Part 1 London, 1987
(4)
Planning began at once. Cowley organised one of the basement conference rooms to be set up with computer links to the CI5 mainframe, projectors, screens and TV/video equipment. Copious amounts of coffee kept them awake while they talked and talked...
"What I want to know" Bodie said wearily, "is why they didn't just knock the Professor off? Then they wouldn't have needed to attack the Institute? Why let him go on with his work?" He grinned briefly at the Professor. "Sorry to bring the subject up, Prof, but it is odd."
"Not at all. In fact, I agree they probably could have done so. But I think perhaps they were unsure of the results. We may be tied in some way, that original Potter and I. And perhaps if I died here, I would have died there as well. The only way they could be sure was to wait until I made the discovery, and then strike."
Everyone was tired, but time, strangely enough, was something they didn't have enough of. After twelve hours they came up with a plan that read like the plot of a B Grade Hollywood movie. But logic had long since gone out the window; outrageous seemed the order of the day.
Cowley had set a map of Europe on the board and outlined the broad details. He'd looked at current political situation and compared it to the original timeline and the historical set up that had existed in 1942 - prior to the tinkering. In best schoolteacher fashion, their boss had gone over the points logically, one by one.
"As your own experience with Jimmy's sphere have shown, using it to venture beyond our three dimensions enables us to regain memory of our own original time line. For myself, I find this an occasionally annoying ability, but useful in gaining insight into what changes have been made."
"First, it's obvious that you'll need to get back to May, 1942. That's where things went wrong. Our knowledge of this timeline have Reinhard Heydrich very prominently placed - one of the most well-known figures in modern history. Yet we have very little memory of him from the original timeline."
Bodie nodded. "Part of me knows him only too well - but I don't even know his name in the other bloody memories. Who was he, really?"
"A long story, which we don't have time to discuss here. At the time of our concern," Cowley continued, "he had made his way up through the ranks of the SS to become Reichprotector of Bohemia, which included Czechoslovakia. As in this timeline, he was a dangerous, brilliant and twisted creature, and the world would have been a better place had he not been born at all. My research shows that around the end of May Heydrich began a huge roundup of civilians in Czechoslovakia; he almost completely wiped out any resistance movement in that country within a week. And he did it with devastating thoroughness. As if he knew exactly where to look."
"Which obviously he did," Bodie said, and Cowley nodded agreement.
"Yes, we can say that now. Historians assumed a traitor or traitors within the Czech underground. But during my trip in Jimmy's device I concentrated on my memories of the true history of that time - and I know for a fact that Heydrich was attacked somewhere near the end of May, 1942 - and that he died as a result of that attack."
"So Tristan warned his grandfather," Doyle looked down at the notes he'd made. "And he could presumably give Heydrich enough vital information to entirely change the course of the war."
"Yes. Something as basic as knowing the British had access to the German code transmitting devices would have given Heydrich a tremendous advantage. Which, of course, it did." Cowley chewed on his pen thoughtfully. "We always assumed it was his brilliant intelligence network, or undetected traitors. He was always one jump ahead of the allies. Now we know he had forewarning at a crucial time in the war."
"The plan then has to be for us to go back and stop Tristan from changing history." Bodie shook his head. "I don't see how we can. We don't where he'll be for certain."
"But we do." Cowley tapped his pen against the map, pinpointing Prague. "We know he has to have gone to Prague sometime in May, 1942. I have no memory of changes prior to May, so it has to be then. If you two can get to Prague and somehow get close to Heydrich, you will have a chance of spotting him. His arrival must cause some sort of stir."
"Get close to Heydrich!" Bodie looked unimpressed. "Doyle speaks better German than I do, but neither of us speak Czech. We'd be on a rack the first time we opened our mouths!"
There were any number of problems to be overcome, and at first the whole idea seemed impossible. But they all knew if they had chance of righting the disastrous wrong a plan had to be conceived and carried through, no matter how little chance there seemed of it succeeding.
At last, in the early hours of the morning, they finalised their plans. Doyle, who spoke the best German, would need an identity that would enable him to get close, with hope of survival. His best way of safely doing that was to be a member of the SS, an identify not likely to be lightly questioned.
A few things couldn't be left to chance; it was decided to bring Murphy into the case. He would be sent on a separate journey to obtain some essential gear for Doyle, along with papers they could use for reference in creating Doyle's identity.
And Doyle would have to be able to speak colloquial German. Both Doyle and Bodie had done a language course two years previously. But their accents were obviously un-Germanic, and their colloquial style was 40 years later than their target time. To have a chance they would need to practice, to be around people speaking it for a fair length of time.
There was only one solution: live there for a time, live amongst people speaking the language and grow some natural accents. But Germany was much too dangerous, too tempting; Cowley was concerned that they would interfere with history, being at the source of the Nazi party. So they chose Austria.
"And your identity for the trip to Prague, Doyle, will be half Austrian, English-speaking, which will help cover any accidental use of your own language. But you'll still need to understand the world of that time, and going back there for a spell is the only way to do it."
