[Time Hunters 01.0] The Time Hunters

by carl ashmore

‘No-one’s seen one, Joe. They never existed,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘I doubt Theseus did either, or any of the so-called Argonauts, for that matter. Stories like this tend to blend fact, fiction, gossip, and good old-fashioned codswallop. However, I’ll soon be able to tell you one way or the other.’

  Becky’s ears pricked up. ‘How?’

  ‘Because I’m going there,’ Uncle Percy replied simply. ‘And Will if he’s up for it. What do you say, Will?’

  Will gave a decisive nod. ‘I would insist on it.’

  ‘You’re going to Ancient Crete?’ Becky asked keenly.

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘Can we come, too?’ Becky asked at once. When Uncle Percy didn’t respond, she added, ‘I mean … we’ve established we’re safest with you.’

  ‘That’s right,’ Joe agreed. ‘And if we stay at Bowen Hall with you and Will gone, Kruger might break in again and hack Becky to bits. And you wouldn’t want that would you?’

  Becky frowned at Joe. ‘All right, squidley. I think he gets the point.’

  Joe ignored her. ‘Then it would be your fault if he cut her head off and impaled it on one of Gump’s horns.’

  ‘Seriously,’ Becky grumbled. ‘Stop speaking.’

  ‘Or if he sliced off her hands and –’

  Uncle Percy had heard enough. ‘That’s quite enough, Joe,’ he said. ‘You really do have a disturbingly gruesome imagination, young man.’

  ‘But it might happen if you didn’t let us go with you,’ Joe said. ‘No, I think it’s best for everyone if you take us with you, especially Becky.’

  Uncle Percy looked troubled as he took out the remote and activated the Invisiblator. An instant later, Bertha appeared. Taking a long, pensive breath, he said, ‘I don’t know why you have to be so dramatic about everything, Joe. Of course you’re both coming…’

  *

  As they boarded the campervan, not one of them noticed a tall, sallow-faced, middle-aged man studying them intently from across the road. Neither did they see the considerably taller, broader, younger man standing to his left.

  The traveller’s venomous blue eyes narrowed. Just looking at Percy Halifax sickened him to his core.

  ‘He did bring the children,’ Otto Kruger said. ‘Just like you said he would.’

  ‘Of course,’ the traveller hissed. ‘Halifax is as predictable as the tides. Unfortunately for him, I certainly am not.’ He didn’t even blink as the campervan vanished. He’d seen hundreds of them in operation. ‘Now, let us pay this ridiculous curator a visit. I’d like to know precisely what was discussed.’

  And Otto Kruger’s powerful fingers curled round the dagger nestled in his overcoat pocket.

  - Chapter 12 -

  Will and Marian

  Becky awoke to find Sabian purring lightly at the foot of her bed. For a moment she lay there recalling the events of the previous day. Rolling to her left, she fully expected to see Joe in the spare bed moved to her room since the break-in, but it lay empty. Her first thought was a horrible one: he’d been abducted! She dismissed it at once. Not only had Milly been standing guard outside her bedroom door all night, but Uncle Percy had installed a series of security systems the previous night, which made it impossible for an unsanctioned time machine to materialise within the grounds of the Hall.

  Still, where was he?

  Becky dressed quickly and checked the bathroom and upstairs bedrooms. No sign. Hurrying downstairs, she checked the ground floor rooms. Nothing.

  Finally, she marched through the parlour and into the kitchen, where she saw Jacob sitting on the doorstep, chipping mud from the soles of his boots. ‘Jacob, have you seen Joe?’

  ‘No, Miss Becky.’ Jacob’s kindly expression changed to one of worry when he saw her reaction. ‘What’s the matter, child?’

  ‘Oh, nothing,’ Becky replied. Then her gaze fell on to the half-eaten plate of sausages, bacon, egg and baked beans on the table. ‘Is that Joe’s plate?’

  ‘I think so, Miss Becky,’ Jacob replied. ‘Tell me what’s wrong?’

  ‘What’s wrong is there’s food on it!’ Becky was alarmed now. She had never seen Joe leave so much as a single bean on a plate, particularly at breakfast. Telling herself she was worrying needlessly, she marched out of the kitchen and crossed the rear path. Shielding her eyes from the brilliant sun, she scanned the area. He was nowhere to be seen. She ran to the front of the Hall. Still nothing. Feeling slightly anxious now, she was sprinting over to Will’s tree house when, silhouetted against the turquoise sky, she spied two figures in the archery field: a boy wielding a bow and the distinctive outline of a three-horned dinosaur.

