"It’s always amazing to look at," said the
double of Isaac, his voice low.

"Yeah, well, it’s meant to be, innit?" John
said flatly, as he and Anna turned back to look at it
with Isaac.

"It’s all designed to impress, right?"
offered Anna. "It’s supposed to symbolize
a....ascent, I guess. Like....an effort to get to the
top, the church, the symbol of... salvation. Or deliv-
erance, I guess. I don’t know."

"Yeah," answered Isaac, "everything is
full of hidden intentions. Everything we see is
crawling with them. And knowing about it isn’t
enough to stop them acting on you, either. I still
think this is really impressive, no matter how many
times I see it."

There were few people on the incline of
the stair with them. In gazing up at the huge edifice,
Isaac’s double spotted a group of tourists who
appeared at the top of the staircase, and spilled over
onto the steps like a heavy vapour. "Let’s go," he
said evenly, turning. Neither of the other two
objected.

The three friends had followed their
lookalikes up to the staircase. They had been walk-
ing in a concentrated silence, and were just about to
walk out into the open space of the staircase when
Isaac saw their quarry halt abruptly on one of the
landings. He spread his arms and caught both his
friends before they could round the corner and
come into view of the doubles. John grunted in sur-
prise at being shoved back, Anna only looked irked.
"What...?" ,

She sounded indignant.

"We can’t be seen. Listen to what they’re
saying." Isaac was oblivious to her irritation, and
John’s gaze darted from one to the other as if he
were watching a small object being thrown back
and forth. He appeared somnolent, his eyelids half-
closed, almost looking bored, as he always did when
he was being told something he already knew. His
eyes gained a sharp focus, however, when he turned
back to the three doubles standing on the landing
below.

The conversation on the landing was car-
ried strongly to the eavesdroppers. At hearing him-
self speak, Isaac blanched. Even Anna gaped when
she heard the voice, exactly like Isaac’s, but she
recovered momentarily.

"Bloody hell," murmured John.

Isaac’s face twisted into an appalled
expression. "What the hell is this!?" He forced the
words through his teeth. "They’re identical to us."

Anna looked at him skeptically, raised an
eyebrow. "They’re similar...But they’re not identi-
cal. They’re not us.”

"I didn’t say that. But not just similar. Do
you need new glasses or something? They’re perfect
ringers!" :

Anna cleared her throat lightly and
looked at Isaac out the corner of her eye. "Dead
ringers," she said. A flicker of a smirk plucked at her
lips. Isaac ignored her.

"Bloody hell," John repeated. "D’you
reckon they’re us, somehow?" The last words were
barely audible, he uttered them so quietly, almost
breathlessly.

"This is stupid," Anna put in, looking at
the sky and throwing her arms out. "Why, exactly,
are we doing this?" Neither of her friends reacted,
intent as they were on the figures below.

As the doubles turned to leave, heading
down the stairs towards the river, a dozen tourists,
all women, began their descent at the top. Isaac
said, "We'll go behind these women so that they
won’t see us in the open. I want to see where they’re
going." Paying their surroundings scant attention,
John and Isaac ducked behind the passing tourists,
Anna following reluctantly with a hassled, slow
step. John had his hands in his pockets, his gait was
clipped. He quickly and automatically glanced over
the group of women, his eyes resting briefly on one
dark -haired girl, then he looked distractedly away.
They had clear sight of the doubles, who had
turned right at the open promenade.

As they were nearing the riverbank, sur-
rounded now by the women tourists, Isaac was vis-
ibly nervous with the anticipation of further trailing
their lookalikes. Quite suddenly, a diminutive man
with a small face disrupted the tangle of women by
roughly shoving his way through them, heading up
the staircase. As he whisked by the three friends, his
downcast eyes traveled up John’s figure to his face.
The man’s eyes widened for an instant, then he
broke into a run, taking the steps three at a time
and turning into the first adjoining lane. John shook
his head in utter perplexity, his mouth open slight-

ly. Anna stared after the sprinting man until he dis-
appeared around a corner. "Well," she said, "that
was odd."

On the pavement, the doubles had not
gotten far. They were wandering at a leisurely pace,
absorbed in their own thoughts and their surround-
ings. It was a marked change of pace from the com-
motion of the streets and the underground. The
banks of the ponderous river lay open like two
halves of a split boulder, exposing its complex stra-
ta of venerable buildings and streets stretching out
either bank. Regular streams of automobiles and
pedestrians coursed across the river along several
bridges linking the two sides. Looking around him
absently, the double of John stopped brusquely,
dead in his tracks. His hands flew first quickly, then
frantically from one pocket to another in his
trousers and in his jacket. He frowned deeply, mut-
tering to himself and went over all the pockets
again. The doubles of Isaac and Anna looked on
concernedly. After a third inspection, John’s shoul-
ders dropped, his arms slack. "Shit," he said. "I’ve
not got my wallet. I didn’t give it to either of you?"