Potter went over the timing of travel with them. He could not tell where they were all those years in the past - their only way of being safely collected was to be at an exact location at an exact time. Potter could then travel back in the sphere and collect them. But if they failed to be at their pickup point, they could be lost back in time forever.
They located clothing, maps, a little appropriate cash and some convertible gold, and prepared for their first journey back in time. It was decided that six months should be enough for them to put an Austrian polish on their German; but the thought of being so far from home and help was chilling. Doyle recognised the necessity, was excited by the challenge - and very much aware of the potential for disaster.
Cowley spoke to Doyle alone that last morning. It was quiet in the underground rooms, with twenty feet of earth and concrete between them and the outside world. Potter and Bodie were asleep on camp beds in the corner and most of the lights were out. One desk lamp made a pool of golden light in the otherwise dark room.
They were drinking tea laced with some of Cowley's Chivas Regal; just enough to kick-start the circulation. Doyle was slumped over the paper- littered desk, Cowley lay back in the chair, his tie loose, his eyes half- closed with weariness.
"You know," Ray said in a tried, lazy drawl, "this is the most daft thing you've ever asked us to do. Probably we won't get back alive. Not from the major mission, anyhow. But.."
Cowley gave a quick negative scowl and Doyle grinned.
"...but I wouldn't miss it. Wouldn't not go. When I was a kid, I imagined I found Aladdin's Lamp, with the genii, and the three wishes. What would I ask for, with three wishes? A zillion quid? To be the greatest pianist who ever was? To live forever?"
He dipped his finger in the cup and licked it. "But I always saved one of the wishes, to do something really huge. Immortality can sometimes mean just making your mark, changing the world. Well, now I got my third wish. Bodie and me, we're gonna change the world. And maybe we won't live forever, but.....whom the Gods favour, they first make mad. Let's hope it means we're both god-touched."
Cowley raised his cup in salute. "Amen to that."
Finally, they were ready to leave. They sat on stools in the centre of the lab as Potter prepared the generator. Bodie tucked his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out a chain, attached to a blunted bullet. He cradled it in one hand, then wrapped it around his neck.
"What's that?" Doyle asked.
"A lucky charm. It's the bullet with my name on it."
Doyle shook his head. "Since when did you go in for lucky charms?"
"Since now. Alright, laugh, but consider this: what if he gets it wrong and drops us from a thousand feet."
"Thanks. I hadn't thought of that."
The lab faded away to Bodie's vengeful chuckle and the world transformed to an opaque, milky haze.....
* * *
(4)
Planning began at once. Cowley organised one of the basement conference rooms to be set up with computer links to the CI5 mainframe, projectors, screens and TV/video equipment. Copious amounts of coffee kept them awake while they talked and talked...
"What I want to know" Bodie said wearily, "is why they didn't just knock the Professor off? Then they wouldn't have needed to attack the Institute? Why let him go on with his work?" He grinned briefly at the Professor. "Sorry to bring the subject up, Prof, but it is odd."
"Not at all. In fact, I agree they probably could have done so. But I think perhaps they were unsure of the results. We may be tied in some way, that original Potter and I. And perhaps if I died here, I would have died there as well. The only way they could be sure was to wait until I made the discovery, and then strike."
Everyone was tired, but time, strangely enough, was something they didn't have enough of. After twelve hours they came up with a plan that read like the plot of a B Grade Hollywood movie. But logic had long since gone out the window; outrageous seemed the order of the day.
Cowley had set a map of Europe on the board and outlined the broad details. He'd looked at current political situation and compared it to the original timeline and the historical set up that had existed in 1942 - prior to the tinkering. In best schoolteacher fashion, their boss had gone over the points logically, one by one.
"As your own experience with Jimmy's sphere have shown, using it to venture beyond our three dimensions enables us to regain memory of our own original time line. For myself, I find this an occasionally annoying ability, but useful in gaining insight into what changes have been made."
"First, it's obvious that you'll need to get back to May, 1942. That's where things went wrong. Our knowledge of this timeline have Reinhard Heydrich very prominently placed - one of the most well-known figures in modern history. Yet we have very little memory of him from the original timeline."
Bodie nodded. "Part of me knows him only too well - but I don't even know his name in the other bloody memories. Who was he, really?"
"A long story, which we don't have time to discuss here. At the time of our concern," Cowley continued, "he had made his way up through the ranks of the SS to become Reichprotector of Bohemia, which included Czechoslovakia. As in this timeline, he was a dangerous, brilliant and twisted creature, and the world would have been a better place had he not been born at all. My research shows that around the end of May Heydrich began a huge roundup of civilians in Czechoslovakia; he almost completely wiped out any resistance movement in that country within a week. And he did it with devastating thoroughness. As if he knew exactly where to look."
"Which obviously he did," Bodie said, and Cowley nodded agreement.
"Yes, we can say that now. Historians assumed a traitor or traitors within the Czech underground. But during my trip in Jimmy's device I concentrated on my memories of the true history of that time - and I know for a fact that Heydrich was attacked somewhere near the end of May, 1942 - and that he died as a result of that attack."
