Simon pushed past her and shone his light into the darkness. ‘Then let’s move.’
Twenty minutes later, Simon smelt fresh air. He shoved aside a pile of fallen branches that blocked the exit of the tunnel. ‘Look,’ he cried. ‘We’re out!’
Simon stepped into the open air amongst a jumble of boulders at the base of the cliff. He switched off his helmet lamp. Ahead of him towered the redwood forest. It was little more than a mass of black trunks and branches against the starlit sky.
The others emerged from the tunnel.
‘Whew! Glad that’s over!’ Taylor said.
‘It stank in there,’ Nick added.
‘Best thing is, we didn’t need this,’ Simon said. He took the Zone Relocator from the thigh pouch on his right leg.
‘What is that?’ Ivan asked.
‘A Zone Relocator. One of my dad’s most recent inventions,’ Simon replied. ‘It moves a timeline when you’re out in the field, to wherever you want it.’
Taylor glared at him. ‘You mean we could have used that in the tunnel—and got back home!’
‘No,’ Simon said. ‘We promised Danice we’d get her back to her family.’
Danice gave him a grateful smile. ‘I never even knew the tunnel was here,’ she said. ‘Our tree houses are just over that way.’ She turned and pointed into the forest. ‘But we have to go south-west to see Mama and Alli. They’re at the Fire Caves!’
Nick looked nervously into the darkness. ‘What, right now?’
‘Look, everyone, the TPS appears at dawn at our former pick-up point,’ Simon said. ‘Maybe we should keep an eye on the time and head to the Fire Caves early in the morning.’
‘You can relocate the TPS to there,’ Ivan suggested.
‘Exactly. For now, let’s stay inside the tunnel entrance,’ Simon said, glancing at Nick. ‘We don’t want to wander around in the forest at night, do we?’
‘They told us about the wild beasts before we came here,’ Nick said. ‘I don’t want to be tiger bait!’
As Simon sat down on the cold floor of the tunnel to rest, his thoughts kept returning to his father’s departure. He wondered over and over again what he could have done to make his father stay. It was enough to send him crazy. He craved the oblivion of sleep, but it was a long time coming.
33
In the dawn light, Bigdad’s stolen airship came into view, looming over the treetops.
‘Grab those mooring ropes! Tie them to some tree trunks!’ Damien said to a group of people who were waiting with him on the ground. He grabbed the end of a rope that dangled to within a metre of the ground where he, Alli and Hanna were waiting.
‘Greetings!’ Bigdad yelled as he slid out of the airship cabin.
Placing hand below hand, he climbed down the rope with a speed and dexterity that belied his bulky frame.
The arrival caused a flurry of activity through the forest. Dozens of people swarmed out of the Fire Caves with baggage hitched to their backs and small children in tow. They made their way to the clearing below the airship. On the ground, Bigdad stepped into the welcoming arms of his family.
‘Have you seen Danice?’ he asked.
‘We’ve heard nothing,’ Hanna replied.
Concern clouded Bigdad’s eyes for a moment. But then he paused and looked at his family. ‘Well, we captured it!’ he said triumphantly, pointing up to the airship. ‘Thanks to my men … and to Damien.’ He grasped his son’s shoulder warmly.
Damien grinned.
‘It was touch-and-go there for a while, though,’ Bigdad said. ‘We got past the guard post, all right. Then we stumbled on a few soldiers up in the tower. They were watching the flames around the plaza, but we gave them some heat, too, didn’t we, Damien? A quick tussle and we had them under control.’
‘Shouldn’t we get going, Bigdad?’ Damien glanced warily in the direction of the faraway city. ‘The fighting must be over by now, and the Tribunes will know the airship’s gone. They might send soldiers out here, looking for us.’
Bigdad nodded and turned to the crowd who had gathered around. ‘We haven’t got much time,’ he said. ‘But we do have a ship! How many people are here?’
‘About fifty,’ Damien replied.
‘We can take everyone, but we have to leave quickly.’
Suddenly Alli saw movement in the nearby trees. ‘Look! It’s soldiers! They’ve found us already!’
‘It’s too late!’ a woman screamed.