The doubles of both Isaac and Anna
shook their heads. The sky was almost completely
cloudless now, a limp laundered blue.

John tossed his head back, looking
blankly at the sky. He shut his eyes tight. "Oh shit,"
he muttered softly. Then, "SHIT!!!" Some of the
women from the tourist group, now passing the
three doubles, turned in curiosity as they walked by.
His friends looked at him intently.

"You’re sure you don’t have it?" asked
Anna.

"Yes..." John sounded annoyed. "It’s got
everything in it. Shit! Now [ll have to call all the
credit card places, and the bank. And... and..." He
had recovered his composure, seemingly calm now.
"It got nicked, dinnit? I’m sure I didn’t lose it."

His friends looked on awkwardly.
Neither said anything.

"Oh well, let’s just go," said John, shrug-
ging his shoulders and tersely scanning the river-
bank, not really looking at anything. He breathed in
sharply through his nose. "No point hanging about
here."

The doubles moved on down the river-
bank.

Having seen the doubles stop, Isaac had
led Anna and John to the railing at the edge of the
pavement. They hung on the rail and pretended to
look at the brackish water swirling six feet below.
Observing what had happened, all three of them
went mechanically to check for their wallets as they
proceeded after their lookalikes. THey all three had
their wallets.

The doubles led them along the river for
almost an hour, then veered left into a wide street,
along which they stopped at a chip shop to eat. As
their doubles were out of sight, eating, the three
friends realized that they were hungry as well. They
bought some sandwiches out of a stale smelling
refrigerator in a News Agent’s. Sitting along a low
cement wall in the lane beside the chip shop, they
ate in silence. All three stared blankly at the street,
a building, the pedestrians on the pavement, chew-
ing.

Isaac broke the silence. "What do you
think is going on?"

John answered, "I think they’re a lot like
us." His eyes remained unfocused, as if concentrat-
ing on something entirely different.

"But I’m getting tired of this," said Anna,
crumpling the packaging from her sandwich.
"Could we just go off and do something else?
Please?"

"T have to see where they’re going. This is
too strange. Am I the only-one who sees this?
They’re perfectly us. It’s just too...I...I have to see
where they’re going."

"Fine." Anna sighed.

They heard the doubles’ voices around
the corner and got up wearily to follow.

"...to replace," was saying the double of
John. "It’s not just the credit cards and all that. It’s
other things I kept in there. Like phone numbers.
And photos." His voice was quiet and level.

"Photos of who?" asked the double of
Anna.

"My mum, my little sister. My
Girlfriend."

Both the other doubles’ heads snapped
towards him. "Girlfriend!?" asked Anna, obviously
taken aback. "You never told us you had a girl-
friend!" :

About thirty paces behind them, both
Isaac and Anna looked at John, who turned pale.

His eyes darted between his two friends, his expres-
sion something between shock and sheepishness.
Then all three of them slowed, almost coming to a
stop. They exchanged alarmed expressions, eyes
wide. The lightness of curiosity or wonderment had
disappeared entirely from Isaac’s tone. "We’ve got
to see what this is about." They pressed on, all three
sternly intent not to lose the doubles now.

The streets seemed to get more crowded.
The doubles walked on without apparent purpose
or direction. The three friends remained in tow,
hooked steadfast on tight anxious trawl lines. The
pedestrians they passed were faceless and ordinary,
while their doubles were etched upon the scene in
stark relief. They stood out in sharp focus on a flat
background of colourless streets and crowds.

"Who’s your girlfriend?" asked Anna, her
throat catching with tension. She looked straight
ahead as she marched on, the doubles in clear view.

John walked in silence for a few minutes.
Then he said, "I met her while you two were away.
About three months ago, I guess. It’s not impor-
tant.”

The three friends were thorough in trail-
ing their lookalikes. They followed at an even dis-
tance, cautious not to be seen, without speaking or
even looking at each other. The doubles walked into
a small green, surrounded on all four sides by aris-
tocratic looking buildings. It was a small grassy area
surrounded by ten-foot hedges. Half of the green
had been commandeered by a group of children
who were running and kicking a white ball around.
The air of the small park, remarkably cleaner than
that on the road, erupted in bursts of squealing and
indistinct shouts. The three friends waited behind a
dense concealing hedge while the doubles deliber-
ated about which direction to walk.

