Litter scattered noisily across the empty plaza beneath a darkening, hollow
sky. The scene appeared drained of colour, almost as if it had been sucked
dry, the buildings like vacant husks, stark against the blank greyness.
Sapphire slowly mounted the steps leading to the imposing edifice of the State Governor's headquarters and looked about her, a perplexed expression on her face. Steel's subdued, emotionless features scanned the plaza from left to right, but only an occasional figure broke the silent desolation. It was unnervingly quiet, and the chill that Sapphire felt was not merely the effect of the wind that ran gusting across the open square.
"Nobody!" said Sapphire suddenly. "The place is virtually deserted, yet it s supposed to be thronging with people."
"Yes," agreed Steel as he climbed the steps to meet her. "Not quite the scene you'd expect a few minutes after the President of the United States has been assassinated, is it?"
He turned to stare back over the plaza, searching for a clue as to why the inevitable had not taken place.
"A fault in time, some diversion of in the chain of events, perhaps, but I wonder where." He stood musing, rapt in private thought, while Sapphire went up to the top of the steps and began to cast around for any signs that might suggest a solution to the mystery.
"I don't suppose we could just walk in and ask the President, could we?" asked Sapphire. "I mean, he is supposed to be in there, isn't he, assuming that he hasn't been assassinated? He walked across the plaza, mounted these steps and went inside."
"So we must assume," said Steel, pivoting round and taking the remaining steps two at a time to join her at the top. "As to asking the President, what am I supposed to say, excuse me, Mr. President sir, do you have any idea why an assassin didn't try to shoot you just now? I can't see him being very amused...or very informative."
Sapphire's attention had been caught by something out of the corner of her eye. A dark patch, something obviously not belonging, lay to one side of the giant, quasi-Greek columns that marked the entrance to the building.
"Steel." Her voice sounded icy, perturbed. "Steel, look."
Steel moved across, and bent to examine the dark, wet patch, showing starkly against the marbled, white stone. He leant forward and dabbed it with his finger. He drew it to his face, examined it, then withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his finger clean.
"Fresh blood." he said simply, "barely a finger of blood, yet I'd swear that this is what were looking for, what's supposed to be here."
"Did it happen there?" enquired Sapphire.
"Possibly," responded Steel thoughtfully. "The other possible place is lower down, three or four steps from the bottom, if I remember rightly. But I didn't see anything as I came up - did you?"
"No," said Sapphire. "Puzzling. The blood suggests the President died, but -"
"Where's the body, the crowds? This place should be swarming," agreed Steel. "Something's very wrong."
"I know," said Sapphire, casting worried looks around her. "I can feel it. This place seems - I don't know - unreal, almost as if it doesn't exist. What do you think it is Steel?"
Steel had no opportunity to answer. At that moment, an armed military policeman appeared from the buildings entrance, and approached them, an unwelcoming look on his face.
"Okay, you people, move along, show's over," he clipped, waving them away.
"The President's inside? Unharmed?" asked Sapphire.
"You some kind of nut?" asked the MP aggressively. "Sure he's okay; now beat it."
Steel remained motionless. "We have to have words with the President, it's very important. Something's not right here. I can't explain."
The MPs look hardened, and his hand slid down to unclip his revolver's holster.
"Well, I can explain it - you're what's not right around here, buster. Now I don't want to have to tell you again. Get moving!"
Steel turned down the steps, but halted and looked back up at the policeman.
"There was no assassination? No attempt?"
"You're trying my patience, mister," the MP barked back threateningly, and he pulled his gun from the holster.
Steel remained unperturbed. "Then how do you explain the President's blood on the pillar?"
"Okay, you pair of goons -"
No use. Take us back, Sapphire. Five minutes should do it.
Sapphire placed her hands to her temples, the scene blurred for a moment, and when it cleared they found themselves not on the steps, as expected, but in some sort of office. A large desk had central place, some shelves of books lined the walls, a large portrait of President Hennessy dominating another.
"Sapphire?"
