TW02 The Timekeeper Conspiracy NEW (16 page)

"Are you finished?"

"Not quite. How many people have you got on this mis-sion? A dozen?
Two
dozen?
More?
You never even considered the possibility of an adjustment going down, did you? You brought enough people back here to spread a net, to cover all the possibilities. Only you needed someone the Timekeepers could spot, a target they could shoot at. As you said, someone to make them nervous. Agency personnel are too valuable to waste on something like that, right? A couple of soldiers would be just the thing. What did you do, go to the Referee Corps and requisition a couple of expendables? Sure, you can have Delaney. He's made a pain in the ass of himself before and he's up on charges now. He'll be just perfect.

And Priest just happened to be there with me at the wrong time, so he got thrown into the deal. Is that how it went down?"

Mongoose regarded him with a steady gaze. "More or less," he said.

"Damn,"
said Lucas. "I can't believe that Forrester would go along with that."

"He had no choice," said Finn, "assuming that he even knew about it."

"If it's worth anything," said Mongoose, "I don't think Major Forrester was fully briefed. There was no need for him to know."

"Well, that pretty much fits in with standard operating pro-cedure, doesn't it?" said Finn. "The pawns are the least sig-nificant pieces in a game. There's no need for them to know the reasons for the moves they are required to make. That's all this mission is for you, isn't it? A game. It's a game for Taylor and it's a game for you. Except Taylor controls the board.

He's got a gameplan and you don't. He's castled and he's got all his most important pieces functioning freely. You've got your pieces spread out all over the board. Every agent you've got back here represents one more chance for something to go wrong. You're out of control, Mongoose. The only way you're going to win is if you get damn lucky."

"You still only have part of the total picture, Delaney," said the agent. "To switch your chess metaphor to one of cards, I still have a few aces up my sleeve. Nor do I play a defensive game, as you imply. But that need not concern you. Granted, you've been used. But you can still be useful. Your survival depends upon the degree of your usefulness."

"Suppose we don't choose to play?" said Lucas.

"In that case, your usefulness will have ended," Mongoose said. "Freytag let you live, this one time.

He obviously had a reason for doing so, although I confess that I'm at a loss to guess what that reason is.

He could have killed you easily; Freytag is an accomplished assassin. He can and will do so whenever it suits Taylor's purpose. You're out in the open and extremely vulnerable."

"Thanks to you," said Lucas.

"Yes, thanks to me," said Mongoose. "You do have several alternatives, though. One is to refuse to cooperate. You could push the panic button. I can tell you now that it would bring no results. We're the Observers on this mission. You could desert, but I don't think you'll do that. I don't think it's in you.

You'd still be vulnerable. The Timekeepers could get you or, for that matter, my people could get you. It would be simple. You have no idea who they are, where they are, or how many of them there are.

Frankly, there'd be no percentage in my having you sanctioned. I wouldn't waste my time. I don't think you'll desert, because you want to stop the Timekeepers as badly as I do. You could tell me to go to hell and try it on your own, but then you wouldn't have the benefit of whatever information I choose to pass on to you and I don't think I need to remind you that, without me, there's no way for you to get back home. Which brings us to your final alternative. You continue to work with me and let me call the shots."

"Which means we've got no alternatives at all," said Lucas.

"I rather thought you'd come to that conclusion."

"All right, you bastard," Finn said, "you win. We'll play it your way."

"I'm so glad," said Mongoose. "And just to prove to you that I'm not ungrateful, I'll pass on a useful bit of informa-tion. What you do with it is up to you. Before Jack Bennett deserted from the Temporal Corps some ten years ago, he was a medical officer. Specifically, he was a surgeon. A specialist in cosmetology, something you gentlemen should be familiar with. So when you go back out and start interacting with the principals in this scenario, you may want to exercise a little caution. One of them may not be what he seems."

