The Levitating Village
Chapter Five - The Sophonauts
I took myself out of the emergency fire door from the Doctor’s Surgery that led to the road via the carpark. Gladly there was no one else around. With some trepidation, I hobbled over to the dark edge of the Library grounds, where there was a large untendered and overgrown set of hardy bushes. As carefully as possible, I got to my knees and crawled into the undergrowth. The rain stopped briefly to allow the old men from the Library, the Inventors, an evening constitutional. They milled in a close pack, like eager huskies. I had a question I urgently needed answered. I decided to take a chance.
“Psst!”
“Excuse me. Beg your pardon.” Charles Fick waved a hand behind him.
“No, down here!”
Charles searched the hedgerow, “Is that a Pixie? Or a Gnome? I met a Gnome once. I was in -”
“I’m neither. I’m Doug. Doug Layton. The Historian? Remember?”
“What on Earth are you doing down there? There’s a public convenience just over there.”
“I’m hiding.”
“I should think so, if you’re doing your business in public.” Charles said with a disappointed voice.
“Look, I need to talk to you all. I need to know what you remember about Leith Bradburn?”
“Why would a Gnome want to know about that?”
“I’m not a Gnome, remember. I’m Doug, the Historian?”
“Look! It’s Doug! The Historian!” Charles gestured wildly to anyone near him of my presence.
“Do you remember Leith Bradburn? He was here and stayed with you all, until he disappeared.”
“Yes. He disappeared!” said Charles excitedly.
“I just said that.”
“You sure? I’m sure I just said it.”
I sighed in exacerbation, “You did, but, oh, never mind. What do you remember about Leith Bradburn’s disappearance?”
Another wrinkled face joined Charles’, “Why are you in the bushes? Surely that’s no place for a Historian?” It was Alexander Beckman.
I was losing patience, “It doesn’t matter why I’m in the bushes. What do you remember?”
“You’ll catch your death!” Alexander insisted, “It’s all wet down there.”
“He’s been using it as a toilet.” said Charles.
Alexander looked confused, “Why have you been using it as a toilet? There’s a public convenience over there.”
“I know. I told him that.” said Charles.
“Then why’s he using it as a toilet?” asked Alexander.
Charles shrugged, “Search me. Kids these days.”
Alexander leaned in closer to my exposed face, “Why are you…?”
“Leith Bradburn?” I reminded them pointedly.
“Poor chap.” said Charles, “Went missing, you know?”
“I know.” I said, “Do you remember anything unusual about it?”
Charles seemed to be thinking carefully about the question, until he ruined appearances by speaking, “You absolutely certain you want to be in that bush? Surely it’s quite unhygienic?”
“Please,” I pleaded, “I don’t have much time. Is there anything odd, strange or unusual about the time Professor Leith Bradburn went missing?”
This seemed to have done the trick. A light of wisdom flashed over Charles’ eyes, “It was a sunny day, I do remember that. Sunny and just a touch of a breeze. Isn’t it lovely when it’s like that? Anyway, I remember dear old Leith said he was going outside and would be some time. Why was it cold? No, wait, that’s Captain Oates. That’s right. He was agitated that morning. He was scribbling down things in a notebook, feverish he was. He seemed to see something outside which I didn’t. It made him more nervous. He pulled his papers together and left the building. He was stopped by someone at the door. Now why am I thinking Van der Valk? Van Dyke? Well, something Dutch anyway.”
“Thank you, sir.” I sighed.
Charles smiled warmly, “You’re welcome my boy. Now, where was that cup of tea?”
#
I began to walk aimlessly as my mind wandered. There was still a musty smell in the air of threatening rain, but the wind had dropped and the sky was clearing a little to expose a patch of stars.
So, good old Sir William? His hand was in this up to the elbow. The path I took, of dirt and dimly lit, provided a distraction to the jigsaw collection of information and the original picture of fact. What could Marshall possibly want with the Professor? And was the agitation of the Professor because of Sir William, or in spite of Sir William? Was it Sir William the Professor saw outside? Or the ghost? I have to stop thinking like that. There is no ghost. I had no time to debate it further, because just then something gave me such a fright that I felt my body had melted to the ground, forgetting to tell or wait for my mind to follow.
My mind elsewhere, I was sideswiped by a young woman. I clattered into a bush in surprise. She offered a hand to help me out the bush, “What on Earth did you do that for?”
“Erm, I’m not sure. I panicked?”
She looked me up and down, “Douglas Layton, I presume?”
“I might be.” I managed.
She patted my cheek, “Don’t worry. I know who you are. I won’t turn you in. I’m Miss Doris Mortimer.”
“The schoolteacher, right?” I said.
“Ah, I see my reputation precedes me?” Doris was everything but a staid virginal school mistress. She dressed like it, but there was an underlying menace of dangerous sexuality beneath.
“I saw you when I entered the Village. You were pointed out to me.” I said.
“So, my reputation precedes me? Well, at last we meet. Off to do some hiding, I’m guessing?”
“Something like that, yes.”
“In that case I’ll join you for a bit.” she said, linking with my spare arm.
“You’re not worried?” I asked.
“Should I be?” she got a bit excited, “Did you do it? You did it, didn’t you? How fascinating!”
“No, I didn’t.” I insisted, “I’m trying to clear my name.”
“Of course. I’m sure you didn’t.”
“I didn’t!”
“I know. I know.” Doris patted my arm with a giggle.
“I really didn’t.” I said again unnecessarily.
“Keep saying that. They might believe you.” She took a breath in deep and sighed, “Beautiful, isn’t it? Ever made love under the stars?”
“Erm -” How could I answer that without committing one way or the other?
Then Doris let go of my arm and began skipping in front of me like an over stimulated child, “There’s a lovely patch of lawn over there a bit. Let’s go over there!”
Still distracted, I followed her. I don’t think I was going to do anything, but I knew I needed to go in that direction, as though some invisible force was pulling me there. That or it was my animal like libido. Then I saw a strange train of lights ahead, which turned out to be a line of illumination from a train. I was close. I made for it, half ignoring Doris. She followed a little, until she realised attention was not wholly on her. Then she scampered off. I hardly noticed at the time. In retrospect I realised I was in there. But I guessed so had most of the Village, at one time or another. I got to within a safe distance and looked through a random window. It was a Restaurant.
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