Timescope excerpt
The Timescope has cranked up its operation to recreate the past. Jon Heath is forced by Jackman, a ruthless assassin to guide him through the simulation of Ancient Egypt. Naomi is tied up and unable to help. The stage is set for the final and most terrible of the plagues of Egypt.
The Last Plague
The night air was like the breath of a furnace and it crackled with tension. In their previous visit there had been a palpable sense of impending disaster, now that feeling was multiplied. All around were groups of Egyptians; well-dressed and wealthy, drifting in uncertain confusion. It wasn’t difficult to see why; there was not a slave in sight. Sedan chairs that had borne prosperous individuals through the streets were abandoned unceremoniously by the side of the road. Children once cared for by slaves now turned to their parents for attention. Some sat in the dust, others screamed or whined. It reminded Jon of the time when the server crashed in the school computer suite. The class sat gazing listlessly at the blank monitors in front of them until the teacher had located some chalk and carried on the lesson with the blackboard. Bereft of computing facilities they had simply no idea what to do.
This was clearly the case here. Centuries of total dependence on human slave labour had produced a nation of couch potatoes. Unused to even the most commonplace tasks, they milled around aimlessly. Jon could hear one or two raised voices, complaining, others calling for the taskmasters to account for themselves.
His reflections were interrupted by Blue Eyes. He had put on the other headset and now appeared in the street. He was having difficulty coming to terms with what met his gaze. Shock, awe, disbelief, and incomprehension- he was going through them all at once. He swore fluently, moving from building to building, touching the still warm stones, inhaling the smells of a fish stall, feeling the wet fish. Lacking slave labour the fishmonger had failed to close his shop- either that or he normally stayed open after dark.
“It’s a con, right?” He demanded. “Some sorta clever gizmo to make me think all this is happening?”
“It isn’t a con,” Jon assured him. “We’ve checked it out and it really is…kosher. We’ve seen right back past the Iron Age,”
“Where are we? Can we see the Pyramids?” His tone was one of utter incredulity.
“We’d have to know where to look.” Actually Jon had no idea when the Pyramids were built. “We’re in Rameses, a treasure city.” There, he thought. That’s about all I know!
“Who are these people? Why aren’t they doing anything?”
“These people,” Jon indicated the dazed Egyptians “are the Egyptians. They used to have slaves to do everything for them, now they’re left to sort things out for themselves.”
“Some kinda rebellion, huh? Right. Well tell me this, how come I can feel and touch things? And why is it so hot here? And…”
At that moment the sky burst with a stupendous bluish-purple flash, followed within two or three seconds by a titanic clap of thunder. The shock of it left them both reeling. Blue Eyes let off another volley of lurid expletives.
“How d’ye do that?” He demanded when he had recovered. “All this sound?”
“I don’t know,” Jon confessed. “We noticed it quite early on, but the Timescope learns as it goes along, so everything gets better. That’s why you can understand what they’re saying.”
“Can you?” He yelled. He ran to the nearest group and stood by listening. One man was responding to the hostile anger of about ten men and two or three women.
“What will the King do?” screamed one of the women. She was immensely fat with flabby cheeks and a coarse, mottled face. Her hair fell long and straight to her shoulders- the picture of a rich individual, used to luxury but going to seed. “My house is in confusion, all of my servants have departed to their own places.” Beside her a younger woman was weeping. She pushed her forward. “Aken is beside herself, she has guests arriving, food to prepare and no one to assist.”
Two of the men elbowed her aside. “The king is slipping from his throne.” Said one. “He has a well-trained army; he has chariots and the finest horses.” There was a clamour from the group, he raised his voice, “let them show these upstarts who rules in Egypt!”
“Moses should die for this,” declared another man, and the roared agreement. “Why does the king tolerate his presence? Why does he allow this Hebrew to teach our slaves rebellion?”
Another enormous clap of thunder drowned the rest of what he had to say. The king’s spokesman waited until the company had settled before he replied;
“My lord, the king hears your complaints. He grieves for your plight and counsels patience from you all. Your slaves will return, they will resume their duties…”
“Lies!” somebody cut in angrily. “The slaves are leaving Egypt!”
“Be careful who you call a liar!” the spokesman threw him a warning look. “There are spies amongst the Hebrews who report every move to the king. The taskmasters follow their movements. Tomorrow the people leave to do sacrifice, three days they journey to offer their impure oblations. The gods are offended; they offer sheep and lambs to their God.” A ripple of disgust went around the group. He continued;
“After three days their supplies, food and water will be finished. When they return we will punish them severely. Their men will die under the whip and we will hang their bodies by the city gates as a warning. We will throw their infants into the river to feed the crocodiles as we did in time past. We will make their lives so bitter that they will turn on Moses and tear him to pieces. Then we will have their loyalty once more.”
“But what about my daughter?” The woman who had protested earlier spoke once more.
The official held up his hands in a placatory gesture. “It will be hard for us all. All the Hebrews have gone to their slums tonight to eat their detestable meats. Until they return we must fend for ourselves. No one has servants, not even Pharaoh!”
“Pretty upset, huh!” Said Blue Eyes. “Say, did he say those slaves are Jews?”
“Yeah,” Jon noticed a look of satisfaction cross his face.
“So these kikes are going to get a good thrashing when they come back.” He turned away, and headed up the street. Jon heard him chuckle, “best thing for them!”
At that moment his mobile rang. Jon glanced at the number. It was Naomi.