Moreau came quickly. The old ex-seaman asked no questions, simply accepting that Doctor Jacques and "his gentleman friend" were in some kind of trouble and needed help. When Bennett told him that he would have to be extremely careful if any of the "gentlemen from Flanders" inquired as to his whereabouts, Moreau grunted, nodding his head as if to say that he had thought as much, and then told him to say no more, that he would take care of everything.

"There is one thing more that I must say," Bennett told him.

"There is no need of explaining anything to me, Doctor Jacques," Moreau said.

"Yes, I know that, old friend," Bennett said, "and I love you for it. But I must give you a warning. Be especially wary of Milady de Winter."

Moreau raised his eyebrows. There were few people in the know in Paris who had not heard of the infamous "Milady."

"Merde,"
said Moreau. "What have you gotten yourself into, Doctor? No, on second thought, don't tell me. I cannot tell what I don't know."

"I think that would be wise," Jack Bennett said.

"What would be wise would be to find a safe place for you right now and arrange for you and Monsieur Andre to leave Paris as soon as possible."

Andre, still being in her male guise, did not correct Moreau in his misconception and, following her cue, Marie, Pierre, and Bennett kept silent on the subject as well.

"I'm afraid that wouldn't do," said Jack. "We must find a safe place to hide for now, that's true, but we cannot possibly leave Paris. There is more at stake than you would under-stand."

"It's your choice," Moreau said. "But they'll be looking for you, won't they?"

"They'll be looking for Doctor Jacques," said Andre. "They do not know about me as yet. That may give us some freedom to act."

"I see," Moreau said. "Well, then, perhaps it would be best if I were to arrange separate sanctuaries for you. If no one is seeking you in connection with this matter, whatever it may be, then you can come and stay at my establishment, Monsieur Andre, as my guest."

"I would not wish to impose upon your generosity," Andre began, but Moreau interrupted her with a wave of his hand.

"Think nothing of it. What I do, I do for Doctor Jacques, and you are his friend. If helping you helps him, so much the better. Now, where shall we put you, my friend?"

Moreau thought a moment.

"Ah, I have it. I have a friend who owes me for some favors. He will be more than happy to get out of my debt so cheaply. I will send you to stay with him. He has a house in the Rue des Fossoyeurs, No.

14. What's more, he has a young cadet who lodges with him, an expert swordsman, as I hear tell. You should be safe there."

"Can your friend be trusted?" said Bennett.

"Bonacieux? He is an innocent and as simple as the day is long, but he is also a bit of a chatterbox.

He's a good man, but I'm not certain that I would trust him with a secret. He might blurt it out through no fault of his own. No, it would be best if we were to concoct some sort of story to keep his curiosity ap-peased."

"Have I met this Bonacieux?" said Bennett.

"It is entirely possible," said Moreau. "He frequents the tavern now and then. A likeable, rather scatterbrained old fellow, gray hair, spindly little legs, red nose, and chin just like a spade."

Bennett shook his head. "Maybe, I don't know. His name seems somehow familiar."

"Well, then doubtless you have met him. Either way, his place will do. I'll tell him that you're my cousin, recently returned from a life at sea. You know something of the sailing life, as I recall; that should make it easier in case he should become garrulous, which is very likely. He doesn't see his wife too often and laments for lack of company. We'll say that you've left the seaman's life behind because you've become somewhat infirm and need frequent rest. That should insure you some needed privacy."

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

"He can come and see you there, if he is not being sought," Moreau said. He shrugged. "Simple.

We'll tell Bonacieux that he is your nephew on my sister's side, coming to look in on you from time to time. Bonacieux will doubtless find the whole thing very boring and you will doubtless find Bonacieux very boring, but at least you will be safe."

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

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

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

"Marie and Pierre?"

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

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

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

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

"I know that all too well, Moreau."

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

"Moreau?"

The burly old man turned.

"Please be careful."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"We have all night."

"Indeed. Well. I don't know how much Hunter told you, but you obviously know something about time travel and the future that we came from. I'll start from the beginning and tell you everything I can.

Stop me if you require further ex-planation; I will do my best. The Temporal Corps was formed in...."

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

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

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

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

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

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