TEMPUS CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.
Hunter S. Thompson
“Well watch, where to now?”
“Ezra, head for that outcropping and tie up the horse.”
“I see there is an opening in the rocks.”
“Head through the opening.”
Inside, there was a red-haired woman sitting at a table.
“So this hideout comes with a woman watch. Excellent.”
“She is not supposed to be here Ezra, just a moment, I am being updated.”
“Ezra, please sit down.”
“Do I know you, ma’am?”
“No Ezra but your reputation precedes you.”
“Watch, who is she?”
“She is the wife of the future Keeper.”
“So you know about the watch.”
“Yes.”
“What is it I can do for you, pretty lady?”
“It is true, you are the Gentleman Bandit.”
“I think I like that moniker.”
“Ezra the watch has told you about the Elders? We are about to do battle with them. I came to ask you for help. History says you will be caught after your next robbery.”
“That seems to be my fate” answered the forlorn bank robber.
“Ezra, what if I told you that after that robbery, you would never have to rob a train again.”
“I would be very interested. I don’t seem to do very well at my chosen profession. Tell me more.”
“I need you to bury the watch, the gold dust and the railway bond you are now carrying.”
“If you don’t I will never meet my Husband, and we won’t be able to fight the bastards that run the world, corrupt government, corporations and much worse.”
“What’s my cut for doing this?”
“20 pounds of gold and rescue from jail, delivery to the destination of your choice, with no chance of you being murdered by the Elders.”
“I like the not murdered part. I have a $50000 bond in my possession. Why wouldn’t I just keep that?”
“Ezra, we both know that the bond isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on to you. You can’t sell that bond without getting caught and going to jail with no chance of a jailbreak.”
“Ma’am, I feel a little sorry for your Husband, I would bet he doesn’t really get his way. Make that 25 pounds of Gold, and we have a deal.”
“Good Ezra.”
“I want you to think the ship visible.”
“What is that?”
“I wanted you to see her. We call her the Ascalon. My Husband will be bringing her to get you out of jail.”
“What do we do with that?”
“You climb inside.”
“That is too small a space, I can’t go in that.”
“That or jail, didn’t Watcher give you an education?”
“It was offered, I don’t need a machine to make me smarter.”
“I understand Ezra.”
“Ezra, there is another part of this I need you to do?”
“What is that?”
“There is a machine here that I need use of. It will only respond to you because you are the current Keeper. I also need you to leave your pepper box, the shells and your billfold with the cash. My Husband will need the money when he first arrives here.”
“I can do that. Watch can you arrange that the machine will answer to her.”
“Yes, Ezra” answered Watcher.
“Where did you get the watch, Ezra?”
“I found it on a dead man in the wilderness. The watch said he fell off his horse and hit his head on a rock. Apparently, he died right away. He was rotten when I got there.”
“Ezra, when you bury the watch. Tell the watch to transfer control to my husband, Cristian.”
“He will break you out of jail on August 8, 1907. Watch for a hole under the fence on the work detail. Then you can retire and enjoy your life.”
“Ma’am, that is the best news of the day.”
“Well I think we are done here Ezra, thank you from me and the baby I am carrying.”
“You didn’t tell me your name.”
“That’s right, I didn’t.”
“Ezra, if you ever come back here the Elders will find you. I hear they are ruthless.”
“The watch tells me the same thing. I wouldn’t live in a cave anyway ma’am, I prefer hotels. Good luck in your fight.”
“Will they keep their part of the bargain, watch?”
“I detected no subterfuge or insincerity, Ezra. I believe what she says. Only a Keeper could have let her into the cave.”
“I feel sorry for those Elders, I wouldn’t want to cross that redhead if she got cranky.” With that, Ezra rode off to meet up with Shorty Dunn. He would soon do another robbery and was caught and incarcerated.
“Mechanical in the future Cristian will call you M1 short for Me one. When you first meet him, you will duplicate him to show him your capability. I need pants and boots, and this place needs cleaning. For now, can you change to your future configuration? I have got used to the face and accent, besides its nice to have the English serving the Irish.”
“Yes, Lorelei, I can do that.”
Arthur and Cristian headed for Kamloops. As they pulled into the cave, Lorelei was sitting at the table waiting patiently talking to the mechanical, who looked like Alfred.
“Hey sweetie” Dorothy picked up some groceries and flowers for you.”
“Great. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming?”
“Just had a few errands to run in Vancouver before we came.”
“Arthur, it is good to see you.”
She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before going over to kiss her Husband.
“I missed you, Cristian,” said Lorelei.
“Huh, and I only thought of you once.”
“Once?” she asked loudly.
“Yea, from when I left you until this moment.”
Lorelei kissed her Husband again, then she took the groceries out and made a meal. Lorelei had a lot of questions for Arthur, about Dorothy, the kids the business and a lot more. All this was discussed while they ate.
After dinner, blueprints were produced for all of them to go over.
“Arthur, can we do this on the plateau above the cave?”
“I don’t see a problem, except for this access shaft to the cave.”
“I can handle that,” said M1. “Leave the hole location open when the concrete is poured. I will handle the rest.”
“Well, that solves that” Said Arthur.
“Arthur, I will take you into Kamloops tonight, so you can get a room. You will probably need a buggy to get back here. Grab two rooms at the Leland, tonight Lorelei and I will stay here. I will drop her off in the morning and you two can get started. Take the blueprints and 20 pounds of gold with you.”
“Fifteen, Cristian” aid Lorelei.
“Right fifteen then. Arthur climb aboard.”
Cristian dropped Arthur as close to the hotel as he could and went back to the cave.
Lorelei was waiting in the bed, the sheet dropped to her belly, perfect breasts exposed. “Are you coming to bed, Cristian?”
“I thought I would read awhile,” he said while tearing off his clothes as fast as he could, leaving a trail behind him.
Morning came and he heard her voice.
“Husband, your breakfast is ready.”
“I thought I might have you for breakfast” answered the sleepy-eyed Keeper.
“For dessert, now come over and have some breakfast you need to keep your strength up,” she said with a wide smile.
Over breakfast, the discussion was about today’s jailbreak and the fact that there were two Ascalon’s in the cave.
M1 entered the room with some clothes for Lorelei. “That’s where the clothes came from.”
“Sorry?”
“The first time I enter this cave, there are clothes in the closet. I opened the door and there was a billfold and the pepper box”
“They were a parting gift from Ezra.”
“How did that meeting go?”
“Exactly as it did before. I imagine.”
“That could spin a man’s head in knots, figuring out who came first, the redhead or the train robber.”
“The redhead of course,” said Lorelei smiling.
“Shall we discuss dessert, Lorelei?”
“Still hungry?”
“Only for what’s on the menu.”
“Maybe you would enjoy a double portion.”
“Damn.”