“
D
id you get a look at those guys?” Dr. Jack asked with a shiver of his shoulders. “They were huge. It gave me a chill.”
The scientists and soldiers were shaking hands, high fiving, and talking with elation about a job well done.
The light inside the Time Tunnel had cooled. The flatcar was gone. The loud humming in the background went quiet.
Abraham had chill bumps all over. “Do me a favor and take these goggles off, will you?”
Otis complied. With a rough yank, he pulled the goggles from Abraham’s face.
“Gee, thanks. So, did you guys see some of your cousins over there? Those Gond are your kind of people.”
“Shut up,” Otis replied.
“Mr. Drisk,” said one of the scientists monitoring the computer station closest to Abraham, “we had activity inside the Fort Pitt Tunnel.”
Eugene hurried over to the man. Dr. Jack and Colonel Dexter joined him.
The scientist pointed at one of the overhead monitors. A van decked out in Pittsburgh Steelers logos passed through a bright sun ring that suddenly appeared in the tunnel. The van vanished. A young woman and her small daughter, decked out in Steelers jerseys, sat stranded on the stretch of road. Their eyes were big as saucers. They dashed across the road, away from the fast-moving traffic.
Colonel Dexter got on his phone and said in his deep voice, “We’ve got two live ones in the Fort Pitt Tunnel. A woman and her girl. Decked out in Steelers gear. Hard to miss. I’ll upload more data.” He stuffed his phone into his pocket. “Got to go. Let me know if you discover any more of them.” He gave Abraham a quick disapproving look and hustled away.
Abraham mulled over his plans for the next hour or so while everyone else scuttled about like a hive of bees, congratulating themselves. He didn’t have any doubt that what they did might have been one of the greatest achievements of mankind. If men like this keep such secrets, then what other secrets do they keep?
“Otis, will you pinch me? I’m having a hard time believing this is real.”
“Shut up.”
“How about you, Haymaker? You don’t look too busy.”
“It’s real,” Haymaker replied. “As real as the hair on my head. I can’t wait to get to Titanuus. I’m going to be a baron. Acres of land and many wives.”
“You know the women are really hideous over there, don’t you?” Abraham said.
Haymaker’s bright expression dulled. “What?”
“I mean, if you like the husky, cornfed type, let me say they are aplenty. But don’t expect them to have all of their teeth. They don’t have toothbrushes, you know. Or running water or television.”
Haymaker scratched his head. “I never really thought about that.”
“He’s pulling your leg,” Otis said. “I told you to shut up, Abraham.” He waved the stun rod over his face. “You don’t want to make me use this.”
“I think we both know that you
are much safer with me than the other guy, aren’t you?”
Otis paled. “Shut up.”
Dr. Jack and Ottum strolled over. Eugene came with them. “Did you enjoy the show?” Jack said.
Feigning awe, Abraham replied, “So that is what happened to me? I drove through a sun ring, and that’s how I became like this. A schizophrenic.”
“You aren’t a schizophrenic. You are an experiment,” Eugene smugly said. “A lab rat.”
“A lab rat, huh? I want to be clear about something, and I’m not one to use profane words, but I think all of you are bunch of first-rate arseholes.” He eyed Ottum. “Including you.”
“Arseholes
—now that really is a harsh word,” Dr. Jack said. “Where’d you come up with that one? Your friends in Titanuus?”
“No, it’s from one of my favorite books. It’s where guys like you wind up with an axe run through them, but in this case, it will probably be a sword.”
“Black Bane,” Eugene said.
“Anything can happen.”
“What’s Black Bane?” Dr. Jack asked.
“It’s a sword in Titanuus with magical properties. An artifact of sorts. There is no blade sharper than it in all of the world.” A hunger grew in Eugene’s eyes. “It cuts bone and flesh like butter. Steel too.”
“Hmm… sounds like something I’d like to add to my collection. I don’t see why we couldn’t acquire it. It’s sounds like something that I would love to see.” Dr. Jack eyeballed Abraham. “That’s another little thing that I’d like to add to the list. Have King Hector stand down, and bring me that sword. Do this, and we can send you back to your wife and kid.”
“Not to mention that you’ll get back your friend Buddy Parker too. You might even earn a few pennants,” Eugene added.
“You know, I’ve seen you transport people and things from one world to another, but I don’t believe that you can send me back in time. Even though I want to.”
“Yeah, well, watch this,” Eugene said with a cocky smile. “Wheel him over to station one.”
Otis pushed Abraham over to the computer station.
Eugene typed on the keyboard, and a new image came up on the overhead screen. It was daytime at an airfield. Jenny and Jake were standing outside Abraham’s father’s birthday-present plane with smiles on their faces.
Abraham’s blood ran cold. The image was clear as a bell, real as could be. “How… how are you doing this?”
Dr. Jack looked right at him and said, “With our imagination combined with magic and technology, anything is possible. All you have to do is believe.”
