A Report On Probability — Brian W. Aldiss

DON'T EVEN TRY TO HIDE

Mr. and Mrs. Mary have dismissed three of their servants. Now G(ardener) is hiding out in a one-room bungalow nearby. S(ecretary) is keeping vigil in the coach house. C(hauffeur) is holed up in the garage. Each one owns a black and white reproduction of a 19th century painting that holds the key to something important. Each one is observing Mr. and Mrs. Mary.

But in a world of spies, no one can escape the eyes of the watchful. Caught in a prison without bars or locks, G, S, and C are in turn being watched, trapped in a mystery of time and space with no key, no answer--a mind-shattering infinity of watching and waiting...