There was also no let up in the torrential rain lashing the whole of Britain, as one by one everybody gathered in the book vault beneath the university, using any available hook or chair back with which to hang wet overcoats and umbrella’s drenched by the storm. They all remained silent and in a very sombre mood, reminiscent of a gathering before a funeral, which did nothing to ease the tension. The Guardian had given specific instructions to dress in as dull coloured clothes and footwear as possible and on top of which to wear tunics that he would bring with him on his return. The golden rule disallowed any twentieth century technology to pass through the rift so as not to upset the ‘natural order of time’, stated by the Guardian. With a small amount of hastily gathered supplies, they all waited silently for the portal to open. To avoid eye contact, some just stared at the floor while others checked and rechecked their bags so many times, they could probably recite the contents from memory.
Right on cue, the now familiar glowing green mist rose from the floor then widened until it reached the size of a standard doorway shimmering before them. The aperture emitted a dense grey fog that spilled out across the stone floor and around the feet of Professor Appleyard standing at the head of the group. As the mist dispersed the Guardian emerged and beckoned everyone in. One by one, they entered, subject to the Guardian’s meticulous approval with Carl being the last to be assessed. When he passed over the threshold the portal closed leaving them all in total darkness. Chelsea reached for Carl’s hand and he gave it a reassuring squeeze as they all blinked their eyes and looked around for something to focus on. As it happened for George before, a pinprick of light appeared in the far distance and they all watched it grow steadily until the form of a Viking style longboat came into focus, complete with a glowing faceless angel propelling the craft with a gentle beat of his wings. As it drew up alongside the captivated audience the flapping ceased and the boat stopped. The Guardian ushered everyone on board and they all sat close together in the middle of the empty vessel. With a nod from the Guardian, the angel unfurled his wings and propelled the craft silently away into the darkness.
Everybody stared into the black void, lost in their own thoughts when the Guardian startled the group as he made an announcement. Standing to face them at the bow of the boat, he began to issue instructions consisting mainly of do’s and don’ts. In her nervous state, Marion suddenly found the Guardian’s address extremely funny and she had to bite her lip, trying hard not to giggle. The scenario reminded her of the package holidays she took with her parents, when on the way to the hotel the holiday representative stood at the front of the bus and issued warnings and advice that were on the whole, ignored by the excited tourists. The Guardian sensed this and glared in her direction. In her embarrassment, Chelsea suddenly found her fingernails very interesting as the delivery continued.
“Do not attempt to communicate with anyone. Your language will only bring attention to yourselves and get you into trouble.”
“When and where are we going?”
Interrupted the professor, but the Guardian completely ignored him and continued with his instructions.
“You must not use or allow anyone to see any object on your person that may be construed as belonging to the time period from which you are from.”
The group looked at each other with everyone wondering how far back in time they were to go, and not really paying attention to the Guardian who continued to talk.
The Guardian reiterated the seriousness of the endeavour that lay ahead and the implementation regarding the future of humanity and its survival only increased the fear churning deep in the pit of their stomachs at the imagined task that lay before them.
No other passengers boarded the craft, unlike the journey before with George when souls from all periods in time and worldly location came aboard. This was a special charter. Without warning the craft abruptly stopped and before the Guardian allowed anyone to depart they were all issued with a token that must be placed on their seat to pay for the journey. With the task complete, the gathering climbed from the craft and it slipped silently away. The Guardian stepped away from the group turned his back and began to mumble a few words. With the index finger of his right hand, he pointed to the floor in front of him and instantly a green dot appeared. He raised his finger and the dot stretched to form a thin green vertical line suspended in the inky blackness. He then clasped his hands together in front of his mouth as if in prayer, and when he parted them, the vertical green line broadened until the now familiar green portal shimmered before them. While everybody waited patiently for the mists to clear, the Guardian turned again to face the gathering and made his final speech.
