Finders Keepers Sometimes the university sent him to places where old pottery had been

discovered. It was his job to sort out these things. The university would
then put the things that were interesting in a museum where they could
be shown to the public. But Harry Chen had his own private museum that
Harry Chen looked like a middle-aged teacher. He always wore a tie and nobody else knew about. He hated the idea of not keeping some of the old
an old cotton jacket, even In the hot sun. His hair was going thin and he and, sometimes, beautiful things he found. And, if those beautiful things
did not stand up straight. He was fifty years old and for the past twenty were only small things that nobody but he had seen, who would ever know
years had been a lecturer In archaeology at a university in Singapore. if they were gone? So he kept them.
He was also a thief. He had quite a collection of stolen things now, all carefully hidden in his
His great love in life had always been archaeology. He loved to see home. They were mostly small, broken things that were not of much value.
things that had been hidden from human sight for hundreds, even Even so, he did have some pots, rings and other favourite things that were
thousands, of years. He loved the feeling of excitement he got when he extraordinary and lovely to see. He loved them so much he would
held a piece of history in his hands. But his special love was pottery, the sometimes, during the warm evenings, lay them all out on the floor to look
older the better. at. He would examine each piece with love and care. Only he, he was
sure, could understand their true value.
He lived alone in an old house which looked over the Singapore River. It
was close to the antique shops which sold the old things he loved. He
would often look in the shop windows at the beautiful things he could not
afford to buy. Not on his salary. It made him angry to think that such
things would end up in the home of some fat tourist who could not
possibly see their true value as he could .
It wasn't fair.

* **

61 / 74 62 / 74
 Harry was looking forward to today. A very large old grave had been As Harry turned, he did something he had never done before - he
discovered while some forest land was being cleared. The university had knocked over one of the pots and broke it. He was annoyed with himself
been given the job of examining the grave and the things inside it. The for being so careless and bent down to pick up the pieces.
grave was Inside a big stone room which seemed to have been built for It. The pot had been very plain and tightly shut up. All of the other pots
'It's all a bit of a mystery so far, Harry,' said Professor Teo, Harry's head had open tops. But not this one. Now that it was broken he could see that
of department. 'The grave seems to be older than anything we'd expect to there had been something inside. It was a small, thin pipe about the
find on the island. It's definitely Chinese but I can't Imagine whose grave it length of his little finger. It was made of clay - the same stuff as the
is.' pots. He picked it up. It looked like a musical instrument, some kind of
Harry was extremely interested. Perhaps there would be something for whistle for a child to blow into, perhaps? It might have some interest.
him to add to his collection. Harry decided the whistle would be worth taking home to look at. He
'What would you like me to look at, Professor Teo?' asked Harry. put it into the pocket of his cotton jacket.
' Well, Harry,' answered the Professor, 'there's a few old bits - pots, He told his professor about the broken pot but not about his whistle. He
vases and such like - which were found close to the body. They seem to already thought about it as being his whistle.
be important but we aren't sure why yet. Perhaps you could see what you 'That's too bad,' said Professor Teo, 'but I don't suppose it was of much
can find out.' importance. What did you make of it, Harry?'
' No problem, Professor,' said Harry. 'I'll look into It.' 'Just an ordinary, plain pot,' said Harry. 'Nothing special. I can put It
Soon the old pots were in Harry's room at the university and he was back together again but, really, it's no great loss. I can keep the pieces for
left alone to examine them. He loved this part of his work best of all. you, if you like.'
He could see almost immediately that the pots were ancient. After The professor nodded. 'Yes, do that, Harry. We've been finding out a few
carefully cleaning them he could see that most of them had contained things about the man whose grave It was. He appears to have been some
perfumes and other valuable materials which were suitable for the grave of kind of priest or medicineman. It seems a bit odd that his grave was so
an important person. All of these things had long since lost their smell. hidden. I wonder why?'
Everything about them was dry, old and dead: there was nothing that
made any of the pots different from hundreds of pots he had seen before. * **
Harry was disappointed. There was nothing worth taking. Nothing. He
decided to clear up. On his way home, Harry forgot about the clay whistle in his pocket. He
stopped for a coffee in a noisy shopping centre.