"So Tristan warned his grandfather," Doyle looked down at the notes he'd made. "And he could presumably give Heydrich enough vital information to entirely change the course of the war."
"Yes. Something as basic as knowing the British had access to the German code transmitting devices would have given Heydrich a tremendous advantage. Which, of course, it did." Cowley chewed on his pen thoughtfully. "We always assumed it was his brilliant intelligence network, or undetected traitors. He was always one jump ahead of the allies. Now we know he had forewarning at a crucial time in the war."
"The plan then has to be for us to go back and stop Tristan from changing history." Bodie shook his head. "I don't see how we can. We don't where he'll be for certain."
"But we do." Cowley tapped his pen against the map, pinpointing Prague. "We know he has to have gone to Prague sometime in May, 1942. I have no memory of changes prior to May, so it has to be then. If you two can get to Prague and somehow get close to Heydrich, you will have a chance of spotting him. His arrival must cause some sort of stir."
"Get close to Heydrich!" Bodie looked unimpressed. "Doyle speaks better German than I do, but neither of us speak Czech. We'd be on a rack the first time we opened our mouths!"
There were any number of problems to be overcome, and at first the whole idea seemed impossible. But they all knew if they had chance of righting the disastrous wrong a plan had to be conceived and carried through, no matter how little chance there seemed of it succeeding.
At last, in the early hours of the morning, they finalised their plans. Doyle, who spoke the best German, would need an identity that would enable him to get close, with hope of survival. His best way of safely doing that was to be a member of the SS, an identify not likely to be lightly questioned.
A few things couldn't be left to chance; it was decided to bring Murphy into the case. He would be sent on a separate journey to obtain some essential gear for Doyle, along with papers they could use for reference in creating Doyle's identity.
And Doyle would have to be able to speak colloquial German. Both Doyle and Bodie had done a language course two years previously. But their accents were obviously un-Germanic, and their colloquial style was 40 years later than their target time. To have a chance they would need to practice, to be around people speaking it for a fair length of time.
There was only one solution: live there for a time, live amongst people speaking the language and grow some natural accents. But Germany was much too dangerous, too tempting; Cowley was concerned that they would interfere with history, being at the source of the Nazi party. So they chose Austria.
"And your identity for the trip to Prague, Doyle, will be half Austrian, English-speaking, which will help cover any accidental use of your own language. But you'll still need to understand the world of that time, and going back there for a spell is the only way to do it."
Potter went over the timing of travel with them. He could not tell where they were all those years in the past - their only way of being safely collected was to be at an exact location at an exact time. Potter could then travel back in the sphere and collect them. But if they failed to be at their pickup point, they could be lost back in time forever.
They located clothing, maps, a little appropriate cash and some convertible gold, and prepared for their first journey back in time. It was decided that six months should be enough for them to put an Austrian polish on their German; but the thought of being so far from home and help was chilling. Doyle recognised the necessity, was excited by the challenge - and very much aware of the potential for disaster.
Cowley spoke to Doyle alone that last morning. It was quiet in the underground rooms, with twenty feet of earth and concrete between them and the outside world. Potter and Bodie were asleep on camp beds in the corner and most of the lights were out. One desk lamp made a pool of golden light in the otherwise dark room.
They were drinking tea laced with some of Cowley's Chivas Regal; just enough to kick-start the circulation. Doyle was slumped over the paper- littered desk, Cowley lay back in the chair, his tie loose, his eyes half- closed with weariness.
"You know," Ray said in a tried, lazy drawl, "this is the most daft thing you've ever asked us to do. Probably we won't get back alive. Not from the major mission, anyhow. But.."
Cowley gave a quick negative scowl and Doyle grinned.
"...but I wouldn't miss it. Wouldn't not go. When I was a kid, I imagined I found Aladdin's Lamp, with the genii, and the three wishes. What would I ask for, with three wishes? A zillion quid? To be the greatest pianist who ever was? To live forever?"
He dipped his finger in the cup and licked it. "But I always saved one of the wishes, to do something really huge. Immortality can sometimes mean just making your mark, changing the world. Well, now I got my third wish. Bodie and me, we're gonna change the world. And maybe we won't live forever, but.....whom the Gods favour, they first make mad. Let's hope it means we're both god-touched."
Cowley raised his cup in salute. "Amen to that."
Finally, they were ready to leave. They sat on stools in the centre of the lab as Potter prepared the generator. Bodie tucked his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out a chain, attached to a blunted bullet. He cradled it in one hand, then wrapped it around his neck.
"What's that?" Doyle asked.
"A lucky charm. It's the bullet with my name on it."
Doyle shook his head. "Since when did you go in for lucky charms?"
"Since now. Alright, laugh, but consider this: what if he gets it wrong and drops us from a thousand feet."
"Thanks. I hadn't thought of that."
The lab faded away to Bodie's vengeful chuckle and the world transformed to an opaque, milky haze.....
* * *