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.Malcolm always nursed an ambition to a Royal Dragoon guard, you see.’ He smiled fondly.‘Anyway, our costumes were perfect, our boots polished, our muskets gleaming.We thought we really looked the part, and, of course, we were young and convinced we wouldn’t be caught.’‘What happened?’ Joe asked.‘Caught within ten minutes,’ Uncle Percy chuckled.‘By a rather grumpy Captain named Edward Blakely.Thinking we were spies for William of Orange, he imprisoned us as traitors.Anyway, we contacted the Trackers and they rescued us that very afternoon.’‘Trackers?’ Becky said, puzzled.‘What are Trackers?’‘Oh, they’re an invaluable part of GITT operations.A rescue service for time travellers.If, on a registered trip, a traveller finds himself or herself in trouble then they contact GITT headquarters with their pagidizor, and a team of Trackers is dispatched to give assistance.’‘What’s a pagidizor?’ Becky asked.‘Well, it’s nothing spectacular to look at, rather like a calculator,’ Uncle Percy said.‘But, in fact, it’s a most ingenious piece of kit.When pressed, the pagidizor engages a series of temporal waves that stimulates sequential displacement and emits what we call a spatial flare.’‘Uh?’ Becky grunted.‘Basically,’ Uncle Percy said, ‘it sends a distress signal to our time, so the Trackers can come and get you.It’s a wonderful gadget, really.’‘Then use your pagidiwotsit and get us out of here.’‘I can’t,’ Uncle Percy said simply.‘It’s in Bertha.Besides, the trip isn’t registered so they wouldn’t know when to come looking for us even if I did use it.’ He smiled weakly.Sensing her despair, he injected some enthusiasm into his voice.‘But, anyway, we’re not ready to go back yet, are we? We’ve still got a legendary relic to find.’‘We don’t particularly want to be eaten by a dirty great monster, though,’ Becky added sullenly.‘It won’t come to that, I promise.Besides, we need to get into that Maze, no matter what’s in there.Unless I’m very much mistaken, the Maze is Arthur Evans’ Labyrinth.’ Uncle Percy whispered, ‘How else will we find out more about the Theseus Disk? Furthermore, the Fleece might even be in there.’Becky huffed.‘Along with a dirty great monster.’‘Well, we don’t know that for sure, do we?’‘Everyone around here seems pretty convinced.’‘Ah, don’t worry,’ Uncle Percy said.‘To be honest, I don’t think that the Minotaur exists for one second, history is full of mythical beasts that never existed.’‘Like Harpies,’ Becky said.Uncle Percy’s face dropped.‘Fair point.Anyway, if the Minotaur does exist I have come very well equipped.’ He patted his chest mysteriously.‘You’ll just have to trust me when I say - ’The dungeon door opened.‘Well, well, Percy Halifax.It looks as though you’ve landed yourself in a right old pickle, doesn’t it?’Even in the half-light, Becky could see Uncle Percy’s face drained of colour, as though he’d seen a ghost.And, in a sense, he had.*The man stepped from the shadows.‘Bernard?’ Uncle Percy breathed.‘Bernard Preston?’‘The very same,’ the man said.‘Hello, my friend.’Becky recognised the name.Bernard Preston, the traveller who met with John Aubrey and discovered the legend of Stonehenge.The traveller searching for the Golden Fleece.The traveller who died at Bowen Hall on Christmas Eve.As the torch opposite flickered on Preston’s face, Becky gasped.This could not be possible.Preston studied at Oxford with Uncle Percy, they would be the same age, but this was a young man.‘It’s happened, hasn’t it? Lockets Syndrome, I mean,’ Preston said, astonished.‘I never thought I’d see it.’Uncle Percy stood, his astonished gaze never left the young man.‘And I’ve never seen it before either?’Becky stared at Joe.Lockets Syndrome?‘You’re from my future aren’t you?’ Preston whispered.‘Well, obviously you are.I only saw you last week and you were twenty six, same age as me.’‘I grew old.’‘So, when are you from?’ Preston said.‘Let’s just say I am from your future, shall we, Bernard? The details are unimportant.’The Argonauts looked at each other, bewildered.Becky doubted she could explain even if she tried.‘Wow!’ Bernard clapped his hands with delight.‘It’s funny, you know.I was only saying to Emerson yesterday - what would we do if genuine Lockets Syndrome happened to us? And you know what a miserable beggar he can be, he just gave me a dismissive look as if to say it was impossible.But it’s really happened.’‘Yes, it has,’ Uncle Percy replied.‘What are you doing here, Bernard?’‘Oh, you know me.I’ve always been fascinated by Ancient Greece.I come to Knossos quite often, particularly on Saturdays, like today.It’s market day, in case you hadn’t guessed.’‘I thought so.’Preston smiled.‘So, there I was, standing at my favourite stall, and who comes though the gate but that buffoon, Helladius, and my good friend, albeit slightly older, Percy Halifax.I couldn’t believe my eyes.’‘I bet you couldn’t,’ Uncle Percy said.‘Anyway, I just bribed Galdeus with a packet of cheese and onion crisps and he let me right in.’ Preston clapped his hands.‘It’s remarkable.Only last week, I made a decision to stay away from this timeline for a while, but, for some reason, thought I’d visit Knossos one last time, and look what’s happened - a genuine case of Locket’s Syndrome.Anyway, that’s enough about me.What’re you doing here?’Uncle Percy paused.‘We’re just having a family day trip.This is Becky and Joe, my niece and nephew.I just thought I’d show them what Crete was really like.You know, help them with their schoolwork and all that.’‘Real history, eh kids?’ Preston waved at the children.‘I wish I’d had a time traveller for an Uncle when I was a nipper.It beats reading stuffy old books, eh?’Becky and Joe smiled politely, although neither of them could think of anything to say.‘So how come you’ve landed yourself in jail?’‘Just a touch of rotten luck,’ Uncle Percy said.‘Do you want me to bust you out?’ Preston asked.‘A jailbreak would be so exciting.I can pop back to my time and get a couple of puff grenades from Charlie Millport.I wouldn’t even need to inform headquarters, he owes me a favour.I’ll have you out of here in no time at all.’Becky’s heart leapt.A jailbreak.However, a firm shake of Uncle Percy’s head dashed the idea.‘No, thank you,’ Uncle Percy said.‘We’re going to see the King.’‘Are you sure?’ Bernard said.‘I could always round up a couple of OTTERS to help.I know Steffers would definitely do it, and Malcolm, he’s always up for a rumble.Not too sure about Emerson, he doesn’t like you much and Ricardo is probably swanking around as a sixteenth century conquistador somewhere, but I could try -’‘No,’ Uncle Percy asserted.‘Actually, would you do me a favour? In fact, it’s more than a favour, it’s a deeply felt appeal.’‘Anything.’Uncle Percy took a deep breath.‘You must not tell a soul about our meeting.Not anyone [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]