Timekeeper

timekeeper a short story by Waqar Hassan

Morrissey narrated by Barry Bauman a

single Lantern was the only source of

light in the shop two men stood in the

center of the room spilling out

broadening shadows across the floor and

against the counter in the empty walls

the shorter and heavier of the men the

bearer of the lantern moved

shadows swooped and the floor creaked

under his weight he pushed a box into

place

stepped on it and reached up to hang the

lantern from a hook descending from the

ceiling this done he took a few steps to

the counter he blew a swirl of dusts

from the glass top and rubbed the

surface clear with his handkerchief its

only dust mr Bao ah if you decide to

take this place well have it spotless

before you move in the taller man said

nothing with the light behind and above

him only a slight distance over his head

his face was obscured and his expression

could not be seen the other man

continued you wont find a better

location in this town mr bell you have

two nice rooms upstairs for your living

quarters and a large room in the back

for storage or a workshop and theres

the big display window out in the street

Ill take it mr lochia a wise decision

mr bell

theres no property in this town more

suitable for a jewelers shop I am NOT a

jeweler

mr lochia Lockyer shook his head

vigorously and waved his hand as if to

brush away his error no no of course not

your your clock master you mentioned

that sorry mr bell I make and repair

timepieces I do not deal in trinkets

well youre certainly needed here mr

bell

you know if anyone wants a clock or a

watch repaired he has to take it all the

way down to Boston thats a long trip

and more often than not its a waste of

time I never waste time mr Lakia no

people are gonna be mighty glad you came

here and you will be too

youll do well here mr bell as a matter

of fact I have a watch you might look at

when youre all set up it was my

grandfathers originally kept perfect

time for nearly a century that washe did

but last year I dropped it on the stone

floor down at the railroad

station and that was the end of it I

took it to the best jeweler in Boston

and how those people held onto it for

nearly six months and then they told me

they couldnt do a thing it was beyond

repair bring it to me

ye do you think it might be able to

replace the works Ill repair it mr

Locke yeah take it to your office

tomorrow no I will mr bell oh Ill have

the lease already for your signature

my men will get to work here first thing

tomorrow morning youll be able to move

in by the end of the week Ill do my own

cleaning and move in tomorrow just give

me the keys

Locke you looked uncomfortable well now

its always been our policy not to turn

the place over to a tenant til its

spotless

I appreciate your hurry but I I just

wouldnt feel right giving you a place

in this condition it it needs a good

cleaning I always do my own cleaning let

me have the keys and Ill be open for

business tomorrow afternoon oh youll

never manage that mr bellar theres

just too much to be done I know how to

make the best of time mr Locke you come

by at tomorrow and your watch will

be ready Lockyer enter the shop a few

minutes before the following

evening he was astonished at the changes

that have been wrought in a single day

the windows the glass countertops and

the display case were all spotless the

floors and woodwork gleamed freshly

polished the shelves were filled with an

assortment of clocks some were quite

ordinary others were like none that

lucky had ever seen before

Bell was not in the shop lochia went to

the display case and stooped for a

closer look at the clocks behind the

glass front the hours struck and he was

immersed in a medley of sound tiny

chimes tinkle Dyk tapped crystal deep

tolling bells and reverberant mellow

gongs vied with chirps and whistles and

birdsong in a brief Fantasia scores of

figures came forth to mark the hour each

in its own way luckier found himself

drawn to the capering figures of a

Harlequin turning handsprings one for

each of the six peals of the little

silver bell at the very top of the clock

the figure was smaller than his thumb

yet it moved with supple smoothness free

of the awkward lurching of the clock

figures hed seen so many times before

at the sixth stroke the Harlequin turned

its final handspring bowed and retreated

inside a pair of gaily painted doors

that shut firmly behind it lock your

lean clothes stooping his hands on his

knees fascinated by the tiny figures

grace he started at the sound of the

clock makers voice and straightened

quickly to find Bell standing behind the

display case Im sorry I startled you I

was I was watching now fascinated by

this Ive never seen a clock like this

like any of these you must come again

when the hour is striking and see the

others some are quite unusual oh there

must be very expensive

Oh some are priceless others are less

expensive than you might think

luckier leaned down to look more closely

at the Harlequin clock he touched his

pudgy fingers to the glass of the case

