The Temporal Knights (13 page)

Gordon scratched his head feeling as if he was digging himself into a bigger and bigger hole. “I can’t explain everything in one day...but there is a force called gravity that holds everything in place,” he answered, talking very slowly. “You will just have to trust that I am telling you the truth for now. Here watch this,” he added and played the video of Neil Armstrong on the moon.

“.....one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind,” the voice came over the speakers as the small miniature astronaut jumped clumsily down onto the moon. Leoforic saw the thing on the screen move. It had two arms, and legs, like a man, but there the similarities ended. The thing might be a man, he couldn’t say for sure. Then Armstrong appeared again at a press conference following his important flight. Just his face and head appeared on the video, and as Rice watched he was unaware of the change in the boy. When the head of Armstrong began to talk it was too much for Leoforic and he screamed and ran from the tent, taking his maps with him.

General Peebles was involved before Rice could find and calm down the young man. It took a bit of convincing but he finally got through to Leoforic that the figures on the computer screen were just pictures and not little demons or fairies. They were but moving paintings of real life people. Leoforic was skeptical at first, until Gordon offered to make a short video of him. Leoforic hesitated for a moment, wondering if the man before him had plans to turn him into a faery, stuck inside the talking box. But he eventually agreed, because what Gordon offered him was so much more than anything he ever thought possible. Rice and Peebles were not aware of it at the time, but they had just won their first convert. Leoforic was completely devoted to them.

“Do you think this is wise?” Peebles asked. “You’ve already scared the boy half to death.”

Gordon shrugged. “We are going to have to teach the people of this culture sometime and I think the youth will be more accepting. They’ll learn much more quickly in general than the adults. Remember, the youth were all over the cutting edge of technology in our time.”

“True,” the General agreed, then wished he hadn’t when Ealdorman Æthelnoth strolled down into camp.

“I also think it may be worth the gas to take a few of the local top brass on Humvee rides this afternoon,” Rice added, nodding a welcome to the Ealdorman and then he ran off with Leoforic to get the digital video camera. By the time they returned, Gordon was also having a twinge of misgiving which grew stronger when he spotted Father Gillian talking with the Ealdorman and General Peebles. Leoforic however, was very excited.

“Come Sir Æthelnoth. Gordon is going to make gnomes of us with his moving painting maachene,” he said excitedly and grabbed the Ealdorman, who was in fact a distant, older cousin of the boy’s. The Ealdorman smiled at the youth, not truly understanding, but Father Gillian frowned.

“Gnomes?” the priest asked.

“Well,” Gordon said holding up the camera, “this is a camera. It won’t make gnomes out of you. It has a lens,” he tried to explain everything as simply as possible, “which captures light and the images it’s aimed at, and records them on disk. I don’t even know exactly how it works, film is more my speed,” he added then laughed and elbowed the General. “Get it...speed...film?”

“You’re a riot,” the General replied, smiling blandly at the pun, very aware of the odd looks they were getting from the locals.

“If you truly want to know,” Rice continued, “you’ll have to ask one of the mechanical egg heads. I’m just a doctor and only know about the human machine.”

“Ye
be a docktor?” Gillian asked, intrigued. “I be quite knowledgeable about medicines and the healing arts, though Friar Padstone, me teacher, is the true docktor in these parts.”

“Come now,” Leoforic insisted and Gordon relented, though now all he wanted to do was talk medicine with Father Gillian, and if possible Padstone. He yearned to learn about treatments and medicine of this era. For a doctor and a historian it was all he could ever ask. But he stepped back instead, and began to record the historic figures in front of him, along with General Peebles. The Ealdorman, Father Gillian, and the General just stood there in the sunlight, but Leoforic jumped about like a fool. Gordon found out later that he was imitating the man on the moon.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Gordon ordered. “Introduce yourselves or something.” And after a moment, when no one else did so, the General stepped forward.

