ISOF Read Online Free PDF Page A

now,’ he grinned. ‘Anyway, don’t be daft. You can’t see through the lens, it’s got markings on it.’
    Owl and Briel each stared at the markings and then began to leaf through the book. After comparing several images to the object, Owl began to tap one particular page excitedly.
    â€˜Look! This is something like that object for people with extremely small heads’.
    Both Owl and Briel studied the picture and compared it with the object that Briel had now wrapped around his wrist, as a precautionary measure to avoid misplacing the item.
    â€˜Well,’ murmured Briel. ‘It does look similar, but it’s not exactly the same.’
    â€˜Don’t be unimaginative. So, the lens is a bit of a different shape and the strap things are a different colour and the markings on the lens aren’t the same. But apart from that it’s identical.’
    Briel looked at Owl but decided that any comment he made might not be worth the effort of applying breath to the words.
    â€˜Yes, I suppose you’re right. They’re almost identical different.’ He nodded at the book. ‘What does it say?’
    Owl adjusted his glasses and began to read, his wing tip stroking the page as his beak formed the words.
    â€˜It’s a device that measures or marks the passage of time in units. Available in a variety of colours and comes complete with a matching nervous tick,’ mouthed Owl slowly.
    â€˜You mean to say,’ snorted Briel. ‘That people would attach this to their body and constantly watch it measuring time? Ridiculous. I can’t think of anything more stupid. Just imagine people doing nothing all day but stare at this time measuring object and, at some appointed moment, move more quickly than they had done previously.’
    Owl snapped the book shut.
    â€˜I’m only repeating what it says in here.’
    Briel sniffed.
    â€˜It sounds daft to me. Just think of a society where everything you do is measured in units of time. Nothing is allowed to exist out of time.’ He shook his head incredulously.
    Owl just shrugged his wings and said nothing.
    â€˜And, another thing,’ continued Briel. ‘If everyone depended on the device to rule their movements, wouldn’t it become a sort of tyrant?’ Briel tutted. ‘As I said, ridiculous.’
    Owl shook his head and made a clicking sound with his beak.
    â€˜I agree. Absolutely ridiculous.’
    Briel put the device for measuring time into pocket number 37.
    â€˜It’d never catch on you know. People aren’t that stupid.’ Hitching up his trousers, he took a piece of seaweed out of the same pocket he’d just placed the device into. Holding it in front of his nose, he sniffed the seaweed. ‘Can’t hang around here all day. It’s time for breakfast.’

Chapter 4
    The small figure slowly opened its eyes. Its head felt muzzy and a sense of nausea crept over its entire body. Barely able to move, the figure tried to work out where it was, to try and make some sense of its surroundings. It didn’t take long. Apart from finding the effort exhausting, everywhere was dark and the air seemed stale, as if exhaled by a crowd of exhausted beings. The figure let its head sink back into what appeared to be straw.
    Drifting in and out of consciousness, the figure was vaguely aware of muffled sounds above its head and a cool, damp cloth being brushed gently across its face. Sometime, in another brief period of semi-consciousness, the figure felt its arm being carefully lifted and a gentle pressure being applied. The figure let the comforting darkness envelope it once more.
    At some point, in another momentary glimpse of consciousness, the figure could just about recall something about a tall building, a feeling of exhilaration and then a sharp, tearing pain in its arm. After that images became a blur of bright light and a sense of being hauled through the air and then