At lunch, surrounded by chatting teachers and yelling students, Fritz and Ashley talked in cautious tones about how the president might want to use the portal. “I'll tell you what,” said Ashley. “If he could do what we did yesterday, he might move here, just to see what the portal can do.”
“I hope not,” said Fritz. “I'm ambivalent every time I think about it. I'm worried that we're changing things when we go through. It's great to do, but we don't really know the consequences. Imagine if Lee had stopped Lincoln's assassination. I can't guess what would have happened. We might not even be here. Though it might be a better world, and I don't mean because we'd be missing.”
“Or if you had been shot yesterday. Why use it?”
“The president will use it, even if I don't, so I better know how it works. And you seemed excited enough.”
“I was. I am. But it would be different if you use it with the kids, Fritz. If you and I are the only ones, that's our choice. You have no choice but to deal with the president. The kids won't have a choice. There's the difference.”
Sixth period, Fritz returned to the trade routes. The tenth graders talked about the Chinese inventions of gunpowder and spaghetti, how those products came to Europe, and what they did to the European culture. His seventh period group had a rousing discussion of working conditions during the early Industrial Revolution, when low pay, long hours, and child labor accompanied the development of industries that provided products to the world. Fritz enjoyed observing a completely engrossed group of students.
But he looked forward to his ninth graders the most. Their assignment had been to write a list of issues and what questions a reporter would ask a Republican or a Democrat about them. He asked the students to divide themselves in half and stand on opposite sides of the room. As they split up, Fritz said, “Let's try this. First, one of you will present a position from your list, and the next person on the other side will ask a question. Like a reporter. This is like a debate. No name-calling, which will be very different from what we'll witness next year as the presidential election starts up. We'll start with Jim Capelli, who will be a Republican. Go ahead Jim. Pick an item on your list.”
“I'm against abortion. I think it's wrong to kill a baby.”
Fritz said, “OK. Now, John Boardman. Respond with a question that would be from a reporter.”
John scratched his head. “Do you believe that the government should be involved in personal decisions?”
Fritz said, “Answer him, Jim.”
Jim had to think. “The government has to protect lives.”
“Other side now. Fred Eisman, your turn. You will be a Democrat.”
“I believe that taxes should be used to improve living conditions for everyone, especially the poor.”
“Tom Flanagan, your question,” said Fritz.
Tom considered and then asked, “Aren't taxes being misused for people who could get a job?”
“Fred, your response,” said Fritz.
“What we are paying goes to care for a lot of children.”
“Let's keep going.” Just before the period ended, unexpected rumbles and a flash joined the discussion. The forecast had been wrong again, bringing a quick distraction as he looked out the window. Then he told the kids they would have similar exercises all year.
“I'm proud of you all. You handled yourselves politely and thoughtfully.”
Jay said, “Mr. Russell, I think this was hard, but it made me think about why it's so hard to run the government. I thought both sides presented good arguments.”
“Thanks, Jay. Did you all get that feeling?” He got mostly quiet yeses. “Over the weekend, I want you to think about what our discussion tells us about running the governments at all levels. No other homework.” Happy faces shone as the bell rang to end the first week. “Have a nice weekend.”
As the class emptied, Ashley came in. “Can I come for dinner?”
“I'll call Linda.” After he put the phone back in his pocket, he said, “She's not cooking. She's working. She said you're welcome, but we'll have to pick something up.”
“Fine with me.”
“Okay, I'm going to see Lee first. If the portal's open. We weren't supposed to have thunderstorms today.”
“Can I come?”
“If you want.”
Fritz felt the shock and nodded to Ashley, twisted the doorknob, and walked once again into Lee's office. Greeted with Lee's amicable surprise, he offered tea, and this time, they stayed. Fritz explained all he had discovered about the workings of the portal, and Lee told them about what had happened in his world since the end of the Civil War. Ashley asked if he could look at Lee's collection of books and papers, and the general gave him a tour of the office.
“How do you like running a college, General?”
“The directors quite graciously offered me this post. I have a house down the road. And I do enjoy working with the young men who are studying here. What has been challenging is the natural urges of youth to misbehave. I have instituted an honor system, and it works fairly well. But I have found the necessity of removing some offenders. I think it's not unlike preparing an army. But without the urgency, it is more difficult.”
Fritz said, “I think, sir, you will be successful in your efforts.”
“Thank you, Mr. Russell. I assume you already know the outcome.” Fritz nodded, but said nothing.
“General, when we first met, we talked about reconciling the country after the war ended. How do you think it's going?”
Lee sighed and stroked his beard. “Mr. Russell, quite frankly, I'm disappointed. A vengeful group in Washington is dictating terms that are very harsh. Speculators and scalawags have descended upon us. And through what they call the Freedmen's Bureau, they have confiscated and redistributed land. Moreover, I am not sure that giving the freedmen the right to vote at this time is a good idea. Mr. Russell, many of our problems have yet to be resolved.”
“General, I wish I knew if I could tell you what will happen without changing things, and I wish we could also talk about different views of what's going on in your time,” said Fritz. “But for now, I had better not.”