in a childlike gesture and drew them

back quickly in the embarrassment how

much is this one oh that one is not for

sale mr lucky Ive Ive been offered a

great deal of money for it but Im not

prepared to let my little Harlequin go

its a marvelous piece of work

everything in the shop is marvellous and

youve set it all up so quickly its

incredible that you accomplished so much

in less than a day would you like your

watch mr lucky

Oh surely you havent had enough time it

will keep time for your grandchildren

mr Lakia and for their grandchildren

too

how did you do it the watchmaker in

Boston told me it was ruined hehe said

no one could fix it there are very few

things that cant be fixed

perhaps Ive had more experience than

others oh he looks plan brandnew I must

admit I didnt think you could fix it it

was a pleasure mr lucky the smaller man

looked at his watch again held it to his

ear and shook his head bemusedly he

tucked the watch into his vest pocket

and reached for his wallet how much will

it be oh theres no charge well he must

have put a lot of time and work into

this

I never charged my first customer

well youre very generous

well you mentioned that some of your

clocks are not too expensive and perhaps

well Im sure my wife would be pleased

with a nice clock for the mantel then we

shall find one to her liking theyll

walk slowly down the length of shelves

paused retraced his steps and at last

stop to take down a clock mounted atop a

silver cylinder embellished with enamel

swans on a woodland lake he placed it on

the countertop the clock was silent its

hands were fixed at a minute before

its waiting for its proper owner

theyll touch something at the back and

the clock began to tick when the hands

met at the cylinder opened and to

the accompaniment of a sweet melody a

little darkhaired ballerina stepped

forth bowed and began to dance Lockyer

stared at the figure in astonishment

Antoinette at the last stroke the tiny

dancer withdrew and the cylinder closed

around her Lockyer continued to stare

for a moment then he rubbed his eyes and

looked up at Belle its uncanny

we had a daughter she loved to dance we

hoped that shed be ballerina but it

wasnt to be

she died of pneumonia two years ago Im

very sorry mr luckier I hope I have not

caused you pain

oh no no mr bell that that little

dancer is the image of Antoinette as she

was when we lost her

then you have your daughter back every

time the hour strikes she will dance as

she once did all my wife would be so

happy shes never gotten over it really

she seldom leaves the house anymore

but that clock ah I know it must be very

expensive but Ill manage to pay for it

somehow Belle stated the price but

thats ridiculous you could sell this

clock for a hundred times that much I

choose to sell it to you for exactly

that price no more and no less

will you have it I will then its yours

the clock master made a quick adjustment

at the back turning the hands to the

proper time then he took up the clock

and handed it back to

baki its properly set now it will

require no further adjustment I hope it

brings pleasure to you and your wife are

certain to do that Thank You mr bell

luckier backed away from the counter the

clock cradled in his arms the clock

masters shop soon became a point of

interest in the town schoolchildren and

idlers clustered outside the window to

observe the hourly spectacle customers

came in increasing numbers some to bring

a watch or a clock for repair or

adjustment and some to buy one of the

timepieces that bell sold at such modest

prices all who entered the shop stayed

long entranced by the marvels of

workmanship that filled the display case

and lined the shelves Lockyer was a

regular visitor at least once each week

and usually more than that he showed up

at Belles shop to report on the

remarkable accuracy of his watch to

thank Belle for the ballerina clock and

then to examine the latest product of

Belles workshop he was awed by the

speed with which the clock maker could

create his marvelous mechanisms every

week brought something new late in the

year when lockers stopped in the shop

for a rainy afternoon Bell was placing a

new clock in the display case at the

sight of Lockyer the clock makers smiled

and set the clock on the glasstop

extending his hand in welcome would you

care to see at work yes mr bell

luckier put his umbrella in the stand by

the door and came to the display case he

saw a dark sphere about the size of a

cannonball it appeared to be of crystal

so deep blue that it was almost black

atop the opaque crystal was a small

white and gold clock no bigger than a

childs fist the hands of the clock

stood at one minute to twelve Lockyer

studied the crystal and could

distinguish nothing within but darkness

the clock was exquisite the crystal

flawless but this seemed a

disappointingly simple timepiece to come

from one who was capable of the

intricate and subtle mechanisms that

filled the shop it appeared Bell had

read lockers thoughts its not quite so

simple as it appears Lockyer glanced

