The Doomsday Code

Liam glanced at Bob for help. But the support unit had nothing to offer at that moment. ‘We could take it back to our field office. We’ve got a powerful computer. There’s got to be a way we can use that to help us decode the thing.’

‘You have a way back!?’

‘Yes.’

‘A way back to the future?’

‘Of course! We’ve got a rendezvous — time, place and everything.’

Locke shook his head. ‘You’re lying! Apart from Waldstein, no one’s ever managed to develop a reliable return system!’

‘We have.’

‘My God,’ he whispered. ‘Good God … then you people are for real. This agency of yours …’

‘The agency is real,’ said Bob.

‘Come on, what do you say, Mr Locke?’

‘We … we need what King Richard has in his possession. We would need the grille. There is no mathematical way to decode it.’

Liam’s brow locked. ‘There must be another way. But look … it seems to me, the one thing we can’t do is allow King Richard to have both, right?’

‘Affirmative,’ said Bob.

‘History as it is says the Grail is a myth,’ continued Liam. ‘That’s how it goes. It gets lost. It becomes a myth and that’s all there is to it, no matter what secrets lie in there. It certainly doesn’t end up being found by King Richard and … and inspiring him to run off again to conquer the world on some fourth crusade or something.’

‘Information: the correct history is that King Richard attempts no more crusades. The last five years of his reign are spent attempting to re-establish royal authority in England and reclaim his lost territories in France.’

‘Right. No Grails. No more crusades. He’s all done with that.’

Locke stroked his bearded chin thoughtfully.

‘If we can work out how to decode it, we will, you and me. And if we can’t, well …’ Liam shrugged. ‘Then we make sure it stays lost. Mr Locke? What do you say to that?’

He pressed his lips together. ‘Perhaps.’

‘There is little time to delay,’ said Bob. ‘If King Richard’s forces are on the way to Nottingham — ’

‘The Grail would be safer in Nottingham Castle than out here in the woods,’ cut in Liam.

‘Affirmative.’

‘And then we can decide our next step.’

‘All right.’ Locke finally nodded. He handed the gun to Liam. ‘All right. I … I suppose, yes, I should speak to my people out there.’

‘What will you tell them?’

He looked at Bob. ‘If you wear the hood as you just did, they will believe you are the Hooded Man.’ Locke again stroked his beard thoughtfully. ‘I will tell them we must offer our loyalty to John. That we should prepare to leave for Nottingham.’ He stepped towards the doorway and then turned to Liam. ‘If they return to Nottingham … you do still have the authority to pardon them all, correct?’

Liam nodded. ‘Yes. Until I hear otherwise from John, I suppose I’m still the sheriff.’

Locke smiled. ‘Thank you. They’re not outlaws. They’re not bad people … they’re just hungry, desperate.’ He ducked and stepped out of the hut.

Liam let out a breath and waited until the sound of Locke’s footsteps was lost amid the babble of voices outside. ‘Well, that went better than I thought it would.’

‘Do you trust Locke?’ asked Bob.

‘He’s after the truth; that’s all. He’s after the same thing as us. And he came back here using a one-way time machine. That’s a pretty brave thing to do. Not sure I’d have the guts to do that.’

‘But do you trust him?’

‘Yes … yes, I think I do. I think we have to. It makes sense we should work together, right?’

Bob didn’t look entirely convinced. Liam nodded at the torn remnants of Bob’s arm. ‘How is it?’

‘Gone,’ replied Bob flatly.

Liam winced. ‘Well, what I mean is, how’s what’s left of it — the upper bit?’

‘The arteries are sealed. There is no additional blood loss. I will need to dress the wound to ensure no foreign matter gets into the wound and causes secondary infections.’

‘It will regrow, right? You’re not going to be stuck as a one-armed support unit forever, are you, Bob?’

Bob shook his head. ‘It will not regrow on its own. I will need to return to a growth tube for healing.’

‘Right. Well …’ he slapped Bob affectionately on the back, ‘that’ll be first thing on the “to-do” list when we get home,’ he grimaced. ‘Poor you, it always seems you have a tough time of it, each occasion we’ve gone back.’

‘That is my role.’

‘Aye, but … Ah well, I suppose I — ’

They both heard a sudden commotion: voices calling out, the sound of horses’ hooves thudding on soft ground.

‘What’s going on?’ Liam ducked down and stuck his head outside to see Locke’s people standing around bemused and motionless, watching the retreating rear of a baggage cart bounce across the lumpy ground of the camp and rattle on to a narrow track that curved and weaved into the forest and out of sight.

Liam cursed. He stuck his head back in. ‘That slippery sod!’

‘What has happened?’

‘Locke — he’s only bleedin’ well done a runner!’

CHAPTER 63

1194, Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

‘He won’t have left without it,’ said Liam. ‘Not without the Grail, I’m sure of it.’

Bob nodded. ‘Then we must catch him.’

Liam ducked back out through the entrance and was pushing his way through the crowd when several pairs of hands grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground.

‘An’ where ye goin’, Frenchie?’ snarled someone.

Liam heard the grate of a metal blade being unsheathed.

‘RELEASE HIM!’ Bob’s voice boomed across the clearing once again. He strode forward, his face once more covered by the hood. ‘STAND BACK!’ The crowd did so instantly, drawing back from Liam as if he carried the plague. Bob reached down with his one good hand and helped him back on to his feet.

‘We need horses,’ uttered Liam out of the side of his mouth. ‘We’ll never catch him up on foot.’

‘WHO HAS A HORSE?’

The crowd was silent.

‘Bob, tell them you’re taking me to Nottingham,’ he whispered. ‘Tell them you’re going to force me to write a pardon for them all. They’ll be free to go back to their homes.’

Bob nodded and repeated Liam’s words in his parade-ground voice. The people listened in stunned silence. As he announced they’d be free to return home, an uncertain cheer rippled through them. Uncertain, perhaps because to them it sounded too good to be true.

‘Where has Locke gone?’ asked someone.

‘I’ll tell them,’ uttered Liam to Bob. He cleared his throat. ‘Locke has gone to offer his services to King Richard!’ Some of the men in the crowd cheered at mention of the king. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t be so quick to cheer him,’ Liam continued. ‘I wouldn’t be so sure Richard’s here to save you from John! He’ll come here first, I’d wager. Come here and deal with you all, before dealing with his brother!’