Damien turned, reaching instinctively for the bow and arrows strapped to his back. The shadows of two figures, then three, came darting through the trees.
Then one of them waved. ‘Damien!’ she cried.
Damien relaxed and he ran forward. ‘Danice!’
‘Daa-neeece!’ Alli screeched. She ran across the clearing, leapt into her sister’s embrace and wrapped her arms around her neck.
‘Agghh, you’re choking me!’ Danice laughed.
‘Danice! You’re all right!’ Bigdad strode across to her, lifted her easily and planted a kiss on her cheek.
‘I’m fine! Put me down!’ Danice protested. She pointed to the rest of the temponauts emerging from the forest. ‘These are the guys I work with. Ivan, Taylor, Nick. And you already know Simon.’
‘Welcome, welcome to you all,’ Bigdad said.
Simon stepped forward. ‘Thanks for helping us with those distractions in the city.’ He glanced at the airship. ‘I see you got your airship and that you got away okay.’
‘I’m not sure we helped you much,’ Bigdad replied. ‘In fact, it was the trouble you caused out at the Prison Farms that really helped us. The Tribunes had to send more men from the city out there, leaving us almost free to do what we wanted.’
‘You may not know, but the Tribunes sent a whole lot of troops to capture the Chieftain’s fortress,’ Simon said. ‘They will have taken it by now.’
‘And they won’t stop there. They’ll be after all their enemies after this,’ Bigdad said.
‘There’s one other thing.’ Simon handed him the map of the Seed Bank. ‘I think this might be for you.’
Bigdad looked at it and raised his brows. ‘A Seed Bank? You mean a repository of seeds?’
Simon decided to avoid any revelations about his father, and went for a simple explanation. ‘The fighting got pretty fierce and the Chieftain decided to … get away … from the Tribunes, too. But he got together this huge collection of seeds. Wheat, barley, all sorts of useful plants. It’s hidden inside a section of the cliff caves. The note says—Give to David.’
‘We thought that might mean you,’ Danice added.
‘He must have known something about us. About our work in the Underground,’ Bigdad said. ‘Not surprising. My children worked for him, after all. Someone who could send people through time would have no trouble discovering a few local secrets, eh?’ He folded the note and shoved it into his trouser pocket. ‘We’ll make use of this one day. Thank you.’
Taylor stepped forward. ‘Sir, I have to convey an official communication to you,’ she said formally. ‘The Time Bureau is offering positions to Danice’s brother and sister. If they want to continue their work as temponauts … with us in the twenty-first century.’
Alli grasped her father’s hand tightly and shook her head. ‘No, I’m staying here,’ she said. ‘I mean, I’m going with Bigdad and Mama.’
‘There’s your answer,’ Bigdad replied. ‘Damien?’
‘Give me a minute,’ Damien said. He took Danice by the elbow and drew her aside. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘It’s hard,’ she said, looking back at her family. ‘I want to stay, but I’m getting an education in the twenty-first century, and doing things that I would never do here. You know, learning stuff that I never thought I’d know.’ She glanced at the temponauts. ‘And making some interesting friends.’
‘You should stay with us! We’re starting something new, too.’
‘No, I can’t,’ Danice said. She took Damien’s han
ds in both of hers. ‘I know you’re going to stay in this timezone. You’re going to the Far Lands, aren’t you?’
Damien smiled. ‘First, tell me what happened to the Chieftain.’
‘He’s gone,’ she said. ‘To some other time. I don’t know where.’
‘Working with him was weird. I hated that guy,’ Damien replied.
‘I saw the Chieftain in a different light towards the end. It’s not easy to explain … he wasn’t who I thought he was,’ Danice said. ‘So, am I right about your plans?’
‘You’re right, Mama needs me.’ Damien looked at his father. ‘And I want to help settle our people in the Far Lands. Maybe even plan our return to the city one day, whatever happens.’
‘Life’s kind of interesting in other times, you know.’
‘Well, don’t forget I’ve seen a bit of that, too. Enough, maybe.’
‘Yoooo—eeeeee!’ A man gave an alarm call from the hatchway of the airship above.
Bigdad and the group looked up.