sharply up in embarrassment

Bell smiled and set the clock were going

by the time the hands had met the

darkness in the crystal had softened

somewhat at the first stroke of a

light appeared at the center with each

successive stroke a new light glowed

somewhere in the crystal and all grew

steadily brighter the outer lights moved

about the central one brightest of them

all smaller lights hardly more than

pinpoints against the rich blue that now

suffused the sphere circled some of the

outer lights silent and serene they

moved in stately procession around the

bright Center at the ninth revolution

the lights began to fade in the darkness

deepen when the Twelfth Revolution was

completed only the faint glow at the

center of the crystal remained and then

suddenly it was gone and all within was

darkness once again well thats

marvelous its its the universe only a

representation of one small part watch

incredible mr bell incredible those

lights and then the way they move huh

how did you do it I have my secrets I

thought youd enjoy seeing this one mr

lock here it will not be here after

today are you actually selling it who

could afford such a lock your silenced

himself abruptly more embarrassed than

before fails dealings were no ones

business but his own if he undervalued

his own work the fact didnt seem to

trouble him and in order to do him any

harm I charged a fair price and the

woman who ordered this very special

cloth for her husband can well afford it

Southerland

it can only be Elizabeth Sutter hland

Bell nodded but said nothing and luckier

went on well maybe I shouldnt say this

but it hmm it hurts me mr Ballard

really hurts me to think of a beautiful

piece of workmanship like this clock

being in the hands of a man like Paul

Sutherland he doesnt deserve it

mrs Sutherland seems to think he does

Elizabeth has forgiven him a hundred

times taken him back when hes done

things lochia stopped himself he

gestured angrily and stood with reddened

face glaring at that dark sphere

perhaps she loves him mr Locher well if

she does shes a fool Im not a prayin

man but I I cant help hearing things

and if only a fraction of the things I

hear about Paul Sutherland and that

crowd of his friends are true Elizabeth

should have left him long ago

things may improve mr Locke you people

do change well some people do I know

Sutherland and I know hell never change

not if you live to be a hundred

well we must hope Lockyer nodded

impatiently and went to the door he took

his umbrella put his hand on the

doorknob and then turned to Bell

look mr bell I Im sorry I I had no

right to say the things I said I I got

angry for a moment

Elizabeths an old friend a lot of

people in this town respect her oh its

perfectly all right mr lock here no I

did it isnt all right that thats what

troubles me Sutherland is cruel to his

wife and children he treats his servants

brutally and to think of her given him

something so exquisite as I said we must

hope perhaps this anniversary present

will mark a turning point for the

Sutherlands mrs Sutherland arrived late

that afternoon she was a beautiful woman

her fine features almost untouched by

time her thick hair of glowing auburn

but years of unhappiness had left their

mark in other ways her manner was cool

and formal and there was a totnes in her

voice that served as a barrier to all

but essential conversation the sight of

the clock changed her she folded back

her veil and looked with unfeigned

delight at the motion of the tiny worlds

within the sphere when the last light

faded she turned eagerly to the

clockmaker her eyes aglow her expression

animated mr bell this is a wonder Ive

I have never seen anything to rival it

my husband will be overwhelmed Im happy

to see you so pleased mrs Sutherland

Im delighted oh its quite beyond

anything I expected mr bell she placed

her gloved hands on the crystal and

looked into its dark depths and as she

looked her expression hardened and

weariness seemed to enfold her like a

shadow when she addressed him again the

barrier was in place if by any chance

the clock should be damaged mr bell we

will of course take the greatest care of

such a delicate mechanism but children

and servants can be clumsy

if some miss chances should occur I will

repair it mrs Sutherland

this town like Old Towns had its share

of idlers and wasters some of them were

frequent observers of the noontime

display in Belles shop window but being

the sort of men to whom punctuality was

not so much at virtue as an imposition

they didnt become patrons nearly a full

year passed from his arrival before one

of them visited the shop and he came

only to amuse himself at the clock

makers expense

his name was Monson and he was given to

this kind of amusement he was a portly

floridfaced man with handsome figures

and a confident manner welldressed and

wellspoken he belonged to a prominent

and prosperous family though he himself

showed no signs of Industry or concern

for good repute he came to the shop one

morning spent a quarter hour examining

the clocks on display and then

