Conversation Piece
The concept of the Tomorrow People and of the characters named in the following sttory are the property of Roger Price.
Carol and Peter the Time Guardian had been great friends since they were both captives of Count Rabowski. Peter had visited Carol on many occasions throughout her life. Being a Time Guardian, he had the ability to drop in to any time in her life, future or past. On this occasion, whilst taking a well earned holiday in the Twenty First Century for the first time, he had taken the opportunity to visit his old friend.
Carol looked at Peter across the kitchen table as he sipped his tea. "You're beginning to show your age" she said.
"I am several hundred years old" said Peter with a laugh.
"Several?" asked Carol. "How many?"
"I've lost count" replied Peter. "We find there's no point in counting." Carol laughed as she went to the cupboard for biscuits.
"I take it back then, you're wearing very well. So you're much older than me?" asked Carol. "Chocolate digestives okay?"
"I'll give them a try" said Peter. "Older than you, but born long after you."
"Charming!" said Carol returning to the table with a plate of biscuits. "You know how to flatter a girl, don't you!"
"In fact, long after you die" continued Peter.
"I never thought of that" said Carol. "I suppose I'd be dead and buried long before you were born." Carol thought for a minute. "How long?"
"How long what?" asked Peter, nibbling on a biscuit.
"How long will I be dead before you're born?" asked Carol. Peter did not immediately reply. He tried to change the subject.
"These biscuits are good" said Peter.
"Well?" asked Carol.
"Well what?" asked Peter.
"How long after I die do you get born?" asked Carol.
"You don't need to know that" replied Peter, taking another biscuit.
"You know don't you" said Carol.
"Of course I know when I was born" said Peter before being interrupted by Carol.
"That's not what I mean and you know it" said Carol. "I want to know when I die and how I die. I mean do I live to be a hundred and drift away in my sleep, or do I get ill and die in agony or do I get hit by a bus or . . ."
"Carol, just slow down a little" said Peter, seeing that Carol was getting too wrapped up in her line of questioning. "This is information I'm forbidden to divulge."
"So you know?" asked Carol. Peter said nothing. He pushed the last bit of his biscuit into his mouth. "You do know!"
"Yes!" said Peter. "Yes I know but I can't tell you anything."
"Why ever not?" asked Carol. "What harm would it do?"
"Well firstly, it's not allowed, and secondly it's a rule I agree with" said Peter. "How would you live your last week knowing exactly when you were going to die? If I were to tell you that you were going to die in a train crash - and I can tell you for free that you won't - you'd never get on a train again, would you?"
"Of course not" said Carol.
"Exactly" said Peter, "and that would change the course of history." Carol sipped her tea and thought about what Peter had said.
"Will we always be friends?" asked Carol. "I mean, you've seen my entire future, haven't you?"
"We'll always be friends" replied Peter.
"And you know when I'm going to die?" asked Carol.
"I'm not getting into that again" said Peter.
"Okay" said Carol. She paused for a few seconds, staring into her empty cup. "Did you go to my funeral? I mean you can tell me that much. I do have a funeral surely."
"Yes I went to your funeral" said Peter. "I was one of your bearers."
"Oh, Peter" said Carol, her eyes welling up with tears.
"You asked me to be one" said Peter.
"When?" asked Carol.
"In the future" replied Peter, "but a long time before you died. It was a massive honour."
"You did that for me?" asked Carol.
"It was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever done" said Peter, also beginning to get emotional.
"Oh Peter, you sweet man" said Carol, clutching his hands across the table.
"Anyway, this isn't getting things done" said Peter, pulling himself together. "I'm here on holiday, remember, and you're my tour guide. So what part of the Twenty-First Century do you want to show me first?"