A young man lowered a brass telescope and shouted down, ‘An airship! One of the Tribunes’. It’s approaching us!’
‘How far away?’ Bigdad called back.
‘Ten … fifteen minutes at the most!’
Bigdad sprang into action. ‘We must go! Everyone aboard!’ he shouted.
Ten ropes tumbled from the airship. People began climbing up with their bundled possessions.
‘Wow, these dudes can climb!’ Nick said, watching open-mouthed.
Danice rushed to her mother. ‘Bye, Mama, bye!’
‘Come with us!’ Hanna pleaded.
Danice shook her head and hugged her, then turned to Bigdad. ‘I have to go. It’s what I want to do.’
Bigdad crushed her affectionately in his arms. ‘Have a good life. Visit us if you can!’
Danice nodded, choking back tears.
Taylor turned to Simon. ‘Unless we’re planning to live here in the trees, how do we get out of here?’
Simon took the Zone Relocator from his travel pouch and checked his wrist pilot. ‘Our emergency TPS will have appeared back at the original pickup location three minutes ago!’ He activated the Zone Relocator. ‘Give me the coordinates for here! Someone! Pronto!’
Ivan checked his wrist pilot and showed the screen to Simon. He punched in the coordinates and waited. The temponauts looked around hopefully. Nothing happened.
‘Yeah, so what now?’ Nick said.
‘Hold on,’ Simon said. ‘Just wait.’
They made a strange and stationary group in the middle of the hectic sea of evacuation. Hanna, some of the older people and a few babies were being hauled up to the airship. Others crowded around the ropes, restlessly waiting their turn.
‘Hurry, everyone!’ the lookout cried from the airship. ‘The other ship’s getting closer!’
Ivan looked at the sky and back at Simon. ‘Simon, is this gonna work?’
‘Yeah!’ Danice pointed. ‘Look!’
The air started to spin between two trees. A bright pinpoint of light flared into a vortex. Then a sharp flash brought a TPS spinning into the space, and the wormhole reached its full clarity and size.
‘Bigdad!’ Danice yelled. ‘We’re going!’
From the airship above, the big man waved. At his side, Hanna looked down tearfully.
‘The timeline won’t stay open forever,’ Ivan said.
Simon pushed Nick towards the wormhole. ‘You first.’
Nick grinned. ‘Neat gadget, surfie boy. See you at chow time!’
Suddenly he was gone.
Ivan tapped Taylor on the shoulder. She leapt into the void.
Danice was still staring intently at the airship. Damien stared back down at her.
‘Bye, Damien!’ she cried.
‘See you!’
Alli waved from one of the cabin windows.
‘Your turn, Danice,’ Ivan said.
Danice lifted her arm and waved to the airship. Then she turned and dived into the wormhole.
‘Now you,’ Ivan said to Simon.
‘It’s my mission,’ Simon replied. ‘You go first!’
Ivan nodded and jumped.
Simon glanced in the direction of Old City. He took a deep breath. ‘Bye, Dad,’ he said, and stepped into the time tunnel.
34
‘Hey, Simon, I’ve got a new mission for you,’ Nick said, sliding a magazine across the table in the dining room at Mayfield Manor. ‘Hawaii.’
Simon looked up from his baked beans. ‘Why would I go there?’
‘Hawaii!’ Nick rolled his eyes. ‘Surfing, of course! They reckon it started there hundreds of years ago. Take a look at those waves!’
‘Looks good,’ Simon said tonelessly. Normally he would have loved to chat with Nick about surfing, but right then, he couldn’t seem to get excited.
Ivan stood up. ‘Officer present!’ he said.
‘Relax, take it easy, you’re on Down Time!’ Captain Cutler said as he strode into the room.
‘Thanks, sir,’ Danice replied. She picked up a jug of orange juice and a glass. ‘Want a drink, sir?’
Cutler pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘No, thank you. But I wouldn’t mind an answer.’
‘Taylor’s the smart one,’ Nick replied. ‘She knows everything, sir.’
‘Yeah, I know you need a better deodorant,’ Taylor muttered.
Nick sniffed his armpit and pretended to collapse headfirst into his empty soup bowl.