introduced himself to Belle people say

you repair damaged clocks and watches I

do I heard you can repair any watch no

matter how badly its been damaged

people have been satisfied by my work

perhaps they exaggerate well if youre

as good as they say I I have a little

job for you it should be no trouble at

all for a man of your abilities Monson

druid dirty rolledup handkerchief from

his pocket laid it on the countertop and

unfolded it to reveal a jumble of wheels

Springs and tiny bits of metal a cracked

dial and a bent and battered watch case

all were encrusted with dried mud and

the case was scored and scratched all

right too much for you hmm Oh perhaps

not mr Monson Monson smiled wavered in

the face of his calm response but he

quickly recovered and it slipped from my

fingers and rolled into the roadway a

horse trotted into the dirt and the

wagon wheels rolled right over it I

thought it was beyond fixing but this

watch has sentimental value to me and so

I I kept the pieces and then when I

heard everyone in the town singing your

praises all I told them Id bring the

watch to you and let you show how good

you really are his smile was a mocking

challenge come back tomorrow at so

soon mr bell you

work fast I dont waste time mr Monson

neither mine nor other peoples Monson

left and when he joined the friends who

had waited for him outside their

laughter could be heard inside the shop

the next day all three came at the

appointed hour three other men all

welldressed and in very high spirits

were also present having entered only a

few minutes earlier they joined the

others around Monson when he greeted the

clockmaker and placed his palms on the

top of the display case and my watch if

you please mr Beldon your watch mr

Monson he placed a small box on the

glass and opened it inside was a

spotless white handkerchief Monson zone

as the monogram attested which he

unfolded to reveal a watch in excellent

condition the hands were at two minutes

past four no no mr belyeu you must have

misunderstood me I want my own wash not

a replacement this is your watch Monson

took up the watch and inspected it front

and back after a time he said it may be

my watch case either the original or a

damn clever imitation but even if it is

my own the rest of it I didnt authorize

you to replace the works I told you to

repair them and you said you would I

replaced only those parts that were

missing I repaired your watch mr Munsen

nobody could have repaired that watch I

handed you a lot of junk oh you did

indeed nevertheless I repaired the watch

do you want it mr Munsen

well of course I do which my watch isnt

that you said so yourself but if you

think youre gonna charge me some

outrageous price youd better think

again I Im on to that trick Belle

quoted the price of his repairs the men

with Monson grinned at one another one

of them laughed whether Monson or Bell

or the situation in which they found

themselves was the source of their

amusement was not clear but Monson

didnt appear to share their feelings

he took the coins from his pocket and

dropped them with a clatter on the glass

top he took up the watch turned and

stalked from the shop without another

word

later that week two of the men who had

been with Monson came to Belles shop

they looked over the clocks on display

carefully and critically and finally

informed Vale that they intended to buy

a clock for their club room at the hotel

nothing on the shelves or in the display

case was precisely what they had in mind

one of them explained further but there

were three that might be acceptable

providing the price was low enough they

pointed out the three and when Bell told

them the price they gasped at him in

astonishment

what do you mean asking prices like

those theres nobody in this town can

pay that kind of money for a clock yeah

I hear that if you like people you sell

them a clock for practically nothing

whats wrong with us that you ask so

much do we look like fools my prices

vary you saw how little I asked from

your friend

well then treat us the same way if you

dont want trouble

theyll did not reply at once you

gentlemen have chosen three of the most

expensive clocks in my shop I have

others that cost much less well if we

wanted the cheap clock wed go to the

general store were willing to pay good

money for good workmanship but we wont

be gouged well perhaps I can show you

something else

the clocks you selected are very

delicate I may have others more suitable

for a gentlemans club room they

blustered a bit but were modified by

what they took as his apology he went to

his storeroom and brought out several

sturdy clocks set in brass and polished

mahogany with deep resounding bells to

mark the hour the price of these clocks

was absurdly low the men examined them

and selected one but even as Belle was

packing it carefully in a box for them

one of the men looked longingly at the

first clock they had chosen that clock

with the little acrobat is still my

favorite will you reconsider the price I

set my prices very carefully gentlemen