6 3 / 74 64 / 7 4
As he searched his pockets for money, he felt the whistle in his pocket. And all the while a total, perfect silence.
When he had sat at his table he took It out to look at. It was still dirty. Harry sat down again. He could hardly think. How could he make sense
He gently cleared away the dirt. There was something written on the of this? This had happened after he had blown the whistle. Had the whistle
whistle. The marks looked like writing. He looked more closely and done this? What would happen if he blew it again? He certainly didn't want
recognised some old Chinese writing. There was very little of it. All it said things to remain as they were!
was: BE STILL He blew the whistle again. Once again it gave its thin, clear note.
Be still? How extraordinary. What did It mean? He looked at the whistle All at once the normal world returned. Normal sounds, normal
again. It was the kind that one blew from the top, like a football whistle. movement. The fly flew, the ball was caught, people laughed and talked.
He wondered if it would still work. The thought came into his mind that he It was as if nothing had happened.
wanted to blow it. He wanted to very much. The whistle had not been Harry was shaken. He put the whistle in his pocket. He would have to
blown since it had been placed in the pot all those years before. He would think about this. He would have to think hard.
blow it. It was small - it would not make much noise. Nobody would But by the time Harry had got home he had somehow persuaded
notice. So he put it to his mouth and blew. himself that he had imagined everything. He felt better after a good slipper
To his surprise, the whistle gave a thin, clear note that was louder than and some TV. It had all been a waking dream. He was tired, that's all. He
he expected. just needed a good night's sleep.
Then there was silence. Complete silence. And so he slept. But his sleep was troubled and his dreams were full of
Harry noticed something else, too. Everything was still. Nothing was shadows.
moving. No noise, no movement.
Nothing.
People who had been walking were frozen in mid-step, like statues. They
were as still as photographs. Harry went back to work the next day. He found nothing interesting.
But they weren't photographs. They were real people. Frozen people. That's what he told Professor Teo.
Harry's eyes opened wide with surprise. He couldn't believe It. This should 'Are you certain, Harry?' asked the professor. 'Whoever buried this man
not be happening. was afraid of him, that's for sure. His body was covered in pieces of paper
But it was. He looked around and saw frozen smiles, frozen steps, a fly with words on them. Words which were meant to keep harm away.
frozen in flight, a ball thrown by a child which lay frozen above the hand Strange.'
which was waiting to catch it. Harry thought about the whistle. It was still in his pocket.

65 / 74 66 I 74
 'I'm certain, Professor,' said Harry. 'I found nothing unusual. Nothing at It was very old and beautifully made. It was lovely. Why shouldn't he have
all.' it?
The thought at first alarmed him. This was not the same as taking
*** things from the university. Nobody even noticed if he took anything there.
Here he would be stealing, just like any thief.
Harry didn't drive. He usually got the bus home but sometimes he liked He looked around at the frozen world. This was surely meant to be. The
to walk. That evening he walked. He liked to look at the shops In Orchard whistle had come to him. He should use it. Why not? It was only right. It
Road - one of Singapore's busiest shopping areas. There were antique was far better that such beauty should go to him rather than stupid people
shops which sold beautiful old pots, maps and other things that his heart with more money than sense. It was only fair.
was hungry for. But he could not afford them. Not on his salary. But he would have to do it right. If he was the last one to be seen with
His favourite shop sold the most expensive things. He liked the small, the jade dragon he would be looked for once it had gone. He blew the
beautifully made figures made from apple-green jade stone. They cost a lot whistle and the world moved again. He waited for a while, then went to
of money but he liked to look. Sometimes he would ask if he could the shopkeeper and asked to see it.
examine a piece, as if he were going to buy one of them. Of course, he 'It's a fine piece of work, sir,' the shopkeeper told him. 'And only twenty
never did. But he loved the feel of the costly jade in his hands. thousand dollars.'
He found himself In the shop again. It was full of the things that he, as 'It is lovely,' said Harry as he held it In his hands. He wanted it. He
an archaeologist, truly cared for. Yet they would be sold to empty-headed would have it. But he made a point of handing it back so that other
tourists who had no idea of their real value or beauty. It wasn't fair. customers - and the video cameras set up in the shop - could see him do
Without thinking, he took out the whistle and blew it. He hadn't planned it. 'Thanks for letting me look but I'm afraid that's all I can afford to do
to - it just seemed a natural thing to do. just now,' he said to the shopkeeper.
And then there was silence. All was still. He walked out of the shop, Into the shopping centre, out of sight of the
Harry felt afraid but excited. So it had not been a dream! It had shopkeeper. He sat down on a nearby seat, took out the whistle and blew.
happened! The whole shopping centre went still and silent.
He saw the shopkeeper standing with his mouth open, looking stupid. A Harry felt more excited than he had ever felt In his life. He could walk
customer was pointing something out, his finger stuck in the air. None of into any shop he liked and just take whatever he wanted. Anything at all.
them moved. And nobody would see him. It was perfect.
Harry decided he would look at some jade while they were all still. He
took his favourite piece from the shop - a small jade dragon.

