Read Online The Brentford Triangle by Robert Rankin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Robert Rankin
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indestructible. Do you not feel that this small point might put me at a slight disadvantage?”
Pooley nudged his companion jovially in the rib area. “Come now,” he said, “this should provide a little light relief. Take your mind off your worries. What is it that you lads from the old country say? Do it for the crack, that’s it, isn’t it. The crack, eh?”
“The crack?” Omally shook his head in wonder. As if things weren’t bad enough. He scratched at the stubble of his chin, which through the day had grown into what the Navy refer to as a full set, and cast a thoughtful eye towards the video machine. “I have an idea,” he said, rising from his seat. “Perhaps a success here might turn the tide of our fortunes. Give me a florin.” Pooley began to pat his pockets. “Give me the florin,” Omally reiterated. Pooley paid up.
“Now, come Jim,” said the Irishman, “and we will test the substance of this rogue apparatus.”
Neville the part-time barman watched the silver coin change hands and offered up a silent prayer to the dark and pagan deity of his personal preference.
Nicholas Roger Raffles Rathbone had a pile of not dissimilar coins of the realm stacked upon the chromium roof of the games machine. He was set in for the night.
“Stand aside, laddy,” said Omally in an authoritative tone. “My friend here wishes to match wits with these extra-terrestrial laddos.”
“No way,” said Nick, turning not a verdant hair, “I’m halfway through a game here.”
Omally leant down towards the youth and spoke a few words into a pointed, tattooed ear. The scourge of the cosmic commandos stepped aside. “Be my guest,” he said politely. “I will explain how it works.”
“That will not be necessary, thank you, off you go then, Jim.”
Pooley shook his head vigorously. “Not me,” he said, “these things give out dangerous X-rays. I’m not having my hair fall out and my fingernails drop off. No thank you.”
Omally patted his companion on the shoulder. “Jim,” said he, “who was it who set fire to my pop-up toaster?”
Pooley could not see the connection, but he nodded guiltily. “It was me,” he said.
“And who overwound my alarm clock?”
“Also me.”
“And who fiddled with the tuner on the wireless set which had given me good and trouble-free listening for twenty years?”
Pooley looked away. “Also me,” he said in a whisper.
“And who borrowed my electric razor and…”
“I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to use soap when shaving electric,” Pooley complained.
“Who was it?”
“Also me.”
“Then you will understand my reasoning that if there is one man capable of ruining, whether through chance, method or design, any piece of electrical apparatus with only the minimum of tampering then that person is you, James Pooley.”
Jim pushed in the florin and the video screen burst into colour. “Lift off,” he said.
“You have to use the thrust booster to get optimum lift,” said Raffles Rathbone, prancing on his toes and pointing variously at the throbbing machine. “Gauge the inclination of the saucers, if you count to three and fire just in front of them you can bring them down. Every third one is worth an extra hundred points, keep to the right and they can’t…” His voice trailed off as Omally dealt him a severe blow to the skull.
“Silence,” he said, “Jim knows what he’s doing.”
“I don’t,” wailed Jim, wildly pressing buttons and joggling the joy stick.
“You’re not here to win, Jim, only to break it.”
“Break it?” Raffles Rathbone renewed his frenzied dance. “Break the machine? Oh, barman, barman, there is sabotage going on here, do something, do something.”
Neville smiled benevolently at the dancing youth. “There is nothing I can do,” he said. “All the patrons have a right to play the machine. Don’t be so selfish.”
“Selfish? This is a conspiracy, I shall phone the brewery.”
John Omally, a man to
Pooley nudged his companion jovially in the rib area. “Come now,” he said, “this should provide a little light relief. Take your mind off your worries. What is it that you lads from the old country say? Do it for the crack, that’s it, isn’t it. The crack, eh?”
“The crack?” Omally shook his head in wonder. As if things weren’t bad enough. He scratched at the stubble of his chin, which through the day had grown into what the Navy refer to as a full set, and cast a thoughtful eye towards the video machine. “I have an idea,” he said, rising from his seat. “Perhaps a success here might turn the tide of our fortunes. Give me a florin.” Pooley began to pat his pockets. “Give me the florin,” Omally reiterated. Pooley paid up.
“Now, come Jim,” said the Irishman, “and we will test the substance of this rogue apparatus.”
Neville the part-time barman watched the silver coin change hands and offered up a silent prayer to the dark and pagan deity of his personal preference.
Nicholas Roger Raffles Rathbone had a pile of not dissimilar coins of the realm stacked upon the chromium roof of the games machine. He was set in for the night.
“Stand aside, laddy,” said Omally in an authoritative tone. “My friend here wishes to match wits with these extra-terrestrial laddos.”
“No way,” said Nick, turning not a verdant hair, “I’m halfway through a game here.”
Omally leant down towards the youth and spoke a few words into a pointed, tattooed ear. The scourge of the cosmic commandos stepped aside. “Be my guest,” he said politely. “I will explain how it works.”
“That will not be necessary, thank you, off you go then, Jim.”
Pooley shook his head vigorously. “Not me,” he said, “these things give out dangerous X-rays. I’m not having my hair fall out and my fingernails drop off. No thank you.”
Omally patted his companion on the shoulder. “Jim,” said he, “who was it who set fire to my pop-up toaster?”
Pooley could not see the connection, but he nodded guiltily. “It was me,” he said.
“And who overwound my alarm clock?”
“Also me.”
“And who fiddled with the tuner on the wireless set which had given me good and trouble-free listening for twenty years?”
Pooley looked away. “Also me,” he said in a whisper.
“And who borrowed my electric razor and…”
“I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to use soap when shaving electric,” Pooley complained.
“Who was it?”
“Also me.”
“Then you will understand my reasoning that if there is one man capable of ruining, whether through chance, method or design, any piece of electrical apparatus with only the minimum of tampering then that person is you, James Pooley.”
Jim pushed in the florin and the video screen burst into colour. “Lift off,” he said.
“You have to use the thrust booster to get optimum lift,” said Raffles Rathbone, prancing on his toes and pointing variously at the throbbing machine. “Gauge the inclination of the saucers, if you count to three and fire just in front of them you can bring them down. Every third one is worth an extra hundred points, keep to the right and they can’t…” His voice trailed off as Omally dealt him a severe blow to the skull.
“Silence,” he said, “Jim knows what he’s doing.”
“I don’t,” wailed Jim, wildly pressing buttons and joggling the joy stick.
“You’re not here to win, Jim, only to break it.”
“Break it?” Raffles Rathbone renewed his frenzied dance. “Break the machine? Oh, barman, barman, there is sabotage going on here, do something, do something.”
Neville smiled benevolently at the dancing youth. “There is nothing I can do,” he said. “All the patrons have a right to play the machine. Don’t be so selfish.”
“Selfish? This is a conspiracy, I shall phone the brewery.”
John Omally, a man to
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