its impossible for me to bargain how

does that Acrobat work thats what

fascinates me I didnt see any wires and

I didnt see any wires in any of them

damned if I can figure out how those

little people operate whats your secret

bail bail smiled but said nothing and

its probably just as well for us to get

a good sturdy clock and not one of those

others very interesting but they

wouldnt last long once things got moist

style of the club even the good solid

clock like this one may not last long

what do you say bel if someone bounces

this off a wall will it keep on telling

proper time if anything happens to this

clock come to me

Elisabeth settlin revisited the clock

makers shop in the spring theyll was at

the door awaiting her arrival and she

waved to him as her carriage pulled up

she entered the shop with the light step

of a girl folding back her veil she

looked around the shelves and turned to

Belle beaming mr bell I came at a

perfect time you have a score of new

creations on your shelves I trust the

clock you purchased last year is

performing satisfactorily it hasnt lost

a second and its such a pleasure to

watch it seems to be just a bit

different every time it strikes the

children love it and mr Southerland is

absolutely fascinated by it he keeps

saying that he intends to come here

himself and tell you how much pleasure

hes gotten from it I look forward to

his visit mrs Sutherland well I hope he

gets to do it soon he seemed so very

tired lately yes these are busy times

please mrs Sutherland have a seat oh it

isnt overwork he just seems weary its

almost as if hes gotten much older in

the last few months

she was looking up at the shelves Bell

did not reply he followed her gaze and

then reached up to take the clock that

had attracted her eye she leaned closer

examined it then looked at him and

smiled expectantly

its a lovely scene mr Bell so peaceful

I cant imagine what Ill see when it

strikes the hand stood at two minutes to

three the clock face was set in a gold

dome that canopy a woodland scene a

still pond surrounded by willows a

rowboat about the size of a childs

little finger floated near the center of

the pond in it was a figure in a straw

hat dangling a fishing pole in the water

all was serene when the first two chime

struck the fisherman pulled up a tiny

fish unhooked it and cast his line again

to land a fish at each stroke the three

fish flopped and thrashed in the bottom

of the boat

the fishermen took them up and dropped

them back into the water as the ripples

spread and faded he settled in his seat

tilted his head against the declining

Sun lowered his line and returned to his

fishing mrs Sutherland clapped her

hands together in an innocent gesture of

sheer delight

oh thats wonderful mr bill Thank You

mrs Sutherland is there any other youd

like to see oh I love them all mr Bell

but Im really here to look for

something suitable for my mothers

birthday have you a special clock in

mind I was hoping you might have another

clock like the one I bought for my

husband alas no each clock is unique but

let me think I may have something more

suitable he swept the shelves with a

slow searching gaze and then studied the

contents of the display case he stood

for a time frowning a finger pressed to

his lips then excusing himself he

withdrew to his workroom some minutes

later he emerged bearing a delicate

white vows that contained red

rosebuds a clock mr bell he nodded

pointing to a small dial near the base

its hands at one minute to

he set the clock going and placed it

before mrs Sutherland as the clock

struck a rosebud opened at each stroke

and a growing fragrance filled the air

she exclaimed softly and Wonder and

delight

Oh mr bell thats absolutely perfect

my mother adores roses I couldnt give

her a nicer present I completed this

clock only yesterday mrs Sutherland

just in time for Mothers birthday

exactly on time it appears late in the

summer Paul settlin died quietly at his

home he was in his early s and showed

no evidence of disease but in his last

days he was a shrunken white haired man

drained and feeble in body and mind

his widow mourned him sincerely but

there were many in town who counted her

fortunate to be free of him

in the fall on a dark rainy day of empty

streets Monson and two of his friends

brought their damaged clock to Belles

shop Monson stood it on top of the

display case and stepped back laughing

the others joined in as Monson pointed

to the shattered face and one of the

lads fencing himself a marksman bail how

long will it take for you to fix this

one they all took up the clock and

examined it turning it in his hands his

expression was grave well how long we

want it tomorrow youre a fast worker

arent you too much for your bail if you

cant fix it well take another one to

replace it a fancy one one of your

special models this time those clocks

are not for sale youre a hell of a

businessman Belle you dont want to sell

your best Goods and what you do decide

to sell you sell at crazy prices yeah he

makes enough on the ones he sells to

rich women is that it Belle yeah what

