How Do I Love Thee? (21 page)

Julia lifted the cup and downed the contents in a few gulps. ‘I’m guessing Anderson tried to undo his actions … except, of course, he couldn’t because it was my fault.’

‘Worse. Anderson’s time-travel device is not quite as accurate as ours. Instead of 1995, he arrived in our world in 2009 a week before you left on this assignment. And he was infected with the virus.’

Julia closed her eyes and took a few measured breaths. ‘What might have been … thank God you stopped me.’

The waitress came by again. ‘You okay, honey?’ she said, peering at Julia. ‘Of course you’re not.’ Dispensing advice as freely as the coffee, she met Rob’s eyes and added, ‘Maybe you should think about getting her home. Some folks are better off in familiar surroundings.’

Rob glanced at his watch. The minimum turnaround time was almost up. ‘Yeah, maybe it’s time we both went home.’ He stood, pulled a twenty-dollar bill from his pocket and placed it on the table … then snatched it up again. Crap. He’d almost forgotten about that. He couldn’t leave any trace of his presence here behind, certainly not twenty-dollar bills manufactured
after
1995.

Walking ahead of him to the rear of the diner, speaking as she went, Julia said, ‘Tell me about … well, me, from the other world.’

‘She’s part of a team that stamps out inter-dimensional fires before they can take hold.’ He took a quick look around before following Julia into the women’s rest room.

‘I’d give a lot to pick her brains for an hour. She could save me years of work.’

‘She’s currently briefing Admiral Prado and Wilkie. When you return, she’ll automatically be shunted back to her world.’

Julia pulled the recall device from around her neck and chuckled. ‘And with luck, your President will get himself impeached.’

‘Yeah.’ Rob grinned and pulled out his own device. ‘I’m grief-stricken.’

Admiral Prado stared through his office window across the moonlit harbour. Julia’s gaze followed. She could just catch a glimpse of the Opera House sails tinged with the first hint of dawn.

‘Reports have already been trickling through from all over the world about a haemorrhagic virus,’ Wilkie said in a haunted whisper. ‘I trust Commander Burnett succeeds.’

‘Let me make sure I’ve got this straight,’ Prado said, turning to Julia. ‘You told Commander Burnett that our history will be restored if he convinces Commander Scott to abort her mission. But by removing the events that led to the release of this virus, you’re changing history, not restoring it, correct?’

Julia winced. Changing someone’s past was like stealing a part of their identity. She knew, because it had happened to her more times than she could count. ‘Commander Burnett is restoring history as it should have been if the virus had not been released. No-one in this world will be aware that their history and, by inference, the world as they know it, has altered except for you two, because I’ve placed a temporary stasis field around us, and Commander Burnett, because time travellers remember history as it once was, not how it is once they’ve changed it.’ She glanced at the wall clock. ‘He should already be on his way back.’

The Admiral pursed his lips. ‘Can’t you do anything for Burnett at all? He has—he used to have—a wife and twin daughters.’

Wilkie sighed and returned the chess piece to his pocket.

‘In the history you remember,’ Julia added stiffly, ‘there was never an attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, but a year from now mankind will have been virtually wiped out by the chimera virus. Bear in mind in your restored history, there is no virus. Commander Burnett’s wife was killed in the bombing of the World Trade Center, six months before falling pregnant.’

‘Losing a wife is bad enough,’ said the Admiral, ‘but how does a man grieve for children he never had?’

‘This is one of the reasons why I placed you in a stasis field, Admiral. You must understand this is an ongoing consequence of TD travel. As for Commander Burnett, if history had not been corrected, in three days his entire family would have died a shocking death from the virus.’

‘Do you ever get used to this kind of thing?’ Wilkie asked.

Julia closed her eyes and added softly, ‘Some days I hate this job.’

The TD device on the dog-tag chain around her neck vibrated a warning. ‘Admiral.’ She stood to attention. The world dissolved, but not before she caught a brief glimpse of herself materialising, and a smile on Burnett’s face.

She really couldn’t do this anymore.

Admiral Douglas Prado was standing by his window, rolling the chess piece, a red king, between his thumb and index finger. He was by no means a romantic, but nor was he a fool. The exquisite piece had been crafted from a mineral found only on Chirdo’s Moon.