  The relief that swept through her was replaced by anger. She stomped over to Joe, arms folded and barked, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were up?’

  At hearing her raised voice, Gump looked up, strands of grass dangling from his mouth like green spaghetti.

  Joe looked confused. ‘What?’

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were up? And why didn’t you eat all your breakfast?’

  ‘My breakfast? What’s that got to do with anything?’

  ‘You left your breakfast. I’ve never seen you do that before.’

  ‘It was a third helping,’ Joe said. ‘Maria wouldn’t let me leave the table until I couldn’t physically move. Have you really come over here to yell at me for not finishing my sausages?’

  Becky didn’t know what to say to that. ‘You should have let me know you were up, that’s all I’m saying.’

  ‘Why? What’s it got to do with you?’

  ‘I’m your big sister, and that means I’m your boss! And the other day a bunch of nutters trashed our rooms.’ Her face turned red. ‘SO IT’S GOT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH ME!’

  ‘Don’t get your knickers in a twist. I was here, and besides, you were snoring. I didn’t want to wake you.’ Facing the target, he positioned his fingers on the bowstring, pulled back and released. Whoosh. The arrow landed dead centre.

  Becky was impressed at the shot. Her temper faded. ‘I don’t snore,’ she mumbled. Then she heard another voice.

  ‘Your aim is much improved…’

  Becky whirled round to see Will emerging from the trees.

  ‘I’ve still got a long way to go to be as good as you,’ Joe replied.

  ‘In time, young sir, you will better me, of that I am sure. Now, before you do each other harm, would you join me in a drink?’

  ‘Yes, please,’ Joe said.

  ‘In the tree-house?’ Becky asked eagerly. Unlike Joe, she had never been there before.

  ‘Aye,’ Will replied. ‘I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine.’

  Becky and Joe looked at each other, puzzled.

  ‘Who?’ Becky asked curiously.

  ‘Why, the Lady Marian, of course…’

  *

  A few minutes later, deep in the forest, Becky and Joe were standing on a wooden platform at the base of an oak tree. Thick with age, its huge, gnarled roots clung to the ground like giant fingers. Becky looked up and marveled at the structure above; lodged between the tree’s branches, the tree house was the size of a small bungalow. Will stood beside her, clasping a lever attached to a series of wheels, pulleys and ropes that scaled the trunk like vines.

  ‘Ready?’ Will asked.

  Upon Becky’s nod, the platform took to the air. Climbing higher, she grew breathless as the Hall, the lake, the maze and even the distant village of Addlebury unfolded before her. She followed Joe off the platform onto a spacious verandah, her eyes soaking up every bit of detail.

  ‘So where’s Marian?’ Joe asked impatiently.

  ‘I’ll get her.’ Will whistled loudly and looked over blanket of treetops that lined the horizon. A treetop stirred and, to Becky’s surprise, a giant bird rose into the air.

  ‘This -’ Will said, ‘- this is Marian.’

  Hiding her initial disappointment, Becky watched as the bird soared toward them. Extending its claws, it landed on the balcony rim and gave
a triumphant yelp. Becky stepped backwards, stiff with fear.

  ‘Do not be alarmed,’ Will responded, as Marian pecked affectionately at his fingers. ‘She will not harm you.’

  ‘What kind of bird is she?’ Joe asked.

  ‘A Golden Eagle. Stroke her. She will approve.’

  Becky and Joe gathered their courage and inched toward her, their hands outstretched, until they touched the eagle’s neck.

  ‘She’s beautiful,’ Becky said.

  ‘Methinks she knows,’ Will whispered.

  Becky and Joe coddled Marian for a few minutes and then watched as she flew off into the forest. Will brought a jug of fresh apple juice and three goblets and together, they settled back to enjoy the cool morning air.

  ‘Do you ever miss your own time?’ Becky asked.

  ’I miss my friends,’ Will replied without a hint of sadness. ‘The untouched countryside, the purity of the air. It was a simpler time. Things have changed a great deal in eight hundred years, much of it for the worse.’

  ‘So what’s it like being Robin Hood?’