"Pm all for just going home," said the
double of John languidly. "I’ve got to make the calls
about my wallet. And we can just go out after, wher-
ever."

"Sure, let’s go back. Should we take a
bus? Or..." Neither Isaac not Anna were familiar
with that part of the city, especially now that they
lived elsewhere.

"Naw, there’s a station close to here. This
way."

As before, the doubles were closely pur-
sued by the three unseen observers, duplicates of
their appearance. The station was an easy twenty
minute’s walk, with Anna humming nervously to
herself. John countered by singing softly under his
breath. Though his voice was usually good, he
sounded off-tune. The entrance to the underground
was by way of an incline, which cut into the pave-
ment, curving under the street as it descended. The
afternoon sun beat at them as they entered the pas-
sage, small pools of shadow forming at their feet.
Stern-faced people in business attire clogged the
escalators. The doubles were easy to follow now.
They boarded a train, and John looked to his
friends. "They’ll be getting off in two stops, won’t
they? To change trains." Neither of them answered.

The doubles got off as John had predict-
ed. It was now he who led Isaac and Anna, not so
much trailing the doubles as going the same way.
He walked calmly with his hands held in his pock-
ets, his face registering resigned assurance. He
knew where they were going.

They left the station after watching the
doubles make their way slowly up the stairs and out
the open entryway. The journey had taken an hour
and a half, and the sunlight had acquired an orange
tint, measuring long slanting shadows with its
orange intensity. They were at the same station as
that morning, when they had left John’s brother’s
flat to go to the city.

It was a ten-minute walk to the flat,
which occupied the second floor of a converted
house. They allowed the doubles a comfortable dis-
tance, but continued to follow them. They watched
as the three figures, in whom it had been impossi-
ble from the onset not to recognize a mirror-like
resemblance to themselves, rang up to John’s broth-
er. He came down from his flat to open the front
door. A rectangle of light appeared against the
shadowed front of the house, and as the door was
held open the three figures were faintly illuminated
from inside. John’s brother greeted them, and after
they had filed inside, he closed the door.

By some mute understanding, John,
Isaac, and Anna turned from the house. They said
nothing, but walked away along the pavement as
the sky steadily darkened.

influx: Magazine

April 1999 -

5|

“Ie always amazing to lok a" said the
double of Isase, his voice low

"Yeah, wel i mean o be, inne Joha
ssid ay a8 he and Anna turned back o look at it
‘th Iaae

"es all designed to impress, right
offered Anna. "I's. supposed to symbolize
Scascent gues. Like..an effort get t0 the
topythe church, the symbol of. salvation. Or delit=
crance, I guess. I don't know”

Yeah," answered. Isaac, “everything i
fall of hidden intentions. Everything we see is
‘crawling with them. And knowing about i st
‘enough to stop them acting on you either. stil
think dhs eally impressive, no matter how many
times Face” a

‘There were few people on the incline of
the stair with them. In gasng up athe huge edie,
Isaacs double sported a group of tourists who
appeared at he top ofthe staircase, and spilled over
tonto the steps lke a heavy vapour. "Lets go," he
hid evenls, turning, Nother of the other oo
objected

“The three fiends had followed dheie
tookalkes up tothe staircase. They had been walk-
fngin a concentrated silence, and were jst about.
walk out nto the open space ofthe staircase when
Tsaae saw dheie quarry halt abrupdy on one of the
landings. He spread his arms and caught both his
fends before they could round the corner and
‘come into vew ofthe doubles John grunted in sue
prise at being shoved back Anna only looked eked
Phat.

‘She sounded indignant.

We can't be seen, Listen to what they're
saying” Isac was oblivious f0 er feritation, and
Joho’ gaze darted fom one to the other a if he
‘rere watching a small object being thrown back
tnd forth, He appeared somnoten, his eyelids half:
loved, almost ooking bored, ashe aways did when
the was being told something he already knew: His
ces gained sharp focus, however, when he turned
backto the three doubles standing on the landing
below

“The conversation onthe landing was car
ried strongly to the eavesdroppers. At hearing hitn-
feif speak laa blanched. Even Anna gaped when
he heard the voice, exactly Uke Tsaae', but she
recovered momentar

"Bloody hel" murmured John

Issacs face twisted into. an_ appalled
expression. "What the hell is this!” He forced the
‘words through his ect. "Theyre denial tous.”

