People hoard the strangest things, and EBay has given them, or more often their children and grandchildren, the chance to profit from clearing out the attic. Museum curators are also finding this phenomenon useful when it comes to getting those everyday items that make history more relevant.
They stayed inside the yellow lines as planes were tractored past them onto elevators. Engineers and air crew dashed back and forth, but everyone was too engrossed in their tasks to notice the three strangers in unmarked overalls. Still Sheel kept her arm locked and ready down by her side.
An ammunition loader, clipping shells into a chain, scattered bullets off his table. He grabbed another handful and continued. Bobb scooped three from the floor and gave them to Sheel. She slid them into the hole in her upper arm and willed explosive fragmentary projectiles be made from them.
Huge doors had been rolled open, to reveal a multi level hangar. A three motored transport plane was being pulled through the gap. Several rows of soldiers awaited its arrival. Swapped glances and shaken heads ruled that escape plan out. With the plane past, Bobb headed for a small door in the far wall.
They were back in human sized corridors, keeping left- as was the etiquette- and heading against the prevailing flow. The uniforms around them carried far more, and more complex, rank insignia. Still no one questioned their presence, however.
There was a large briefing room, with pilots grouped around a relief map. Bobb spotted briefing notes on a table just inside the door and grabbed some. �It�ll be nice to know where we�re going.�
The crowd thinned out as their route wound down side corridors. Finally they opened a door and were out in the open. They were looking out on the rear of a giant, moving island. There was a roar as a pair of planes flew overhead, having just taken off far above. Far below, a docking bay carved out of the structure of the ship held two flying boats. �This is huge. How could anyone build something this large?� Sheel had relaxed enough to unlock her arm, there was no movement below.
�They�d ask us the same question if they knew how we got here.� Bobb gestured with the maps, �You can fly one of those?�
�I�ve got all the principles. I don�t think I�ll kill us.�
�That�s reassuring. Let�s get off this thing.�
I’m beginning to suspect that the Tory party is secretly run by Tony Blair. Just when Tony’s approval ratings hit an all time low Iain Duncan Smith announces a lurch to the right which is probably going to destroy any chance of making significant gains in the next election. It wouldn’t be quite so bad if this wasn’t exactly the same thing that William Hauge did in the middle of the last term. I wonder what it’s like to live in country with some kind of effective opposition party.
Special forces are in the East of Africa helping the local governments root out Al Quaeda. The extra judicial killings are worrying- these are the guys who used an armed Predator against a car full of suspects- but it does seem a far better idea than a full scale invasion of a country that can hardly shoot back and has no proveable connection to AQ.
Meanwhile, the meme about cargo ships laden with NBCs is taking hold.
an alternative “al-Qa’ida navy”, thought to number some 20 ships, which are suspected of supplying arms and explosives to terrorist groups, was already being monitored.
I don’t know why the world needs a website that lets you watch traffic on the A55 but the north Wales traffic control center have given it to us anyway (also in welsh if you can read it).
The highways agency has some neat new stuff where you can zoom in on a map of England and read all the little electronic speed signs. There’s another part of the site where you can monitor the speed and volume of traffic in real time. Pointless but fun.
On an unrelated note: I heard an interview with the cheese guy on the radio. Apparently he’s been practicing eating lots of cheese in case he needs to get out in a hurry.
I joined Bookcrossing a few months ago, then did absolutely nothing about it because all the other members seemed to be American. It’s grown rapidly since then and is far more global, so it’s time to reconsider. I was going to empty my shelves as part of the move anyway, and include copies of my own book for publicity purposes, so it’s not all altruistic.
The Guardian’s Online section is running a special on how the internet will affect the war, and vice versa. They cover the proliferation of anti-war sites, how the Internet made organising last weekend’s demo so much easier and the possibility of an ‘electronic Pearl Harbour’.
David Blaine encased in ice? Pah! A real man would spend 48 hours surrounded by mature cheddar.
“This is an endurance test and I hope to test my body – I’m not going to wimp out and use a mild cheese.”