The Time Travel Directorate (19 page)

Standing in front of them with an accusing stare, the monk looked at the piles of firewood and pointed his finger.

“
Chop the wood.”

Vin
smiled and turned to the pile.

“Yes,
teacher.”

Kanon
Hay dispensed with a disguise that chilly October morning. It had been years since she had been in the present time, and besides, she wanted her father to recognize her. She knew he would be at the hearing—his sense of duty was too compelling. Stationing herself outside the gloomy Senate office building, she waited.

As she predicted
, her father resigned soon after the incident in Salem—apparently, some of the journalists Julius invited did show up. The only redeeming outcome of that disastrous affair was the fact that these journalists were keen to continue the story. Kanon’s feature would be going live any moment. Time was of the essence.

Watching a lone taxi pull
up, she recognized her father’s bald head as he exited. She quickly intercepted him.

“Dad
,” Kanon said softly.

His
inspector agility kicked in, and Director Hay snapped to attention—facing the daughter he hadn’t seen for nearly five years.

Not waiting for his shock to dissipate,
Kanon hugged him intensely as he kissed her on top of her head.

“I have to go
, Dad, just as we planned. See you soon,” she whispered, pulling away to see his face trembling with emotion. “Thank you,” she whispered, before pulling her hand from his and walking up the marble steps.

Vin
stood at the heavily secured entrance, looking tall and lean in his black suit. He raised a hand to her father and smiled.

Taking
Kanon’s arm, he guided her past security into the hallway, moving quickly past the crowds of people and flashes of reading panes.

“Are you ready
for the big reveal?” Vin asked, steering her into the hearing room.

“
I’ve never been more prepared in my life,” Kanon assured him, squeezing his hand as she took a seat. “Have you seen Quill?” she asked.

“Yes
,” Vin said. “He’s rehearsing his speech in the hallway.”

“Ready for his big moment
,” she said ruefully, removing her sunglasses and looking discreetly around the hearing room.

V
in’s reading pane gave a loud chirp.

“We
’re ready to go live in about five minutes,” he said, glancing down.

“Did you
. . . ”

“It’s all settled
,” Vin said firmly. “Your Dad has a few friends left on the committee.”

“
Could you be referring to ranking member Schwartz?” Kanon asked coyly.

“One of the
few people who stood by him, along with you, my dear.”

Vin
gave her a knowing wink and departed, moving to greet a staff member who had just entered the hearing room.

Kanon
watched as they silently discussed their plans. She knew it would go off without a hitch—it had to. But there was still a glimmer of anxiety that something could go wrong.

“He’s dead
, Kanon,” she said to herself in a low whisper, feeling her body flood with relief. It always made her feel better to hear the words again.

Nothing would go wrong, because she had killed Julius Arnold.
And nothing could go wrong ever again, because she had Vin.

Kanon
watched as the small hearing room filled to capacity. Journalists, government drones and media types sat elbow to elbow, waiting for the hearing to begin.

Minutes later t
he doors groaned open, and the head of the Time Travel Directorate, Allen Quill, entered the hearing room.

Ushered in by
several high-ranking inspectors, he took his seat at the hearing table with a flourish—adjusting his glasses with a smile.

“Enjoy this moment
,
Director
Quill,” Kanon said under her breath. “The next time you see me you’ll be sitting in a prison cell.”

With those prophetic words
, the gavel fell. Kanon watched intently as Chairman Smithfield gave his introductory remarks. Sitting next to him, ranking Member Schwartz caught her eye, giving Kanon a firm nod.

It was time.

The first order of business was to hear Director Quill’s statement. He cleared his throat obnoxiously before beginning. To hear Quill tell it, the good work of the Directorate had been preserved through his unique efforts. He was careful not to mention Kanon or Vin—it was as if they were scrubbed from the official records of the Directorate.

Kanon
watched as the members dozed off through the usual monotony of speeches. But as Quill droned on, she noticed Chairman Smithfield look down at his reading pane with a start.

“Ah!”
he said, tapping on the screen.

Quill stopped reading his statement, looking up at the
Chairman.

Kanon
anxiously opened her reading pane, opening a message she received from Senator Schwartz.

“
Looking good on the cover.”

Kanon
clicked on the article. Her image appeared on the screen, decked out in French court regalia—holding a bloody knife with a blazing title overhead.

“
Inspector Kanon Hay Reveals the Truth about Julius Arnold and the Cover Up at the Time Travel Directorate”

K
anon had to stifle a chuckle, reveling in the anxiety now consuming Quill as the hearing room began to twitter to life. At that moment, everything she had been through was worth it.

Chairman Smithfield leaned towards Ranking Member Schwartz, his question audible through the microphone.

“Did you read this?” he
asked.

She
accepted the reading pane he thrust towards her. As she read, her mouth dropped open. Handing it back to the Chairman, Senator Schwartz pointed at Quill.

“Ask him,
” she said, pushing the microphone away and fixing him with a stare.

“Director Quill
,” Chairman Smithfield began, eyes like thunder.

Quill looked very small in his chair as he
whipped around, looking for assurances from his minders and finding none.

Chairman Smithfield
had him dead in his sights.

