Empire of Fashion

[Pleater]

In the hours that followed I used up the new paper I had discovered, covering it with numbers as I calculated all the combinations I needed. With great abandon I used time travel to be in several places at once, until my head reeled and I had trouble working out when I should be to have all the equipment I collected ready and waiting to be transported.

I had not intended to use time travel to move myself and all the equipment back in time, but somehow I must have left the rig switched on, or powered it somehow by trying to move it through a portal.

However it happened, when I tried to move myself and the equipment, and the projector I was using, into the walled garden in my own continuum, rather than the single ring I had projected moving over the line of pallets and projectors once in a smooth transition, several of them danced and swirled around eachother and the line, for what seemed a brief moment - so fast I had only time to experience the joy of its perfection and the lovely blue and gold colours. Even before the first biochemical reaction to the terror of it, it was gone and I was left with all my hair standing on end and gasping for breath in the walled garden in Springtime, with the equipment all lined up before me and my hand still on the button of the projector I had used.

I sat down on the edge of one of the raised beds to recover, then I moved the projector away from the rest of the equipment and looked at the surveillance equipment in the porter's lodge. Allowing for the time taken to drag the plants man's box to the garden, and for my return to place the pin, my time away had been reduced to a few minutes.

Fortunately I had remembered to bring the trolley back with me, and I spent the rest of the morning moving the smaller items of equipment from the walled garden into the Rotunda. There was a problem, however, as I had moved the palletised things through a ring, and the narrow gateway was now a barrier to my physically transporting them, plus they would not fit into the Rotunda even if I could get them there.

I went to get the pin and carried it to the Hall. I rolled up the carpet and spread the contents of the paper recycling bin on the floor, then went back and used a ring to move the pallets.

Finally I checked everything was switched off and I realised how tired I was. My feet ached, everything hurt

I went home, fell onto the bed and slept.

[Pleater]

The sounds of construction woke me.

I looked at my watch, which told me it was Christmas, so I looked at the clock by the bed.

'Quarter to April.' I mused, and reset my watch to the same numbers.

It was still early, but I had slept all of Sunday and felt in need of a shower and several meals.

When I wandered downstairs there was a basket of fruit on the table and a note 'Welcome back' it said, and there were the initials J.B. inscribed with a flourish, and two full stops.

I looked in the 'fridge', then went upstairs and checked the wardrobe and the washing basket. I pulled back the covers and looked at the sheets on the bed. I looked in the bathroom cabinet and on the shelves.

My Mister Brown writes his initials as J B with no full stops.

I was not in the house that I had left two days before. Somehow I had arrived back soon after the time I had left but in another continuum.

I had placed the pin, I had moved it into the Hall, but between placing it and moving it, someone else must have transported it to another very similar continuum.

Either that or I was going mad.

The thought struck me and I considered it for half a second, then I ate breakfast and dressed and went to find Mister Brown.

I started in the Rotunda, his usual haunt, and it was good to see it once again intact, with roof and windows, and weatherbeaten old door. I rang the bell, and after a minute the door opened and there he stood in his gray dressing gown with the maroon and white cording, his pyjamas were white with blue stripes, and suede slippers.

'Is something wrong, Madam?' he enquired, all innocence.

'Yes. This is not my world.'

'Ah. That was quick, but then you are.'

'So you don't deny it then?'

'No - of course not. It is just that there is a lot to do and it seemed better to do it here. The budget for the new building is much larger, your salary is higher, your job description will be -'

'But I don't belong here.'

'You can, if you want to.'

'And I was going on a cruise -to the Norwegian fjords, and then to a Scrabble tournament.'

'In April.'

'Yes, I was rather looking forward to a rest, even before Fashion Furs.'

'You can still go on a cruise. I'll find one for you. Perhaps something tropical - with men in kilts and dancing - you'd like that I'm sure.'

I felt myself go hot.

'I can't - '

He waved a hand. 'It will be fine, really - you are looking a bit pale, it will do you the world of good.'

'What about the me who should be here? What is she going to say finding me here?'

'Ah - well - there was a lot of turbulance when you were all being removed. I'm afaid that the local version of you seems to have got lost.'

'You knew what happened?'

'I do now. I only got back here a few hours ago.'

'So there is a version of me lost somewhere. That is dreadful.'

'I am sure you will be able to survive until you are found. I sent Ian to look for you, he is very conscientious.'

I nodded, the McGeek was indeed very conscientious.

'There is nothing to worry about.' he assured, 'but now - I really must get some sleep.'

'With that noise going on?'

'I can isolate myself from it. Later on, we can have a look at what you brought - if you like.'

'Yes, if you can explain some of the features, I would be obliged, but - is it possible to get back now you removed the beacon.'

'Perfectly possible. I know the -direction - of your continuum. It will not be a problem to find it for you.'

I sighed, but he closed the door and left me to make my way back through the Springtime garden.