by Bob Mayer
“It’s strange,” Lara said. “When I focus, I can’t remember seeing any television. But I know I had to have. I know what television is. It’s very weird. Like my brain is split. And I’m not sure I’m from Wichita. I kind of don’t know where I’m from.”
“Join the club,” Scout said. She hit the play button.
*****
Dane was silent as Edith Frobish and Frasier entered his office. He indicated for them to sit down on the other side of his desk. He had a thick scroll open in front of him, but he wasn’t looking at it. Instead he had a distant gaze, as if looking through the wall to the Pit.
He finally spoke. “31 October.”
“Halloween?” Edith said, her mind racing through history. “Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the cathedral door in Wittenberg on the 31st of October, in 1517. That has to be one of the years.”
“It is,” Dane confirmed. “But . . .”
The other two waited, disturbed by an uncertain Dane. “One of them isn’t specified,” he finally said. “It just says ‘Zero Day, Zero Year.’ There is a location. 60 Hudson Street, New York City.”
Dane slid a single piece of paper to each of them. He waited while they scanned the years and locations.
“Zero Day?” Frasier said. “That’s a computer thing, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Dane said. “Sin Fen is digging into it.”
“Oh!” Edith exclaimed as she read, immediately embarrassed .
“Salem?” Dane asked.
Edith nodded. “A terrible, terrible time. Who are you sending?”
“That’s what we have to decide. For all the missions.”
“Did you get a reply from Neeley?” Frasier asked.
“She said yes,” Dane said. “She’s with Roland. I alerted both.”
“She’s not up to speed on operations here,” Edith said.
“Unless Roland has talked to her,” Frasier said. “Pillow talk.”
Dane shook his head. “I’m not even sure Roland, or Neeley for that matter, has a pillow. And Roland doesn’t break rules.” He indicated the paper. “A wide array of assignments. Suggestions?”
“Eagle obviously gets 1828,” Frasier said.
“That early,” Edith said, being a bit more circumspect about it, “there were very few whites in South Africa. Cape Town had been established, but there were only a handful of trading posts along the coast. Most maps labeled the interior of sub-Saharan Africa simply as unknown.”
“All right,” Dane said. “Eagle. 1828. Since Neeley is new, we give her the most straightforward and in line with her skills and experiences. 1984. India. It’s also the closest to our time. She’s done her share of assassinations; it should be easier for her to make sure one happens.”
The other two agreed.
Dane looked at the paper. “That leaves us with Ivar, Scout, Lara and Roland. And it’s obvious Roland has to be on the Reuben James . A young woman would be too obvious. A destroyer in the North Atlantic doesn’t fit Ivar. Roland is 1941.” He penciled that in. “So which one gets Wittenberg?”
“We still don’t know who Lara is,” Frasier pointed out. “And technically, she hasn’t been on a mission.”
“They’re both so young,” Dane said, more to himself. “Scout has shown herself to be resilient. And she has the Sight. We don’t know what the hell Lara has.”
“We don’t even know who she is,” Frasier repeated.
“And you have nothing further?” Dane asked.
Frasier shook his head.
“Scout’s come through for us twice,” Edith said, trying to keep them on task.
“I notice you seem to be ignoring Ivar as a possibility for Wittenberg,” Frasier said .
“I’m not ignoring him,” Edith said. “His skill set points to Zero Day.”
Dane nodded. “Ivar gets Zero Day. He was actually on the computer in the secure room at the Met when I Zevoned him.” Dane leaned back in the chair. “Salem is weird. So let’s send weird. Lara gets that. Which leaves Scout with Wittenberg.”
“Has Hannah okayed bringing Neeley on board?” Edith asked.
“I discussed the possibility with Hannah,” Dane said. “She left it up to Neeley.”
“But she hasn’t made the Choice,” Edith said. “The real Choice one about joining the team.”
“Mission takes priority,” Dane said. “But Sin Fen is here. She can meet with Neeley and give her the Choice prior to deployment.”
“What if she decides to go back?” Frasier asked. “What about 1984 and New Delhi?”
