Sacred Wind: Book 2
‘Quantum computing is…a distinctively new way of harnessing nature…It will be the first technology that allows useful tasks to be performed in collaboration between parallel universes.’
David Deutsch – Centre for Quantum Computation, University of Oxford.
‘There are vibrations of different universes right here, right now. We’re just not in tune with them. There are probably other parallel universes in our living room – this is modern physics. This is the modern interpretation of quantum theory, that many worlds represent reality.’
Dr Michio Kaku - Theoretical Physicist and Bestselling Author.
‘In infinite space, even the most unlikely events must take place somewhere.’
Professor Max Tegmark - Dept. of Physics, MIT.
‘This is a victory for life, a victory for common sense and, ultimately, recognition that consciousness is pervasive in our abundant and wonderful universe.’
Dr Lamb Dopiaza-Pilau Rice – following the 1968 legislation by the Welsh Parliament recognising curries as conscious entities.
Copyright © Andy Coffey 2014
The right of Andy Coffey to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patent Act 1988.
All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
ISBN: 9781311334824
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Illustrations by Joe Latham
[email protected] Copyright © Joe Latham 2014
Other books by Andy Coffey
Sacred Wind: Book 1
Sacred Wind: Book 3
Sacred Wind: The Complete Trilogy
Sacred Wind: The Appendices
Sacred Wind: Songbook
Sacred Wind – The Album
Possibly the finest debut album by a Welsh Viking Flatulence Rock band from an alternative reality… Available at all good download stores!
www.sacredwind.co.uk
Table of Contents
Chapter 17 – Have you looked in the mirror lately?
Chapter 18 – Hello and welcome to ‘Rock your Deity’!
Chapter 19 – Do you think they’ll put out bunting?
Chapter 20 – I see you’ve brought your trumpet
Chapter 21 – Has anyone seen the Queen?
Chapter 22 – So it would appear that the outcome is not decided
Chapter 23 – Do you think people will sing songs about us in the future?
Chapter 24 – I had no idea you had such a fondness for old condiments
Chapter 25 – May Odin bless their wind
Chapter 26 – Perhaps you can help me, I’m looking for someone
Chapter 27 – Have you prepared the room for the press conference?
Chapter 28 – Follow that cab!
Chapter 29 – Are the troops ready?
Chapter 30 – It seems our cover is blown
Chapter 31 – Prepare to be boarded
Chapter 32 – I believe I’m feeling slightly peckish
Sacred Wind: Book 3 Preview
About the Author – by Oldfart Olafson
Other books by Andy Coffey
Contact Sacred Wind
Chapter 17 – Have you looked in the mirror lately?
‘So, now you probably think I’m either mad or inventing the whole thing,’ Aiden said, after recounting yesterday’s eventful trip to Llangollen.
Cracky looked at him thoughtfully, a wry smile on his lips. Growing up with a wizard for a father had certainly provided him with an open mind. He also paid great heed to his intuition, and at the moment his intuition was telling him that Aiden was telling the truth. ‘I must admit it’s a pretty amazing story, but I’ve no reason to disbelieve you. I mean, let’s look at the evidence. For a start there’s that old car you arrived in, I’ve never seen one quite like that. It’s also obvious that you’ve not encountered too many sentient sheep, conscious curries, faeries or telepathic cats on your travels. I’m a good judge of character and you can’t feign the kind of surprise I’ve seen on your face on several occasions. And then, of course, there’s your scruffy hair style.’
‘Why does everyone keep going on about my hair?’ Aiden said.
‘Have you looked in the mirror lately?’
Cracky poured them both a drink of orange juice and passed a glass to Aiden. ‘I am most interested in looking at this phone of yours,’ he said. ‘That certainly sounds like something that would completely confirm your story.’
‘Of course,’ Aiden said, as he took the QC Nova phone out of his jacket pocket and passed it to Cracky. ‘You just touch the screen,’ he added, reaching over and prodding the screen to initialise the phone.
