The Land Leviathan (A Nomad of the Time Streams Novel) Read Free

long to be offended.”
    He was plainly relieved and came and sat down in the next chair. “Well,” he began, “most people think that you’re the victim of a hoax. But a few are beginning to believe that you’ve turned a bit—a bit eccentric. Like those chaps who predict the end of the world all the time, or communicate with the astral plane, and so on. You know what I mean, I suppose.”
    My answering smile must have seemed to him a bit grim. “I know exactly what you mean. I had even considered it. It must seem a very rum go to someone who never met Bastable. Now you mention it, I’m not surprised if I’m the gossip of half London. Why shouldn’t people think such things about me? I’d be tempted to think them myself about you if you came to me with a story like Bastable’s. As it is, you’ve been extremely tolerant of me!”
    His smile was weak as he tried to acknowledge my joke. I went on:
    “So they think I’m a candidate for Colney Hatch, do they? Well, of course, I’ve absolutely no proof to the contrary. If only I could produce Bastable himself. Then people could make up their own minds about the business.”
    “It has become something of an obsession,” suggested my friend gently. “Perhaps it would be better to drop the whole thing?”
    “You’re right—it is an obsession. I happen to believe that Bastable was telling the truth.”
    “That’s as may be...”
    “You mean I should stop my efforts to get the account into print.”
    There was a hint of sorrow in his eyes. “There isn’t a publisher in London, old man, who would touch it now. They have their reputations to think of. Anyone who took it would be a laughingstock. That’s why you’ve had so much trouble in placing it. Drop it, Moorcock, for your sake and everyone else’s.”
    “You could be right.” I sighed. “Yet, if I could come up with some sort of proof, possibly then they would stop laughing.”
    “How could you find the proof which would convince them?”
    “I could go and look for Bastable in China and tell him the trouble he’s caused me. I could hope that he would come back to London with me—talk to people himself. I could put the matter into his hands and let him deal with his own manuscript. What would you say to that?”
    He shrugged and made a gesture with his right hand. “I agree it would be better than nothing.”
    “But your own opinion is that I should forget all about it. You think I should burn the manuscript and have done with it, once and for all?”
    “That’s my opinion, yes. For your own sake, Moorcock— and your family’s. You’re wasting so much of your time—not to mention your capital.”
    “I know that you have my interests at heart,” I told him, “but I made a promise to Bastable (although he never heard me make it) and I intend to keep it, if I can. However, I’m glad that you spoke to me. It took courage to do that and I appreciate that it was done with the best of intentions. I’ll think the whole thing over, at any rate.”
    “Yes,” he said eagerly, “do think it over. No point in fighting a losing battle, eh? You took this very decently, Moorcock. I was afraid you’d chuck me out on my ear. You had every right to do so.”
    Again I laughed. “I’m not that much of a lunatic, as you can see. I haven’t lost all my common sense. But doubtless anyone with common sense would listen to me and become convinced that I was a lunatic! Whether, however, I have enough common sense to put the whole obsession behind me is quite another matter!”
    He got up. “Let’s stop talking about it. Can I buy you a drink?”
    For the moment it was obviously politic to accept his offer so that he should not think I had, after all, taken offense. “I’d be glad of one,” I said. “I hope the other members aren’t afraid that I’m about to run riot with a meat-axe or something!”
    As we left the library he clapped me on the shoulder, speaking with some relief. “I don’t think