
#

Orphans of Time-Space

_and related stories_

by Robby Charters

© 2016 by Robby Charters

Smashwords Edition

**_A collection of stories ranging from short to novella size, all set in the same universe. Some run in a series as sequels and prequels_**

Visit me at

www.RobbyCharters.co.uk[  
](http://www.robbycharters.co.uk)

and download a free copy of _The Wrong Time_

Front Cover and interior design and formatting by   
www.Robbys-eBook-Formating.co.uk

Pictures on the cover are attributed as follows:

Newspaper: _The Daily Telegraph_ , Front Page, Saturday, April 3, 1982

Clock: By Saberhagen - Own work, Public Domain, curid=10676515, via Wikimedia Commons

Galaxy NGC 613: By ESA/Hubble, CC BY 3.0, curid=43888431, via Wikimedia Commons

Man in turtleneck By Kate (originally posted to Flickr as dad in a turtleneck) CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], [via Wikimedia Commons

Girl By Marco Wolvers (Marco Wolvers, www.connietalbot.com) CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], [ via Wikimedia Commons

Knife By Dmitry G - DSC00069Uploaded by Partyzan_XXI, CC BY-SA 2.0, curid=8365537, via Wikimedia Commons

Paper clip By visualpanic from Barcelona (matchbox 20:closing time) CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], [via Wikimedia Commons

Old Charters Family Photo (author's own collection)
**_...so, you enjoy scifi short fiction? Visit my website  www.RobbyCharters.co.uk_ _and download this one for free..._**

A collection of short stories, noveletts and some flash fiction

**The short stories:**  
* A filmmaker of the future, using a new untested medium, gets tangled up in his story in _**The Filmmaker and the Sceptre**_ ;  
* The fantasy to end all fantasies: **The Genie** ;

**The Novelettes:**  
* Relativity works in mysterious ways in _**The Last Shall be First**_ ;  
* Geoffrey literally finds himself in **The Wrong Track** ;

**Almost a Novella:** "I thought all this stuff about time warps and things was silly scifi stuff. I'm not a fan of Star Trek or any of these other things -- which I thought was for people who couldn't get a life, who sit in their parents basement with their chemistry sets and oscilloscopes. I thought I was a level headed, successful, morally responsible member of society. Until one day I stepped into the ... _**Wrong Time**_ "

**The flash fiction:** From a physics class of the future: what is a "flong"? in _**The Flong Files**_

... and more flash fiction, including an alternative history of Little Red Riding Hood, a sequel to The Pied Piper, and an experiment in time travel and second person narration ...

**Readers Comments at _Amazon:  _**

_"...Kudos to the author for a readable, well-researched, original and inventive collection..."  
" ...is a thoroughly intriguing and enjoyable collection of short stories by Robby Charters, tied together with a ribbon of twisted time..."  
"...fantastic. Thoroughly entertaining, retains interest, and had a great grasp on scientific theory..."  
_

**_  
_**

**Download it _free_ when you visit my website: www.RobbyCharters.co.uk**

**  
**

**fine print:** you may receive an email or two (or three...) from yours truly with news about my books. But I'll try not to sound spammy -- promise!

# Dedication

To my son, Abe, who gave me basic idea:

"...where the main character is able to remember it when a time traveller has gone to the past and committed a murder..."

# The Basic Premise of the Time Orphan Universe

Going back and changing an event in the past neither creates a parallel universe, nor does it produce a time-space paradox. It may result in one becoming a Time Orphan. The reader will glean the finer details from the narrative, but if you do need more explanation, there's an appendix at the back of the book, giving a detailed science behind time-travel in the Time Orphan universe.

Some of these can be read as stand-alone short stories; others are more like chapters, or sequels; one is a novelet; two are totally stand-alone stories with no relationship to the others except they take place in the Time Orphan universe.

Enjoy... 

# Saving Timmy Browning

© 2016 by Robby Charters

People thought Timmy Browning was my imaginary friend, but I could swear he was real - my best friend in fact.

Although the memories of time spent together were rather dim, I knew quite a lot about him; what he looked like, what would make him laugh or get upset, and what his favourite things were – everything anyone would know about their best friend. I also knew that he lived around the corner and down the road from us, he had a treehouse in his front yard, his parents were George and Sally Browning, and he had a baby sister named Jessica.

The problem was, as my parents gently pointed out, George Browning died before I (or Timmy) was born, so he never married Timmy's mum. They were going together at one time, but he was killed, probably murdered. Instead, Sally married Sam McGuire, and became the mother of my classmate, Jeanette, who had no brothers or sisters.

So, where did Timmy come from? Where did he go? I clearly remembered him, and still do. But to everyone else, there never was a Timmy Browning. Whenever I dropped his name with my classmates, I got blank looks, or they asked if he were my cousin. My teacher, who should have also been his teacher, had never heard of him. When I persisted, some began whispering about me. Carter McKee, the class clown got a few laughs saying 'Where's Timmy Brown? Timmy Brown's my friend!' in a mocking tone of voice. They even got the name wrong! Another kid called him 'Charlie Brown'. I got the point, so I clammed up about Timmy Browning.

Coming to the realisation that he didn't exist was somewhere midway between losing a friend and discovering there's no Santa Claus; actually the worst of both. On one hand, it's bereavement with no funeral nor condolences; on the other, no one saying, 'Oh the poor wee boy, he's just learned there's no Timmy Browning,' nor even, 'Yes, Virginia, there is a Timmy Browning.'

I cried myself to sleep several nights in a row. That was years ago. Lots of questions still unanswered; not least, how did I know George even existed, let alone had gone out with Sally? I just buried it.

Now we jump to earlier this year, a discussion in history class: the teacher said something like, '...can anyone give an example of that happening in recent times?'

I raised my hand.

'Drake?' the teacher acknowledged.

'The Soviet invasion of Norway?'

The whole class looked at me saying, 'Huh?' 'Soviet Union?' 'Norway?' 'But USSR broke up in 1991!' and things like that. I think the only thing that kept the teacher from calling me a cheeky imp was the serious, and then bewildered, look on my face. I did see a worried look on hers.

Of course I knew the Soviet Union had long folded! Why did I remember a recent invasion of Norway? It was as though I had been having a recurring dream that featured the Soviet Union as a world power, culminating with a recent invasion of Norway, and feeble protests from a weakened United States of America, and U.K. I don't even remember having any such dreams – that's just what it felt like.

It's like I was remembering double. Now that I think of it, it happened a few other times as well, but not so profoundly.

A few weeks earlier, several class periods were taken up by a visit from a career counsellor. He was an older man with a European accent. The first half hour was taken up with some sort of aptitude test. I'd never seen any test like it. Among other things, we had to write a one sentence summary of each of our classmates. And then, we each had a one-on-one session with him, where he asked a lot of questions. Some of them, I had no idea what they possibly had to do with choosing a career. And I thought my session went on for quite a long time. He didn't get to all of the students.

The next day, when the History teacher gave his lecture, I was sure I had heard it the day before. The same thing happened with the reading in Literature. I even knew how the story finished before we got to the end. Then, in Maths, I suddenly began to catch on to a rather difficult concept because we were going over it for what seemed like the second time. But the day before we had had neither Literature, History or Maths, because of the careers session.

That had me wracking my brain, but it wasn't the first time...

A few days before that, on my way to the library, I was asked by an old man to direct him to the Town Hall. He seemed confused by my answer, so I took him across the road and pointed him down the other street where the Town Hall was visible.

As I retraced my steps, I saw a block further up the street, a painter dropping a paint bucket from the top of a ladder. But afterwards, I remembered both seeing it from a block away, and also happening just as I was passing within a few feet of him! I even remembered my trousers getting splattered, but there was no trace of paint at all (thank God, my mother would have killed me).

But these incidents were nothing compared to 'remembering' that USSR had invaded Norway. That one kept me busy inside my head for days!

I was quiet and sullen at meals. My mother wondered if I were okay. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it, because they'd think I was disturbed, or crazy. I was wondering that myself. I was putting two and two together and getting three!

So, why did I have a dim memory of a parallel set of current events? It reminded me of when I was much younger, with my non-existent friend, Timmy. That was the same sort of memory.

I had almost forgotten about Timmy Browning. That history had stopped abruptly a few weeks before my parents had heard me rattling on about him.

To come to think of it, the events that had to do with the Soviet invasion of Norway also seemed to come to an abrupt halt. I vaguely remember a lot of announcements on the news about countries breaking off relations with the USSR, even about a possible joint military strike by China and Argentina.

Argentina?

Okay – well, this was getting bizarre! Argentina had kicked the British out of the Falklands. Margaret Thatcher was disgraced, had resigned long before our history book says she had, a new election was called and Michael Foot had become Prime Minister. Ever since, Argentina had grown in military strength while UK and US had dwindled.

I don't know how UK's decline affected the US. Maybe because Ronald Regan didn't have Margaret Thatcher around to egg him on...?

Weird!

So, a few weeks ago, everybody was at the edge of their seat, bracing themselves for an all out war between the Soviet Union, China and Argentina, with America and not-so-Great Britain tagging along like barking chihuahuas.

Then, the history stopped abruptly, just a couple of weeks before I embarrassed myself in class. It was like the news-feed suddenly went off-line, leaving me in suspense whether they went to war or not.

I had no clue what this was – well, maybe a few ideas, ones that only nerdy sci-fi fans would take seriously – but if I had learned anything from my Timmy Browning memories, it was the less I say about this, the better.

But now, having remembered Timmy again, I was curious about the circumstances of George Browning's death. About a week later, I stopped in at the local library, and looked up some old issues of our local newspaper.

There were photos of George Browning which I immediately recognised as Timmy's dad (yet another paradox - I had never seen a photo of him before!).

They definitely thought it was a murder. There was even a suspect, a strange man who had only appeared in town a few days before, and then disappeared right after the murder. He hadn't been seen since.

There was only one picture of him; he had been caught in a photo taken at the opening of the new YMCA building. He was one of the people standing behind the Lord Mayor, right next to George Browning. The suspect's face was circled, and the caption under it said this was the only known photograph of the strange man. No one even knew his name, but apparently George had known him. They had been seen chatting on a few occasions like old friends.

Something made me take a second look. I knew him!

He hadn't been seen since before I was born, but I could swear I knew him. Where had I met him? I wracked my brain.

Lying awake in middle of the night, I realised I even had a name for him, Frank Isenburg.

Again, facts seemed to be more strongly embedded in my mind than memories of events. I knew the face, and the name, Frank Isenburg, but in connection with what?

I asked my mother at breakfast, 'Do we know anyone named Frank Isenburg?'

'No, love, no one by that name.'

After a while, dad asked, 'Who is this Frank Isenburg?'

'I dunno. Maybe he was a friend of George Browning?'

'George Browning!' my dad exclaimed. 'Why, he's been dead for years!'

'You used to fancy he was married to Sally McGuire, didn't you?' remembered mum.

'And "Timmy",' dad added. 'That was one of your fancies. You swore you had a friend named Timmy Browning...'

I went quiet. I didn't care to bring that up – but then, there was suddenly something else rattling in my head.

'Are you okay?' asked mum.

'Yeah --' I said, but I wasn't okay. I had suddenly remembered where I'd heard the name, and seen his face...

A sleepover with Timmy Browning on his ninth birthday: We were best friends, and I was the only one he invited. The two of us were huddled together in front of the family's PC in the corner of the lounge. Timmy's dad sat on the settee with the visitor, Frank Isenburg.

Frank had been in town for about a week, and had been spending a lot of time at the Browning home.

They were talking about something, I didn't catch much of it, nor did I care, being all grown-up stuff. I do have a vague impression that they disagreed about something called the 'Rivvy Air Affair' -- or was it Riviera? I think that's French – and some general or other with a complicated Spanish name.

Timmy and I were in middle of our game, I forget what it was. Suddenly, Tim turns to me and says, 'Frank's so obsessed about that Riviera thing! I wish he'd shut up about it. It gets Dad into a bad mood.'

There were other things about that visit to Timmy's that were a bit more hazy – I seemed to remember Frank walking over and watching us for a while, and saying something-or-other – but apart from that, this was the clearest memory that I had ever had of my times with Timmy.

That was all. A day or so later is when the memories stop.

Suddenly remembering an incident with Timmy with such clarity brought back the feeling of bereavement. I felt like I had been so close to Timmy, I knew him through and through, I could predict exactly how he would react to things – up to the age of nine, anyway – and yet, he didn't exist!

So, what happened? How did he simply stop existing? If it never happened, where the heck did the memories come from? Was it from a previous reincarnation?

I didn't believe in reincarnation, and besides, the memories were of things that were obviously from within my own lifetime. Timmy's mum was obviously one and the same as Jeanette's mum. I'd seen her picking up Jeanette at school a time or two.

I remembered my classmate Jeanette with my 'real world' memory. Thinking about it now, I did see a similarity between her and Timmy. I remember we got along quite well.

She still went to the same school as me, but was now in a different class. I saw her now and then, and she still said, 'Hi.'

The next time I saw her at school, I turned aside and we had a chat. She had her own circle of friends, had her own world, but she was quite friendly.

'Hey,' I ventured, 'Do you want to stop at the Half Moon Café on the way home?' That was a spot a lot of us liked to hang out after school.

'Sure,' she said.

So, we stopped there together. She had a latte and I had cappuccino.

'Where do you live now?' I asked.

'Same place as before. On May street.'

I never did know where she lived, but the name rang a bell. It was just around the corner and a little further beyond my house.

'Nice place?'

'It's okay. My mum inherited it from Granda. It's not far, would you like to see it?'

'Sure.'

We talked about more stuff. When we finished our drinks, we went. The closer we got, the weirder I felt.

'What's the matter?' Jeanette asked.

'Dunno. It feels like I've been here before.'

'Déjà vu?'

'I guess.'

I saw the front yard from down the street. She hadn't told me, but I knew that was the house.

Timmy had a treehouse in that tree. We used to spend hours there. I knew every branch. Once, I hurt myself on a nail on the way down. The nail wasn't part of the tree house, but had been hammered into one of the bigger branches a long time before.

I walked up to the tree as we arrived.

Quite obviously, there had never been a treehouse in this tree, but there was that nail!

'This is weird,' I said.

'More déjà vu?'

'Yeah.'

Jeanette opened the door, and we went in. There it was, the corridor, the lounge, I knew every inch of the house. I knew what each room would look like before we entered. Definitely Timmy's house!

Some things were different. The living-room furniture was newer, but the same painting hung on he wall over the fireplace.

There was the corner where they used to keep the computer, where Timmy and I played computer games. Now I remembered what we were playing. It was one based on the Back to the Future film.

In the kitchen, we met – her.

'This is my mum,' Jeanette says. 'Mum, meet Drake.'

'Hi, Mrs. Browning – er – I'm sorry – Mrs. McGuire.'

Jeanette looked surprised, while her mum ignored my mistake.

'Good to meet you, Drake. Would you like a biscuit?'

Tim's mum made the best biscuits.

'Yes, please,' I replied.

The taste and texture of the biscuit was something I didn't realise I had missed. I was revisiting my childhood – at least it seemed that way.

'Tell me about yourself, Drake.'

I knew her like one of my own aunts. As Timmy's mum, she knew me like a nephew; but here I was now, a total stranger to her. But I knew exactly how to act in her presence, so she warmed up to me quickly. We spent half the afternoon in the lounge, talking, and by the time I left, I felt like part of the family.

I saw a lot of Jeanette after that. There was so much of Timmy in her, she fit me like a glove. We began going out together on dates, and even got to the point of holding hands.

I also saw a lot of her mum.

Jeanette's dad, Sam McGuire didn't live there anymore. They had separated, and were going through divorce proceedings. I could tell Jeanette didn't care very much for him.

I was standing by myself near the corner of the lounge, where the computer would have been in the Browning household. It suddenly came back more clearly.

We had been playing the Back to the Future computer game. Frank Isenburg had walked over and watched over our shoulders for a while.

Timmy made the Delorean go at 90 mph, and went backwards to 1955.

'Ha ha! I can do that without a Delorean,' said Frank.

'He is weird!' Timmy whispered to me, after he had walked away.

I could hear Frank near the front door, 'Well, George, if your mind's made up, I'll just have to do what I have to do.'

George said something I didn't hear clearly. It didn't sound very friendly.

Something about that whole incident tied my stomach into a knot.

I did a Google search on the name 'Frank Isenburg'. It didn't bring up anything significant. Neither did Facebook. I tried 'Franklin Isenburg', and then 'Francis Isenburg'. I even tried 'Frankie'. Then I tried the last name with two S's, and then spelt with '...berg' instead of '...burg'.

Next, I went to a few people search sites, and entered the details. Still nothing.

One of the sites had a public message centre that seemed geared to helping people locate lost friends. I left a message giving the name and the description.

A week later, I received an email:

Hello Drake,

Your enquiry into the whereabouts of Frank Isenburg interests me. Do you have any photos of him?

Regards

Johann

I emailed him back with a digital copy of the photo I found in the newspaper. He emailed me back.

Drake

First, may I strongly advise you to remove your message from the message board of the search site.

Secondly, in what capacity do you know Mr. Isenburg?

I went to the friend-search site, deleted my message, and then wrote back:

Johann,

I can't say I've ever really met him. It's hard to say how I know him. The picture is from a newspaper article from before I was born. I just somehow know his name.

He wrote back:

Drake,

We need to meet.

I realise it's not good practice to be meeting strangers one has met on the Internet, but in view of this situation, I'm afraid it's unavoidable. The prospect of meeting Isenburg is a far more dangerous situation than you can imagine.

I believe there's a café in your town called the Half Moon Café. That's a safe spot where we can meet in the open. Meet me there tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

I usually stop there with Jeanette, but that day, I made an excuse and went by myself.

At 3:30, a grey-haired man, dressed in a cotton shirt and jeans, walked through the door. He looked a bit familiar, but I couldn't place him. After looking around, he walked towards my table.

'Drake?'

'And you're Johann, right?'

He took me to a booth in the far corner of the room.

'How do you know Isenburg?' he asked when we sat down.

'I never really met him. I mean – I don't know – maybe I dreamt about him.' This was the first time since I was nine that I'd ever mentioned it to anyone, so I was hesitant to call them memories.

'Can you describe the dream?'

This was a bit surreal. He was interested in a dream about him! Are dream-walkers real then? I wondered.

I told him about Timmy, and my memories about him, and the paradox about him not even existing. He listened like someone who took me seriously, nodding his head from time to time. That sot of encouraged me to go into all the more detail.

But I was still self conscious of the weirdness of what I was actually saying out loud.

Finally I faultered.'... I mean - I know all this sounds absolutely crazy - and -'

'No, it doesn't,' he said. 'I believe every word you're saying. Now, what I'm about to tell you will also sound insane, but please listen before you make a judgement. I'll also confirm it by demonstrating something for you a little later.'

He paused to make sure I understood.

I understood.

'Your feelings and memories are correct. Timmy was a real person whose existence was apparently erased.'

He paused.

'Why am I the only one who remembers him, though?'

'You have a special gift,' he said.

'Gift?'

'The gift of time-perception. What clued me was the fact that you know both Frank Isenburg's face and his name. He normally erases any knowledge of his existence whenever he moves on.'

'How does he do that?'

'I'm sure you've seen the film, Back to the Future.'

'Yeah. In fact, Timmy and I were playing a computer game based on that film. Frank Isenburg was watching us, and said, "I can do that without a Delorean."'

'Was that one of your last memories of Timmy?'

'Yeah.'

'Rather ironic, because that's exactly what he did. He went back in time and erased your friend Timmy's existence by killing his father before Timmy was conceived. Everyone who knew him in the timeline that only you remember, either died, was never born, or had their lives altered so as to never meet him. Things like that happen more often than you would know..."

I don't know. The more rational side of me was starting to raise objections. This sounds like a conspiracy theorist.

"... It's just that most people's memory of the original timeline is erased by the memory of the new timeline. What he didn't count on was someone having the gift of remembering erased timelines.'

All right, I reminded myself. Listen before I make a judgement, right?

My rational side was saying, My sense of reality is already getting skewed; instead of setting me straight, he's pushing me over the edge! But I held on.

'Okay – so how does he go back in time?' I asked.

'He and I – and you – have that rare ability. Not only can you remember altered timelines, but, if you were to develop your gift, you'd be able to travel in time yourself.'

Either we're going totally insane, or we're on to something. 'But how?'

'It requires the right sort of concentration. Normally, it takes many years of training, which I have undergone, but there's also a tool that simplifies the process.'

Right. I guess this is just a bit more unbelievable than what I've already been through. And it did explain things, so...

He pulled a chain around his neck, and brought up what, at first, looked like a medallion, circular, with a hole in the middle like a doughnut. Around the hole, were what could have passed for gems, but on closer inspection, were configurations of 3D reflective surfaces at geometric angles.

'One looks through the hole with one eye, while moving it in and out slowly, like this.' He took it off and handed it to me. 'Take a look through it first.'

I took it, and looked through the hole. So far, nothing.

'Move it away from your eye, and then back. Repeat it a few times.'

I did. Suddenly, I could see things – images that I'd seen in my dreams, but had forgotten – and I had a clear mind. It was as though I could see time itself. Don't ask me what it looks like; it would be like describing a colour to someone blind from birth. But it's vaguely like a long twisty spiral, or a spring.

This, all by itself, destroyed any doubts I had about my sanity. This was for real!

'Do you recognise anything you see?'

'Yeah, sort of.' I seemed to know, through some forgotten memory, what each part was and how to interact with it.

'Now, it's important that you anchor yourself to your physical location so you won't drift away.'

I did.

'Let's see if you can go five minutes into the future. But first, create a field around yourself, and ...'

I had started creating a field around myself, and I couldn't hear the rest of what he was saying.

Five minutes into the future. I could see what corresponded to about five minutes. I consciously drew towards it, and there was a burst of – something.

I was alone at the table. There was a handwritten note under my coffee cup.

I can tell that you did as I instructed. Good job. Now, it's important to both of our interests that you keep that pendant, and hide it in a safe place. Don't attempt to use it again until I tell you.

Having only just met you; how can I trust you with such a potentially dangerous device? I know you better than you think. After your second email, I did a jump backwards and did a thorough background check on you, and I find you a good risk. I even tested you and interviewed you on that day that I visited your school as a career counsellor. Your helping me across the street and pointing out the Town Hall was also good proof of your character. By the time you read this, I will have walked out of the café, paying for your coffee on the way out.

Be patient. We will bring F.I. to justice, and save Timmy Browning.

Sincerely,

Johann

I thought I saw him across the street as I left the Café, watching me from a shadowy side street. He seemed to nod to me and then vanished.

I walked home slowly, puzzling through what I'd learned and experienced. I was quiet all through supper, and mum asked me more than once if I were okay.

How could I possibly answer her? I just found out I'm a time traveller! Who's going to take me seriously? There were times I would have thought it was a super-cool thing, like being a superhero. But this is the real world! One doesn't go bragging to ones friends about things they all know only happen in the films!

I only got a few hours of sleep that night.

I was almost starting to fall asleep at a sort of decent hour when the thought popped into my head, If we save Timmy, what will happen to Jeanette?

Timmy's mother is Jeanette's mother. If we stop the murder of George Browning, Jeanette will never be born!

I finally got to sleep about 4 a.m.

If I was ever enthusiastic about time travel, the prospect of erasing Jeanette's existence certainly put a damper on it.

Going to the café with Jeanette, and walking her home after school, I wasn't my usual barrel of laughs. Even being at her house reminded me of the choice between Timmy and Jeanette.

It was a depressing couple of weeks, but Jeanette stuck by me.

Until...

I woke up one morning, and knew things were going to work out. I didn't know how, but I knew there was a work-around to saving Timmy and keeping Jeanette. I wasn't sure what it was.

I also knew a thing or two about the device Johann had given me. Frank Isenburg used one. Despite being a professional killer and spy, he was dependent on his device.

How did I know all this? Johann certainly hadn't told me – or had he?

There was that residue of a memory again. But what had we talked about?

Another fact I knew about the device was that it could enable enhanced clarity in remembering discontinued timelines.

I prised the plastic cap off the hollow bedpost, and pulled the thin leather strap up with the pendant from where it had been hanging on the end of a screw.

I remembered: we were at the Half Moon Café, in the corner booth.

'Our people were able to trace Isenburg's movements to Buenos Aires a few weeks ago, so just after the last time we met, I went there to do some damage control. However, he got the upper hand in the situation. I got away, but I compromised my time-location. He'll probably go for me at that specific time when he returns from his pursuing my colleague.

'Now, we will need to move quickly before he does something major to the timeline. So, listen carefully. My history may be cut off as of a few days ago, causing this timeline to cease to exist, and this conversation never to have happened. You may have to use your expanded memory to recall this conversation. You can use the pendant for that. It also gives you a clear memory of a discontinued timeline. Now, say it to yourself, so as to embed it into your mind, "The pendant can help me remember." Say it.'

'The pendant can help me remember,' I repeated.

'Say it again, and visualise it as you do.'

'The pendant can help me remember.' I visualised myself using the pendant to remember. Maybe I could remember more about Timmy...

'Good. You'll remember facts before you do events, so when you remember that fact, you'll know to use the pendant to recall this conversation.

'Now, you already know exactly where Frank Isenburg was at a critical time-location.'

'Huh?'

'The newspaper photo of him standing next to George Browning. From that, you'll know the exact time and place to find him. If you are remembering this conversation using the pendant, then please understand that you are now the only one who can stop him.'

'I don't have to – like – kill him, do I?' I asked, with dread.

'You could just steal his pendant. He depends on it to make time-jumps, as he couldn't be bothered to complete his training. You must take it from him, and then, with your pendant, create a forcefield to include him, and take him forward in time by fifty years, and leave him there. Once you've created the forcefield with your pendant, he'll be helpless to resist. Then, when you've got him stranded in a future point of time without his pendant, he'll be trapped. Get to him before he kills George, and you will have saved Timmy.'

'But what about Jeanette? If Tim's mum marries George, Jeanette will never be born.'

He thought for a while.

'Take her with you,' he said.

'But won't she still get erased with the timeline?'

'That's where popular sci-fi film culture gets it wrong. She'll only be erased if she's still inside the timeline, just as Timmy was. However, if she's there before the critical event that deletes the timeline, she'll go on as she is.'

'But the timeline she was born in...?'

'For all practical purposes, it's erased, but it continues to remain a reality in terms of cause-effect. She'll become what we call, a "time orphan"'

'But she doesn't know about this. She'll never believe me if I tell her.'

'Just take her there, and then explain it to her. With the proof all about her, she'll be in a better frame of mind to believe you.'

'Or in shock...' I quipped.

'Yes, so try to be gentle.'

Right. Hit her over the head with the sledgehammer – gently...

'But how could I get the pendant from Isenburg?'

'You'll have a couple of advantages. As far as Isenburg is concerned, nobody has any way of knowing that he jumped to that time-location. It's only by accident that you knew, and a one-off chance that I found your message. He knows nothing of you, so you'll take him totally by surprise.

'Secondly, with your pendant, you can also detect time-jumps. But be careful, so can he. When arriving at a time-location, there's always a burst of gravitational radiation, which your expanded consciousness can see as a light wave. If you keep your eyes open as you're approaching your destination time, you'll see the gravitational energy signature indicating when and where he lands, provided he lands nearby – approximately within the town's borders. Most likely, he approached that time from the future, directly from when you met him in Timmy's timeline. If you make your landing before his, he won't detect your arrival, but if you arrive after he does, he may notice your energy signature on his way in – rather like being in an aircraft, and spotting something on the ground while flying over it on your way to land. Once you pinpoint when and where he's to land, you can be waiting for him.

'Also, remember that you can get away with more because you're a time traveller, and nobody will be able to come after you. But be careful not to let that go to your head, or you'll become like him. You do have a conscience, I know because I tested you, so follow it.'

He paused.

'So, are you up to it?'

I didn't know how to answer.

'You'll not only be saving Timmy, but you may be saving the world as you know it from a sinister fate.'

'Y-eah, I guess.'

'Oh, and one more thing. If you're taking Jeanette along, make sure you have her birth certificate and other papers, as there will be no other record of her existence when you get back.'

'Y-es.'

I don't remember if I slept at all that night in that timeline, but I certainly didn't in this one.

Jeanette was in the kitchen with her mum while I was in the living room. I knew from when I used to visit Timmy, where they kept the important papers. I opened the bottom drawer of the book cabinet and began rummaging about.

I felt like a real scumbag going through their personal stuff on the sly. Once, I thought I heard footsteps in the corridor, and shut the drawer abruptly, and turned around.

False alarm.

Finally, I found it, – and there were her GCSE results, and her passport.

Seven GCSEs! Wow! Spanish, World History...

Someone was definitely in the corridor. I hurriedly stashed everything in my inside blazer pocket while closing the drawer just a second before Jeanette came in.

'Mum's got tea and sandwiches in the kitchen,' she said.

I followed her in. We had a nice chat, but, as had often been happening, my mind wasn't totally there. I was wondering how to get her out of the house so we could make the time-jump.

Then, I had an idea. 'Would you like to go to the park tomorrow?'

'Okay,' she said. 'I think the weather should be good.'

So it was decided.

With time to do a bit more planning, I found a travel bag and stuffed it full of food from the refrigerator, a loaf of bread, a brick of butter, some cheese, a pack of sandwich meat, a couple of pork pies, a jar of marmalade and some fruit. I hoped my folks wouldn't miss the food before I left the house. Afterwards, it wouldn't matter anyway, hopefully, as the timeline would have changed.

I also packed a blanket and a couple of jackets, and a few other things I thought would come in handy. As an afterthought, I grabbed the collapsible tent out of the storage cupboard.

'What's the bag for?' Jeanette asked when we met.

'I thought we'd have a picnic,' I said.

'Oh.' She looked disappointed. 'But there's a McDonald's right at the park entrance.'

We walked to the park, making conversation about the week. She was doing most of the talking. I was saying, 'Yeah, u-huh.'

She looked at me a couple of times with the same look as my mum had a few times lately.

'For someone who wants to have a picnic, you're pretty spaced out.'

Finally, as we were sitting near the duck pond, I decided to act. I took out the pendant.

'Wow! That looks cool! What is it?'

'I'll show you...' I put it to my eye and began moving it back and forth.

I built a forcefield around Jeanette, myself and the travel bag, and began to manipulate the time spiral.

We began to move backwards, as I kept us anchored to the ground below. On such a long jump, with the movement of the earth around the sun, and the sun through the galaxy etc., if one doesn't keep oneself anchored to the surface of the earth, one will end up in outer space, where the earth won't be yet for another eighteen years.

For Jeanette, time had stopped. She was in sitting position, still looking with interest at the pendant, all the while we were actually floating a few feet up in the air. I could just make out the hazy image of the lake before us, with the green on the trees, and the ground when we started, and then turning to brown, and then white for brief periods, then later browning with leaves, some of which looked relatively clear for what seemed like an instant as it probably sat on the ground for days, then green again, and so on. Part of the reason the scene looked hazy, I realised, was because the sky was blinking on and off very rapidly, as day and night were passing in fractions of a second.

I could feel movement in two directions, backwards in time, and a feeling like being on a whirligig or merry-go-round, due to the spin of the earth. Even though we had zero weight, I could feel the spinning from the effort it took to remain anchored to the same location on the earth's surface.

As we drew near to the destination time, I slowed ourselves down, and allowed us to levitate higher up in the air. Soon, I could see the whole town. Now, day and night were taking a few seconds to pass, and then more slowly. Now, I could see the whole town as though it were a backwards time-lapse video.

There was a flash of some sort of energy behind Tesco's. I stopped our time movement momentarily and backed up to it so I could check for sure – yes, it could only be an incoming time-jump. I took note of the time and exact spot, and then continued our backwards course some more.

Just to be sure we had enough time, I went to the previous day, about the same time of day as we had left our point of origin. I hovered over the bench.

There was a couple sitting there in each-others embrace. I moved backward some more until they stood up and walked away, backwards.

Then, we were back on the bench. I terminated the force field, and there was that burst of that something – gravitational energy, I suppose.

'Woah! What was that?' Then she looked back at me for the answer to the question she had asked eighteen years from now.

'It's a time travel device.'

'What!?'

'We just jumped backwards in time by eighteen years.'

'C'mon, Really!'

'I'm serious. We've gone backwards in time. There are a few more things I'll have to tell you...'

'Drake, I'm not in the mood for this. And you've been acting weird all morning! What's with you anyway?'

'Psyching myself up for this trip, probably, and we really have travelled back in time.'

'Can't you be serious? I don't feel like playing games right now. And I'm not into sci-fi fantasies.'

'We're not doing a sci-fi fantasy. This is actually...'

'Forget this! I'm going home.' She got up and began walking off towards the gate.

I got up followed her. 'I wouldn't go there if I were you...'

She whirled around, looked me in the eye, 'Look! Get some rest! You haven't been yourself all week!'

The couple I had seen on the bench earlier (or was it later) walked past. They gave us a look, and each other a knowing smile just as Jeanette stomped off again. Seeing my travel bag at the bench they had been destined to sit in, they moved, instead to the next one.

I went back and fetched the travel bag, and began to follow Jeanette.

The McDonald's near the park gate hadn't been built yet. I could see Jeanette looking at the empty space, probably wondering what was different.

'Jeanette!' I called. She ignored me.

Up the road, I could see that the housing estate was looking pristine, and some of the units further back were still not completed.

Further on towards the main road, was the brand new YMCA building. Workers were fitting some trimming to the outside, and a couple of men were unloading a carpet from a van. A billboard announced there was to be a dedication of the new YMCA building in a few days. Jeanette looked mildly bewildered, but walked on.

'Jeanette! Look at the date on that sign!' She didn't, but kept walking briskly on.

There were other minor differences in the town, but not obvious enough to catch her attention. Soon, we were getting close to her place.

I really had to stop her before she did the unthinkable. I ran and began to catch up with her close to her front lawn. The tree looked smaller.

'Jeanette, she won't know you! You haven't been born yet!'

She turned around and gave me a look, 'Drake...!'

Then she rushed up the footpath, and into the house.

I set the travel bag down and leaned against the tree.

Would there be a tree house here? And that nail, it must have been hammered in a long time ago.

After about five minutes Jeanette came out crying, like she was being chased out. I could see an old man just inside with an angry look on his face.

Jeanette ran up to me. 'This is totally weird! My Granda, he's alive – but he doesn't even know me! And Mum...!'

'We haven't even been born yet. I told you, we went back in time. Didn't you see the sign as we passed the YMCA? And the McDonald's at the park entrance?'

'Oh my God! I can't believe this! What have you done? What...'

'Let's just go back and sit down in the park. We'll talk about it.'