‘My, my, now this is something,’ Cracky said.
‘Yes, it’s a cool piece of kit,’ Aiden said, proudly. ‘You can play games on it, go on the Internet at super-speed bandwidth, download apps by all the major manufacturers, access all the social networking sites and even read eBooks that you already have on your computer at home. It’s got the fastest processor on the market and its speed and memory are radically enhanced using quantum computing technology.’
‘You lost me after “games”,’ Cracky said.
‘Sorry, Cracky, I should have realised that you probably haven’t seen a computer.’
‘Oh, I’ve seen computers,’ Cracky said. ‘But they’re obviously not quite as advanced as those where you hail from. The screens are normally just black and white, or more commonly green and black.’
‘That’s how ours were about twenty years ago,’ Aiden said. ‘You know, for all the differences between our two realities there would appear to be a reasonable number of parallels.’
Aiden thought for a second before continuing. He had so many questions. ‘What about science,’ he said. ‘Have you heard of the theory of relativity, for example?’
‘Oh, yes,’ Cracky replied.
‘And it was Albert Einstein who formulated it?’
‘Albert Einstein? You mean Alfred Einstein,’ Cracky said.
‘Alfred Einstein?’
‘Yes, his twin brother. Albert Einstein was a charlatan of the highest order. He was a playboy, a gambler and an inveterate cheese sniffer. It was one of the scandals of the century. Albert used to keep his twin brother locked up in a tower, telling him the outside world was controlled by monsters and ogres who tortured anyone who could do quadratic equations. Alfred used to discuss all his ideas and research with Albert, little knowing that Albert was passing these off as his own. Albert was eventually found out by the screen actress Martina Monroe, whom he was having a well-publicised affair with. She began to suspect something was awry when one night, after sex, she quizzed him on the Unified Field Theory and he began to talk about “knocking down fences and letting all the grass mingle together.” At first she thought this to be just some clever metaphor… until he explained how this would allow the cows to roam freely. While Albert slept, she found the locked room in the tower and freed Alfred. Albert was thrown in prison for ten years, barred from cheese sniffing for life and was given twenty stern twists of his left ear. Alfred went on to win the Nobbly Peace Prize and marry the luscious Martina. Am I to gather this is not the way things transpired where you’re from?’
; ‘Not quite,’ Aiden said.
Cracky turned the sign on the diner door so that ‘Open’ faced outwards. ‘You’re welcome to hang around for a bit,’ he said. ‘It may not be that busy today. Sunday’s are normally quiet until later in the afternoon.’
‘Thanks, Cracky, but I think I’ll have a walk around town again. I may drop in for a drink later, if that’s okay.’
‘Absolutely, my door is always open for you.’
Aiden was just about to leave when a thought popped into his head. ‘Cracky, I’ve been meaning to ask ever since last night, but you obviously have electricity here?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘But I’ve not seen any overhead power cables, so does that mean they’re all underground?’
‘Well, the electricity does come from underground,’ Cracky said. ‘Come on, I’ll show you.’
They walked out of the back door and Cracky pointed to a silver-coloured pole that was sticking out of the ground. It was about ten feet tall and had a series of small cables that stretched from its top into what appeared to be a fuse box, fitted to the outside wall.
‘There you go. That’s my EET.’
‘EET?’ said Aiden.
‘Earth Electricity Transducer. You just put it in the ground, attune the frequency and it’s ready to go.’
‘Are you telling me that you simply get all your electricity from the earth?’ Aiden said.
‘Yes,’ Cracky replied, looking surprised at the question. ‘Where do you get yours from?’
‘We make it, using large power stations the size of small towns. We have big generators, some of which even use nuclear power.’
‘Dear me, that sounds expensive; and a bit impractical, if you don’t mind me saying.’
‘Well, electricity prices are quite high, so I suppose you’re right in that sense.’
‘You mean you pay for your electricity? How odd.’