“It comes as no surprise to myself that Toomak has returned to a time which is one of the most pivotal moments in history, the effects of which determine the future of mankind. Some of you assembled may be nonbelievers, but I assure you that the events you will witness are genuine. The period to which I refer, is the death of Jesus Christ and consequently his burial in the tomb of Joseph of Aramathea. It is my strong belief that Toomak intends to steal the life force of the Son of God and present it to Lucifer himself, giving him the power to unchain the underworld and reanimate every evil soul held within, to quite literally raise Hell on Earth. You must defeat Toomak at all costs, humanity is relying on you!”
The stunned group stared at one another, trying to absorb the enormity of the situation until Tyler, of all people, broke the silence.
“I think that we had better get on with it then.”
He stated as he stepped to the front of the group and with a nod from the Guardian, stepped through the portal. Bolstered by Tyler’s positive attitude, one by one, the group passed through the gateway. Before it closed, the Guardian called through with yet more information.
“Toomak has the ability to take on many forms; she will not look anything like the creature last seen. As you progress, you will be closely monitored and only when you are successful the portal will reopen and you will be able to return home. Fail and there is nothing I can do for you, your time, as you know it, will fail to exist.”
Before anyone had a chance to ask any more questions, the portal closed leaving the group marooned.
They found themselves sometime in the morning, high up on a hillside in the shadow of a massive overhanging rock and behind dense scrub bushes and trees. They overlooked a vast high walled and gated city comprising of mainly flat roofed sandstone houses with a few larger municipal buildings and temples dotted within. To everyone’s amazement, the entire population appeared to be congregating on a steep hillside in-between where the gathering now stood and the city itself. George used his hands to shield his eyes from the glare of the severe morning sun and tried to bring everything into focus through the heat haze rising from the multitude of bodies below. In a sudden realisation, his face blanched and he stepped backwards with both hands clasped to his mouth. The group waited anxiously for his colour to return as he turned stammered out the words,
“It’s the crucifixion.”
Filled with trepidation and excitement, they all rushed forwards to get their own look as one of the biggest events in world history unfolded before them.
They all watched a solitary figure, dragging a wooden cross, work his way through a channel in the crowd leading to the top of the hill. Awestruck and silent they witnessed Jesus reach the summit and then lay silent while the ringing of heavy hammers, echoed across the valley as nails were driven through his flesh, crucifying his body to the cross which was then erected between two others already in place.
Hours passed and unsure what to do next, the gathering watched silently while lost in thought at the momentous history making spectacle playing out before them. Far on the horizon storm clouds started to form but instead of the wind drawing in a gradual change in the weather, the skies instantly turned from clear blue to a brooding filthy black as a torrential rainstorm began. The group remained dry, thanks to the rocky overhang and they watched throug
h the curtain of rain at the thousands of people shrieking in panic and running for the shelter of the city. Looking like ants in a farm, they poured down the hillside and converged en masse at the city gate. An enormous thunderclap shook the ground followed by a blinding flash of lightening illuminating the vista. The flash was so strong it reflected from the surface of a circular metallic object hanging from a woman’s chest as she stood facing the scene. This caught Mary’s eye and she stared intently, trying to focus through the deluge.
“It’s Toomak, down there to the right of the cross, look, look!”
Mary cried, instantly feeling a connection with the woman who had once shared her body.
“How can you be so sure?”
Tyler asked as his poor eyesight stopped him seeing with any clarity since the Guardian banned him taking his glasses. Mary pulled a face then gave her reply.
“I, I just know that’s why I’m sure; the Guardian said that Toomak could take on any form and the woman down there is wearing what looks like the amulet on a chain around her neck.”
Everyone stared intently trying to focus on the woman Mary described, but she was swept away by the mass of people pouring down the hillside making identification impossible. Pockets of dust fell from the overhanging cliff as the ground began to shake beneath their feet and shrieks of terror filtered through the sound of the pelting rain that echoed across the valley. The group watched intently as the soldiers guarding the cross jumped up and fled leaving the devout followers to lower his cross, removed the nails and carried the body away.
“We have to follow them.”
