The Devil's Game.
There is supposed to be a time travel "grandfather paradox": what happens if a time traveler kills his grandfather before the latter has had any children? But it is not necessary to kill a grandfather or anyone else to generate a paradox: either cause or prevent your parents' meeting (either the circular causality or the causality violation paradox).
For an sf reader, a grandfather clock might evoke time travel:
because of the "grandfather paradox";
because it is a clock;
because it is old fashioned or out of date;
because it might have stood in a house since the time of the present occupant's grandfather or earlier;
because (for those in the know) the Doctor Who villain, the Master, had a TARDIS (a space-time vehicle) appropriately disguised as a grandfather clock.
Apart from being named after a family member, a grandfather clock is as tall as a person and can be made to look as if its clock face is a face so children might personify it.
All of these considerations prepare us for the grandfather clock in the master bedroom in the opening sentence of INTERVAL SIX, Part Two, on p. 173. We are unsurprised to be told that:
"...its face was vague, half human." (pp. 173-174)
- and that its ticking carries a voice. Yet another appropriate manifestation of the demon.
3 comments:
Paul:
I only knew about the Master's Grandfather TARDIS because a filker named Cecilia Eng parodied the song "My Grandfather's Clock":
"Oh, a grandfather clock just appeared in the hall
And it seems very strange, to be sure.
And a man has come out from the clock in the hall
And is stating some things quite obscure.
He seems mildly deranged and a little bit insane;
We can make out his words if we try.
He says he's the Master and we'll obey
Or we all shall die."
Freaking far out.
Kaor, Paul and DAVID!
I have thought a time or two that it would be cool to get a grandfather clock in good working order. Despite that being sheerly unnecessary for me!
Ad astra! Sean
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