Asimov's Future History Volume 3

by Isaac Asimov

  “Did you say ‘Guinevere’?” Steve asked in surprise.

  “You say it oddly,” said Bedwyr. “If you know the name, though, you must have heard. Rumor says Artorius will make her queen.”

  “She’s just a kid,” Steve muttered.

  “She has her growth.” Bedwyr laughed. “Not too young to become a queen, eh?”

  “You know her?”

  “Only by sight.”

  When they reached the stall, Harriet introduced Gwenhyvaer to Hunter and Steve. In turn, Steve introduced them both to Bedwyr. Gwenhyvaer nodded primly to them all and turned back to the crockery.

  “We met Bedwyr in the village last night,” said Steve. “We drank together.”

  “We won’t see many taverns on the campaign,” said Bedwyr, grinning.

  “Are you from this area?” Harriet asked. “I wondered what it’s like. We’re from Linnuis.”

  “Yes, my village is not far. Half a day’s ride. Life is good there. But we must send good men to ride with Artorius, or else the Saxons will have it all.”

  “Would you tell me about your village? Really tell me, I mean.”

  “As you wish, of course. I doubt it’s much different from your own.”

  “Let’s sit down somewhere and visit,” said Steve. “What do you say, Hunter? After all that riding today, I’d like to relax.”

  “You go on,” Gwenhyvaer said to Harriet. “After I browse some more, I’m going back to the palace.

  I’ll remind the sentries to let you in.”

  “All right.”

  “I have no objection,” said Hunter.

  Wayne encouraged Emrys to leave the village at midday, while Hunter and Steve remained on maneuvers with the troop. He did not know for sure if Hunter would cooperate with his demands or not.

  However, he told Ishihara to keep a careful watch behind them as the cart left the tor, and Ishihara reported no sign that Hunter or Steve had followed them.

  In the late afternoon, Emrys left the hut to hike back to his son, tending the main flock. Wayne waited until Jane used the outhouse and was out of hearing. Then he approached Ishihara and spoke quietly.

  “Hunter almost certainly spotted us leaving the tor,” said Wayne. “He will know which direction we took. What do you think the chances are that he will risk trying to rescue Jane instead of catching MC 6

  and trading him to me?”

  “He has a great deal of room for interpretation of the First Law in this case,” said Ishihara. “However, I believe that my presence gives him the freedom to move slowly.”

  “I think so, too. Without you, he would feel he had to rescue Jane right away because I can’t protect her effectively alone. You can.”

  “Yes. Given that Hunter knows I must keep Jane from harm, he does not have to come for her immediately.”

  “When I spoke to Hunter, I got the impression that he accepted my terms,” said Wayne. “He’ll consider trading MC 6 to me for Jane. But I have to ask if you’ll allow it. I don’t know of any interpretation of the First Law that will cause you to prevent this deal. Do you?”

  “No. As long as I protect you and Jane until the time that she is released directly to Hunter’s care, I can cooperate with you in this.”

  “Good.”

  “I must offer another interpretation of Hunter’s moves, however.”

  “What?”

  “Hunter may not worry about Jane further, since he knows I must take care of her. He may just get MC

  6 and forget about dealing with you for her.”

  “You think he can do that under the First Law?” Wayne frowned, gazing out over the cool, gray sky in the distance over Cadbury Tor.

  “Perhaps. I cannot be certain. However, since MC 6 is the only component robot remaining at large, Hunter knows you will have no further interest in Jane if he simply takes MC 6 back to our time.”

  “You mean he’ll figure you and I will just return, too, and let Jane go.”

  “He knows I cannot allow harm to come to Jane. That may free him to ignore your deal entirely.”

  Wayne drew in a long, slow breath and let it out again. “I must proceed on the assumption that the First Law will pressure him to act more aggressively toward Jane. To that end, I may instruct you to remain here with Jane while I return to Cadbury. Will this be acceptable under your interpretation of the First Law?”

  “I do not like separating from you. I must protect you, as well.”