are you up to with Liz Sutherland she

spends a good bit of time here some

people say dont get any ideas about her

bail you hear me leave my shop leave

were customers Belle youre a

shopkeeper and youll treat us with

respect we want to look over these

precious clocks of yours all these not

for sale treasures youre hoarding and

you will show us what we tell you to

show us leave my shop

bells voice was level and unchanged he

put down the ruined clock and took a

step toward them now how about this one

Monson moved swiftly to the shelves and

picked up a creation of gold and

porcelain and brightly enameled metal on

which a single uniformed Guardsman stood

smartly at attention dont do anything

to upset me now Belle I might drop it

Belles voice was calm and icy cold put

down the clock and leave my shop

Monson looked at his two friends and

grin and famed dropping the clock

laughing loudly at his motion the figure

was jarred and fell to the floor

Monson quickly replaced the clock on the

shelf I didnt mean to do that you

should have just kept quiet

well we didnt intend any harm of course

you intended harm and youve

accomplished it the atmosphere in the

shop had changed in an instant Belle

seemed to

Loum over the three men and they though

all of them were more powerfully built

than he and some years younger now

shrank from him he bent very gently took

up the Fallen figure and raised it close

to his eyes you can fix it bel yeah you

can fix things like that easily its not

as if we hurt anyone dont bother about

the clock we brought in it it was a joke

just just a joke

Monson step forward and thrust out his

jaw defiantly his voice was forced and

unnaturally loud now just a minute now

bel can fix that clock of ours and

theres no reason why he shouldnt if I

did any damage any real damage will Im

willing to pay for it as long as its a

fair price we have nothing to apologize

for

well pay and thats the end of it

theyll raised his eyes from the broken

figure in his hand Ill calculate the

proper payment the disappearance of

Austin Monson and two of his cronies was

a matter of general discussion and much

speculation around town in the following

months explanations of all sorts from

the ridiculous to the lurid circulated

for a day or two and then gave way to

newer thought as time passed interest

waned and soon the three vanished men

were spoken of only by their friends in

the year that followed Belles clientele

grew to include nearly everyone in town

even the poorest family it seemed could

afford to own a clock from his shop and

all of his clocks whatever the price

however simple or elaborate kept perfect

time no customer was ever dissatisfied

Belle was always available to a customer

or a casual visitor always willing to

demonstrate some ingenious new time

beads by this time Lockyer and his wife

had become regular weekly visitors and

every week they all had a new clock to

display even more ingenious sometimes

close to magical when the hour struck

one might see birds take wing or

porpoises leap from a miniature sea or

bats fly from a ruined belfry woodsman

felled trees skaters swooped and spun

and cut intricate figures a trainer put

tiny lions and tigers through their

paces

jugglers tossed Indian clubs smaller

than a fingernail a sailor danced a

hornpipe a dervish swirled in ecstasy a

stately couple walls serenely while a

quintet of Perry Whig musicians played

and never were the movements of these

little figures awkward or mechanical but

always smooth and natural no wires or

levers or tracks could be seen only

graceful and disciplined motion time

after time Bell seemed to sell his

clocks as quickly as he could make them

even those that were not for sale left

the shop to be replaced on the shelves

by new ones

only a few were permanent a little

Harlequin whose acrobats had captivated

Lockyer on his first visit to the shop

was still in place the firebreathing

dragon on his hoard of gold and precious

gems and skeletons in armor was still in

a corner of the window slouching forth

every hour to the terror and delight of

all the children and the trim little

pavilion of gold and porcelain and

bright stripes of red and blue enamel

metal before which a uniformed Guardsman

marched and counter marched every hour

while a piper and a drummer marked the

beat stood where it had been for as long

as lochia could recall a year at the

very least during the holiday season

bells shop was a crowded busy place

cheerful and lively those few

townspeople who did not yet own one of

his clocks were finally about to make a

purchase and others wish to buy one as a

special gift for a relative or a friend

how he managed to do it no one knew but

Bell met the increased demand and even

produced a magnificent new clock a

lighted cathedral with carolers before

it steps and a choir of angels hovering

over its spires he placed it in the

window three days before Christmas and

every passerby stopped to marvel in the

cold dark days of the new year the mood

of the town changed

no one criticized Bell or his work or