‘Ladies, gentlemen, please,’ Cutler continued, tossing a report onto the table. ‘I’ve had a memo from the History Unit. It seems that the word saucepan is starting to appear, in England, in the early to mid-seventeenth century. Years before it was supposed to. We’ve had several missions to that time. Can anyone give me an explanation?’
Cutler looked from one face to the next, awaiting a response. ‘Spenser?’
‘No, sir. Not me, sir!’
‘Anyone else?’ His eyes fixed on Simon, who was pushing a bean around the plate with his fork. ‘Savage?’
Simon thought about his answer and of his father’s words—‘We are always changing things when we time travel’. The thoughts of his father reminded him of everything that had happened in the twenty-fourth century, and suddenly, the Bureau’s concern about the historical name for a cooking pot seemed petty and irrelevant.
‘No, sir, no idea at all,’ he answered.
Danice stared at him and poured herself another glass of juice.
‘A bit of a mystery, then,’ Cutler said.
‘Time’s a mystery to us all,’ Nick said helpfully.
‘Thank you, Spenser, very illuminating,’ Cutler said, getting up from his chair. ‘Enjoy your evening. By the way, a stack of new movies have come into the library.’
Nick and Danice immediately rose from their seats. Simon stayed where he was.
‘Savage, a word with you?’ Cutler added. ‘In my office, please.’
Simon looked at the others, raised his eyebrows, and followed the captain.
‘They’ve got a new job for you!’ Nick called out. ‘Eel-keeper!’
Simon left the room with their laughter ringing behind him. He barely heard it.
‘Take a seat,’ Captain Cutler said as they entered his office.
‘I’ve had my debriefing, sir, two days ago,’ Simon said. ‘When I got back from the mission.’
‘This isn’t a debrief,’ Cutler replied. ‘Sit down.’
Simon wondered if he was in trouble. ‘Can I ask something first?’ he said.
‘Go ahead,’ Cutler replied, leaning back in his swivel chair.
‘You knew my father was there, didn’t you?’ Simon said. ‘In the twenty-fourth century.’
‘We suspected it, yes,’ Cutler said. ‘The chances it was anyone else were very slim.’
‘And you knew how he left the beach at Kiama on that day?’
Cutler nodded. ‘Yes.’
Simon hesitated. ‘I have to know. Are you the one wh
o tipped him off, sir? Rang him in Sydney, early in the morning, Australian time? From here?’
Cutler’s expression gave nothing away. ‘That’s not for me to say. But it would have been a disaster if those military personnel had got hold of him.’
‘That means yes.’
‘That means whatever you want to believe, Simon,’ Cutler replied.
‘Okay, sir. Thank you. Can I ask you one more thing?’ When Cutler nodded, Simon went on. ‘What was my real mission?’
Cutler smiled. ‘To establish the source of power and the location of the Time Accelerator. To discover the true identity of the Chieftain. You did all that we asked. And that Zone Relocator you brought back was a major bonus.’ He paused. ‘Of course, it also gave you the opportunity to find your father.’
‘Sir … what’s the Bureau going to do about him?’
Cutler considered his reply. ‘There’s a lot at stake here, Simon. Powerful time technology that the world has never seen before. And power that should stay in the control of a single organisation.’
‘You mean the Time Bureau, sir?’
‘Yes. I do.’
‘And Dad?’
‘We’ll do whatever we have to, to keep this power in our hands.’
‘So you’ll keep looking for him,’ Simon said. ‘You’ll … you’ll …’
‘We’ll do whatever we have to,’ Cutler said. ‘That’s all I can say.’
They’re going to search for Dad across time, Simon thought. And they won’t stop till they find him. And then what? Would they kill him?
‘Now can I ask you something?’ Cutler said.
Simon focused back on the captain. ‘Sure, sir.’
‘Have you heard from your mother and sister lately?’
‘No. Not since before my mission.’
‘What I have to tell you concerns them.’
‘What is it—an accident?’
‘No,’ Cutler said, ‘but you reported in the debriefing that your father has disappeared to another time and set himself up there. And that, allegedly, he wouldn’t tell you where.’
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