The Timekeeper Conspiracy

by Simon Hawke

  "I'll need to stay in touch with Andre," Bennett said.

  "He can come and see you there, if he is not being sought," Moreau said. He shrugged. "Simple. We'll tell Bonacieux that he is your nephew on my sister's side, coming to look in on you from time to time. Bonacieux will doubtless find the whole thing very boring and you will doubtless find Bonacieux very boring, but at least you will be safe."

  "Good, that will do then," Bennett said.

  "Is there anything else that I can do for you, my friend?" Moreau said.

  "One thing more, for now," Jack said. "I will leave some money with you. Those two downstairs—"

  "Marie and Pierre?"

  "Yes, I think it would be best if they did not know where I was, but you will look after them for me, won't you? They've been true and faithful friends."

  "It will be my pleasure," said Moreau. "I think it would be best if the two of you were to stay here tonight. I will speak to Bonacieux after I leave and we can move you in tomorrow morning. Monsieur Andre, I should have your room ready for you by tomorrow afternoon. I will have to evict a deadbeat who insists on drinking up all his rent money. He's been drink­ing it all up in my tavern, so I haven't minded much, but I still come out behind. Make your way to the tavern after noon tomorrow."

  "I shall," said Andre, "and thank you for your help."

  "It's a small thing," said Moreau, shrugging. "I only hope that you two know what you're doing. If your path has crossed Milady's, well ... she is said to have very powerful friends."

  "I know that all too well, Moreau."

  "Yes, well, goodnight then. I will return for you in the morning."

  "Moreau?"

  The burly old man turned.

  "Please be careful."

  Moreau chuckled. "I've weathered far worse storms."

  When he left, Jack closed the door and turned to Andre. "I'm afraid that your disguise has resulted in there not being separate sleeping arrangements," he said. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm very glad for your resourcefulness."

  "Do not concern yourself," said Andre, sitting down upon a chair and resting her rapier across her knees.

  "I must say, you gave me quite a turn when I first came in. I almost didn't recognize you. How is it that you—"

  "I have lived most of my life passing for a man," she said. "It gave me more freedom. But that is not important. I've waited long enough. I know nothing of what has happened and it is past time for explanations."

  "Of course," said Jack. "You have a right to know. It will take a while to explain."

  "We have all night."

  "Indeed. Well. I don't know how much Hunter told you, but you obviously know something about time travel and the future that we came from. I'll start from the beginning and tell you everything I can. Stop me if you require further ex­planation; I will do my best. The Temporal Corps was formed in...."

  Jack Bennett spoke for a long time, explaining everything he could to the best of his ability, answering questions, telling her about the time wars, the Referee and Observer Corps, the arbitration of temporal conflicts, and the work and theories of Albrecht Mensinger. When he finally stopped, at three o'clock in the morning, he was exhausted. He was also de­spondent, because of the role that he had played and because of the seeming futility of their situation.

  "I was a fool to go along with them," he said, "an utter fool. But Taylor was persuasive', as was Darcy. You have to understand that I deserted all those years ago because I simply couldn't take it anymore. I could no longer give the system my sanction by being a part of it. It was lunacy. Mensinger told the world that it was lunacy and no one listened to him; why would anyone bother listening to me?

  "No, if I couldn't change it, then I would no longer be a part of it. I had seen too much, I had realized all the dangers from firsthand experience and if the world was headed toward disaster, then at least I could have some small satisfaction in knowing that I had not been a part of it, that I had withheld my sanction. That I had washed my hands of it," he added, lamely, shaking his head.

  "I deserted and I came here. I resolved to live out the re­mainder of my life here in France as a simple country doctor, removed from the city, away from all the foolishness of man. All told, it was a rather maudlin period during which I felt extremely self-satisfied, terminally righteous, and very much at peace. However, life doesn't necessarily work out the way you plan it.

  "I don't know why I never destroyed my chronoplate. Now, I wish to God that I had, but at the time, I remember thinking that it was good to keep around as a sort of last resort. I was quite paranoid in those early days, convinced that even with my much modified, untraceable chronoplate they might still somehow find me. In that case, I would need to escape quickly. I think that, perhaps, I also knew that the plate would come in handy if I ever faced a situation that I would not be able to handle on the strength of my medical knowledge alone. That, in fact, is precisely what happened.

  "An old farmer came to me with his wife and child—a man whom I had befriended and who had befriended me. They had always, from the very first, welcomed me into their home and made me feel a part of their lives. The child had cancer. The disease was fatal. It was in its advanced stages. It can occur that way, striking with very little warning. I knew at once what was the matter with the boy. They knew only that he was dying. I knew why he was dying, I knew what was killing him, and I knew how to cure it. But I could not cure it given the resources of this time. To do that, I had to travel back to my own time in order to obtain the necessary supplies. I was afraid, but I could not sit by and watch that child die, knowing that I had the knowledge to save him and was too afraid to utilize the means. That was when I made my first trip back to my own time. That was also when I first became aware of and made contact with the underground.