‘Shadrak was flattered,’ he said, turning to the man standing stiffly on the far side of his desk.

‘That wasn’t my intention, Admiral.’

Captain Nicholas Anderson looked considerably better now that he’d had a chance to get cleaned up.

Prado smiled and placed the king in the leather bag on his desk. ‘No, I don’t imagine it was. Be grateful that he also took the time to go back and get your ship and clear your things out of the cave, otherwise you’d be up to your eyeballs in paperwork, and I’d still be on the phone to the Prime Minister. On a side note, since no-one outside this project has a clue how the whole TD thing works, I’ll write up your three-month winter vacation with Commander Scott as another classified assignment for our favourite god. Your usual succinct report will suffice; no need to elaborate.’

‘Much appreciated, Admiral.’

‘Oh, I didn’t do it for you, Captain. The collateral damage from a Prime Ministerial migraine is not pretty, especially one induced by senior military officers periodically vanishing off the face of the Earth.’

‘Shouldn’t he be accustomed to that by now, sir?’

‘Prime Minister Wilkie, as he is in this dimension Julia originated, has this peculiar idea that Australian Navy captains command ships. And when those captains are in line for their first star, I personally see no reason to rock the boat … as it were.’

Anderson’s eyes flickered.

‘On the upside,’ Prado continued, ‘the planetary survey team on Chirdo’s Moon will be delighted to learn that their spinach MREs have mysteriously vanished, no doubt precipitating the demise of that unfortunate—what did you call it, polar bear?’

‘Big thing with attitude, optic fibre fur, and claws—yes, sir.’

‘Fortunately, the animal did very little damage to equipment left behind, although some of the team members will be miffed to find that the laundry, sleeping bags and medical supplies have vanished. I’ll suggest in my report that the … creatures that scavenged the polar bear most likely used the items for … nesting material.’

Anderson’s expression didn’t alter, but Prado knew his officer well. ‘Sit down, Nick.’ He gestured to the leather armchairs.

‘Commander Scott should be here any moment, Admiral.’ Anderson glanced meaningfully at the door.

‘I’ve already talked to Commander Scott. She arrived while you were getting cleaned up. Her mission went as planned, by the way. Shadrak just missed seeing her, otherwise he would have given her these.’ Prado gestured to the bag of chess pieces, which Anderson was pointedly ignoring. ‘No matter, I’ll have them delivered to the Commander’s new posting.’

A nonplussed Anderson was a rare sight indeed.

Prado held back a sigh as he sat in his chair. The military thrust men and women together in situations that forged bonds and developed intimacies far more powerful than most marriages. Yet, it also forbade—for good reason—those same men and women from taking those intimacies to their natural conclusion.

Being the Rear Admiral in charge of a top-secret project that no-one understood gave Prado certain privileges, and certain insights. There were times that the tension between his two best officers had been so palpable the he could have cut it with a knife. That they had maintained a strict rule of military conduct for five years was a testimony to their rigid self-discipline. Still, it seemed inevitable that circumstances would one day see them cross that shaky barrier. Julia Scott’s request had told him all he’d needed to know.

‘Commander Scott asked for a transfer, effective immediately,’ he said. ‘Naturally, I agreed.’

‘Naval Intelligence will be lucky to have her.’ Anderson walked to the chairs.

Prado watched him thoughtfully. Emotions firmly in check, Nick Anderson had recovered quickly, almost instantly. For a brilliant officer and military tactician, he was a damned fool of a man. He’d refuse to admit anything to himself, much less anyone else; then he’d go home and lick his wounds,
likely with the aid of a bottle. ‘What makes you think Julia requested a transfer to Naval Intelligence?’

‘It’s a logical move after five years jumping around time dimensions.’

‘I’m surprised, Nick. I thought you knew the Commander better. Julia wants to spend more time working on Elthoran ships. As she reminded me, her first love is space. With her qualifications and experience it’s a natural move; we have plenty of fine officers who can deal with TD problems.’ He waved his hand in dismissal. ‘I didn’t ask you here to discuss Commander Scott. How do you feel about promotion, Nick?’

‘To be honest, Admiral, I’d never considered it.’

Prado snorted.

‘Sir?’

‘The number of regulations you’ve … circumvented over the years, I’m not surprised. Funny thing, the one regulation you hadn’t broken is the one I could have accommodated.’

