The Time Hunters and the Sword of Ages

by carl ashmore

  Pacing up and down the room, her curiosity ablaze, she threw on her dressing gown and slippers, before marching to the door. She had to know what was going on. She rushed down the corridor, onto the landing, before racing down the left flight of stairs into the Entrance Hall. It was then she came to an abrupt halt. The Morning Room door stood ajar, masking a soft butter yellow light that beckoned from within. It had to be Uncle Percy, but what was he doing up at this time of night?

  Tentatively, she pushed at the door and said in a quiet voice, ‘Uncle Per –’ But as the door swung open, she saw Jacob, illuminated by candlelight, sitting at a walnut trestle table, placed on which was a pot of tea, steam rising in spirals from its curved spout. His hand trembled as he sipped from a china cup. She knew at once she’d interrupted a very private moment.

  Jacob looked over, startled. ‘Fräulein Becky?’

  Becky didn’t know where to look. ‘I’m sorry, Jacob,’ she said. ‘I … I thought you were Uncle Percy.’

  ‘Why are you up, child?’

  ‘I thought I saw something … in the grounds. I was going to investigate. Then I saw the light on, and –’ Becky faltered. ‘I’m sorry to intrude.’

  ‘Not at all,’ Jacob replied. ‘But you should not be leaving the Hall, not under any circumstance. These are perilous times.’

  ‘I s’pose.’ Becky saw that Jacob’s eyes, usually so kind and engaging, were inflamed and bloodshot.

  ‘Would you like to join me in cup of tea?’ Jacob asked.

  ‘Are you sure?’

  Finally, Jacob found a smile. ‘An old man appreciates youthful company. I would like it very much.’

  Becky walked over and sat down beside him. Jacob pushed himself to his feet, took a cup and saucer from an adjacent cabinet, and returned to his chair.

  He poured her a drink.

  ‘I never drank tea before I arrived in your time, now I’m not sure how I’d breathe without it.’ Jacob passed over the cup.

  ‘Thank you,’ Becky said. ‘Is Maria in bed?’

  ‘Yes,’ Jacob replied. ‘She has been through a great deal, and is very tired. Did your uncle explain where we were?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And why we were there?’

  Becky nodded. ‘He did,’ she said faintly. ‘I dunno what to say except I hope it - well, you know, gave you some comfort.’

  ‘It does…every time.’ Jacob exhaled heavily. ‘It is always a demanding trip, on our bodies, our minds and our souls, but one that is always necessary. Maria and I are old now, it is right we spend time with our memories. The good ones … and the bad. And we are blessed to have a thousand more happy ones than sad.’

  ‘I’m glad.’

  Jacob’s eyes regained their usual glow. ‘You are a very special child, Fräulein Becky. And although in many ways you resemble my late granddaughter, it is my son, Karl, you remind me of most. He was like you – strong, kind, decent, free, with a heart as big as the Rhine.’

  ‘I’m sorry he was … err, taken away from you.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Jacob took a sip of tea. ‘Would you like to hear about it? I would not wish to give you nightmares.’

  Becky hadn’t expected this. ‘Only if - if you want to tell me.’

  Jacob smiled. ‘It is not always a matter of want. Some stories should be voiced, not for the pleasure of telling them, but as a lesson, a lesson for those to come in the future…’

  ‘My son, Karl, was an architect and a builder.’ The hint of a smile skirted his lips. ‘Even as a boy, he showed such remarkable talent. As a man, he was very successful.’ Pride welled in his voice. ‘And in Berlin, in the nineteen twenties there was much building to be done. Anyway, Karl bought a derelict farmhouse in Falkensee on the outskirts of the city. He and his wife, Liesel, spent two years mending it, and when they finished, they invited Maria and me to live with them and their daughter, my granddaughter, Celia. We were delighted to do so. We were the happiest of families. But as our joy grew, so Berlin was changing, the country was changing. A cancer was spreading … spreading fast … and soon it spread throughout Germany - that cancer was the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei: The Nazi Party. It spread its ugly message of hatred, intolerance, and extremism throughout the land. And those that would not listen – well, they became victims of such terrible violence by the Sturmabteilung, the brownshirts, and all of it advocated by that vile little man with the devil in his eyes…’

  ‘You mean Adolf Hitler?’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘But you know what I’ve never understood - how could such evil come to dominate a country? Why wasn’t he stopped before it got out of control?’