  ‘I would not know, miss.’ Will laughed. ‘I am not he.’

  ‘I know that,’ Becky said. ‘But you’re the basis for him. And he’s, like, one of the best heroes ever.’

  ‘I am no hero,’ Will replied simply.

  ‘You must have done something pretty major to become Robin Hood,’ Becky added. ‘Has Uncle Percy told you about him, about the legend?’

  ‘He has.’

  ‘So what’s true and what isn’t?’

  ‘I shall confess to never wearing tights of Lincoln green. What else are you keen to know?’

  Becky pondered this for a few seconds, but Joe beat her to it.

  ‘I saw a film where it said you were the son of a rich nobleman. Is that true?’

  ‘My father was a blacksmith,’ Will replied. ‘An esteemed man but lowly of standing.’

  ‘What about the Sherriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisbourne,’ Becky asked. ‘Were they real?’

  Will’s expression hardened. ‘Aye,’ he replied bitterly. ‘The Sheriff was a Norman aristocrat, William de Wendenel, a spineless, cruel, rodent of a man. But it was Guy of Gisbourne who was evil incarnate. One of my regrets is leaving my time without dealing him the brutal justice he had dispensed to so many others.’

  Becky thought Will so full of bitterness and regret she should change the subject. ‘And were you an outlaw?’

  ‘I was a soldier …a soldier who became an outlaw through duty and wish - a duty to a people, and a wish to honour an absent King.’

  ‘And you did steal from the rich and give to the poor?’

  ‘In 1189 I left England for foreign shores. When I returned Prince John, King Richard’s cowardly brother had proclaimed himself King of England. Moreover, he was crippling his people with taxes and laws that denied all liberty. Myself, and a few of my friends stood against that.’

  ‘So you did rob the rich?’ Joe pressed.

  A smile split Will’s face. ‘We attempted to distribute the wealth more squarely, yes.’

  ‘Awesome,’ Joe exhaled.

  But there was one question Becky was burning to ask. ‘So was there a Maid Marian? I mean one without a beak...’

  Will paused. ‘There was another Marian, yes.’

  ‘And were you two, well, you know?’

  ‘We were but acquaintances. That is all.’

  ‘But the story goes that Robin Hood falls in love with -’

  ‘But as I have stated, it is just that – a story. Furthermore, Marian was betrothed to another …’ Will’s gaze shifted to Becky’s neck. ‘Perhaps, if I’d have been a wealthy man and could have presented her with such gifts -’ he nodded at the pendant, ‘- then our fate would have been very different…’

  Becky teased it between her fingers. ‘It’s my lucky pendant,’ she said proudly. ‘My dad gave it to me before he died. I’ve never taken it off since.’

  ‘Tis a most beautiful trinket.’

  She looked down at the stone and her smile faded. But then a thought struck her. A wonderful thought! ‘I’ve got to go,’ she said abruptly. ‘Joe, you stay here!’

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Joe said.

  ‘Just stay here!’

  Moments later, a bewildered Will lowered Becky to the ground. Before the platform reached the bottom, she had leapt off and disappeared into the forest. Bursting out of a gap in the trees, she sprinted over the archery field, over the lawn, and into the kitchens, hurtling past a baffled Jacob.

  ‘Did you find your brother, miss?’ he asked anxiously. ‘Is everything well?’

  ‘Couldn’t be better,’ Becky replied ecstatically. ‘Where’s Uncle Percy?’

  ‘The library,’ Jacob replied. ‘I believe, he’s - ’

  But Becky had gone. She scaled the stairs in record time, and was soon at the library door. She hurled it open to see Uncle Percy surrounded by books and an unfurled scroll of brown parchment. He looked up.

  ‘What’s the matter, Becky?’

  Becky marched over. ‘I want you to take me back in time.’

  ‘I am taking you back in time. In fact, I’ve got a -’

  ‘No,’ Becky interjected. The widest of smiles crossed her lips. ‘I only want to go back six years. I want us to stop my dad going on that boat trip. We can stop my dad from dying...’

  - Chapter 13 -

  The Omega Effect

  Uncle Percy exhaled slowly. ‘Becky, please sit down.’

  Impatiently, Becky sat, her feet tapping the floor. She didn’t understand. Why wasn’t he as excited as her?

