Time Travelers Never Die Part 41

HE had an option: He could tell her the truth and bring her forward to 2019. When he got home, he googled her, hoping there'd be no record of her, or at least nothing beyond the time when they'd met. had an option: He could tell her the truth and bring her forward to 2019. When he got home, he googled her, hoping there'd be no record of her, or at least nothing beyond the time when they'd met. Sandra Myers, a beloved math teacher at Duke who, on a summer night in 1937, vanished utterly. No trace of her was ever found. . . . Sandra Myers, a beloved math teacher at Duke who, on a summer night in 1937, vanished utterly. No trace of her was ever found. . . .

Unfortunately, he saw that she'd married in 1939, two years after Durham, to a David Collins.

Another David.

They'd had a son. When World War II broke out, Collins went into the Navy. He apparently spent most of the war in the Pacific , was at Midway and Guadalca.n.a.l, won a Purple Heart in the Philippine Sea during the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, and had been at Leyte Gulf. He'd been decorated, and returned a hero. Eventually, he and Sandy had had another son and a daughter.

After the war, they'd settled in Durham. Sandy stayed on at Duke, and made a reputation as a theorist. She'd written two books on math, Biomath Biomath and and Universal Mathematics Universal Mathematics, and eventually made a name for herself as a popular scientific essayist. There were some pictures of her from those early years, including one as a bride.

She'd died in 1993 at the age of 81.

HE went back to Durham one more time after that, took her to dinner again, and told her the story about getting engaged. (He hadn't been able to bring himself to do it over the phone.) "I'm going to ask her next weekend," he said. "I wanted you to know." went back to Durham one more time after that, took her to dinner again, and told her the story about getting engaged. (He hadn't been able to bring himself to do it over the phone.) "I'm going to ask her next weekend," he said. "I wanted you to know."

She took it well. Better than he'd liked. But she nodded, bit off a piece of steak, and chewed it for a long time. "I'm glad you told me," she said.

"I'm sorry."

"I guess it wasn't easy for you." She managed a smile, a weak one, and pushed the mostly uneaten dinner away. "Good luck with it."

"Thank you."

Then she was gone. He wanted to tell her that "These Foolish Things" would always be their their song. But he didn't dare. song. But he didn't dare.

PART THREE.

TIME OUT OF JOINT.

CHAPTER 32.

If the first woman G.o.d ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again.

-SOJOURNER TRUTH (ISABELLA VAN WAGENER)

THE forays into the historical past continued unabated. In what they'd hoped would be a highlight of their adventures, Shel and Dave introduced themselves to Archimedes, but the conversation never really went anywhere. Archimedes simply had better things to do than entertain two barbarians. forays into the historical past continued unabated. In what they'd hoped would be a highlight of their adventures, Shel and Dave introduced themselves to Archimedes, but the conversation never really went anywhere. Archimedes simply had better things to do than entertain two barbarians.

They had no more luck with Solon. The great lawgiver explained that he'd enjoy talking with them, but he was busy at the moment.

Still, those were the exceptions. In the Yukon, in 1911, they spent a week whooping it up in every saloon along the Klondike with Bob Service. Looking for comedy, they took in the A.D. 67 Olympics, which had been hijacked by Nero. The Emperor turned it partially into a musical contest, in which he won every event he entered. And he also won the chariot race, despite falling out of the vehicle during one of the turns.

They visited Alice Paul in a Virginia prison in 1917, and a.s.sured her that her cause would triumph. Women would get everything they were asking. "And soon," said Dave.

"I'd like to believe you," she said. "We'll see what happens."

Shel ached to tell her what he knew, to take her out of there and show her what the future held. But he simply asked her to keep the faith.

After the visit, they moved several weeks upstream and watched the demonstration outside the White House that had provoked the arrests. A mob of angry men screaming insults at women carrying signs demanding the right to vote. Calling them pigs and traitors.

Shel just stared as one oversized guy had to be restrained by police from physically attacking Alice.

