had read as a child, back when I still read books.
“Fairies,” I said. “They sold the city to the fairies.”
“Others have had similar theories,” said Bill. “This city was sold to someone, or something, that’s for sure.”
“Just this city?” I said. “You said Davies-Innocent had interests around the world.”
Another photograph. This was a satellite picture of southern England, a little of Wales to the left hand side. For the most part it looked so normal, so much as I remembered. And there, to the bottom right, it all went wrong. There was the curdled mess, the spreading area around where London used to be.
“Internationally, the effect is localised around London, for the most part. There’s a little in Paris, in Budapest, Prague and Tallinn, but the effect never spread to the same extent.”
“Why not?”
“Because when the changes began in those places we had learned from your experience. We knew what to do. People were ordered to stop selling property at the first sign of infection.”
“Infection?”
“I’ve heard it described as infestation. But the effect elsewhere is minor. People have seen what’s happened to London. Better yet, they know what will happen to them if they do sell. Twenty years imprisonment, no questions asked. The death penalty in more serious cases...”
“That still won’t be enough,” I said. “People are greedy.”
“We’re holding the line. But there’s another reason too, we think. A bigger one. And that’s why you’re here.” The briefest of pauses. “And me.”
She sagged on the chair, and just for a moment, sitting there in her frilled dress, her red hair on her bare shoulders, her green eyes downcast, she looked so pretty and vulnerable.
“Stop that!” she shouted, and I got the impression the words weren’t directed solely at me. “Don’t you dare look at me like that! I’m not a piece of merchandise. I’m not a whore, Wedderburn. I’m a trained agent. Do you understand that?”
“Oh yes,” I said. “I can assure you our relationship will be purely professional.”
She lowered her voice.
“You ever try anything with me, Wedderburn, I will break your arms. Do you understand that? Do you understand that? ”
“How long have you been in Dream London?” I asked, changing the subject.
She stared at me for a moment or two longer, and then relaxed again.
“Two days. I caught the train here from Manchester. That’s where the British Parliament is now located. The real one, I mean.”
I knew what she meant. I had been past the Dream London Parliament. It’s the same building that used to stand by the Thames, filled with a bunch of liars, incompetents and sociopaths. Feel free to fill in your own joke here, by the way. I’ve heard them all.
Still, her words gave me pause. All this time in Dream London and I’d thought rarely, if ever, about what had happened to the rest of England. To think it had been doing its best to carry on as normal, struggling to cope with the loss of its capital city.
“There’s talk about moving the Royal Family to Manchester from Balmoral,” said Bill. “Those who weren’t trapped here in Dream London, anyway.”
Like I cared about the Royal Family. Another idea had taken hold of me.
“You’re not the first agent here, are you?”
“Not by any means. There have been people coming into Dream London to investigate since the changes began. The longest any of my predecessors reported back for is three weeks. After that we can only assume they go native.”
“Hmmm. Why not get away after a week?”
She gave me a withering gaze
“Why don’t you get away, Jim? Why doesn’t anyone here get away? For most people, the trains only run one way.”
“For most people?” I said.
She brushed a stray hair from her eyes.
“Have you ever thought about how the rest of the world fits around Dream London?” she asked.
“Not until now.”
“There’s still a train service running between
“Fairies,” I said. “They sold the city to the fairies.”
“Others have had similar theories,” said Bill. “This city was sold to someone, or something, that’s for sure.”
“Just this city?” I said. “You said Davies-Innocent had interests around the world.”
Another photograph. This was a satellite picture of southern England, a little of Wales to the left hand side. For the most part it looked so normal, so much as I remembered. And there, to the bottom right, it all went wrong. There was the curdled mess, the spreading area around where London used to be.
“Internationally, the effect is localised around London, for the most part. There’s a little in Paris, in Budapest, Prague and Tallinn, but the effect never spread to the same extent.”
“Why not?”
“Because when the changes began in those places we had learned from your experience. We knew what to do. People were ordered to stop selling property at the first sign of infection.”
“Infection?”
“I’ve heard it described as infestation. But the effect elsewhere is minor. People have seen what’s happened to London. Better yet, they know what will happen to them if they do sell. Twenty years imprisonment, no questions asked. The death penalty in more serious cases...”
“That still won’t be enough,” I said. “People are greedy.”
“We’re holding the line. But there’s another reason too, we think. A bigger one. And that’s why you’re here.” The briefest of pauses. “And me.”
She sagged on the chair, and just for a moment, sitting there in her frilled dress, her red hair on her bare shoulders, her green eyes downcast, she looked so pretty and vulnerable.
“Stop that!” she shouted, and I got the impression the words weren’t directed solely at me. “Don’t you dare look at me like that! I’m not a piece of merchandise. I’m not a whore, Wedderburn. I’m a trained agent. Do you understand that?”
“Oh yes,” I said. “I can assure you our relationship will be purely professional.”
She lowered her voice.
“You ever try anything with me, Wedderburn, I will break your arms. Do you understand that? Do you understand that? ”
“How long have you been in Dream London?” I asked, changing the subject.
She stared at me for a moment or two longer, and then relaxed again.
“Two days. I caught the train here from Manchester. That’s where the British Parliament is now located. The real one, I mean.”
I knew what she meant. I had been past the Dream London Parliament. It’s the same building that used to stand by the Thames, filled with a bunch of liars, incompetents and sociopaths. Feel free to fill in your own joke here, by the way. I’ve heard them all.
Still, her words gave me pause. All this time in Dream London and I’d thought rarely, if ever, about what had happened to the rest of England. To think it had been doing its best to carry on as normal, struggling to cope with the loss of its capital city.
“There’s talk about moving the Royal Family to Manchester from Balmoral,” said Bill. “Those who weren’t trapped here in Dream London, anyway.”
Like I cared about the Royal Family. Another idea had taken hold of me.
“You’re not the first agent here, are you?”
“Not by any means. There have been people coming into Dream London to investigate since the changes began. The longest any of my predecessors reported back for is three weeks. After that we can only assume they go native.”
“Hmmm. Why not get away after a week?”
She gave me a withering gaze
“Why don’t you get away, Jim? Why doesn’t anyone here get away? For most people, the trains only run one way.”
“For most people?” I said.
She brushed a stray hair from her eyes.
“Have you ever thought about how the rest of the world fits around Dream London?” she asked.
“Not until now.”
“There’s still a train service running between
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