"But how? Surely it is too… damp to burn?"
"I have a fire that is more than sufficient for the task," said Bennett. "It's hardly a proper burial or even a proper cremation, but
… Would you like to say some… words for Hunter or…" he trailed off, lamely.
"Prayer, you mean?" said Andre. She shook her head. "I do not think that Hunter was a man of God. And I do not think that any prayers from me would do much good. I have left behind too many bodies unattended and unprayed for."
Jack stared at her. "Yes, I believe you have," he said. "And so, for that matter, have I."
"What will happen now?"
"I don't really know," said Jack. "They'll be looking for me. They'll probably be looking for you, too. They've had me watched. They'll try to kill us now. We can't stay here for long; this will be the first place that they'll look. I am not without defenses here, but still, the sooner we leave, the better."
Simon Hawke
The Timekeeper Conspiracy
"Why did we come here at all, if they know this place?"
"Because there are things here I can't leave unattended," Bennett said. "Things that don't belong to this time. I must see to it that they're all destroyed. That will take some time. Meanwhile, I have to get you out of here to where it's safe. There's a way out of here the Timekeepers don't know about. I've kept it a secret for just such an emergency. It will take you out under the street. You'll go with Marie; Pierre and I will join you as soon as I've taken care of what must be done here."
"What about your machine for traveling through time?" said Andre.
"They've taken that, I'm afraid." His eyes suddenly lit up. "Hunter's chronoplate! My God, I'd forgotten all about it! Where.. " his voice trailed off when he saw the expression on her face.
"It was gone when I found him dead," she said. "But it will not do your friends much good. Only Hunter knew the proper way to make it work. If they attempt to-"
"Yes, I know, he'll have failsafed it to self-destruct if it should fall into the wrong hands. Mine works the same way. Unfortunately, I showed Taylor the proper sequence to… God, I was a fool. Taylor wi
ll guess that Hunter will have failsafed his chronoplate and he won't tinker with it. It just gives him that much more of a reason to take you alive."
"But I do not know how to operate the machine," said Andre.
"Taylor won't know that. He thinks you're an agent from the future, someone sent to stop him."
"I still don't understand," said Andre. "Stop him from doing what? To what end is all this intrigue?"
"It would take far too long to explain it all now. I must get you to safety. Ah, Marie, this is Andre. We must-"
"Yes, I know, Doctor," said Marie. "Pierre told me that we must flee. What has happened? Who would want to-"
"There's no time for that, Marie. Take Andre and go through the secret passageway. Immediately. Can the two of you manage her chest?"
"We shall manage," said Marie, her wrinkled face grave with concern. "Where must we go?"
"Take her to your sister's. Take care that you're not followed. Have Marcel send word to Moreau asking him to meet us there. Say that there is trouble; Moreau will come. Tell him to take care that he's not followed."
Marie looked frightened.
"It's all right, Marie," said Jack, taking the plump little woman in his arms. "Everything will be all right. Now, go, please."
The two women picked up the chest containing Andre's belongings and went into Bennett's library. Andre was amazed to see so many books. Hunter had had books in his cottage in the forest, but Bennett had hundreds of them, arrayed upon shelves that covered all four walls. Marie had her put down the chest and then she went to one of the shelves and pulled out several volumes. She stuck her hand into the space where the books had been and fumbled around for a moment; then Andre heard a clicking sound and the entire shelf swung away to reveal a door, which Marie opened with a key.
"Come, Mademoiselle," the old woman said, "we must hurry."
"Wait," said Andre. "There is no need for us to be burdened with this chest. I do not need all these things."
"I have a bag," Marie said. "You will need at least a change of clothing. Wait here, I will go and fetch it."