from his mouth and flicked it onto the floor. The remaining half a tooth began to throb and he dealt with the pain by downing the rest of his red wine. It was drinkable and Wisdom’s man kept pouring. At least he wouldn’t be suffering from alcohol cravings here.
“So, John,” Wisdom said while chewing, “you’ve bravely travelled to terra incognita to find your lady. How chivalrous.”
“It’s my job. I’m in charge of security at the laboratory.”
“I sense there’s more to your actions.”
“I suppose you’re right about that.”
“Then we must assist you. It’s quite the story you’ve told and quite the quest you have embarked upon. There’s heroism, love, the dangers of the unknown, a journey to the underworld where you, Orpheus, do seek your Eurydice.”
“Might as well throw in a helping of Dante while you’re at it.”
Wisdom suddenly looked dreamy. “How I miss those books. How I miss any books. There are some, I’m told, but I possess none. It’s one of our many, many hardships. Are you a man of letters, John? You seem too fit and well-proportioned for the halls of academia.”
“I’m a soldier, a professional soldier. But I read a lot of history. I studied military history at college.”
“Fascinating. In America?”
“West Point. Know it?”
“Yes, I’ve certainly heard of West Point. Your Civil War generals Grant and Lee attended, am I correct?”
“You are.”
“Grant was your President when I died.”
“He was, until 1877.”
“Then you are a scholar and a soldier. Truly marvelous. I presume you were an officer.”
“A major in the US Army.”
Dirk saw an opening into the conversation and took it.
“There’s more to ’im than someone who gives the orders. ’E’s a fighting man. ’E dispatched a right old brute who accosted us in Thamesmead town. And we ’ad a squad of sweepers come through shortly after ’e landed and John put all of ’em down.”
Wisdom looked intrigued. “Is that so? Which squad, Dirk?”
“It was Captain Withers’ and ’e won’t be doing no more sweeping, that’s for damn sure. John ran ’im through with ’is own sword and now ’e’s taken it for ’imself.”
“I thought I recognized the style of weapon on your hip,” Wisdom said. “I am most impressed.”
“I didn’t come out scot-free,” John said.
“I saw you’ve been favoring your shoulder. We shall have fresh bandages and unguent for you anon. Tell me, when you were a soldier, where did you fight?”
“In Iraq and Afghanistan.”
“I don’t know this name, Iraq.”
“In your day it would have been called the Hashemite Empire. Babylonia, in ancient times.”
“Indeed, that is what it’s called here: Babylonia. So, in your twenty-first century, you are still fighting the Crusades?”
“I guess the other side calls it that. We don’t.”
“War is a never-ending story. In your world and in ours.”
“I’d like you to tell me more about your world. If I’m going to rescue Emily, I’ve got to know what I’m dealing with.”
“Quite right. I have been doing all the interrogations. Now it’s your turn. Shall I start with myself?”
“Please.”
“How old do you think I am?”
“I don’t know, fifty?”
“Fifty-five, as of 1874, that is. I was a lawyer in London, with a busy commercial practice. Life was good, or so I thought. I had a comely wife, one son and one daughter who both matured admirably and acquitted themselves well in their early adulthood, though I do not know what became of them. It is enough to know that they did not, to the best of my knowledge, become denizens of this domain. How suddenly things changed for me. I discovered through intercepted correspondence that my wife and my legal partner, one Abner Coopersmith, had been engaging in an affair of the heart. I was blinded by rage and determined to have my revenge. I knew a man, an Irishman in London by the name of Caffrey, who was skilled in the art of
“So, John,” Wisdom said while chewing, “you’ve bravely travelled to terra incognita to find your lady. How chivalrous.”
“It’s my job. I’m in charge of security at the laboratory.”
“I sense there’s more to your actions.”
“I suppose you’re right about that.”
“Then we must assist you. It’s quite the story you’ve told and quite the quest you have embarked upon. There’s heroism, love, the dangers of the unknown, a journey to the underworld where you, Orpheus, do seek your Eurydice.”
“Might as well throw in a helping of Dante while you’re at it.”
Wisdom suddenly looked dreamy. “How I miss those books. How I miss any books. There are some, I’m told, but I possess none. It’s one of our many, many hardships. Are you a man of letters, John? You seem too fit and well-proportioned for the halls of academia.”
“I’m a soldier, a professional soldier. But I read a lot of history. I studied military history at college.”
“Fascinating. In America?”
“West Point. Know it?”
“Yes, I’ve certainly heard of West Point. Your Civil War generals Grant and Lee attended, am I correct?”
“You are.”
“Grant was your President when I died.”
“He was, until 1877.”
“Then you are a scholar and a soldier. Truly marvelous. I presume you were an officer.”
“A major in the US Army.”
Dirk saw an opening into the conversation and took it.
“There’s more to ’im than someone who gives the orders. ’E’s a fighting man. ’E dispatched a right old brute who accosted us in Thamesmead town. And we ’ad a squad of sweepers come through shortly after ’e landed and John put all of ’em down.”
Wisdom looked intrigued. “Is that so? Which squad, Dirk?”
“It was Captain Withers’ and ’e won’t be doing no more sweeping, that’s for damn sure. John ran ’im through with ’is own sword and now ’e’s taken it for ’imself.”
“I thought I recognized the style of weapon on your hip,” Wisdom said. “I am most impressed.”
“I didn’t come out scot-free,” John said.
“I saw you’ve been favoring your shoulder. We shall have fresh bandages and unguent for you anon. Tell me, when you were a soldier, where did you fight?”
“In Iraq and Afghanistan.”
“I don’t know this name, Iraq.”
“In your day it would have been called the Hashemite Empire. Babylonia, in ancient times.”
“Indeed, that is what it’s called here: Babylonia. So, in your twenty-first century, you are still fighting the Crusades?”
“I guess the other side calls it that. We don’t.”
“War is a never-ending story. In your world and in ours.”
“I’d like you to tell me more about your world. If I’m going to rescue Emily, I’ve got to know what I’m dealing with.”
“Quite right. I have been doing all the interrogations. Now it’s your turn. Shall I start with myself?”
“Please.”
“How old do you think I am?”
“I don’t know, fifty?”
“Fifty-five, as of 1874, that is. I was a lawyer in London, with a busy commercial practice. Life was good, or so I thought. I had a comely wife, one son and one daughter who both matured admirably and acquitted themselves well in their early adulthood, though I do not know what became of them. It is enough to know that they did not, to the best of my knowledge, become denizens of this domain. How suddenly things changed for me. I discovered through intercepted correspondence that my wife and my legal partner, one Abner Coopersmith, had been engaging in an affair of the heart. I was blinded by rage and determined to have my revenge. I knew a man, an Irishman in London by the name of Caffrey, who was skilled in the art of
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