Ardith Hinton:

AH> Hmm.  Peter Taylor may have considered it acceptable to
AH> introduce a tense change at the beginning of a new
AH> paragraph, but I don't see what purpose it serves here.

Furthermore, he has done it in mid-paragraph too!  As to
Taylor's purpose in a narraion, I think a brief lapse into
the Present is a kind of emphasizing device -- like zoom and
slow motion in cinematograph (think "Keoma") -- that, if
employed sparingly, can for a short duration intensify the
concentration of the reader through increased "presnece".
Such, at least, is my impression.

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