw the dice. I have naught to lose except my life, which I value little, but if I win, I win …’

‘Willdon.’

‘No! No, young student, a thousand times no! That is worth even less to me. I was going to say that I win back my name and my liberty, except that now I want a prize more valuable still.’

‘Do you really mean to tell me you wouldn’t grasp Willdon in both hands if you could?’

‘I can think of nothing I want less. It is beautiful, but nothing to me. I never had happiness there, nor do I have fond memories of it. If there was someone – good, reliable, true – who would take it from me, I would hand it over readily and be the happiest man in the world.’ He smiled. ‘You will not believe me, I am sure. So I will say no more. I will return probably tomorrow
afternoon. Then I will have to prepare myself for whatever is to come.’

*

Antros and two others acted as scouts as they walked, while Rosalind and Pamarchon fell back, talking so intensely that they almost forgot where they were going. Several times Antros had to turn and gesture for them to be quiet, as their voices and laughter threatened discovery. Both were in a state of enchantment. They had never talked to each other properly before, not openly and honestly. They loved each other – the way their hearts fluttered demonstrated that – but did not know each other. For once Pamarchon, who had learned to be cautious and guarded, spoke freely in a way he could not do even with Antros. And Rosalind responded, no longer afraid of saying the wrong thing or of not being liked.

‘I wish this could go on for ever,’ she said. ‘Walking through the forest, just like this.’

‘I’ll see what I can arrange,’ he replied with a smile.

‘What do you do here? How do you live? There seem to be a lot of you in that camp.’

‘There’s about six hundred,’ Pamarchon said, ‘if you include the very young and the very old. Fewer than two hundred would be useful in a battle. As for living – we live. The forest provides much of what we need. There are farms around …’

‘You steal food?’

‘No. That’s what they say, but we do not. We buy it. In exchange for gold, or deer or boar, or even our work. We do not steal. I do not permit it.’

‘What sort of work?’

‘We hunt wolves, or protect from interlopers and thieves. We help in the fields sometimes, herd animals, hunt.’

‘You never steal?’

‘Only from people who have more than they need. Some have too little. We borrow, for a while.’

‘It’ll be
The Wind in the Willows
next,’ Rosalind muttered under her breath.

‘You must understand that we are all entitled to our plot of land. Others have taken it from us and make use of it. We take what would have been ours had we not been expelled. No more than that. When we get what is ours back, then we will be satisfied.’

‘Now, that is what I was going to ask. How do you plan to get it back?’

‘By agreement or by force. We will take it in the way that a good band of men with determination and weapons can take it, when no other possibilities are open to them. Willdon will either accept our claims or it will not.’

‘I don’t think Lady Catherine will just say – fair enough, I’ll leave.’

‘We will see.’

‘I assume that she also can call on men with weapons.’

‘She can call on the whole of Anterwold to come to her assistance. Many more people than we have.’

Rosalind kicked some leaves as she considered this. ‘I don’t rate your chances then. I imagine that Willdon can be defended, and from my history lessons I always thought you needed more men if you are going to be the attacker.’

‘Whoever said anything about attacking Willdon?’

‘You did.’

‘I did not. That would involve many people, and many deaths. I can win my victory with only a handful of people. It is a question of daring and skill. That plan is already laid, although I will not need it if I win my case.’

‘Can you?’

‘I don’t know. Certainly not without an advocate, which I do not have yet.’

‘Where can you get one?’

‘That would be something you can do for me. Ask at Willdon. Get the best available, because without one there will be no point turning up.’

*

‘We will stop here,’ Pamarchon said once night was falling and they could no longer see the path. ‘We are very close. In the morning, Rosalind and Antros will go on alone and I will return to the camp.’

The two men decided that it was too risky to light a fire which might attract attention, so they ate from the packs they had brought with them. They ate quietly, finishing off everything except for the few morsels that Antros – always careful – insisted be put aside for the morning.

‘Now we sleep. It will be best to wake early and start quickly. Although if you would spare me a few moments …’

He looked at Antros to hint that he should go to prepare the beds for them, to lay out the blankets, for they would be sleeping without tents or covering.

‘I am placing a great deal of trust in you, Rosalind. Am I right to do so? Not for me, you understand, but Antros is my best and closest friend.’

‘I plan to find Jay’s master, Henary. From what Jay says, he will have the authority to protect us both. Besides, I have a lot at stake as well.’

‘What?’

‘You, of course. I lost my heart the moment I first saw you. You could ask anything of me and I would give it to you.’

Pamarchon’s eyes searched hers.

‘I have watched you, Pamarchon. The way you treat your fellows, your captives. I have listened to the way you talk. I can find nothing bad in you. Will you swear that you are as you seem?’

‘I do. I am. Believe me.’

‘Then go and find your sleeping place. But remember, I know nothing, no matter how I appear. Everything I have told you is a lie, really.’

He said no more, but rose, and she watched as he walked slowly off to a place that was private. Rosalind’s heart was beating
hard. She scarcely believed what she was doing, or what she was thinking of. But she never, not for a moment, considered changing her mind. She felt as though she would burst with longing. ‘Please,’ she said to herself, or to anyone who might listen and help, though she spoke so quietly not even the moths could possibly hear. ‘Please let this be the right thing to do.’