Time Travelers Never Die Part 30

"All right. Shall we try again?"

"Sure. But let's move a little to the north. The other side of town."

Shel sat down with the converters. "I'll set them to arrive a week earlier this time. Just so we don't run into anybody who recognizes us." He handed Dave's unit back to him. "Ready?"

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THEY were in a field. The ground was flat, with lots of gra.s.s. There were a silo and a barn, some trees, and a grazing horse. And, just past the barn, a farmhouse. In the distance they could see a river. That would be the Delaware. were in a field. The ground was flat, with lots of gra.s.s. There were a silo and a barn, some trees, and a grazing horse. And, just past the barn, a farmhouse. In the distance they could see a river. That would be the Delaware.

A man carrying what looked like a hoe came out of the barn, saw them, and stopped to stare. "Bordentown should be south," said Shel, consulting his compa.s.s.

Before Dave could respond, a howl came from the direction of the barn. Two hounds raced out of the open doorway and charged. The guy with the hoe threw the implement aside, ran back into the barn, and emerged with a shotgun.

"Go," said Shel. "Clear out."

Dave pressed the b.u.t.ton, watched the dogs fade into spectral light, and was glad to see the walls of Shel's den materialize. He waited for Shel.

And waited.

Shel should have appeared over by the armchair near the fireplace.

But he didn't.

CHAPTER 21.

When I contemplate the natural dignity of man; when I feel (for Nature has not been kind enough to me to blunt my feelings) for the honour and happiness of its character, I become irritated at the attempt to govern mankind by force and fraud, as if they were all knaves and fools. . . .

-T HOMAS PAINE, RIGHTS OF MAN RIGHTS OF MAN

IT'S hard to stay cool when two drooling hounds are coming after you. Shel should have simply stayed still and used the converter to leave. But he hadn't attached the instrument to his belt, still had it in his hands, which, ironically, was what he'd started doing after the incident with the highwaymen. If he were holding it, he'd reasoned, he could press the b.u.t.ton in an eyeblink. Get out of there at a moment's notice. It had even been his advice to Dave. hard to stay cool when two drooling hounds are coming after you. Shel should have simply stayed still and used the converter to leave. But he hadn't attached the instrument to his belt, still had it in his hands, which, ironically, was what he'd started doing after the incident with the highwaymen. If he were holding it, he'd reasoned, he could press the b.u.t.ton in an eyeblink. Get out of there at a moment's notice. It had even been his advice to Dave.

The problem with having it in his hands was that it also made the device hostage to involuntary physical reactions. When the hounds showed up, Shel shrieked and flipped the device into the air.

He almost dived after it, but reflexes took over, and he froze. The dogs growled and snarled and dripped saliva and showed their teeth, but they didn't attack. The farmer, though, had seen Dave vanish, and he now stood watching Shel with a shotgun pointed at him but held in trembling hands.

"Don't shoot," said Shel, trying to look friendly.

He was in his twenties. A kid. Yellow hair, the beginnings of a beard, sallow skin, thin lips. He just stared, with his mouth hanging open.

"Sorry," Shel said. "I guess we-"

"What are you?" the kid asked.

"I'm just-"

"Where'd the other one go?"

Then Dave reappeared. First the aura, a silver glow-it was silver by daylight, gold in the dark-then a human form taking shape, growing solid. The kid swung the gun toward it while he stumbled backward. The radiance went away, and Dave stood there, Dave in all his glory, gawking at the weapon, carrying two pork chops from Shel's refrigerator.

The dogs went after him. Dave tossed them the meat, but they paid no attention. One sank its teeth into Dave's leg. He yelled and went down. And vanished again.

If the kid had been scared a moment before, his mental state now went to pieces. He screamed and fired a blast at a tree. "Look," said Shel. "I know this looks strange-"

"Keep your hands up." It was part screech. The weapon was a single-shot, and the kid was making no effort to reload, but the dogs were still there.

"Okay." Shel raised them as high as he could.

The kid kept raising the barrel of the shotgun, signaling higher, higher higher, higher. At the same time, he begged Shel not to hurt him.

"I won't. I wouldn't hurt anyone. Look, my name's Shel-"

"Don't tell me your name." He was still backing away, eyes terrified. My G.o.d, at best, he was going to leave Shel with the hounds.

The converter was lying at the base of a tree. Too far away. He couldn't get to it before the dogs got to him him.

The kid switched the weapon to his left hand and began crossing himself. He seemed unaware that the chamber was empty. The hounds kept making false lunges at Shel and licking their lips. The kid stumbled into a hole and juggled the weapon and finally went down.

