ERRLUS

"Put the thing down and get out." Olivia dropped one carton on the table and threw the other one at Errlus. It hit his shoulder. "I wish you died with your wife!" She screamed then ran out. He looked after her, then at Francis. He smiled and sat down and lamentably said, "I did." Francis knew right away what he meant but Errlus went on to explain for his benefit and Andrea's who he knew was listening intently in the next room. He figured the anger he portrayed against Olivia might make Andrea arrive at a plan he had already conceived. Olivia could go back to Popla--in return for Andrea's assistance in finding and recruiting people to save his family. Once she worked with him on one or two missions--then--she would be on his side. With her leadership skills, he could leave the encampments he set up and head for ten years into the future, to further secure the settlements which now seemed just begun. "You see, Mr. Benevieve. Do you mind if I call you Francis?" "No. No, I-I don't mind." "Well,Francis, when that wall of lava hit my son, I froze and then I was hit by the same wall. At least that's what Jason tells me. He was there. He left afterward in the time cell on the hill. Later, he came back in another time cell and just before the lava wall that had hit me. He sprayed a narcotic on me that immobilized me enough to "rescue" me. I wasn't about to leave without them, and he knew that so he resorted to chemicals. Now, I find whenever I go back to that place and time, I feel like I'm fading. A friend with me said I was actually fading; so, I need volunteers to rescue my wife and son. I cannot do it. Jason is too valuable to risk. I am screening people now." "I'll go--" said Francis, "if you'll--" Errlus cut him off, "No. You will not go. There is reason to believe these mineral deposits you spoke of will supply some settlements we are now developing. What is your plan, Francis?" Francis began telling Errlus of the gold in valleys that were filled with poisonous gases. Quartz in the sides of nearby mountains. Oil in a pool 20 miles from his home in the Past world. Then he told him his price. He wanted Errlus to rescue Mindolyn's family and possibly all of the people on the mountain with her family. "Of course, it is illegal to attampt changing the Past in this way according to the Council in charge of time travel." Francis said this in a voice that bordered on rage--then he changed his tone to his normal sense of urgency."--but I have to change it. I can't let her die. She's... with child." Errlus gripped the armrest of the chair he was sitting on tighter, tried not to show any emotion; but Andrea, in the next room, noticed the sudden tenseness. "Only three months if we're figuring correctly. I managed to hide the ship--time ship--from Marcus, my partner, so as to allow me to get to know Mindolyn more. She's amazing. I never knew love like this---Read about it in old books but today, marriage, dating seems such a game. Life does not depend on who you marry as it does there. I feel honored that her father accepted me. Then Marcus drugged me and brought me back. I'd rather go back to die with her in her time then be forced to live in this time. But I figure ... if I have a chance to be with her in all that misery, maybe I can stretch that chance a little further and have her rescued from it." He looked at Errlus and tried his sales pitch again. "There is great wealth in the resources there Errlus. All I'm asking is a Time ship or two to take her to one of your hideaways at present. These tremendously industrious people--they can help with the--" Errlus cut him short. "Pregnant women cannot time travel." He said sternly. "They miscarry." Andrea in the next room said aloud to herself, "How does he know?" in astonishment and anger." She started pacing the floor as the magnitude of Errlus's operation seemed to grow before her eyes. "Why does he care?" She knew the answer could be a weapon against Errlus if she could find out why. She listened intently. "B-But...." stammered Francis. "I'll go back first." His mind was racing. "To be with her--to ready the mining expeditions." He said quickly, conscious of the need to keep Errlus's interest. "We'll wait till the baby's born. Seven months. That should be enough time to set-up several mining camps." "You'll risk your baby's life in a poisonous world?" Errlus said. "Mining would further endanger your family." He said cautiously. Why does Errlus care? Andrea wondered. Why did this normally cold methodical pirate who kidnapped hundreds of people--why did he care about a crazy-man's love affair? "It's all I have to pay you. The money here... belongs to my wife of this time, and it's not much... besides... I have no access to it now. We could set the return vessel to after the time the baby's born then start the--" "Space travel, Mr. Benevieve--Francis" Errlus said slowly and deliberately as he looked directly at his listener. "has proven to be quite safe for young fetuses. On a new world, you'll need others to help. We can make arrangements for everyone on that mountaintop, possibly more." "Space travel?" Francis stood up. "You've done that!?" He said incredulously. "You mean stay in space till the land or--" "There are developments on a nearby moon in that time about 12 days from Earth. Would you be willing to live there?" The smile on Francis's face grew from a wry grin to a point where his eyes twinkled. Something seemed familiar to Andrea about Francis then, but she could not place just what. "Errlus," Francis said. "You're an amazing man. It's a deal." He reached his hand out to his. Errlus shook Francis's hand a long time realizing for the first time without a doubt who actually stood before him. This man was not a distant relative, not just a future leader in a new world. He clasped Francis's hand with both of his like he was grateful for the chance to know Francis again. "You'll have to start training immediately." "Anything." said Francis. "Your vessels will leave in three months time. Three m