complained of his prices but now the

shop was often empty no customers

visiting for two or three days running

the lockers still came regularly

sometimes bringing their infant daughter

they noticed no change in bells manner

and heard no word of complaint from him

but

they sensed a difference that they could

want explain to one another new rumors

had begun in the club room where

Monsons friends still gathered here

they drank and brooded and their idle

minds dwelt on the still unpleasant

disappearance of their own companions as

rumours do their stories fed on

themselves and Inter wool one with

another corroborating exaggeration with

misstatement and validating both with

falsehood in time they became firmly

convinced of their own imaginings

theyll was the culprits of the rumour

mongers why envy of course that was

plain to anyone who knew the facts

Monson had shown him up made him look

foolish the ridiculous clockmaker had

thought himself a rival for the widows

affections fancy a woman like her wedded

to a shopkeeper

and when he learned of her preference

for Monsen jealousy added to envy had

pushed him to desperation Monson had put

him in his place and he sought revenge

it was obvious just what he had done to

his rival and how and why he had

included others in his deed was not

clear bill was too crafty to leave

evidence that would give him away no one

questioned his shrewdness but he was the

guilty party that was plain to any

reasonable person and he must be brought

to justice

at first the townspeople laughed at

these wild tales considering their

sources and their probable motive but

they heard them again and again and in

time a tiny seed of something not quite

doubt but perhaps a vague and reluctant

uncertainty took root in their minds

what was said so often so earnestly

could not be completely without

foundation they told themselves not that

they believed the word of it but bill

was a mysterious man no one would deny

that where had he come from and why had

he come to this town how could a man

price his wares so erratically and stay

in business even prosper who bought

those expensive clocks and what became

of the ones that were not for sale but

nevertheless vanished from the shelves

how could anyone produce mechanisms of

such delicacy and precision so quickly

and yet so perfectly and still turn out

stir

serviceable clocks at bargain prices and

if it was indeed true that Monson and

his friends had been talking about

visiting Bell on the very day of their

disappearance then the clock maker owed

the town and explanation no amount of

good workmanship not even genius

exempted a man from the common judgment

said the good citizens the rumors grew

more insistent to the issues more

troublesome the questions more pointed

as spring drew near one evening when the

shop was closed and the streets empty

Lockyer tapped at the clock makers back

door Bell was in his workroom as he

usually was in the evening hours and he

opened the door after a short delay mr

Bell you must seek protection I need no

protection oh you do you must know the

stories that are going around town well

Ive heard foolish rumors or you and I

know that theyre foolish but others in

town are beginning to believe them

theres talk of coming to your shop and

demanding an account of Monsons

disappearance my shop will be open at

the usual hour Ive always been willing

to answer reasonable questions will you

come in mr loggia no no I cant I cant

but you must do something to protect

yourself monsens friends are behind

this and they want to hurt you they may

break in on you in the night will the

townspeople permit this well no one

wants anything to happen to you but

Monsons friends have everyone confused

they have a lot of influence in this

town well some of them do anyway and the

people have heard so many stories they

they dont know what to believe theyre

theyre confused so I must fear the

actions of a lawless mob Im afraid

thats the case you must protect

yourself I will mr lochia without

another word bail closed the door lock

you heard the bold slide into place they

came to the shop later that night eleven

men strong others waited outside at

front and back several had been

customers at one time or another and

some had come on occasion to observe the

clocks as they struck the hour or

watched the display in the window three

who had been present when Bell had

presented Monson with his repaired watch

were the leaders the others did not

speak were here to find out what you

did to our friends Bell were not

leaving till were satisfied

why do you blame me they said they were

coming here we all heard them say that

and then we never saw them again youre

the one behind their disappearance all

right so just admit it Belle we can make

you tell us everything if you force us

to one of the others raised a walking

stick and tapped it on the glass top of

the display case we can smash this place

to bits and you with it

now tell us what you did to our friends

theyll look down at him then at the man