“Mr. Russell, we will see our way through, I assure you. I am afraid it will not be easy. Too much is changing too quickly. And you know, I am sure, that change is not accepted easily. Our way of life has been eliminated, and we are all learning to adjust.”
“General, Ash and I tested the portal yesterday. We went to Gettysburg, on the morning of the third day, I think. You were standing in front of your headquarters. I waved to you.”
Lee leaned forward, and with his right hand, stroked his beard. “For all these years, I have visualized that moment. I wondered if my imagination had betrayed me. I turned my head toward galloping horses, and when I looked back, no one was there.”
“It was us, General.” Fritz balked at telling more of their earlier trip to Cemetery Ridge. “I wanted to say hello, but you wouldn't have known us then. You stood there so alone, yet you had only a moment of quiet.”
“Mr. Russell, I am happy that you have related this tale. And now, looking at you gentlemen, you look much the same, and that was five years ago.” His voice tapered, and he looked out the window. “That day has haunted me. I am thankful that at least a part is now explained.”
Fritz checked his watch. “General, thank you so much for allowing us to visit. It's not like we are expected guests.”
Lee's attention snapped back. “Mr. Russell, I must say that I enjoy your visits. I am glad that you appreciate the importance of what we have done in my time, and I hope to learn more about yours. But perhaps that is not such a good idea at the present. May I offer you more tea?”
“General, thank you, but no. We have to leave. No one knows where we are. For our experiment, can you tell me the date today. Yesterday was April twenty-fifth.”
“Today is May 6, 1868, Mr. Russell. When you last visited here, it was fortuitous that we met. I was here on a Saturd
ay to complete a report. Today is Wednesday. Are you able to adjust the timing of your visits with your paperclip?”
“General, as I told you earlier, we were trying to come back to exactly when we were here last. It seems that time changes at different rates when we enter the portal. We still don't know how or why?”
“Gentlemen, it is my pleasure, truly, to be part of your experiment. I do hope we will have more meetings soon. But Mr. Russell, please see if I might be able to come with you. Automobiles, you know.” The general was grinning like a kid.
“Perhaps next time we'll have an answer for you, General. But we really must take our leave. We've been here about an hour. I wonder how long we've been gone in our time. Thank you again for your hospitality. And your help.”
“Until we meet again,” said the general, shaking hands with his visitors.
“Wow. THAT'S ALL I can say. Wow.”
“Ash, let's go. But do me a favor. Let's not tell Linda about this.”
“Got it. Do we have time to go somewhere else?”
“Where did you have in mind?”
“I don't know. How about a Beatles concert? How about the first one in the U.S.?”
“Where was that, do you know?”
“Nope, but my laptop is in my classroom.”
“Ash, do you have a printer? I need a map or a picture.”
“Don't you have a book on the twentieth century? Wouldn't the Beatles be in there?”
“Let's look.” Fritz found the book, but the only picture was of the Ed Sullivan show, their first TV appearance in America. “Their first appearance in concert was in D.C. at the Washington Coliseum, but no picture. Sorry. We can postpone that. The Sullivan show is probably too public to use the portal. Anywhere else?”
“Look and see if there's a picture of Secretariat winning one of the triple crown races.” Fritz turned to the index, and shook his head.
“When we get a printer, we can start printing places to go,” Fritz said. “I've never been to the Kentucky Derby, or any of them for that matter. But we can get lost in the crowds. That could be very cool. But like before, Linda doesn't need to know.”
Before they climbed into their cars, Ashley looked closely at Fritz. Maybe Linda is right. He wondered if maybe all this portal business was changing his friend.
Chapter 6
FRITZ AND LINDA were drinking second cups of coffee when the back door flew open and Ashley walked in, a bag of groceries in his arms. “Hi, guys,” Ashley said, as sunny as the morning. “Brought breakfast.”
Linda said, “You know Ash, it won't be long now before you'll be buying baby food too.”
Fritz ignored him, said, “Coffee's hot,” and returned to his newspaper in search of stories about the Middle East.
Ashley draped his jacket over the back of his usual chair, sat down, grabbed the rest of the paper, and pulled out the sports section. “We're supposed to have a pretty good football team this year, even though Jimmy Junior graduated.” Fritz looked at Linda staring at Ashley. Then he stared, too. When Ashley felt their stares, he said, “What?”
“What do you mean, what?” Linda asked. “You know what. So are you going to tell us?”
“Tell you what?” said Ashley.
“Jane Barclay.”
“We had a nice conversation.”
“And?” Linda pressed.
“Do you want some coffee cake?” Ashley asked.
“Lois is wrong, you know. She's not cute, she's drop dead gorgeous,” Linda said. Ashley cut a piece of cake.
“And she gave me her phone number.”
“And?”
Before he could take a bite, he said, “Oh, all right. And I called her last night.”
“And? Ashley, out with it!”
Ashley wilted and told them that Jane was thirty and single. She had a PhD in physics and had done a postdoc at Harvard in government and international law. Officially, she worked at Homeland Security, but she got detailed to other departments. “Her title is assistant secretary for something. In Homeland Security, but she also works with the deputy director of the CIA. Operations.”