“Ann loked a him skeptical ried an
cegebrow, “Theyre sima.,.But theyre no identi-
al They're not us"

“Iida say that. But not just simile. Do
‘you mec new pases or something? They're perfect
ges”

‘Anna cleared her throat lightly and
looked at ane out the comer of her eye. "Dead
ringers, she sid. A Wicker ofa sick plucked at her
lips Isaac ignore her

"Bloody ell” John repeated. “D'you
reckon theyre us, somehow?" The lst words were
barely audible, he uttered them so quietly almost
breathlessly

"This i stupid” Anna put in, looking at
the sky and throwing her arma ou. "Why, exact,
fare we doing this” Neither of her fiends reacted,
intent a they were on the figures below

‘As the doubles tured to leave, heading
down the stairs towards the river, a dozen touri
fll women, began their descent at the top. Isaac
Saidh "Well go behind these women s0 that they
won't sce us inthe open. want sce where theyre
foing” Paying ther surroundings scant stention,
Join and fae ducked behind dhe pasing tours,
‘Anna following teluctandy with a hassled, slow
‘Step John had his hands in his pockets, his at was
lipped. He quickly and automatically glanced over
the group of women his eyes resting briely on one
dark-haired il then he looked distracted ay

Mhey had clear sight of the doubles, who had
tured right a the open promenade

‘As they were nearing the riverbank sur
rounded ow by the women tours, Ine Ws ¥s-
bly nervous with the anscpaton of further aling
their lookalikes. Quite suddenls a diminutive
With smal face disrupted the tangle of women by
oughly shoving his way though them, heading up
the starase Ate whisked bythe tree frends is
owncast eyes traveled up Jon's figure to his face
‘The man’s eyes widened! for an dnstant, then he
broke into 4 run, aking the steps thee at atime
and turing into the st adjoining lane. Job shook

is head in utr perplex his mouth open slight

hy Anna stared after dhe sprinting man until he dis
appeared around corner. "Well" she sai, "what
owns od”

On the pavement, the doubles had not
sotten far. They were wandering at leisurely pace,
Shsorbed in thei um thoughts and thei surround
ings. twas a marked change of pace ffom the com-
‘motion ofthe streets and the underground. The
banks of the ponderous river lay open like #0
halves ofa spt boulder, exposing is complex stra-
1a of venerable buildings and stees stretching out
cither bank: Regular steams of automobiles and
pedestrians coursed across the river along several
bridges linking the two sides. Looking around him
absently, the double of John stopped brusquey,
‘dad in is racks His hands lew frst quickly then
frantically from one pocket to another in his
‘wousers and in his jacket He feowned deeply mut
tering to himself and went over all the pockets
‘again. The doubles of Isaac and Anna looked on
‘concernedly. After third inspection, John's shoul-
‘ers dropped, his arms slack. “Shit he sai "Te
not got my wilt did't give to either of you”

"The doubles of both Teac and Anna
shook their heads. The sky was almost completely
Cloudless now a limp laundered blue

Toh tossed his head back, looking
blankly a he sky. He shat his eyesight. “Oh shit"
he muttered sof. Then, "SHITH! Some of the
women fom the tourist group, now passing the
‘hee doubles turned in curiosity as they walked by.
His fends looked at him intent

"You're sure you don't have it” asked

"Yes." John sounded annoyed. “I's got
‘everything ini Shitl Now Tl ave to call all the
‘redit card places, andthe bank. And... and." He
hha recovered his composure, seemingly calm now.
“Te got nicked, dint? I'm sare I didnt lose it.”

His friends looked on awkwardly.
Neither said anything.

"Oh well e's just go," sai John shrug-
sing his shoulders and tere scanning the river
‘bank, ot rally looking at anything. He breathed in
sharply through his nove,"No point hanging about
here”

“The doubles moved on down the rive.
bank,

Hiving seen the doubles stop Isaac had
led Anna and John tothe rang atthe edge of the
pavement They hung on the rll and pretended 0
Took atthe Brackish water swing st feet below
Observing what had happened, all tree of them
went mechanically to check for hee walles as they
proceeded after their lookalikes. Tey all three had
their wales.

“The doubles ed them along the river for
almost an hous, then veered et into a wide street,
slong which they stopped ata chip shop to eat As
‘heir doubles were Out of sight, eating the three
friend elie tha hey were hungry a wel They
‘bought some sandwiches out ofa stale smeling
refrigerator in a News Agent's Siting along a low
‘cement wall inthe lane beside the chip shop, they
ate in silence. All ee stared blankly athe set,
‘building, the pedestrians on the pavement chew

Inaac broke the sence, “What do you
think is going on?

olin answered" thik they're a ot Bh
1." His eyes remained unfocused as if concentrat
ing on something entirely diferent.

But Fm getting tired ofthis said Anna,
crampling the packaging from her sandwich
Could we just go off and do something ese?
Please?

