Darkness didn’t say anything aboutthe transponder’s chronocircuitry running out of control. he just said it wasdecaying.”
“As I recall, he also thought he had all the bugs ironed outof it in the first place,” Steiger said.
“Look, if it’s going to happen, it’ll happen whether I’mhere or on the mission,” Lucas replied. “Staying behind won’t change a thing.”
“Maybe not, but it would keep you from jeopardizing the missionby clocking out suddenly at the wrong moment.”
“I’m afraid he’s got a point, Lucas.” Forrester said.
Priest made a tight-lipped grimace. “All right, I’ll concedethat, but we still don’t know it’s going to happen. I think Darkness would’vesaid something if there was a chance of that.”
“But the point is that we still don’t know for sure.” saidSteiger. “It means taking a risk.”
“Like you’ve never taken risks?” Lucas countered.
“Give me a break. Creed. Everything we do entails risk. Andyou’ve certainly taken more than your share.” He turned to Forester. “Sir. ifyou order me to stay behind on this one. I’ll understand, but I’m asking younot to do that. I need this assignment. I’ll start climbing the walls if I haveto stay cooped up in here much longer.”
Forrester glanced at the others. “You’re the ones that’ll beout there,” he said. “It’s your call.”
“Lucas and I have taken our share of risks before.” Delaneysaid. “I’d rather go out with him than without him. I vote yes.”
Andre looked at Lucas and smiled. “So do I.”
Steiger shrugged. “Well, it looks like I’m outvoted.”
“If it’s a problem for you. Creed, you can request to be relieved,without prejudice.” said Forrester. “I don’t want you going out on this missionif you haven’t got complete confidence in every member of the team.”
Steiger glanced at Lucas. “Priest, you understand, it’snothing personal.”
“I understand.” said Lucas. suppose if our positions were reversed,I might feel exactly the same way.”
“But you’re still not going to withdraw?” said Steiger.
“No.”
“Well, in that case, I’d like to be relieved.”
For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence.
“Very well,” said Forrester, breaking the tension. “Youthree report for mission programming in half an hour. Steiger, you want to setup that download for Priest?”
Steiger nodded. “I’ll get right on it.” He started to walkout with Forrester and paused at the door, looking back. “Priest?”
“Yeah?”
“Look.. this isn’t personal. No offense, huh?”
“None taken.”
Steiger nodded and turned to follow Forrester out the door.The old man was waiting for him at the lift tube
“This isn’t like you, Creed.” he said. “You’ve taken biggerrisks before and you’ve never yet turned down a mission.”
“That’s right, sir. And I’m not about to start now. Withyour permission. I’d like to go along on this one, only undercover.”
Forrester sighed and nodded. “Somehow I had a feeling that’swhat was on your mind.”
“It’s what I do best. sir.” Steiger said. “Those three havebeen working together for a long time. I’ve seen how they function in thefield. They trust each other. Each of them has an instinct for how the othersthink. I’m the odd man out. I just don’t fit in. I’ve always worked best on myown. It’s what 1 was trained for.”
“You’re saying you want to go back on covert status?”
“Yes, sir, I do. I think I’d have much more to contributethat way.” ‘“We’ve been over this before, Creed. My decision to shut down thecovert field section wasn’t arbitrary. you know.”
‘“Yes. sir, I realize that. I know you don’t approve of themethods we used in covert field section. And I know there were abuses, but thatstill-”
“Abuses is putting it mildly,” Forrester interrupted. “Thecovert field section was nothing but a bunch of thrill- seeking cowboys whoplayed fast and loose with regulations and had too much contact with theUnderground. Part of our job is to
“I understand that, sir, but it was a matter of priorities.Look, you know I was never involved with the Network. And the Underground isjust as concerned as we are about temporal disruption. A disruption threatensthem. too. They might be criminals from the purely legal standpoint, but they’renot the real danger and they never have been. So when it came to a choicebetween busting some members of the Underground or enlisting them as sub rosaoperatives, or trading information with them, okay, we didn’t worry about theline points of the law. There was a lot more than that at stake. I know you don’tthink there’s a place for the way we used to do things. sir, but with all due respect,I think you’re wrong.”
The lift tube stopped at Forester’s floor, but he made nomove to get out. Steiger wondered if he’d gone too far.
“All right,” said Forrester. “Prove it.”
“Sir’? Does that mean you’re authorizing-”
“I’m authorizing nothing, Colonel. All it means is that you’rebeing placed on inactive status as soon as I can have the orders cut. You canconsider yourself officially relieved of duty as of now. You’ve earned someR amp;R. What you do with it is entirely up to you.”
“Thank you, sir. I promise you, you won’t regret this.”
“I hope not. Creed,” said Forrester. “And I hope you won’t regretit. either. Because if you fuck up. it’s your ass.”
Alexandria, the palace of the Ptolemys, 47 B.C.
“It is not the victory that I had hoped for,” Caesar said asthey rested in their apartments in the palace. And a poor, ignoble death for abrave and noble soldier.”
Travers thought that Caesar was being charitable, but he didnot say it. Pompey the Great might once have been a brave and noble soldier, butin the end, his leadership and courage had both failed him.
When news of Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon reached Rome.the Senate was thrown into a panic. Caesar’s army moved with their usualdevastating efficiency and speed, immediately taking the town of Ariminum andmarching ahead without encountering any opposition whatsoever.
People from the outlying towns began flooding into Rome,fleeing front the advancing legions, not having any idea what to expect. Theircontagious fear began to spread throughout the city like a wildfire. Pompeydeclared Rome to be in a state of anarchy and, desperate to have enough time tomarshal his forces, he left the city and went east. giving orders for theentire Senate to follow him. Many did, but most senators remained behind inRome, concerned about their homes and their possessions. With so many refugeesstreaming into Rome. crime had increased dramatically and there was a lot oflooting.
As Caesar’s army approached the city, many of Pompey’stroops joined with Caesar’s forces and within sixty days of crossing theRubicon, Caesar had effectively seized power without any bloodshed. But therestill remained
Pompey and his loyal legions. and though he was in commandof the city, it was a threat that Caesar could not disregard.
He pursued Pompey to Brundisium, but us soon as he heardthat Caesar was approaching. Pompey escaped to sea. Lacking the vessels topursue him. Caesar then returned to Rome and appeared before the Senate. Withthe rank of praetor. Travis was entitled to attend and he sat in the Temple ofJupiter (the Curia. which would become the permanent home of the Senate, hadnot yet been built) and listened as Caesar addressed the House courteously. requestingthat they send word to Pompey so that negotiations could be started toward areasonable peace. However, the senators could not agree on what to do. Theirposition was precarious. To appear to give support to one general could provedisastrous if the other proved victorious. so the Senate did what politicianshave been doing ever since. They procrastinated to avoid taking any stand.
Caesar left the temple in disgust. He did not have thepatience to wait for their deliberations. His response to