“Couldn't she get in trouble telling you this stuff?” asked Fritz.
“Nah. She knows about our oath, so we're all considered trustworthy.”
“I hope it stays that way,” said Linda.
Fritz asked Ashley what he was making for breakfast. “Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast,” he said. He also made a mess. While they were cooking and cleaning, they discussed dinner, the meeting, and the upcoming Narian mission. Fritz said entering the portal at multiple sites simultaneously troubled him.
“I don't know if it can be done. I don't know what will happen if the portal is open to one place and I send another group somewhere else.” How much electricity would be needed to hold seven locations open at once? And could they all get out? “My head is swimming.”
“I hadn't thought about that,” Linda said.
“Me neither,” said Ashley.
“I'm going to call the president. They've probably considered all this, but I want to practice it. Maybe today. So much for thinking about classes.” Fritz had the president's number on speed dial, and he reached for the phone. Just then, it rang.
“Good morning, Mr. Russell. How are you? How's Linda doing?”
“Hi, Ms. Evans. Everything is fine, thanks.”
“He wants to talk to you. I'll let him know you're on the line. Hold a moment, please.”
In a matter of seconds, the president picked up. “Hi, Fritz. I wanted to tell you that Tony Almeida will be at the school at seven tonight. He's coming with Tom Andrews.”
“Hello, Mr. President. Seven tonight.” He looked at Linda and Ashley. Both nodded. “Thanks again for dinner. Ash is here, and we've been discussing this, I guess you'd call it a mission. I have some concerns about Naria.” Fritz then laid out the problems that he had just gone through with Linda and Ashley. “I'm going to need a practice run. And I think it should be to somewhere about the same distance.”
“Fritz, we've thought about the same issues.” The president explained that he wanted all the leaders on the insertion teams to know the feeling of travelling through the portal and how to find the portal to get out. He wanted them to go in together on a test run first, and then to multiple locations, roughly the same distance apart as in the actual mission. “Before we bring the whole crew. Can you do that?”
“I don't know. How many on each team when the mission is actually on?”
“Ten to fifteen, seven sites,” said the president.
“When do you propose to go for real?”
“I can't say for sure. It really depends on how fast they can be prepared. But it has to be soon.”
“What if the portal cuts out in the middle of things?”
“Then we're in deep trouble.”
“If it works tonight, I can be available tomorrow.” Fritz wanted to make sure they planned the practice run to go where someone would be at the other end. “Mr. President, I need to be exact. And I think everyone needs a phone that would reach the school, in case the portal needs adjustment. I have to figure out if I can do that.”
“Fritz, no one has a good handle on this. Anything else?”
“Mr. President, I don't know how you planned on transporting all these people here, but you can't park a bunch of military transport trucks in the parking lot. The school has neighbors. People walk and drive by. Because it's a school, the police check pretty regularly. Maybe we can get Officer Shaw to help.”
“Fritz, let my staff work the police angle.”
“Just let me know when you want to go.”
“I've been taking notes as we've talked. Ms. Evans is going to type them and send you an email. Look it over, see if I've missed anything, and add whatever else you think of. I'll get the gears in motion and call you back in a couple of hours.”
“Talk to you then.”
“So what's the story?” Ashley asked.
“They aren't ready. They don't know all the answers. They can't. He's getting people moving, and he'll call back in a couple of hours.” Fritz scratched behind his left ear. “Do you think I should call George?”
Ashley said, “No. Emphatically, no. He'll be here in two minutes if you tell him.”
“Lily Evans is typing the president's notes and will email them to me. We should think about what else we've forgotten.” While they waited, they discussed what else might be needed. Fritz took notes. Looking up, a thought occurred to him. The kitchen is our situation room.
“Do they have a way to get any prisoners away from here without their seeing where the portal is located?” Linda asked.
Ashley added, “If they're bringing computers and other material out, do they have a way to check for booby traps before they come through? We don't want them to blow up the school.”
“Let's not mention that to George,” said Fritz. “They also need to be done and gone before school starts.
“I wonder how long they think it will take,” Linda said.
“Another good question,” said Fritz.
While they talked and took notes, Fritz watched his email. Finally, the note came. He read it aloud, typed their list and sent an email in return. He got a quick reply, “Thx”.
“I wonder where they're going to go for the test run.” Fritz said. They studied the email again. “It's probably better to go to an open area where there are no outsiders, but what if they get stuck? Someone who knows what the portal looks like from the other side has to be with them.”
“Hold on, buster,” said Linda. “You're not going on the mission. No way!”
“It's only a dry run, Lin.”
Ashley interrupted, “I can go.” Linda and Fritz stopped short. “I've been through. I know what it looks like. I'll do it if they can't use one of the Secret Service agents who portalled from the White House to school last year.”
“No, Ashley,” said Linda.
“Are you sure?” asked Fritz.
“All I have to do is go through and come back. I can show them what to look for, and I can tell you what's going on inside.”
Quantum Touch (Book 2): Sand Storm Page 5