  “In the absence of a clear danger under the First Law, you should have no problem. Cadbury will be safe for me. Do you agree?”

  “Yes.” Ishihara lowered his voice. “If you wish this to remain private, we must change the subject. Jane is coming back.”

  Hunter sat down in a small tavern with Bedwyr, Harriet, and Steve. Harriet asked Bedwyr many detailed questions about life in his village; Hunter could hear the historian behind her questions. Steve listened politely, sipping from a goblet of mead, sprawled back in his seat comfortably.

  A bell began to ring loudly, clearly, and rhythmically outside. Bedwyr promptly put his goblet down on the table and got up. Then he looked in surprise at the others, who had not moved.

  The other patrons in the tavern, and the tavern-keeper, hurried out the door.

  “It’s the village bell,” he said. “Aren’t you coming? Important news must have come.”

  Steve started to get up.

  “No,” said Hunter, gently placing a hand on Steve’s arm. “Please inform us of the news.”

  “As you wish.” Bedwyr shrugged and hurried out of the tavern.

  Outside, Hunter heard many feet from allover the village moving quickly up and down the streets.

  “What’s wrong, Hunter?” Steve asked.

  “The three of us have not had a chance to confer freely for some time,” said Hunter. “We can talk now and find out what the news is later.”

  “Well, what do you want to talk about?” Steve set down his goblet.

  “If MC 6 has not returned to full size, or if we cannot find any clue to his location, Steve and I may have to consider leaving the troop we have joined. If we do, I judge that we cannot expect to be welcome in the village any longer. Is this accurate?”

  “Yes, if you just quit or disappear,” said Harriet thoughtfully. “No army tolerates deserters, though in this time, organization is not very formal. Quitting now probably would mean that you would simply not be welcome back. Deserting on campaign, however, is likely a hanging offense. But I wonder if you can arrange to be reassigned to garrison duty here in the tor.”

  “Is that likely?” Hunter asked.

  “No. New arrivals are not likely to be trusted. But I can ask Gwenhyvaer if she can help.”

  “If we go out on campaign, we could be wasting valuable time,” said Hunter. “But suppose this is necessary. Will you be safe here?”

  “Yes. Gwenhyvaer seems to like me. And if my husband has gone out to fight with Artorius, I will look better to everyone in the palace.”

  “I asked a couple of sentries last night if they had seen anyone of MC 6’s description in the palace,” said Steve. “I guess if you’d heard anything like that, you would have said so already.”

  “Yes, I would have.” Harriet shook her head. “MC 6 may not be in the palace, though. He could be working in the village during the day and either spending the night hidden away in the village or out in the countryside nearby.”

  “He could still be microscopic,” said Hunter. “We are searching in a relatively small area with a modest population. If he had returned to full size and had remained in the village, we should have found someone who has seen him by now.”

  “We haven’t offered a reward here, like we have before,” said Steve.

  “I can do that,” said Harriet. “If I remain here to cover the village, then you can see if he appears with the riders at some point.”

  “You seem very comfortable here,” said Hunter.

  “Hunter, I might as well tell
you something,” said Harriet slowly. “As I mentioned before, I do not believe in chaos theory at all. I’m willing to fulfill my commitment to you in finding MC 6, but then I want to stay in this time.”

  “Forever?” Steve sat up in his chair, startled. “Are you crazy?”

  “Maybe.” Harriet smiled. “But I used to dream about living in this time — the focus of my professional research. And when Hunter told me about the mission to travel back in time, I knew I wanted to do it.”

  “You accepted this job with the intention of staying here?” Hunter asked.

  “Yes. I admit it. But I waited to make my final decision until after I had seen what my prospects would be. Since I have the advantage of hindsight, I can use it to improve my chances. For instance, I know before Gwenhyvaer and Artorius themselves that they will marry. I intend to position myself as a mentor and friend to her. After my husband disappears, maybe in battle against the Saxons, I will be an honored widow. I hope she will accept me as a personal servant.”