Anderson frowned. ‘I’m sorry, Admiral, I don’t follow.’

Prado leaned back in the chair and rubbed his chin. ‘You’d be surprised how much a two-star can get away with, Captain. Getting back to your promotion. I know you, Nick, you won’t last five minutes behind a desk.’

‘Can’t say I disagree, Admiral.’

‘If you resign, Shadrak will pester the Prime Minister and the collateral damage from that will be impressive.’

‘Seems to me, sir, if I’m passed over for promotion, it’ll keep everyone happy.’

Shaking his head, Prado said, ‘You know the adage, Nick, up or out; even I can’t do much about that. Besides, the paperwork came through while you were away. My advice? Take the star and resign; a Commodore’s pension is nothing to sneeze at. I can delay formalities for a month if you want, but meanwhile you’ll need to break in a new partner.’

Anderson was looking out the window at the scattering of stars. Despite his impassive façade, his eyes betrayed him. ‘As you say, Admiral, the TD Project now has plenty of fine officers. Julia has the right idea; the future is out there in space, not TD hopping.’ He smiled stiffly and, turning back to meet Prado’s gaze, added, ‘Funny, I’ve always had a hankering to run a ship. Time to take my old man’s sloop out of mothballs and explore all those nooks and crannies around Sydney Harbour. If the fallout from my resignation gets too much, I could do with some crew.’

Prado smiled. ‘I appreciate the offer, Nick, but I think I can go you one better. Shadrak believes that if the younger beings form an alliance it will discourage the Elthorans from playing this damned stupid TD game. As a result of you and Commander Scott’s successful mission three years ago, we have the finest and most extensive collection of Elthoran
ships in the known alien worlds, even if we are six months away from getting the rest of them operational.’

‘So what’s Shadrak suggesting? We bribe the alien worlds into working together? It’ll never happen; they’re suspicious of everyone.’

‘Except you.’

Anderson snorted.

‘Which is why Shadrak wants you as Ambassador.’

The snort turned into a choke as Anderson pushed himself up and out of the chair. ‘Me! Get serious.’ He began pacing the room. ‘Hell, I end up insulting them most of the time!’

‘You’re abrasive, you see through deception, and you can’t tolerate bullshit—which is exactly why they trust you and not the pandering career diplomats that Canberra and the White House keep trying to foist onto them.’

Prado stood and walked around his desk. ‘You said it a dozen times, Nick, these beings are not human and they do not think like humans. As odd as it seems, you’re perfect for the job. Of course, an Ambassador can’t run around the galaxy without his own ship.’ He picked up the bag of chess pieces. ‘If you accept the job—and God won’t help you if you don’t because, knowing Shadrak, he’s likely to toss a hurricane at you before you sail out of the harbour—I’m assigning a newly promoted officer to take care of you in your civilian
Ambassadorial role.’ He handed the bag to Anderson. ‘Perhaps you might give these to the newly promoted Captain Julia Scott when she reports to the new Ambassador?’

Nick stared at him for a moment before speaking. ‘You sly old dog.’

‘Is that any way to address an Admiral, Captain?’ Walking to the door, Prado added, ‘Of course, in a few weeks you will have resigned your commission as Commodore Anderson, I will no longer be your commanding officer, and regulations regarding fraternisation with junior officers will no longer apply. I expect you to call me Doug.’

As Prado opened the door, Nick Anderson stood at attention. ‘It’s been a privilege, sir.’

Prado replied, ‘Well, let’s just say it was never dull.’

When the time came, he hoped they’d ask him to be the godfather.

C
RAIG
C
ORMICK

‘I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach …’

A boat arrives at the island just after lunch, and we all look up from the dining table to see who it’s brought. We’re sitting in the main hut there, Rosie and me and the two Austrians we’ve met, Kurt and Ingrid, just talking and waiting for the temperature to drop a little. Losana, the resort hostess, waddles down to the wharf to welcome the newcomers. Well, it’s called a resort, but really it’s more of a backpackers’ place. Budget accommodation and lots of young
people. And to my embarrassment I’m the only person I’ve seen with a carry bag, not a backpack.

The new arrivals step awkwardly from the small boat onto the rickety wooden pier. There are four of them. All with backpacks. Two guys and two girls.