“Then I’ll have to make one of you operational,” Dane said. “So you’d better hope she doesn’t choose to go back.”
The Mission Briefing
SCOUT WAS THE FIRST to enter the team room. She was dressed in a black bodice and skirt, with flat leather shoes. She was already pulling at the bodice, trying to relieve the pressure. Her short dyed-red hair was covered with a black French hood.
She had a pair of spectacles in her hand. She placed them on the table in the center of the team room, next to Doc’s name. Looking over at one wall, she noted the black-green scale Roland had taken from Grendel and the original Order of Merit ribbon, the forerunner of the Purple Heart, which Eagle had received directly from George Washington.
Now they had another relic of the past: Benjamin Franklin’s spectacles, a gift to Doc from the old man for saving his life during the 1776 Staten Island Peace Talks.
The door opened and Eagle came in.
“Whoa!” Scout said. “You look ready for war.”
“And almost naked,” Eagle added. He wore the garb of a Zulu warrior, which consisted mainly of weapons along with the scant garment of an apron, front and rear. He indicated the arm and legs bands. “The amashoba . Made from cow tails. They’re designed to make the wearer appear bulkier and more powerful.”
“Cool,” Scout said. “It works.”
“I’d prefer body armor.” He put the five-foot high shield on the table, along with the two weapons.
Scout pointed at them. “You can explain the spear and club and shield when Roland gets here. I don’t want you to have to do it again.”
Eagle smiled. “Early nineteenth century for me. Some time after Shaka united the Zulu kingdom.”
“Unless you’re going as a re-enactor,” Scout said. “You know, like those guys who dress up in Civil War stuff. I think there are re-enactors for every soldier who ever existed. I’m sure there are Zulu re-enactors.”
“I doubt I’m going to a tourist event.” Eagle indicated the spear. “The blade is Naga metal.” He noted Scout’s outfit. “Middle ages. Not poor, but not rich either.”
“But no hot showers, right?” Scout said. “It’s tight and the cloth is really irritating. Still, it’s a step up from the robes I’ve been wearing before. I bet it still smells bad wherever and whenever I’m going.”
“Most likely,” Eagle said. “Let’s hope—“
He was interrupted as the next member of the team joined them.
“A sailor, again,” Roland said, disappointed. Mainly because he didn’t have any weapons.
“More modern than your last,” Eagle said. “World War II era.”
Roland forgot his disappointment upon seeing Eagle’s array of killing tools. “Can I?” He indicated the spear. Roland hefted it. “Kind of short isn’t it?”
“It’s an iklwa ,” Eagle said. “It’s not made for throwing. The name comes from the sucking sound it makes when you pull it out of someone’s body.” It was short of being what most would consider a true spear, with a two-foot shaft and a large, eight-inch long, wide blade. “A warrior could be executed for losing one. Shaka Zulu, who invented it, also forbade his warriors from throwing it. It’s designed for stabbing.”
Roland was getting the feel. “Nice. Like a big bayonet.”
“A bayonet with no rifle,” Scout noted. “I’d rather have a rifle.”
Roland ignored her. He handed the spear back. �
�And the club?”
“The iwisa ,” Eagle said. He passed it to Roland .
“Heavy,” Roland said. “It would make a nice dent in someone’s skull. The shield?”
Eagle gave that to him. It was five feet tall and made of cowhide.
“The isihlangu ,” Eagle said. “It replaced a smaller shield. The theory is, that besides being protection, you use the edge of the isihlangu to pull the enemy’s shield toward you, thus exposing him to a thrust from the iklwa . Shaka completely revamped the way Zulus fought in terms of weapons and tactics. This means I’m going at the time of Shaka or just after. Because later on, the Zulus started using longer spears, more suited to throwing. And—“
But he stopped when the door opened and Neeley entered.
“Welcome,” Eagle said. He glanced at Roland, then back at her. “When were you recruited?”
“Not long ago,” Neeley said. “Actually, I was asked if I wanted to join the team, and then right after I told Hannah I would, Roland got alerted. And I was ordered to come with him.”
