Caltraps of Time Read Online Free PDF Page B

where I could not easily be seen by any who shou’d pass that way, when I saw as it were a kind of Dazzle betwixt my Eyes and a Barn, that stood across the Street. Anon this Appearance seem’d as ‘twere to Thicken, and there stood a little space before the Barn a kind of a clos’d Chair, but without Poles, and of a Whiteish Colouring, and One that sate within it, peering out upon the World as if he fear’d for his life. Presently this Fellow turns to some thing before him in the Chair and moves his Hands about, then peeps he forth again as tho’ he fear’d a Plot was afoot to committ Murther upon his Person, and anon steps gingerly out of one Side, and creeps away down the Alley, looking much to right and to left. He had on him the most Outlandish Cloathes that ever I saw. Thinks I, ‘tis maybe he, that filch’d my Goods last Night, when I had an ill Dream.
     
    I came out of my Arch and onto the Street and follow’d him down the Alley a little way, not looking straight upon him, but making as to cut my self a Stick, that he might have no thought specially of me, if he shou’d turn round, and espy me. Then when I saw he was gone a good Furlong off from his Chair, and look’d not to turn about, I slacken’d my steps, and presently ran back to that Chair. No Body was abroad.
     
    I look’d stedfastly in this Chair and I must tell you, I never saw the like of it before. A Top Peice it had, four Walls, four Windows of thick Glass, two little Doors with Glass to them, and a Floor, and all of a kind of Silver, but never so lustrous as that Metal, nor so Cold. Within was a hard silvery Seat, but cunningly fashion’d to the Buttocks of a Sitter; and before the Seat as ‘twere a Lectern or Bench, on which I saw many Circles with Figures, like so many Clocks or Marriners Dials, and within them Handles with Pointers. I came softly in by one Door, and look’d narrowly on them. One Circle bore Writing, or rather some some kind of Engraving, in a stiff Roman Print, with Words, which I cou’d not understand: GEODETIC-COSMIC RENORMALIZER: SEALED IN WORKSHOP. Another had Words across it engrav’d: HEIGHT CONTROL. Another was a great Dial with YEAR (0 = 1), engrav’d below it, a Pointer and Handle within, and round its Circle, Numbers running from the Top clock-wise round, from Nought to Nine and Ninety. Another Dial like that Dial had engrav’d below it YEAR X 10 2 , and Numbers from Nought to Nine; and a Third Dial had, YEAR X 10 3 , and Numbers from near the Bottom of the Circle from 49 to Nought at the Top, clockwise upon the Left hand, and again to 49 clockwise down on the Right hand. Another, a small Dial, had, MONTH, engrav’d below it, and twelve Numbers like an Hours Clock. Another Dial had, DAY, and one and thirty Numbers. Another had, HOUR, and four and twenty Numbers. In the midst of all these was a Knob of Red colour, smooth and a little hollow, as big as my Thumb.
     
    Thinks I, this is Witchcraft indeed; but I fell to studying the Dials for the Years. I had learnt something in the Mathematicks, and I understood that 10 3 cou’d be the same with One Thousand, while 10 2 might by that token be the same with One Hundred. When I had puzzled these Dials and their Pointers out, methought the Pointers stood not at this present year 1683, but at the year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Sixty Four, with the Pointer for the Thousands of years touching the Number, 1, on the Right-hand side. The Day and Hour (and the Month) were the same as that Day’s in April was in truth. Thinks I to my self, This Necromancer wou’d find him self Two Hundred and Eighty One years after this Time, when he is tir’d of seeing how ‘tis with this Year of 1683. But you must understand that I was all of a maze, even while I thought these things so coolly.
     
    With that my Foot slips on the strange smooth Silver of the Floor, and I stumbles, and I puts forth my Hands to save my Body from falling, and with this comes down my Left Hand