"I don't know, Steel. I didn't do anything different. I think we have gone back five minutes, but for some reason, weve moved through space as well as time."
Steel crossed to the window and looked out. The same empty square met his eyes, yet now it was bathed in brilliant sunshine, a clear blue sky evident beyond the buildings opposite. His brows twisted in thought as his mind tried to correlate the inharmonious facts that assaulted his senses.
Sapphire sat down, a little shaken.
Steel, a look of deep concentration on his face, paced back across the room, coming to a halt before the President's portrait.
He turned to Sapphire, raised his hand in front of his face as if to make a point, hesitated a moment and then put forward his idea.
"How does this sound to you? A fracture in time, but not a simple break - something thats causing a massive distortion of time and space within a given area, of which this room, the steps, the square outside are all part. I can't quite put my finger on it, but perhaps it's like a crossed circuit; two, maybe more sets of circumstances all trying to crowd into the same space and time, so that we can have both a live President and an assassination, a windy, grey day and a sunny afternoon, all vying for the right to exist simultaneously. Is that too absurd?"
"It's a little complex. How do you come to that conclusion?"
Steel paced back towards the window. Clouds had appeared, and a light drizzle was falling. "Just a hypothesis, an attempt to co-ordinate this contradictory evidence."
"I don't like it, Steel. I can feel impending evil."
The door opened abruptly, and a brisk, well-dressed man in his late thirties, carrying a briefcase, entered.
"Excuse me, my secretary didn't mention that I had any appointments this afternoon. Can I help?"
Sapphire noticed the nameplate on the outside of the door as he held it open.
"Mr. Makepeace, you're a Presidential aide?"
"Thats right, glad to know you - er -"
"Sapphire. This is Steel."
"Ms. Sapphire, Mr. Steel," he said warmly, shaking their hands and motioning them to sit. "Let's not stand on ceremony now, make yourselves comfortable. Now, what was it you er -?"
Steel remained standing, much to Mr. Makepeace's consternation. "It's about the attempted assassination of the President."
"Oh that, well I don't think we need dwell on that. An occupational hazard in an office of such importance, I'm afraid to say, but we got this one this time -"
"You caught him?" asked Sapphire, surprised.
"Don't you read the newspapers, young lady?" replied Mr. Makepeace, leaning across the desk, a look of amazement on his face. "The police took him before he'd even had a chance to load his gun. Er, last Friday, I think it was."
Steel walked across, and placing his hands on the desk, assumed a position of authority over the seated aide.
"Not last week, Mr. Makepeace, we know about that. No, I mean today's attempt."
"Today?" The aide looked nonplussed for a moment, but his expression instantly changed to one of alarm. "You mean when the President leaves here? Excuse me, I must -"
He was in the act of picking up the telephone, but Steel's hand got there first, clamping the receiver firmly to its rest.
"The one this afternoon," he stated straightforwardly.
Mr. Makepeace sat back and removed his glasses, and began to polish them nervously. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, sir. This afternoon, you say? But I was there - absolutely nothing happened, I assure you. Why, I was with the President only a few minutes ago, I...?"
"Would you come with us," said Sapphire gently, "Please. We have something we'd like to show you."
Mr. Makepeace didn't quite know what to make of it all. A hoax? A threat? An hallucination? He decided that it was best to comply with their request, and keep a look out for a policeman en route whom he could call on for assistance.
Sapphire led the way along the corridor until she came to the entrance foyer, turned past the policeman on guard, and emerged onto the steps. Steel and Makepeace, who motioned the policeman to join them, followed.
Sapphire pointed at the dark stain on the stone flag. It had grown bigger and was now a sizeable patch, unmistakably blood, as big as a saucer.
"Steel, it's growing."
Mr. Makepeace raised his eyebrows, and stepped closer to examine it.
"Sapphire, look! Down there!"
Sapphire followed Steel's outstretched arm to where it pointed to a step near the bottom. A small pool of liquid had formed - it had to be blood - and was enlarging even as they watched.
Mr. Makepeace was visibly shaken. The patch by the pillar seemed to be expanding, almost as if it was oozing out of the stone.