Declared the professor, and before anyone else could offer any objection he ventured out into the rain and followed a goat track down the hill. The remainder of the gang gathered their belongings and followed his lead, easily catching up with him at the foot of the hill. Because of the weather, the surrounding area lay deserted aiding their journey from unwelcome interference from any of the locals. The professor realised that wherever Jesus lay, Toomak would not be far away, and so keeping the funeral procession in sight was paramount. Eventually the rain ceased and the darkness lifted as they followed the cortege around the outskirts of the city along a well worn track to another steep hillside where dozens of tombs had been hewn from the rock face with their entrances sealed by large piles of stone or in some cases, a single chunk of rock to protect the contents. The procession stopped near the top, outside an impressively large tomb guarded by two men. One was a very well dressed slender man of average size and the other a giant of a man in height and build with a bald head and skin as black as coal. As the bearers lay Jesus on the earth, both men fell to their knees, weeping openly at the terrible sight. When they finally gathered their composure, they helped to carry Jesus into the tomb and refused any entry to the group waiting outside. The flicker of a lighted torch illuminated the interior and shadows of the two men danced across the earth where the followers waited patiently around the entrance. Eventually the two men emerged but they refused any further admission and the giant single-handedly rolled a massive boulder blocking the tombs’ threshold. With a saddened posture, the remainder of the party descended slowly back down the hill leaving behind the well dressed man and the giant, standing guard.
The funeral party descended the hillside and walked right passed the professor and his group without even a cursory glance, leaving them all wondering what to do next. They followed a pathway up the opposite hillside trying at all times to keep Jesus’ tomb in sight, and near the top Tyler spotted an almost completed tomb of similar size and everyone crowded inside and sat down, leaving Carl as lookout in the doorway.
“What exactly are we going to do when Toomak arrives?”
Chelsea asked, breaking the silence. Before anyone could answer, Tyler lifted his duffle bag onto his lap and opened the flap. From inside he withdrew an instantly recognisable object.
“What the...”
Gasped Marion as they all stared open mouthed at the amulet that Toomak took through the portal.
“How on earth did you get hold of this?”
Mary asked as she took the amulet from Tyler’s hands. Turning it around in her fingers, she examined it closely like an antiques expert, wondering if it could be a fake. She really did not know what to look for but just wanted to see if it felt the same as the last time it lay in her hands.
“There is something not quite right about it.”
Mary exclaimed as she slowly turned the golden disc in her fingers.
Just then, Carl poked his head around the doorway to see what all the commotion was about only to be as stunned as the rest of the group. Ignoring Mary’s misgivings, Tyler continued with his speech.
“I have a little tale to tell you all.”
The story was simple enough but he enjoyed spinning a yarn and hoped for everybody’s indulgence. Carl positioned himself close enough to hear the tale and still keep watch so Tyler began.
“When I left the vault following the final meeting with the Guardian I drove home and found myself wandering through the rooms of Gisborne and quite by chance I ended up in the museum where low and behold I spotted the amulet residing in exactly the same place before I gave it to Mary.”
Tyler blushed at the memory and cast a sideways glance at Mary who blinked and glanced away, equally embarrassed. Everyone else looked quizzically at each other as to what Tyler was failing to divulge about the two of them, but more importantly how this could possibly happen. The professor cleared his throat and suggested an answer.
“I believe that what we have here is history rewriting itself in a time paradox.”
Holding up his hands to silence everyone’s questions that followed, he continued.
“The paradox of time travel can induce a loop of events that can only be caused by the positional effect of whatever passed back into history in the first place. In this case, Toomak steals the amulet and travels back in time, taking it from where it is supposed to be. The fact that it was in the museum in the first place suggests that it was lost many years ago. If memory suggests I remember seeing it on the local news when it was found during drainage works in the marshlands near the Tor at Glastonbury. Am I correct Mr Morgan?”
Tyler nodded allowing the professor to continue.
“Therefore Toomak or someone in possession of the amulet must have visited Glastonbury and lost it in the lake that used to surround the Tor many hundreds of years ago. That is the only way it could be found again and placed in the museum, fulfilling its predestined position and thereby completing the never ending causality loop.”
