Time Travelers Never Die Part 48

Shel yelped. The guards held his arms and lifted him onto the wall while Dave tried to get past the two priests. Cesare seemed not very interested. "Have you anything to say, Father Dryden?"

"Yes. You're right, Eminence. We are French spies."

He nodded. "As I thought. Now perhaps you will tell me who sent you?"

"Monte Cristo."

"I'm not surprised." Cesare's thin lips smiled. "What was your purpose? To attempt the life of His Holiness?"

"No. Most certainly not. We hoped to sow political discord."

They leaned Shel out into the air. "I don't think I heard you correctly. Did you say you were here to kill the Pope?"

"Yes. Yes, that is why we were sent."

"Very good. I'm glad you've decided to be honest." Cesare gestured, and they brought Shel back inside. "I a.s.sume everyone here heard his admission?"

Shel glared at Dave. "Idiot," he said in English. "They'll kill us now."

Cesare sighed. "Take them away," he told the guards.

"Wait," Shel said. "Perhaps Your Eminence would care to allow us to make a contribution to the Church."

"In exchange for my intercession at your trial?" He looked interested. "You have more gold to bargain with?"

"I have access to a substantial sum." Dave watched, certain that Cesare could not be conned. They would simply take everything, and they would still end in the hands of the Inquisition.

"And where is this substantial sum?"

"Nowhere, just now-" It was as far as he got. Cesare nodded, a barely perceptible movement of head and eye, and one of the priests knocked him to his knees.

"Please do not waste my time," he said.

Shel struggled to speak. "I have no wish to do so, Eminence. You have the trans.m.u.ters on your desk."

"The what what?"

"The trans.m.u.ters. They convert lead to gold."

The Cardinal looked at Dave to see how he was receiving this news. Dave tried to appear displeased, as if Shel had just given away a secret. He picked up one of the converters. "Such a device," he said, "would do much to spur the mission of Mother Church."

"Would you like me to show you how it works, Eminence?" Shel tried to get to his feet, but a guard held him tightly.

"I think not. I would prefer that your friend show us." He motioned Dave to come forward, gave him a lead paperweight, and the converter. "Father Dryden, make us some gold."

The lead weight was a disk-shaped stone, with an image of St. Gabriel appearing to the Virgin.

Dave set the converter to take him downstream one minute. He adjusted the lead weight as though he were positioning it. "That looks about right," he said. Then he smiled at Cesare to be sure he had his attention and pushed the b.u.t.ton.

The room and its occupants froze. They became transparent and faded out. When they reappeared, one minute later their time, the tableau had changed dramatically. Cesare's face was twisted with shock. The guards had released Shel and were cringing near the door. The linebacker was blessing himself, and the squash player, eyes wide, had retreated well away from where Dave had been standing. Shel, finally, had gotten to his feet.

Someone screamed Satan's name. The linebacker thrust a crucifix in Dave's face. Dave pushed him away and turned to Cesare, who was equally aghast. "You abuse your power, Eminence," he said. He scooped up the coins they'd taken from him and the remaining converters. He handed one to Shel. They were by then alone with the Cardinal, who did not seem to want to come out from behind his desk.

Dave reverted to English: "You all right, Shel?"

"Yeah." He was shaking his head, trying to clear it. "It's almost been worth it."

Dave smiled nonchalantly at Cesare, whose pale expression contrasted sharply with his red robes. "I'll see you in h.e.l.l, Eminence."

Shel clipped the converter onto his belt. "I just realized," he said. "I didn't get my sculpture."

"Forget it. Let's go home."

One of the guards had recovered his nerve, gotten a poker somewhere, and came back into the office. Shel pushed the b.u.t.ton and faded out. Dave followed a moment later. But when he materialized in the wardrobe, he was alone.

CHAPTER 38.

Go, Stranger, tell the Spartans that we lie here obeying their orders.

-EPITAPH ON THE MONUMENT AT THERMOPYLAE

DAVE kept looking. He tried Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in December 1903, and watched the Wright Brothers launch their flying machine. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Shel. Moreover, neither Orville nor Wilbur had any recollection of being approached by anyone resembling Adrian Shelborne. Dave thanked them and, thoroughly intimidated, excused himself, making no effort to engage in the casual conversation that Shel had always tried to initiate. Well, they kept looking. He tried Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in December 1903, and watched the Wright Brothers launch their flying machine. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Shel. Moreover, neither Orville nor Wilbur had any recollection of being approached by anyone resembling Adrian Shelborne. Dave thanked them and, thoroughly intimidated, excused himself, making no effort to engage in the casual conversation that Shel had always tried to initiate. Well, they were were busy. But that wasn't the reason he hadn't tried. It was frustrating. He'd faced down Cesare Borgia and his thugs, but he couldn't find his voice with the world's first pilots. busy. But that wasn't the reason he hadn't tried. It was frustrating. He'd faced down Cesare Borgia and his thugs, but he couldn't find his voice with the world's first pilots.

He'd learned from the hunt for Michael Shelborne that it was necessary to look for an event rather than a person. Other than the comet of 1811, which wasn't going to do him any good, Dave had two events, but he wasn't enthusiastic about going near either.

Leonidas and his Spartans.

And Socrates on his last day.

Thank G.o.d Shel had shown no interest in the Little Bighorn.

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HE found him on the road to Thermopylae. It was rough country, all cliffs and valleys, with scattered trees and occasional gra.s.s and lots of bare ground. found him on the road to Thermopylae. It was rough country, all cliffs and valleys, with scattered trees and occasional gra.s.s and lots of bare ground.

