make out a dark figure sitting on his bed.
“Who
“Someone who once saved your ass from the Spanish Inquisition.”
“My God.
“Long time no see, John. Sorry if I ruined your evening. Isent the girl away. Told her I was an old friend of yours and wanted tosurprise you. Little young for you, wasn’t she?”
“Jesus. What the hell are you doing here? I never would’verecognized you. You changed your face.”
Steiger’s hair was dark now and cosmetic surgery had dramaticallyaltered his appearance. Not even his own mother would have recognized him. “Yes.I got tired of the old one. Actually, the situation called for a differentlook.
“You’re on the lam? I don’t believe it. You tied up with theNetwork?”
“You know about the Network?”
“Of course I know about the Network. But I never thought you’dget yourself involved with them.”
“I didn’t. I’m still with the agency.”
“You’re on assignment? But I thought the covert fieldsection was disbanded.”
“For someone who’s several thousand years out-of-date, youmanage to keep up pretty well.”
“Come on. We’ve got our channels, you know that.”
“Yes. I know. That’s how I found you. You’ve done prettywell for yourself since I last saw you. Nice place you’ve got here.”
“What do you want. Steiger’? You here to bust me, is thatIt?”
“Now is that any way to talk after all the years we’ve knowneach other?”
“Yeah. but like you said, it’s been a long time and thingschange. Stop rattling my chain, Creed. What do you want?”
“I need your help, John. Just like old times. remember?”
“I’m out of it now, Creed. I turned my back on all that.
“You can never turn your back on it. John. You know that.
“Damn you. I’m just trying to live a quiet. peaceful life.”
“Peaceful? Staging gladiator fights, beast baiting, andchariot races in the arena? But I guess that doesn’t count. huh? What the hell,it’s only show business, right? I gather it pays well. Lets the noble Marcianbuy young teenage girls like the one I just sent out of here.”
“Where the hell do you get oil, judging me? Especially aftersome of the shit you’ve pulled.”
Steiger held up his hands. “Okay. Forget it. So my handsaren’t exactly clean, either. I guess I’m still sore about you going over tothe Underground. You were a damn good agent, John. We can’t afford to losepeople like you.”
“Yeah, and I can’t afford to die. either,” Marshall said,setting down the lamp on a small table and sitting down in a chair next to it. “Iwas getting pressure from the Network. Either you’re with us or against us. Andyou know what happened to people who tried to buck the Network.”
“I bucked ’em and I’m still around.”
“Yeah, well, you always were a cowboy. You and Carnehan. Thesuper spooks. Me. I got old and tired. I got slow. So I took early retirement.”
He pressed something on the table and a hidden drawer poppedout. Steiger instantly had a laser pistol in his hand.
“Hold it, John.”
“Take it easy, for God’s sake!”
“Whatever’s in there, take it out slowly.”
Marshall produced a pack of cigarettes. “Satisfied’?”
Steiger grinned and lowered the pistol.
“You want one?”
“Don’t mind if I do. What happens if one of your slavescomes in and catches us smoking?”
Marshall lit one up and tossed the pack to Creed. “My slavesknow what’s expected of them. They don’t come up here unless they’re told to. I’mstill a careful man. Creed.”
“Yeah, but you’re slipping. I got in here with no sweat.”
“How the hell did you get in’?”
“Came down from the roof.”
“You see? I told you I’m getting slow.”
He held out the lamp for Creed to light his cigarette.
“So. You going to tell me what you’re doing here?”
“I’m on a covert mission. We may have a potential temporaldisruption on our hands.”
“You part of an adjustment team?”
“No, but there’s been one clocked back here. Delaney.Priest, and Cross. You know them?”
“I’ve heard of them. I also heard that Priest bought it inAfghanistan.”
Not exactly,” Steiger said. “But that’s a long story.”
“So they sent in the first string, huh? Must be pretty big.Where do you fit in?”
“Sort of unofficial backup. Undercover.”
“Meaning they don’t know you’re here.” Marshall grinned. “Youhaven’t changed. Still the same old cowboy. What’s going down?”
“I’m not exactly sure. but it has to do with Caesar.”
Marshall exhaled heavily. That is big. What’ve you got?”
Steiger briefly told him what he knew. Marshall listenedsilently. not saying anything till he was finished.
“And this L.T.0.. Travis?”
“Travers.”
“Right. He thinks it’s going to center around Caesar’sassassination?”
“That’s my guess.”
“What do you mean, it’s your
“I mean I haven’t spoken to the man. All I’ve got is thefirst report he made of a possible anomaly involving Caesar.”
“You mean the oracle.
“That’s right. Travers sent up the balloon and the team wentout. but I’ve had no contact with him, so I don’t really know what the latestintelligence is. Caesar’s supposed to die in about two weeks. That’s got to bethe focus of the disruption.”
“You think the S.O.G. is going to try to prevent theassassination.”
“It would make for a hell of a disruption.” Steiger said. “Itwould probably bring about a timestream split. I think this is going to be arough one. The old man didn’t approve of contacts between the agency and theUnderground, but I’ve been trying to convince him he was wrong about that. We’regoing to need all the help we can get from now on.”
“What made Forrester change his mind?”
“He hasn’t. At least, not yet “
“So what are you telling me? Ile doesn’t know about what you’redoing here’?”
“Not officially. I’m supposed to be on R amp; R. He knows whatI’m doing, but no one else does.”
“I get it. You fall down on this one, your ass is wide openand his is covered.”
“Something like that.
“And you wonder why I decided to get out.”
What can you tell me about Caesar?”
“That you don’t already know? Probably nothing.”
“What do you mean, probably nothing?”
“Just what I said. What do you think. I’m on his dinnerinvitation list?”
“But you’re the local impresario around here,” Steiger said.“Hasn’t he been staging chariot races and fights?”