“We’re short one,” Eagle said, “since Moms is non-operational. I assume Dane made a command decision.”
Neeley was dressed in khaki pants and shirt, with leather, half-calf boots. “Any clue what this outfit means?”
“Relatively modern,” Eagle said. “But it’s rather generic.”
She looked at Roland. “A sailor?”
He nodded. “Eagle says World War Two.”
“Okay,” Neeley said, for lack of anything else. She looked at Scout and Eagle. “Definitely different than what I’m used to. How do we find out when and where we’re going?”
“Dane will be in to brief us,” Eagle said. “Once everyone is here. We still need Lara and Ivar.”
“Don’t count on finding out too much from Dane,” Scout warned Neeley. “Vague doesn’t begin to describe these mission briefings.”
“We get enough,” Roland said. “Don’t worry,” he added to Neeley. “It will be all right.”
Lara entered, looking none too thrilled in her later Middle Ages outfit. “Feel like I’m in a Shakes-dude play.”
“You’re a bit later than Shakespeare,” Eagle said.
“When were the Dark Ages?” Lara asked.
“That’s more likely for Scout,” Eagle said as he checked out Lara’s clothing.
“Gee, thanks,” Scout said .
“You’re more seventeenth century,” Eagle said to Lara.
“No hot showers,” Scout told her.
“We’re only gone for twenty-four hours max,” Roland said. “I’ve gone three months without a shower.”
“I bet that was thrilling for those around you,” Scout said.
Ivar entered, upset, a small line of blood on one cheek. He was dressed in his normal old jeans and gray t-shirt.
“What happened to you?” Eagle asked.
“The security man at the Met shot my computers,” Ivar said. “Then I got Zevoned.”
“Why’d he shoot the computers?” Eagle asked.
“I got no idea,” Ivar said. “He just shot them to pieces, said he was sorry, and left.”
“Were you looking at porn again?” Scout asked.
Ivar gave her a dirty look. “And they told me I didn’t need to change. I don’t get it.” He looked around. “We know Moms can’t go. What—“
The door opened and Edith pushed Moms’ wheelchair in. Moms had Edith’s satchel on her lap. Dane followed, trundling a small cart and shutting the door behind.
“What happened to you?” Moms asked Ivar.
He repeated his brief story as Dane went to the board.
“There’s a reason for that,” Dane said as Ivar finished. “I’m sorry such drastic measures had to be taken, but we couldn’t take a chance.”
“A chance on what?” Ivar asked. “The guy didn’t even say hi. He just started blasting away. I thought he was after me for a moment.”
“If he was after you,” Dane said, “you wouldn’t know it was coming.”
“Great,” Ivar said.
Dane waved off the comment. “Sorry. We had to shut down any computer link, even the most secure one.”
“Why?” Moms asked.
“One of the missions,” Dane said. “I don’t know the extent yet, but Sin Fen will be in here shortly to explain. Can you bear with me for a bit?”
Ivar nodded.
Dane went right to business, picking up a piece of chalk and writing a year on it.
151 7
Before he could speak, Eagle was ahead of him, the most important event of that year readily available from his prodigious memory. “31 October, right?”
Dane nodded. “Hallows Eve.”
“You mean Halloween,” Scout said.
“Yes,” Dane said. “And please, no jokes about trick or treating. Edith, tell them about the historical significance of the day.”
“The Feast of All Saints is on the first of November,” Edith said. “But the celebration begins the previous evening. The holiday precedes Christianity, as many do. The Celtic festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It started on the evening of 31 October and ran through sunset on the 1st . The Celts actually viewed a day to be from sundown to sundown, rather than the way we view a day in the opposite manner. The Catholic Church uses the celebration as a way to commemorate those who have gone to heaven.”
“Count us out,” Scout said.
“Thus,” Edith plowed on, “the date is noted for a connection with the dead. The tradition of putting on a costume and trick and treating is a relatively recent thing.”
“Commercialization,” Eagle said. “It’s the second largest retail—“ he stopped himself.