“Hello?” he said quietly.
“Jon!” Her voice was distant but very urgent. “Pretend it’s your Mum! Whatever you do, don’t let him know it’s me!”
“Who’s that?” Blues Eyes was coming back. Jon held the phone with his thumb shielding the display. Putting his other finger in his ear to block out the seething noise of the mob, which had now grown in numbers he shouted down the phone,
“Hi Mum! Where are you?”
“Jon…him!”
“Mum!” he yelled back. “I’m in a busy street, speak up!” From the corner of his eye he could see Blue Eyes making gestures- ‘get rid of her!’
“Jon! Can you hear me? Listen….must…. lose him…”
“Mum! Can I call you back later? My battery’s low! When will you be in Thailand?”
The distant voice was barely audible. “Terrible danger, get away from him!”
Jon hung up. “What’s she want?” his captor demanded.
“Just wanted to tell me they’re nearly there. Stopped off at Singapore, I think.”
“Loving parents, eh?” he sneered. “Must do all we can to get them back safely!”
“Whatever it takes!” Jon said under his breath.
“Now turn that thing off! And show me some more!”
Above them the thunderstorm rumbled on, distant now and fading. Jon took him through where the crowds were thickest. ‘Lose him,’ Naomi had urged, but how? Blue Eyes was in his element, threading his way through crowded streets. At no time was he any more than an arm’s length away. Naomi had sounded absolutely emphatic about getting away from him- Jon began to wonder how on earth this could be done. They stopped at the stop of a stone jetty, some two metres above the water. Blue Eyes knelt by the edge and threw a small stone into the river.
“Incredible!” he breathed as the stone hit the water with a soft plop. “So real, so complete.”
“I know people who will kill for this! A few selected samples and a brochure and watch the scramble begin. China and America can start the bidding, then when one of them thinks they have exclusive rights we’ll sell the technology on to Russia, Africa, Europe… any government would pay anything for this level of surveillance.”
“There’s something you should know,” Jon said, watching his reaction closely. “There’s a huge problem with it.”
“There always is!” He gave a mocking sigh. “Ok Jon, what’s the snag?”
“The Timescope has a nasty habit of locking you in.”
He didn’t understand. Jon said again, “Once you’re in for any time, you can’t get out.”
“Whatd’ye mean can’t get out?”
“Go on!” Jon goaded him. “Try taking the headset off.”
He fumbled the headset over his head then gazed stupidly at his surroundings. Holding the eyepiece up again he peered inside at the miniature images, then back at the Egyptian cityscape. Realisation percolated through, he rubbed his eyes. When he turned round Jon saw the look of a bully who had been unmasked. Now he was the one starting to feel real fear!
“Whatcha done?” He demanded. “How come it’s still going on?”
“It’s happened before,” Jon said lightly, “and what’s more the only way out is for someone else to halt the programs.”
He glared. “You’re lying! You’ve fixed this to trap me!”
“You wanted to see it!” Jon was watching his hand carefully in case he went for his gun. “And what’s more Naomi can’t help ‘cos you trussed her up.”
“Stop the Timescope now!” He demanded, standing up and moving along the jetty, his hand reaching inside his jacket. “You can’t afford to play games with me, ok?”
In the dark Jon could sense his fear. He could see he was disorientated, uncertain and afraid. “Your rules don’t apply here!” He shouted at him. “This isn’t New York. You can’t shoot your way out.” All the time he was measuring the distance between them. ‘One more step’ he prayed, just a little closer…
Blue Eyes closed the distance between them in a rush. But Jon was ready for him. Ducking under his outstretched arm he threw his weight at him shoving him sideways. For a moment he teetered on the edge of the jetty then with a yell fell into the river. Jon turned and ran.
“Naomi?” He had left the river long behind and now in the shelter of the entrance to a temple adorned with hieroglyphics, he rang her number.
“Jon? Jon, is that you?” Her voice was still very distant. She sounded panicky.
“I’ve managed to lose him. Why do you sound like you’re miles away?”
“I can’t hold the phone, it’s on my lap.” Jon could hear the pain in her voice. “These tie-wraps are digging right in. My hands have gone numb.” She gave a little yelp. “Jon, where are you?”
“Somewhere in the city. I threw Blue Eyes in the river. I hope the crocodiles get him…” He could share her sense of urgency- somewhere in this troubled city the old Professor’s life was ebbing away. Before midday tomorrow they had to find him, untie the bonds that had merged him with Isaac and get him out. Oh and avoid Blue Eyes. Easy!
“Jon, get out of the city!” Even at a distance there was no mistaking the terror in her voice. “Get into Goshen now!”
“Why?”
“Do you know what’s happening?”
“The slaves have all gone back to their homes. The Egyptians are hopping mad!”
“Jon, it’s Passover!”
“Yeah, what happens at Passover?” Jon was mystified, but the alarm in her voice unnerved him. Vaguely he tried to recall what he had learned about Passover in Religious Studies. Something to do with a family meal…
“The angel of death goes through Egypt! Jon, are you running yet?”
“I am now!” Jon broke into a trot. “But what’s the big deal?”
“At midnight all the first-born in Egypt will die!”
Still Jon could not grasp the significance of what she was saying. She sounded hoarse from shrieking at the phone, but there was no mistaking her terror;
“Jon, you’re first-born. And you’re in Egypt!”
I hope you enjoyed this excerpt. Let me know what you think.
