“It’s all right. Johnny.” she said, gently stroking his hair. As she looked at Lucas, he saw that she was crying too. “It’s all right. Everything will be all right now.”
A moment later, a sleepy Samuel Adams came to his front door dressed in his nightclothes. He had been awakened by voices outside his open bedroom window. He held up his lamp and stared out into the darkness. The street was empty. He grunted, shut the door, and went hack upstairs to bed.
The outpost was located in the 2nd century B.C., high in the Alpine range overlooking the Po Valley. Several miles to the west was the mountain pass through which Hannibal would march his forces to meet the Roman consul Scipio at the Battle of Trebia. A short hop from the outpost was a small river. At a spot staked out about fifteen feat from the river’s edge, a temporal convergence existed, a confluence point where two parallel timelines intersected.
The temporal range of this particular confluence point was three days and during that time, it was being patrolled by a unit of Temporal Corps Rangers under the command of Major Curtis. The “window” had been carefully chosen and they had only a short space of five minutes, during which time Curtis had been ordered to pull back with his men. He did not know why; he had no need to know. He only knew that something would be happening at the confluence point location during those five minutes that was of a highly classified nature and he had asked no questions.
“How does it feel to be going home again?” asked Lucas
“It feels a little strange, pilgrim,” Hunter said.
“Don’t-”
“Call me pilgrim.” Hunter finished with him in chorus. He grinned. “All right. pilgrim. I won’t.” He glanced at Steiger. “No hard feelings, Colonel?”
“No hard feelings. Captain.”. Steiger said. But just to set the record straight, if our paths ever cross again-”
“Yeah I know.” said Hunter.-I’d like to say I’m looking forward to it, but then again… “
“Go on. Get out of here.” said Steiger.
Hunter snapped to and threw him a salute. Steiger grimaced sourly and returned it.
“Take care of yourself. Reese.” said Andre.
“You too. kid.” he said, shaking her hand. “Delaney… “
“Good luck. Hunter.” They shook hands.
“Lucas.”
“Lucas took his hand. “I hope you’ll understand when I say that I sincerely hope we’ll never see each other again.”
Hunter smiled. “Yeah. Likewise. Tell Forrester for me that I think he’s a hell of a soldier and he has my respect.”
“I will.”
“And that goes for you, as well. And give my regards to Dr. Darkness. Fascinating man. I suppose I ought to hate him for inventing that damn warp grenade, but I guess he was as much a victim as any of us were. I wonder if we have anyone like him on our side.”
“I hope not.” Lucas said. “One of him is quite enough.”
Hunter looked around at all of them one last time. “It’s been interesting; he said. “I’m still not sure what kind of a report I’m going to make. I suppose I’ll have to lie a little. Oh, by the way. I’ve got something for you.” He reached into his pocket and handed Lucas his Liberty medallion. “A souvenir,” he said. “Vaya con Dios.”
He turned and walked straight toward the riverbank without looking back. He passed through the confluence point and disappeared.
“You know, in a funny son of way. I’m going to miss him,” said Delaney.
“Yeah, me too.” said Andre. “And if we ever run into him again, we’re probably going to have to kill him.”
“That’s if he doesn’t get us first.” said Lucas. “But at least we understand each other, which is a lot more than I can say for the rest of this screwed up world.”
He sighed and took one last look at the river that led to another flow of time.
“Come on. people.” he said. “Let’s go home
Epilogue
The circular letter opposing the Townshend Acts was drawn up by Samuel Adams, with the help of James Otis, Thomas Cushing, and Joseph Hawley of the Massachusetts House, and sent out to all the colonies. While the letter was being circulated and debated. Charles Townshend died in England, succumbing to a fever. In his place as Chancellor of the Exchequer. King George appointed Lord North. a man who felt that the colonists were nothing less than a bunch of mutineers. At the same time, Lord Hillsborough was appointed to a brand-new office. Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs. Hillsborough felt the same way North did about the rebellious colonists. He felt it was time to stop coddling England’s “ungrateful children.”