  "I won't belabor you with the details of that story. What matters is that suddenly I was presented with an opportunity to do something about the time wars. I couldn't stop them, but I could help others to desert, to refuse to take part in the lunacy. I became part of the underground.

  "That child was cured, but my life changed from that point on. I moved to Paris and established myself there as a physi­cian. I would be a contact point in the underground and it's easier to conceal the comings and goings of people in a city teeming with people. That was how I first met Hunter.

  "I kept returning to my own time, dangerous though it was, and contacting people in our organization who helped me to procure supplies. I had access to modern equipment, to stolen, modified implants, in short, I soon became a key figure in the organization. And on one of my trips back to my own time, I met the Timekeepers.

  "There were people in my own time, members of the under­ground, who were involved with an organization known as the Temporal Preservation League. It was a group founded by Albrecht Mensinger and its aim was to stop the war machine. Most of the members of the league pursued this goal through peaceful means, but there were those who believed that they should stop at nothing to achieve their aims. These were the Timekeepers. Jimmy Darcy was a member of the Time­keepers, although when I first met him, I didn't know that. I simply thought he was a member of the league. In time, I came to learn the truth, and it was through him that I met Adrian Taylor.

  "You must understand that I was and am against everything that the Timekeepers stand for. I could not and cannot con­done terrorism. But they wove a very tempting web and drew me in. I'm not trying to excuse my actions, only to explain what motivated them.

  "They had a plan to fight the war machine, an elegant plan that I believed could not fail to work. With my help, with ac­cess to my surgical skills and chronoplate, they could form a unit that would travel back in time and interfere with history. The plan was that they would announce their intent, then follow through on it if the ones in power refused to listen. They would refuse, of course; but in time, they would have no choice but to accede to our demands.

  "We would go back to some period
in the past and create a temporal disruption, set into motion a course of events that would interfere with history. We would then alert the Referee Corps, giving them ample opportunity and time to effect an adjustment, thereby preserving the natural, historic course of events. Yet, even as they worked to bring their adjustment about, we would already be in yet another period, creating yet another disruption. We would repeat the process all over again and keep repeating it, putting a massive drain on the power, resources, and abilities of those who perpetuated the time wars. In time, they would be forced to realize that they could not stop us and they would have no choice but to listen to our demands. I was so naive, I actually believed that.

  "I know now that that was never Taylor's plan. Taylor is in­sane. He's a killer. I'm convinced that he never meant to create a mere temporal disruption. No, his goal is far more ambitious. What Taylor wants to do is to create nothing less than a timestream split, to bring about the very disaster that the league and even his fellow terrorists wanted to avoid. And I helped him."

  "Then it is up to you to stop him," Andre said.

  "I wish I could," said Bennett. "I know I'm going to have to try, but I don't know what I can do. I'm just one man."

  "One man who can move through time as easily as I can cross this room," said Andre. "A man who can make a beam of light cut better than the sharpest blade, who can transform a man into a woman. After what I have seen and learned, I no longer believe that there is anything that cannot be done. After all that, what must be done seems very simple. Taylor must be killed, along with those who serve him. You are not alone, Jack Bennett. I will help you."

  "I'm afraid that killing Taylor is not a simple matter," Bennett said.

  Andre smiled. "Nor is killing me."

  9

  Jimmy Darcy and Tonio Valenti had seen Bennett and the woman enter the house on the Rue St. Honore. They had seen Bennett brandishing his laser.

  "What do you think they did with Silvera?" Tonio said, scratching at his several-days'-old growth of thick black beard. Both he and Jimmy were dressed as common laborers.

  "Could be they've taken him into custody and turned him over to other agents, maybe even clocked him out," said Jimmy. "Could be he's dead."

  "That one chest seems pretty heavy," Tonio said. "What do you think they've got in there?"

  Both men exchanged quick glances.

  "This is really stupid," Jimmy said, beginning to test the waters. "There's absolutely no good reason to kill those two."

  "Boss's orders," Tonio said. "Besides, they got Silvera. One way or another," he added, a bit more softly.

  "So they got Silvera," Jimmy said. "Silvera screwed up. He never should've taken out that agent."

  "He was the opposition," Tonio said.

  "Christ, use your brain," said Jimmy. "They've probably got agents crawling over half of Paris; you really believe we can take them all on? What's the point? The only thing that matters is the plan and they have no idea what it is."

  "Yeah, but maybe they can guess," said Tonio.

  "Maybe, but I doubt it. Even if they do, so what? Stopping it won't be so easy. Even if they do stop it, we've still got the plate. We cut and run and start all over in another period. And this time, there won't be any infiltrators to tell them where we are."

  "That bastard never had a chance to—"

  "How else could they have found out about it? He must have lived long enough to leave a message."

  "C'mon, Taylor left him with his guts all over the goddamn floor," said Tonio.

  "Maybe that's just the point," said Jimmy. "Taylor didn't finish the job."

  "Yeah, maybe."

  "He thinks an agent known as Mongoose may be running the TIA operation," Jimmy said.

  "Yeah? So?"

  "The way I understand it, Taylor's got a pretty heavy grudge against him. It just makes me a little nervous, that's all. Taylor seems to want to get his hands on that guy pretty badly."

