THE END OF A LONG HARD DAY AT THE HOUSE.
LORD TIM AND SIDEKICK WALK BY THE RIVER TOWARDS CHELSEA BRIDGE. DEEP IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE INCREASINGLY ANGRY DEBATES AT THE HOUSE, THEY FAIL TO NOTICE A MAN ON THEIR TAIL.
THEN THE MAN STEPS FORWARD, CALLS OUT:LORD TIM?
YES? WHAT DO YOU WANT?
I THOUGHT I’D BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU: YOUR TIME IS UP.
LORD TIM AND KICK TURN TO FACE THEIR NEMESIS, FIXING HIM WITH STEELY GLINTS.
SO - MISTER B. WE MEET AT LAST! BUT I KNOW ABOUT YOUR TAWDRY PLAN TO DISCREDIT ME WITH SMEARS TO MY CHARACTER. WELL, I’VE WRACKED MY CONSCIENCE AND I’M CONVINCED: I HAVE NO DARK SECRETS.
NO DARK SECRETS, YOU SAY? AH – BUT MY PLAN HAS BEEN FAR MORE SUBTLE. MY YOUNGER SELF HAS BEEN CHANGING YOUR PAST GRADUALLY, INFLUENCING YOU TO MAKE MANY SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CHOICES OVER THE YEARS - YOU’LL NEVER JOIN THE MOONFLEET, YOU'LL NEVER BECOME LEADER OF THE HOUSE, YOU'LL BE DRAINED OF YOUR AMBITIONS BY FREE LOVE AND CHEAP DOPE, THEN LED LIKE A LAMB INTO THE ORDINARY.
PAH! BUT HERE I AM!
AND HERE YOU WON’T BE FOR LONG. THIS PARTICULAR BRANCH OF THE MULTIVERSE IS FADING ALREADY – AN ILLUSION, AN ABERRATION. OTHER VERSIONS OF TIME ARE BEGINNING TO IMPOSE THEMSELVES, FUTURES WHERE TIM IS NO LORD BUT MERE MINION, WHERE THE WARP TRIUMPHS, THE MOON IS NEVER COLONISED, THE ASTRALELE NEVER EVEN INVENTED..WHAT A SAD, UNINSPIRED FUTURE THAT WOULD BE. UNIMAGINABLE!
MAYBE SO… BUT REALISABLE.
YOU FIEND!
AND NOW I MUST GO. AND I’M TAKING YOUR FEISTY SIDEKICK WITH ME.
BUT WHY?TO DO UNSPEAKABLE THINGS TOGETHER THAT YOU CAN'T QUITE IMAGINE QUITE.
UNHAND HER THIS INSTANT OR I’LL BLAST YOU WITH MY NANO-RAY.
IT DIDN’T WORK! SUDDENLY MY NANO-RAY HAS TRANSFORMED INTO NOTHING BUT A CHEAP TIN TOY!LORD TIM REACHES INTO HIS UTILITY BELT, FLIPS OPEN THE TOP OF WHAT LOOKS LIKE A PACKET OF NICOTINE-FREE GUEVARAS, TALKS INTO THE MICROPHONE HIDDEN BENEATH.
YOUNG TIM! MAY DAY, MAY DAY. HELP US, PLEASE! YOU ARE IN DEADLY PERIL! BEWARE MISTER B! FOR GOD’S SAKE BEWARE!
BUT THERE’S AN OMINOUS SILENCE ON THE END OF THE LINE.
NEXT
BACK
HOME