67 / 74 68/74
 But, for the time being, he would just take the jade. He walked back Harry was used to asking questions about things. It was what
Into the shop, took the dragon from Its place on the shelf, put It Into his archaeologists did. It was part of the job. He wanted to find out more
pocket and walked out of the shop. He went back to his seat and blew the about the whistle. The first thing he wanted to find out about was this: did
whistle once more. The shopping centre came back to life. Movement and the whistle simply stop things moving or did it, in some way, stop time
sound returned. He had done it. itself?
And who could blame Harry Chen for the disappearance of the jade? It was important to know. He didn't want people to notice that they'd
After all, the shopkeeper had seen him leave after he had returned the lost time. That would be a problem. But if time had stood still there would
jade. So had the cameras in the shop. It had been easy. be no problem. They wou ldn't even know about it.
As he walked home he felt like a god. Professor Teo came Into Harry's office. This could be his chance to test
the whistle.
* ** 'Harry,' said the professor. 'I've got some news about our grave.'
'News, professor?' asked Harry.
The little jade dragon was the best thing in Harry's collection. He kept 'Yes,' said the Professor. 'We've been in touch with a local Chinese priest
all his things in a rosewood box. He would soon need a bigger box. who knows all about this kind of thing. But it wasn't easy. He had to look
And, as Harry slept that night, he dreamed that the whole world was in the oldest books he could find before he could tell us who this man
still and he was the only moving thing In It. He and the shadows. was. And I was right, it is all rather strange, to say the least.'
Harry felt a sudden coldness run down his back.
* ** 'So who was he, Professor?' asked Harry.
'His name,' said the professor, 'was Lou Foo, which means " the tiger". He
The next day Harry thought that he would see what the whistle could was a priest who was thrown out by the other priests.'
do. He decided to try it out at work. Perhaps on that old fool, Professor 'Why?' asked Harry.
Teo. But, whatever he did, he must not draw attention to himself or the 'The priest who told us this wouldn't say why, exactly,' continued the
whistle. He was sure of that. It was his whistle and he did not want to professor, 'but I think this Lou Foo must have done some very bad things.
lose it. The priest even warned us to be careful, even though this man has been
dead for all these years!' Professor Teo laughed. 'Honestly! You'd think he
was going to rise from the dead the way that priest talked about him!