“I am Brigadier General Stephen Peebles, United States Air Force,” he said then motioned for the Ealdorman to do the same, who took a moment to smooth down his bushy, black beard.

“I be Ealdorman Æthelnoth, Lord of Somerset,” he said hesitantly at first, then finished and smiled at the General, as Father Gillian stepped forward.

“I be Father Gillian, born in Wexford, now of Somerset,” he said thoroughly disappointed. The painting machene did nothing. The boy must have been touched to think it would turn them into gnomes.

“And I be Leoforic, son of Lord Æthelred, King of Mercia,” he said hastily then rushed up to Gordon.

“Ho, come now...come,” he insisted pulling the doctor urgently to his tent. Rice went willingly, just not fast enough to suit the young man. Peebles led the Ealdorman and Father Gillian along behind.

Once in the tent, it took a few moments for the doctor to load the proper program, but shortly enough all of them except Gordon appeared on the screen, standing just as they were in the bright morning sun. The Ealdorman and Father Gillian gasped.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” they heard Gordon’s voice over the speakers. Leoforic held his hand to his mouth, smiling with almost unbearable joy. The Ealdorman’s eyes were wide with wonder and fear. Father Gillian was in shock... “
introduce yourselves or something.”

The introductions followed. First the General, then the Ealdorman, Father Gillian, and finally Leoforic, who afterwards ran directly to the camera and Gordon, just the way it had happened only moments before. Leoforic hung onto Gordon for a moment, and the Ealdorman laughed.

“Thought it twas me for a spell, but tis na me voice coming from the gnome,” the Ealdorman said.

“Twas yor voice,” Father Gillian said. “Twas me own voice twas wrong.”

“Na,” the Ealdorman insisted. “Ye voice was just so...twas me voice the blasted maachene fouled.”

“The recorded voice never sounds like the one you hear inside your own head,” Rice explained. “It’s a funny thing, but others never hear your voice as you do.”

“Again,” Leoforic yelled instinctively grasping that such a thing was possible. So they played it again. Then, with a nod from the General, Rice gave the boy a few quick lessons with the camera, and sent him off to record the events all around the grounds. Leoforic, happier that he had ever been, left carrying the camera as if it were the greatest treasure in the known world, and for him it was true.

“Father Gillian,” Gordon said, suddenly a doctor again. “I want to show you something,” and called up pictures of the human skeleton and musculature system on the computer. Father Gillian was immediately enthralled.

The Ealdorman looked at the skeleton with interest for a moment, then spat. “Come Genaral, tis docktor stuff they be speakin’ of. I’ve a powerful pain in me head tis callin’ for mead,” he said with a laugh as they left the tent. “Hair of the dog.”

Peebles agreed and the two left unnoticed by either Gordon or Father Gillian. A picture of the human organs came up on the screen next, and the Father turned to Gordon with fire in his eyes.

“Please good Sir. Ye must let me fetch Friar Padstone,” he begged.

Gordon bowed slightly. “I could want nothing more,” he answered and the Father was off quickly explaining that it would only take an hour or so to find and bring his friend. He left just as excited as Leoforic had been moments before, leaving
a thoroughly satisfied Dr. Rice behind. These people were wonderful, and he was positive that given time, they would join their cause.

§

Matt was busy checking wires beneath a sub-console when one of the ship’s sentries surprised him by announcing that the Lady Ellyn was outside and asking for  permission to see him.

Matt frowned, torn for a moment. He felt they were finally making progress on the ship; they had a plan anyway and when they finally got the engines started he’d be gone. It would be unfair to him or the Lady Ellyn to let things progress.

“Tell her I’ll join her shortly,” he finally said and scowled at the sideways glance he was getting from Murphy.

“Let it be,” he commanded his second, slightly aggravated but he still finished the leads he was working on just as fast as he possibly could. Blish and Turnbull each watched him with amused smiles, but Murphy did as he was asked and ignored the situation. It was one of the few times when they could be amused while inside the accursed alien ship. They still had little idea why the engines remained offline; everything had been checked and double checked. They brainstormed and then began to triple check with still no luck.