We walked slowly back, noticing the changes as we went. She took note of the date of the dedication of the new YMCA, and the absence of a McDonald's in front of the park.

'Okay then. I believe you. Now, take me back to our own time.'

'I can't – I mean, I could, but if I do that, you'll cease to exist.'

'Huh?'

'I have to prevent a guy – like, he's really dangerous, and he's going to do something really drastic to the past, so the world's going to change anyway. But if I can stop him, that will also change some things. You'll never be born. That's why I brought you with me. Like – I can't stand the thought of losing you, like I lost Timmy...'

'Who?'

'Timmy Browning. Like – have you heard of a bloke named George Browning?'

'Yeah. My mum went out with him, she really loved him, but he got murdered.'

'In another timeline, your mum married George Browning. They had Timmy, and Jessica, his little sister.'

'How do you know all this?'

'It's like I can remember things. In the other timeline, Timmy was, like, my best friend. I can just barely remember it, because I was in the timeline until it was broken, and Timmy ceased to exist, but I have this gift of remembering broken timelines.'

'I thought there was something weird about you. How long have you been time travelling?'

'I only just started. This man showed up and told me I had a gift, and – well – first I gotta tell you about Frank Isenburg. I remembered him in the timeline with Timmy and his dad, and he's also a time traveller. He went back in time and killed George Browning...'

'Yeah, like mum said that the suspect in the murder case just mysteriously disappeared, and nobody knew him.'

'He's a time traveller. And the murder is going to take place in a few days. We're here to stop him.'

Jeanette was quiet.

Finally, she said dreamily, 'Wow – so I have a brother and sister. What are they like?'

The stream that runs through Farmer Jones' land was a great spot for camping. My dad had taken my brother and me there a few times. We pitched the tent there.

Jeanette and I snuggled up for the night. As we were virtually orphans, it wouldn't have mattered to anyone had we done anything naughty, but we knew it would only complicate things. We kept our hands (and other organs) to ourselves and passed the night with our virginity intact.

After a breakfast of bread and butter with marmalade, we washed up in the stream, and set off into town.

Ten twenty-three, local time, in the refuse area near the loading dock behind Tesco's, was when and where Isenburg was due. He couldn't have chosen a better spot. The place was full of places to hide.

An hour beforehand we found our hiding places on either side of where he would appear. We each crouched inside a large crate, so we were concealed from above, but would be right there, directly facing him as he appeared. Otherwise, he'd most certainly adjust his landing-place and time like I did for the lovers on our park bench.

We waited.

Sitting quietly in my box, I felt a strange attraction, almost as though I were a magnet being drawn to the opposite pole; which was somewhere behind me at the far end of the lot.

I wondered if I should investigate.

The force was almost overpowering. I began to get up to go look.

'Stay put where you are, dammit! Don't move until he gets here!' came a whispery voice.

Who the heck was that? I sat back down and waited.

Was it Johann checking up on us? It couldn't be, he was dead! And it wasn't my double memory. Who could it be?

I waited.

I could feel his presence materialising before he actually became visible. Jeanette probably didn't feel it as she didn't have the gift.

'Okay, get ready,' I said.

Jeanette was quite active for a girl, involved in women's sports and all. The plan was for her to grab the pendant right after I whammed him on the head with a stick.

He began to appear – still holding the pendant to his eye. I waited a second or two to make sure he was solid, and I brought the stick down on his head. Then, I pushed him towards Jeanette, who made a grab for the pendant.

It was on a chain around his neck. She yanked it so the chain snapped.

I put my pendant to my eye and began moving it. He grabbed my wrist. We wrestled a bit but suddenly he relaxed his grip. Jeanette had given him another bump on the head with a bigger stick.

Quickly I built a forcefield over myself and him. Then, I began to move towards the exact date fifty years later, same time of day, while anchoring myself to the ground below.

As I prepared for touch-down I poised myself to act quickly, in case he would try to overpower me. But there was one thing I was aching to say to him.

We landed. I released the forcefield, and got set to create a new one.

'Can you do it without your Delorean now, Mr. McFly?'

But it was a different voice that answered me. 'Couldn't have put it better myself, Drake. Thank you, and we'll take it from here.'

I looked up, and there were two men grabbing Isenburg, one by each arm.

'Better get back to your girlfriend before you find out how this future unfolds,' said the other. 'But make sure you jump back to a few hours before Isenburg's arrival, and land outside of town. Otherwise, there will be an extra energy signature that will alert him to you, which would undo what we have just accomplished.'

What used to be Tesco's in this time was only an empty shell, and there was nothing in the loading dock area except a couple of rusty discarded future-model cars.

I waved, and went to creating the forcefield, wondering how those two showed up so quickly. Probably because I tell one of them where and when I arrive with Isenburg.

Isenburg was muttering something about killing me in my cradle as I departed.

I touched down beside a country road on the opposite side of town from where we camped. The extra energy signature too close to the same area would only confuse the earlier me as I arrive in the park with Jeanette. I gave myself enough time for a good two hour walk. Even then, I arrived two hours early, and took shelter in a different box on the far side of the bin lot.

About an hour later, I could hear us arriving and taking up our positions.

Immediately, I could feel the magnetic like attraction, this time from over near the box where the other me was hiding.

Just like before, it was overpowering.

Then it hit me: there are two of me within such close proximity. That's probably what it was.

The other me felt it too, and was getting up, probably to investigate.

I had a terrible thought: if the magnetic attraction was already so strong, what would happen if we came in contact? I began to panic.

'Stay put where you are dammit! Don't move until he gets here!' I said in a loud whisper.

The other me settled back down.

Whoa! That was me who said that!

I waited another hour.

I could feel the energy signatures as Isenburg began to materialise, the other me saying, 'Okay, get ready,' the shuffle, a few choice words by Isenburg that I hadn't noticed the first time around.

The magnetic pull suddenly dissipated.

I arose from my box and approached Jeanette. She still had the look of awe at seeing the other me disappear with Isenburg, and then she looked up with a start when she saw me.

Then I got a start. Approaching us from behind Jeanette, was Johann!

'Johann! I thought you had...'

'Yep. You prevented not one but two murders.'

'But how did you get here so quick? And how did those two blokes know to meet me in fifty years?' As soon as I asked, I realised what a silly question it was.

'When you literally have all the time in the world, it's never too late to get it right. If you want to know the truth, we just had a meeting about this in year 36,628, and then I jumped to Alexandria of Roman times to consult with with a few others. One of the two who met you to arrest Isenburg came directly from an audience with Cleopatra. But enough of that for now. Let's go get a bite to eat,' said Johann.

We walked slowly to the Half Moon Café.

'What are you anyway?' asked Jeanette.

'We're members of the Order that's been given the job of streamlining history. You may have noticed that, apart from Nagasaki and Hiroshima, nobody's ever been nuked. That's us.'

'But you weren't in time to save Kawasaki and Hero – er...' I faltered. I have a hard time with foreign words.

'Yes, that is regrettable, as Japan was about to surrender anyway. Roosevelt wouldn't have dropped the bomb, but we weren't able to make him live long enough, so we tried interrupting the development of the bomb. That only postponed it and led to a far worse scenario, so we warned off our earlier selves and let that chain of events follow its natural course. On the other hand, happening when it did made the world aware of the dangers of nuclear war, making our job that much easier.'

'Then why didn't you stop Hitler?' asked Jeanette.

'If you notice, Hitler didn't complete his objective as certain others did in timelines we did succeed in erasing. Also, we prevented him from perfecting the bomb. Now, we did try to write him out of the timeline, but again, that only made way for something even worse. We'll never succeed in making it a perfect world. We only streamline it a little bit.'

'Can you actually delete timelines?' Jeanette inquired. 'Don't they become parallel universes?'

'Ah – the Many Worlds theory: Hugh Everett, 1957. That's a wild speculation. We've found no evidence of co-existing parallel timelines. They only remain as a factor in the cause-effect continuum. For-instance, you two have just prevented the marriage of your mother to your father, by saving the life of George Browning. That marriage will never happen, you'll never be born, and yet, you'll continue to exist even though your beginnings have been hidden. Oh – I hope you were able to bring your birth certificate.'

'Yes, it's right here.' I pulled her papers out of the travel bag.

'Hey! That's...'

'Very good,' said Johann.

We were sitting in the café.

Something had been bothering Jeanette. 'If I'm never born, how will my mum know me?'

'We'll have to work on that,' said Johann. 'I suggest that you introduce yourself to her, but don't tell her who you are just yet, but meet her a few times so that she begins to recognise your face...'

'I already met her, and I think I totally blew it!' said Jeanette.

'Yeah,' I added. 'Jeanette wouldn't believe we'd jumped to the past, and barged right into her own house.'

'Do you think she'd recognise you if she saw you again?'

'I think so. She's very good with faces.'

'Let's try to set up one more meeting,' suggested Johann. 'Perhaps you could go and apologise for the misunderstanding, but assure her that you are a relation. Once we've done that, we'll do a time-jump to sometime after she's married to George Browning. She should not only recognise you, but also take note of the fact that you haven't aged at all. Perhaps she can take your photograph.'

'She's always taking pictures of people, especially if she thinks they're related,' said Jeanette.

Johann went on, 'Now, there's one thing you must be careful to avoid, Drake, of meeting yourself.'

'Why? What happens?'

'It goes against the laws of time/space physics for matter to be in two or more places at the same time. It can and does happen, but once you begin to approach at a certain distance, you'll begin to feel something like a magnetic attraction. As you come closer, you'll reach what we call the "event horizon", and you'll be merged into one. You should only allow that to happen once you've arrived back in the time you left, when it's time to merge back into yourself.'

Jeanette interjected, 'But if he's here now, how can he be there?'

'It's a different timeline. The Drake that's in this restored timeline will be one who never lost Timmy Browning as a best friend, and therefore, will never make a time-jump to save Tim's father.'

I told him about the feeling of magnetic attraction towards my other self while waiting in the back of Tesco's.

'It's a good thing you did stay put. Geoff or Monty ought to have warned you about that.'

'But the weird thing is,' I went on, 'while we were waiting for Isenburg, I almost got up to see what was causing the feeling, but I heard someone say, "Stay put," so I stayed. Then, after I got back, I realised it was myself, and I actually said, "Stay put." I mean, isn't that like a paradox – like giving birth to yourself? Where's the cause-effect?'

'Which happened first?' asked Johann.

'Er – I don't know!'

'What came first, the chicken or the egg? In this case, the chicken is the egg. The only cause effect was you taking Isenberg to the future and returning. You were nearly disrupted from it by your own presence on your return, but you corrected it by warning yourself. If anything, that was only confirmation that you had made the trip successfully.

'This is so confusing!' said Jeanette. I agreed.

We arranged to meet Johann at the café exactly a week after Timmy's ninth birthday. Then, Jeanette and I went to visit her mum, Sally McGuire. She looked younger than I ever remembered seeing her, and Jeanette managed to convince her that she was a cousin.

After that, we time-jumped a few years, and visited her again. Much to our relief, she was now married to George Browning, and she was pregnant with their first child. She remembered Jeanette, and was surprised that she didn't look any older than the last time we had met. This time, she took a photo.

Another time-jump and she was totally amazed. Timmy was a cute two-year-old. I had some fun playing with him. His mum took another picture.

We were sitting in the café taking a break before our next jump. Jeanette took out the pendant she had grabbed from Isenburg.

'So, how does this thing work?'

'You better not – '

Too late. She was already moving it back and forth in front of her eye like she'd seen me do.

'W-o-w!'

I waited in dread for her to disappear. I hoped she had the good sense to go only a minute or two.

'Give me a pencil.'

'Huh?' I fetched a pencil from the travel bag.

She put the pendant down and started sketching a picture on the back of the paper placemat. What appeared was the most original, most skilfully done piece of artwork I'd ever seen anyone do.

'I didn't know you had it in you!' I said.

'That's just it, I don't!'

After a while, she stopped. 'It's going away now. But – I'll really have to do that again!'

Another time-jump. I began feeling the magnetic effect as we approached the house. Scampering along in our direction were two five-year-olds. The magnetic feeling was coming from the taller one – me!

As soon as the five-year-old me saw big me, he began to race towards me. I turned and ran down the street with little me chasing big me. He was crying, begging me to stop.

I was making headway, but the sound of little me crying so pathetically was a bit too much. I looked over my shoulder – and fell headlong.

That was it! I felt the magnetic force get stronger and – and then suddenly less.

I looked up. There was Johann carrying the little me away, kicking and screaming, towards our house.

I felt the beginnings of a double memory: the crying had stopped. I was still lying there, and Jeanette was exclaiming, 'Oh my God!' And then there came the weird feelings...

Jeanette came running. 'Johann just appeared out of nowhere!'

...the first weird feeling was one of intense relief, as though something had been put right, two separated parts had become one...

Mrs. Browning came running. 'I'm so sorry! I don't know what's got into Drake. He's usually as good as gold!'

...the second weird feeling was that of having two equally clear memories. I was a five-year-old who had come to play with my best friend, and I was a teenager realising something had just become hopelessly fouled up. Mrs. Browning was yelling, 'What have you done to wee Drake?' There was an empty set of clothes.

We went into the house, and the Mrs. Browning of this timeline invited us to sit down. Timmy went to his room to play with his toys.

I'm sure, had it not been for the distraction, I would have been blown away by seeing Timmy at the age when I could still remember him. He looked exactly like I remembered. Thin frame, dark hair, small for his age, whereas I was always big and awkward.

'You know, Jeanette, it's strange,' Mrs. Browning was saying. 'You look not a day older than the first time we met, when you thought I was your mother. In fact, both of you seem the same age. Is there something I'm missing?'

My present-reality consciousness snapped me out of my dreamy state. 'Well – there is, actually,' I began.

'Yes?'

'We're not sure if you would believe it if we told you,' said Jeanette.

'You could try. I've seen a lot of strange things.'

'We're from the future,' I blurted out.

'What?'

'We've been travelling in time,' said Jeanette.

Mrs. Browning was at loss for words.

'Would you like it if I gave you a demonstration?'

'Maybe – that would help,' she said, in a controlled tone of voice.

'Look at that clock,' I said. 'Is it synchronised with your watch?'

She looked at her watch. 'Yes, it is.' Then she looked me a bit bemused as I looked through the whole in the pendant.

'Now, look at the clock again, and at your watch.'

'How did you do that?'

'I built a forcefield around the three of us, and moved us forward by five minutes.'

'This isn't some sort of occult thing, is it?'

'No...' I explained to her about my gift of remembering discontinued timelines, and the rest of what Johann had explained to me.

Next, lest she think it was a conjurer's trick, I made myself disappear, and appear in two places at once (across the room from myself so I wouldn't merge).

She seemed to be convinced.

There was a knock at the door. It was Johann.

We introduced them, and brought him up to speed on what we had told Mrs. Browning. He seemed surprised that we had begun explaining it all to her.

With Johann's help, we explained how Jeanette really was her daughter, but not about the divergent timeline.

'Are you the one who's in my womb now?' she asked.

'No. Actually...' I began.

Johann interrupted, 'We probably should leave it at that for right now. Also, please don't mention this to George just yet. We'll need to make sure some things happen first. We'll let you in on it at our next time-jump in a few years.'

Outside, I asked why we needed to keep George in the dark.

'Have you mentioned anything to her about Frank Isenburg?'

'No.'

'Good. It's vitally important that we allow any events regarding Frank Isenburg to follow their natural course before we say anything about him. Knowing who he is, or especially that George's life is in danger, would affect their response to him, and that could change everything.'

'I didn't think of that.'

'In fact, I was hoping you'd wait until after Tim's ninth birthday before we let them in on it.'

'Sorry.'

'I'm sure no harm has come of it. In the meantime, you would probably like to know what happened just now.'

'Yeah...'

He looked straight at me. 'Six months from now, I found the younger version of you missing and presumed kidnapped by a couple fitting your description.'

'Oh my God!' exclaimed Jeanette.

'It was obvious to me that Little Drake had merged into Big Drake. I time-jumped, searched until I spotted your energy signature, and caught him just as he was catching up with you after you tripped.'

'Wow! Thank you!' I said.

'You were in quite a state when I brought you home to your parents. I simply told them you had been frightened by a strange man in the neighbourhood.'

After we had finished having our tea in the café, Jeanette drew another picture on the back of a placemat aided by the pendant. I asked Johann what was going on.

'The device simply gathers your mental energies and focuses them for you. It's not a time machine, it only enhances what abilities you have. For you, it's time perception. For her, it's obviously art.'

We watched her for a while.

'I was going to ask you to return it, but I see now, she'll find it quite useful.'

We made our next time-jump using Johann's force field, arriving one week after Timmy's ninth birthday, and six days after we spotted an energy signature indicating Isenburg's departure. Departing signatures aren't as easy to detect as arrivals, but Johann was able to find it.

Johann and Jeanette knocked and went in first, just to make sure Little Drake wasn't there. He wasn't but George was, which was what we had hoped.

We had quite a time convincing him we were time travellers, but after a few demonstrations, he was convinced. He had also been mystified by mine and Jeanette's 'eternal youth'.

'What can you tell us about Frank Isenburg?' asked Johann.

George answered, 'I met him in Argentina when my company sent me to do a deal with the Riviera Group to supply us with raw materials that we needed for our manufacturing venture. That was about a year or two before the Falklands war. Things got a bit tangled up, and Isenburg was a go-between. Eventually, the whole thing fell through because of corruption.

'Just recently, I've been called to testify against one of the key people, General Argonzones, most recently living in Tenerife, on charges of gross corruption leading to loss of life in what became known as the Riviera affair. I know from personal experience that the General is bad news, but apparently, Isenburg is pretty close to him, and wanted me to revise my testimony so as to let him off the hook. I didn't think that would be right.'

'Yes, we know General Agonzones,' said Johann. 'Did Isenburg threaten you in any way if you didn't cooperate?'

'He said he could make things happen his way, and it wouldn't be good for me. He was vague.'

'Did anything in particular happen eleven years ago?' Johann asked, further.

'Apart from our marriage? I submitted my report. After several years of dealing with the Riviera Group, my company asked me to write a detailed account. It took some time to get all the facts together, but that report was what later drew the attention of the Home Secretary, which resulted in his extradition.'

'I can tell you now,' said Johann, 'that a week ago, Isenburg made a time-jump to eleven years earlier. In the other timeline, there's a newspaper photo of you standing next to him, behind the Lord Mayor at the opening of the YMCA.'

'I remember that, but Frank certainly wasn't there.'

'And I suppose you weren't murdered, either.'

'What?'

'Jeanette and Drake, here, are products of a time line in which you were murdered by Frank Isenburg eleven years ago. Sally married your friend, Sam McGuire, and Jeanette was their daughter. Drake, because he has the gift of remembering discontinued timelines, vaguely remembered being friends with your son, Timmy. His curiosity led him on until he began making enquiries about Frank Isenburg, which is what caught my attention. He had also become friends with Jeanette, so when I asked him to jump backwards in time to when he had seen the photograph of you with Isenburg, he took her along so she wouldn't disappear with their own timeline. They succeeded in stopping Isenburg by surprising him, taking away his device and moving him fifty years into the future.'

George got up and fetched a photograph of the Lord Mayor cutting the ribbon for the opening of the YMCA. There, in the background, was George and others, but Isenburg was absent. I pulled out my smart phone and show him the identical photo with Isenburg. Everyone else in the back row was there, and they were arranged in a way that would have been very difficult to Photoshop. George also read the accompanying newspaper article.

Mrs. Browning spoke up. 'So, this young man is one and the same as Drake, who comes to play with Timmy?'

'Yes,' answered Johann, 'which is why the two should never come too close. Having two of anyone or anything in the same timeline has strange effects, which also explains the behaviour of Little Drake on meeting Big Drake at our last visit.'

'Ahh!'

'Now, that brings us to the next thing we must discuss. Jeanette is now a time orphan...'

It was arranged. When we reached our own time, where I would merge with myself, Jeanette would go to live with her mother and 'step-dad'. They had a few years to prepare for it.

Once we got outside, Johann said, half to himself, 'Yes, General Argonzones of Argentina. So, in this timeline the Riviera affair brought him down. It was he who let out the information regarding... – oh dear! This means that Plan B would not have been initiated after...' he broke off.

'After what?' I pressed him.

'I've got work to do! Now you'd better jump back to your original time. Jeanette's new family awaits her, and so does your other self.'

Home at last. I walk Jeanette to her house before going home to merge with myself.

It's Saturday morning as we walk up the front path. The tree house is still there.

There's a newspaper on the front lawn. Jeanette picks it up and looks at the headlines.

'Oh my God!'

'What?'

She shows me. The main headline says, Moscow to Buenos Aires: 'Back Down or Face the Consequences'. A sub headline reads, 'We aren't afraid of the Soviets,' says Argentine Foreign Minister.

# Sequel: Saving the Timeline

## The Merge

'I could have sworn I heard you in the shower!' says dad as I push past him on the stairs.

Perfect! That's just where I reckoned I'd be at this time on a Saturday morning.

...just a bit more – no, too hot – there, just right...

'Must'a been Frankie,' I answer, taking two steps at a time. But I know it won't be him. He'll still be asleep.

So Timmy has a step sister...

I walk past the bathroom, and sure enough...

...name's Jeanette. Looks hot in the photo...

There's the sound of the shower running, and – there's the magnetic pull.

...they reckon she'll be coming today. Hmm – calls for a bit of Dad's cologne, and – Whoa! What was that?

I run to my room, grabbing a towel from the hot press on the way, strip, and head back to the bathroom with the towel wrapped around me.

...like a strong magnet or something – but I'm not metallic, am I? – oh well –

This is excellent timing. Merging goes a lot smoother without clothes on.

...and make sure I scrub my under-arms – Oh my God, that magnetic pull again...

I open the door quietly and walk in.

'What the – !' Who is this PERVERT!?

It is a bit unnerving, but I drop the towel and step into the shower. Suddenly, there's only one of me.

The sudden surprise just – sort of – evaporates. I probably don't need to borrow Dad's cologne, because she already knows what I smell like without it. I know her better than Timmy does – why – I could answer all those questions he was asking his mum about her!

Why didn't I? Oh yeah – yesterday I wasn't me yet – I mean...

Now I have two sets of memories that have nothing to do with each other. I really have to get it all sorted out. I might get a split personality or something.

I hold my own okay at breakfast. There's really a lot to talk about. There's a drama presentation coming up. This last week has been nothing but preparation.

How did I get involved in drama anyway? I also remember having absolutely no interested in it – oh yeah – Timmy talked me into it.

'You haven't told us yet, how your date with Sarah went last night,' mum says.

That's right – I have a girlfriend named Sarah. We've been going together for a month. She's – sort of – in love with me, I sort of like her too, and – oh crap! What about Jeanette? I'm in love with her!

'What's wrong? Didn't it go well last night?' says Dad.

'Oh – no. It went fine.'

It did go fine. It was the best night I've had! I should be going on non-stop about her right now. Oh my God! This is so...

I'm suddenly quiet for the rest of the meal. Mum keeps looking at me as though she's wondering if I'm okay. There's something a bit familiar about that...

On the way in this morning, I had noticed something different about the neighbours' house, but there was too much else on my mind for me to think about it. Now that I've merged, it only looks the same as the Murpheys' house has always looked. The lawn is overgrown, needs a paint job, they never did mend that broken window, and kids' toys all over the place. Old Tom Murphey is a right piss-barrel. Wife left him with the four kids...

So, what's so different about it?

It was the Walenskis' home, that's what! The lawn was immaculate, a good coat of paint, built an extension in the back; and they were such nice people, not like old Tom.

Where are the Walenskis, I wonder? Oh yeah – in Poland probably – Soviet Union...

Oh my God! That's right...!

Twice now, I've felt like there was a shift to a new timeline. I felt it at breakfast, and I felt it again just now. There's only a small residue of memory, probably because there's not a whole lot of difference between timelines, not enough to affect anything we do here. I wonder what's going on?

## Time Shifts

I'm walking to the Browning house to see how Timmy and Jeanette are getting along. I didn't go inside with Jeanette when I dropped her off this morning because I thought it would be better to merge with myself first. Johann did tell me to be careful lest I embarrass myself.

In this timeline, I've known Timmy all my life. The me of the other timeline was looking forward to an intensely joyous reunion, but suddenly it's like – so what? He's always been here. This is so anticlimactic!

They're still at breakfast when I get there. Tim's 11-year-old sister Jessica is with them.

'Hi Drake,' Timmy shouts from the table. 'Come meet my new sister! Jeanette, this is Drake; Drake, this is Jeanette.' Timmy's just starting to lose his "choir-boy" voice.

'Hi!' Jeanette says, looking sort of amused, sort of bewildered.

'Hi Drake,' says Jessica.

Timmy and Jessica have always been small for their age. Timmy's the smallest kid in our class. Whereas Jeanette...

'Hi, it seems like we've met before,' I say.

'Where? On a holiday?'

'You could say that,' says Jeanette. 'But how do you know Drake so well, Tim?'

'I've known him all my life!'

As he's talking, I signal to Jeanette, bringing my two forefingers together sideways, and pointing at my head. Her face shows realisation.

Oh my God! I've felt it again! Another timeline shift. This time, I have just a residue of memory that they were watching something on TV just now, breaking news about something...

I sit down next to Timmy, and say, 'There's something we should probably tell you.'

'Yeah? Like what?'

'I don't think he'll believe you if you just tell him,' Jeanette says.

'Yeah...' I've already got the pendant out. 'Where shall we go?'

'I've always wanted to see the Middle Ages,' says Jeanette.

Timmy is in middle of saying, 'Huh?' and I've already got a force field around us. I include Jessica, as she'll freak out if she sees us disappear – well, she'll probably freak out anyway.

There are ruins of an old abbey not far from the edge of town. They say it was part of a monastery back in the tenth century. So far, I've only done the time jumps that were totally necessary to get Timmy's timeline back, never just for the sake of exploring history, and definitely no long ones like this.

I finally see the abbey still in one piece, but there are too many houses about, I'd better move us away from it. There – I'll land us right here.

We land – but I should have thought to bring the chairs along. We tumble onto the ground, as Timmy completes his 'Huh?'

...and then, 'What the hell!' he screams.

'St. Crumbie's Abbey!' cries Jeanette.

'What the...' Timmy says again.

'How did we get here?' says Jessica.

'We just went backwards in time,' I answer.

'The hell we did!' says Timmy.

'You mean, like Dr. Who?' says Jessica.

A couple of locals are walking up the path from the village, dressed in homespun tunics and scraggly looking beards. They start jabbering away at us.

Timmy's still in his bathrobe, Jessica in her nightie, and Jeanette has changed into her mother's nightgown. I'm in my joggers and hoodie.

'What are they saying?' Timmy says.

'They do speak English, I suppose,' I say.

'Old English,' says Jeanette. 'Think Beowulf.'

'Oh.'

The men look like they're demanding an answer. I use my pendant again.

This time, I stay anchored to the same spot so we get the effect of seeing the same abbey in ruins.

'There,' I say. 'Got rid of those blokes.'

'How do you do that?' says Timmy.

'I came here on a field trip once,' says Jessica. 'I think this is the exact spot of the shrine of St. Marvin. There's a legend that – oh wow!'

'That what?' I say.

'...that four angels appeared to him and his brother. One of them showed him a large communion host, and then they disappeared. He turned from his sinful ways and took holy orders.'

As we walk into town, we tell Timmy and Jessica the whole story. Having now experienced two time-jumps themselves, they're inclined to believe us.

It's also established that I'm the composite of the Drake Timmy's known all along, and the one Jeanette has known all along.

It's a long walk. I go on to tell Timmy about the fall of the Soviet Union, and the breaking down of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain, and that Argentina in my other timeline is in no shape to challenge a world power.

Timmy remembers Frank Isenburg's comment about doing it without a Delorean, and hearing what happens next blows him away.

Jeanette and Jessica are walking further ahead, so after I've finished filling Timmy in on the alternative current events, I say to him in a lower voice, 'You know I've been taking Sarah out, right?'

'Yeah?'

'I still love her, but in Jeanette's timeline I love her, and I still do.'

'Wow – like you're "torn between two lovers!"'

'Something like that.'

'Who do you love more?'

'Jeanette, I guess. We've been through so much together, and I think I'm more in love with her. But I don't know what to do about Sarah – I mean, we had such a great time last night.'

'I'd be glad to take her.'

'She still hasn't forgiven you for standing her up.'

'Yeah – there's that...'

We're walking up the front path to the house. Suddenly, Jeanette says, 'Oh my God! What's that?'

'What?' I ask.

'A weird feeling all over – a sort of attraction drawing me to the house!'

'I feel it too!' says Timmy.

'Like – it's a magnet and I'm a piece of scrap iron,' says Jessica.

'Get away from here, quick!' I say.

They follow me, running down the street.

'That's you three in there. If you get too close, you'll merge into your other self!'

'But it's later in the day than we started,' says Jeanette.

'What day is it?' I ask.

'Here's a newspaper,' says Timmy. He picks it up from the front of someone's house where the paperboy left it.

'Wow! We did time-jump! It's a week later than we started,' says Timmy.

'Okay, let's get over here where no one will see us,' I say.

We jump back to the right day, and finally, we're...

'Back again,' says Jeanette.

'...with next week's newspaper,' says Timmy, who's still holding it. 'But – hey! What's this?'

He's reading the headline, Prime Minister Wilcox Addresses Labour Party Conference.

'When did the Labour Party get in?'

'It takes more than a week to change the government like that,' says Jeanette.

'But Wilcox isn't even the head of the Labour Party!'

I know that, but it all starts to sound familiar – the residue of a different timeline.

The others are getting changed while I'm trying to make sense of the timelines. It's weird, because I have to use the pendant to remember the one we're in now. I guess it's because the me who's here now isn't the me from this timeline, but from the other.

This one, where Wilcox is the PM is only a little bit different from the other one, except things aren't quite so volatile. That's because Wilcox is a real fireball in pushing the two sides to make peace.

But there are other timelines as well. Let me see – the one where they were watching the breaking news on TV when I arrived – Wow! Buenos Aires got nuked! That happened this morning, and it gets cut off just as I was talking to Timmy and Jeanette.

My mind's getting all muddled up.

The others come back. Jeanette is wearing her mum's jeans and a tee-shirt that are a couple sizes too large. We're sitting in the lounge, watching the BBC news channel. Prime Minister Wilcox is giving a statement to the House of Commons about the stand-off. It's not really that informative, only the same sort of thing prime ministers always say, with all the backbenchers saying 'Aye, aye'.

Timmy is still freaking out about Wilcox being the PM.

I say, 'It must have shifted to a different timeline while we were out. I just don't understand how you all remember the old one.'

'Why wouldn't we?' says Jessica.

'Only people with the gift of time travel can remember discontinued timelines.'

'Maybe the timeline changed while we were at St. Crumbie's, and we've popped back into the new one,' says Jeanette.

'Oh yeah, that must be it,' I say. 'Also, after I got here this morning, there was another shift. I just reviewed my memory using my pendant. In the other timeline, you all were watching breaking news about Soviet Union nuking Buenos Aires.'

'What!?' say Timmy and Jeanette together.

'But, didn't they?' says Jessica.

'Of course not!' says Timmy.

'But I remember...'

Jeanette and I look at each other.

'Exactly what do you remember?' I ask.

'She doesn't remember nothing!' retorts Timmy. 'She's always say'n stuff like that.'

'But I do! I sort of vaguely remember Dad yelling for us to turn on the TV, that something big is going on. Then he and mum went out and told us not to leave the house.'

'And here, we've left the house already,' says Jeanette.

'I only remember them saying, "Have a good time, we're going out",' says Timmy.

'Yeah, they said that too,' says Jessica. She's looking confused.'

'Jessica, who's the Prime Minister?' I ask.

'Er – Wilcox?'

'I mean, before we time-jumped.'

'I'm not sure. Either it's John Fleming or Ed Millaband,' says Jessica.

'Where do you get all this stuff?' demands Timmy. 'Who's Ed Millaband anyway?'

'He was the Labour Party leader for a while in the timeline we came from,' answers Jeanette. 'Jessica is obviously gifted.'

'Yeah,' I say.

There's a knock at the door. Timmy goes to open it.

'Hi,' I hear him say.

'Would Drake or Jeanette be here?' It's Johann.

'Jeanette and I spring up and run to the door.

'What's going on?' I ask, once he sits down. 'There's been all sorts of time shifts.'

'A group of us are running ourselves ragged, working overtime to avert a nuclear holocaust.'

'Yeah, Buenos Aires getting nuked' I say. 'Jessica and I remember it on the news this morning.'

'Come again?'

'...before the timeline shifted – two time-shifts ago. They were watching the breaking news about Moscow nuking Buenos Aires. Jessica remembers it too.'

'And this must be Jessica,' he looks at her.

We nod. He looks at her a while.

'Good. We may need all the help we can get,' he says finally.

## What Went Down

Johann is giving us the scenario:

'We were dealing with two Isenburgs: Isenburg before he tried to kill George Browning and Isenburg after he killed him. We thought we had it all sorted out, but by eliminating the timeline where George is murdered, we only complicated things again.'

'Wow, so we messed things up?' I say.

'I'm not complaining,' says Johann. 'I'm alive now, aren't I!'

'Not to mention Timmy and Jessica,' says Jeanette.

'And he was getting ready to do worse damage. But by using our residual memory of that timeline we realised that there had been a major shift, that Argentina never was a world power. Our sources told us that Frank Isenburg made a time-jump to the time-location: Buenos Aires shortly before the Falklands War. There, he covertly switch a file from President Jorge Videla's active basket (awaiting his signature) with another in the reject basket. General Argonzones had told him that the one in the reject pile, had it been acted on, would have enabled Argentina to win the Falklands War. Sure enough, it did.

'In retrospect, winning that war had great geopolitical consequences, not just gaining sovereignty over those insignificant islands, but embarrassing Margaret Thatcher, forcing her resignation. Her influence was what should have tipped the delicate balance in favour of Ronald Regan in his dealing with the Soviets, which would have eventually resulted in the fall of the Soviet Union. With Thatcher out of the picture, both Britain and US lost their momentum and grew weaker, while Argentina gained the momentum that made them a major power in the region, eventually bringing us to the brink of nuclear war.