ARTHUR'S Camelot had an element of danger. But they decided to take a chance on it anyhow. They made several efforts but never found it. n.o.body had ever established a precise geographical location for it, nor was there any certainty about the dates of its existence. For that matter, there was serious doubt whether it had existed at all. "If we could take a decent means of transportation back with us," said Shel, "maybe we could nail it down. But trying to walk all over England isn't a very efficient way to do this." Camelot had an element of danger. But they decided to take a chance on it anyhow. They made several efforts but never found it. n.o.body had ever established a precise geographical location for it, nor was there any certainty about the dates of its existence. For that matter, there was serious doubt whether it had existed at all. "If we could take a decent means of transportation back with us," said Shel, "maybe we could nail it down. But trying to walk all over England isn't a very efficient way to do this."

It was while they were wandering around the British forests that Dave surprised him. "It's good to be away from my cla.s.ses. It's one of the advantages of the converters. I can wander off for weeks and not even think about the next essay exam."

"You don't like your new cla.s.ses?" It was September, both at home and here in Britain.

"It's not the kids. They don't change from year to year. And I shouldn't expect them to arrive with unbridled enthusiasm. Instilling that is my job. It's just-"

"What?"

"When you've been looking for Lancelot and Guinevere, declensions get pretty dull." He stopped for a minute to listen to a scuffle in the branches. "This is going to be my last semester."

"You're going to quit?"

"I think so. The time has come."

"What are you going to do?"

"I've made some money at the track."

"The horses? You've been playing the horses?"

"Yes."

"You've been downstream, reading the race results."

"Once or twice."

Dave looked as if he didn't want to say any more. But he shrugged and plowed ahead. "Shel, I have an original oil, a hawk in flight, by N. C. Wyeth. It took everything I had to buy it, back in the twenties. But it's priceless now. I have bids for it that are out of the world. I'm going to take some of what it sells for, go back, and pick up an abstract desert landscape by Georgia O'Keeffe. I'm going to become an art dealer."

Shel didn't like it. But he couldn't see any harm. "Good luck," he said, reluctantly.

Dave grinned, pleased that Shel had taken it so well. "There's room for both of us," he said.

"Thanks." Shel didn't really need the money.

They gave up on Camelot, and made the final stop on their grand tour, though neither knew it at the time, on the beach at Cape Kennedy, July 16, 1969, where they relaxed and watched the launch of Apollo 11.

And the subject came up again. "You know," said Shel, when it was over and the applause had died down, "I like the idea of collecting art."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Michelangelo."

"That's a good place to start."

"I mean, why bother with some relatively minor-l eague stuff when we could go get a portrait or something by him him?"

"I'm with you."

"He was only twenty-one when he first went to Rome."

"And-?"

"n.o.body knew yet what he could do. We could pay a visit. Give him a commission. Let him do a sculpture for us. It wouldn't cost much, and it would encourage him." He paused and looked out to sea. A freighter was pa.s.sing. "What do you think?"

"A sculpture of what?"

"I don't know. Athena would be nice. Maybe we could have him do an Aphrodite, too. One for each of us."

[image]

SHEL, in fact, had been spending time in Philadelphia, circa 2100. It was lovely, delicate, strong, beautiful. All the dire predictions of his own era had proven wrong. Yes, there were still problems, overpopulation primary among them. But world leaders had apparently long since gotten serious, and steps either had been, or were being, taken. Global warming was being brought under control, and the world's nukes were gone. Famine still existed in spots but was not as widespread as people at the beginning of the century had feared. At home, the American dollar, eventually grown worthless after years of irresponsible fiscal policies, had been replaced, twenty to one, by "capital dollars." in fact, had been spending time in Philadelphia, circa 2100. It was lovely, delicate, strong, beautiful. All the dire predictions of his own era had proven wrong. Yes, there were still problems, overpopulation primary among them. But world leaders had apparently long since gotten serious, and steps either had been, or were being, taken. Global warming was being brought under control, and the world's nukes were gone. Famine still existed in spots but was not as widespread as people at the beginning of the century had feared. At home, the American dollar, eventually grown worthless after years of irresponsible fiscal policies, had been replaced, twenty to one, by "capital dollars."

