Needles sat down, trying to figure out what to do. Maybe this train
was just bogus. Maybe some crazy loon had just created this train, just to-
then, it hit Needles. Doctor Emmett Brown. It was him. He was the one. He
was the one who had created the train! Why had Needles been so stupid
before? Everything the crazy man had done had pointed straight to this. And
Needles was furious.
"Doctor Brown!" snapped Needles. "I know you created this... train. Whatever it is. Why didn't you tell me before? This is outrageous!"
Doc chuckled. Needles could be so stupid at times. But apparently Needles didn't think it was very funny. "I asked you a question, old man, now are you going to answer me, hmm?"
"Well, I was going to tell you, but you interrupted me before. Now, if you'd kindly let us get home –"
"No! Don't let him do it, Needles!" it was Jim talking now, frantically. "The crazy old geezer will take us straight to the cops. Make him show us what to do, then we, um, what should we do with the prisoners after we get back home, Needles?"
"Wait a second, Jim." Needles had an idea, and from the looks of it, it wasn't going to be very good. "I know, I'll go out and explore. It'll be fun."
Jim rolled his eyes. "Yeah. It'll be fun for you, while I get to watch these losers and make sure they don't try anything stupid."
Needles grinned. "Old Doctor Brown, even if he is a crazy lunatic, won't leave us here, stuck in time. We can do too much damage." Unfortunately, Needles was smart enough to think fourth dimensionally, and he knew that he could disrupt time if he did anything stupid. So, of course, Doc couldn't leave him there. "C'mon – we can all take a trip there. Just remember, everyone, I've got a gun, and if you try anything stupid..." He nodded toward his pocket where he concealed his gun. Then, he lifted his finger and ran it across his neck, as if to say, 'You'll be dead.' Marty, Doc, and the cashier all understood immediately. Now, it seemed as though Doc was starting to panic. He glanced over at Marty. Marty glanced over at Doc, licking his lips and looking about.
All five of them exited the train and began to head for the town, with Doc in front, then Marty, then the cashier. Needles and Jim were on either side. Marty whispered something in the cashier's ear, asking him his name. He got a quick reply back. "Dan Rundell." Unfortunately, Jim caught them whispering, and he gave them a nasty look.
Doc needed a plan. He thought and thought, but nothing came to mind. This was definitely one of the worst moments of his life. Usually when he was stuck with a problem, in good time he would be able to fix it. But now, he wasn't able to keep his mind on thinking. His thoughts kept traveling back to his family, wondering if he'd ever make it out of this situation alive. Right now it wasn't too dangerous, but it could get much, much worse. Doc was doubting if he'd ever see his wife and kids again. He could, in the end, get shot anyway, just like in 1885. But this time, it would be worse, because his family would never find him. He would be lost in time.
They approached the town. Many people were walking to and fro in the marketplace, buying goods. Many others were selling things in shops, or were on the streets, getting people to buy their many fruits, carpets, and jewelry. Doc didn't know what Needles had in mind, but he was walking through the city, determined to find something. It was then that Doc noticed the castle. For some reason, he had not seen it before. But now, it loomed in the distance. The town was right outside a large castle wall, and beyond that was a large building, the keep. This was what Needles was heading for.
"Doctor Brown!" snapped Needles. "I know you created this... train. Whatever it is. Why didn't you tell me before? This is outrageous!"
Doc chuckled. Needles could be so stupid at times. But apparently Needles didn't think it was very funny. "I asked you a question, old man, now are you going to answer me, hmm?"
"Well, I was going to tell you, but you interrupted me before. Now, if you'd kindly let us get home –"
"No! Don't let him do it, Needles!" it was Jim talking now, frantically. "The crazy old geezer will take us straight to the cops. Make him show us what to do, then we, um, what should we do with the prisoners after we get back home, Needles?"
"Wait a second, Jim." Needles had an idea, and from the looks of it, it wasn't going to be very good. "I know, I'll go out and explore. It'll be fun."
Jim rolled his eyes. "Yeah. It'll be fun for you, while I get to watch these losers and make sure they don't try anything stupid."
Needles grinned. "Old Doctor Brown, even if he is a crazy lunatic, won't leave us here, stuck in time. We can do too much damage." Unfortunately, Needles was smart enough to think fourth dimensionally, and he knew that he could disrupt time if he did anything stupid. So, of course, Doc couldn't leave him there. "C'mon – we can all take a trip there. Just remember, everyone, I've got a gun, and if you try anything stupid..." He nodded toward his pocket where he concealed his gun. Then, he lifted his finger and ran it across his neck, as if to say, 'You'll be dead.' Marty, Doc, and the cashier all understood immediately. Now, it seemed as though Doc was starting to panic. He glanced over at Marty. Marty glanced over at Doc, licking his lips and looking about.
All five of them exited the train and began to head for the town, with Doc in front, then Marty, then the cashier. Needles and Jim were on either side. Marty whispered something in the cashier's ear, asking him his name. He got a quick reply back. "Dan Rundell." Unfortunately, Jim caught them whispering, and he gave them a nasty look.
Doc needed a plan. He thought and thought, but nothing came to mind. This was definitely one of the worst moments of his life. Usually when he was stuck with a problem, in good time he would be able to fix it. But now, he wasn't able to keep his mind on thinking. His thoughts kept traveling back to his family, wondering if he'd ever make it out of this situation alive. Right now it wasn't too dangerous, but it could get much, much worse. Doc was doubting if he'd ever see his wife and kids again. He could, in the end, get shot anyway, just like in 1885. But this time, it would be worse, because his family would never find him. He would be lost in time.
They approached the town. Many people were walking to and fro in the marketplace, buying goods. Many others were selling things in shops, or were on the streets, getting people to buy their many fruits, carpets, and jewelry. Doc didn't know what Needles had in mind, but he was walking through the city, determined to find something. It was then that Doc noticed the castle. For some reason, he had not seen it before. But now, it loomed in the distance. The town was right outside a large castle wall, and beyond that was a large building, the keep. This was what Needles was heading for.