'We found out exactly what Isenburg did a few weeks ago from General Argonzones himself, who was beginning to find him tiresome – being blackmailed by a time-traveller is no joke. I sent my colleague, Carlos Garcia to talk to him. He told Carlos that Isenburg had made the switch, and exactly when as well as the title of the document. That was the earlier version of Isenburg. Carlos went straight from there to that point in time, and switched them back. However, sometime after murdering George Browning, Isenburg realised what had happened, and caught up with the two of us with intent to kill. There were actually three of us meeting together, but he had the advantage. We went off in three different directions. He followed Francisco to the future and killed him there. Carlos went to the past to one other location we had evidence of Isenburg having been. However, he second guessed us and went straight back and phoned a warning to his earlier self to be especially aware during the one time he knew he had left himself open. Thus, his earlier self surprised Carlos in the same way you did Isenburg, and killed him

'Meanwhile I had time-jumped straight to you and gave you instructions to go back and save George Browning. Then, as I knew he would, he jumped to the time when he had seen me with Carlos and Francisco, linked with my forcefield as I was time-jumping, and killed me before I could land.

'Your helping them catch Isenburg before he came upon the three of us is what brought Francisco and me back. Carlos didn't come back, because he was actually killed by the much earlier version of Isenburg who had a residual memory of being warned by his later self.

'Whether or not Isenburg went back and switched the papers again, we don't know. Only Carlos knew when to switch it, and exactly which paper. That information was only available in that timeline, because your father's report guaranteed his extradition. That, plus the fact that he hadn't been under as much pressure from Isenburg, didn't put him in the mood to talk to us.'

'So, Isenburg actually played into your hands by killing Mr Browning then, didn't he?' I ask. 'In the first one, he also got extradited, right?'

'It was actually a timeline before that in which Argonzones gave us the info. The chain of events that started with George Browning writing the report was put into effect by yet another member of the Order, who prompted the right people to ask him to write it, and later influence the Home Secretary to extradite Argonzones. Had we been properly coordinated, that wouldn't have happened, but communication across time can be like that. The extradition order came just as Isenburg was visiting with the general in Tenerife. Thus, he went straight from there to try to persuade your father to change his testimony.

'Now, we hardly noticed that timeline come and go. In terms of fifth dimensional time, it was only very short lived, and most things got restored in the new one, including Argonzones giving us the info.'

"Fifth dimension?" says Jeanette.

"That's the direction you move when you go across timelines. So far, no one has ever been able to reverse direction in that one."

Timmy says, 'Yeah, dad says that it was while he was in the library writing that report that he and mum got to know each other and fell in love.'

'Now wait a minute! That means Timmy and I exist only because of bad coordination!' says Jessica.

'People have come into existence for worse reasons,' says Johann, 'Never-the-less, life is precious. Since you do exist, and Drake and Jeanette went through a lot of trouble to bring you back, we need to immunise all of you against any more time shifts. We do that by taking you to the distant past.'

'We already went there,' Jeanette says.

'Yeah,' adds Timmy. 'We even started a legend!'

'A legend?' queries Johann.

We tell him about the legend of St. Marvin.

'So, you're responsible for yet another saint, but we really ought to go further back than that. There are things happening during Roman times and earlier that could change everything. So, before we do anything else, let's get you immunised.'

## The Assignment

'Where are we?' says Timmy.

'When are we?' says Jeanette.

We're standing in the balcony of a concrete building on the side of a mountain overlooking a lush valley. Behind us is a French door and a nice living room with a dining area, and several bedrooms.

'It's one of The Order's retreat centres. No one will ever find you here, except another member of The Order. Also, no one will ever change human history before this time.'

'So, when are we?' asks Jessica.

'The Jurassic era.'

'Huh?'

'Where's the dinosaurs?'

'You might see some if you search using that telescope over there.' We see it mounted to the corner of the balcony.

'Isn't this a bit risky?' says Jeanette.

'Yeah, won't we change how humanity evolves, like in The Sound of Thunder?' says Jessica.

'Yeah, what about the "butterfly effect"?' says Timmy.

'Behind us is a volcano that will blow its top in exactly 367 years. In 143 years, there will be some earthquake damage, which we've repaired already. One year before the eruption, we dismantled this whole thing, and rebuilt it in another similar location. In that way, we've built a series of holiday spots, and disassembled them all, and the sites are safely covered with lava. In the process, we've lost a hammer and a screwdriver which a paleontologists found a hundred or so million years later. Apart from the coverage it received in a few cheap tabloids and an alien-spotter website, it's gone pretty much ignored.

'Some of us now call this Jurassic Guest House – not Jurassic Park; walking on the ground outside is strictly forbidden. It was called "Dragons' Lodge", as it wasn't until the nineteenth century that palaeontologists designated this time period as the "Jurassic" era. We had called it the "Realm of Dragons".'

We do a bit of dinosaur-spotting, and then go inside and sit down. New fact of the day: some dinosaurs have feathers.

'Besides immunising you, I brought you here to fill you in on what's at stake, and give you a choice whether you want to be a part of it or not.

'As I told you, we've been working very hard to keep a nuclear war from happening in the early 21st century. At the moment, with Nelson Wilcox as Prime Minister of U.K., we have some breathing space, but that will only last a year at the most. We really need to undo the situation in which Argentina wins the Falkland War. As I said, things became badly timed, and we've missed the opportunity to switch the files on the President's desk. We have to go for a different tact, either try to manipulate the politics, or grab Isenburg at an earlier time.

'The simpler task may be to catch Isenburg, but he covers his tracks very well. We all knew him during his training, before he became greedy, but that's now only a residual memory. He deliberately made a time-orphan out of himself by merging into himself as a newborn baby, so he can't be stopped that way. Ever since, he's been elusive, revealing himself on a need-to-know basis, and erasing timelines in which any of us did meet him. As I said, Carlos tried and failed with one that we did know about, so we've lost our opportunity there. Then, Drake remembered his whereabouts through a residue of memory of a discontinued timeline, which was a rare opportunity. That saved a few of our lives, and prevented him from doing any further damage to the timeline, but it wasn't good enough. We need his exact location for a time before that, before the Falklands war. As far as we know, one person has been with him, that's Timmy and Jessica's father, George Browning.'

'So, we ask Dad and go catch him?' says Timmy.

'It's not as simple as that. He knows me, and it would be hard for me to take him by surprise. He'll recognise me by my energy signature. That's where you can be of service.

'But there's one more thing you must beware of. Any small changes could also change the world as you know it.'

We're all quiet.

'It'll save the world from nuclear war, right?' says Timmy.

'If we can stop Argentina winning the Falklands War, it will.'

We're all agreed, we'll help.

We've spent over an hour at the Jurassic retreat house, so to avoid jet-lag we arrive back at the Browning home about an hour after we left. We land by the side of the house when no one is about, and go in by the front door.

George and Sally got in just a few minutes before us.

'Hello Johann, I was wondering if you'd be popping by,' says George. He doesn't look particularly glad to see him.

'You know him?' says Timmy.

'Do sit down,' says Mrs. Browning. 'I'll make us all a pot of tea.'

'That would be lovely,' says Johann.

Jeanette follows her into the kitchen to help.

'So what brings you this way, Johann,' says Mr. Browning.

'Some questions that need a few answers.'

'Dad, I just found out I have the gift of time travel.' says Jessica.

'Why, that's lovely dear,' says Mrs. Browning, coming out with the plate of biscuits.

'Yes, lovely,' says Mr. Browning. It looks like he's not as convinced now as he was before.

'How did you find that out?' says Mrs. Browning. At least she's still a believer.

Mr. Browning picks up the newspaper.

Jessica stands in the door where her mother can hear her from the kitchen. 'I could remember something from a different timeline. You know, just little bits of memory about something happening at the same time as other things that really did happen, like Argentina getting nuked, and...' She follows her mother into the kitchen.

'Yes, I'm sure that explains it,' says Mr. Browning.

I reckon Mr. Browning has had a lot of time to convince himself that the time travel thing is all a bucket of pig swill.

'So, what have you been doing with yourself, Johann,' says Mr. Browning.

'Quite busy actually, what with preventing Argentina from being nuked, and all,' he replies.

'Glad to hear it.'

'So, Drake,' says Mrs. Browning, coming back with the milk and sugar. 'Have you met the other Drake? It just amazed us that the more he grew the more he looked exactly like you.'

'You did say you were related, didn't you?' says Mr. Browning. He's on page two of the newspaper.

'I am the other Drake now,' I say. 'We merged this morning.'

'Really? What does that feel like?' says Mrs. Browning.

'It was enough problem being just one person,' I sigh. 'I'm afraid I might develop a split personality!'

'I can't imagine what that would be like,' says Mrs. Browning as she goes back into the kitchen.

Mr. Browning is completely engrossed in the newspaper. I can hear the kettle boiling.

'I should have warned you about that,' says Johann to me. 'You will get used to it. You just need to know when to keep your local self dominant, and when to go with your traveller self, with the central "you" staying in control.'

Mrs. Browning and Jeanette are bringing in the teapot and the cups.

Suddenly, Mr. Browning says, 'Sally, wasn't that meeting of the city planning committee supposed to be next week?'

'Yes, it was, Love.'

'Here, it says it was yesterday! Why didn't they tell us they were rescheduling it?'

'But George, I'm sure...'

'Er – Dad,' Timmy starts, 'look at the date on that newspaper.'

He looks. 'What a relief! This newspaper's a year old!'

'The year, Dad.'

'What!? How can that be? Where did this come from?'

'We time-jumped this morning,' Jeanette begins.

'Yeah, we went to see St. Crumbie's Abbey,' says Timmy.

'And we appeared to St. Marvin,' says Jessica.

'But we accidentally came back to next week instead of this week,' I finish. 'We picked up the newspaper on the way.'

'So,' says George, 'you're saying this is next week's newspaper?'

'Yes!' we all say at once.

'Okay – let me see, where's the sports page?' He opens it up. 'What was that on TV this morning? All Blacks won their tournament in Sydney and that was just a few hours ago – yes, here it is! "...after the fifteen-nil All Blacks defeat of the Wallabies last week..." Wow! And what was the breaking news? Oh yes, the hotel fire in Birmingham – let me see – okay, here it is, "Investigation continues into the cause of the Ibis Hotel fire..." hah! Now where's the horse racing results?'

'Yeah, do a Biff Tannen why doncha,' says Timmy.

Johann speaks up, 'George, the last time we met, you were telling us that you used to work with Frank Isenburg. I'm wondering if you could help us with a few facts.'

'Yes, my murderer.' Now he's much more into it.

'Yes, we did prevent that. But now, we need to go back to an earlier time and catch him before another critical point in the timeline. You said you were in regular contact with him during your time in Buenos Aires...'

He gives us some details, times and locations. He also gives his kids permission to join us.

'So, are you up to doing it again?' asks Johann.

'Wouldn't he be on to us if we do it a second time?' asks Jeanette.

'For him, it won't be the second time. It's an earlier version of him who doesn't have any memory of you yet, whereas you two have already had a practice run on him.'

'And, there's four of us this time,' says Jeanette.

'So, we catch him as he's time-jumping in?' I ask.

'Better to catch him either just after his last meeting with George, or just before he time-jumps out of there. That way, we change as little of history as possible. Just look carefully for his energy signature as you're approaching that time location. A departing signature is much weaker, so you'll have to look for it.'

Next, Johann gives Jessica lessons in time-jumping. He has her jump to five minutes in the future using Jeanette's pendant. He has her do it again, and include Timmy in her force-field. Then, he has us going backward from the future to earlier so as to learn to recognise a departing energy signature. Then, he sternly warns Jessica never to fool around with it, as it can be a dangerous tool.

'One more skill you both should learn, is to link your force-fields. That way, one of you can navigate, while the other is completely aware of what's happening. That would be useful to do if you're going to look for Isenburg's departure.'

We learn to do that. I link with hers as we go fifty years into the future, and then she links with me as we come back.

Then, we're off – on our own.

It's a good thing Jeanette has been taking Spanish, otherwise, we'd be lost. Also, Johann was thoughtful enough to gave us some Argentine Pesos before we jumped. I don't think the banks here would have accepted my 21st century ten Pound notes.

We're sitting in a café, psyching ourselves up for the upcoming assignment.

Jeanette is looking at the two pendants, hers and mine. Mine is strung on a thin leather strap, and hers to some nylon string that we found during our earlier adventure – well, not really earlier now, is it!

'This would be exactly the same pendant Isenburg has right now, wouldn't it?' she says.

'Yeah, I'm sure it is.'

'If it gets close enough to his, it'll merge, won't it?'

'Yeah, it would,' I say. 'So you'd better be careful.'

'I have an idea.'

Fortunately the street isn't all that crowded. We see him coming towards us, so we go to the next corner and position ourselves.

Jeanette and I are around the corner, out of site. I can see Timmy across the street ready to give me the signal. I've got Jeanette's pendant with the nylon string tied to my wrist, while holding on to the pendant itself.

I'm nervous, but primed.

Timmy gives the signal. I jump out and throw the pendant at Isenburg.

Sure enough, his pendant flies out to meet its double. They merge, and I give the nylon string a good yank. His is only attached by the same thin gold chain that he had the first time. It snaps, and I run around the corner.

He gives chase, and dashes around the corner only to trip over Jeanette, who's thrown herself across his path. I run for it to the next corner, where Jessica is poised to create a force-field, using my pendant, and takes me away to about a minute in the future, but shifts us over to where we first saw Isenburg coming towards us. By then, Timmy and Jeanette have run there to meet us while Isenburg is still running in the opposite direction. I create a force field, and get us out of there.

As for Isenburg, he's stranded in that time without his pendant, he has no idea who those kids were who attacked him, and he doesn't even know yet how to change the outcome of the Falklands war. All I have to do is tell Johann where we left him and the members of The Order will jump there and nab him.

We're down the street from the Browning's house, just so we can get our perspective before going in. There's a newspaper someone didn't fetch yet from their front yard.

David Cameron promises referendum on the EU

'YESSSS!' I make a fist pump.

'Would you mind telling me what that's all about?' says Timmy.

'It means you'll need a major history lesson,' I say.

'Jessica,' Jeanette says, 'do you have any memory about this?'

There's something wrong about the Browning's front yard.

'No,' she says, looking confused.

'That's funny,' I say. 'You should have a residue of something.'

'But I don't!'

We go up to the house, and go in.

'Jeanette, you're back early!' says their mum. 'And who are your friends?'

Oh my God! I dash out and look at the tree. No sign of there ever having been a tree-house!

'Are you all right? Let me get you drinks. And why is your friend interested in our tree?'

## Untangling Another Mess

One feeble excuse and quick exit later, we're sitting in the Half Moon Café.

'So, what the hell happened?' Timmy demands.

'Obviously we're back to the timeline where your mum married Sam McGuire, had Jeanette, and you and Jessica were never born,' I say. 'You're time orphans now.'

'So, what do we do now?'

'Either convince your mum to take you in, or go back and try to get your dad and mum back together.'

'I do want both my mum and dad,' says Timmy.

'Who was your dad again?' Jessica asks Jeanette.

'Sam McGuire. They divorced and he's totally ignored me ever since. We'd be better off with your dad,' says Jeanette.

'And my mum, she looked at me like she didn't even know me!' Timmy looks devastated.

'When did you say your mum and dad met?' I ask.

'In the library while Dad was writing the report about the Argentine general.'

'And Johann said one of the other time travellers got someone to ask him to write it,' says Jeanette.

'Yeah, the bad coordination that got us born,' says Jessica.

'Someone has to go back and get him to write that report,' I say.

'I think we need Johann for that,' says Jeanette.

'What do we do until then?' says Timmy.

'Maybe stay at my place?' I say.

We're quiet for a while.

Jessica says, 'I wonder if dad has any kids in this timeline?'

'Yeah, they'd stop existing, wouldn't they!' says Jeanette.

'Your dad did have kids,' says Timmy. 'One of them, Johnny, was in our class for a while before he got suspended.'

'Oh yeah! The McGuire kids,' I think back. 'I remember them from one timeline, but not the other.'

'Not that I cared much for them. They are a bit...'

'Like my dad?' says Jeanette.

'I guess. I never met the man – but whatever – they'd stop existing if we don't restore our own timeline,' says Timmy.

Then suddenly Jeanette jumps. 'Oh my God!'

'What?'

'That feeling again! I must be somewhere nearby!'

We look around. Sure enough, there she is, coming through the door! She's looking around, like she feels it too. And she's with...

'Oh God! Carter McKee!' she gasps.

'Get to the lady's room!' says Timmy.

'What if she has to go?' says Jessica.

'The men's room then!' says Timmy.

She gets up and makes a quick exit. There are two ways to the toilets from our table, so she goes through the door behind us.

Carter goes back to the front entrance and shouts at Mick Mahoney who's just passing by – something about owing him money.

The other Jeanette walks towards us, looking around.

'Oh, Hi Drake,' she says when she sees me. It's the same 'Hi Drake' she used before we started going together.

Now that I think of it, I also remember Carter making a cheeky remark a time or two when he saw her with me.

'Looking for anyone?' I say.

'I don't know – who are your friends?'

'That's Timmy, and his sister Jessica.'

'Hi –' She still seems distracted.

Suddenly Carter walks up. 'Jeanette! What the freak'n hell were doing in the men's toilet?'

'What!?'

'You heard me! I saw you going in there!'

'I was not in the men's toilet! What would I be doing in the freak'n men's toilet? I was here the whole time! Ask them!'

'What? Drake! That loser! I bet your friends are a bunch of losers too. Who are you anyway?'

'Timmy Browning, and Jessica,' I say.

'Timmy Browning! You used to go on about Timmy Browning in Primary School! Yeah, your imaginary friend! Where's Timmy Browning? Timmy Browning's my friend...'

Jeanette stomps out of the café. Carter runs after her, cursing. We can hear them arguing all the way down the street.

Timmy goes to fetch our Jeanette from the men's room.

'I can't believe I'd go out with Carter McKee!' she says as she sits down.

'You're about to break up with him now, by the looks of it,' I say.

'Before you and me started going together he wouldn't leave me alone! Maybe it was inevitable, so I suppose you sort of rescued me.'

'You had me as an imaginary friend?' says Timmy.

'I had a vague memory of the timeline you were in. I was nine years old, and started asking if anyone knew what happened to you. Carter used to get on to me about that.'

'Yeah, I think I remember that,' says Jeanette.

'So, back to the question,' says Timmy. 'Where are we going to stay tonight?'

'I was going to say, my place, but I'm not sure I want to go there now.'

'You think your other you is there?' says Jeanette.

'Yeah, the other me, probably with residual memory of Timmy and Jessica's timeline lasting my whole life. In my original timeline, it only went till we were nine. I wonder if I've gone crazy in this one? Now that I think of it, I think my memory of this timeline has me going on about you being my absent friend much later than nine.'

'Carter called you a loser,' said Timmy. 'I don't ever remember him doing that.'

'I don't either,' says Jeanette.

'I do remember he was a total scum-bag,' says Timmy.

Now, finally, Johann arrives.

'My friends! You were successful! Thank you, on behalf of the future of humanity!'

We tell him what happened. He listens, takes note of the exact spot where we left Isenburg. Then, we tell him about our problem, and our idea of how to solve it.

He time-jumps away from us, and then a few seconds later, he's back.

'Okay, our men have again grabbed Isenburg,' says Johann. 'He's out of the way. Now, here's the problem: General Argonzones is no longer considered a dangerous enough person as to require your dad to write his report. In fact, hardly anyone knows anything about him. Isenburg must have been a key to his rise in power.'

'So, what do we do?'

'Option one, find a way to live in this timeline. Drake and Jeanette merge into your local selves. We try to convince Jeanette's mother to accept Timmy and Jessica.'

'But I want my mum and dad,' says Jessica, almost crying.

'Me too,' says Timmy.

'I think mum's happier with George than she ever was with my dad,' says Jeanette.

'And I have a real bad feeling about staying in this timeline,' I say.

I pick up my pendant and quickly look at my memory of this one.

It's horrible. I did drift quite a lot into a dream-world about the other timeline. There were visits to the psychologist, a reputation for being a real wash-out, the name Timmy Browning being synonymous with my fantasy; and, I did horribly on my GCSEs. Then there's my mother. I suppose, because of the way I am in this timeline, she's way over-protective, and won't let me out of her sight. If we stay, at the very best, I'll be known as the boy whose fantasies came true, like in a fairy tale. I can't bare to look any more.

'No way am I staying here,' I say, finally.

'Option two,' Johann goes on, 'You go back and play match-maker with your father and mother.'

'Like in Back to the Future,' says Timmy.

'That's the film that got us into this mess,' I say.

'I'm game,' says Jessica.

'Me too,' says Jeanette.

'Let's do it!' says Timmy.

There's just the matter of whether George had any kids in this timeline. Johann says he'll check into it. He disappears for half a second, and then gives us the all-clear.

I pop into my own house when I'm not home, and fetch the tent, a few duvets, other supplies, and empty out the fridge into the old carry bag.

Jeanette also sneaks into her house to fetch her important papers, her GCSEs and other school records. She also gets her family photo album.

Timmy and Jessica know the date that their parents first met at the library. We'll arrive the day before, and make sure that date happens.

But the big question, how?

## Cupid

'Easy!' says Timmy. 'Just stand at the foot of his bed in a radiation suit, and say, "I'm Darth Vader from the Planet Vulcan. Marry Sally Smith or I'll melt your brain.'

Jeanette groans, 'I didn't know what I missed, not having a brother.'

We're at the spot where you'll usually find us when our homes are off limits: the café.

'Really,' I say. 'We've got to approach him somehow.'

'How did you get through to them the first time?' asks Jessica.

'We just kept showing up every few years, and they were surprised that we hadn't aged,' I answer. 'Then we did some time tricks to convince them we were time travellers.'

'But we can't very well do that now, can we? He hasn't been living here all that time, and they're supposed to get married next year,' says Jeanette.

'I have an idea,' I say.

'What?' says Timmy.

'Something like your "Darth Vader from the Planet Vulcan" trick...'

We start by getting to know their two habitats. George's office, and the public library, where Sally is the librarian.

The company where George works is an old Victorian style house. There's one wall in the foyer that's covered with a floor-to-ceiling book shelf.

Jessica goes in and acts like she's the daughter of one of the other clerks. She stands in front of the bookshelf, acting like she's interested in one of the books.

George walks past, and she smiles sweetly at him.

'Hello,' he says.

'Hi. Can you reach me that book there, with the red jacket?'

'Certainly!'

He reaches up, as she builds a forcefield around them.

They land in the library where there's also a book with a red jacket right at the same level. He fetches the book and turns around.

By then, Jessica has approached Sally at the librarian's desk.

'I think that man needs your help,' she says.

'Oh my! I didn't see you come in! Sir, what can I do for you?'

'I – er ...'

They get into an awkward conversation, introducing themselves.

Finally, he says, 'I really must be going.'

On his way out, Jessica stops him.

'Sir, can you please reach that book for me?'

When he hands it to her, he's back in his own office suite, a split second after he's left.

'Thank you very much, Sir,' says Jessica.

The next day, we do it in reverse. Jessica asks her future mother to fetch her the book with the red jacket, whereupon she finds herself in George's office suite.

We eavesdrop on them a while. They're not taking an interest in each other yet.

'Mum said they used to see each other every day before they started to get the hots for each other,' Tim says.

We're sitting by the stream on Farmer Jones' property, where we've pitched the tent.

'How long did it take?' asks Jeanette.

'It's going to get weird if we have to do this every day. They might end up in the loony-bin before they fall in love,' I say.

'Maybe they just need a harder push,' says Jessica.

George and Sally suddenly appear in a secluded alcove of the local French restaurant where they've spent many a romantic evening in our original timeline.

'Oh, hi,' says George.

'Oh my God! What's happening?' says Sally?

'Didn't you visit me at my office the other day?'

'Yes – you're George, right?'

'Yes – er – I was just – er – leaving. Are you okay? You look...'

'Oh – I'm okay. I was just leaving too.'

'Which is the way out?' says George.

Jessica walks in and says, 'Don't go, you're table's ready.'

'Table? I didn't...' George begins.

'You are George Browning and Sally Smith, aren't you?'

'Yes, but we didn't...' George starts again. 'Did you?' he looks at Sally.

She looks at him blankly.

'Right this way then,' says Jessica.

They follow.

'Didn't I see her those other two times we met?' says Sally.

'Yes. Wasn't she with you?'

Off to the side Timmy whispers to me, 'I hope dad has enough to cover this.'

He did, barely. We get them both back to exactly the same time-locations as we found them.

They still don't get it that they're destined for each other. This time we try a more direct approach.

They suddenly find themselves sitting in a section of the library with the armchairs and newspapers after closing time.

'Why does this keep happening?' says Sally.

'I'm sorry,' says George, 'I don't seem to remember how I got here.'

'I don't either. And I didn't get a chance to thank you for that lovely dinner the other evening.'

'I'm not sure how that happened either.'

'I think that's the culprit,' says Sally as Jessica walks in.

'Hi,' she says.

'Who are you?'

'I'm Jessica Browning. Let me introduce you to my brother, Timothy Browning.'

Timmy walks in. 'Hi.'

'And my half sister, Jeanette McGuire,' Jessica goes on.

Jeanette comes in.

'And her boyfriend, Drake.' Enter: moi.

'You're probably wondering why you've been popping in and out of places and meeting each other.'

'That's our doing,' says Timmy.

'What?'

'We're from the future,' says Jeanette

'Where you two get married,' says Timmy, 'and we're your kids.'

'At least we hope you do,' says Jessica. 'Otherwise we'll be orphans.'

'Is this some kind of joke?' says George.

'Was suddenly tele-porting to each other's location a joke?' I say. 'I guess maybe it was, but it's the only way to keep history on track.'

'You mean, like Back to the Future?' says Sally.

'Yeah,' I say, 'but things aren't exactly like in that film. We're not in danger of a time-space paradox or anything. We just become time-orphans.'

'Yeah,' says Jeanette. 'Like – I'm your daughter if you marry Sam McGuire. It's really not a happy marriage. You get divorced.'

'Sam?'

'You do seem to be a lot happier with George,' I say.

'Yeah,' says Jessica. 'It is a happy marriage, honest!'

'So, please start dating and get married,' begs Timmy.

'But this time travel bit,' George begins.

'What does your watch say?' I ask.

'Five fifteen,' says George.

'Nine thirty,' says Sally.

'What does that clock say?' says Jessica, pointing to the clock in the library.

'Well --'

'Okay, now look at all the clocks again...' It was five minutes later.

They're just looking at us. I start on a new vein: 'Okay, did you ever know someone named Frank Isenburg?'

'Well – yes. I knew him in Buenos Aires.'

'What about General Argonzones?'

'What does this have to do with them?'

'Well, it's a long story, but there's stuff about them that change the timeline, so you either get married to each other, or don't. Because we helped prevent something really horrible from happening, we accidentally changed it so you didn't get married. You would have been in here every day writing a report about General Argonzones and the Rivvy-Air group or something...'

'Yeah – the Riviera Group. There were some things about that that got out of hand, like corruption in a major way. Amazing that you'd know about that.'

'Anyway,' Timmy picks it up, 'you fall in love while you're in here every day doing the report, and – you know...'

'A report – yes...'

They look at each other, but with a soft tender look in their eyes.

They decide to go to the café together.

Just in case we've changed things too much, we tell them the date they're supposed to get married.

Checking up on them a few days later, it looks like they're going steady.

A time-jump to a year and a half later – they're married. They even picked the right date!

Next come the visits, the same way as we did the first time around. Both George and Sally recognise us, calling Jessica their 'cupid'.

On the second visit, Timmy only comes close enough to assure that there's a magnetic pull between him and the baby in the womb. We make an excuse for him, so we won't run any health risks for the baby. The same happens a few visits later for Jessica at the second pregnancy.

Though we try to time it right, we do sometimes meet the younger versions of some of us, but we get out of the way in time.

On the final trip, we merge with our local selves. Of course, they're ready for Jeanette, and have told the other two that they have a half sister.

This time, it's the same me that I merged with last time. Apart from the current events, with the Walenskis living next door and a few other minor changes, things are the same – no psychological problems.

And it's not a two against one thing either. My memories of being a time-traveller are just as strong as my memories as a local boy.

One more piece of business:

Timmy is all dressed up and ready for his date six weeks ago.

We jump to that night, to the appointed time, Sarah's front door.

I give Timmy a thumbs-up as he walks up the footpath. They have a great time.

When he drops her off at the door again, I take him to where the local Timmy is getting ready for bed. He'll relive the last six weeks all over again, just so the clueless local Timmy won't go putting his foot in it at school on Monday.

So, he took her out as promised, and watched that film on TV he'd always wanted to see. He'll probably die of old-age six weeks sooner than he should have, but that's what he gets for standing up a young lady on their first date.

So, now I'm back to being a one woman man.

And, no, George didn't do a Biff Tannen on the next day's horse-racing results, as he didn't have next weeks newspaper in this timeline.

And, Jessica knows what her parents mean now when they call her their 'Cupid'.

The End

(– well, maybe not, but no cliff-hanger this time anyway)

# Episode Three – The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

Saturday morning, watching TV at the Browning house: I'm here more than at home. Not only does my best friend live here, but also my girlfriend, and the only other kid I know who can time-jump. All that under the same roof.

It's also the first place Johann goes to look for me – so, here he is.

'Now that you've been inaugurated as time travellers, I should show you some of the things we do when we're not putting out fires,' says Johann.

We're all game.

'Okay? First stop: Santorini, 1627 b.c.'

'The eruption of Thera,' says Jeanette.

'That's right.'

'Won't we get killed?' says Timmy.

'We're there to kidnap as many children as we can, and get them out of there,' says Johann.

'Cool! A rescue mission!' says Jessica.

'Right. Drake and Jessica, pendants to the fore; Jessica, take Jeanette in your forcefield; Drake, you take Timmy; and link to mine.

It takes a long time, because we're crossing so many centuries. We finally land on the coast of an island. We're standing on a rise overlooking the seaside.

'Wow!' gasps Timmy.

'Who are those people?' says Jessica.

There's a wooden pier, where there are a few clunky wooden ships docked. There are a few buildings, but in the area nearer us, there's a big crowd of people, most of them wearing nothing. In one large group, there are children. Men with swords and spears are guarding them.

'Slaves,' says Johann, 'taken captive in an invasion. They've just been shipped here, and will soon be taken into that city you see further off.'

Around the edges of the city are what could pass for North African villages I've seen on some documentary channels, but beyond them is a wall, where I see some fancy roofs sticking over the top.

'These kids have been through hell already,' says Johann. 'Their country was invaded, they've probably seen their parents slaughtered, and they've braved a trip over the sea in the hull of one of those things.

'We'll jump back to this place in a few minutes landing as close as we can to the edge of that crowd of children, and create force-fields around as many of them as we can – about five each would be a manageable number for starters, and take them to a point in the future. But first, I'll take you there so you get to know it.

'Okay, forcefields up...'

Jessica and I create our forcefields, and we're off again. This takes even longer.  
We're in some area with lots of forest on one side, and some grassland on the other. There's a tiny village at the edge of the forest.

'When is this place?' Timmy asks.  
He's learned to ask the right questions.

'The distant future,' replies Johann. 'Humanity has become extinct, and, depending on which version of history becomes the reality, so has all animal life and vegetation.'

'What do you mean, "Which version"?' I say.

'It keeps shifting back and forth. In one timeline, there was a war in which all life got destroyed. In another a large meteorite hits the earth, and humanity goes the way of the dinosaur.'

'How would the timeline shift to make that happen?' asks Jeanette.

'We think that it was due to human carelessness. Some company was mining an asteroid, setting off an explosion that sent it off on a collision course with the earth.'

'Wow!'

'Are there humans in space?' asks Timmy.

'There were human settlements, but they died out one by one. Earth is the only habitat ultimately suited to human survival. So, we're replanting the human race at this time-location.'

'Which timeline is more likely now that Argentina doesn't get nuked?' I ask.

'The meteorite scenario, though we are still finding some twists and turns that lead to the other. The group we think is responsible for the meteorite won't be around for quite a long time after your period. Though they build on science and space technology gained from your age, they arise after a period of a couple of millennia that we don't have much to do with. There are certain factors about that period we don't fully understand, nor would we be at liberty to explain if we did. Those who have time-jumped to that period have never returned. We have not had much interaction with the civilisation that emerged afterwards.

'Now, in both scenarios, this continent was the place most suited to our project, very low levels of nuclear radiation, no pre-existing animal or vegetable life, which made it perfect. We started planting this area 1000 years ago, watering it artificially until the rainforests were expansive enough to maintain normal rainfall patterns. We also brought low level animal species, like insects, slugs, worms, and later phasing in larger animals. You'll find many species that were extinct in your time. Much further North, there are woolly mammoths. There are also sabre-tooths, doe-doh birds; and now, we're planting human settlements

'With kids?' says Jessica.

'We also have teachers, mostly Native Americans who were about to be massacred by Europeans, teaching them how to live in harmony with nature. But yes, we do bring only the children to this time, as they're the easiest to teach in the ways conducive to human survival. The more advanced the society they came from, the younger they need to be, so as to forget their culture and technology.'

'What's wrong with technology?' I say

'Humanity lived happily without it for many millennia, why do they need it now? We gave technology a chance, and we destroyed ourselves. It's time to give primitive culture a chance once again – this time, without the possibility of being hindered by the likes of us. We've made a few excursions into the far distant future, and though there are a few hiccoughs along the way, they do live on quite happily.

'Now,' he says, 'before we go and pick up our first load, here's a line I want you to learn and say to them: Zunni mu na he.' He repeats it slowly, so we can catch it. Then, we repeat it. It's a simple line, and easy to catch.

'What does it mean?' asks Jeanette.

'It's in the language of the country the slaves were taken from. It roughly translates as, "Come, I will take you home." The children should understand you.'

'What language is it?'asks Jessica.

'Not one you've ever heard of. They were largely killed off by the Minoans, whom you'll be rescuing these ones from, and later finished off by the Pheonicians.'

We repeat the new sentence a few times until we have it down, and then we're off.

Back in Santorini. As we were coming in, Jessica and I could see the volcano exploding in backwards motion. It's getting dark, which is perfect for us, but we have to hurry. They're about to move all the slaves into the city. We've landed close to a group of kids. So far, the guards don't notice us.

Jeanette says, 'Zunni mu na he,' and gets a few kids to follow her to to Jessica. Timmy does the same for me.

The oldest kids look like they're ten or twelve, a few look as young as four or five, but I think they're all small for their age. The tallest is still shorter than Jessica. There are bigger kids among the grown-ups further off.

The kids are pretty submissive. Jessica and I each have about five or so kids, Johann has about ten, and we time-jump.

This time, we land just outside a primitive looking village on the edge of the forest. Some of the kids start screaming in shock. A few others are stiff with fear, and one faints. We go around and try to comfort some of them.

I pick up a smaller one. He's a bit smelly, and stark naked. I've never held a naked kid before – a bit creepy. But it seems to settle him down.

A couple of older men and a woman come out of the village, probably alerted by the screaming kids. They look like Native Americans. One of them talks to Johann, and the other two signal to the kids to follow them. The woman picks up one of the smaller ones. She looks motherly, just what they need.

