Chapter 4
Something blue, he said.
Shape? said Ford.
Arthur looked again.
It is shaped, he hissed at Ford, with his brow savagely furrowing, like a policeman.
They remained crouched there for a few moments, frowning deeply. The blue thing shaped like a policeman tapped them both on the shoulders.
Come on, you two, the shape said, let’s be having you.
These words had an electrifying effect on Arthur. He leapt to his feet like an author hearing the phone ring and shot a series of startled glanced at the panorama around him which had suddenly settled down into something of quite terrifying ordinariness.
Where did you get this from? he yelled at the policeman shape.
What did you say? said the startled shape.
This is Lord’s Cricket Ground, isn’t it? snapped Arthur. Where did you find it, how did you get it here? I think, he added, clasping his hand to his brow, that I had better calm down. He squatted down abruptly in front of Ford.
It is a policeman, he said, What do we do?
Ford shrugged.
What do you want to do? he said.
I want you, said Arthur, to tell me that I have been dreaming for the last five years.
Ford shrugged again, and obliged.
You’ve been dreaming for the last five years, he said.
Arthur got to his feet.
It’s all right, officer, he said. I’ve been dreaming for the last five years. Ask him, he added, pointing at Ford, he was in it.
Having said this, he sauntered off towards the edge of the pitch, brushing down his dressing gown. He then noticed his dressing gown and stopped. He stared at it. He flung himself at the policeman.
So where did I get these clothes from? he howled.
He collapsed and lay twitching on the grass.
Ford shook his head.
He’s had a bad two million years, he said to the policeman, and together they heaved Arthur on to the sofa and carried him off the pitch and were only briefly hampered by the sudden disappearance of the sofa on the way.
Reaction to all this from the crowd were many and various. Most of them couldn’t cope with watching it, and listened to it on the radio instead.
Well, this is an interesting incident, Brian, said one radio commentator to another. I don’t think there have been any mysterious materializations on the pitch since, oh since, well I don’t think there have been any have there? that I recall?
Edgbaston, 1932?
Ah, now what happened then…
Well, Peter, I think it was Canter facing Willcox coming up to bowl from the pavilion end when a spectator suddenly ran straight across the pitch.
There was a pause while the first commentator considered this.
Ye… e… s… he said, yes, there’s nothing actually very mysterious about that, is there? He didn’t actually materialize, did he? Just ran on.
No, that’s true, but he did claim to have seen something materialize on the pitch.
Ah, did he?
n. 观众,旁观者