Then he was on his knees, the weapon still aimed at Shel. "Hey," said Shel. "The dogs. Take the dogs with you."

"Yeah," said the kid. "Okay." Absolutely. Anything you want. "But you go away, right?"

"Yes. Sure. Absolutely. Won't come back."

"Oscar," he said. "Roamer. Come over here."

The dogs turned to look at him. Then turned their attention back to Shel.

"Over here," the kid said, as sternly as he could manage. Then somebody else came running. Out of the farmhouse. "Jake, what's going on?" He was a big guy, probably would have been as tall as Dave had he stood straight, but he hunched over. His face was full of wrinkles and whiskers.

"Dad, we got some kind of devil."

Dad was coming as fast as he could. "Just relax, Jake. Don't shoot him."

One of the hounds was sniffing at the converter.

Shel started to drop his arms, but the father told him to keep them in the air. "What's he doin' here?"

"Dad, there were two of them."

"Two? Where's the other one?"

"Don't know. He just went away. Disappeared."

The father surveyed the area. It was wide-open, except for a few scattered trees. "What are you talking about?"

"They come and go," Jake said. "The other one came back." His weapon was still trembling.

"You better give me that," said the father. He checked the weapon, reloaded it, but pointed it at Shel's feet. One of the hounds went over and began rubbing Dad's leg. "Who are you, mister? And what are you doing here?"

"I'm a researcher," Shel said. "Conducting an experiment. But I got lost."

"Is there somebody else?"

"Another man?"

"Yes. What did you think think I meant?" I meant?"

"I don't know," said Shel. "I came alone."

Jake snarled. "You're a liar liar. There was was another one, Dad. I'm telling you-" another one, Dad. I'm telling you-"

"If there was, where is he?"

"I don't know."

"Sir," said Shel, "I dropped that over there." He nodded at the converter. "I'd like to get it back, if it's okay."

"What is it?"

"It, um, measures light. We're trying to make better lamps."

Dad walked over and picked it up. He looked at it and put it in his pocket. "You know what I think?" he said. "I think you're a spy for the G.o.ddam redcoats. Why don't you just come with me?"

"Okay. But could I have my inclinator?"

"Is that what you call it?"

"Yes."

"Why? What's it do again? Measures light?"

"It measures the inclination inclination of the light." of the light."

Dad laughed. "Whatever that means." He checked to be sure Shel had no weapons, and found the gooseberry. "What's this?"

"It's part of the light-testing system."

Dad laughed again and appropriated that, too.

Jake grabbed his father's shoulder. "Dad, I'm telling you, there were two two of them. One just came and went. He's some kind of devil." of them. One just came and went. He's some kind of devil."

"And he went where?"

"I don't know. Just faded out when the dogs got after him."

"Shut up, Jake. You're imagining things. You ever hear of a devil that's scared of dogs?"

Jake threw up his hands. "I don't care. They-"

"Shut up." He pointed toward a clutch of trees about a hundred yards off. Away from the river. "You can go, mister. Property line's a quarter mile He pointed toward a clutch of trees about a hundred yards off. Away from the river. "You can go, mister. Property line's a quarter mile that that way. It's marked. If I see you out here again, I'm going to put a ball in you. You understand that?" way. It's marked. If I see you out here again, I'm going to put a ball in you. You understand that?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Good-bye."

"Can I have my property back?"

Dad took out the converter and the gooseberry. Started fingering them.

Please don't turn anything on.

He tossed them in Shel's direction, but Shel let them hit the ground. Make no sudden moves when a gun is pointed at you. After a minute, Shel picked them up. He thought about using the converter, but he wasn't sure what would happen if the weapon fired right after he pushed the b.u.t.ton. Best to just walk away.

He put the gooseberry in a pocket and kept the converter in his hand. The shotgun was still aimed at his feet. The hounds started toward him, but Dad stopped them with a word.

Shel turned his back and started walking. Behind him, father and son were arguing. Jake was still trying to convince his father that Shel was not human.

WHEN he reached the property line, he looked back and saw that they were gone. As were the dogs. Good. Time to go home. he reached the property line, he looked back and saw that they were gone. As were the dogs. Good. Time to go home.

Poor Dave. He'd looked scared to death when he'd seen the shotgun.

He pushed the b.u.t.ton and the daylight started to fade. Then it came back.

He tried again. This time nothing at all happened.

CHAPTER 22.

Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die. And it is youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow, and the triumphs that are the aftermath of war.

-HERBERT HOOVER, JUNE 27, 1944