with a walking stick then at such others

as met his glance he raised his hand and

pointed to the door its best that you

leave my shop best for you thats

certain but were not leaving several of

the others under the challenge of his

ferocious gaze murmured their agreement

dont try to bluff us Bellevue bluff

this whole town for too long answer our

question or its going to get my TM

answer our questions or its gonna get

mighty unpleasant he brought his stick

down sharply the glass cracked then

suddenly at exactly nine minutes past

the hour of one all the clocks in the

shop began to strike in unison beat

gongs and crystalline chimes resonant

bells and the sound of tiny drums and

trumpets and a den of indistinguishable

peelings and tolling and clanging all

blended to engulf the intruders in a

wave of sound and on and on they struck

twelve times in twelve more and twelve

times twelve more rapidly at first and

then steadily diminishing in volume and

rapidity fading as if they were receding

at a steady rate becoming even fainter

until they could be heard no more the

men stood be numbed by the assault of

sound they felt no pain and sensed no

restraint by external force not one of

them carried any trace of physical harm

as a result of that night their breath

came freely they could move their eyes

and hear every sound but their bodies

were held as if the air had grown viscid

and glutinous clinging to them dragging

at them like thick mud or heavy snow but

a thousand times more inhibitive than

mud or snow because invisible and

insensible as it was it clung not only

to their feet and legs but to their

hands arms heads and bodies they felt as

if time itself had crawled almost to a

halt congealing and trapping them within

it like insects in amber those who spoke

of that night and few of them ever did

so and those few reluctantly after long

silence and still fearful of ridicule

agreed on several points Bell they all

said was untouched by the phenomenon he

removed the clocks from the shelves in

the window in the display case one by

one carefully and lovingly and took them

into his workroom this process took

sometimes several hours at least but

none of the men felt the pain or

cramping that such a long period of

enforced immobility or near immobility

would be certain to cause Bell worked

methodically ignoring the intruders his

attention confined to his clocks on

these facts all agreed but each had his

own particular memory of that night

according to one man the shop grew

steadily darker another said that the

light remained constant

but Bell himself moved ever more swiftly

until at last he moved too fast for the

eye to follow and vanished from sight a

third man claimed that Bell grew more

insubstantial and raped like with each

timepiece he removed and at last simply

faded into nothingness

one man recalled a sight of a fly that

passed before his face so slowly that he

could count the beats of its wings the

fly progressed no more than a foot and

yet the man swore that its passage

consumed three hours at the

released one of his companions spoke of

the disturbing sight of ash fallen from

the cigar in the hand of a man standing

near him it fell to the ground so slowly

that in all the time he stood confined

no less than four hours by his

calculation it had not reached the floor

two other men mentioned their awareness

of each tick of a clock separated by an

agonizing interval one claimed a full

hours space while the other spoke only

of a horrible long wait between one tick

and the next whatever happened on that

night however it happened when the men

could move and their immobility ended in

an instant without warning bell in all

the clocks were gone five men fled the

shop in terror they instantly had

command of their legs those who remain

did so more from fear of showing fear

than from courage or even anger they

looked to one another uncertainly

awaiting direction finally someone said

we have to go after him the workroom was

dark and empty they drew the bolt on the

back door and one shouted to the other

waiting outside did you see him a man

carrying a pick handle emerged from the

shadows didnt see nobody nobodys come

out that backdoor are you sure

well of course were sure damn it what

happened theyll get away from you

they didnt reply they returned to the

shop and noticed something that had

escaped them in the first shock of

freedom the shop was thickened dust and

cobwebs hung from the ceiling and

rounded the upper corners of the shelves

the air was stale like that of a room

long sealed as they looked around them

the clock in the Town Hall struck the

quarter hour one man looked at his watch

and announced in a hushed voice no

one ever learned what became of the

clock maker no clocks like his were ever

seen again by any of the townspeople

even those who traveled widely and took

an interest in such things those that he

sold had been passed on through three or

four or even five generations

they keep perfect time and have never

required repair

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