The one talking to Johann invites us all into the village. There are lots of people there, more than half of them kids. They look like an even mixture of every race and skin colour, but they're all dressed in the same style, like they're from some Native American tribe. Some have got skins or blankets wrapped around them, and others breechcloths, and a few of the smaller ones, nothing. A lot of the kids are running around playing, but I also see small groups of them gathered around adults, as though they're a class. One of the groups close by are chanting something in unison.

We follow our host into a round building that looks like an up-side-down bowl made of thatch. There's smoke coming out a hole at the top of the roof. Inside, there's a dirt floor covered with fur rugs surrounding a fire pit in the middle. An old man is sitting in front of the fire.

'Welcome to our village,' he says. 'Please sit down.'

'Cool! You speak English here?' says Timmy.

'I speak English because I come from the land of America, of the world that used to be. A few of the others also speak English, but most speak Munsee, the language of the Lenape Tribe. Everyone who comes to live here, we teach to speak Munsee.'

'How did you end up coming here?' asks Jeanette.

'In America, our people seek to live in peace among ourselves and with those outside. Most of the English are warlike, but the Moravians, they come and live with our people; they live like us, eat with us, dress like us, and believe in peace, just as our people do. They teach us even more about the ways of peace. Many of the Lenape Nation listen, and learn the ways of the Son of the Great White Spirit. But many English settlers, they choose a life of war.

'In my village, the English settlers come and gather us all up and will kill us in the morning. They seek revenge because others of our nation fight on the side of the British Nation against the America Nation. They allow us to spend the night praying and singing first. There are 117 of us that night. Johann's friend, Patrick Murphy, he come at night and take four families. The people choose which families, but the rest must stay, or the future change too much, cause timeline problems. So nineteen of us, we come here instead. The next day, they kill 96 of us. Only two young boys survive the killing. The rest die for the praise of the Great White Spirit. We meet them in the next life.

'Patrick Murphy, Johann and the others, they also bring others. Most are from the peaceful Indian tribes, a few Aborigine from Australia, some are Moravian people we knew in America. One man, they will feed to the lions in Rome, but Johann rescue him and bring him here.

'So, now we live here in many villages and teach a new generation of children gathered from all parts of history, to live as we used to live.'

'So there you were, living peacefully, and they just came and decided to kill you all?' says Timmy.

'That's just horrible!' says Jessica.

'So called "Christians" too!' I say.

'Some, they pray to the Great White Spirit, but don't learn His ways. It is, for them, a religion of fanfare, for show. They say that we have not souls, and we live freely on the land they seek to own. To us, it's everybody's land. We take only what we need; but they kill all they see, and sell for gold. This leads to much killing, and much war. Then, they seek revenge for those who die in war. This leads to more war. Since they say we have no souls, they easily kill us so they can claim the earth.

'The Son of the Great White Spirit, the One the Moravians introduce to us, He say, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." So here: the earth that we inherit, is finally at peace. Now we teach the new generation to love the land, live in peace, and call all men brother.'

They give us a big feed. Roast venison and some sort of fried cornbread. As we leave, we see some of the women of the village giving the kids from Santorini a bath in the stream. Now they're laughing and playing happily. A couple of them wave at us as we go.

We make another trip, landing a few seconds after we jumped the last time, just a few feet away. The kids are gazing at the spot where they just saw us and their friends disappear.

I call to some of them, saying, 'Zunni mu na he.' A couple of boys look at me, shocked. This time, they're a bit afraid of us. I guess I would be too if I just saw someone vanish with my friends into thin air.

Timmy repeats, 'Zunni mu na he,' with a smile and a bit of a nod, holding his arms out. They start walking to us slowly. It looks like they're warming up to us a bit. Jessica and Jeannette are doing the same. Johann has his own way of getting their confidence; then it's time to go.

One of the guards notices us and shouts.

We all have our share of kids each, and we make a sign to the others that we hope they'll take to mean, 'Just wait, we'll come back for you.'

We take them to a day later in the other time so as to give the people in the village time settle the first group. Then, back to Santorini.

Now, the kids look like they were expecting us. The guard who saw us is now staring at us, shocked. We have no trouble getting kids to come to us.

Next trip: the guard definitely realises we're pilfering their wares, and calls to the other guards. It looks like we have to hurry, and the kids know it. They start mobbing us. We each take a few more than before.

Johann suddenly disappears, reappears next to the guard closest to us, disappears with him, and then he's back to his group of kids. That buys us some time.

A few trips later, the guards are coming towards us, rather tentatively. There's a tremor.

'You don't want to be here when that thing blows,' says Johann. 'It will be hard on your ears.'

This time, we each have more kids than ever. We jump just as the guards are almost on us. I think we got most of the kids this time - I don't get a chance to see if there are any left or not.

It's evening at the future village.

After seeing the first group disappear, the kids cope better with suddenly appearing in a strange place, but it's still a bit of a shock. We do our usual job of comforting them.

'It's time for your supper,' says Johann.

'We'll have a bite to eat, and then I'll take you to where you'll spend the night.'

'Shouldn't we be getting home?' says Jessica.

'If I dropped you off at home at exactly the same time as you left, you'd have severe jet-lag. It would be better to spend the night so we can returned when your body-clock says ten o'clock.'

We accompany the kids into the village. They're still in shock, but their old friends in the village encourage them with a happy welcome.

The village is a lot more full than it was last time we were here. I think the kids from Santorini outnumber all the rest. It looks like there's a language gap, and it'll be a challenge to get them all speaking the Munsee language.

There's a fire in middle of the village, and people are sitting around beginning a meal. I see a bunch of our kids crowded around a woman who's passing out food. They look happy. Most of them are still naked, but a few of them are wearing breechcloths like the members of the tribe. A few of the girls are wearing homespun tunics. They're happy to see us.

We mingle among them, they hold our hands, beg to be picked up, say things to us that we can't understand. They finally settle down to eating.

We've got bowls of some sort of porridge with bits of meat. The old man we were talking to earlier comes to us with two boys who look about ten years old. Apart from their breech cloths and their deep tan, they look English.

'Johann say these are your brothers,' he says.

'Huh?'

'I don't think we have any relations here,' says Timmy.

'Your father, his name is George Browning, yes?'

'Yeah – !'

We're mostly speechless.

'This is Matt Browning and his brother Cliff.'

The boys smile at us shyly.

Johann comes along. 'Remember, you were wondering if your dad had any kids that would have been erased as a result of meeting your mum?'

'Well, yeah,' says Jessica.

'Matt would have been 16, and Cliff, 12, had you met them that day in the café.'

'But they don't look ...' Jeanette starts.

'I jumped back and kidnapped them from the maternity ward,' says Johann, 'Then I took them back to Jurassic Guest House, and then to here, before I went back and gave you the all-clear to go off and change the timeline. They've been here ten years now.'

'Wow!'

'Thank you!'

'As I said, all life is precious.'

Matt and Cliff don't speak a word of English but they do warm up to us, and show us around. A young Lenape man translates a few things for us. We have a great time.

'It's getting late,' says Johann finally.

'I'll take you to where you will sleep tonight.'

We say goodbye to Matt and Cliff, and all the others.

'You will be back, of course. Once you've passed your training, and become thoroughly familiar with the time-environment, you can rescue more kids from impending disasters, even without my supervision. If you want, we could even teach you Muncee.'

He takes us on a time-jump to some lodge in middle of the woods somewhere, where we sleep the night. The next morning, we time-jump home. No one even knew we were gone.

# The Murder Victim Who Was Still Alive

What should have been the opening scene for a CSI episode:

Work men are busy digging up the footpath in preparation for the widening of the road. Scott's on the jack-hammer, Nigel is manning the backhoe, while Tony waves the lollipops at the motorists. It's only been an hour since they put up the signs and cones to block off this part of the road, and already they've dug up several metres of footpath.

Having loosened a sufficient amount of pavement, Scott steps aside and waves Nigel in. The iron bucket carefully picks up the pieces and drops them into the bed of the waiting lorry. The arm swivels back for another scoop.

Suddenly Scott waves both arms like a madman shouting for Nigel to stop.

Half an hour later, the place is full of flashing lights. Police ribbons surround the works site. Uniformed officers mill about the peripheral, while a couple of men in suits are examining the find, a child's hands sticking out from under the concrete slab, strapped together with duct tape.

As Nigel expertly lifts a larger portion of the footpath, more of the body comes into view. A boy, by the looks of it, his skin only showing a bluish pallor from lack of oxygen, otherwise no decomposition. The clothes could have been bought last week.

More people arrive: the medical examiner, the works boss, the council officer in charge of engineering works.

The medical examiner thinks the boy has been dead only a couple of hours. The duct tape is fresh, and it also covers his mouth.

The ground around where the boy was found shows no sign of having been dug. It's packed around him as though he belongs there. Moreover, the city engineer assures them that the last time the dirt under this portion of the footpath saw daylight was fifty years ago.

Day One: Dylan Murphy opens the missing persons file, comparing the photo of the little Johnny Doe with anything recent, before scanning it and submitting it to national search networks. So far, nothing.

At least this is something to do. The other cases in his active basket are going nowhere. The murder of Jane O'Connor is a dead end. Though there is a description of the suspected murderer, he was a total stranger who had never been seen before that time, and no one has seen him since. Then there's the supposed rape case of Melinda Carson that's obviously nothing more than a tall story. As weird as this latest one is, at least it's a diversion.

He's been to the morgue to get further details, and a photograph. The boy appears to be about six years old, has stylishly long blond hair, all but one of his secondary teeth have come in leaving a gap in his upper left, has a large freckle under his right eye, and is wearing a blue and white striped polo-shirt and jeans. In his pockets were a red rubber bouncy ball, a toy soldier, a Mario Brothers game cartridge for a 3DS and a few other small items.

Dylan clicks 'send', and then calls the lab to make sure they received the DNA sample.

'You'd think someone would have reported him missing, at least,' says Sue, at the next desk.

'Might not be a local kid. I'm checking the national files now.'

'Let me see the photo.'

He hands her the report with the photo stapled to the corner.

'Hey, I think I've seen a boy that looks like that in my neighbourhood,' she says. 'He rides by on his bike all the time, and sometimes on his skateboard.'

'Do you know which house he lives in?'

'No, but I'm sure someone else there would know.'

'Let's go ask around,' says Dylan.

They gather their coats and basic essentials, and go in Sue's car.

Reaching the street where she lives, they park, and get out. A boy is walking towards them on the footpath.

'I've seen that boy with him before, I'll ask him.' She waves at the boy, who recognises her.

He comes closer.

'Do you know the boy in this picture?' Dylan had managed to get him looking alive for the photo.

'Yeah, that's Mickey!'

'Where does he live?'

The boy leads them to a terrace house on the next street.

The lady of the house answers their knock. They show her their police ID, she introduces herself as Margaret Stewart and invites them inside.

'I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have a son named Mickey?'

'Yes. Has he done anything wrong?'

'Not that we know of. Do you know where he is right now?'

'He's right here,' she says. Turning around, she calls, 'Mickey?'

Sue and Dylan look at each-other. Dylan shrugs.

Mickey comes into the room from upstairs. Dylan does a double take.

He's not wearing the same shirt as his double in the morgue, but all the other features match down to the freckle under his right eye, and the gap in his teeth. And he's very much alive.

'Mickey, these people from the police department want to see if you're okay.'

'Are you an inspector?' says the boy, 'Like Jack Frost and Inspector Barnaby, and Taggart?'

'Well, yes.'

'Can I have your autograph?'

'Mickey!'

'Oh, that's okay. Who knows? Maybe I'll become a character in a TV show someday,' says Dylan.

The boy gives him a piece of paper from a notepad.

'And, you're Mickey Stewart?' says Dylan, signing his name.

'Yeah,' says Mickey. 'I'll give you my autograph too, for when I get famous.'

'How old are you?'

'Six.' He signs his name on another slip of paper and gives it to Dylan.

'Do you have any brothers and sisters?'

'Yeah, Sandy and Alex.'

Margaret says, 'Sandra is eleven years old, and Alex is four.'

'No twin brother?' says Dylan.

'No,' says Mickey, smiling.

'Any cousins that look like you?'

'Huh?'

'None of his cousins are his age,' Margaret says.

'What games do you like to play?'

'I gotta 3DS, and I like Pokemon, Legend of Zelda and Mario. I'm almost finished playing Mario Brothers, so I am.'

'Remember, you borrowed that from Ronnie. You've got to give it back to him.'

'Yeah, mum. But I haven't finished it yet.'

'Where does Ronnie live?' asks Dylan.

'Is there some sort of investigation?' asks Margaret.

'We're investigating a possible missing person case,' says Sue.

'Who's gone missing?'

'It's very complicated. We're not really sure about a lot of things.'

'What do you want to be when you grow up, Mickey?' says Dylan.

'A magician,' says Mickey immediately, 'Just like Zilbo the Wizard!'

'Ah! You've been to see Zilbo!' says Dylan. 'I went to see that show the other day. Amazing, isn't he!'

'He can go backwards in time,' says Mickey.

'Really?' says Sue, sounding impressed.

'Oh Mickey, I'm sure he uses mirrors or something,' says his mother.

'Really, he does,' insists Mickey. 'I seen him do it, so I did!'

'That would explain some of his illusions though, wouldn't it,' says Dylan. 'Now, we've taken enough of your time. But please be careful. There could be danger.'

They get up to go. Mickey prances into the other room, bouncing a little red rubber ball as he goes.

'You really should come with me to the morgue and take a look at our little "Johnny Doe",' says Dylan as they arrive at the precinct.

They step into the morgue. The assistant opens the freezer drawer for them. Sue looks.

'Oh my God! It's him!'

'It sure looks like it.'

They return to the office.

'You have the contents of his pockets in the evidence box, right?' says Sue.

'Yeah. You can take a look if you want.'

They look through the assortment.

'He was playing with a rubber ball just like this as we left,' says Sue.

'His Mario cartridge. I suppose he borrowed it from his friend?'

'What's this?' Sue picks up a tightly folded piece of paper Dylan hadn't noticed before, and unfolds it.

'Oh my God!' She hands it to Dylan.

To my friend, Mickey Stewart – Inspector Dylan Murphy, it says.

Mickey Stewart had his pocket money and was walking with Tommy Green to the newsagent's for sweets.

'I can tell the future,' said Mickey.

'No you can't.'

'Yes I can. I can prove it, so I can.'

'Yeah? How?'

'I bet ya I know what you're gonna buy at the shop.'

'No you don't.'

'Yes I do.'

'How do you know?'

'You always get either gummy bears or chocolate frog. And I say you're gonna get a chocolate frog.'

'You are so-o-o stupid!'

They turned the corner into the newsagent. Tommy went to the sweet counter and order ten pee worth of gummy gears. Then he turned and gave Mickey a sneer.

Mickey said nothing until they were walking out, he with his Cadbury Buttons.

'I knew you were get'n gummy bears.'

'No way! You said I'd get chocolate frog!'

'I only said, "I say you're gonna get chocolate frog". But I knew you'd get gummy bears.'

'No way!'

'I got it wrote down right here, so I do,' said Mickey, pulling out a slip of paper.

Tommy read it: Tommy Gren wil buy gumy bares at the shop.

'But that's no fair! You made me get gummy bears by say'n I'd get chocolate frog!'

'But I still knew you'd get gummy bears.'

'You are such a –'

'And I can tell the past too,' Mickey continued.

'Of course! All you gotta do is remember it!'

'You can't remember something that didn't happen.'

'Coz if it din't happen, it din't happen! So how can you know it?'

'If it would'v happened, but something happens to make it not happen.'

'Huh?'

'Like – Ms. O'Connor wasn't in the sweet shop just now buy'n a newspaper.'

'Of course she wasn't! She's dead, remember?'

'Yeah, but if she wasn't dead, she'd be in the shop just now.'

'Huh! I know all sorts of stuff that didn't happen! I din't win a million quid in the lotto! Justin Bieber din't come to dinner yesterday! An elephant din't start dance'n in middle of the road wear'n a tutu...'

'But that's not stuff that would'v happened.'

'How do you know what would'v happened?'

'Same way I knew you'd wouldn't get a chocolate frog.'

'Coz you said I'd get chocolate frog, so I din't!'

'Yeah. And Ms. O'Connor wasn't in the shop just now 'cause she's dead.'

'A-a-a-a-aaaah!' screamed Tommy, pulling at his hair.

Day Two: Dylan and Sue are in the office talking in low tones.

'The tests are back,' says Dylan. 'The DNA sample from the paper he autographed for me, matches that of the body.'

'So, the looks are an exact match, he has the slip of paper that you autographed, and now, the DNA.'

'Right.'

'Don't you think we should pass this on to McElroy?'

'They'll just start wrangling over whether this could be happening or not. Then they'll put us off the case just for suggesting it. I don't think we have time for that. I know this is impossible; I don't understand how it can be happening; but if the live boy and the dead boy are the same, something beyond our understanding and experience is going to happen. We just don't know when.'

'Or how, or who.'

'But we have to stop it.'

'If we can't tell McElroy, it's up to us.'

'Exactly.'

Dylan has all the CCTV recordings from the general vicinity. Not all the cameras were loaded with tapes, and even then coverage is rather spotty. The only camera that actually covers the location the body was found, was some distance away. Fortunately it was loaded.

He sits and watches it in fast forward. It isn't a busy part of town. Cars come and go to and from that direction, sometimes stopping at the traffic signal in the foreground, but more often than not, the light goes green and then red again without anyone passing through.

One car stops briefly at the spot, and goes on its way, disappearing over the hill. Other than that, nothing stops until the road works vehicles arrive and set up the traffic cones, diversion signs and start working.

Dylan watches until the man who had been running the jack-hammer starts jumping and waving his arms. It's exactly the same spot the car had stopped.

Dylan rewinds it to that point to examine the car.

It's too far away to get any detail. It's a dark blue sedan, that's all he can tell. The film isn't focused enough to get the registration number.

Dylan rewinds it a bit more, and makes a good guess which other surveillance tape would have grabbed an image of the car.

Just down the street, caught by another camera, a dark blue Vauxhall approaches the red light. It's the right shape and colour. He stops the film and takes note of the registration. The windscreen only reflects the early morning sunlight.

The blue Vauxhall appears on a few other cameras. He follows its path through all the available video tapes. In one of them, he can discern a vague silhouette of the driver and a small child.

Dylan traces the registration. It belongs to a local rental agency.

He rechecks the original video, and backs it up to the beginning, well before the time of probable death. No one ever stops there but the Vauxhall.

Granda was in the lounge when Mickey came in from playing.

'Granda!' he cried, as he rushed and leaped onto his lap.

'Mickey, be gentle with your Granda, will ya? He's not as young as he used to be!' said mum.

'Don't worry about me! This bag of bones has a few good years left in it.'

'How long are ya gonna stay, Granda?'

'Only a few days.'

'Awww – why don't you stay a month?'

'Out of consideration for your poor mother. But I brought you something.' Granda reached into a bag beside his chair. 'Your mum said you were enamoured by the magician in town.'

Mickey took the box from his granda. 'Wow! A magic set! Now I'll be like Zilbo the Wizard!'

'Yes. And I'll expect no less before I leave.'

'But there's just one thing he can do that I don't think I can ever do,' said Mickey.

'What's that?'

'He can go backwards in time, so he can.'

'My word!'

His mother entered with a cup of tea for Granda. 'Oh dear! You're not going on about that again are you Mickey?'

'But he can! I seen him! I know when someone changes something that already happened.'

'Can you?' said Granda.

'Yeah, like Ms. O'Connor is Zilbo's special assistant, but she died, so she isn't.'

'But Jane O'Connor died three weeks ago!' said his mother.

'Yeah, but if she was alive, she'd be his assistant, so she would. And she sure looks hot in a bikini!'

'Mickey!...'

Dylan stops by Sue's desk.

'Come. We have to make an enquiry at the car rental place.'

On the way he explained it to Sue.

'...the only one to even pause at the site was a dark blue Vauxhall. I ran the registration and it belongs to the car rental. It's a slim lead, but it's the only one we've got.'

'Let's hope it takes us somewhere.'

'We have no idea how much time we have.'

'At least we've got today. I saw him this morning, and he wasn't wearing that polo shirt.'

They pull into the rental agency.

Dylan goes to the reception desk.

'I'm from CID. I would like to enquire about the vehicle with this registration number.'

The man checked the records. 'It was just rented out this morning to a Charles Irvine.'

'What about Monday, about seven in the morning?'

'It wasn't rented to anyone then.'

'We have CCTV footage that shows it near the intersection of Barton Road and Meadow Way.'

The man checks again. 'It definitely shows here as available at that time.'

'Could someone have driven off with it?'

'You can check our CCTV if you want.'

They accept his offer. The man finds the video tape for that time and puts it into the player, and fast forwards it to the time in question. The view pans the length of the lot.

'That would be your car right there,' says the man, pointing to the blue Vauxhall.

'Who did you say rented it out this morning?'

'Charles Irvine. I believe he's some sort of entertainer, doing a gig at the local theatre as Zelda, or Bilbo or something.'

'Zilbo the Wizard?'

'What contact address did he give?'

'Let me see – ah, here it is. Woodland hotel.'

'Zilbo the Wizard!' remarks Sue on the drive back to the precinct. 'Wasn't Mickey talking about him?'

'Indeed he was.'

'Did he also say something about time travel?'

'So he did.'

'As much as I hate to say it, that seems to be the only idea that makes sense.'

'Have you been to see one of his shows?' asks Dylan.

'No.'

'The only explanation I could give for some of his illusions is that he pops backwards and forwards in time.'

'What does he do?' asks Sue.

'In one, he called out a girl from the audience, had her walk up to one side of a partition, turn around and wave, and keep waving. Then, he opens the curtain covering the other side of the partition, and there she is – her double – also waving at the audience. Two of them, both waving; not a reflection either – they're not even in sync. Then he asks the second one, the double, to walk back to her parents, while the curtain closes on the original one. The parents recognise the double as their own daughter, and of course there's no double to be found on the stage after that.'

'At my sister's last week, I read this tabloid article about people they claim have the gift of time travel. Of course, you have to be gullible, like my sister, to believe what you read in those things. She swears there's an alien base on the moon, scrapped UFOs in Area 51, that Prince Charles is a reptile and all that rubbish. But the article about the time travellers was fascinating. They had it down to a science!'

'Do you know what I'd do if I had that gift?'

'What?'

'Become a stage magician.'

Inside his office, Dylan looks at more video tapes. This time, showing where the blue Vauxhall went, after it's stop at Barton Road.

He catches it coming down the other side in an area with very few houses, and lots of trees.

It stops by the side of the road. The door opens. The driver pushes what first appears to be a young passenger – until it disintegrates into clumps of dirt. He drives on, leaving a pile of dirt and gravel by the side of the road.

Time for another trip.

Dylan and Sue are standing by a pile of gravel.

Most of it is packed together in clumps, 'Like it would have been under the foot path,' Dylan observes.

'Oh my God! Look at that!' Sue points to one of the clumps.

It's in the shape of a face with no mouth, as though it had been pressed into a mould. The eyes are wide open with fear, and there's even a faint outline of the duct tape over the mouth. Even the larger stones are contoured to the shape of the surface of the face.

It's Mickey's face.

'Let's just swing by and see how he is,' suggests Dylan.

On the way, Dylan asks, 'That tabloid article about time travellers, what did it say?'

'Time perception is a gift. If someone goes back in time and changes something, say, the course of history, most of us wouldn't know anything. We'd just be imprinted with the memory of everything that happened according to the new timeline, with no idea that the other even existed. But those with the gift, have a faint memory of discontinued timelines. They can either be trained to focus their minds to jump to a different time, or else use a device of some sort to focus their energies to "time-jump". And, there's other things they can do as well, like build a forcefield and move other people and large objects with them on a time-jump.'

'What about making an object or a person switch places with something else?'

'Like the gravel under the footpath?'

'Something like that.'

'I suppose...'

They drive slowly by the house. Mickey happens to be outside. He's in his grey tee-shirt with 'Granda's Wee Brat' silk-screened on the front.

Day Three: Sue has been making routine calls regarding one of her on-going cases. She drops by her own house to collect something before returning to the precinct.

Glancing out the window, she sees Mickey sailing past on his skate-board. He's wearing his blue and white polo shirt and jeans, just like the body in the morgue.

She dashes out the door, but he's gone. She runs to the Stewarts' house and knocks.

An older man answers. Sue asks for Margaret Stewart.

'Sorry to bother you,' she says. 'My colleague and I visited a few days ago. We have reason to believe Mickey might be in some danger. Could you please tell me where he's gone?'

'I believe he's gone out on his skateboard,' says Margaret.

'He said something about getting the autograph of that magician that's in town,' the old man says.

'Thank you!' Sue turns and walks briskly out, phoning Dylan as she goes.

Dylan high-tails it to the rental agency.

'Hello,' he immediately greets the man at the desk. 'Remember, I was here yesterday, from CID, asking about the blue Vauxhall.'

'Yes?'

'We have good reason to believe that it is soon to be used in a violent crime against a young child. Could I possibly have the spare key?'

The man at the desk is quite reasonable, and finds it for him.

Sue is parked near the back door to the theatre. The alleyway is empty, so she gives Dylan a call.

'Best if you wait there. I'm checking at the hotel.'

She waits.

Dylan spots the Vauxhall in the hotel parking lot.

No one is around, so he walks to the car as though he owned it, opens it and looks around. Nothing much to be found – apart from a few things in the glove box, including a roll of duct tape.

He gets into the back seat and searches some more.

His phone rings.

'Hello?'

Dylan, the boy has just arrived, and is hanging about the back door of the theatre.

'I've found his car here at the hotel, so he must be – hang on – I see him walking out of the hotel.'

Dylan has a flash...

The place was empty, and Mickey was tired of waiting. There was a car at the end of the alley, but it had moved on. A woman was driving it. Mickey wondered if he had seen her before.

She had looked at Mickey like she knew him.

But all this waiting was boring. He'd just go and come back later.

He started walking.

A blue car turned into the alley. Mickey watched as it drove up to the back door of the theatre and parked. The man got out. It was Zilbo the Wizard.

Mickey ran back towards the stage door.

'Mr. Zilbo! Mr. Zilbo! Can I have your autograph?'

He turned around. 'Why, of course you may.'

Mickey handed him a newspaper clipping of an article about Zilbo's performance.

As he was signing, Mickey said, 'I know how you do your tricks. You can go backwards in time, can't you!'

'Ah-h-hmm – er – what again?'

'You go backwards in time. I saw you, so I did. The trick where the girl went to you and waved at here mummy and daddy, first there was no one on the other side, but then you took her backwards in time, and there she was. But I remember that she wasn't there, but then she was there.'

'You do talk a lot, do you know that?'

'Yeah, my teacher says that too, and so did Ms. O'Connor. It's too bad about Ms. O'Connor. She would have been your assistant instead of – er...'

'Jane O'Conner?'

'Yeah, her name's Jane. She died last month, but if she didn't die, she'd be your assistant, so she would.'

'She died? How did she die?'

'Someone just appeared at her house and killed her, so they did. No one seen him before, like, real mysterious like. Someone with dark hair, dressed a bit like you – but of course it couldn't be you – unless...'

'Unless, what?'

'Un-less – er –' His words suddenly dried up as he realised what he was saying. He was suddenly in it, deep – too deep to back out.

'I think you'd better come with me,' said Zilbo.

Zilbo gripped his shoulder firmly as he opened the door and lifted him over the driver's seat on to the passenger's side.

Mickey wanted to scream, but it wouldn't come out. There was no one to scream to, the street was completely empty. Finally, when he could have screamed, there was silver sticky tape across his mouth, and the same sticky tape around his wrist and ankles. All he could say was, 'Hmmmmm!'

Mummy! Granda! Anyone! he sobbed – the words only audible inside his head. They just weren't there – just Mickey, and this horrible monster.

'First, I'll get you to a place no one will ever think of looking for you ...'

Oh shit! He's really gonna kill me! 'Hmmmmm! Hmmmmmmm!'

He was holding something the size of a mini DVD up to his eye.

'...say – three days ago.'

He tried kicking, but with his legs taped up, it didn't have much effect.

Suddenly, it was dark. Mickey could barely see anything.

The headlights went on as the car went speeding around the corner and up another street.

Oh God! This is how people die in gangster films! 'Hmmmmm hmmm!'

As his eyes adjusted, he realised that it was probably early in the morning.

Did we just go back in time?

'So, my lad. You knew the bitch, O'Connor. You are obviously a time-perceptive lad, and I can't use anyone who's time-perceptive around me right now. Too bad. You'd have made a fine assistant yourself!'

Mickey suddenly knew that dying in a gangster film wasn't as fun as it's hyped up to be. He'd never watch a gangster film the same way again.

Well, actually, he'd never watch another gangster film – period!

'Hmmmmmmmm!'

They were whizzing around corners and down more streets. Then, they finally came to a stop.

Dear God! Help me! Don't let him kill me pleeeeease! Amen!

'I'll make this quick.' Zilbo engaged the hand brake, and again picked up the disk thing.

Thump!!! Zilbo suddenly slumped forward onto his steering wheel.

'It's okay now, Mickey,' came a voice from the back seat.

Dylan quickly goes to the passenger door and gets all the duct tape off of Mickey, and helps him out.

He's sobbing, Dylan gives him a quick embrace, but they have to hurry.

'Mickey, what did he use for the time travel?'

Mickey points to the pendant, now hanging loose around Zilbo's neck.

Dylan quickly detaches it and takes Mickey by the hand, and they go off down the street in the direction the car was going. The other option could be to dump Zilbo's unconscious body by the side of the road, and drive the car, but he remembers the CCTV camera.

There's a café just over the hill on the other side. 'Let's go in here a while.'

They go in and sit down.

'Everything's going to be okay now,' he reassures the sobbing boy.

'But – I'm under the ground – I can't breath – it's horrible!' He starts crying louder.

'It's okay now. You're safe – you're...' remembering the other timeline, he realises.

'I c-can't even shut my eyes!'

If what Sue read in the tabloid is true, this boy is a gifted time-traveller. Zilbo even said as much on the drive here.

'You can remember things, can't you?'

Mickey nods.

'Did you remember something about Jane O'Connor?'

He nods again.

'And Zilbo has something to do with her death?'

'B-but I didn't know about it until –...' he falters.

Dylan finishes, 'You put two and two together, and suddenly you knew, but it was too late, right?'

He nods again. He stops sobbing.

'I think I'm dead now – I mean, I would be dead now, but you saved me.'

'Some men will come to do road works there in about an hour. Zilbo didn't know about that. They'll start digging up the foot path. If things had happened the way they were going to, they would see your hands sticking out from under the pavement. They call 999, everyone wonders how a boy could have been buried under a footpath that was paved fifty years ago. I suppose if they didn't just happen to have a road works project just then, you might not have been discovered until it was too late, maybe years later. As it happened, we started investigating right away. We kept your body in the morgue, and took your picture. Sue, my colleague is one of your neighbours, and she recognised you. We went to your house and found you were still alive, which was very puzzling. We've spent all this time wondering how you can be alive, and your body still in the morgue. When you went past Sue's house on your skateboard this morning – actually a few days from now – we knew something was going to happen, because you were wearing the very same clothes your body had on in the morgue.'

'Wow – thank you for saving me.'

'Now, we have to figure out what to do from here.'

'Can I go home?'

'Probably better if you didn't. There would suddenly be two of you. That would make things strange.'

'Yeah, it would.'

'Let's have breakfast, and then take it from there.'

'I had breakfast already.'

'Lunch then.'

'But it's breakfast time here.'

'We'll have breakfast for lunch then – or brunch – whatever.'

'How does this thing work, anyway?' says Dylan, thinking out loud.

Breakfast has been ordered, and Dylan is fingering the pendant.

'I saw Zilbo look through the hole in the middle and then make it go in and out like this.' Mickey goes through the motion.

Dylan puts it to his eye and slowly moves it back and forth.

'Whoa!'

He suddenly finds his mind clearer than it's ever been.

His naturally analytical mind is suddenly leveraged by an ability to focus all his mental power. He makes a sudden deduction: this device isn't a time machine. It simply focuses what energy is in the human psyche, especially those areas that are ones unique strength. For someone gifted in time perception, like Zilbo, or Mickey for that matter, it would give one the ability to actually navigate using those dynamics of time they perceive. Dylan's strength is his intuitive mind, which is why he's in CID – which is also why he's suddenly correlating this experience with everything Sue said she read in the tabloid.

Suddenly he realises exactly how they'll get home.

'Mickey,' he says.

'Yeah?'

'You are going to get us home.'

'Huh?'

'Yes. You have the gift of a time traveller.'

'How do you know?'

'You can remember discontinued timelines. That is, you remember things that would have happened had someone not gone back and changed it.'

'Oh!'

'So, by using this, you can get us back home.'

Mickey is quiet for a few minutes.

'But I think we should go save Ms. O'Connor first,' says Mickey finally.

'Hmm, brilliant suggestion.'

The breakfast was taking a long time to arrive.

The inspector said, 'Okay Mickey, first, why don't you look through the hole a second or two, don't try to do anything, and then tell me what it looks like.'

Mickey looked. What he saw was what something deep inside himself sort of expected to see – but it was awesome.

'What did you see?' asked the inspector.

But expecting to see it didn't make it easy to explain.

'I don't know.' That wasn't true. He did know, but there weren't words for it.

'Did it make any sense?'

'Yeah, it made sense, but I can't explain it.'

'Well, I suppose you wouldn't.' Inspector Murphy thought a while. 'Could you make a force field?'

'Huh?'

'Like a space where you can take something else along besides yourself.'

Mickey thought a while. 'Yeah, I think so.'

'Do you think you could do that; make a force field to include the two of us, and then send us about three minutes into the future?'

'I can try.'

'Oh, and just one thing. Make sure we don't move about and end up somewhere else. Could you try that?'

'Okay.'

Mickey put the object to his eye again, and he could recognise all the ways to do what Inspector Murphy had said. He did it.

The next thing Dylan is aware of, the food has magically appeared in front of them. The waitress returns.

'Oh! I didn't see you come back. Is everything okay?'

'Yes, everything's fine,' he replies.

She goes on her way.

'Mickey! You did it! You're a time traveller!'

A broad smile expresses his sense of accomplishment.

They finish their brunch, and then on to the next step.

Dylan decides that the best place to do it is the local park. On their way, they retrace their steps past where they left Zilbo in the car.

Though the cones and diversion signs are already up, the work men are gathered around the car. An ambulance and a police car are on the scene and a towing vehicle is backing into place.

'In the other timeline, that's us discovering your body,' says Dylan.

