Part 22 (1/2)

Mather looked aghast. 'Tell people I knew it was going to happen, but did nothing about it?'

'I knew about Athens,' Cosgrove said. 'The future has happened. There's nothing we can do to change that not yet. We have to stick to our guns. I'll see you at the airport.'

Chapter Fourteen.

When Rhinos Attack Malady and the Doctor were watching the arrival of the presidential entourage at the Green Hotel from a bar at Athens airport. Malady was drinking a Scotch, the Doctor was nursing a small orange juice.

The airport was too far from the tidal wave to be affected, but had become a focal point for the relief efforts. The concourses had become a makes.h.i.+ft dormitory for some of the tens of thousands who were now homeless. Relief flights were pouring into the city and people were also leaving in droves.

Surprisingly, then, the bar they'd found was almost empty. The sounds of the people chatting, babies crying and children playing filtered up here, but the people themselves stayed down in the concourses. The back wall of the bar was taken up with a big digital datascreen. The disaster in Athens was already struggling to keep its position at the top of the news. There had been a shooting in Tripoli, one vociferously condemned in the Eurozone Parliament, but which the Americans were keeping almost supernaturally quiet about.

The commentators saw it as just another step towards war between Europe and America. That was inevitable now, they were saying.

A report from London there were anti*European demonstrations there. A near*riot in Trafalgar Square, people throwing Euro notes on to a bonfire. The voiceover claimed that a new opinion poll had suggested that if Europe and America went to war, then 84 percent of the British public would side with the Americans, and against the semi*elected government.

Cut to the House of Commons, where the President Minister looking even older and more weary than he had of late was almost drowned out as he recited Britain's obligations under the Articles of European Zoning.

Then cut to scenes in Tripoli another riot, this time burning President Mather in effigy and stamping on the Stars and Stripes.

Malady's eyephones rang.

'Toronto,' the President told her. 'A civil nuclear device goes off in four hours. That's the Fourth Prophecy.'

'We're at Athens airport, and there's still time to get '

'It's a eight hour flight, Malady, you won't have enough time. I'm going to alert the Canadian authorities that we've had a tip*off. They've got enough time to evacuate at least most of the city.'

The Doctor was reaching into his pocket. He took out Roja's time machine, and placed it on the table.

'Tell the President there's no need.' His eyes were full of fire. A chance to save people, Malady realised. A chance to atone for the deaths and suffering here.

'We're on our way,' she said, hanging up.

Her eyephones started ringing again. She switched them off.

The Doctor activated the time machine.

The Onihrs' screens flared, the room filled with scent.

'We have detected an anomalous electronic device.'

Fitz had been dozing off. The Onihrs had taken up his challenge, and, as far as he could tell, the full resources of the Onihr s.h.i.+p were now dedicated to detecting time travel. From what he could gather, though, they had about as much of a clue how to go about it as Fitz would have. They could detect time machines, apparently, but not time travellers themselves.

But they were doing their best. Fitz shook himself awake, and looked at the screen.

There was a map, overlaid with a regular pulsing.

'Our a.n.a.lysis suggests it shows a time displacement of several decades.'

'Location?' the leader asked, lumbering over to one of the consoles.

It was zooming in. First the screen showed the Earth, then the Northern hemisphere, then Europe, then the eastern Mediterranean, then Istanbul, then a small silver helicopter powering over the Bosphorus.

'The device is in that human aircraft. It is heading for a landing area.'

'Leader!' one of the others shouted out, unable to contain his excitement. 'There is a lifeform in that s.h.i.+p showing signs of time displacement.'

They'd run some instruments over Fitz a few hours before, and from that, somehow, they could tell he was a time traveller. The jargon was as impenetrable as ever, but apparently 'crossing the time field' left a 'unique energy signature'. And Fitz had that unique signature.

So did the person in the helicopter. Which meant, if he was feeling pedantic, that it wasn't 'unique' at all.

It also meant it was probably the Doctor or Anji. His instinct said it was Anji he suspected the Doctor's signature really would be unique.

'We shall launch an attack. Ready the landing party.'

The leader turned its vast head to Fitz. 'Onihr technology has triumphed, Doctor.'

'Congratulations,' Fitz said warmly, wondering what he should do next.

Dee called the President's hotel suite on Baskerville's behalf. They were two floors below the presidential suite she gave them the room number and invited the President and no more than one bodyguard down.

When Dee opened the door, she was surprised to see Cosgrove standing there, in front of an oriental woman in jeans, a T-s.h.i.+rt and designer gla.s.ses.

'h.e.l.lo Mr Cosgrove,' she said, without missing a beat. 'Miss, are you by any chance Malady Chang?'

'Penelope Lik,' she said. 'And it's not ”Miss”, it's ”Professor”. ”Emeritus Professor”, if we're standing on ceremony.'

Dee gave a stiff bow. 'Why don't you both come inside?'

Baskerville was waiting inside, with Anji. Dee watched the Asian woman carefully. Baskerville trusted her, but Dee didn't. In the last twenty*four hours, the young woman had claimed to be working for three completely different sides, and had used two names. She couldn't be trusted. It takes one to know one, Dee thought wryly.

Cosgrove looked relaxed. Dee glanced at her watch which contained a portable weapons detector he was carrying a pistol, in a shoulder holster. He had a throwing knife, tucked behind him, and four small explosive charges concealed in his belt. The woman was unarmed.

'So glad you could make it,' Baskerville said. He seemed calm enough.

Cosgrove's head leant slightly towards Anji, and he raised an eyebrow.

'Anji Kapoor,' she said, standing up and offering her hand.

Cosgrove took it and gave it a chivalrous kiss.

'You surround yourself with beautiful women, Baskerville. I approve.'