  ‘I am not sure I can answer that,’ Jacob replied. ‘All I can say is that after the Great War, Germany was lost, the people weary, disenchanted, without money or pride or hope. The compensations required as part of the Treaty of Versailles made it impossible for the country to rebuild. And that’s exactly what Hitler promised – resurrection, renewal, rebirth … he promised to give my people a Germany they could be proud of again, to fix the economy, to give employment, to restore pride in a once great nation. And a desperate, despondent people were prepared to listen. What they didn’t know was his true agenda…’ He paused. ‘But I knew. I read his despicable book, Mein Kampf, and Karl and I saw him speak in Berlin. And it terrified me to the depths of my soul. Karl, too.’

  His expression changed from sorrow into anger.

  ‘But it was when the Nazi Party began to actively target the Jews that Karl and I knew we had to do something. Many of my best friends were Jewish and we couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. We discussed many ideas, but it was after Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass, when the stormtroopers started destroying synagogues, Jewish businesses and homes, all across the country, killing too many to mention, that we knew we had to act.’

  ‘What did you do?’

  ‘We transformed Karl’s house into a refuge, a safe house. And we used his business transportation to smuggle Jews from Berlin and out of the country. Over the next six months we aided over a thousand Jews to flee Germany. But then we were betrayed. Someone informed the authorities…’ His head tilted down. ‘Before we knew anything, stormtroopers were at our house…. Otto Kruger was with them.’ He spat the name out. ‘At that time, there were three Jewish families lodging with us in the cellars. The stormtroopers slaughtered them all.’ His entire body was shaking now. ‘Then Otto Kruger took out his Luger and, one by one –’ He struggled to find the words. ‘ – He shot my son … his wife … my beautiful granddaughter… And he would’ve shot Maria and me, when an angel appeared. Your uncle created a diversion and saved us. In the chaos, I was shot in the thigh. I still have the limp to this very day. But we escaped…’

  Fighting back the tears, Becky reached over and held his quivering hand.

  ‘Then your uncle brought us to your time, to safety. He tried to return to Falkensee, to the house, to change events but this Omega … what does he call it?’

  ‘The Omega Effect.’

  ‘This Omega Effect prevented it. We had to accept our family died that day, and that such events could not be altered. Of course, at first we wanted to die with them, to join them in the afterlife. But, in time, your uncle convinced us to live… to share his life. He is the finest of all men. And I shall never thank him enough for what he did, and what he tried to do. Slowly, he helped us to live again. But …’ he paused, ‘my son, my granddaughter will never live again, except in my memories. And for this, I pray God can forgive Kruger and the other beasts for their involvement … for I cannot. Of course, it was only after I came to your time, that I read books about the second Great War, and about the millions murdered by that little man and his puppets - a symphony of death orchestrated by the few, to the everlasting shame of the many. For years, I could not comprehend it all. But if there can be one lesson learnt, one flicker of good to come out of all that happened, it is that we must always stand up to such ty
ranny. The tale of my country is a tale that should never be retold. And it saddens me that stories such as this still occur to this very day. This Emerson Drake is proof of that …’

  Jacob collapsed into his chair, all energy deserting him.

  Becky didn’t know what to say. ‘I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through.’ She squeezed his hand tightly.

  ‘My child, there are many that have been through much worse than even I. But there it is … that is my story.’

  Becky’s eyes met Jacob’s. ‘Jacob … may I kiss you?’

  Jacob looked taken aback. Then he nodded.

  Becky leaned in and kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you for telling me.’

  ‘No, thank you, Fräulein Becky,’ Jacob replied. ‘You have the best of hearts. And I want nothing more for you than to have the best of lives…’

  Then together they cried deep into the night.

  Chapter 6

  Hold your Horses

  It was gone three when Becky and Jacob parted ways. Becky stumbled into bed, physically and emotionally exhausted. It had been such a long and draining conversation with Jacob she had forgotten why she went downstairs in the first place. She was woken by her door crashing open.