  Hunter said nothing. On the second mission, which took the team to Jamaica in the seventeenth century to capture MC 2, he had hired a historian named Rita Chavez. Rita had decided to go out on her own only on impulse, after the team had arrived there. Her leaving the team had endangered the mission, but she had eventually changed her mind and returned to the team. Harriet remained willing to fulfill her duties, apparently, but she seemed to have made a much more calm and studied decision not to return to their own time.

  “Have you really thought this through?” Steve demanded. “What kind of doctors do they have here?

  What happens if you get sick, or get hurt?”

  “Yes, I’ve thought it through. I’m not one to romanticize this era — if anything, I know it better than most people from our time.”

  “Before we left, you said this was a time of social and political transition,” said Hunter. “The border between the Britons and the Saxons fluctuates. Why do you want to live in a time that is so unstable?”

  “In terms of scholarly study, this time is unstable. Very little from these years will last for as long as another century, when the Saxons conquer and settle throughout all of what will become England. But for one middle-aged woman like me, life in a village far from the military front will be very routine, day in and day out.”

  “What will you do when the Saxons come?” Steve frowned. “That time can’t be very routine.”

  “Again, I’m using the advantage of historical hindsight. The efforts of Artorius and his men will hold off the Saxons for the rest of my lifetime. My presence won’t change that. Even under the worst circumstances, I’ll be gone before the Saxons reach this area.”

  Hunter did not respond. The First Law required him to take Harriet back both for her own safety and because of his own belief in chaos theory. The harm to her in returning would be virtually nonexistent, yet in his opinion, the potential harm to the future if she stayed remained very large. If necessary, he would take her back under duress, and he did not want to tell her that; she might decide to run away, as Rita had. In any case, this matter would have to wait until the team was ready to leave this time again.

  12

  BEDWYR RAN BACK into the tavern, out of breath. Behind him, Hunter could see other people running through the street. Shouts came from allover the village.

  “What is it?” Steve asked, looking up.

  “A scouting patrol just came back from the Saxon border.” Bedwyr paused to catch his breath. “A new fleet of Saxons has crossed the Channel. With their brethren already in Britain, they are preparing to march soon.”

  “What will Artorius do?” Hunter asked.

  “He already came out to speak. That’s why the bell rang. He has issued orders for us to march tomorrow.”

  “Most of his army is not here,” said Hunter.

  “That’s right,” said Bedwyr. “His personal troop and Lucius’s green recruits are the only ones. But couriers are being sent to the countryside to tell all the veterans to meet us on our line of march.”

  “Can they arrive in time?” Steve asked.

  “Of course.” Bedwyr laughed. “Remember, we are all mounted. The Saxons march on their own sorry feet. We will gather long before we meet them.”

  “When do we leave?” Hunter asked. “Tonight?”

  “No, no. Attack is not imminent, only the need to open the campaign. The baggage train must be assembled and that work will go on late into the night. In the morning, we will ride.”

  Hunter turned to Harriet. “Will you be welcome in the palace indefinitely? If not, we must find another place for you. We should begin now.”

  “I’ll talk to Gwenhyvaer about it right away,” said Harriet, standing. “She must have heard the bell, too. I imagine the whole palace is buzzing.”

  “What about us?” Steve asked Bedwyr. “Do we have to report to the camp right away?”

  “Of course not!” Bedwyr laughed and sat down in his chair again. “Every man not on sentry duty will be coming to the taverns soon! It’s our last night of freedom! Now where’s that tavernkeeper — still out in the street?”

  Jane knelt by the fire, setting out bowls on the hearth. Just as Ygerna began to ladle mutton stew into the bowls, hoofbeats sounded outside. Emrys and Ishihara went out into the twilight to see who was coming.

  Wayne remained on a stool near the door, which was left ajar.

  Ygerna paid no attention as she ladled out the stew. Jane feigned disinterest but listened carefully. A single horse cantered right up to the front of the hut.

  “Does anyone here ride with Artorius?” An unfamiliar man’s voice called out.

  “No,” said Emrys. “Why?”