Mickey looks on solemnly.

'I must have given him a concussion for him to be out so long.'

Suddenly, he feels a tingling all over. It seems to be focused on the Ford Escort that's approaching – his own!

'Let's move on quickly. That's me that just arrived.'

They come to a secluded section of the park. It's turning out to be a cloudy day.

'Just to be safe, let's not go all the way back just yet. Can you take us back to yesterday about this time?'

'Okay.'

The clouds have suddenly disappeared. It's a sunny morning.

'Good. Do it again.'

Suddenly it's dark and drizzling. At least so far, Mickey has managed to keep them in the same location of the park.

'All right, one more time.'

It's no longer raining, there's still a cloud cover, but they're in a totally different section of the park.

'There's too many people in that place, so I came here.'

'Good thinking. What does it look like when we're time travelling?'

'I see it go all dark when it's night then it's morning again. When we get here, I start see'n people move'n about backwards real fast.'

'Okay, let's try a week. Can you count to seven?'

''Course I can!'

'Count seven nights, and land us the next morning.'

It's a week later.

Dylan sees a newspaper in the rubbish bin. He pulls it out and looks at the date. It is indeed ten days before the rescue.

'Okay, how about another week?'

They jump to a week earlier, and then five more days. It's an hour yet before Zilbo is due to arrive at Jane O'Connor's home. They sit in the park as Dylan looks into the device to focus his mind and decide what to do next.

'Okay, let's go,' he says, finally.

They go in the direction of Mickey's neighbourhood.

'Mickey, if you start to suddenly feel tingly all over, and feel like you're being pulled towards something, tell me. It's probably yourself, so we'd need to go a different way so you don't meet yourself.'

'Okay.'

They arrive at the house without incident with fifteen minutes to spare.

Dylan has a thought. 'If this is exactly the same as Zilbo's device, we might better keep it far away while we're meeting him.'

He thinks some more. 'Mickey, is there somewhere you can go where you're sure not to meet anyone, especially yourself?'

Mickey thinks. 'I don't know.'

'How about the public library? That's just down the road.'

'Okay.'

They walk together to the library. It looks safe. Mickey goes in with the pendant, having solemnly promised not to use it.

Dylan gets back with five minutes to spare – he hopes.

About two minutes later, Zilbo makes his appearance.

Dylan approaches him. 'Charles Irvin, if I'm not mistaken?'

Zilbo is visibly shaken. 'N-no, you obviously have me mistaken for...'

'I'm not mistaken. I'm from the future. We know exactly what you're here to do, and I strongly advise you to refrain.'

'But – how...?'

'You've done very well for yourself with your time-travel ability, and that device of yours. Unfortunately, you've let it go to your head. You discovered how much you can get away with – or think you have. Power corrupts, as I think you can appreciate, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But let's just say that your power isn't as absolute as you thought it was. There are others in this vicinity who also have the gift of time-perception, and they're on to you.'

'But – what about....'

'Ah, yes. You've committed some indiscretions with the good lady of this house behind me. I think it's time you faced the consequences of your own actions. What you were about to do will have consequences both for yourself and other innocent lives.'

'Yeah – I guess you're right...'

'However,' Dylan goes on, 'If you agree to simply jump back to where you started, I'll see to it that Ms. O'Connor doesn't cross your path. You'll return to an alternative timeline in which she wasn't your assistant. I'm doing this as much for her sake as for yours.'

After a short space, he says, 'Okay, agreed.'

'Now, to help me out a bit, when and where did you first meet Ms. O'Connor?'

He gives him the time and place, and goes his way. Dylan returns to the library.

'Look what I found!' says Mickey, holding up the comic-book version of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine.

'Well, well, well! You found the right book!'

'I wanna go to the future and visit the Eloi people. Can I?'

'Better not, for two reasons: the writer of that story wasn't a time traveller, so the Eloi and the Morlocks are all a made up story. Second, if you try to go that far into the future, you'd probably get lost. You'd have to really know your geography to get back to where you started, and you'd have to keep track of when you started from. You might never see your mum again.'

'Yeah,' Mickey agrees.

'But now, we have more work to do. We have to go and make sure Jane O'Connor doesn't become Zilbo's assistant.'

Jane O'Connor looked at her watch. She was in the right place, ten minutes early for her interview appointment.

She went to sit down in the hotel lobby.

What happened next, she wasn't sure. She suddenly found herself in the waiting room of the local hospital – in a wheelchair.

'Are you okay now, Ms O'Connor?'

'Mickey?' It was the boy from down the street she knew from her child-minding service.

'Ah, it looks like she's coming to,' said a man, coming to her with a staff nurse. It was Police Inspector Murphy.

'What happened?'

'You tell us! You seemed to be out of it for close to three hours,' said Inspector Murphy. 'You'd better let these people examine you.'

'I'm really glad to have you back, Ms. O'Connor,' said Mickey. He was almost in tears.

She didn't realise she meant so much to Mickey.

He gave her a long hug.

'We'd better be on our way now, Mickey,' said the inspector. 'Take care of yourself now, Ms. O'Connor.'

'I-I will.'

Inspector Murphy left the waiting room with Mickey at his side.

That's when it occurred to her, she had missed her interview appointment with Zilbo the Wizard.

It's evening as Dylan walks Mickey to his house.

'I tell you what,' says Dylan, holding the pendant.

'We'll say this is yours, when you're old enough. Meanwhile, I think it would be safer if I kept it for you.'

'Okay,' says Mickey.

'In the meantime, if you ever have any double memories of anything, come straight to me. Don't try to tell anyone else about it, because they'll never believe you. They'll think you're crazy. But if anything does happen that you think is the result of someone tampering with time, come to me, and maybe we can work together again. Then, when you're old enough – okay?'

'Okay,' says Mickey. 'Thank you very much for saving me.'

He slips inside his house.

'I thought you were in the tub already,' said Sandra, as Mickey dashed naked down the corridor to the bathroom.

Then, there was a stifled yell, and a splash!

Then, there was only one boy soaking in the bathtub.

'Wow!' he said.

Dylan has two sets of memories in his head, no Jane O'Connor case folder in his active basket, and no Johnny Doe in the morgue.The rape case folder has also vanished, which makes him wonder.

His colleague, Sue, despite her role in making it all possible, has no clue at all. Her life and memory shifted along with the rest of the timeline.

Dylan doesn't mind. Things are back to the way they should be – except now he has a regular visitor, the Johnny Doe cum future time-cop.

He's happy.

# A Couple of Years in the Early Life of a Time Traveller

Robby Charters

© 2020

Author's note: Any time a character named Boz appears in any of my stories, it's me making a cameo appearance in an autobiographical way. This was written as atonement for how I treated a person who was a true friend to me, when I was a  non sequitur eight-year-old.

## I  
A Boy's Cold War

nobody knows me

what goes on inside my head

how can I tell you?

'But aren't we at war with the Russians?'

'No, Benny,' said Miss Frampton. 'The Bay of Pigs invasion was last year. All over and done with. We're not at war.'

'I mean, like, what happened a few days ago, Kennedy bombed Cuba, coz they're building some sort of bases there, and then the Russians bombed Berlin, and then President Kennedy said yesterday we're declar'n war on Russia, and -'

'Benjamin Scully, nothing's going on in Cuba, Berlin hasn't been bombed. Where are you getting this stuff? Sit down!'

'Yes Miss Frampton.'

Benny slowly sat down while looking around at his friends, who only stared at him blankly.

At recess it was all skipping rope, hopscotch and games of tag, laughing and playing like nothing major had happened. He sort of remembered that yesterday they were huddled in groups wondering what was going to happen. Only sort of. He also remembered playing tag with Bobby and Alex.

Bobby wanted to play again, so Benny followed him to the middle of the playground.

'What were you talking about in there anyway?' he asked.

'Forget it,' replied Benny.

For the time being, Bobby was Benny's best friend. That wouldn't be for long though, Benny knew. Bobby lived in the compound for missionaries on furlough, and at the end of the term, he would be on his way back to Africa. Maybe there would be another one - from somewhere else.

They played on the jungle-gym until Miss Frampton blew her whistle and the whole third grade room two class ran and stood in double file, boys in one line, girls in the other. Then, off they marched to the classroom.

Arithmetic was next. Not Benny's favourite, but at least there was nothing about it that brought up funny memories of things that didn't happen.

Then, lunch hour. Everyone lived close enough to go home for lunch. That was only a ten minute walk. He caught up with Rebecca half-way. Debbie was home already, as kindergarten kids got a longer lunch

Rebecca was in first grade, and didn't do current events. Benny asked her anyway.

'Did anyone talk about the war with Russia?'

'Huh?'

'You know - President Kennedy declaring war and all that.'

'He declared war?'

'Dad was talking about all evening! Don't you remember?'

'We played Monopoly.'

'Yeah, we did...'

He clearly remembered playing Monopoly. Dad couldn't have been talking about that, playing his piece, and being the banker, and winning like he always does. He wouldn't have enough concentration. He had even made his usual references to the fact of some of the squares on the Monopoly board being places in their own town.

The talk about war was a bit faint in his memory. He couldn't remember anything specific that he said, except he was sure school would be closed.

And here, they'd gone to school and it was lunch already.

Mom had the radio on, but it was all general boring stuff.

The rest of the day went as a normal Friday should. Next day, it was Saturday - no school!

Sunday they went to church, which was right next to the missionary houses where Bobby lived. Bobby was there as well, and they sat together.

Reverend Hayden prayed his usual long prayer for everything under the sun. He seemed to pray extra long for the President, and for the Russians, and for Cuba.

Does he know something? Benny wondered.

Other than that, it was a normal Sunday.

Monday went as normal Mondays go until that evening. The family had sat down to watch The Lucy Show. Instead of Lucy, there was John F Kennedy:

Good evening my fellow citizens.

Benny had a weird sense of knowing (he hadn't learned the word deja vous yet).

This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet Military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere.

Benny was stunned. No one noticed how so, as they were also stunned - except Rebecca.

'Benny?' she whispered. 'Is that...'

Benny nodded slightly, eyes still glued to Mr. Kennedy.

...It shall be the policy of this Nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union...

Miss Frampton gave Benny a strange look when he arrived for class the next day. So did some of Benny's classmates.

Miss Frampton was called away for a meeting with some of the other teachers in the principal's office. The art teacher was left in charge, but she hadn't prepared anything as it wasnt the day art was normally scheduled. They just drew pictures. Benny could think of nothing to draw but spirally lines.

Instead of the usual hopscotch and tag at recess, the kids were grouped in their small circles of friends. Bobby was Benny's only real friend, though he could tell the others were glancing at him from their groups.

Bobby had a few questions, but Benny stayed, for the most part, quiet. This didn't feel like an 'I told you so' moment. It was too scary.

Later that day was their first drill. This was not a fire drill. Instead of 'brrrng, brrrng, brrrng...' the alarm went 'brrrng-brrrng, brrrng-brrrng...' That meant they were get their jackets, get in two lines in front of the door and walk quietly behind the teacher, not outside, but to the basement. There, they went to one of the big rooms and sat on the floor with the tail of their jackets tucked under their bottoms, and the collars pulled over their heads.

There was a drill like that every day for the next several days.

Bobby raised his hand. Miss Frampton called on him and he stood up.

'Miss Frampton, if that was a bomb drill, why didn't we just go outside like we did that time they said there might be a bomb in the school?'

'It's a different kind of bomb,' she replied. 'It's the kind that can destroy a whole city. It's the same kind we used to win World War Two. If it so much as lands in this state, the radiation could still kill us if we stood outside, but going down into the basement can help protect us.'

Benny was suddenly sitting bolt upright in bed. He may have screamed, but the relief of waking up quelled it. But he was still sobbing.

He had to see if she was okay. He got up and dashed to the girls' room. There was Rebecca, sleeping soundly in her bed, and Debbie in the other.

'Benny, what's the matter? Why are you out of bed?' It was Dad.

'I saw her burning up,' he sobbed, running into his arms.

'You were having a bad dream.'

'It wasn't like a dream - it - it was like remembering what happened - like today -'

Dad led him back to his room, tucked him in and sat on the side of the bed.

'So what happened?'

'It was like we were play'n hide-and-seek, like we were today, in the empty lot. Rebecca was "it", and I was hiding under that old refrigerator. I could see her coming around looking for us, and suddenly, everything went all white! It got hot as anything, and then I could see her skin melting off, and then her eye balls inside her skull looking at me and - and...' Benny couldn't hold it back and began wailing in his father's arms.

'What's going in?' it was Mom.

'Benny has just had a realistic dream about a direct nuclear hit.'

The next day they had another drill.

As they walked down the corridor towards the stairs, Benny said only loud enough for the kids next to him to hear, 'This might be the real thing.'

'Huh?' said Jimmy.

'No way!' said Alex. 'It's only a drill.'

'Quiet back there!' shouted Miss Frampton.

They quieted down.

After a while, Benny half whispered, 'Like, everyone says President Nixon is play'n it too tough. Gonna upset the Soviets.'

'Who?' said Jimmy, again too loud.

'Quiet!' shouted Miss Frampton.

'Benny says Nixon is President,' reported Alex.

'Kennedy is the President,' said Miss Frampton. 'Nixon lost fair and square. Now I don't want to hear another word out of you!'

They walked the rest of the way quietly as Benny wondered why he remembered hearing talk about Nixon. Then his mind went back to his thought that this might be the real thing.

They arrived at their assigned room in the basement, and took their seats on the floor.

If this is the real thing, then this is the safest place to be.

They sat there, as visions of Rebecca's melting face went through Benny's mind. Then the all-clear bell sounded.

Everyone got to their feet. Everyone except Benny.

'Miss Frampton, Benny won't get up!' said Jimmy.

'Benjamin Scully! What's got into you today?' Miss Frampton demanded.

Benny just sat with his face frozen in a terrified look.

'Well? Are you just going to sit here all day?'

Benny nodded, his face still frozen. Tears started rolling down his cheeks.

'Very well, have it your way. I will have to send a note to your parents.' She led the rest of the class out, as Benny sat all alone with his jacket still pulled over his head.

Several people came and went, checking up on him, including the principal, who concluded he was in too much mental turmoil to be forced.

Finally, a new staff member came and sat down next to him.

'Hi Benny, I'm Miss Kerry, the school councillor.'

Benny was silent.

After a while, Miss Kerry asked, 'Did you somehow know about all this before it started happening?'

Benny nodded.

'Did it seem like America had attacked Cuba, and then the Soviet Union bombed Berlin in retaliation?'

Again, Benny nodded.

'You were handling it very well. Why are you suddenly afraid?'

'C-cause I know what it's like.'

'What what's like?'

'One of them bombs.'

'Do you think you saw one of those bombs go off?'

Benny nodded.

'Can you tell me about it?'

Benny described the memory of the game of hide-and-seek, and seeing his sister melt.

'Oh! That must have been absolutely horrible! But I bet the fact you were under the old overturned fridge must have protected you from the blast long enough to see your sister's body deteriorate.'

Benny stared at Miss Kerry. 'Y-you mean it really happened?'

'Yes, but in a different timeline. It's safe now - for the time being.'

'How do you know its safe?'

'Because John F Kennedy is the President now, not Richard Nixon.'

She put one hand on Benny's shoulder and took his hand with her other. 'Why don't we go over to my office. It's right here in the basement so it'll be safe. Then we can talk.'

Benny got to his feet and followed her to her small room.

She got out some plain paper and some crayons. 'Benjamin, can you draw me a picture of time?'

'Huh?'

'It doesn't have to make sense. Just draw me what comes into your head when you think about time, as in the past, present and future.'

Benny was hesitant.

'Its okay. Just take your time. In fact, Why don't you shut your eyes a moment and immagine time, and then just let your hands go.'

After a while, Benny took a blue crayon and began drawing a line following a spiral course across the page. Then he took a red one, and drew another, flowing in the same pattern as the blue, then the same with a yellow, and a green... The result was a haphazard and yet organised flow of lines in a generally spiral motion.

Miss Kerry looked at the picture a while. Then, she took a round silver object out of her purse. It looked like it was made of diamonds smashed together, but it was round and flat, with a hole in the middle like a very small phonograph record.

'Sit still a moment, close one eye, and look through the hole in middle of this pendant. But only look. Don't try to do anything with it.'

She held the pendant to Benny's eye, and moved it slowly in and out a couple of times, and took it away.

Benny knew this was the real thing - what he had tried to draw on the paper. But he knew he could never explain to anyone what he saw.

Miss Kerry put the pendant back into her purse. 'When you get older, you'll learn more about this. But for now, let me assure you that there are people who know how to go backward and forward in time and are trying to make things okay again.'

'Wow!' was all Benny could say.

'You are one of very few who can remember things that would have happened had someone not jumped back and changed it. In fact, most people - certainly anyone you know - would never believe you if you tried to tell them. So it's better if we keep this as our secret. Maybe someday you'll be one of those people.'

Benny was good at keeping secrets, especially when he knew that everyone would only think he was crazy if he told. As for Miss Kerry, she suddenly had a reputation among the staff as a miracle worker.

## II  
Enter Boz

child from distant climes:

in things that most find mundane

he sees novelty

Boz's story: This is my first time going to school with other kids.

In Thailand, my mother taught me at home with the Calvert Course. That was for first grade. I'd watch all the Thai kids going off to school, and think, what would it be like to go to school?

Then we got on a ship and sailed to London, and went up to Scotland, and later crossed over to Belfast. There, I saw my cousins go to school, and come home again. All the while, my mother was still trying to teach me second grade.

Then, my mother took me with her on an aeroplane to America. My father is staying in Belfast for a while. He'll join us later.

Here, my grandma and my aunt and uncle have found us a place for missionaries. Now I'm going to school just like other kids do.

The people at the school decided I should stay in second grade, so here I am.

The teacher introduces Gladys to me, and says she lives at the missionary houses, and says she can walk with me to school so I won't get lost.

The teacher is named Miss Sink. I think the name is something more but I can't pronounce it. The other kids just say 'Miss Sink'.

She writes sums on the blackboard, and we have to copy them on to paper. She has us fold the paper a few times first to make creases, so we can write the sums in straight columns by each fold.

She walks around to check up on everyone. When she gets to me, I have hardly anything written down yet. She's shocked. I start writing, but mostly I'm looking around at everyone in the class.

She comes around again. I've only got two done. She tells me everyone else is almost finished.

Recess time. I play by myself on the climbing frame. They call it the jungle-gym. And then I play on the swings.

I know that when the teacher blows her whistle, it's time to run and get in line in front of her. There's one line for boys, one for girls.

I hear the whistle, so I get in line. We walk to the classroom. I try to find my seat, but someone's sitting there already. I fumble around and someone says I'm in the wrong class.

I have to go off looking for my classroom. The principal finds me and takes me to the right place.

Lunch time my mother comes for me. Miss Sink introduces her to Gladys. We walk home together for lunch. My mother asks Gladys what country her family works, and she says they're from Ecuador. I ask her how old she is. She's seven, same age as me.

* * *

Benny walked slowly home from his second day of fourth grade. The week hadn't gone too badly.

Of course, the first few days never do. Teachers don't show their true colours until about the third or fourth day. The kids haven't started being nasty yet. Being back to school is almost a novelty to some of them, as they're catching up with old friends.

But it would get old quick. His best friend had gone back to Africa. In fact, his only friend.

He knew there were more families with kids at the missionary houses, but so far, no candidates for 'best friend'. There was one family of four, a fifth grader, his two brothers, twins, in third grade, and their youngest brother in first. They were a bit too cliquish for him. When he rode by on his bike, he could tell the twins were right terrors in the playground at the missionary houses, especially with their older brother nearby to lend support.

But Benny didn't mind being alone. Knowing a few things about life that he couldn't tell anyone about - except Miss Kerry - made him a bit dreamy.

He arrived home, finally catching up with Rebecca and her best friend Kate. They were classmates again, in Miss Schlenk's second grade class.

Benny remembered Miss Schlenk. It took him most of the year to get her name right, and stop calling her 'Miss Sink'.

* * *

Boz's story: Now that I know my way to school, Gladys doesn't want me around anymore. At the houses, she chases me off when I go near her. At school, she ignores me.

The girls have a thing they do at recess. They get in two rows facing each other, clap their hands and sing a dity, Here comes Sally, down the alley, here comes Sally, all night long, while two on one end sort of dance - or do something else weird - from one end to the other between the two rows. Then they hold hands across the middle space and sing a different verse that I don't hear properly.

Sometimes a couple of the boys, like the two Billys, make fun by prancing through after them. I do it too.

The two Billys - Miss Sink calls them Billy S. and Billy N. - are the naughtiest two in the class. Miss Sink is always writing one or the other of their names on the board, under the heading '3:30'. That means they have to stay after school, which finishes at 3:30.

Every time I ask a kid in our class how old they are, they say they're seven. Even though I'm doing second grade over again, I'm still the same age as them.

Rebecca is also seven years old, and so is her best friend, Kate. I think Rebecca looks pretty. She has long blond hair and wears glasses, and looks sort of like that Charmin Chatty doll in the TV advert. I try to play with Rebecca and Kate during recess. They look at me funny, especially Kate. Rebecca starts to let me play though.

Of course, I play with the other kids too. When we play tag, we decide who's 'it' by getting in a circle, putting one foot in the middle while someone points from one foot to the next saying, 'Doggie doggie dia-mond, step right out.' The one who gets 'out' takes his foot away, and they do it again. The last one left is 'it'.

Jake and Jamie are twins. They're in third grade, and they're not very nice to me. Neither is their big brother Edward.

I'm playing army with some of the younger kids at the houses, and they trap us in a sort of an outside stairwell leading to a basement door. The twins are holding us hostage, and their brother is sitting on his bicycle nearby.

After a while, they let us go. I'm the last one, and while I'm getting out, Edward blocks my way with his bicycle.

They start telling me they have a knife, and they're going to cut my throat.

I'm about to start crying. One of the bigger girls walks past, sees me, and tells them, 'You better let him go.'

Edward says, 'Oh, okay,' and let me go. I run home, whimpering 'thank you' to to the girl who saved my life.

I tell my mother, between sobs, that the twins and their brother had cornered me and were about to kill me. She sits down with me and explains that they wouldn't kill me because they know, like everyone else, that killing someone like that would lead to a capital sentence.

That's a load off my mind.

She goes off to have a chat with their mother.

I see Rebecca and Kate go off together when it's time to go home. They go out the front door in the other direction from where I go, but when they get to the corner, they turn and go the same direction as me.

I follow them.

After a while, Kate glances back, and says to Rebecca, 'Be careful. B O Z is behind us.'

She thinks I can't spell my name.

They slow down and let me catch up.

'Why were you following us?' says Kate.

I don't say anything.

'Where do you live?' I ask Rebecca.

'That house there,' says Rebecca, pointing straight ahead.

'And I live down that way, past your house, nearer the sea,' says Kate. She knows I live at the missionary houses. She's also friends with Gladys.

We reach Rebecca's house.

'Can I come in?' I ask.

'Sure,' says Rebecca.

'No, don't let him,' says Kate. 'Come Boz. I'll take you home. I know where you live.'

I go into the house with Rebecca. Kate sighs and goes off to her house.

We get inside. There's a big boy there sitting in a couch.

'That's Benny. Benny, this is Boz. And that over there is Debbie.' There's a smaller girl coming out of the kitchen.

There's a woman inside the kitchen. 'That's my mom in the kitchen. Mom!' she calls. 'I brought someone home!'

She comes out and greets me.

Benny is a bigger kid. He says he's in fourth grade. He shows me his room and we play with some of his toys.

After a while, his mother says I'd better go home before my parents worry about me. Benny walks me home.

We pass a house next to the church.

'Reverend Hayden lives here,' says Benny. We stop by to visit.

I start going home the way that goes past Rebecca's house. After a while, Rebecca and Kim even wait for me in front of the school when I'm slower coming out.

I don't stop in at their house on the way home because my mother wants me to go home right away after school. Sometimes I can go to their house afterwards.

One time I stop in to visit Reverend Hayden. I end up watching Magilla Gorilla on their TV.

After a while my mother and Grandma knock on the door. They've been looking for me everywhere.

I'm still slow at doing my arithmetic. I always look around at what's going on. Billy S's reading group is sitting in a circle in the front, and I'm listening as they take turns reading their Dick and Jane.

Kate goes, 'Pssst! Boz! Get busy!'

I get busy for a while.

Then it's Mike's reading group's turn. That's the one I'm in.

My mother had me reading Dick and Jane in Thailand. That's where I started calling them Mother and Father, like Dick and Jane do, instead of Mummy and Daddy.

In the afternoon, we copy words off the blackboard and put them in alphabetical order. That's even worse!

At the missionary houses, Jake and Jamie are nicer to me since my mother had a talk with theirs.

Sometimes we play together.

Starting a game of tag with Rebecca and Kate, I can see Kate practising the 'doggie doggie diamond' in her head before doing it out loud, to make sure I'm 'it'.

They jump up laughing, saying 'Boz is it!' I have a hard time tagging them.

On another day Miss Sink has us all out on the playground, running races. I run one race with Billy N. He's a lot faster than me, so I'm way behind. I come to the finish line and I can hear Kate and Rebecca laughing their heads off.

They still wait for me at 3:30.

## III  
Exit Mr Kennedy

all who lived through it

remember their whereabouts

when they heard the news

Boz's story: I get back to the houses from school, and walk past some of the other missionary kids.

Linda says, 'Boz, come here!'

I join the group. 'Tell your parents to turn on the news. President Kennedy has been shot!' she tells me.

'The President?' I didn't know the name of the President before.

The kids are talking about it. One boy comes, and Linda asks him if he's heard. He says his mom is crying.

I go home and tell my mother. She turns on the radio, and starts telling me other things as they're happening, like Lyndon Johnson is going to be the President, because he was the Vice President.

A few days later she tells me that somebody shot the one who shot the president, because he thought it was a horrible thing to do.

* * *

Benny had just come out of the boys room in the school basement, when Miss Kerry suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Benny almost fell over backwards.

'H-how did you do that!?' he almost shouted.

'I did a time jump from the future, because I have something very important to tell you. Let's go into this room a moment.'

'Why not your office?'

'Because I'm in there.'

'Huh?'

'I'll explain it to you in here.'

'B-but...'

'Okay, I'll tell you what. It is good to be careful in any case; you go ahead and stick your head in the door, and tell the person you see there, "I'm going to have a talk with you from the future." She'll know exactly what you're talking about.'

So, he did, and there was Miss Kerry sitting there, smiling at him. She answered, 'It's okay.'

And there was Miss Kerry also standing in the corridor.

'You'll need to change what you were about to do,' said the Miss Kerry from the future when they went into the other room. 'You were going to give your report on current events, and land yourself in a lot of trouble.'

'How do you know?'

'I've come from the future where you're in trouble. First off, who killed the president?'

'Hidell, I think, or - no, it was Oswald. He sort of looks like him, so I get them mixed up.'

'I want you to promise me something: don't ever mention the name Alek Hidell to anyone.'

'Why?'

'He's very dangerous. He's a time traveller. If it becomes known that he and Oswald aren't the same person, and he traces it to you, he could come after you. And he'd go for you when you were five.'

'Which one shot President Kennedy?' asked Benny.

'We're pretty sure it was Hidell. He chose Oswald because they look alike, and because Oswald was just the type of person he needed for the job.'

'If he killed the President, shouldn't everyone know that?'

'There are people working on that, but he's very clever. He always stays one step ahead of us. Right now, we can't make the truth public without doing even more harm. Also, it would be hard to explain some of it when most people don't understand time travel. That's another reason you'll have problems.

'Now, as far as everyone is concerned,' Miss Kerry went on, 'Oswald is suspected of shooting the President; they caught him in the movie theatre; they held him in the police jail, and while they were taking him out of there, Jack Ruby shot him (Hidell also had a hand in that, but for right now, that's our secret). Oswald never gave his testimony because he died before they could get him to court.'

'Wow! Most of the stuff I got is about his testimony,' reflected Benny.

'Yes. In the future I just came from, they think you're a bit crazy. Some teachers remember how you were during the Cuban Missile Crises, and some blame me for it. Now, a few think it's odd that you know some of the names of people involved - names that a boy like you wouldn't know about, like Alek James Hidell. Things do get quite difficult for you, with meetings with your parents, counseling sessions with people who don't understand you; there's even talk about having you see a psychiatrist.'

'Woah!'

'But it gets worse; a story even gets printed in the newspaper. Nobody takes it seriously, but there are names of people, and things done that - though nobody believes, coming from you - they did kill Oswald to keep quiet. That's where it would get dangerous for you. Let's just say, some people can't take a joke.'

Benny was very quiet.

'Here, go ask the other me for some paper, and I'll help you rewrite your report.'

'But - I'm only supposed to be going to the bathroom. Mrs. Cliffard will have me stay after school for taking too long!'

'Don't worry. I'll get you back in time.'

The new version of Benny's report was ready, and now they stood at the end of the corridor.

Miss Kerry took out the little disk she had shown him a year earlier and put it to her eye. There seemed to be some sort of flash, Benny couldn't tell what.

'OK, now you're just in time to go back to your classroom without them missing you. But first, take this note to my office and give it to the other me.'

He did. Again, it was weird to see two Miss Kerrys.

The Miss Kerry from the future walked him to the other end where the stairs were.

Benny felt something weird as they passed the room they had been in.

'Did you feel that?' asked Miss Kerry.

'Yeah! What was it?'

'That's what it feels like when there are two of yourself close to each other. That's you and me in there when we started our chat.'

'Wow! Can I go and say "hi" to myself?'

'You'd better not. If you get too close to yourself you'll merge into your other self. That would complicate things. You'd better go on now. I have to get back to my time.'

She watched him long enough to make sure he went up the stairs, and jumped back to the future.

The rest of the day went without any unpleasant incidents, except Benny noticed that his watch was thirty-five minutes fast.

## IV  
Friendship and Beyond

non sequitur child

all life is an experiment

lessons come after

Benny still couldn't find anyone that he could regard as a true friend.

After experiencing time travel and being aware of disconnected timelines, everything his friends were interested in seemed shallow. Nothing they talked about could hold his interest.

Also, most of them found him too dreamy for their liking.

His sister was concerned that he seemed to have no friends

Things could have been worse, he reminded himself. He could have given the original version of his current events report. Then, they would have all thought he was nuts.

Boz, who came over occasionally, was different. He was a 'little kid', of course, but he had an imagination. He loved to pretend. Benny enjoyed having him around.

* * *

Boz's story: It's going to be my birthday. My mother's planning a party, and she's given me a handful of invitations to give to my friends.

I give invitations to Rebecca and Kate, also to some others. Back at the houses I give one each to Jake and Jamie. I have one for Edward too, but he doesn't want one. I give some to other kids at the houses, including Brandon, next door, who's in kindergarten.

Rebecca thinks I should give an invitation to her brother Benny as well.

'You're his best friend, you know,' she says.

Wow!

My mother and I decide he should get Edward's invitation.

I take the invitation to Benny and Rebecca's house. Rebecca is there but Benny isn't home yet.

'He might be on his way now. If you go that way, you might meet him.'

I set off down the street. Sure enough, there he is.

I go up to him and join him.

'Am I your best friend?' I ask.

'You're my only friend,' he says.

'Here,' I hand him the invitation. 'I want you to come to my birthday.'

'Thank you Boz!'

My mother had written on the invitations, 'no presents', but Kate brings one anyway. It's a model old fashion car set that I have to put together.

My mother has little trays of sweets at each place with their names on them. There's also a fancy rubber eraser toy for each one.

Benny finds his place and says, 'Oh good! I'm next to the birthday boy!'

Everyone enjoys the party. My mother organises a few games, including 'hide the persimmon'. She gives prizes to the winners.

I get a bike as my birthday present. I've never ridden a two wheeler before. Benny says he'll come over and teach me to ride it.

Jake and Jamie weren't well, so they couldn't come to my party.

After its all over I take them their little trays of sweets

As promised, Benny comes over and we take my bike out. We start at the tennis courts.

The bike has a fixed sprocket, so it doesn't coast like bigger bikes I've seen. In fact it will go backwards if you pedal backwards.

Benny demonstrates it for me, saying, 'Oh no! I'm going backwards!'

The brake is a pedal in front that you push on with your foot.

Benny holds the bike and runs along as I pedal. Soon, he's able to let go, and I can ride it myself.

We play on our bikes often, usually going around the block. There are a lot of walkways on the compound, so it's great for riding and pretending we're going places.

* * *

Benny enjoyed being a 'big brother' to a kid like Boz. He could see so much of himself in him - apart from remembering other timelines.

They were together almost every day, riding their bikes, playing 'army', other role playing games. This was fulfilling his need for a friend who understood him.

He wondered how Boz would respond if he explained time travel to him.

* * *

Boz's story: We're standing in line outside the door, with the other second grade classes, each standing in their double lines. One of the teachers is giving the morning announcements.

I wonder what Ralph would do if I poke him in the back.

I do it. He turns around and pushes me. I push him back. Then he pushes me so hard I fall over.

'Behave yourselves, you two!' shouts Miss Sink.

I've been doing stuff like that a lot lately. I'm one of the boys, I am!

I play with Jake and Jamie a lot these days. Sometimes we're mean to the other kids - the 'little kids' who need to be kept in their place.

They also don't like kids who don't live here coming to the houses to play.

I'm at Benny and Rebecca's house and we're playing in the front yard. Kate is there too, and Benny and Rebecca's sister Debbie.

We're piling up on top of eachother with Benny on the bottom, to see if we can all get on.

We tumble off. Rebecca lands in the grass. I land on Rebecca. She tries to get up, but I'm still on on her back. She starts screaming, but I still don't get off - just sort of seeing what happens.

Benny pulls me off, and Rebecca runs into the house. She's crying. Benny follows her inside.

I haven't seen her cry before.

Benny comes out and tells me it's time for me to go home.

Kate waits for me on the way to school, as usual.

On the way to Rebecca's, she asks, 'Why didn't you get off Rebecca?' She's scolding me all the way.

I don't say anything.

Rebecca comes out.

'I'm sorry,' I say.

'It's all right

I ask my mother, 'Will I go to Heaven when I die?'

She answers, 'Did you receive faith in Jesus?'

'Yes,' I say hesitantly.

'Then you'll go to heaven.'

I don't want to tell her why I've been having doubts - about the bad things I've been doing.

My dad is finally arriving from Ireland, and my mother has to go to New York to meet him at the airport.

Jake and Jamie's mom has offered to look after me for the night, so I spend the night at their house.

They have lots of toys. There's a slot racing car set, but it doesn't work. But I have fun with them.

The next day, my dad arrives. It's a happy reunion.

My Uncle and Aunt and my cousins from Honduras will be coming to stay at the houses next month. I've never met them, but they saw me when I was a baby.

