LEGAL NOTICE: THE TWO GEORGES NOVEL BELONGS TO HARRY TURTLEDOVE AND RICHARD DREYFUSS. THE FOLLOWING STORY IS MIKE TURCOTTE'S. With that out of the way, enjoy!
Buffalo, New York, United States of America
July 14, 1944
Dean Acheson looked at the contraptions coming towards the bridge. The Army Corps of Engineers had hastily constructed over the Niagara River. The ... event ... as people were calling had actually stopped the mighty Niagara falls for almost a week after it had occurred, but the falls - and if reports were to be believed, most other natural processes were or had returned to normal.
If only humans worked like that as well.
Acheson wasn't sure what to think as he saw the - odd - vehicles making their way across the bridge. Ford engineers had been baffled - they were apparently called 'steam cruisers' in this world, and their ungainly appearance and slow speed had been one of the few sources of amusement anyone had experienced in the last few months. Acheson could also see real, honest TRENCH lines the ... British ... of this world had thrown up on 'their' side of the border. He could see troops, and some primitive-looking artillery as well. In the distance were two of those huge airships this world used. No Hindenburg here. The US military - still recovering from having millions of troops, tons of equipment and mountains of supplies magically appear around the United States - had contained several incursions from both Canada and Mexico - though neither of those places existed anymore - and reported that the technology of this new 'British Empire' and the 'Holy Alliance' were primitive and - if intelligence was to be believed - fairly small as well. They were confident - very confident - that they could defend the country. Indeed, the planes and ships of these new powers seemed even more outclassed by the United States. They had nothing like the Fleet Carriers the US Navy had in abundance, and their surface ships were more like pre-dreadnoughts. The strange cars made it to the US side of the bridge, and were greeted by a US honor guard. Several people got out of the vehicles, and stared - at the Sherman Tanks, and slowly orbiting P-51's, and the US delegation. With a smile, Acheson strode forward. He held out his hand. "Gentlemen, good afternoon. My name is Dean Acheson, and I am the Secretary of State of the United States of America." No need to tell them that Cordell Hull had suffered a heart attack shortly after the event. The lead member of the 'British' delegation stared at the hand for a moment. Another man stepped up. "May I present His Grace, Charles Mortimer, Duke of New England." Mortimer stared at Acheson, clearly expecting something. Acheson thought for a moment, and then lowered his hand. If the Duke was expecting a bow, or a click of the heels or something, he wasn't getting it. The two looked at each other, and Acheson could feel the tension rising. It was broken from an unexpected source. "Your Grace," Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, did bow, "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the Earl of Halifax, and His Majesty's ambassador to the United States of America." Mortimer - and the rest of the Imperial delegation looked surprised. Obviously their limited knowledge of the United States hadn't included that the ambassador would be part of the American delegation, and Acheson congratulated himself on having thought to include them. He made a mental note to do the same when meeting with this world's' other powers. Halifax continued. "Your Grace, if I may suggest that we retire to the conference rooms Mr. Acheson had been kind enough to prepare for us, we have a great deal to discuss."