"Sergeant, can you explain this blood?" said Mr. Makepeace, attempting bravely to stay in control of himself.
"No sir," mumbled the policeman, evidently as numbed as the aide.
"Is that another," gasped Sapphire, pointing out across the neat, white paving of the plaza to where another ominous, dark stain was evident.
Steel looked and nodded. "That'll be where the assassin was shot."
"How is it possible, Steel? Four simultaneous but mutually exclusive events - what's the cause?"
Mr. Makepeace interrupted, hastily backing towards the doors. "If you'll excuse me everybody. I feel it's my duty to inform the President of this er...er...incident. Don't anybody go anywhere."
Steel paced across the square, passing the pool of blood on the lower step which had now overflowed onto the one below. He made his way to the furthest stain, Sapphire close behind, and as they reached it, they witnessed the same, strange phenomenon - the blood, inexplicably, seemed almost to be welling up from some invisible source.
The policeman, anxious to keep them from leaving, hovered nearby, his eyes constantly casting quick, nervous glances at the growing stain, and just as quickly looking away again.
In Steel's mind, he heard Sapphire's thoughts.
Steel, there are only three known variations of this event. Correct?
Correct.
And the fourth - today's non-event, as it were - lacks one ingredient the other three all possess.
The assassin. Yes.
So it's reasonable to assume the fracture in time occurred prior to the assassination attempt, to prevent the assassin arriving here.
That sounds valid.
That being so, the other three events have become unstable. They're...they're trying to restore the balance, battle it out with this fourth, incongruous version.
Yes, I think so.
What happens if they lose?
The whole course of future history changes beyond recognition. All three previous time continuums cease to exist.
So we have to find out what prevented the assassin from arriving. Go back. Change it.
It's the only way.
How do we tell the President?
Mr. Makepeace appeared at the top of the steps, carefully avoiding the spreading patch, as it edged its way along in an ever-increasing flow.
"The President will see you now," he called through the gloom of the overcast sky, "This way."
Maybe something will come to me. "On our way, Mr. Makepeace."
The room they were ushered into was large and comfortable, easy chairs ranged in a half-circle around a roasting fire. Mr. Makepeace preceded them and made the formal introductions.
"I thought we'd sit in here, it's warmer. Devilish weather for the time of year," said the President, beckoning them to their seats.
"May I open the window, Mr. President? Its awfully stuffy," said Mr. Makepeace.
Sapphire and Steel exchanged glances. The fireplace was empty. Outside the sun shone fiercely.
We're approaching the crisis. Well have to move quickly.
I agree.
The President placed his hands on the chair arms. "Now, what is all this nonsense Makepeace has been spouting at me? Imaginary assassinations? Mysterious pools of blood? I'm a very busy -"
"I appreciate that, Mr. President," interjected Steel. "Allow me to explain. This may not make any sense immediately, but hear me out, please."
The fire burst into flames again. Mr. Makepeace closed the window. The sky turned from blue to grey in the same instant.
"You came here today to see Governor Graham on an official visit. There are three known versions of today's events, all of which involve an assassination attempt." Steel anticipated the President's puzzled interruption and continued. "I've told you, you won't understand, just listen."
The fire died, flickered, burst into flame, but Steel ignored it, though he could sense the growing instability of the time continuum around him. Indeed, only Sapphire and he seemed to notice any changes at all. "Imagine, if you will, Mr. President, that time, in this particular case, is like... three freeways crossing each other; one an underpass, one at ground-level, another a fly-over. Further imagine what would happen if, for a split-second, these three should suddenly form a conjunction, all cross each other at the same level, creating a fourth, multi-freeway."
"There'd be chaos. Multiple pile-ups."
"Exactly," concluded Steel. "Now, if you wouldn't mind conducting a small experiment for us?"
"Who are these lunatics, Makepeace, what did you -"
"The blood, Mr. President, I saw the blood."
"If you'll just go along with us, Mr. President," said Sapphire, "for a few minutes."