  “Artorius rides tomorrow! Spread the word to anyone who rides with him. The Saxons are marching!”

  The hoofbeats cantered away.

  Emrys came back inside. At the same moment, Wayne got up and slipped outside, blocking Ishihara from entering. He closed the door behind him.

  “I sold my sheep just in time.” Emrys grinned. “Did you hear?”

  “Artorius rides tomorrow,” said Ygerna. “That’s good. He will defeat the Saxons again this year.”

  “The other shepherds will have to leave at dawn to drive their sheep to the tor,” said Emrys, coming to take a bowl of stew from Ygerna. “Even then, they may not arrive until after he has left. If they want to sell their sheep to him after that, they will have to chase the baggage train.”

  Jane tensed, wondering what this would mean to her. If Hunter and Steve had to maintain the goodwill of those around them, she supposed they would have to go. She knew that Wayne was conferring with Ishihara at that moment about the same question. They would have to decide what to do and, in particular, what to do with her.

  The central issue remained the same as before, the whereabouts of MC 6. If MC 6 went on campaign with Artorius, then Hunter and Steve would also go. Wayne could not possibly find out if MC 6 was going before tomorrow, but he might decide that if Hunter went, he should go.

  Jane tried to figure out what Ishihara would do if Wayne decided to follow Artorius. In her judgment, Ishihara could neither let Wayne follow a troop of riders going to war alone, nor could he leave Jane here indefinitely. Therefore, Ishihara would have to take her, too.

  She still did not know for sure if Hunter and Steve would go with Artorius or attempt something else.

  Early the next morning, Steve sat by the campfire next to Hunter, eating a bowl of hot cereal. The night before, Hunter had told Steve that Harriet had called him to report that Gwenhyvaer would give her lodging for as long as her husband was gone on campaign. Now, everyone around them spoke excitedly of riding out today. As soon as each squad had finished breakfast, they put out their fire and hurried to the other side of the tor to prepare their horses.

  When Cynric led his squad around the slope, Steve moved close to Hunter and spoke quietly.

  “You want to take one more quick walk through the village? If
MC 6 isn’t going with Artorius, either microscopically or at full size, we really are wasting our time.”

  “I dare not,” said Hunter. “We must maintain our standing here.”

  This time, as the riders lined up to get their tack and their weapons, teamsters hitched horses to wagons.

  Baggage handlers loaded spare weapons and armor into some of them. Some teamsters drove empty wagons up to the village; others drove loaded wagons back.

  “I see MC 6,” said Hunter softly, looking out over the slope from his place in line.

  “What? Where?” Steve fought to remain calm. “Maybe we can get him before we leave.”

  “He is riding in the back of the second wagon coming down the slope from the village.”

  “Yeah, I guess I see him now. I couldn’t have recognized him for sure at this distance.” Steve hesitated.

  “You’re sure that’s him?”

  “Yes. When we see where the wagon goes, we can decide whether or not to approach it immediately.”

  “You mean, we’ll just grab him right now?” Steve asked in surprise.

  “We should move as soon as we can do so safely and successfully.”

  “But what about Jane? We can’t grab MC 6 and just walk away from here to get her. If we don’t jump right back to our own time, we’ll have to go on campaign. And if that’s the case, I don’t think we should alert MC 6 to the fact that we’re after him.”

  “We must take MC 6 immediately back to their own time, leave him securely in MC Governor’s office, and then come back for Jane.”

  “What about Wayne’s threat?” Steve asked. “He can order Ishihara away from Jane, so she won’t be protected.”

  “Our first responsibility remains returning MC 6 to our own time. Further, I do not believe that Wayne truly would endanger Jane. I judge him to be a man who would threaten this in the hope of influencing me under the First Law, but who would not carry out the threat.”

  “I’m not so sure.”

  The wagon in which MC 6 rode pulled up near the main gate of the outer rampart, behind some other loaded wagons.

  “We’re moving to the front of the line,” said Steve. “Are we going to get our tack first, or just go now?”