  ‘Are you getting up or what?’ Joe hollered, marching in. ‘It’s nearly ten. Everyone’s had breakfast and Uncle Percy’s waiting to show us this big surprise.’

  Becky launched herself out of bed. ‘I’ll be in the kitchen in ten minutes.’ She showered quickly, cleaned her teeth and flung on some clothes. Shortly after, she was charging down the stairs, across the Entrance Hall, to the kitchens, where she saw Maria standing at the sink.

  Maria’s weary face cracked with joy. ‘Ah, here is my beautiful angel.’ She scuttled over and grabbed Becky in a spine-snapping embrace. ‘Why are you sleeping so late? Maria has been longing to see you.’

  Becky knew from Maria’s tone Jacob hadn’t discussed their conversation. ‘I had a late night. But it’s great to see you. I’m glad you’re back.’

  ‘And I am back.’ Maria gulped hard. ‘I would be no where else.’

  As they released each other, Uncle Percy breezed into the room, fresh-faced and smiling. ‘Ah, Becky, I see you’ve finally entered the land of the living.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Then Becky remembered the curious incident the previous night. ‘Were you in the woods last night?’

  ‘No. Why do you ask?’

  ‘I thought I saw a light blast from a time machine near the woods. I was wondering if it was you.’

  ‘No,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘And you know no one can enter the grounds without my sanctioned codes. So you must be mistaken.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ Becky said. She thought hard for a moment. ‘But couldn’t someone steal the code and enter the grounds without your knowledge?’

  ‘Ah, but as a precaution against that I’ve installed a Pretonicator which scans the grounds constantly for unfamiliar travelling devices. I’d be immediately informed if a time machine not of my creation had entered the grounds. Infact, the Pretonicator is programmed to repel such a time machine to a different time zone and a somewhat remote location.’ His grin widened. ‘Presently, it’s set to send any unwelcome time machine to the Wingecarribee swamp in Australia, in 83BC. However, as I haven’t had any notification from the Pretonicator I can assume we’ve had no visitors.’

  ‘Could it have been Barbie then?’

  ‘Barbie’s away at the moment.’

  ‘Away?’ Becky asked, surprised. ‘Where is she?’

  ‘She’s on loan.’

  ‘Who to?’ Becky replied. ‘And what for?’

  ‘She’s doing some work for the travelling community,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘But don’t worry, you’ll see her this afternoon.’

  Becky’s ears pricked up. ‘We’re going on a trip?

  Uncle Percy nodded. ‘We are, indeed.’

  ‘Where to and when?’

  ‘Balestrino, Italy. 1954.’

  Becky’s heart fluttered. She had always longed to visit Italy. ‘And what work’s she doing there?’

  ‘You’ll see.’

  ‘And is that the big surprise you’ve been harping on about?’

  Uncle Percy chuckled. ‘Oh, no,’ he replied, a twinkle in his eye. ‘The surprise is something much more uplifting. And we certainly don’t have to go to Italy to experience it.’ He looked at Becky who looked more puzzled than ever, and said, ‘So hurry up, enjoy your breakfast and I’ll show you…’

  Becky couldn’t eat quickly enough.

  *

  ‘So what is this surprise?’ Joe asked eagerly, walking alongside Becky and Uncle Percy as they crossed the lawns. ‘Do you have a new time machine?’

  ‘It’s considerably more thrilling than that...’

  Within minutes, Bowen Lake loomed on the horizon, its powder blue water glistening like frosted glass. Following the narrow, winding path, they turned at the boathouse and approached the stables. It was then they spied the outline of a three-horned dinosaur stretched out lazily on the ground, thick strands of grass dangling from its powerful jaws.

  ‘Gumpy!’ Joe shouted excitedly.

  Gump’s plated head jerked up. He pushed himself onto his sturdy legs and mooed loudly.

  Joe stopped dead in his tracks. ‘Flippin’ heck, he’s as big as a tank!’

  Uncle Percy chuckled. ‘You’re quite right. And he’s not the only one who’s had a growth spurt of late.’

  Becky was about to ask about Pegasus when, from behind Gump’s colossal frame, a sleek, elegant animal paced into view, its long silky white tail whipping the air. ‘Peggy!’

  Pegasus clearly recognised Becky’s voice. With a joyful whinny, she galloped over, her silken mane bouncing like smoke on the wind.