Shel looked good. Much better than Dave had expected. He was tanned. Fit. Almost a man on vacation.

"Shel," Dave said. "How you doing?"

"Dave." His voice was gentle, sober. East of them, armed soldiers were surveying the landscape. "Is that really you? What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

"Why?"

"I wanted to make sure you were all right. When are you going to come home?"

He shook his head. Looked toward the soldiers. "They're the Thespians," he said. "They'll die alongside the Spartans."

"Shel-"

"Dave, I'm okay. But I'm not going back."

"All right."

"There's nothing for you to worry about. I'm not going to do anything crazy." The appearance of an overall well-being faded. A haunted look came into his eyes.

"Helen would want me to say h.e.l.lo."

"Yeah," he said. "I guess she would. How is she?"

"She's all right."

"She find anybody yet?"

Dave looked at him a long moment. "It's only been a couple weeks. I think she'll need more time."

"You haven't told her?"

"No. I brought her to the house the day you were there. When I thought thought you were there." you were there."

"Oh."

"I was going to let you explain it."

"Dave, let it go, okay? Just let it go."

"Shel, it's not going to happen. You aren't going to wind up in that grave. You know that as well as I do."

"I don't don't know it." He took a deep breath. "Look, let's just not talk about it, okay? I know you want to help, but the best thing you can do is leave me alone." know it." He took a deep breath. "Look, let's just not talk about it, okay? I know you want to help, but the best thing you can do is leave me alone."

"Shel, she misses you. If you can't bring yourself to go back after her, you don't deserve her."

That brought a long silence. The wind blew. Soldiers, walking past, not really marching, but simply strolling, looked their way curiously.

"I'm trying to live my life," Shel said. "Do you know how long it's been for me since I watched the funeral? My My funeral? Two years. Two years I've had to deal with this. Two years of wondering how it's going to happen. I don't even know for sure whether I funeral? Two years. Two years I've had to deal with this. Two years of wondering how it's going to happen. I don't even know for sure whether I can can go back. There might really be some sort of cardiac principle. If I show up back in Philly, go back. There might really be some sort of cardiac principle. If I show up back in Philly, your your Philly, I can't be sure I won't get hit by a lightning bolt. And I know how crazy it all sounds. But . . ." He couldn't go on. Philly, I can't be sure I won't get hit by a lightning bolt. And I know how crazy it all sounds. But . . ." He couldn't go on.

Cheering broke out from the Thespians. New squadrons had appeared and were filing into the pa.s.s, their armor dusty. The Thespians got louder, yelling and clashing swords against shields. The newcomers responded in kind.

"It's the Spartans, I think," said Shel.

"Okay." Dave didn't much care. "I just wanted to be sure you were all right."

"I'm fine."

"They don't look like guys you'd want to pick a fight with," said Dave.

"I wouldn't think so."

"All right." He threw up his hands. "I don't particularly want to hang around here for the bloodletting." He turned away as if he were going to travel out.

"Don't," Shel said. "Dave, try to understand. I'm scared of this." His eyes were bleak.

"I know."

"Eventually, somehow, I'm going to wind up in that house. In that grave."

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DAVE towered over the Spartans. Even Shel was bigger than most. They shook hands with a few. Wished them well. towered over the Spartans. Even Shel was bigger than most. They shook hands with a few. Wished them well.

"By the way," Dave asked him, "how did you land in the dungeon?"

Shel frowned, not seeming to understand. "What dungeon?"

Dave needed a moment. Then he realized that Shel was younger here than he had been in Rome. For him, the Vatican incident had not yet happened. "Never mind," he said. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Well. I'm pleased to know that when it happens, whatever it is, you'll be there to rescue me." His expression changed as a thought struck him. "You did did rescue me, right?" rescue me, right?"

PEOPLE accustomed to modern security precautions would be amazed at how easy it was to approach Leonidas. He accepted the good wishes of his visitors and observed that, considering how big they were, especially Dave, they would both have made excellent soldiers. "Although"-he smiled at Dave-"I'm afraid you'd make a prominent target for the archers." accustomed to modern security precautions would be amazed at how easy it was to approach Leonidas. He accepted the good wishes of his visitors and observed that, considering how big they were, especially Dave, they would both have made excellent soldiers. "Although"-he smiled at Dave-"I'm afraid you'd make a prominent target for the archers."

He had dark eyes and was in his thirties. He brimmed with confidence, as did his men. There was no sense here of a doomed force.

Leonidas knew about the road that circled behind the pa.s.s, the one that would eventually allow the Persians to get to his rear. But he'd already dispatched troops to cover it. "The Phocians," said Shel, when he and Dave were alone. "They'll run at the first onset."

Leonidas invited them to share a meal. They talked about Sparta's system of balancing executive power by crowning two kings. And whether democracy could really work in the long run. The Spartan hero thought not. "Athens cannot hope to survive indefinitely," he said. "They have no discipline, and their philosophers encourage them to put themselves before their country. G.o.d help us if the poison ever spreads to us." Later, over wine, he asked where they were from, explaining that he could not place the accent.

"America," said Dave.

He shook his head. "It must be far away. Or very small."

They each posed with him and took pictures, explaining that it was a ritual that would allow them to share his courage. Sparks crackled up from the campfires, and the soldiers talked about home and the future. Later, Dave traded a gold coin to one of the Thespian archers for an arrow. "I'm not sure that's a good idea," Shel said in English. "He may need the arrow before he's done."

But they both knew better. One arrow more or less would make no difference. When the crunch came, the Thespians would refuse to leave their Spartan allies. They would die, too. All fifteen hundred of them.

But history would remember only the Spartans.