Thief of Time - Clocks

'You make clocks, and we-'

There was a jingling noise from Jeremy's shirt pocket. He pulled out a large watch.

'If that was chiming the hour, you are fast,' said the woman.

'Er ... um ... no... you might find it a good idea to, um, put your hands over your ears...'

It was three o'clock. And every clock struck it at once. Cuckoos cuckooed, the hour pins fell out of the candle clock, the water clocks gurgled and seesawed as the buckets emptied, bells clanged, gongs banged, chimes tinkled and the Hershebian lawyer beetle turned a somersault.

The trolls had clapped their huge hands over their ears, but Lady LeJean merely stood with her hands on her hips, head on one side, until the last echo died away.

'All correct, we see,' she said.

'What?' said Jeremy. He'd been thinking: perhaps a vampire, then?

'You keep all your clocks at the right time,' said Lady LeJean. 'You're very particular about that, Mr Jeremy?'

'A clock that doesn't tell the right time is ... wrong,' said Jeremy.

Now he was wishing she'd go away. Her eyes were worrying him. He'd heard about people having grey eyes, and her eyes were grey, like the eyes of a blind person, but she was clearly looking at him and through him.

'Yes, there was a little bit of trouble over that, wasn't there?' said Lady LeJean.

'I... I don't ... I don't ... don't know what you're-’

'At the Clockmakers' Guild? Williamson, who kept his clock five minutes fast? And you-'

'I am much better now,' said Jeremy stiffly. 'I have medicine. The Guild was very kind. Now please go away.’

***

The Thief of Time - p21-22