2) The Collector by Peter Winy.

 

2 What is she doing here?
I know her. Tilda Birdsong. What is she doing here? I don't like her. Does she want a cornflakes packet, too?
Tilda Clinton! Hi. How are you?
Me  I'm fine, thanks. How are you, Tilda?
Tilda You're looking for something, Clinton. What is it this time?
Me Nothing.
Tilda You can tell me! We're friends.
Me  Friends? Are we?
Tilda Well, our jobs are the same. We buy and sell things.
Me Why are you here?
Tilda Why not? It's a twentieth-century supermarket.  It's an interesting place.
Me But why today? Why on August 1st, 1993?
Tilda Maybe I'm hungry. Or thirsty.
Me What do you want?
Tilda I've got it. It's here.
There's a packet of tea in her hand. What make is it? Ah, yes. Twinings tea. 99 pence. Expensive, yes. It's a beautiful packet. It's green, grey and gold. Maybe she can get 10,000 units for that packet. But no more. Many people have got 1990s Twinings tea packets. But why is she here on the same day, and in the same place?
Tilda When are you going home?
Me I don't know. Tomorrow, I think.
Tilda You're going to sleep here? Here in Britain?
Me Yes. I think so.
Tilda Have you got all the right vaccinations?
My arm is hurting badly. Yes, I have all the vaccinations. You need twenty-three vaccinations for twentieth-century Britain. That's not too bad. What about the sixteenth century? The time of William Shakespeare? Don't ask! You don't want to know! Tilda is looking at me.
Tilda But where are you going to sleep, Clinton?
Me In a hotel.
Tilda Have you got fifty pounds in British money?
She's laughing. She's laughing at me. Of course we can't get British banknotes. There aren't any at home. I have two one-pound coins. That's all. You pay about 1,000 units for a pound coin. That's why we can buy only one or two things in the supermarket.
Me It's August. I can sleep outside.
Tilda It's raining, Clinton. Why don't you go home today and come back tomorrow?
She knows the answer. Travelling is expensive, and always a little dangerous. We can only travel one day in every month. And we always need to travel home between destinations.
Tilda You're waiting for something. Something important. And it's going to be here tomorrow.
I don't want to tell her about the packet and the Kate Hermann picture of a dinosaur. It's my information. I work for days to find information like this - the correct time and place for expensive antiques.
Tilda OK, Clinton. Don't tell me. You can tell me next week.
Me Next week?
Tilda Clinton! Next week is the Antiques Festival! You're going to be there!
Me Oh, yes. I'm going to be there. And I'm going to have a very special antique with me. A 1993 Kellogg's Cornflakes packet with the Jurassic Park picture. 300,000 units! Maybe more. Tilda's going.
Tilda Well, goodbye. Don't get too cold tonight!

 

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