He was tempted to go farther afield, to find out what life would be like in the twenty-third century. Or in the fourth millennium. But in the end he decided to let it go.

A new skysc.r.a.per, the Claremont, would soon be going up. It was in Center City, with a magnific ent view of the new city hall and the Parkway. They weren't taking reservations yet for condos, of course. But that was not a problem for Shel. He simply moved downstream a year and a half and secured a penthouse, which became his base. He furnished it lavishly, installed the best computer he could find, and bought a giant 3-V projection system. He spent more time there than he did in the town house.

He debated showing it to Dave. But that would mean explaining why he'd violated his a.s.surances about traveling into the future. He knew Dave would say it was okay, forget it. But he'd conclude that Shel couldn't be trusted. The future, for Dave, and maybe for both of them, was still a scary place.

Shel's career with Carbolite had come to seem impossibly mundane. Dave's decision to leave Penn inspired him to pull the plug. The morning after they'd returned from watching the moon shot, Shel gave Linda his resignation. Effective in thirty days.

She was shocked. "I thought you were happy here, Shel. I had no idea you were contemplating anything like this."

"I've been been happy," he said. "It's not that. But I came into some money, and the truth is that I'd just like to take it easy for a while." happy," he said. "It's not that. But I came into some money, and the truth is that I'd just like to take it easy for a while."

"Okay." Linda sighed. "Shel, you understand I won't be able to hold the job open for you."

"Of course."

He was tired. Traveling took a lot out of him. He never quite knew what time it was. Or what day of the week. After he'd talked with her, he went back to his office to work on a sales brochure for the new solar-energy system they were preparing to market.

STORM clouds gathered through the day, and it was raining when he left. It was a Thursday afternoon. He and Dave were planning to go out again Sat.u.r.day, back for another party with Voltaire, which had rapidly become Shel's favorite pastime. His French had improved immeasurably. He wasn't fluent, certainly, but he could not remember a time in his life when he had so much enjoyed himself. clouds gathered through the day, and it was raining when he left. It was a Thursday afternoon. He and Dave were planning to go out again Sat.u.r.day, back for another party with Voltaire, which had rapidly become Shel's favorite pastime. His French had improved immeasurably. He wasn't fluent, certainly, but he could not remember a time in his life when he had so much enjoyed himself.

The storm was breaking up and drifting east toward Jersey when he got home. He put aside the work he'd brought along and crashed for an hour. Then, on a whim, he called Helen. "If you don't have anything planned," he said, "I'm looking for a beautiful young woman to take to dinner."

"I'll see if I can locate one," she said. she said.

"Ah, mademoiselle, surely you josh with me."

"Surely. How's Voltaire coming?"

The response jolted him. Then he remembered that he'd mentioned during an evening out last weekend that he was reading the French philosopher. "Okay," he said.

"Good. All right, Shel, if you don't mind, I'm in the mood for some pizza."

"You're going to give me a cheap date."

"You know me."

"YOU seem down tonight, Shel." She nibbled at her salad. seem down tonight, Shel." She nibbled at her salad.

"No, I'm good."

"What happened?" She lifted her c.o.ke, looked at him, and put it back undrunk.

The scent of candles mixed with the warm aroma of oregano. The candles were inside globes mounted on the walls. "I quit my job today."

"You left Carbolite?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I was bored."

"Okay. That's a good reason." She smiled at him, inviting him to explain where he was going next.

"I thought I'd just take some time off and decide on a new career path."

That must have sounded foolish, but she didn't react, other than to show she sympathized. "You going to be all right?" she asked.

"You mean for money?"

She said yes with her eyes.