“Is it true you
were in collusion with Julius Arnold, a wanted time travel criminal?”

The
room was so quiet, Kanon could hear the squeaking of cheap leather as people shifted in their chairs.

“Um
. . . ” Quill began, blinking at the bright lights and unsmiling faces of the committee.

“I’ll repeat, did you or did you not
aid and abet an international criminal? That crime, if proven, is considered a treasonous act.”

“
What . . . What are you?” Quill tried to stand but then quickly sat down, fumbling with his reading pane.

“Play it
aloud!” Ranking Member Schwartz cried, hitting the audio file on her reading pane that accompanied the article. “So he can hear for himself.”

Holding
her pane up to the microphone, Quill’s voice boomed through the sound system.

“
Smiley? It’s Quill. I’ll keep this brief. Julius is anxious to meet the director’s daughter. Have you arranged it yet?”

“Hello, yes I was just
clearing that bit up, it’s clear the blame will fall on her.”

“The price is the same we discussed before, which we’ll split equally. We’ll communicate
with Julius using Inspector Habit, he’s proven trustworthy. We need access to Central Computer though, we are in need of more webs and . . . ”

“As
I told you once before, only I control Central Computer. I’m not handing access over without assurance.”

“I’m more than happy to take that message to Julius. This only works if we take the Directorate down with us
.”

“
Yes, I understand. Goodbye.”

“There is truth in time travel, Chief Smiley. Always remember that.”

The sound cracked as the audio ended, Director Quill sat transfixed, unable to move.

Chairman Smithfield was not as subtle.

“Inspectors, before Director Quill incriminates himself any further, please read him his rights and take him into custody.”

Kanon
stood, the crowded hearing room in disarray as she advanced on Quill.

He looked
like he saw a ghost, whispering to himself as Vin also appeared at his side. Vin took out his handcuffs, fixing them firmly on Quill’s shaking hands.

“Inspector Quill,
I don’t think we’ve met,” Kanon began sweetly. “You are in violation of numerous time travel laws. I will warn you that anything you say can, and will, be used against you in the international court of law.”

“Well said, Inspector Hay
,” Vin added, taking Quill firmly by the arm. “After you,
Director
.”

“Journalists—such nasty creatures!” the Duchess cried, waving her hand in the air.

“
It is only the reputation of some, Duchess,” Kanon replied, smiling at her friend.

“Ah
, yes, I see why you must correspond with them, if only to defend your name.”

“Yes, it is important, one
’s name,” Kanon responded, smiling.

“But you will not hold yours much longer, eh?”
the Duchess said, winking at her.

“No, not for long
,” Kanon replied, scanning the horizon for a familiar figure.

“Ah
! Here he comes!” the Duchess cried, dimpling as Vin rode towards them.

“Yes, indeed
,” Kanon said, rising to meet Vin as he hopped down from his steed.

After greeting her affectionately, he
settled himself down on their picnic blanket.

“
I shall not stay, lovers need their quiet time,” the Duchess pronounced. “I will just give Muffy a walk.”

She pulled her puppy to her and, muttering assurances, walked
down the gravel path that snaked through the countryside.

Vin
took Kanon’s hand to his lips and kissed it.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better, now that it’s all over,” Kanon replied, smiling up at him.

“
It does feel neatly tied up, doesn’t it? With Quill in prison and your dad reinstated as the head of the Time Travel Directorate.”

“Yes,
things have gone back to normal. Whatever that means,” Kanon noted, pulling him next to her. They didn’t speak for the next few moments, contented to be in each other’s company.

“I wonder at the audacity of Quill,” Kanon finally said. “How can someone be so manipulative?”

“
Access to power changes people. Until it destroys them,” Vin said. “With Chief Smiley on his side, he had no reason to think he would be caught. We owe it to your father on that front. If he didn’t believe us, it might be you and me in that prison—or worse.”

“Chief Smiley,” Kanon said, pausing. “Up until his last moment, he was consumed with questions about Standard D.”

“
What a sad life to lead,” Vin said, giving her a little squeeze.

“I think he was so
sure of his status in the Directorate, he couldn’t see the forest for the trees. Ego can be so blinding, don’t you think.”

Kanon
twirled a blade of grass through her fingers.

“
Yes,” Vin said shortly, pulling her closer. “It can blind you to a whole lot of things.”

“Do you ever wonder why it worked?” Kanon whispered, eyes locked with his.

“Using one web?”
Vin asked.

“
I took you with me,” Kanon said. “Because that’s where you belonged.”

She kissed him firmly, and drawing back he smiled at her
.

Hearing commotion behind her,
Kanon turned to see the puppy scampering towards them. The Duchess followed behind, panting.

“
Enough time alone, we are starving!” she cried.

“You know it won’t always be this pleasant
,” Kanon said, looking at Vin with a smile. “The terror is coming, that is certain.”

“
We have work ahead of us,” Vin responded, pulling Kanon toward him again for a long, lingering kiss before the puppy broke them apart.

Kanon
laughed, pulling the furry creature to her.

“Come, come, let us stop wasting time,” the Duchess said, directing servants to unpack the picnic items.

Vin
gave Kanon a knowing glance.

“Duchess,”
Kanon began, popping a cake in her mouth. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”