She disappeared only momentarily and soon reappeared on the stairway, leading down from the stage. The agent in charge of the detail was feverously attempting to engage Libby in conversation as to what was occurring but she ignored him. Her eyes stayed focused on the area where she had seen Vincent.
The agents did their best to remove the distance from the President and the crowd as she walked through. Finally, she made it to where Vincent was standing. She stopped in front of him and looked into his eyes.
Vincent was not sure what to expect. His heart begged that she would remember him. But he had changed history again (and hopefully for the final time) and was not sure how it would play out between the two of them.
What Vincent neglected to remember was that when the timeline changed, it did not change back to the original timeline. Lost in the moment with Libby, he forgot that history had again been altered. In this new timeline, she had never married Charles and had never had children. Charles had tried to catch her eye in college but her eye was not caught. She couldn’t explain it as a young woman but she knew her heart already belonged to someone, although she didn’t know to whom it belonged.
She entered the world of business and politics and immersed in the job at hand, neglecting her personal life. It was only when she saw Vincent in the crowd did she know he was the man for whom her heart was waiting.
She looked at him a moment longer. Then, she took a step forward. Vincent engulfed her in his arms. Tears filled his eyes.
Much to the delight of the press that was covering the event she looked up and kissed Vincent. Camera flashes exploded. Libby ignored them. “Vincent,” she said to him.
Vincent’s tear-stained face smiled. His name had never sounded so sweet.
Libby smiled back. “Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER FIFTY THREE
London, England – August 1888
Jasper looked around Whitechapel Road. It was very dark. Along the entire street, there was only a smattering of windows that showed light. He knew the time – it was 2:00am.
He traversed the houses and saw no one. A path ran next to the house on the end, guarded by a crooked gate. He swung the gate open, mindful of the rusty creak of its hinges and moved slowly down the path towards the stables that lay beyond in the darkness. It was there that he met the woman.
She saw him and was startled at first but then relaxed and smiled. “’Ello, ‘andsome man.”
“Good evening, Polly,” Jasper answered.
Polly, the first Ripper victim looked at Jasper. He could tell she was confused that he knew her name. He didn’t give her time to ask questions. He smiled and with his right hand, brought up the knife.
The year was 1888 in the East End of London. And everything was as it should be.
Part Three
CALLING BABEL
CHAPTER ONE
The Keeper looked down at the woman on the table. She wore only a thin sheet as she lay on top of the ancient stone slab – the Stone of Návratu. The stone had been with his people since the world began. The ancient words carved into the stone – words which no one could read – were stained black with the blood of countless years.
The woman was beautiful. He could see her naked body beneath the thin sheet and she was very pleasing. Terror filled her eyes and the Keeper inhaled her fear, which excited and overwhelmed him. But the he had no plans to violate the woman and forbade any of his men to touch her. She was Triana, and although she was of little significance now, soon she would play a vigorous role in changing the world.
The Keeper raised the Sword of Návratu that was cradled within a hidden chamber carved into the Stone. Killing her outright would not change anything; instead, he would offer her a choice. He had the ability to reincarnate her with ajándék – the gift of touching emotions. To do so, she must willingly be slain with the Sword. She would return as herself, only much more. In return for this, she would serve him.
All she had to do was agree.
He stood over her with the sword and looked into her trembling eyes. “You know me?”
She didn’t answer at first. He became angry and let it show. He lowered the sword slightly until it rested upon the base of her throat. “I asked you a question. I will not repeat it.”
Triana nodded her head slightly. “I know you.” she whispered.
The Keeper smiled. His teeth were white and straight. The corners of his mouth curled into a smile that was rather congenial until one looked into his pale blue eyes. There lay only death and raging ambition. “That is good. Now, I will ask you three more questions. I will only ask each question once.”
He looked deep into her grey eyes. He could see she understood. She nodded slightly.
“Now that we understand each other, my first question is this: if I could give you ajándék, would you accept it?”
The question confused her and she didn’t answer at first. She wondered how anyone could make that happen. She thought that he was only seeking to humiliate her and then he would kill her anyways. She started not to answer but then felt the tip of the sword bite into her neck. The smile on the face of the Keeper turn into a deep scowl.