"Security outside?" Snapped the President. "Nobody in the square?" A bodyguard nodded the all-clear. "I don't get this at all, but it's not like you to get worried over nothing, Makepeace. Let's go - but I must be mad."
"If what Steel says is true, the entire history of this planet could be irrevocably changed."
"Whatever you say, lady. Where's my umbrella, Makepeace? Its raining."
The group emerged into bright sunshine at the top of the steps. All three patches of blood were now plainly visible. If the President was shaken he failed to show it, but he was obviously more prepared to participate in the experiment, although none the wiser for the sight of the blood.
"If you could just retrace your steps from the other side of the square, Mr. President, exactly as you did this afternoon, requested Steel."
"I can't see what demonstrating how I wasn't assassinated this afternoon can help you, but very well," shrugged the President, and set off.
Sapphire and Steel stood and watched as the President, surrounded by aides and bodyguards, walked towards them across the open space.
"Steel," said Sapphire unsteadily, "I can... I can see a crowd... people... voices... hundreds of people..."
The President and his entourage reached the base of the steps. A shot rang out from the right. It began raining. The President walked on up the steps, unheeding.
Sapphire gripped Steel's arm for support.
The President arrived at the top of the steps. Another shot rang out from the same direction as the first, just as the President turned to wave to the imaginary crowd. To Sapphire, they were very real.
Several shots echoed around the square. The President finished his wave and turned to Steel, mopping his brow and squinting in the bright sunshine.
"Satisfied?" he asked, then noticed Sapphire. "Your companion, is she ill?"
"No, she'll be all right. It's the... er... heat."
Steel, that analogy - the freeways - why did you use it?
Just came into my head. Why?
Me too. I saw the image of a place where three freeways intersect above and below. It's important, I...
"Concentrate," Steel said aloud.
"What's that," asked the President. "Where's that water?"
It's an accident, Steel, a traffic accident. Million to one chance. Pebble. Thrown up. Windscreen smashes. Assassin at wheel. Can't see. Accident. Must go back.
"Where's the umbrella, Makepeace? Its raining out here."
A shot rang out. Voices. Screams. Shots.
Must go back. Must go back.
"Nothing like a good log fire, Makepeace," said the President, reclining in his favourite chair.
"Yes, Mr. President. A fine speech, if I may say so sir, and such a beautiful day for it."
Mist seemed to surround them, swirling clouds of mist, and yet there was the impression of speed, tremendous speed. Sapphire seemed to be coming to slowly, regaining her senses gradually.
"It's the pebble, Steel, thats where the fracture in time is. I felt it, felt the ripple it caused in time, almost as if it had been dropped into a calm pool. All I had to do was to home in on its centre. Nearly there. Be ready."
The roar of traffic almost deafened them. In a split second of time, Steel bent and scooped the pebble into his palm and was gone. The assassin's car sped past, unharmed.
They were on a quiet, secluded beach, the sound of waves gently lapping against the shore joining gently with the sighing of the wind. Steel tossed the pebble carelessly onto the shoreline of small stones.
"It's not important," he said, "that same pebble will still exist in the same place on the freeway tomorrow. The fracture in time just made it jump one day ahead."
"How can you tell," asked Sapphire as they walked.
"Each significant object in time and space holds its own history locked within it. One merely has to read what is there. In one of the three tie continuums, the assassin was shot dead by the bodyguards, in the other two he escaped, but died in a car crash - a chance smashing of his windscreen by a pebble as he fled from the scene of his crime."
"And that one pebble could have changed the entire future."
"Yes, back in its rightful moment in time, it fulfils its function in the correct sequence," added Steel.
"One minor detail altered," mused Sapphire, "and the President might have lived, instead of dying in all three existent continuums."
"Yes; that was the problem in explaining it to the President," agreed Steel. "The man with his finger on the button, and the blood of millions on his conscience. How do you tell a man that he has to die by an assassin's bullet, because if he doesn't, in exactly two years and 34 days, he will declare nuclear war, culminating in the total destruction of this planet."