I have more friends now than I used to. I think I'll stop being friends with Benny now.

* * *

Benny rang the bell at the apartment where Boz lived. He hadn't been around for almost a week. Rebecca said he had started going home by the more direct route and he hadn't been playing much with her and Kate lately.

'Hello, Benny,' said Boz's mother when she opened the door. 'Boz is down at the playground.'

Benny thanked her and went off in that direction.

A few of the kids were out at the playground. There was Boz near the middle.

'Hey, Boz!'

Boz looked like he didn't hear him and ran to the far end of the playground, playing with the little kid that lived next door to him, and Jake and Jamie's little brother.

Benny moved to the other side, but somehow the three had wandered to the other end.

Benny gave up and went home, not feeling well in his stomach.

On another day, Benny met Boz in the company of the twins.

'Hey! You don't belong here!' shouted one of the twins.

'Yeah!' said Boz. 'Get out!'

Benny walked slowly away.

He's just a little kid anyway, thought Benny to himself. I need to find friends my own age.

However, he couldn't bring himself to truly believe that.

* * *

Boz's story: My cousins are living here now. They've got an apartment in the other building.

They're great to play with. Gloria is just a little bit older than me, and is in third grade. Reuben is a year older, in fourth, but he's not in Benny's class. Vivian is the oldest and then Johnny is the youngest. He's not in school yet. He only speaks Spanish. Sometimes the older ones speak Spanish to each other .

That's weird! Me and my parents never speak Thai to each other.

I spend most of my time playing with them now.

Somebody gave us a pair of rollerskates for me.

Vivian and my mother are helping me to learn to skate, walking on either side of me, holding my hands.

My mother has to go in, so Vivian is still there.

Oh no! There's Benny. He's riding his bike nearby. He stops to watch.

Vivian says, 'You're starting to do better now. Can you do it by yourself a while? I need to go inside.'

'I'll help you,' says Benny.

'No!' I shout.

'C'mon Boz, why don't you let him help you?' says Vivian.

'Yeah!' says Benny. 'We used to be such good friends. Now he treats me like his enemy!'

'Is that true Boz?' asks Vivian.

I don't say anything.

I won't be his friend because I decided not to be.

Benny rides away slowly.

It's Saturday. Again I'm trying to rollerskate, this time by myself. A strange man is coming slowly towards me. He looks just a little bit familiar.

He says, 'Are you Boz?'

'Yes. Who are you?'

'My name's Ben.'

'How do you know me?' I ask.

'Oh, we've met before. You probably don't recognise me.'

I slip and almost fall, but he catches me. Then he walks beside me holding my hand. He's strong so he holds me up when I'm slipping, but relaxes to let me balance myself most of the time.

'I have lots of friends in this town. What about you?' he says.

'I have a few,' I say.

'Friends are a precious thing. You'll always be glad you have them. And it's a very sad thing to lose them.'

We're quiet for a while.

Then he says, 'I've lost friends, some many years ago, and it still makes me sad to think about it.'

We walk some more. I wonder if he knows about Benny?

'Did you know,' he asks, 'it's easier to hurt a friend than to hurt an enemy?'

'No.'

'That's because of what made them your friend to begin with. You made them happy in a special way, and it's like that lifts them up. But if you suddenly turn around and hurt them, it's like they fall down from their high place.

'Like any breakable object, if it's precious to you, you'll be careful not to let it drop. Friends are precious.'

I don't know what to say. I'm sure he's talking about Benny.

'You've heard the rhyme, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never harm me."'

'Yeah.'

'That's not true at all. Sticks and stones might break your enemies' bones. They'll eventually heal. But names can hurt your friends even worse. It keeps on hurting deep on the inside long after the bones have healed.'

I'm quiet.

'Your friend Benny likes you very much as a friend. It would be very sad if, when you leave here, you hadn't made up with him. It would be sad for him, and I think you'll look back on it some day and it would be sad for you too.'

He's let go of my hand, but I'm skating by myself.

'There, I've taught you to skate.'

I think he taught me something else too.

* * *

Benny was at home, alone. Dad was at work, Rebecca was at Kate's, and Mom had taken Debbie to see the doctor.

He didn't feel like doing anything right now. A part of him had thought it would have been wonderful to be the one to teach Boz to skate, just like he taught him to ride a bike. The other part of him told him, Forget it! You'll never teach anyone anything worthwhile.

But there was something else about today. He had had that tingly feeling again, like when passing the room where himself was still talking to Miss Kerry from the future.

Since then, Miss Kerry had told him that if he ever got that feeling again, he needed to get away from there.

But he had looked, and there was a man, walking with Boz on his skates. The man had looked up and seen Benny, and had shaken his finger in the same way as Dad did when motioning for him to stop doing something. He'd never seen him before, yet he looked very familiar - a combination of his dad and Uncle Barry on his mother's side.

Why did he get that weird magnetic feeling from him? Me from the future? He thought. No way! Why would he be walking with Boz - that ungrateful brat!

The phone rang.

'Hello?' he answered.

'Hi. Is this Benny?' came a sort of familiar, adult male voice.

'Yes sir.'

'I'm calling in regards to a friend of yours.'

'Who?'

'You taught him to ride a bike, and you were wishing you could teach him to rollerskate as well.'

'Boz?'

'I've fulfilled that wish for you. You've taught him to rollerskate, and he's now doing quite well.'

'B-but...'

'Now, I'd like it if you would fulfill one of my wishes in return.'

'Y-you-you're...'

'That's right. You saw me earlier today with Boz. And you were a wise boy to stay clear of me when you felt my presence. Otherwise things could have got very muddled. Miss Kerry taught us well.'

'So you're - me?'

'Yes, and I want you to do me - and yourself - a big big favour.'

'What?'

'When Boz comes to visit you today, treat him like a friend, that he's supposed to be. Forgive him for how he has been to you. He's just a little boy who needs to learn some important lessons about life. You will have taught him something far more important than rollerskating or riding a bike.'

* * *

Boz's story: I ring the doorbell. Benny opens it.

He just comes out and we start walking. We haven't said anything.

I never cry in front of people except my mother, or if it's really terrible. It's like showing that I'm a baby or something.

But I feel like crying now.

'I'm sorry,' I say finally. And I'm crying.

He just puts his arms around me and hugs me. He's crying too.

* * *

After a few more good times together, as often on wheels as not, Boz's family departed for the West Coast.

Both lived more happily ever after than they did in their original timeline.

# The Great Time Shift

What would have happen if Hannibal didn't defeat Rome?

## Chapter 1  
The Time-Spirals

Venerable Elder Thoma Nerseh went on his customary walk through the grounds with his companion, an eohippus, prancing at his side.

Most days, he took his walk along the network of footpaths that provided access to the houses of instruction, the gymnasiums, the libraries and the living quarters. Other times, he took one or another of the forest paths that meandered along the mountain slope, joining the various residences of the other retired members of The Order, or, if he was energetic, the one that wound up the mountain to the summit. Today, he settled for a walk around the grounds.

The eohippus was everything one could want in an animal companion. Apart from being too small to ride, it had all the qualities of a horse, with the added benefit of being able to come indoors. It even slept on his bed like a lap dog. And it helped keep the grass trim.

As the animal galloped off to sample a tuft of grass in middle of the central lawn, Thoma looked about the campus. Groups of students were scattered throughout, some doing their exercise and physical training outdoors – as it was a nice day for it – others doing their meditation, and at least one seated on the grass in a circle around their instructor.

Thoma thought about his own days as a pupil, not so long ago, it seemed to him. By human age, a mere 200 short years, though chronologically, close to 30 millennia, but he could remember them like they were yesterday. He could still hear the monotone voice of Father Gohvind...

* * *

'In Saint Paul's First Epistle to the Parthians, it is written, In the fullness of time, God brought forth His Son, born of a virgin... I want to speak to you about this phrase, "the fullness of time".'

Young Thoma sat at his writing table with his stylus in his hand in case Father Gohvind should give out a fact that wasn't a repeat of his previous lectures.

'The Holy One, blessed be He, knew the proper time to unveil His Messiah, and that time, as we see through the lens of history, was indeed the perfect time. The Parthian Empire was the world ruler of the day...'

Thoma's stylus began to meander idly across his slate in a spiral pattern. He had heard this same lecture three times in his four years at the Abbey of Saint Ashoka, so he didn't expect anything to appear on his slate worth copying to paper afterwards.

'...Alexander the Great had brought Greek learning and language. Our own city of Alexandria stands as a testament to his glory...'

Father Gohvind was one of the few who still referred to their city by its ancient name, Alexandria of Arachosia. All the locals called it Iskandar, a corruption of "Alexandria".

'...the Seleucids and the Ptolemies solidified his achievements, bringing education and literacy to every city, all the while they stopped the advance of the Poenicians from the West. Then, came the rise of the Parthian Empire. The Seleucids, and later, Egypt and Carthage finally fell to the Parthians, who preserved the learning of the Greeks, as well as kept the Aramaic language alive throughout their empire, thus preparing the way for the spread of the Gospel in the language of the Apostles, enabling Christianity to spread throughout the Empire and beyond, into India and the greater part of China. Now, only the barbarian nations to the West have yet to embrace the Truth. Apart from the Greek Cities spread along the various shores of the Great Sea and beyond, vast areas still worship the pagan gods: Rome, Gaul, the Goths, the Saxons, the Norsemen; while the Southern half of the old Punic Empire has adopted the religion of Muhammad. Indeed, Islam has taken over Carthage itself, the entire South coast of the Great Sea, and even nations as distant as Iberia and Britain...'

Thoma's stylus continued making spirals on the slate, following the same pattern of images that appeared in his mind during his meditation. Both he and Yosef had been seeing the same visions, and agreed that they were to do with the foundations of time.

'...So you can see how the Hand of The Divine was firmly on all these events; in His wisdom, directing the rise and fall of empires until the world was ripe for the carrying out of His plan, not only making it possible for Messiah to be born, but for a world ideal for the rapid spread of the Truth...'

The pupils walked as a group to the house of prayer; Father Juno taking up the rear. In front of him walked Thoma and Yosef.

'More spirals on your slate, I see,' said Yosef inclining his head towards his companion.

'Indeed.'

'I didn't get anything either. When will he say something new, so I'll feel like I've learned something, as one would expect in a school?'

'I think he's said everything he knows,' replied Thoma.

'Then he should study some more. Who was it who said "The greatest instructors are students"?'

'Gaius of Persepolis, I think.'

Father Juno caught up with them, and greeted them both.

He opened his mouth to say something, but just then Father Carpus came running. 'Juno! Please come quickly!'

'What is it, Carpus?'

'You must see it! You...'

He suddenly turned white, as though he'd seen a ghost. But he was only looking at Yosef.

'...er – anyway, come!'

Father Juno called to the group of pupils. 'Go ahead and begin without me. Sanjiv, would you lead them in the opening prayer? Then begin meditation as we do every day.'

He went hurrying off with Father Carpus to the East side of the campus behind the sleeping quarters.

The rest entered the house of prayer. Sanjiv said a prayer, and they all got into their preferred positions.

For many, simply sitting cross-legged in lotus position was the preferred position, but others chose various yoga stances. Yosef and Thoma had each chosen one of the latter, and they settled into their meditation.

Thoma's eyes were half open, but he could still see the spiral, this time larger than life. He felt like he could reach out with his imagination and touch it.

It was full of details that he would be hard put to describe to anyone. Some patterns, he intuitively recognised, but he couldn't even say exactly what it was that he recognised.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light in a portion of the spiral.

He heard gasps from some of the other students, and he was aware that Yosef, who had been right there in front of him, wasn't there any more.

'He's vanished!' cried Menashe. 'I was looking at him, and he simply vanished!'

The whole room was there, gazing at the spot Yosef had occupied until just now.

'Er – I'll go fetch Father Juno,' said Thoma.

He ran to the East border of the campus, where he'd seen Fathers Juno and Carpus go. There was a group of them standing around the solid rock slope of the mountain side. When he got to a position where he could see past them, he gasped. Someone's upper torso and head were sticking out of the side of the mountain, the rest of the body embedded in solid rock.

What parts of the body were visible were in a Yoga position.

It was Yosef.

The Fathers were up all night with Thoma, repeatedly questioning him regarding the visions he and Yoseph had been having during their meditation, and then discussing among themselves.

They'd repeat over and over the chain of events: Fathers Carpus and Hanoch had been laying plans for an extension to the residence, when suddenly, Yoseph appeared embedded in the rock. After a few gasps for breath, he died. They had called to Father Binyamin, and he came and looked. Then, Carpus had run to find Juno, who was walking to the house of prayer. With him was Yosef, still alive.

So, how could he have been in two places at once? Leaving that question dangling, they went back to questioning Thoma for the – he-forgot-how-many-eth time.

'What was it that you saw in your vision?'

Thing that can't be described, generally in a spiral formation, he'd answer.

'Please describe them.'

They can't be described.

'What is their significance?'

Something to do with time, he told them. The very mechanics of time itself. Something tangible, yet intangible.

'What did Yosef do to get himself embedded in rock and be in two places at once?'

Thoma didn't know.

Actually, he had ideas, but he didn't want to say them out loud. There's something about half thought-out ideas that go awry if you try to verbalise them, and there's nothing worse than being labelled by the likes of Father Gohvind by his interpretation of your half-way-thought-out idea.

Just once during the course of the night's discussions, someone mentioned that five year earlier, another student, Lysis, had also vanished during meditation. Later, he fell out of the sky over a nearby farm.

So, on and on it went until the early hours of the morning. Finally Thoma was allowed to go to bed.

He cried himself to sleep.

As he was washing himself in preparation for morning prayers, Thoma was sure that sometime, during the course of the day before, Father Juno had mentioned that they were about due for an outing to the Arachotus River.

His first thought was, that would be a refreshing change of pace.

His second thought was, when did he say such a thing? He hadn't spoken to him since the previous morning, so the only time he could have heard him was during the interrogation about Yosef's tragic accident.

Then his thoughts went to Yosef, and he paused to reflect that his best friend at the Abbey was now gone from his life.

Then, his thoughts about Yosef were again distracted: Certainly, Juno wouldn't have said something about an outing in middle of the intensive discussion they had last night. But Thoma was sure that it was late in the previous day that he said it.

Father Binyamin made the announcement at morning prayers. 'When in meditation, anyone who gets visions of anything in a spiral formation, or anything they believe to be the mechanics of time, is to back off from that train of thought. They are to meditate strictly on the words of Messiah.'

The second announcement was that lectures were called off for the day, due to the tragedy the night before, and the loss of their fellow pupil. They would spend the time after the morning meal, in the house of prayer.

So, the morning was spent in prayer and meditation.

Thoma decided that the only thing for it was to comply with the order not to visualise the time-spirals. First, he said a prayer for the soul of Yosef. Then he meditated on one of the Psalms, followed by his favourite passage from John's epistle to the Babylonians.

Late in the morning, his mind wandered back to the time-spirals, but only at a distance. He didn't dare move towards them.

But he suddenly remembered something about the evening before:

They had been walking towards the house of prayer, Father Junio caught up to Thoma and Yosef.

'Do you think it's about time for a trip to the Arachotus River?'

Yosef said, 'I could certainly use a good cool dip.'

Thoma said, 'That would be refreshing diversion, indeed!'

Then they had reached the door of the house of prayer.

But Father Carpus came and took Father Juno away before that! Why do I remember it if it didn't happen?

Thoma pondered the mystery for the rest of the morning

The Fathers decided to pile stones and dirt up against the rock slope where Yosef's body was sticking out, burying him where he was. That would serve as his tomb.

There were special prayers at the site. Thoma stayed there after everyone else had left.

Father Juno found him there, and stood quietly at his side with his arm around his shoulders. Then, he gently led him to the dining room.

For the next few weeks, things began to go back to normal. Thoma tried to keep to the rule not to allow his mind to linger on the time-spirals. Only on a couple of occasions did his mind wander, and he again saw them at a distance.

While viewing the time-spirals, his mind seemed clear, and he could think through things logically. It occurred to him that had Yosef not got himself embedded in the rock, Father Carpus would also not have come running to fetch Father Juno. Father Juno would have made the comment about going off to the river for a rest.

So, he was able to remember both what did happen, and the alternative sequence of events that would have happened.

Thoma also wondered about Lysis. He had disappeared one year before Thoma and Yosef arrived at the Abbey, in much the same way as Yosef. Had he also seen time-spirals?

They did go on a day's outing to the river-bank. It was just what they needed.

For Thoma, it wasn't the same without Yosef.

There was a visiting teacher, Doctor Kumar, a master of astronomy. All the pupils were present, as well as the instructors.

'While illiterate villagers tend to think the earth is flat, educated people are generally aware that it's round.'

While Thoma was aware the earth was round, that fact coming at the beginning of the lecture was a sign he should keep his stylus and slate poised for note taking. He'd forego the spirals.

'We who are observers of the heavens have also become aware of a few other things. Some of our measurements have shown us that the sun is a great deal larger than the earth, and is a very great distance from the earth. Moreover, that the earth rotates, thereby causing day and night.'

Of that, Thoma was also aware. But, he suspected, there was much more to come.

'From my own observations of the heavens, I am convinced that the earth also circles the sun on an annual cycle, and the particular tilt of the earth is what causes the seasons.'

There was a lot of mumbling from the listeners.

Father Carpus spoke up and said, 'I really believe that seasons are better explained by the nearness of the sun at particular points in its orbit.'

'My observations suggest otherwise,' Dr. Kumar began.

He was interrupted by Father Gohvind: 'Does this not go against the Scriptures? They clearly point out that man is the centre of God's creation!'

'Indeed,' Father Hanoch added, 'the stars are for signs. It was they that signalled the birth of Messiah. Therefore, it follows that it is the stars that move, not the earth...'

Soon, there was a loud discussion between Dr. Kumar and several of the instructors.

The only thing Thoma wrote down that session was, 'The earth goes around the sun.' Something about that seemed to light a candle somewhere in the back of his mind.

Then, it was time for the midday meal.

Afternoon siesta time: Thoma went on a walk into the city. At times like this, he missed Yosef, as they would often go together to sit for a cup of hot tea in Rav Gili'ad's outdoor tea shop.

As he passed nearby, he saw Dr. Kumar sitting at one of the tiny stools next to a low table. Dr. Kumar nodded and smiled as he passed. Then waved him to the empty stool.

Thoma had no coins, but sat down anyway, as he wanted to ask some questions of the astronomer.

Rav Gili'ad passed by with a tray of dirty cups. 'Tea today, Rav Thoma?'

'Not today, thank you.'

'Bring him a cup,' said Dr. Kumar. 'I'll pay.'

'Oh, no! I couldn't possibly...'

'One more tea then,' said Rav Gili'ad, and was off.

'Lovely place, this,' said Dr. Kumar. 'Do you come here often?'

'Yes. This shop has been in his family for hundreds of years; they claim, ever since Israelite people first arrived in these parts.'

'They trace their lineage that far back?'

'To the tribe of Reuven,' said Thoma. 'Many of their tribe settled in this area.'

'Yes, I understand many of the tribes of ancient Israel settled in these parts after the Assyrian captivity.'

'Dr. Kumar, could you please tell me more about what you've observed regarding the movement of the earth?'

'Why certainly I can. I didn't get very far on the subject in there, did I!'

'I'm certainly interested in knowing more about it.'

'Well then.'

Rav Gili'ad brought Thoma's tea. Thoma had his slate ready.

'Observing the stars and planets can be similar to riding through a forest, and viewing trees and animals. Just suppose all the animals in the forest were going in the same direction as you, but all moving at different speeds. If you mathematically computed the position of each animal, and each tree, I'm sure you could soon know the speed each animal is travelling, and calculate where each animal will be at a given point in time. Do you understand me so far?'

'Yes Doctor.'

'Without burdening you with the calculations – we'd need many sessions to teach the mathematics if we did – let's just say that we make the same predictions regarding planets and stars, and the earth's position in regard to the same. According to my observations, it makes sense to believe that everything is in constant motion. The earth is moving around the sun, the sun is also on a cycle around a much broader portion of the universe...'

Thoma was scribbling furiously on his slate. By the end of the siesta time, he had it full of notes, and then had to keep the rest in his head.

Thoma had just one more question: 'Sir, if everything is moving, the earth around the sun, does it follow that since we began this conversation, we've moved a great distance from where we started it?'

Dr. Kumar thought a while. 'Yes, my son. It would mean exactly that! That's a brilliant observation!'

Thoma had a lot to ponder.

If Yosef did, indeed, go back in time, as it was midday, he moved Eastward, Thoma realised. Travelling in time entails travelling across space. Lysis, as he fell out of the sky, either did it in the morning or evening, so that the earth went away from him, depending on if he were going forward or backward in time.

So, how would one calculate the distance to travel in order to go backwards or forwards by a given time? One would have to be a mathematician!

During daily meditation, Thoma began to disregard the rule, and observed the spiral of time more closely. As he observed it, he could begin to see other realities. Not all of the details had to do with time. Some had to do with space.

There was another observation that could enable easier navigation. But he really needed to actually take the risk and attempt travel, like Yosef did – like Lysis.

In the privacy of his sleeping quarters he sat down to meditate and observe more closely, this time prepared to act on his observations.

One property he had observed was the option to shroud himself with a force that would move both himself and anything he chose to include, thereby moving anything within that shroud to a different location. He shrouded himself, but he didn't move just yet.

Then another fact had become apparent: that being shrouded enabled him to observe the surface of the earth and his physical surroundings with much more clarity, which was a big help in the dimly lit room. He could also anchor himself to his location.

He looked at the candle. It still had a good amount of wax left.

Anchoring himself to his location, he reached out to a point on the time-spiral that he knew was about two hours in the future.

He felt movement. The surface of the earth had moved, and he had moved with it. He was still sitting on his bed in lotus position.

He released the shroud. There was a burst of some sort of energy.

The candle was burned almost to the bottom. He had travelled forward in time without becoming embedded in anything, or dropping from the sky.

But he had lost two hours of sleep.

During meditation the next day, he took a big jump backwards.

He was anchored to his location, but he could also move about at will.

A little over a month earlier was when Yosef was still about. He located him sitting alone in the walled garden, and landed behind him so as not to frighten him.

'Yosef!'

'Thoma! Is that you? When did you come in?'

'I'll explain. But first, about the spirals we've been seeing. I've learned some things about them.'

'So quickly? We were just...'

'Those spirals are, indeed, the mechanics of time and space. I have just travelled to you from the future.'

'You? I didn't know you were so close to doing it! I was going to – er...'

'You were going to get yourself killed. I've come to warn you.'

'Is this one of your jokes?'

'Am I in the habit of playing jokes?'

Yosef paused. 'I guess you're not.'

'I can do something that could assure you I'm telling the truth,' Thoma offered.

'Okay.'

'I can move both of us together. We'll move over there near the gate.'

He paused. 'First, I must go into meditation.'

He did it in stand up position. He relaxed his mind, and began to visualise the time-spirals. Then, he shrouded himself and Yosef, and moved them across the garden over by the gate, making sure they were clear of any objects, but turning them around so they were both facing where they had sat. He released the shroud a few seconds in the past.

They were facing themselves of a few seconds before. The sight of themselves was accompanied by a strong feeling of attraction, as though they were compelled to join themselves and become one.

Then, their earlier selves vanished, and so did the feeling.

'I believe you!' exclaimed Yosef.

Thoma went on to explain how to shroud oneself, and to anchor oneself to the location before reaching for the desired time.

Finally, he said, 'I came to you from a little over a month from now. Please say nothing to the present me until I tell you, as I won't know anything until then. Then, we'll decide together what to do.'

He again focused his mind, and jumped back.

* * *

The pupils walked as a group to the house of prayer, with Father Juno taking up the rear. In front of him walked Thoma and Yosef.

'More spirals on your slate, I see,' said Yosef inclining his head towards his companion.

'Indeed.'

'I didn't get anything either. When will he say something new, so I'll feel like I've learned something, as one would expect in a school?'

'I think he's said everything he knows,' replied Thoma.

'Then he should study some more. Who was it who said "The greatest instructors are students"?'

'Gaius of Persepolis, I think.'

Father Juno caught up with them, and greeted them both.

He opened his mouth to speak: 'Do you think it's about time for a trip to the Arachotus River?'

Yosef said, 'I could certainly use a good cool dip.'

Thoma said, 'That would be refreshing diversion, indeed!'

Then they reached the door of the house of prayer.

Thoma hesitated before he went in. It suddenly felt like the last few steps to the house of prayer had happened differently than it just did. There was a vague feeling like Father Juno had been called away somewhere. But here he was.

Thoma shrugged and went in.

Father Juno said a prayer, and they all got into their preferred positions.

For many, simply sitting cross-legged in lotus position was the preferred position, but others chose various yoga stances. Yosef and Thoma had each chosen one of the latter, and they settled into their meditation.

Thoma's eyes were half open, but he could still see the spiral, this time, larger than life. He felt like he could reach out with his imagination, and touch it.

It was full of detail that he would be hard put to describe to anyone. Some patterns, he intuitively recognised, but he couldn't even say what it was that he recognised.

He started to reach out to the spiral, a point that he knew represented a few minutes in the future. But he was interrupted.

There was that feeling, similar to what he had coming in the door, but more clearly.

There had been a flash of brightness just where he was about to touch the spiral. It was there, but it wasn't

He thought he heard Menashe scream that someone had vanished.

Thoma looked around. Menashe was sitting in his usual meditation pose, looking blankly towards where Yosef was sitting.

Suddenly, Yosef gasped for breath, and then looked around, looking relieved as though waking up from a nightmare. He went immediately back to meditating.

So did Thoma.

The vision continued. This time, he was running towards the East border of the compound, behind the sleeping quarters. There, he saw something that made him scream.

Yosef and Menashe were both at his side comforting him.

'What was it?' asked Menashe.

'It was horrible! I saw you, Yosef, half buried in the rock mountain behind our sleeping quarters!'

Father Juno came and sat with them, and he repeated the vision to him. He didn't know what to make of it, but he prescribed a special liturgy that would give him comfort.

That seemed to settle his mind.

Thoma interpreted the visions as a message that they should stop contemplating the spirals. Yosef agreed, though Thoma couldn't help thinking that Yosef had the look of one who knew more than he let on.

Things went as normal for the next month.

* * *

Having cloaked himself in the energy, Thoma anchored himself to the location and reached out to the point on the spiral that he knew corresponded with the exact time he had departed.

As he drew near to that time, he caused himself to drift towards the house of prayer.

Inside the building, as it was coming up to the exact moment, he saw himself in his Yoga position, deep in meditation. Next to him was Yosef. That was a relief.

He waited for himself to disappear before uncloaking himself in the same spot.

He waited. His other self didn't disappear.

Then, it occurred to him, Why would I have needed to go back and warn Yosef if he's right here?

He had returned to a different set of circumstances. He had changed the past, and the past had changed the future.

He instead, drifted across the grounds to the sleeping quarters. There, he uncloaked, sat on his bed and waited.

The candle by his bed was still almost full, in spite of having burned nearly to the bottom the night before. Again, he remembered that in the set of circumstances he had now returned to, he hadn't been teaching himself to jump forward and backward in time.

But this body had still lost two hours of sleep. So he lay down and indulged himself.

He was awakened by a feeling of being drawn to something, similar to what he felt for the few seconds that he and Yosef saw themselves. Then he realised that his other self was returning to the sleeping quarters. Yosef was with him.

'What is that?' he heard himself say.

'What?'

'Something coming from my room, like it's pulling me towards it.'

'I'll take a look.'

The door opened, and Yosef stuck his head it. First there was surprise, but then a sudden look of joy of realisation.

'It's okay,' he told the other Thoma. 'Go on in.'

The other Thoma entered, and the two became one.

'Ahh! I'm glad you're back!' said Yosef.

'I'm – well – I'm – er – both overjoyed that you're alive and back again after a month's absence, and at the same time, rather bored of you!'

They laughed, and then embraced.

Then Thomas asked, 'How did you know if it was safe to send me in?'

'I did some experiments of my own - in secret.'

## Chapter 2  
The Order

As soon as Venerable Elder Thoma got up from his bench, his eohippus came galloping back to him.

They walked together, going around the peripheral of the central lawn. Further up ahead was a circle of pupils seated on the grass with their instructor. One of the younger ones was distracted, and whistled for the eohippus as they passed, earning himself a rebuke from the instructor. But the damage was already done. The eohippus leapt to the centre of the group, much to the delight of the pupils, and the frustration of the instructor.

But now, Thoma's attention was drawn away. Further down the footpath, he saw Johann Vanderbeek waving to him as he approached, accompanied by a group of newcomers. At least he assumed they were newcomers, as they were wearing neither the standard scholar's robe, nor the gi for physical training. Thoma judged them to be late 20th/early 21st century European, where Johann spent most of his time.

'Ah! Venerable Elder Thoma, just the one we need now,' called Johann. 'I'd like you to meet the Browning family: George and Sally, their children, Timothy and Jessica, their half-sister (Sally's daughter by a different timeline), Jeanette and their close friend, Drake Johnston. The four younger ones helped us avert the early 21st century war of Argentina.'

The half-sister was much bigger than her two half-siblings, and the close friend looked even older.

'What are your ages?' asked Thoma.

'These three, despite their difference in size, are sixteen. Jessica is eleven.'

'Four gifted children from the same family! How remarkable!'

'Actually, only two are gifted. But as they've worked so well together as a team, we thought it would be beneficial to put all four through the training. The parents are here to spend a holiday while the four do their introductory course.'

Thoma looked at them, and said, 'Welcome to the school.'

'What's the name of this school?' asked the youngest girl

'Being the only school that exists, why does it need a name? But if you want to refer to it back in your own century, you could call it, "The School at the End of History".'

Just then, the eohippus poked its nose into the circle.

'Let me introduce you to Bucephalus, my eohippus.'

'Eohippus?'

'I believe they were extinct in your time. Now, our forests are full of them. They make very good pets, when they aren't being chased by sabre-tooths.'

All four younger ones were stroking Bucephalus, who was nosing them for yet more attention.

'So, Venerable Thoma,' Johann went on, 'do you suppose you could enlighten this group on the history of The Order?'

'Why, yes. Let's find a place to sit down. Now, Bucephalus,' Thoma looked around and spotted another group gathered around their teacher. 'Those ones over there look a bit bored, why don't you go liven up that group?'

At that, the eohippus galloped over and leapt into their circle, wreaking havoc on the instructor's lesson.

They found a vacant shade tree and sat down.

'My story begins in Iskandar, known to students of history as Alexandria Arachosia, probably known to you as Kandahar, Afghanistan...

He went on to tell them how, as a young monk at the Saint Ashoka Abbey, he discovered the time-spirals.

* * *

...Once Yosef and I were reunited, we decided that we must keep this to ourselves, telling only those who also showed evidence of being able to see the time-spiral. In fact, we probably had an obligation to do so.

I also remembered mention of someone named Lysis who had disappeared some five years back and later fell from the sky in a nearby field. I told Yosef and he suggested that we ask one of the older pupils that were at the St. Ashoka Abbey when we first started.

There was Gaspar, the quiet one. He always sat off by himself, almost avoiding contact with the others. He always went unnoticed, so that we almost forgot he was a part of the Abbey. Even though he was very tall, bony, had black hair, dark skin like people of central India, he was almost invisible.

We decided to approach him...

* * *

At meal times, Gaspar always sat by himself at the corner of the room, usually away from the others. That day, at noon, Thoma and Yosef went and sat by him.

He looked at them, and then back to his own food.

'Gaspar,' Thoma began. 'You were here before us. Did you know Lysis?'

After a pause, he simply said, 'Yes.'

'Did you know him very closely?'

Again, a pause. 'Yes.'

'How closely?' asked Yosef.

A longer pause. 'Close enough.'

'Er – Gaspar,' Thoma began again, 'do you know if he saw any visions of anything when he was in meditation?'

There was a very long pause. Then, he said, 'Very dangerous. You must stop. He did like you,' he indicated Yosef. 'I don't know who performed such a dangerous journey to warn you, but you would be dead like him.'

Thoma and Yosef looked at each other in astonishment.

'Y-you remember what happened to Yosef?' I asked.

'Yes,' he said abruptly.

Yosef then asked, 'Can you also see spirals?'

'Yes.'

'Gaspar, do you remember what Dr. Kumar said about the earth both rotating and orbiting the sun?'

'Yes.'

'That's why Yosef got embedded in the rock, and why Lysis ended up in the sky. The surface of the earth moved, but they didn't.'

Gaspar was quiet.

'I've also learned that we can anchor ourselves to the location on the earth while we jump in time, so that we move with the earth, and not get buried somewhere, or left behind.'

'It was you, then, who warned Yosef?'

'Yes.'

'You disobeyed Father Binyamin's order.'

'But I saved a life. I think we should try to save Lysis as well.'

'I think you shouldn't. Lysis also had other dangerous thoughts.'

'But his life is important,' said Yosef.

There was a long pause.

'If you must. The second day of the third month, five years ago, noon, in the prayer garden is when you'll find him. His hair is fair, like gold, and he is thin, with sunken cheeks, and about your height.'

'Why do you remember where he was with such detail?' asked Yosef.

'He said he would try to time-jump. He made me promise that if he had a fatal accident, I also would take my life in my hands and go to that time to warn him. It has still been in my mind to do so, but the more I've waited, the more I feel he is so reckless with his plans that he would cause much destruction. On the other hand, I made a promise that I haven't kept, and am less likely to keep the more I realise the danger. It weighs on my mind.'

Thoma and Yosef decided to do it from the privacy of the sleeping quarters. Yosef did it a couple of times for practice, jumping ahead by a minute or so. Then they went for the long jump.

Five years earlier, the second day of the third month, at noon, they landed just outside the walled garden.

There sat the young man their own size, with golden hair.

'Are you Lysis?' asked Thoma.

'Yes indeed. Who are you?'

'We've come to warn you that the time-jump you are about to make will be fatal,' said Yosef.

He paused.

'Ah, a joke. Did Gaspar put you up to this?'

'No. He did tell us where to find you, but we've begun to understand the procedure of jumping to another time without becoming embedded inside a mountain, as I did, or falling from the sky, like you will.'

'Why did Gaspar not come to me then?'

'He has not yet learned to anchor himself to the local area. It would have been too dangerous for him.'

'Hah – always the coward. So, anchor myself to the location, is that what I must do?'

Thoma and Yosef gave each other a knowing look.

'Farewell,' said Thoma.

Yosef was creating the forcefield.

'Wait!' called Lysis.

The next thing Thoma knew, they were back in his sleeping quarters.

'I don't have a good feeling,' said Yosef. 'We should have left off with simply warning him and not told him about anchoring to the location.'

