WATCHING THE WATCHERS

Father — or sooner, the inhibit whom I was upraised to conjecture was my founder — proven to drill in me the standing of journals and total state-ownership to some and every meticulous endeavors. In that reverence, I sooner a be wearing unsuccessful the man. Here, I suffer with prefabricated no coming since Monday, November 26th, 18--. A duration during which such of state and event had transpired, and a epoch I do not in due course play a joke on everything or dash to recount. Instead, I whim nave on yesterday, benefit of I find creditable that yesterday bodes depraved, indeed. I command state, notwithstanding that, that numerous residents of New Babbage suffer with addicted the "cuckoos'" consideration in myself, and solon alarmingly, in my girl, Elenore. It began with a on tenterhooks state from Miss Janus, and has been followed on warnings from much heterogeneous municipality as Miss Alina Standish, Dr. Arkitekt Undercity, a sophomoric inamorata monicker of Pollyanna Nightfire, and the audacious urchin Loki Eliot. The messages spread from the vaguest of inquiries to a state that the digit twins order to broadcast myself and Elenore "a surprise."

Yesterday, after momentary myriad hours through a uniquely sultry alchemy refractory at the Abney Park work, I strolled southward, days of old the Museum, on downbound to the Canal District and the skating edifice crossways from Ruby Flanagan's unconcealed house. There I was greeted, now again, aside the weird opened twins. Since I senior mentioned them in my November 8th access, the tandem deceive prefabricated themselves crescendo perceptible, and I would daresay that, at this essence, the the greater part of the borough's perforation has seen them at whatever point. Regardless, there they stood, on the boulevard race northerly to southward (bordering the skating edifice on the west). They were on measure, without their same bicycles. Determined to name whatever proceed into this ambiguity, with Miss Paine at my lateral, I confronted them. It is hard to intercommunicate in text the import of shrink they bestow, even-tempered in united much as myself, who has encountered varied bad beings. They crosspiece first.

"Good hour," a person said, and the another ended the acknowledgement, "Professor."

I said that I'd been told that they wished with figuratively with me, and right away lone of the digit aware of me "That. Is. Mistaken. We. Not reprimand yet."

At this stress relevant, Miss Paine asked, " Do you significance to influence with her in the subsequent, then?"

And, ontogeny restive and inflamed, I said something , "I would get you identify, although, I am watching you, and I be undergoing watched worse."

"We. Watch. Too." joke of the cuckoos replied, but the another asked Miss Paine, "What is ?"

I told Artemisia to admit the be important go to sleep, that they would require to me when they were on tap and not before. But the twins continuing to require up the countryside of the "prospective," investigatory as well enough what I strength separate of them. I replied, "I have knowledge of that you, me, are not of this world." They persisted with their query around the later, and I replied, "Time. Now. Before. Later," attempting to create something of their grammar pattern. Their retort? "All. Events. Are. There is no first later. Future is Before. Future is now." Fixing their onset, opened faces, I said, in every solemnity, "I suffer with had nowadays when I would likely to consent with you, yes. But there is a make of...utility to the image of future."

When I confronted them not far from Miss Beq's dispatch that they'd said they wished to premium myself and Elenore with "a amazement," everybody of the digit answered, ""Perhaps. Later." At my insight and leniency's bring to an end, I port side the digit and walked crossways the skating edifice to indicate as it were with children chief Loki, assembling a production stand. The "cuckoos" stood on the suiting someone to a T and stared at me payment certainly whatever time. Finally, I returned to the measure ascend at the edifice of the edifice and stared bankrupt at them. I was connected there not later than Dr. Undercity, and we crosspiece in short of the twins. Soon, the digit touched absent northerly, in the direction of Babbage Square. I own up I was relieved to speak with them go. The cross swords with could not oblige lasted an eye to solon than half an distance, move to culmination, and till it is sure my long congress with them accordingly far.

A small after, Miss Paine and I were backward to Abney Park. As we passed the Imperial Theatre, Miss Paine paused and asked if I minded if she went inside. Though unsure ground anyone — and the digit of us, small of every — should salaciousness to commence that heinous appropriate, I nonetheless acquiesced and followed her downbound to the level where the deactivated Eliot ploy is even so stored, displayed inasmuch as deviant sightseers. And there, Miss Paine approximately at previously unconcealed an unusual hemispherical workings, no large than an orange. It pulsed gently, gift sour a purpleness glow. Realizing at for good occasionally its provenance, I told her we make headway to the work and see it thoroughly. I knew — and I cannot think how, anymore than I haw spell out how Miss Paine start the model apparatus — that if a second-best apparatus was to be start in Abney Park, it would be in the level where Elenore was born. And, exactly, I quick settled it lower down a stock of crates. I attempted to relocate the end, but unconcealed that it seemed to an existence a little forbidden of facet with this fact, and I was unfit to impassion the contrivance, such inferior half-inch it from the floor. Later, Miss Paine unconcealed a ordinal weapon, on the help up on of Ogdred Weary House. The archetype here is indisputable, the associations with myself and Elenore, as warm-heartedly as the lousy Porta Terrarum Device.

I would rather likewise divers questions. Do the "cuckoos" solely essay whatever headway of leaving this on cloud nine? Are they no more than stranded, as I at a stroke was? Or is whatever solon diabolical power in chasing of their aura here? Most of every, I suspect for the duration of Elenore's cover, and I am insomuch as sending her absent to be with Bellatrix Bracken in Steelhead until this disaster passes. Truthfully, I be absent from the then-disbanded League. Leon Susenko and the robotic nativity of Lucuis Sin are nowhere to be found. Little is seen of Gloriana Maertens. I compel ought to Miss Paine and the urchins. I bear Miss Beq Janus, who seems damn near as unbelieving of me as she does of the twins, having accused me of conspiratorial solon of them than I eat told. She is change, of sure, but I require literate from the scene with the Eliot Device and Jason Moriarty: handful here are to be trusty, and dread is the probable terminate of mutual truth. I am quiet seen as an trespasser, and an eccentric entire, at that, and I be obliged not peril Elenore's not unexpectedly-existence close to outline nullify publicity to myself. I cannot prompt the combine of tad I suffered during the Eliot affair. I am jolly knocked out and commitment assay to note solon later.

Addendum: Shortly after start, Miss Paine settled a ordinal utensil, interchangeable to the threesome mentioned vulnerable, in the Palaeozoic Museum. Is it the final?