the past!
He knew the life-threads of Brenda and her baby at once; he seemed drawn to them - sucked at by their rush - as they emerged like bright blue meteors out of the past, and hurtled by him on course for the true future. The one a mature blue nucleus at the head of a trailing thread, its pathway through all the alternatives of time, and the other smaller, but brilliant with new life! This was them, or their temporal 'echoes' after entering the store, but what the Necroscope desired to discover was their course from here on.
Quickly reversing his direction of travel, Harry followed behind and gained on them; for he had the advantage of knowing that time is relative, and that in the metaphysical Mobius Continuum will is the single cause that brings effect. And indeed he willed himself to catch up with them, 'just in time.'
Speeding behind them, intent on following wherever young Harry might take his mother, the Necroscope was witness to an effect that would baffle even him, and continue to do so for a period of seven long years - or 'lost years,' as much of that time would come to seem to him. For Harry had forgotten a very simple fact: that what he could do with the Continuum, his son could do in spades!
It was simply this: that in the space of a single moment of time Brenda and the infant Harry's life-threads had come to an abrupt, totally unexpected, apparently violent end! Blinded by the sudden flash of twin bomb-bursts, Harry closed his eyes and sped on through what must surely be the debris of his family, scattered atoms of light occupying the 'space' where they had been. But then, looking back, he saw that their termination had been too complete, too uter; that in fact nothing remained of them. Not in this world, anyway - - Or rather, not in this place?
And so perhaps Harry could be forgiven for believing that his son had simply moved his mother to some other, safer place in the mundane world, and that he would experience little difficulty in finding them and going to them later.
But later can be a long time, as the Necroscope would discover soon enough. And in his case it might even be years ...
Back at the baby outfiters, the alarms were still going off. As Harry paused there to get his co-ordinates, so the telephone started ringing. For a moment he ignored it, then gave it some thought. For who would be trying to cal a baby store at this time of night? The answer seemed obvious.
Moving to the front of the store, Harry found the office, desk, and telephone, and lifted the later from its cradle. At the other end of the line, Darcy Clarke said:
'Harry?'
'Yes?'
'Good, I'm glad I caught you! Look, don't go to Trevor's place. I spoke to him on the 'phone and by now he's on his way in. But, er, he told me to tell you that he wouldn't - I mean, not under any circumstances - accompany you anywhere via your mode of travel. Is that understood?'
Harry grinned to himself however coldly, and nodded. 'Yes, understood,' he said. And: 'Can you reach him in his car?'
'Yes.'
Then tell him to go to this address and meet me there.' He passed on the address of the East End garage. 'And tell him to keep a low profile.'
'Harry, is this wise?' Darcy's concern came over loud and clear. 'Do you think you should be folowing this up? I mean, tonight?'
'Probably not, but I didn't start it.'
'What about police or E-Branch back-up?'
'Definitely not! Just Jordan, no back-up. In fact I want you to back off!'
For a moment there was silence, then Darcy asked, 'Can I hear alarms ringing?'
'Probably in more ways than one,' Harry answered, and put the 'phone down. And to himself: Sirens, too! Outside the shop, visible through the plate glass, a police car had screeched to a halt. Its siren was blaring and blue light rotating. A young policeman came to the window, held a hand over the peak of his cap and scanned the interior. He saw Harry walk out of the office, shrank to one side, began talking excitedly into his handset. Harry waved cheerily at him, then walked into the back of the store where it was still dark, conjured a Mobius door and took his departure.
Lawmen had irritated the Necroscope more than enough for one day. Time to