There was a knock at the door. It was Gaspar.

'I fear you have unleashed an evil force on the world, he said as he entered.'

'You might be right,' said Thoma.

'I also blame myself. I told you where to find him so as to relieve myself of my guilt of not keeping my promise to him. Now it's the danger we've unleashed that weighs heavily on me.'

They sat in silence.

Then, Gaspar spoke up again. 'You two now have yet another problem. You've returned to a new history, where Lysis didn't fall from the sky. Instead, he jumped backwards and forwards a few times, played some horrid jokes on the rest of us, and then disappeared. He hasn't been back since. And, because he is no longer in danger, you two didn't go back to warn him. Instead, you are, right now, taking a stroll near the field.'

Later that evening they merged into themselves.

They sat together at meals. The Fathers, particularly Father Juno, seemed pleased that Gaspar had broken his long-time pattern of solitude.

The day after they returned from warning Lysis, they were talking during the evening meal.

Yosef said, 'Do you really think Lysis is up to evil?'

'He has always been unrestrained. With power to do anything he wants, he will only do worse,' said Gaspar.

'You're right. It is a dangerous power. Perhaps we should vow never to use it again.'

'No,' said Gaspar, softly but emphatically. 'The power has been unleashed, and only we can stop it. The ability was given to us for a purpose. Instead, we must take a communal vow to never use it for self enrichment or for the shirking of responsibility, but to remain active in making the world better for all, as we together see fit.'

* * *

'...so that became the official vow of the new Order.

'Gaspar knew that Belthaser, a pupil who began after we did, had also seen the time-spirals. When we spoke to him, he confirmed that he was also aware of Yosef's accident. He also took the vow. In time, others were also added to our number.

'Some of us began taking time-jumps into the future and into the past to learn more about our world. From the future, we brought back technology that we could put to good use. From the past, we gained knowledge of things that happened in history, and how they affected the world we live in.

'One of the members of The Order, on a visit to Japan of our future, met an abbot who had created the mind-focusing pendants that you now use. With that, it was possible for new members of The Order to help without taking training in meditation. Instead, they could use their time to learn other things.

'Another advantage to the mind-focusing pendant; because it almost automatically focuses the mental energies, essential steps like anchoring oneself to the location become more obvious, even to the first time user.

'Of course, from every age that we visited, we found more people with the gift, some of whom we judged as being worthy to take the vow and do training.

'Saint Ashoka's Abbey remained the centre of activity. As the older fathers, like Father Gohvind and Father Binyamin retired, and Father Juno became the abbot. By then, he had become aware of The Order, and was completely supportive. The Abbey gradually transformed into the headquarters of the Order of Timekeepers.

'Once we came to know the history of that timeline, we planned some major time shifts that affected the future of India and parts of China. The first one was a disaster, but we managed to undo it, made some adjustments, and tried again, with more fine tuning afterwards. That experience taught us that one can survive the deletion of a timeline in which one was born, as long as they have jumped to a time-location before the critical event. That's when we made the rule that all members of the order must make such a time-jump in order to prevent their possible deletion. For that purpose, we built the lodging house that you call, Jurassic Guest House. We called that era the Realm of Dragons, and the guest house, the "Dragons' Lodge".

'All of our new technology, the books and high-tech devices and gadgets from the future, we stored at the Dragons' Lodge. Later, they were brought here.'

## Chapter 3  
The Time-Shift

There was a pause. Jeanette asked a question:

'You lived in a much different timeline than ours, didn't you?'

'That's right. In my timeline, Rome never became a great empire. Christianity spread Eastward, instead of Westward as it did in yours. India and China were as Christianised in our timeline as Italy, France and Germany were in yours. The Maori people of what you called New Zealand, were our Irishmen.'

'How did that all change?' asked Timmy.

'Apart from a few small shifts, the big change happened suddenly, catching us by surprise. Fortunately, most of us had, at some time or another, time-jumped back to much earlier points in history, including the Realm of Dragons.

'Suddenly, one day, we found ourselves orphaned – though "one day" might not be the right word. That "one day" was different for each of us, as we each suddenly found ourselves back in the time-location to which we had last jumped from a much earlier point in history. Access to the memory of what happened after we had jumped only came to us gradually, as we lived through the new history.

'Yosef and I found ourselves in middle of an empty area with no buildings but familiar landscape. Looking around, we recognised the surrounding mountains, and the solid rock slope of the mountainside that should have been behind the sleeping quarters, where Yosef once got himself embedded, but no sign that anything ever having been built there.

'We walked into the city. A lot had changed there also, but there was Gili'ad's tea shop. Fortunately, we had appeared in this time line with our shoulder bags, so we could pay for a drink.

'People sitting in the surrounding low tables were talking a different dialect than we were used to, though we could understand most of it.

'Then, came Gili'ad. It looked like Gili'ad. In retrospect, I'm surprised that life for his family had stayed so much the same that choices of marriage and times of conception hadn't changed. The same people were born. This was Gili'ad.

'"Rav Gili'ad!" I called out in Aramaic. "How about a cup each?"

'He looked at us, and said in the Farsi dialect, "Foreigners! Don't even speak our language!"

'"I'm sorry," I said in Farsi, "I though you spoke the language of the Israelites."

'"Israelite? Me? I'm a good Muslim like my fathers before me. Now are you going to have tea?"

'"Er – yes, two cups of tea please."

'We drank our tea, helping ourselves to some of the pastries on the table. He came to count how many we'd eaten, and we tried to pay him.

'He looked at the coins I gave him. "What's this?"

'Our coins weren't in use in this time line. In the end, we had to trade an object from our travel bag that was of far more valuable than the tea. We also found his name wasn't Gili'ad, but Muhammed.

'We looked further through the city. No one spoke Greek or Aramaic, but only the Farsi dialect. On further questioning, we found there were no Christians! They were all Muslim!

'We travelled further Eastward, to Mumbai, expecting to find some of the great churches and institutions, but found, instead, temples on every street, shrines to gods on every corner, with the smoke of the incense pervading the whole city – reminiscent of Rome and Gaul. There was no trace of anything Christian.

'Yosef even asked me, "Is this Mumbai, or Rome?"

'From where we stood, it looked as though Christianity had been totally obliterated from the earth. We had only our inner confidence that the times were in God's hands.

'Others had similar experiences. Gaspar, along with Balthasar and Melchior landed in Iskandar just a few days after we did...'

* * *

'I am not Gili'ad! You are the fourth group who comes here and calls me Gili'ad! All speaking a strange language, wearing the same strange costume. My name is Muhammad, after the Prophet. And your money – I hope you have local coins! I demand to see it before I make you tea.'

Melchior showed him a coin. 'This might not be local, but it's gold. You can weigh it if you like.'

Muhammad looked at it, weighed it in his hand, tossed it up a couple of times, and then tasted it.

'Okay. I take it. So far, all of your kind seem like good people. I will bring you your tea.' He was off to the cauldron.

The three sat down.

'So, what has happened?' wondered Balthasar.

'Indeed!' echoed Melchoir. 'What has happened?'

Gaspar spoke up, 'I fear it's the work of Lysis.'

'Who's Lysis?' asked Melchior.

'Wasn't he the one who disappeared during your first year at the Abbey?'

'The same.'

'Why do you think it's him?'

'How many people know how to time-jump?'

'None, apart from our immediate circle – those from the Abbey,' said Melchior.

'The newer members of The Order from later ages perhaps?' wondered Belthaser.

'None of them would know their way well enough around the ancient world,' said Gaspar. 'Also, I remember how Lysis' thoughts were beginning to form. There was one question he had begun to ask, "What would the world be like had Messiah not been born?" or, "Is the world truly the better for our Gospel?" It sounded like innocent curiosity, but the more I think about it, I'm sure there was more to it.'

'So, you believe this is the result of his satisfying his curiosity?' asked Melchior.

Just then Muhammed brought their tea. They thanked him and he went his way.

'I began to realise something was up a few years ago,' said Gaspar.

'How?' asked Belthaser.

'The Book of Esther,' replied Gaspar. 'Using your residual memory of other time lines, do you remember its presence in our collection of Scriptures?'

The other two reflected.

'Actually, I don't,' said Belthaser.

'Nor do I,' said Melchior.

'It's not something one would think of,' said Belthaser. 'The memory of not seeing something is never as vivid as that of seeing something. Only one with a sharp observant mind like yours would have noticed it.'

'Perhaps,' said Gaspar.

'So,' Melchior said, 'do you think Lysis went back to that time and influenced Haman the Agagite to try to annihilate the nation of Israel?'

'I believe so. Lysis did have a brilliant mind. He was also quite a manipulator during his time here.'

'But, according to the book of Esther, he didn't succeed,' observed Melchior.

'The Holy One intervened,' said Gaspar.

'Yes,' added Belthaser, 'I wonder if the king's displeasure with Queen Vashti happened in the original time line?'

'And, of course, Esther's promotion to becoming queen,' said Malchior. 'Nor did Lysis or Haman have any clue that she was Jewish.'

'But,' said Gaspar, 'Lysis would have used Mordechai's refusal to bow to Haman as the pretext to point out to him that he could avenge himself of his nations historical enemies.'

'Historical enemies? How so?'

'Haman the Agagite, descended from King Agag of the Amalakites.'

'Ahh!'

'So he chose his allies wisely, and probably assisted in his promotions with a few tricks learned from future ages so he could impress the king.'

'Yes.'

'So he failed there,' said Gaspar. 'But obviously he didn't stop there either.'

'Has he succeeded this time?' wondered Melchior.

'Not if his objective was to rid the world of Messiah,' said Belthaser.

'How are you so sure?' asked Melchior.

'I know it in my heart,' said Gaspar.

'The people here are Muslims,' said Belthaser. 'Gili'ad said he was named after Muhammed, their prophet. Islam could not have risen had not Christianity come before, as so much of Islam is based on Christian belief. They even believe in the Messiah, calling Him the Word of Allah; only that He didn't die nor rise from the dead. So, we can be sure that Lysis has not prevented the Incarnation.'

'He may still try,' said Gaspar. 'Perhaps we should go there...'

The three stood some distance from the city.

'It looks different,' said Belthaser.

'Yes,' said Gaspar.

'Is that the Holy Temple on the left?' asked Melchior.

'I think so. It looks far richer than I ever saw it,' said Belthaser.

'All the palaces,' said Melchior, 'especially that one on top of the mountain opposite the Temple.'

'And yet, so much poverty,' said Gaspar.

'Yes,' agreed Belshaser. 'That, also is worse than I ever saw it.'

They walked towards the nearest gate, mingling with the crowd as they went. Most of them were bringing merchandise to the market. Quite a few of them were beggars.

Ahead of them was a caravan consisting of camels, donkeys, people both on and alongside the beasts, and soldiers, some on horseback and others walking, both in front and behind.

'Those soldiers don't look like they're from these parts,' said Belthaser.

'Indeed,' said Gaspar.

'Definitely not Parthian,' said Melchior, 'But they don't look Greek.'

'Nor Phoenician,' said Belthaser.

They were near the gate. People were slowing down. Those at the very front were stopping momentarily before entering as Guards questioned them.

The soldiers at the head of the caravan shouted something to the guards, and the line sped up as the entire caravan was let through.

'What language were they talking?' asked Gaspar.

'I've never heard it,' said Belthaser.

'Nor I,' said Melchior.

They reached the gate.

'Please state your business, and where you're from,' said the guard in Greek.

They paused, looking at one another.

Finally, Gaspar spoke up. 'We are here to honour the newly-born king.'

'Newly-born king?' repeated the guard. He turned to one of the others, 'Marcus, has there been birth in the royal family?'

'Not that I'm aware of.'

'Where are you from, and by what means did you learn of a royal birth?' asked the first guard.

'We are from the kingdom of Bactria, in the East.'

'A delegation? Just the three of you? No retinue of servants?'

'No,' said Gaspar. 'We are holy men, and we exist on humble means. The stars foretold the birth of a great king born to this nation, that will bring peace to the cosmos, and His star has appeared. We wish to honour Him.'

The guards began talking back and forth in their language, while people nearby began translating what they heard into Aramaic and Hebrew. A low murmur began among the crowd on both sides of the gate.

'A king's been born?' 'The promised one?' 'Ha Moshiach!'

Finally, one of the guards said, 'Please wait here. We will provide an escort to the king's palace.'

* * *

'Hang on!' exclaimed Timmy. 'You're telling us they really become the three Wise Men?'

'That is how they went down in history,' said Thoma.

'Wow!' said Jeanette.

'How famous can you get?' said Jessica.

'Mind you, we have a different perspective on fame here at the end of history, where we and the tribal civilisation on the other continent are the only humans who exist. Any history you studied in school came to an end thousands of years ago. We here are the only ones who know any of it happened.'

'And it's always been easy to get famous for all the wrong reasons,' said Drake.

'Yeah,' said Jeanette. 'Any loser can buy a gun and walk into a school assembly and start shooting everyone. They'll be all over the news!'

Johann said, 'Sometimes the challenge is in not getting recorded in history.'

Thoma added, 'We put our pupils through the exercise of going to observe a major historical event without making any changes or becoming noted. Perhaps you four are ready for such an exercise?'

'Oh yes!' said Jessica.

'That would be cool!' said Drake.

'Just remember how you failed the first time around,' said Johann.

'Huh?'

'The matter of Saint Marvin.'

'Oh.'

'We don't want too many of those.'

'Although,' said Thoma, 'I'm sure Saint Marvin was the better for it.'

'Where shall we go?' said Timmy.

'As I was just coming up to that part in my history, how about the Nativity?'

'Yes!' said all of them at once.

'But not today. I'll need to take a rest. Also, you'd need to be appropriately attired, or you'll certainly make history. Johann can find you something, I'm sure. We'll meet here tomorrow.'

At that, Thoma rose and whistled for his eohippus.

## Chapter 4  
Christmas

'I don't know about these clothes,' said Timmy. 'At least they could let me wear pants underneath in case a strong wind blows the skirts up.'

'Your polka-dotted boxer shorts would probably make more news than your bare bum,' said Drake.

Johann added, 'Just be glad we're not sending you to ancient Sparta, where boys your size wear nothing at all.'

'Yeah, yeah – and quit smirk'n Drake. Just 'coz you're overgrown for your size...'

'Now, if the girls are ready, we can go to meet Elder Thoma,' said Johann.

Jeanette and Jessica were just now walking towards them. While Jeanette was dressed from head to toe, Timmy was relieved to see that Jessica had hardly more on than himself. Her hair, like Timmy's, had also been mussed up, given a few kinks and tangles and just a touch of mud.

Drake wore a turban with a tunic reaching to his ankles, suited to how old he looked. They all wore sandals so as to avoid infection. According to Johann, they were even worn in places like Sparta and Athens – often with nothing else. But it took some work to fix the straps up the right way.

Then they were off to meet Venerable Elder Thoma.

'Remember, no loud talking,' said Elder Thoma. 'Our strange language will draw too much attention. Remember the word I taught you?'

'Shalom alechem,' the four said in unison.

'That sounds okay for modern Israeli Hebrew, but a little farther back in the throat for the ch, and more accent on the first and last syllables. Try again.'

'ShalOM A-le-CHeM.'

'Good. Now say it faster, so it sounds more natural.'

After a few tries, he deemed them ready to go.

'That's all you'll have to say. Young people don't say much around adults. I'll say a longer blessing. And remember, stay close to me, and closer together. They don't give each other much personal space in the first century, so if you walk like you do here they'll think you're strangers to each other. Don't be afraid to touch each other. Tim, you put your arm around your sister like you're her protective big brother. Drake, coddle up to Tim now and then. Good friends do that there, but not to Jeanette. She's the pure protected virgin. She should stay close to me. Okay, ready?

'Ready.' 'Ready.' etc.

'Okay, next stop, Beit-leHem. Four b.c.'

They were obscured by some large rocks and a few shrubs. Not far away was a dirt road passing through generally dry landscape.

They emerged and joined the road, walking towards the town.

It reminded them of some BBC documentary, or news footage about Afghanistan – without the tanks or army fatigues.

Donkey droppings littered the road surface, and countless cart wheels had left deep trenches on either half of the road. They watched their step.

People were walking in both directions, mostly on longer journeys.

As they got closer, they saw a market. People had their wares spread out on the ground, sometimes on a blanket. There were herbs and spices, some pastries, some fruit, mostly figs. Here and there, someone squatted behind a bar-b-q pit dug into the ground, with meat on skewers.

Thoma stopped at a couple of vendors and bought what looked like naan bread, and a few figs.

The most noticeable feature of it all was the smell. There was, of course, the smoky bar-b-q smell and pungent spices, but more, the manure.

They walked passed stone and adobe buildings, first a few here and there, and then, where it became denser, they were attached to each other, mostly single story, but others rising two stories. Some of the manure smells came from the houses.

There was the constant drone of human speech mingled with animal noises. The speech was unintelligible to the four, but apparently not to Thoma.

In a low voice, he said, 'People are talking about the new born baby born last night. Word is out that angels have been appearing to people.'

'Where's the inn?' asked Jessica.

'There's one,' said Thoma, pointing to a two story building that seemed to be built around a courtyard. Looking in the gate, they could see animals tied up, and people going in and out.

'Ah! Who have we here?' said Thoma.

A group consisting of a man and some younger people, including a couple of kids were coming in the opposite direction.

'They're from our "School at the end of history". They jumped from ten years before you did. You'll meet them again, but they'll be much older. Practice your greeting with them.'

'ShalOM A-le-CheM!' 'ShalOM A-le-CheM!'

The other group responded in kind, with wide smiles and gleeful looks.

'And Merry Christmas!' whispered one of them as they passed.

'This way, we don't appear to the locals as total outsiders,' said Thoma as they passed on. 'We know people.'

'Do a lot of them come to visit here?' asked Drake.

'No. There's a limit to how many we can allow to visit this point in time. They said there's room for just one more group, and as I've always wanted to come, I thought we'd take this chance.'

'Will we meet the Wise Men?' asked Timmy.

'No. They might recognise me, and that would confuse them.'

They walked on further. 'Here we are.'

'The stable?' asked Jeanette.

'No. It's a private home. Now, say nothing in English from now until we leave.'

Some people were coming out as they approached. They had a mystified look on their faces. 'Shalom,' said one of them.

'Alechem Shalom,' answered Thoma.

They went inside.

The place appeared to be designed for both people and animals. Against the far wall was a raised platform where people were sitting among clay pots, bedding and other household goods. The rest of the room was a dirt floor with a few animals tied up, including a couple of donkeys. The click-clack-click-clack sound to their right was from a weaving loom, where a woman was working away.

In the far left corner was what looked like a fireplace and cooking area next to the back door, and then the platform taking the rest of the space. In front of the platform against the wall to the right was another feeding-trough, this one with a baby in it. Sitting on the platform behind it was a young woman who looked no older than Jeanette, Timmy and Drake. The baby was wrapped up in woollen fabric.

Thoma led the way and said some things in Hebrew. The man seated nearest the woman answered. Thoma presented the bread and figs, and there were more words said that probably meant, 'Oh no, you shouldn't have,' and 'Thank you.' Then he turned to the baby in the feeding-trough and said the blessing.

The four pupils then came one by one and said their 'Shalom Alechem.'

Then they stood there and gazed.

It looked like an ordinary baby.

He started crying, and his mother picked him up, and began to nurse him, her breast in plain sight. Thoma had already told them to expect this.

Soon it was time to go.

They walked a few minutes in silence. Then the questions started, three of them at once.

'Shhhh! Keep it quiet. One at a time.'

'You said it was a private home,' began Timmy in a quieter tone. 'Weren't they supposed to be in a stable?'

'It looked a bit like a stable,' said Drake, 'but it looked like lots of people lived there too.'

'The Scriptures never say it was a stable, only that there was no room at the inn. If the local people heard the Christmas story as you're used to hearing it, they'd be horrified. There's no room at the inn, true, but to leave a homeless family on the street, especially when the woman is about to give birth, would be unthinkable. Every family in Beit-lehem would open their home to destitute strangers.

'And as you just saw, common people in this part of the world keep their animals in the house with them. Their houses all have dirt floors, and the family sleeps and eats on a raised area. It's not uncommon for babies to be placed on soft straw in a feeding-trough.'

'Then how do we know this was the right place?' asked Jeanette. 'I mean – like – they looked like an ordinary family.'

'By the signs,' answered Thoma. 'A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a feeding-trough.'

'But you said...'

'Ahh, a naked baby lying in a feeding-trough is quite common. One wrapped in expensive fabric like a prince, and yet lying in a feeding-trough like a common baby, that is highly unusual. Obviously some rich person has given them the fabric material as a gift, either before they left home, or once they arrived here.'

'This has torn down all my romantic images of Christmas, but it's left me with the most important thing,' said Jeanette.

'Yeah,' said Timmy. 'The Baby Himself.'

'It looked so ordinary,' observed Drake, 'but somehow...'

They walked on, each lost in their own thoughts, and finally reached the edge of the town. They looked around for a secluded spot.

'Oh, almost forgot,' said Jessica. 'Merry Christmas, everyone!'

'Merry Christmas!' 'Merry Christmas!'

'It's not even December where we came from,' said Drake.

'It's not December here either,' said Thoma.

They time-jumped back.

## Chapter 5  
Herod's Palace

The escort arrived and Gaspar, Melchior and Belthaser began the walk across Jerusalem.

On their left was a large fortress, where soldiers were going in and out. The officer leading their escort paused there and spoke to someone near the entrance. A sign in three languages indicated that this was the Antonia Castle. It was in Aramaic, Greek and a language Gaspar couldn't recognise.

A sign further down was in Hebrew and Greek, indicating a ritual immersion pool.

Various other signs were in two or three of the four languages. The Hebrew and the Aramaic were only distinguishable by the wording, Greek by its script, whereas the third language had its own alphabet that contained a few letters similar to Greek, but otherwise, a mystery to the three.

Gaspar asked one of the officers, 'What language were you speaking to the man at the castle just now?'

'Latin,' he answered abruptly.

'The signs, I note, are in three languages. Aramaic I recognise, and of course Greek. Is the third Latin?'

'Yes.'

He turned to the other two, and asked in their own dialect of Farsi, 'What nation speaks Latin?'

'Rome, I believe,' said Belthaser.

'Rome! Is that not one of the nations in the West?'

'Yes.'

They walked onward, through a market area, where they got a closer glimpse of the Holy Temple on the left. People were both buying, selling, begging, and coming and going to the Temple, waiting in line at various immersion pools; people of every sort, the fat, the emaciated, the sick, the maimed, the well dressed, some naked children, others whose clothes were so threadbare that they may as well have been naked, some loaded down with jewels and surrounded by bodyguards.

'We were noticing the richness and yet the poverty from outside the walls,' remembered Melchior.

'Indeed,' agreed Gaspar. 'And we hadn't seen the inside.'

They began to notice that people here and there were looking at them. Some were whispering in their friends ears, others shouting to their companions, pointing to the three.

What snatches they caught, both in Hebrew and Aramaic, ranged from, 'Indeed!' 'The king's been born?' 'What king?' 'The Messiah?' 'They saw his star...'

In the distance, a white haired man was preaching to a crowd. Someone ran up to him and said something, pointing at them. They suddenly had his complete attention.

'Hallelujah!' he cried.

People began to crowd, blocking their path, so that the soldiers had to force their way through.

Ahead was an amphitheatre. They began to circle it to the right, and then up an avenue. The crowd thinned out, except for what could fit into the narrower street behind them.

'Was this a good idea, telling him about the newly-born king?' said Melchior.

Gaspar sighed. 'I don't know. It just came to me, so I said it.'

'Perhaps the Holy One has a plan,' said Belthaser.

'But I feel we must be wise from here on out,' said Gaspar.

'I'm rather confused about my history,' said Belthaser. 'Now that I think of it, this isn't the first time-shift that has affected this city.'

'It's been ruled by the Hasmonian dynasty, has it not?'

'Yes, but also I have a memory of continuous rule by various High Priests and prophets, and something called the "Great Assembly"' said Belthaser. 'As though the Hasmonians were a time-shift. But even that timeline seems inconsistent.'

Melchior added, 'It seems to me that there was an invasion from some power in the West, but they were eventually driven back by the Parthians, who aided the Hasmonians.'

Gaspar asked the officer, 'What is the name of the present king?'

'Herod,' he answered.

'Is he of the Hasmonian dynasty?'

'No. He overthrew the Hasmonians with the aid of Rome.'

'He did marry a Hasmonian princess,' said another who wasn't in military dress, 'but his father was an Edomite.'

'A very complicated history,' said Gaspar to his companions.

Soon they approached the palace they had seen from outside the city, and turned left, and then right to approach the main entrance.

The guards at the door immediately stood aside, and the doorkeepers opened the doors. An official inside said, 'Please come this way,' and led them into a spacious anteroom. Well dressed officials stood in groups here and there. Several of them turned and looked at them.

'Ah! Our visitors from the East,' said a well built man nearby.

'What is this we hear about a king?' said another.

'We were hoping to find that out from you,' said Gaspar.

'How did you receive the news?'

Melchior replied, 'We only read the signs in the stars.'

Something at the edge of Gaspar's peripheral vision caught his attention, a familiar face, golden hair and beard. He looked. It had disappeared. He only saw the backside of a robed man with a turban going towards one of the doors, and whispering something to the guard, who let him in.

There were more questions, more curious greetings.

Gaspar asked one, 'Have you any news of a king being born?'

'Nothing official,' said one. 'Only a lot of talk among the common rabble of one to come. Expectation is very high at the moment, self-proclaimed prophets preaching it from every corner.'

An officer approached. 'His majesty will see you now.'

He led them through the same door Gaspar had seen the strange turbaned man enter, then up a corridor and into a smaller anteroom, and through a wide curtained entrance.

It was a throne room with splendour to match that of any Persian court. Rows of courtiers stood on the two sides of the room. The throne was high on a dais, between two large lion statues.

An old man, wearing some of the finest silk they had ever seen, rose from his cushioned throne and signalled them to approach, his other hand holding the head of one of the lions to keep him steady.

They walked forward towards the throne.

Again, Gaspar caught a glimpse of a gold beard, and golden locks hanging down from a turban, looking at them from behind the courtiers to the left of the throne. The instant he saw it, it disappeared, and he was only aware of the turbaned man rushing past behind the row

'Welcome to Judea, my kingdom,' said the king. He waved to an attendant, who came and offered his arm so he could step down from the dais.

'Thank you for your most gracious hospitality,' said Gaspar.

With the help of the attendant, he stepped closer.

'What is this I hear of a new-born king?'

'Your Majesty,' said Gaspar. 'We were hoping you could inform us.'

'Ah – well, I have heard some stories. But first, please tell me where you come from?'

'From the kingdom of Bactria, near India.'

He asked a few questions about Bactria, and they told him to the best of their knowledge of their first century history.

Finally, he said, 'Of this child-king you speak of: this interests me deeply. I should certainly want to know more about it myself. In our city there are sages and scholars who could enlighten us both regarding the ancient prophecies. Please, make my humble house your home until tomorrow so I can consult with them. Rufus, help these men settle into one of our guest suites.'

A tall, dark, broad-shouldered well-armed man stepped forward and extended his hand to them.

The three stood on the balcony.

'There's the star,' said Melchior.

'The star that we've allowed King Herod and all the people to believe that we followed,' said Belthaser.

Gaspar said, 'Whether we saw it with our eyes or not, it did guide us. We were aware of its existence, as all our history books mentioned it. Father Carpus lectured about it, saying that it appeared at the birth of Messiah. Science journals of the far future of our now extinct timeline tell us it was a supernova resulting in the birth of a new star, giving us the exact time and location in the night sky. I used that data in my calculations for our time-jump. So, the people believe rightly. We did follow the star.'

They gazed at it for a while in silence.

'At midnight it should be almost straight overhead,' said Gaspar.

'Gaspar, I saw you set your time-piece when we landed,' said Melchior. 'How long 'till midnight?'

'Let me see. Ah, not long. I'll fetch the navigation instruments.'

'It's a good thing you had them when we departed from the Dragons' Lodge,' said Belthaser.

At exactly midnight, Gaspar took a reading.

'Just South-south-west of here.'

As Gaspar lay on his bed, he wondered if there was a residue of memory he should try to remember.

He searched his mind. There was something said during the old timeline, when they had arrived at Saint Ashoka Abbey from the Dragons' Lodge.

But that time was no more. What could be of importance? He drifted off to sleep.

About mid morning, Rufus came to call. 'Please come with me. His Majesty will see you now.'

They followed him down the corridor, down a flight of stairs, through some more passages, and out a side door. From there, they turned and walked along the side of the building until they came to a vast courtyard surrounded by columns. At the opposite end was another large ornately decorated building.

'His Majesty's private residence,' said Rufus.

Whereas the first building looked suited to official business, this one was laid out for comfort and luxury. Just inside was a vast open area furnished with tables, padded couches, fur cushions, elaborate dance floors and wine bars.

'I'm sure he knows how to throw a party,' said Belthaser in their dialect of Farsi.

At the far side of the ballroom they went down a wide corridor and stepped into a courtyard, lined with palm trees, and a pool in the middle. Two naked boys were splashing and playing in the water. An attendant stood by with towels. Others were scurrying about here and there.

'This way sirs,' said Rufus. They followed him to a covered porch where King Herod was reclining next to a table laden with dainties. He waved them to three vacant couches.

'Eat! Enjoy yourselves.'

They each took a couch and began politely partaking of small titbits.

The boys got out of the water, chased each other around the edge of the pool and dove back in.

'My grandsons,' he said proudly, when they had settled. 'Aggripa is the bigger one, and his cousin, Alexander. I've arranged for them to go to Rome for their education.'

'They look strong and handsome,' said Gaspar.

'Yes, but the way their parents raise them...' he sighed. 'I've lost my confidence in any of my potential heirs.'

He looked lost in thought.

Suddenly, he said, 'This star, when did it first appear?'

They explained it to him to the best of the knowledge they had gained from their sources.

'Yes, yes,' he responded.

He signalled to Rufus, who forwarded the instruction to the other attendants. They all backed away out of earshot, except Rufus who continued to stand at attention. Then the king leaned forward and spoke in a hushed tone.

'I've consulted the local sages, and they tell me that they do, indeed, expect the birth of a king, one of an ancient royal line, whom our holy books say will restore order to our nation. His place of birth, according to prophecies, is Beit-lehem, of Yehuda. That's not far from here, take the main road to the South.'

He paused. Then, he said, 'When I see the state of what's left to me, what spineless, immoral creatures my sons have become, I consider perhaps that it's time for a change – a restoration to the old days of the Davidic dynasty. My grandsons, they can live on in Rome, or if the restoration to the Son of David isn't to be after all, they can return and claim my throne.

'But please, go and find this new-born king. Once you've found him, come back and tell me. I may go and pay homage myself.'

The two boys were out of the water, and their attendant was drying them off with the towels. Then, they went prancing off through a door at the opposite side of the courtyard.

They decided to set off immediately after their breakfast with the king.

The king agreed that, considering all the publicity they had received the day before, they should leave the city discreetly. A palace guard led them to a small door in the city wall that adjoined the palace. He pointed them in the direction of the road leading South.

* * *

'Wouldn't they know Jesus would be born in Bethlehem from reading the Bible?' asked Jessica.

'The Bible in our timeline didn't contain the Christmas story. Matthew's account didn't have the story of the Wise Men for obvious reasons, and Saint Paul never met Luke during his travels, so Luke was never inspired to write his Gospel. There was, however the tradition of the star, supported by one reference that wasn't explicit about the birth place.

'So, they started towards Beit-lehem...'

* * *

'He seems like quite a good man,' said Belthaser, once they were on their own.

'Yes,' said Melchior, sounding hesitant.

'I think we need to watch our step carefully,' said Gaspar. 'Not everything is what it seems.'

They walked on in silence. The sun began to heat the atmosphere.

'I must say, I didn't pack for this trip,' began Belthaser, 'But, on my last time-jump to the Realm of Dragons where I met up with you two, I did stop in my home town to pick up a few things to replenish the Abbey's medical dispensary.'

'What did you get?' asked Melchior.

'Some frankincense and some myrrh. Now that there's no dispensary, perhaps they'd make suitable gifts.'

'I'll add what's left of our gold to that.'

Gaspar was quiet. Something made him feel uneasy.

They went on a while longer. It was still morning, so shadows lay to the West. They came to a giant rock at the foot of the hill they had descended, that left a nice shade on the side away from the road.

'Let's stop to rest here,' said Gaspar.

'I don't feel tired yet,' said Melchior. 'Shouldn't we wait until time for our noon meal?'

'I have a reason.'

They went off the road to the shade on the other side of the rock. Melchior and Belthaser sat down and began to share the water skin. Gaspar went further around the back of the rock until he could see the road as it descended from the mountain. Around the corner, came a lone figure. As he came closer, he could see his golden beard and a few locks of gold hair hanging from his head scarf.

'A-ha!' Gaspar went back to his two friends.

'Guess who's following us.'

'Who?'

'Our old friend, Lysis. I had caught a few glimpses of him at Herod's palace.'

## Chapter 6  
Lysis

'We know from history,' said Thoma, 'that the true nature of Herod the Great was in no way like how he presented himself to the three. Gaspar did suspect as much. But now, we also know a few other things.

'Now, all that I've told you so far, we know from Gaspar, and a bit from Belthaser. They've chosen to spend their retirement in the sixteenth century, at a monastery in the Sinai, where the lifestyle suits them the best. I'll take you to visit them sometime.

'Now, Yakov ben Yohanan has filled in some of the details by eavesdropping on Lysis. A few have learned how to do that in the years since that time. Even among the gifted, only a few are able to both see and hear from within a forcefield while hovering at a location. Yakov ben Yohanan, born close to that time, is one of those. He's also a master of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Persian and Coptic. I'm afraid he doesn't speak English.

'So, right after the three departed through the door in the wall behind the palace...'

* * *

The king continued to lounge in the courtyard by the pool. He sent one of the attendants for some more seasoned meat and pickled sheep's eyes.

Then, in walked Lysis.

The king was visibly startled, but he regained his composure.

'Ah, Lysis, I've just sent your Bactrian friends to Beit-lehem. Perhaps you would be so good as to follow them, and report to me when you've located the baby.'

'I'll do better. I'll just end the child's life.'

'No. I would like to see it first. I'll move the family to the palace. If perchance this is indeed the child that was foretold, we could use the situation to our advantage. If not, I'll deal with the family as I see fit. No one needs to know.

'Now, go. They'll be half way down to the main road by now.'

The look on Lysis' face indicated that he resented being in a position of taking orders. But he complied.

'And...' the king began.

Lysis vanished.

'...please leave the normal way.'