“Thanks,” Dane said, when Eagle didn’t give facts and figures on Halloween. “What matters is where and when each of you is going.” He pointed the chalk at Eagle. “As your team sergeant brought up, the most significant event of the year 1517 was Martin Luther posting his Ninety-five Theses on the 31st of October on the Wittenberg Castle Church door. And that’s your mission, Scout.”
“Ninety-five Theses of what?” Scout asked.
Edith fielded the question. “It was the beginning of Protestantism. Luther challenged the Roman Catholic Church on some of its principles, primarily the practice of indulgences, which was paying priests and the church to buy one’s way into heaven.”
“Doubt that worked,” Scout said.
“It was nice for those who got the money,” Eagle said. “Primarily the church.”
“Others had challenged the Catholic Church before,” Edith said, “but Luther came at a unique time. Many were discontent with the Church and, most importantly, it occurred as the printing press was available. Thus Luther’s theses could be widely disseminated. Because of Luther, the Church splintered between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants. The repercussions of that—“ she shook her head, a bit overwhelmed with the possibilities.
“Okay,” Scout said. “So I have to make sure this thing gets posted?”
“If that’s what the Shadow is trying to block,” Dane said. “It could be going after Luther directly. Perhaps an assassination attempt. While it’s likely someone else would have eventually challenged the Church, Luther was the key. There’s no doubt his failure to do so would be a Cascade event and change our timeline.”
“Got it,” Scout said. “But if they’re sending someone to kill him, it will most likely be a Legion. Gonna give me something more than this skirt to fight with?”
“We’ve accepted that armament is essential,” Dane said. He went to the cart and opened it. He lifted out a stack of identical wooden boxes and put them on the table. He slid one over to Scout.
She flipped up the lid. “Cool.” She pulled out a dagger.
Dane gave each member of the team a similar box, except Ivar. “We told you before Nine-Eleven that we were going to make one for every team member.” He looked at Ivar. “You still have yours, corr
ect?”
Ivar drew his from a sheath in the back of his pants.
“They’re made of Naga steel,” Dane said. “You can puncture a Valkyrie’s armor with that. Pretty much cut through anything with enough force.”
“Not a Grendel’s scales,” Roland said. “You have to go for the armpit, the base of the skull, or into the mouth.”
Scout slid the blade into the accompanying sheath. “Thanks. I feel a bit better. But isn’t it possible the Shadow maybe just wants Luther to have maybe 90 Theses? Or add five more and have 100? Change some of them?”
“Of course it’s possible,” Dane said. “You’ll have a copy of the Theses in your download.”
“I’m going to have to read them all?” Scout was aghast.
“Please, let’s not get into it,” Dane said. “We know there are an infinite number of possibilities. Your last mission indicated the need to be prepared for just about anything. That’s why you people were chosen to be on the team. You’re the best— “
“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Ivar interrupted.
“Me too,” Scout said.
“Ditto,” Lara said.
“You’ve gone on missions and you’re still alive,” Dane said.
“Doc isn’t,” Scout countered. “Mac isn’t.”
Neeley spoke up. “I think I’m supposed to make some sort of Choice even though I volunteered?”
Dane was grateful for the interruption. “You’ll go with Sin Fen after this briefing and make your choice. For the rest of you, you’re the Time Patrol. You’ve all been on missions. You’ve all traveled in time. You’ve defeated Grendels and Valkyries and Pandora and most importantly, you’ve beaten the Shadow every single time. The clock is ticking. Can we move on?”
Silence meant assent, so Dane wrote on the board:
1984
“Neeley. You’re going to New Delhi. Gandhi’s assassination.”
Neeley frowned. “Mahatma Gandhi? Thought he died in the forties or fifties.”
“Indira Gandhi,” Dane said. “The first, and so far only, female prime minister of India. She wasn’t related to Mahatma. Her father was India’s first prime minister. She was a very forceful ruler. She initiated a war with Pakistan and managed to wrest East Pakistan away from it; what’s now known as Bangladesh. Given Bangladesh is the eighth most populous country in the world, that’s historically important. Besides the fact that India is the second most populous country and a nuclear power.”