“nave tosce where theyre going. This is
too strange. Am T the only one who sees this?
“They're perfectly us es jst too. 1 have ro see
where they're going”

Fine” Anna sighed

‘They heard the doubles’ voices around
the comer and got up weary t fell

co replace,” was saying the double of
John. "es nr jus the credit cards and all that 1°S
otter things I kept in there, Like phone numbers,
[And photos” His voice was quiet and level

“Photon of who?” asked the double of
Anna

My
Gitte.”

‘Both the other doubles” heads snapped,
foward ie: Sibel” kel Ann, cbvouny
taken aback. “You never told us you had a i
‘end!

sum, my litle sister. My

About thirty paces behind them, both
Tnaac and Anna looked at Joh, who tured pale

His eyes darted berwcen his to rend is expees-
sion something between shock and sheepisness
"Then all three of ther slowed, almost coming to 8
stop. They exchanged alarmed expressions ees
wide. The ines of curiosy or wonderment had
‘sppeared entirely fom Isaacs tone. “We've got
to sce what hiss about"They pressed on, all thee
‘eenly intent not to lose the doubles now

‘The sees seemed to get more crowded.
“The doubles walked on without apparent Purpose
or direction, The tice friends remained in ow
hooked steadfast on tight ansioun tra ines. The
pedestrians they passed were faceless and ordinary,
While their doubles were etched upon the scene in
Sak rie They stood out in sharp focus ona at
background of eolourles srets and crowds

"Who's your gina?" asked Anna, her
throat catching with tension. She looked straight
ahead es she marched on, the doubles in clear view:

John walked in lence fora few minutes.
“Then he said, Tmet her while you two were aay
[About three months ago, I gues. 1s nor impor

“The thre eiends were thorough in tail
ing thee lookalikes. The followed at an even dis-
tance, cautious not tobe sen, without speaking or
‘ren looking at each other The doubles walked into
1 smal green, surrounded on all four sides by ais-
tocratic looking bung. Iwas a smal grassy aca
Surrounded by ten-fot hedges. Half ofthe green
had been commandeered by a group of children
who were running and Kicking a white ball round,
The ai of the smal park, emarkably cleaner than
that on the oad, erupted in bursts of squealing and
indistinct shouts The thre fiends waited behind a
dense concealing hedge while the doubles dliber-
ted about which direction ro walk
"Tm all for just going home,” sad the
double of fon languid. "Pe got to make the cals
bout ny wallet And we can just go out after, wher-

"Sure, let's go back. Should we ake a
bus? Or." Neither Isaac not Anna were familiar
swith that part ofthe cts, especialy now that they
lied elsewhere

"Naw; there's a statin cose ro here This

As before, the doubles were closely pur
‘sued by the three unseen observers, dupliate of
their appearance. The station was an easy twenty
minute wall, with Anna humming nervously to
hese John countered by singing softy under his
‘breath. Though his voice was usually good, he
sounded off-tune, The entrance tothe underground
teas by way ofan incline, which cut sto the pave-
tment, Giving under the seta it detended The
tMteenoon sun beat at them as they enered the pas=
tage, smal pools of shadow forming st thee feet.
Sterofaced people in business aire clogged the
ccalstors The doubles were easy to follow now
‘They boarded a train, and John looked to his
fiends. “They'l be geting off i 0 stops Won't
‘they? To change trains.” Nether of them answered.

“The doubles got off a Jon had predit-
‘4. Ie was now he who led Isaac and Anna, ot 9
fnuch taling the doubles as going the same way
He walked calmly with his hands held in his pock
ets, his face registering resigned assurance. He
new were they were ging.

“They left the station after watching the
‘doubles make thei wa slowly up the stairs and out
the open entryway. The journey had taken an hour
and a half and the sunlight had acquired an org
tint, measuring long slanting shadows with ts
orange intensity. They were atthe same station 25
that morning when they had lft Jon's brother's
fatto goto the city

Te was a tenminute walk to the Mat,
which occupied the second Moor of a converted
house, Tey allowed the doubles a comfortable dis
tance, but continued to follow them. They watched
fs the thre figures, in whom it had Been impos
ble from the onset not to recognize « mirortke
resemblance to themselves, ang up to John’s broth-
{x He came down from hi Nat to open the font
oor, A rectangle of light appeared agsnst the
‘shadowed fron of the Bouse, and asthe door wat
held open the thre figures were fant uminated
feom inside, Job's brother greeted thems, and afer
they had fled insids, he closed the door.

By tome’ mute understanding, John,
Isaac, and Anna turned fom the house, The sd
‘nothing, but walked sway along the pavement as
the sky steadily darkened,

influx

Mogazine April 1999

51