They’d captured the ship almost three years ago now, and over that time they’d learned a great deal about Skawp technology. Of course they had to gut most of the interior since it was designed for elongated bodies no taller than about four feet. The refit helped them understand the inner workings of the ship, and by now they’d changed so much that the Skawps would hardly recognize it. Matt however, could spot a few of the remaining alien features. It was Blish’s idea to rewire some of the main engine leads and simply ignore what the diagnostic computers were telling them. It gave the crew something to do…and it just might work. 

When Matt had finally finished rewiring the console he headed down the ship’s steep ramp and out into bright sunlight. Part of him hoped that Ellyn had grown tired of waiting for him…but it was a very small part. It was still a few minutes before noon, but his stomach was rumbling loudly, but he quickly forgot his hunger as he spotted Ellyn standing next to one of the Humvee crews. She was talking and smiling at Private Dosland, who manned the M60. Matt found that he was jealous of the Private’s time with her, but then she turned and smiled brightly as he approached and all was forgiven.

“Mayjor Thane,” she said. “Tis varily good of ye to come from yor duties to see me.”

“I could do nothing else,” he answered truthfully and stood for a long moment just gazing at her. In that brief moment he tried to memorize her face, her eyes, her mouth and hair. It was going to be a long trip to the Skawp’s home world and there was a good chance he would never be back…certainly not in Ellyn’s lifetime. The girl was as lovely as he remembered, with long blond hair, high smooth cheekbones and almond shaped blue eyes. It was as if her face was
perfectly aligned, perfectly shaped, perfectly suited for his eyes. To him, she could look no other way. Ellyn was aware of the man’s acute concentration as he looked at her and lowered her eyes, feeling the blood come to her face. Never in her young life had a man looked at her with such intensity and she repressed a shudder of pleasure…and for the first time she felt truly beautiful, desirable and wanted. She kept her eyes on the ground for a moment, completely aware that his stayed on her. Finally she surrendered and raised them, and looked into his deep, dark brown eyes and was held captive by them, unable to look away, unable to breath at least until her Aunt stepped forward, startling them both out of their thoughts.

“Mayjor Thane, tis me Aunt Eldreena from Malmesbury,” Ellyn said, her breath coming quick. Never had she met a man like this Mayjor. Never had she felt so completely helpless. She barely knew him, but she wanted him…badly. Always before she was the prize to be won; she was the object of pursuit, and she was the target of many a young man, whether he be a simple farm hand or a nobleman from another county. She was the goal; she was the hunted. But suddenly, now the roles were reversed for her. She’d not wait and hope this handsome Mayjor would pursue her. No, she could not risk it. This time she would do the hunting, and it felt delicious. After all the years of resistance, keeping the courters at bay, mostly with her father’s love and selfish approval, she’d finally found a man worthy of her desires. She’d never met anyone so mysteriously attractive. She knew nothing really about the Mayjor, but what she didn’t know she filled in herself, thus he became the object she most desired. What she did know was that she loved the way he looked, smelled and moved. But most of all she loved the way he looked when he was looking at her. Finally, here was a man worthy of her desire; a man worthy to call husband.

“Hello,” Matt said almost immediately, bowing slightly to her Aunt, but to Ellyn it seemed like an eternity before he spoke. Aunt Eldreena was an older woman, quite possibly the oldest person Matt had come across since they’d arrived in England, though he dared not ask her age.

“Good’ay Mayjjor,” Eldreena replied with a marked accent much more pronounced than her niece’s. “De Lady ‘llyn be
wantin’ to know if ye’d like to share a bit dis noon time?”

Matt smiled, and then frowned, having no idea what the old woman was asking, so he looked to the young woman for an explanation. But Ellyn’s eyes were on the ground again, but she looked up shyly when the pause was over long. She felt a thrill of fear that he was going to deny her, humble her before her Aunt, and utterly reject her.