The professor sat back and waited for further questions but surprisingly all he heard was silence as the group pondered deeply about the professor’s explanation. George smiled to himself at the irony as he looked around at the sight of a group of people sitting in an empty tomb nearly two thousand years back in history, trying to understand the paradox of time travel.
“That’s it!”
Mary exclaimed as she held up the amulet for all to see.
“The pentagram is upside down.”
“What are you talking about?”
George asked, wondering if Mary was more than a little confused as she explained.
“The pentagram is upside down! Let me explain. When I had it hanging around my neck, one of the points aligned with the bale for the chain at the top. Now it doesn’t, it points to the floor.”
“My God Mary, you’re absolutely right.”
Tyler exclaimed after he had closed his eyes and pictured the amulet on display in the museum.
“Does that mean it’s a fake?”
George asked. Tyler took the amulet from Mary and carefully examined the piece.
“This is definitely the real thing, it has a tiny pin hole near the bottom that very slowly leached water for months after it was discovered. The display case had a constant tiny damp patch, that’s how we discovered that the outer ring was hollow.”
They all looked at the p
rofessor for an explanation but he just shook his head and then said,
“I am at a loss as to how this could have occurred, but what I do know is that an upward facing pentagram denotes pagan worship of Mother Earth and one facing down denotes worship for the devil.”
Carl, who had been listening intently from outside finally asked a question,
“If we have the original, then why is Toomak wearing one exactly the same?”
“How do you know it’s the same?”
Asked Tyler as he crawled forwards and poked his head out of the entrance.
“Because she is walking towards us up the hill and I can see her amulet clear as day.”
As he finished the last word of his sentence, Carl dived for cover, taking George with him into the tomb. They all waited silently and as the sound of footsteps grew louder and Carl chanced a quick peek to see exactly what she was doing. He watched as she scoured the hillside, checking every tomb, trying to find the one containing Jesus. With every step, she drew nearer and the frightened group huddled closer together in the semi-darkness. They watched terrified as her shadow appeared in the doorway and they all squeezed even further back, trying to melt into the far wall and disappear. Carl silently slid his hand into the sleeve of his opposite arm and drew out a flick knife that he kept stored in a pouch fastened to his left forearm. He usually carried a concealed weapon for his own protection, especially when making a drug deal. Also, when security personnel searched him, his forearm was the last place they looked. As Toomak’s shadow grew along the dusty floor, Carl raised the knife over his head and paused with his finger on the trigger button ready to release the blade and throw it at Toomak when she entered the tomb. Henry’s foot brushed against a piece of loose rock about the size of a man’s fist so he reached out and picked it up, ready to use it as a weapon should the need arise. Sweat beaded on Carl’s forehead and his heartbeat pounded in his ears as he primed his body ready for the event. To everyone’s amazement, Toomak’s shadow stopped and shrank to half its size as unbelievably she sat down in front of but facing away from the entrance. She too had seen Joseph and Balthazar guarding a tomb across the valley and also saw it as a perfect vantage point with which to observe proceedings. Over an hour passed and the only thing that moved was the angle of Toomak’s shadow as the sun progressed across the sky. Professor Appleyard began to suffer terribly from the pressure and afternoon heat, bringing on another angina attack. Silently as he could, he slid his hand into his tunic and retrieved his tin of nitroglycerin tablets from his jacket pocket. Everyone watched anxiously as he fought with the dispenser lid until it popped loudly and all his pills flew upwards into the air and landed mainly on his lap where he sat. All heads turned to the entrance expecting to see Toomak standing in front of them but to their surprise, the shadow had gone. Carl cautiously peaked outside to see her creeping down the hillside, keeping out of sight from Joseph and Balthazar. He watched her reach the bottom, cross over the main walkway and then continue on up the other side until she finally stopped behind a thick clump of bushes less than fifty feet from Jesus’ tomb. Luckily, for the professor he managed to salvage most of his pills and after he popped one under his tongue, he replaced the tin back into his jacket pocket. Before long, he regained his breath and made battle plans with the rest of the group.
Timelock Page 36