69 / 74 70 I 74
Still, it all makes our job that bit more interesting, doesn't it, Harry?' No time had passed while the professor had been still. No time -
Normally Harry would have laughed at such things along with the anywhere. The five minutes he lhad counted had never happened to
Professor. But his throat felt tight and dry for some reason. anybody but himself. When he blew the whistle he must have been outside
'Er ... I suppose so, professor,' he answered nervously. time in some way. So the whistle didn't actually stop movement or sound.
Professor Teo turned to look out of the window, a habit of his. Harry It stopped Time itself.
knew that this was his moment to try out the whistle. While the professor The other priests must have known what this man Lou Foo had
wasn't looking, he took out the whistle and blew it. discovered. No wonder they threw him out. The way he'd been put in a
Then all became still. All became silent. grave that was more like a prison of stone ... had he died naturally? Harry
Harry clapped his hands in front of the professor, shouted at him and didn't care, for now Lou Foo's secret was his!
waved his hands in front of his face. Professor Teo did nothing. He was like Harry felt something he had never felt before. He felt powerful. And his
a figure made of stone. Exactly as expected. Harry then waited for exactly heart warmed when he thought of all the things that were now possible for
five minutes - he counted the seconds himself - before blowing the whistle him. He could now use the whistle to get himself money, knowledge -
again. The world of sound and movement returned and the professor anything in the world that he wanted. For he, Harry Chen, had power over
turned towards him. Time itself.
'Is everything all right, professor?' asked Harry. Harry did not use the whistle any more that day. When he got home he
'Of course, Harry. You know I don't believe any of that kind of rubbish. rested well. He would need to plan things carefully. Nobody else must know
I'm fine,' the professor told him. his secret. Harry Chen had been given a great gift and so Harry Chen
'No,' said Harry. 'I mean, you didn't hear anything just then, did you?' would use it. Nobody else. It was only fair.
'Only the birds and the traffic, Harry,' said Professor Teo. 'Was I meant
to?' * **
'No, of course not,' said Harry. 'It must have been my ears making
funny sounds. I have a bit of a cold and it gets to my ears as well. Sorry.' Harry thought carefully about how best to use the whistle. After all, he
'Well, if you are unwell you must rest, Harry. Take care,' said the couldn't use it to actually see in the future. That was unfortunate. If he
professor as he left the room. knew the names of winning horses or could find out the lucky numbers In
Harry quickly went to the telephone to call the speaking clock. When he the lottery he need never worry about money again. Never mind.
put the telephone down he knew. Best to start with small things before trying out his discovery on
anything big. That would be best. But what should he do first?

71 / 74 72 / 74
 He decided he would look around his favourite shops for all the things But, as he blew, there was a brilliant, blinding light that shot through his
he could never afford before but had always wanted. Just the small, eyes. He dropped the whistle In his confusion. The light did not go away.
beautiful things he had always loved. Things small enough to carry. Then It took him a few moments before he realised what had happened. He
he would steal them. walked away from his table to see the stupid tourist taking a picture of his
stupid wife using the flash from his camera - just as he had blown his
* * * whistle. The bright flash was frozen in time. That was all. It was just a
camera. But he had dropped the whistle.
It was the evening of the next day. It was dark outside but the He had to find it. He began to look around the bright stillness which
shopping centre was brightly lit, as usual. Harry had already had a good was all about him. Then he felt something break beneath the weight of his
look around. He knew what he wanted and had his bag with him, ready to shoe. He looked down. The whistle lay in pieces.
put his 'shopping' In. He had taken the day off work - hadn't Professor Teo His heart seemed to rise to his mouth as he realised what had
himself told him to take some rest? He had earned a break and he was happened. And the whistle lay in tiny pieces on the ground. Harry knew, as
going to make sure he enjoyed it. soon as he saw it, that it was too difficult even for him to repair. He was
Harry decided to have a coffee at his usual cafe before making a start. stuck there.
After all, he thought, there was no hurry! As he relaxed over his coffee he Harry tried shouting at the still-smiling tourist, at the waitress, at
smiled at the tourists who were at the next table putting more film into everybody he saw. But it was useless. They could not hear him. They could
their camera. The man looked fat and rich - just the type of tourist he not see him. He might just as well not be there. He did not know whether
had always disliked. The woman smiled back like the silly, simple thing she time had stopped for the world or just for Harry Chen. And for how long?
was. The fools. What did they know? He could rob them of everything and Would he live there always, with no future and no past? Would he die
they wouldn't know it. But that would be a waste of time. He had better there?
things to do. And there was, after all, plenty of time! These thoughts were passing thirough his mind as he considered the
Harry finished his coffee and stood up. It was time to begin. He put his broken remains of the whistle. Only one part could be recognised. It was
hand into his pocket and took out the whistle. He felt llke a child at the part which had on it the words: BE STILL.
Christmas who was just about to open his presents. Harry Chen's time had He felt afraid. He felt robbed . He felt a cold shadow pass over him. It
come, at last! just wasn't fair.
He put the whistle to his mouth and blew.

73 I 74 74/ 74