  "You saying Taylor might be putting his vendetta or what­ever ahead of the operation?"

  "I don't know. Is that what I said?"

  "No, not exactly. It's what you're not saying that interests me. Ever since that sex-change operation, he's been acting pretty strange."

  "You noticed."

  "Don't pussyfoot with me, son. Say what's on your mind."

  "How long have you known Taylor?"

  "Not as long as you."

  "How do you feel about him?"

  "What do you say we cut through all this crap?" said Tonio. "Either you level with me or you don't; make up your fucking mind."

  "I think you know what I'm getting at."

  "Yeah, but I want to hear you say it."

  Jimmy nodded. "All right. Taylor is a pro. Unlike you and me, he's getting paid a bundle for this. I don't know how much, but I know it's pretty heavy. He makes all the right noises, but when it comes right down to it, he's an outsider."

  "He's been with the organization for quite a while."

  "He's worked for the organization," Jimmy said. "It's not the same. He's still an outsider. A very well-paid outsider."

  "They have handed us our tools...." said Tonio.

  "Yeah, sure. But it helps to know that you're using the right tool for the right job."

  "You don't trust him."

  Jimmy didn't reply for several seconds. "You realize he's crazy, don't you?"

  Tonio chuckled. "Don't let Freytag hear you say that."

  "Well?"

  Tonio stared at him. "He's a paranoid schizophrenic most of the time, except when he's a psychopath. Does that answer your question?"

  "Yes, that answers my question."

  "And you want to know what I'm going to do about that."

  "Yeah."

  "Absolutely nothing."

  "What?"

  "You heard me."

  "I heard you, but I didn't understand you. You agree with me about Taylor and you're going to do absolutely nothing?"

  "You bet. It's like you said, Taylor is a pro. I'm just an amateur. Going up against Taylor would be dangerous, but going up against Taylor and Freytag would be fucking suicide. Taylor I've got my doubts about, but I know for damn sure that Freytag doesn't give a good goddamn about Professor Mensinger, the Timekeepers or the time wars. Freytag's a mer­cenary and Taylor is his paymaster. Neither you nor I nor both of us together can afford to buy him off and, frankly, I'd rather go up against a dozen Jimmy Darcys than one Freytag. So I'm simply going to pretend this conversation never hap­pened and if you're smart, you'll watch yourself. Besides, he might be madder than a mayfly, but with Taylor, there's a hell of a lot more chance of this whole thing coming off than with­out him. Okay?"

  Jimmy nodded grimly. "Okay."

  "Terrific. Now what do you say we go and get the job done? It's dark enough to slip in there without drawing atten­tion to ourselves. We'll make it nice and quick and there's one less thing to worry about. All right?"

  "Sure," said Jimmy. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let's go and kill poor old Doc Bennett."

  "Just make sure you subdue the woman first," said Tonio. "She's an agent and she'll be the one to give us trouble."

  Walking normally, they crossed the street and headed toward the house, going past it and then doubling back be­hind it. There was no back door, but they had been at Doc Bennett's house before and they knew the best way to break in. It didn't take them but a moment. They entered the house silently, weapons at the ready, listening for noise, the sound of conversation, footsteps, anything. There was no noise.

  "Watch yourself," whispered Tonio.

  It didn't take them very long to discover that their quarry had fled. The house was deserted and they saw that Bennett had taken care to destroy all of his equipment and supplies.

  "We waited too long," said Tonio. "We should have moved in earlier."

  "But how did they get out?"

  "Obviously there's a way out of this house that we don't know about. Looks like Doc did
n't tell us everything. Lucky for him."

  "They must have just left," said Jimmy. "It took time to burn up all that stuff. Some of this slag is still hot."

  Tonio had left the room and started searching the other rooms on the first floor. Moments later, he called Darcy into the library.

  "Take a look at this," he said, indicating the chest on the floor in the center of the room. Most of Andre's clothes were still in it, several items hanging over the sides of the open chest, others on the floor around it. "Looks like she left in a hurry and repacked to travel light. But why repack in here?"

  "The bookshelf," Jimmy said. He pointed to a space upon the shelf where several books were missing, having been placed upon the desk. Jimmy went over to the shelf and reached into the empty space, feeling around with his hand. "Jackpot," he said, as a click sounded and the shelf swung away to reveal the door behind it. He aimed his laser at the lock. "This should only take a second," he said and pressed the firing stud. The beam of light shot out for a moment and then he switched it off. He tapped the door with the palm of his hand and it swung open.

  "Hold it right there!" someone said in English. Jimmy bolted through the door. Tonio made the mistake of reacting. He started to spin around and fire, but nothing happened. There had been a brief flash of light and he heard a thump on the floor at his feet. Wondering why his laser hadn't fired, he looked down and saw his hand, still holding the weapon, lying on the floor.

  * * * *

  He came to and found himself sitting in a chair, tied down securely. The room he was in was dark, the windows shuttered and covered with blankets so that no light seeped in. He could just barely make out several figures in the room, one of them seated backwards on a chair several feet in front of him.