  Becky couldn’t speak. Like Gump, Pegasus was almost unrecognisable. No longer a foal, Pegasus was a fully-grown mare. Pegasus came to a halt at her feet, her enormous feathered wings clamped tightly to her sides. Then she leaned down and pressed her nose fondly against Becky’s face.

  Becky cupped Pegasus’ snout in her hands and kissed her softly. ‘Hello, you.’ At that moment, she noticed four thin metal bands attached to each of Pegasus’ ankles. ‘What are those?’ she asked Uncle Percy.

  ‘You’ll see.’

  In a low, graceful bow, Pegasus sank to her knees.

  ‘I knew this would happen the moment she saw you. She’s been waiting for this for weeks … She wants you to ride her, and only you...’

  Becky froze.

  ‘Go on, you big chicken,’ Joe said, nodding feverishly. ‘Get on.’

  Wordlessly, Becky climbed on Pegasus’ back; her legs fitted neatly below the wing joints. Then Pegasus stood up and neighed happily.

  Looking down at Uncle Percy and Joe, Becky’s insides tumbled.

  ‘I said last summer it was important to learn horse-riding,’ Uncle Percy said, stroking Pegasus’ nose. ‘Of course, back then I had no idea just how important it would be.’

  Immediately, Becky recalled Charger, the elderly horse on which she had first learned to ride. ‘This is a bit different.’

  ‘I should say,’ Uncle Percy replied with a wink. ‘Peggy can fly now…’

  Before Becky had time to respond, Pegasus set off with a start.

  Fear and adrenaline surged through Becky. She clung to Pegasus’ neck for dear life. As they gathered pace, she could hear Joe’s yelps of joy. Then her heart jolted further. Pegasus’ wings had extended. She braced herself, when suddenly she felt the oddest sensation. The thunder of galloping hooves had gone. The only sound she could hear was the wind thrashing her ears and the soft swish of wings carving the air, powering up and down in consistent rhythm.

  Pegasus climbed higher, as if scaling invisible steps.

  Just then, Becky spied a flash of green light above Pegasus’ hooves. She knew at once the anklets were Invisiblators.

  To the world below, they had vanished without a trace.

  Glancing down, Becky
’s fear turned into awe. She saw the countryside unfold like a picnic blanket, green and yellow and ochre. Cars, houses, rivers, roads appeared before her like miniature pieces on a giant chessboard. Feeling safer with each passing second, Becky sat back and took it all in.

  She never wanted it to end.

  After the most wonderful ten minutes, Becky felt Pegasus turn about and head back. Soon, Bowen Hall, the lake, the stables came into view. Pegasus dipped lower, angling her descent.

  Becky could see Joe and Uncle Percy now. About thirty feet from the ground, she saw their expressions change. She knew she and Pegasus had materialised. Joe yelled something she couldn’t hear, a beaming Uncle Percy clapped vigorously. She watched Pegasus’ legs move in a galloping motion, anticipating the hard ground ahead. Bracing herself, she closed her eyes, her grip tightening around Pegasus’ neck. And then hooves met hard earth, causing Becky to jolt on impact. But she held on.

  Becky’s head spun as they decelerated to a halt. Flinging her arms around Pegasus’ neck, she breathed, ‘Thanks for not letting me die, Peggy.’

  Joe sprinted over. ‘My turn …’

  Pegasus shook her head and whinnied loudly.

  Becky laughed. ‘I think that’s a ‘no’, bro.’

  ‘And how was it?’ Uncle Percy said.

  ‘Awesome,’ Becky said, leaping to the ground.

  ‘I can only imagine,’ Uncle Percy replied.

  A raised voice drifted on the air. ‘That is something I’d never have believed, but for seeing with mine own eyes.’

  Becky turned and saw Will approach. She was about to reply when her eyes widened with horror. His face was a patchwork of cuts and bruises, his mouth swollen.

  He looked like he’d been in a war.

  Chapter 7

  Pig Out

  ‘What the hell happened to you?’ Joe gasped.

  Will’s face was difficult to read. ‘I suffered a misfortune.’

  ‘A misfortune?’ Joe replied. ‘Have you been scrapping with Godzilla?’

  ‘I fell.’