  Uncle Percy rolled up the parchment slowly. ‘What I’m about to say will be difficult to hear.’ His eyes found hers. ‘But I did travel back to try and save your father…I did try to stop his boat setting out to sea. It didn’t work. Nothing worked. No matter what I did, no matter how far I went back, your father set sail, a storm set in and he never came back.’

  Becky’s face dropped. A dull silence cloaked the room.

  Uncle Percy continued, his face growing wearier with each word. ‘You see, what happened every time I tried to change the events of that day is the single most inexplicable occurrence in time travel. Furthermore, I have no answers that will make this any easier for you. All I can say is that sometimes things can be altered, and sometimes they can’t.’

  ‘You tried to save him?’ Becky whispered.

  Uncle Percy nodded miserably. ‘Many times. I thought the world of your father, and ever since your grandfather died, I felt a paternal responsibility for him. Yes, we had our disagreements, but I never once stopped loving him. So when I was informed of the boat accident, the first thing I did was travel back in the hope of preventing it. But I failed …’

  Becky’s bottom lip started to quiver.

  ‘So I kept travelling back to different points in that day to see if that made any difference. It didn’t. I even sent Bernard Preston to try. He failed too. No matter what I did, I could not change the outcome.’ He sounded defeated. ‘Some would argue it was fate, that he was meant to take that boat trip. All I know is, again and again, I travelled back to stop him but the Omega Effect prevented it.’

  ‘The what?’

  ‘The Omega Effect. It’s what travellers call a very common phenomenon in time exploration - essentially, where events can’t be changed, even with a traveller’s interference. To put it simply, fate insists some things happen and others do not. It’s a very strange feeling when it occurs, like you’re there but not there. It’s quite bizarre and really does suggest that fate has a most inflexible design.’

  ‘B-but -’ Becky spluttered, ‘you saved Will, and Maria, and Jacob. You saved their lives? Why couldn’t you just -’

  ‘- But I didn’t have to travel back in time specifically to help them,’ Uncle Percy said softly. ‘They hadn’t died. I just happened to be there to assist. It was luck more than intention.’ He heaved another sigh. ‘I know this must be soul-destroyin
g for you. I’m afraid, for some reason, your father was destined to go on that journey and not return. And there is nothing that I, or any traveller, can do to prevent it. I am sorry. I’m truly sorry.’

  A tear spilled down Becky’s cheek. Uncle Percy stood up and held her tightly.

  Joe entered the room. ‘What’re you blartin’ for, Becky?’

  Uncle Percy released her.

  Becky mopped her eyes and gave a weak smile.

  ‘Joe,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘You really do have the sensitivity of a scab.’

  Joe gave an indifferent shrug and surveyed the cluttered table. ‘So what year are we going to?’

  ‘In accordance with Bernard’s research, we will be travelling to the year 1634 BC,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Saturday, July 12th 1634 BC, at 2.00pm to be exact - so I don’t want anyone skimping on the sun cream.’

  ‘Great,’ Joe said. ‘When are we going?’

  ‘Tomorrow morning. So it’s an early night for everyone. Let’s face it, it’s not every day you travel back almost four thousand years in the quest for a legendary relic, is it?’

  Joe punched the air. He turned expectantly to his sister.

  Becky forced another smile, but couldn’t quite share his enthusiasm. For a few delicious minutes she had been convinced she would see her dad again. And to have the one thing she desired most in the world snatched away seemed too cruel for words.

  *

  The following morning, Uncle Percy changed into his outfit while Becky and Joe finished breakfast. He wore a black hooded cloak, brown tunic with leather belt, brown sandals and held a crooked wooden staff.

  As Uncle Percy gave them a twirl, Becky noticed a series of peculiar bumps and bulges beneath his tunic (although when questioned about them, he seemed surprisingly evasive). He then escorted Becky, Joe and Will to the morning room where he presented them with their costumes.

  Becky’s outfit consisted of a white linen tunic that draped over her right shoulder and was pinned together with a bronze brooch in the shape of a dolphin. Although hardly flattering, she felt it an improvement on the silly meringue thing she wore to Victorian Oxford. Joe’s outfit was similar to Uncle Percy’s, although in grey, and even Will appeared more at ease with his costume - a short brown, woollen tunic, bronze breast plate, a leather kilt and long black cape. He also carried a selection of weapons, including a bronze short sword and a circular shield.