Madman's Dance (Time Rovers #3)(139)

Fletcher spread her hands. “No other conclusion.” She looked over at Theo for support.

“Agreed,” he said reluctantly. “At present, we use pulses to determine the location of a Rover during Inbound and Outbound travel. There’s also some pulsing during side-hops.” He frowned. “Any Rover with an interface could trigger this sequence. They might not even know they’re doing it.”

“But you didn’t set them off,” Klein argued.

“Just luck, I guess.”

“What happens if you don’t stop this? How big of a ripple will there be?” the agent demanded.

Theo keyed the question into the computer, without bothering to input a security screening code. Guv’s computer system would be airtight.

Unlike his computer, this one didn’t generate a Renaissance or Baroque painting in the air above the keyboard while it cogitated. Instead it painstakingly constructed an image of a beehive. All the bees were drones.

Guv’s view of an ideal society.

“Task complete.” Even the computer voice was bland.

“Run task report,” he ordered. The hive melted away. “The truncated version,” he added.

“Destruction of 1888 London will substantially affect the power of the British Empire for a period of nine point three years. Other opportunistic governments will take advantage and capture British colonial outposts, including India, Burma, Singapore and Egypt. This disruption will significantly impact British capabilities in the First World War and delay Allied entry into the Second World War. With the rise of Russia in—”



“Cut to the chase,” Klein demanded. “What about 2058?”

“Unknown,” the computer replied. “Unable to determine extent of changes beyond the end of the twentieth century due to unspecified parameters.”

“What parameters are those?” Theo asked the computer.

“Indefinable.”

Fletcher scoffed. “God, that’s helpful.”

“What are the chances of a total disconnect between 1888 and 2058?” Theo quizzed.

“Ninety-six point two percent.”

Fletcher whistled.

“End query,” Theo murmured. “With so much change, time travel may not be discovered the second time around, or be significantly delayed. My guess is that we have one shot at this.”

“You going back?” Fletcher asked.

“Of course,” Theo replied. “That’s where it’s all happening.”

Klein shook his head. “My bosses will have a fit.”

“Don’t tell them.”

“Yeah, right. I’m the one stuck here taking the heat, Morrisey.”

“From whom?” Theo scolded. “If this plot plays out, neither Guv nor you may exist.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“There’s one other matter,” Theo began. “Both Miss Lassiter and Harter have been off-timed. Did Guv have anything to do with that?”

Klein shook his head. “Too hard to pull off.”

Which means you’ve tried it.

“What’s off-timed?” Fletcher asked.

“A Rover sets his interface for a specific location and time, and is diverted to another by a secondary source,” Theo explained. “Miss Lassiter found herself at the exact moment my nephew’s body was discarded in the Thames.” He paused, about to hand Guv the ammunition they needed to bring down their hated rival. “Dalton Mimes was there…and so was Copeland. He was involved in Chris’ murder.”

The senior Guv agent’s face actually cracked a smile, the muscles twitching slightly as if unaccustomed to the task. “You know, my gut told me he was good for it.”



“Copeland?” Fletcher asked.

Klein ignored her, his smile widening. “If we can get him to roll over on Davies and the rest of the Board…”

Theo slowly rose from the chair, unsteady on his feet. He didn’t care about this petty war anymore. No matter how Guv played it, Chris was still dead. “I really need to get back.”

“TPB is in the process of shutting down all travel to 1888, saying it’s too unstable,” Klein advised. “They’re pulling out all the tourists and the Rovers. Sending in a big team isn’t going to be an option.”

“I agree,” Theo said. “How many can I have?”

“Whomever I commit to this mission may not return. That means they have to be unmarried.” The agent frowned, thinking it through. “Three agents plus Hopkins. He’s already in ’88. I’ll tell him you’re in charge of the operation.”

“Thank you.”

“If you find Copeland,” Klein began, the smile appearing again, “send him our way.”

“Of course.” Providing he’s still breathing when I finish with him.





Chapter 15




Friday, 9 November, 1888

Arundel Hotel

When Cynda kept ignoring his attempts to rouse her, Mr. Spider threatened to build a web in her left ear. That pulled her out of bed faster than any alarm.

“Other Rovers get nice delusions,” she groused, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“You get what you deserve,” was the swift reply. “Besides, the boss is back. He’s all fired up.”