* * *

'... that is how he came to be following the three Wise Men...'

* * *

'Lysis, I haven't seen you in a very long time,' said Gaspar, approaching him from behind.

Melchior and Belthaser had stepped into his path from behind the rock.

Lysis quickly regained his balance. 'Ah, Gaspar, my old friend!'

'Where would you be going?'

'On a mission from the king. He told you he is concerned for the welfare of the Holy Child.'

'As are we – now, even more so,' said Gaspar.

'So, I expect you found the world changed from how you knew it.'

'Indeed, we did.'

'Yes,' said Lysis. 'It's now a bit more to my liking.'

'Let's sit down, and you can tell us all about it.'

Not having had the chance to boast about his exploits to anyone who understood time travel, he couldn't resist the opportunity, so he began...

'Father Gohvind used to go on and on about "The Fullness of Time", and how the Parthian Empire was the key to providing the right environment for the spread of this nonsense. So, I thought, what if, instead of the Parthian Empire, one of the more barbaric powers to the West were in charge?

'There were two powers in the West, Cathage and Rome. I went to Carthage and began by taking a study of Pheonician and Latin. I travelled throughout both empires, as only I could do, and looked at their strengths and weaknesses.

'Of the two, Carthage was not in as good a position to spread to the East. Rome could have, but then they fell to Hannibal, so they were out of the picture. However, in every other way, they had a much more stable system of administration. So, I thought, what if Hannibal didn't succeed in his siege of Rome during the Second Roman War?

'In Carthage, Hannibal was in every way a local hero, except one: he had never actually been to Carthage. He grew up in Iberia, and was only known through his father, Hamilcar Barca, whom he succeeded as general. They only heard of his exploits.

'So, I removed myself from that time, went back to before his name began to be known. I sought out those orators and politicians who had first made his name popular among the masses, and cultivated a friendship with them. Then, as news began to come of his exploits in Spain, I began to whisper things in their ears that greatly tampered the effect of his success. I made up some rumours, I gave alternative explanations for his success, and made up stories about what was actually under his tough exterior.

'By the time of the Second Roman War (or "Punic War" as they now call it), as Hannibal had crossed the Alps into Northern Italy, the people of Carthage were slow to respond when Hannibal requested more resources for his campaign. Reinforcements never arrived, so instead of invading Rome, he draw back, only to be defeated later in North Africa. So, Carthage became the victim of adverse politics and slow bureaucracy.'

'Yes,' said Gaspar. 'It seems there was something that bothered me about the Western world. I do have a residual memory of Carthage being the dominant power, and one of Rome, but neither become a great empire that spread Eastward.'

'Yes,' Lysis went on. 'Victory over Carthage wasn't enough to guarantee them an empire. So, I moved to Rome.'

'What about the affair of the Persian lord, Haman, during the reign of Ahasirus?' asked Melchior.

'Ha ha! That was my very first act. That would have succeeded, had it not been for that bitch, the Queen. I had no idea she was even a Jew.

'But in Rome, I chanced upon another opportunity. I met the son of the Seleucid King, who was there as a political hostage, Antiochus Epiphanes. As soon as I met him, I knew this was a key man, so I began to foster a relationship. He should have been the king himself, but instead, his brother Seleucus was on the throne. He fancied my suggestion that an emperor ought to be worshipped as a god, just like those from our own Bactrian empire during the Hellenistic times. He began to build on that idea as I told him everything I knew about our own kings. At the same time, I did some tele-porting to the Seleucid empire and pulled a few strings there, so that eventually, there was a hostage exchange. Antiochus was released in exchange for Demetrius Soter, Seleucus' heir. Not long after that, Seleucus himself was assassinated, and Antiochus conveniently seized power. Once he was securely on the throne of the Seleucid Empire, I gently pointed out to him that in Judea, there was a nation that would never recognise any god but their own. Moreover, they were resistant to Hellenistic culture. He vehemently agreed that they must be decisively dealt with...

* * *

Thoma went on, 'The rest of that story, you know already, if you're familiar with the Jewish feast of Hanukkah, or the Books of Maccabees. In the end, all that the enemies of the Jews ever succeed in doing, is adding holidays to the Jewish calendar.'

'Yeah! Both Purim and Hanukkah!' said Jeanette. 'My friend Leah used to invite me to those.'

'You should try to make friends with her again,' said Drake.

'Yeah,' said Jeanette sadly.

Thoma looked at her with curiosity.

'She's the time-orphan of the family,' explained Johann.

'Ah.'

'But c'mon! How does Rome become a great empire?' asked Timmy.

'Yes, back in Rome, Lysis was of the opinion that Rome's greatest weakness was that it was a republic. What they needed was an emperor backed by both military and political power. That's why the Alexandrian empire was so strong, whereas the Greek cities, though scattered far and wide, were never able to wield the same influence. He began to search for the one who would fit that position.

'After a few short time-jumps, he found two young men whom he felt would qualify for emperor. Not putting all his eggs into one basket, he began influencing and pulling strings for both of them, Gnaeus Pompey, and Julius Caesar. Caesar was an able and ambitious young men who had become notorious for some of his adventures. He found him in Spain, where he had been elected quaestor of that region.

'At one point, Yakov ben Yohannan managed to find them together, and listened in on one of their conversations...

* * *

Lysis led young Julius into the walled garden where there was a fountain at one end, and a statue of Alexander the Great at the other.

'Tell me,' said Lysis, 'what thoughts come to you when you look on this great man?'

Julius gazed a while.

'When he was my age, this man had the world at his feet,' he said at long last. Then he added, 'While I, on the other hand, have achieved very little in comparison.'

Lysis' beaming face revealed that he knew he'd found the right man.

'But he didn't live many years beyond that,' said Lysis, 'whereas your life is far from over.'

'Perhaps.'

'To be truly great, Rome needs a man of his stature to lead her, not a room full of senators.'

Julius was silent, deep in thought, so that he hardly noticed when Lysis walked quietly away.

* * *

'Wow!'

'Cool!'

'So, Lysis got Julius Caesar to be emperor?'

'Yes, but it wasn't as simple as it sounds,' Thoma went on. 'Caesar was heavily in debt, and was staying away from Rome to avoid his creditors. Lysis also became friends with a very powerful man named Crassus, one of the richest men in Rome. Now, Crassus was a political rival of Pompey. Lysis persuaded him to help Caesar with some of his debts, in return for supporting Crassus against Pompey, whom Lysis was also supporting'

'So he was working both sides,' said Drake.

'That's right. He was keeping both options open. Pompey was the one who began to fulfill Lysis' first objective, by conquering Judea. That was only the first step. It was still a game of tug-of-war between Rome and Parthia which Rome could have lost. As you know from your history books, Julius Caesar finally became the first emperor of Rome. But even that wasn't the end of the story. After Caesar was assassinated, Lysis kept at it until he had Augustus firmly on the throne of a stable empire that would maintain firm control of all its borders, keeping the Parthian empire from re-taking Judea, and maintaining Pax Romana as the rule of the day.'

* * *

'I do remember Judea being invaded, by some power in the West, but also that the Parthians eventually drove them out,' said Gaspar. 'That's confused by a few residual memories of continuous rule by the Hasmonians, and of the Great Assembly, leading up to Parthian rule. So the time shift must have been sometime after Caesar became emperor.'

'Yes,' said Lysis. 'The big time-shift happened when Herod, backed by the Romans, defeated Antigonus, who was backed by the Persians. To check on my results, I jumped to places like Persepolis and even Iskandar about a hundred years after Agustus began his reign, and found no sign of Christianity – or what I thought was Christianity. I even made a jump to Jerusalem, and found no Jews living in the city, and the Holy Temple destroyed. There was a temple to Jupiter in its place, so I began to celebrate my success.

'I had enjoyed Rome, so I decided to settle there. That was, after all, the centre of the empire that I created. But after a few years, I began to realise that a particular group I had been seeing about the place, being hunted down and fed to the lions, were in fact Christians. The more I investigated, the more numerous I found them to be.

'So, I've come here.'

'And what do you intend to do?' asked Gaspar.

'Accompany you on your visit to the new-born King.'

Melchior seated behind Lysis, pulled on the string that hung about his neck and fetched his mind-focusing pendant, holding it up where Gaspar could see it.

Gaspar nodded ever so slightly as he replied to Lysis, 'Just out of curiosity, or do you have other plans?'

Melchior leaned over and spoke in Belthaser's ear.

'As a royal emissary on behalf of King Herod.'

'So...' Gaspar didn't need to complete his next question, as Lysis and Melchior had vanished.

Balthaser informed him, 'He said he'll meet us last midnight on the outskirts of Beit-lehem.'

## Chapter 7   
Beit-Lehem

Gaspar took a reading of the star, and found it exactly straight overhead.

'This is the place,' he said. 'Now where's Melchior?'

'Right here,' said Melchior, who had just approached.

'You've arrived,' said Belthaser.

'I was right,' said Melchior. 'His concentration technique is no match for the pendant. Also, I don't think he knew that one could build a force field to include anyone but oneself. He was quite shocked to find himself moved to next week.'

'I suppose, being on his own, he didn't learn all the techniques that we've accumulated as a group,' said Gaspar.

'And, being the only one he knew of who can time-jump, he also doesn't know to look for energy signatures,' said Belthaser.

'Nevertheless, we should take nothing for granted,' said Gaspar. 'As it's now dark, and I'm not sleepy yet, let's jump to the morning and begin our search.'

The three walked down the dirt road approaching a market full of morning shoppers. People looked at them with curiosity and went on with their business.

Gaspar asked a bread seller in Aramaic, 'Has a child of distinction been born here recently?'

'The child? Yes, inside the town. Beyond the inn, on the right.'

Others standing around confirmed it, pointing up the road.

'Thank you,' said Gaspar, and they went on.

Word seemed to travel onward that they were seeking the new-born baby, and others pointed down the road.

They nodded a thank you to each one.

An elderly looking man approached. 'Is it my second cousin's new-born child you seek?'

'We seek the one indicated by the new star in the constellation Aquila,' said Gaspar.

'Indeed! They say angels have appeared to various ones, including some local shepherds with the news. Come, I'll take you.'

'What is your name?' asked Gaspar as they walked along.

'They call me Hillel the Wood Cutter.'

'What is the significance of that name?'

'I earn my living cutting wood. Not here, but in Jerusalem.'

'What brings you here?'

'Registration for taxes. Everyone must register in their hometown. Some of us choose to register in the city of our ancestors, even if we live elsewhere. My cousin and I are born to the royal line of King David. Not that we're kings, mind – though their new-born son? Perhaps. But as for me, I will be joining the caravan that's departing next week for Alexandria.'

'Your Aramaic is more fluent than the others we've met.'

'My cousin Yosef and I migrated here from Babylon. A large Jewish community has resided there ever since the captivity. A few of us undertook a journey back some years ago, and he and I were in the same caravan. Ah, we've arrived.'

He knocked, and a young man opened for them.

Hillel went in before them. 'These men have followed a star to find your child.'

To their right, a woman was working at a weaving loom. On their left, a man was building a brick wall for what looked like would be a stall for the animals.

'Yosef, the father,' said Hillel, 'earning his keep, I see. Very good. And Miriam, his wife and their new son, Yeshua.'

On the sleeping platform before them, sat a young woman with a baby.

'So this is the child,' said Gaspar.

The three knelt before the mother and child and bowed their heads. The mother was visibly shocked.

Hillel mumbled something in surprise.

They rose, and Belthaser brought out the two bags of frankincense and myrrh and laid them on the platform before the mother, while Gaspar placed their purse filled with gold pieces.

Food was brought, and the three sat with the family.

'I should warn you,' said Gaspar. 'We met some in Jerusalem who may wish harm to this child. Once we were aware of the fact, we evaded them, but unfortunately, they know about the child. It also occurs to me that it would be very easy for them to find you. Everyone we asked about a newly-born child pointed towards this house.'

They were silent for a few moments. Miriam looked concerned.

Then, Hillel said, 'I am staying with an acquaintance on the other side of this town. I'll have a word with them. Tonight, move the family there discreetly.'

Melchior said to his companions in Farsi, 'If he finds this house, he'll just time-jump to when they were here.'

Gaspar thought a moment. 'There is one whom we know to be very dangerous and vengeful. We fear also for this whole household, so we think it would be wise to prevent them from even finding this house. Can you put word out that some foreign looking people are seeking to harm the child?'

Hillel though a while. 'We can do that. The people are naturally suspicious of foreigners. They opened up to you, because you mentioned the child, so you were a special case, but if we say that any future foreigners will wish to harm the child, they'll hold it as a secret.

'But also,' he turned to Yosef, 'you should consider joining me on the caravan to Alexandria.'

Yosef looked at Miriam, who shook her head.

'We've done enough travelling for a while,' he said.

So it was planned.

They were all moved to a new lodging, and had settled for the night.

Gaspar awoke from a dream. He had heard the voice of Father Juno of Saint Ashoke Abbey. Then, he remembered:

Gaspar, Belthaser and Melchior had arrived from the Realm of Dragons in time for morning prayers. They entered the house of prayer quietly so as not to disturb anyone.

Father Juno saw them and spoke up: 'The Holy One, blessed be He, has this to say to you three: "He who says he will pay homage, seeks to kill the child. Do not return to him, but go a different way. As for the traitor, I will deal with him."'

'What does it mean?' asked Gaspar.

'I don't know. I only received those words to pass to you. Perhaps they will make sense at some later time.'

There was very little memory of what followed, as it was soon afterwards, in this timeline, that they had jumped from Gili'ad/Muhammad's tea shop to Herod's Jerusalem.

The next morning, Gaspar reminded Melchior and Belthaser, and they also recalled Father Juno's words.

They stayed on only long enough to satisfy themselves that the child was safe.

The day before, Hillel had whispered a few words into the ears of various towns-folks, and had come home wearing a smirk.

When a certain yellow bearded man did come to town enquiring about a special child having recently been born, they received him with enthusiasm.

'Yes!' said one, who promptly took him to Shim'on's house to see little Binyamin. 'Of course he'll be a king! Won't he make a fine king?'

'Hah! I know a child much more special then that!' said someone else, who took him to see wee Mordechai.

'But I know one who's destined to become a sage!' said someone else, who dragged him off to see baby Yakov.

'A king, did you say?' said yet another. 'That child you see yonder is the direct descendant of King Ahab by his wife Jezebel!'

* * *

For the four pupils, there was LOL and ROTFL.

'That really happened?' laughed Timmy.

'So they tell me,' said Thoma. 'I know Hillel was a very good organiser.'

'And what happened to Lysis?' asked Jessica.

'For that, we have the word of Yakov ben Yohannan...'

* * *

Lysis, flanked by two escorts, walked across the giant courtyard towards the royal residence. They were met by Rufus and some of the palace attendants who accompanied Lysis to the great door, while the first two escorts turned and started back towards the throne hall.

Just as Lysis crossed the threshold, something fell from the sky on to the middle of the pavement behind him. The two escorts stopped short and stared in disbelief. But by now, Lysis was inside.

Rufus led him to one of the private rooms adjoining the corridor leading to the inner courtyard.

'Lysis, what report do you bring of the newly-born king?' King Herod was reclining on the only couch in the room next to a table laden with delicacies, so this wasn't an invitation to join him.

'The three magi gave me the slip. I don't know what has become of them. However, I did go to Beit-lehem, and I'm pleased to report that the child does exist there.'

'Can you take me to him?'

'Not yet. I just know he is somewhere in that town. The magi have somehow got the town's people on the alert, and they put on one big charade. I asked about a special new-born child, and they took me to see every baby in the town, some new-born, some as old as two.'

'Up to two years of age. I see.'

'But I could see through their deceit. Some were laughing behind my back.'

'Yes.'

'Now, with your permission, I have my own method by which I could find the child and deal with him. I just need a squad of your best men.'

'No, Lysis,' said the king. 'That won't be necessary.'

At this point, he made a secret hand signal that only Rufus recognised. 'I have a different plan in mind.'

'Would you care to elaborate?'

By now Rufus was right behind him. In a fraction of a second, he pulled his razor edged dagger across Lysis' throat.

Lysis sank to the ground in a growing pool of blood, gasping.

'My plans don't include you, my dear Lysis. I find you too dangerous.'

Lysis shut his eyes as though trying to concentrate, and then vanished, leaving only the enormous red puddle.

There was a loud banging at the door.

'Deal with whoever that is,' ordered the king.

Rufus went to the door. One of the attendants was there, wide eyed and out of breath.

'My Lord! A body fell from the sky onto the pavement in middle of the central courtyard – that of the man we just escorted here!'

Rufus turned aside and looked at the king.

'Give me your arm.'

Rufus held out his hand and helped the king to his feet, and allowed him to support himself on his elbow.

'And have that cleaned up,' he said to one of the others in the corridor.

They walked out to the courtyard, and stood before the body of Lysis.

'My Lord, he fell from the sky before he even entered by that door! He was in two places at once!'

'Yes,' said the king calmly. 'No doubt trying to warn himself.'

They stood, gazing at the body.

The king started to turn back towards his residence, mumbling, 'Up to two years of age...'

Then he said to Rufus, 'Come. I have a special assignment for you...'

* * *

'We understand that Hillel the Wood Cutter was up very early the next morning making preparations to join the caravan to Alexandria. Yosef came to him and said, "I've just had a troubling dream. I think we will accompany you to Alexandria after all."

'By the next evening, Rachael was weeping for all her children – except one, who was well on his way to Egypt.'

'Wow!'

'What about Gaspar and them?' asked Jeanette.

'After we had each done our own investigations, we regrouped back at the Dragons' Lodge and planned everything from there, beginning all over again to learn about the world as it is now. It took us many years. In fact, it's taken my whole life until now.

'Gaspar and Belthasar worked together studying the languages and history of the late Byzantine Empire, while Melchior studied India under the Moguls. They both helped to arrange several decisive time-shifts that made your age what it was. As I said, Gaspar and Belthasar finally went to live at a monastery in the Sinai in the sixteenth century.'

'You said we could visit them sometime, didn't you?' said Jessica.

'Indeed I did.'

'That's sort of weird, though,' said Timmy. 'They would have been long dead before we were born, but we can just pop in to see them like they live next door!'

'Remember, existence is really just a giant four-dimensional object that we're able to affect only because we experience the fourth dimension one moment at a time. In a way, everyone who's ever lived, still exists, but lives in different parts of that object. So, it is just like one big village stretching along a flowing river.

'Now there are some guidelines that we follow,' Thoma went on. 'One is, when paying a social visit, we always jump to a bit later than our previous visit. That keeps our relationships linear. Also, if we know any vital information, such as how long they have to live, or other facts about their future, we don't tell them, unless it's to help them avoid an untimely death or unnecessary trauma, and doing so wouldn't damage the timeline.'

'And what about this place?' asked Jeanette, 'I mean, this is like thousands of years later, isn't it?'

'I understand you've been to visit our tribal civilisation on the other side of this continent.'

'Yeah,' said Drake.

'They'll go on existing for at least a few thousand years. We actually haven't bothered to check beyond that, having decided to let their history take its natural course. Now, our village here will continue as long as we need it, as long as new members of the Order need training, and until well after the last member of the Order has retired, and died of old age. I won't tell you when that will be, but this place will become overgrown, the buildings will decay, and a few hundred years later, the volcano on whose slopes we sit, will blow its top. That will be the end of our Order, but everything has its time.'

He stood up and whistled for his eohippus. 'Now, you know the story of the timelines. It's time for me to take a nap. Perhaps, on another day we'll pay a visit to our neighbours upstream.'

He walked off towards his cabin, his eohippus prancing alongside.

# Appendix: The Science of Time Travel

So, what happens if you go back in time and kill your own paternal grandfather when he's 11 years old? In the universe in which these stories are set, you'll simply return to your own time and find that no one knows you. Your father was never born, and therefore, neither were you.

But you still exist. You're now a time orphan. Contrary to both Drs Hugh Everest (of the Many Worlds Theory) and Emmett Brown (Back to the Future), you neither created another parallel universe, nor a time-space paradox; simply a new timeline that replaced the previous one. All the people whose birth you erased, such as your brothers and sisters, never existed. Only you do, simply because you established the fact of your existence from a time-location before the critical event.

...And, your older sister, also a time traveller, has survived, even though she was in the timeline as it got erased.

That's because two weeks earlier, she travelled back to try to discover King Arthur, who lived long before you killed your and her grandfather, thus establishing the fact of her existence ever since King Arthur's time.

So there she is, two weeks later, lying in a hammock in her backyard reading Malory's Mort d'Author, when suddenly... the impression of lying in a hammock in her backyard reading Mort d'Author is only a very dim memory that comes to her while she's actually sitting in the lobby of the local youth hostel going over her research into her grandfather's death at age 11.

She now has a very clear but different set of memories of the two weeks since her return; a timeline in which no one knows her. She's popped back into a house that isn't hers, no hammock in the backyard, and she probably gets arrested for trespassing even though it was her own house in the old timeline (that explanation usually doesn't stand up in court). She has no brothers or sisters, or Father (you haven't popped back into the new timeline yet). Her mother is married to her old history teacher, and doesn't know her. Her research tells her that her grandfather once existed, but was mysteriously killed at age 11.

But she has the dim recollection of a concurrent timeline which ended with her lying on her hammock reading Mort d'Arthur. It's way too dim to remember events with any clarity.

Of course she remembers her life before she jumped back to find King Arthur. That's because it's her personal timeline, and she'll always remember that even if no one else does. By jumping so far back in time, she had established her own life as a pre existing fact, so she didn't get erased by the new timeline. However, most of her memories are now of things that never happened.

Since she's arrived back, she's been aware of two timelines: the original, and her personal timeline after it diverted from the original. She has a clear memory of her personal timeline from the beginning, and a dim awareness of the other from the point of diversion up to the point where it gets cut short \- caused by you time-jumping back to kill your grandfather.

There's something about the discontinuation of a timeline that activates the memory, so her memories of those two weeks in the other timeline suddenly become noticeable to herself. While she was sitting in the overstuffed settee in the lobby of the hostel, reviewing her information about her grandfather, she suddenly has the impression she's been lying in her hammock in her own backyard reading Mort d'Arthur. The facts are still much clearer than events (unless something happens to trigger a memory, like, maybe, a dream brought about by thinking hard about something).

Then, you suddenly reappear in her new timeline. She puts two and two together.

Now, you're in trouble!

So, how did you and your sister become time travellers? It started when you both realised you were having dim memories of discontinued timelines - or at least confused by alternative facts regarding recent events. That was the first clue that you had the gift of time travel. From there, it's either through long and rigorous training in concentration techniques, or the use of a small mind focusing device, designed in a medieval Japanese Christian monastery in a world in which Rome was conquered by Hannibal Barca, and never rose to be an empire.

Now, in case you're wondering what your sister does next: There you are, having jumped back in time, and tracked down your 11 year old grandfather. You are about to lay hands on him, when suddenly, there stands your sister, giving you a look that would wake the dead.

'Don't. Even. Think. About. It.' she says, in her most convincing tone.

She grips you by the ear, drags you away from young Grandpa, and time-jumps you back to your own time, where you merge with your selves of the restored timeline. Then she confiscates your mind-focusing device.

Now, do you notice how you and your sister's personal timelines seem to go both forward, backwards and sideways, weaving in and out through various timelines? Yohan, in the narrative, explained four dimensional time-space, so I won't do it here, except to say there's also a fifth dimension. That's what enables us to refer to 'original timeline', 'new timeline' and 'personal timeline'. It seems that in the fifth dimension, from the timetravellor's point of view, time moves sideways from old to new in a different direction than time in the fourth dimension. A timeline can go on for a million years in the fourth dimension, and yet be short lived in the fifth dimension. How? One person initiates a critical event that starts a new timeline, then his arch-enemy jumps a million years into the future, and then straight back to prevent the first person from initiating the critical event.

A case in point is the original timeline of Timmy Browning that ended right after his 9th birthday. That began when certain members of The Order influenced Mr. Browning to write his report on the Rivera Group. That led to Mr. and Mrs. Browning meeting each other, which led to their marriage, which led to Timmy being born. Then the villain immediately reacted to the publication of the report by jumping to about the time of Timmy's ninth birthday to talk Mr Browning out of testifying, and, failing in that, jumping back to murder Mr Browning as he was writing his report. All that happens in a very short space, when viewed in the fifth dimension, before any other members can jump further into the future of that timeline establishing a history beyond Timmy's 9th birthday.

That brings us to a possible flaw in our narrative. What about other members of the order already living in the distant future? We're they were not still there, even in Timmy Browning's timeline? I don't know. Perhaps, the fact that they were there already, and didn't do any time-jumping in that small space of fifth dimensional time, could be a factor.

Be that as it may, Back to the Future has even more flaws. If you can't spot them,Google them. But they don't put me off watching that film yet again, and again.

Another flaw that I've only spotted recently - more of a fact check, really - is not to do with space-time, but the speed at which the sun moves through the universe - with the earth tethered to it \- at 483,000 miles per hour. That being the case, Yosef, in The Time Shift, wouldn't have been found embedded in the side of a nearby mountainside, but far off in deep space.

But, it is a fun story anyway, isn't it...?

#

**_Did you enjoy that? Visit my website  www.RobbyCharters.co.uk_ _and have this one for dessert -- free..._**

**A collection of short stories, noveletts and some flash fiction**

**The short stories:**  
* A filmmaker of the future, using a new untested medium, gets tangled up in his story in _**The Filmmaker and the Sceptre**_ ;  
* The fantasy to end all fantasies: **The Genie** ;

**The Novelettes:**  
* Relativity works in mysterious ways in _**The Last Shall be First**_ ;  
* Geoffrey literally finds himself in **The Wrong Track** ;

**Almost a Novella:** "I thought all this stuff about time warps and things was silly scifi stuff. I'm not a fan of Star Trek or any of these other things -- which I thought was for people who couldn't get a life, who sit in their parents basement with their chemistry sets and oscilloscopes. I thought I was a level headed, successful, morally responsible member of society. Until one day I stepped into the ... _**Wrong Time**_ "

**The flash fiction:** From a physics class of the future: what is a "flong"? in _**The Flong Files  
**_... and more flash fiction, including an alternative history of Little Red Riding Hood, a sequel to The Pied Piper, and an experiment in time travel and second person narration ...

**Readers Comments at _Amazon:  _**

_"...Kudos to the author for a readable, well-researched, original and inventive collection..."  
" ...is a thoroughly intriguing and enjoyable collection of short stories by Robby Charters, tied together with a ribbon of twisted time..."  
"...fantastic. Thoroughly entertaining, retains interest, and had a great grasp on scientific theory..."  
_

**_  
_**

**Download it _free_ when you visit my website: www.RobbyCharters.co.uk**

**  
**

**fine print:** you may receive an email or two (or three...) from yours truly with news about my books. But I'll try not to sound spammy -- promise!

# Also by Robby Charters:

### The Wrong Time

**_Download a free copy when you visit my website:www.RobbyCharters.co.uk_**

An Anthology, containing some flash fiction, a novella and three short stories:

**The short stories:**  
* A filmmaker of the future, using a new untested medium, gets tangled up in his story in _The Filmmaker and the Sceptre_ ;  
* Relativity works in mysterious ways in _The Last Shall be First_ ;  
* Geoffrey literally finds himself in _The Wrong Track_

**The novella:** "I thought all this stuff about time warps and things was silly scifi stuff. I'm not a fan of Star Trek or any of these other things -- which I thought was for people who couldn't get a life, who sit in their parents basement with their chemistry sets and oscilloscopes. I thought I was a level headed, successful, morally responsible member of society. Until one day I stepped into the ... _Wrong Time_ "

**The flash fiction:** From a physics class of the future: what is a "flong"? in _The Flong Files_

and more...

**Readers Comments at _Amazon:  _**

_"...Kudos to the author for a readable, well-researched, original and inventive collection..."  
" ...is a thoroughly intriguing and enjoyable collection of short stories by Robby Charters, tied together with a ribbon of twisted time..."  
"...fantastic. Thoroughly entertaining, retains interest, and had a great grasp on scientific theory..."

_

### **Pepe**

In a world of flying magnetic trains and floating cafés, he lives in an abandoned construction site with his sister, cleaning windscreens at a busy intersection while his sister begs. He doesn't know who he really is. That fact could cost him his life – or it could be the key to the future of Cardovia.

The evil general and president-for-life, a paraplegic whose mobility depends on a neuro-computer system controlling an army of robots, wants him eliminated. The general's secrets are well-kept, except to a mysterious mystic old Japanese man who has hope, and a 13-year-old hacker who accidentally witness one of his heinous crimes.

For Pepe, it's a "coming of age" as he discovers his past, and the dimmest images of his dreams begin to materialise. Before the end, we see things falling apart as hope plummets into oblivion, while all are perusing what might be a lost cause, when suddenly a forgotten fact pulls it all into a satisfying conclusion.

_"Books this good usually don't show up on my radar... Excellent nerd sci fi totally deserving your money."_

\-- Ezekiel Carsella at Books N Tech

_"Pepe was an action packed ride that I enjoyed from start to finish. Mr. Charters has a way of creating a near future in exquisite detail, and I felt like that really made the story."_

\-- Paige Boggs at Effectively Paige

_"...One of the best teen novels I've read in a long while, I really enjoyed this..."  _

\-- Sheila Deeth, Vine Voice at Amazon

### The Zondon

Some enemies are so powerful and strategically placed that the only way one can fight them is through Wisdom. And there are times, while fighting those enemies, one is faced with a choice – a test of one's character – one moves forward by listening to the heart, all the while the brain is screaming for the alternative. Should the initial result appear a disaster, the brain says 'I told you so', but later one realises that that was exactly the right choice – the test passed with flying colours.

Seven people, born in every corner of the world: each has been plagued with doubts, dreams and obsessions since childhood that don't make sense. They each had a twin who didn't share their obsession, and made their lives miserable. Ernie Magawan is one of them, and is the first to make the self-discovery.

Though born on earth, they are in fact, Zondon, from a planet clear across the galaxy, here on a mission that they must complete. The future of the human race, and of the galaxy depend on it. Those memories are awakened through contact with a mysterious green crystal.

On 'awakening', Ernie Magawan realises that he must find and awaken the other six. The action adventure takes him on a roller-coaster ride from the archaeological site in Egypt where he found the crystal, to the streets of Bangkok, to the mountains of Afghanistan, to Jerusalem, to a nuclear silo in North Korea, and finally the Golden Triangle. On the way, he and his growing team rub shoulders with international terrorists, Neo-Nazis, migrant farm workers, and a mystic rabbi, as well as their ultimate enemy, a formidable creature, also from across the galaxy, in the guise of a powerful international financier and terrorist boss, who has been waiting for them all their lives.

Armed with extrasensory powers of mind control as well as access to vast political resources, terrorist organisations and WMDs, he is the hidden hand behind all diabolical conspiracies.

### Eetoo

Humanity has very little to justify its existence, until one small facet falls into place. Then, it suddenly makes sense.

Think: Ben Hur of Science Fiction. Eetoo, a shepherd from an obscure planet, realises his mission in life: to search for the golden tablets that will complete his tribe's knowledge of the truth. They are located on the forgotten Planet of Red Earth, the birthplace of humanity. He has help from fellow humans as well as non humans. Some species would rather see humanity extinct, and for good reason. The ancient Nephteshi Empire showed how evil humanity can be. The paradox keeps Eetoo searching for answers, taking him to first century Earth.

The parts of the narrative set on the Planet of Red Earth (our earth, actually), are influenced by readings of first century history in light of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Pseudopigrapha, Rabbinical sources, as well as readings of Shalom Asch's The Nazarene. Some study of Quantum Mechanics also helped.

### The Story of Saint Catrick

Dr. Catrick is a professor at the Feline University in Catropolis. As a young cat, he had a life changing experience that set him on his mission in life, to proclaim that animal species can and should live in harmony. All the while, the rodents are rising up against cat rule. Catrick and his friends encounter political agendas, prejudices, and countless other reasons for not doing the obvious.

### Allegory

Imagine waking up in a strange pace. you have no memory of how you got there, nor who you are. one thing becomes increasing clear: this isn't the same world in which you went to sleep. it's ... _Allegory_

**Readers Comments at _Amazon  _**(avarage of 41/2 stars out of 71 reviews):

_  "...I was so involved that I could not put the book down. It is definetly a book you find yourself in..."_ _  
"...Worst book ever. I hated the whole thing. Don't buy it unless you're a Jesus freak. Terrible. Awful book, really bad..."_ _  
"...This story made me to pause my life and have a look at what we are doing at the moment..."  
"...strange, but well written. It made me think about things I hadn't thought about in a long time..."  
"...If you've read and like/love C. S. Lewis's book "The Great Divorce", you'll enjoy this book..."_

### The Eurasian

The world of the late 21st century is divided between Greater China, the Western Block, the Islamic Block and the Southern Free States of Africa and South America. The Western Block is dominated by the multinational corporations, who have created a paradise for its citizens -- so everyone thinks.

Mickey O'Brien is the Eurasian, half Asian and half Irish. He has a problem with that, because all his friends are fully Asian. However, no one has actually met each other -- only their virtual projected images they show on their on-line classroom environment. He and his classmates meet each other for the first time as they go on a class trip to America. It turns out they all had things to hide.

In America, they accidentally discover what the Multinationals have been trying to hide. Their hover van is hijacked, and they are left trapped in the great American outback, a vast area of what was once U.S.A., now divided between countless republics. Some are Nazi, some are militant Christian and other redneck cowboy states, some Native American Nations, Mafia kingdoms, etc etc. The wild west is again wild. Once having stumbled in, can they ever find their way out again?

It's a story of finding out what's real, and discovering true faith as they become involved in an espionage war trying to prevent a Nazis takeover.

### Pappa Gander: the Less Better Half of Mother Goose

At long last, Pappa Gander gets a few words in edgewise. Read some of your old familiar nursery rhymes rewritten his way, plus a few other rhymes, limericks, some haiku, and stories...

_**Jack and the Beanstalk**_ \-- did you ever wonder what happened to the cow? or the beans from the beanstalk? What did Jack do later in life? Find out in Jack and the Beanstalk, the Whole Story, Plus the Sequel...

**_The Adventures of Jack and Jill_** \-- a hilarious blend of a lot of familiar rhymes. Pappa Gander gets things a bit mixed up here, and ends up with a second version of Jack and the Beanstalk, but with the Seven Dwarves instead of the giant...

**_Snow White_** , from an alternative universe where things happen a bit differently...

Robby, the author behind Pappa Gander says: "My poetic inspirations were Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstien and Ogden Nash. Also included are some of my cartoons, largly influenced by Gary Larson (Far Side). Some of the rhymes were done strictly because I found words that rhyme in an amusing way (amusing to me, anyway)."
