know." Jonah looked appraisingly at Synesius. "I know." A waiter approached. Jonah waived him away.
"And why this time and place?" Synesius asked.
"It is crucial in the journey of Sierra Waters – known to you as Hypatia – first known to me as Ampharete," Jonah said.
"Hypatia was born in Alexandria."
"Yes, the original Hypatia," Jonah said. "Not the woman you love, and now know as Hypatia. She took Hypatia's place, after she died."
"I understand." Augustine had told him the same. He had not completely believed him, but it seemed less incredible from this vantage point. "I am afraid someone may have died back there . . . in the chamber in 413, when my chair came to life."
"Likely he did," Jonah said. "A cult has arisen regarding that chamber in 413. . . . Its members believe it holds passage to a blissful afterlife. A similar cult arose in 150 AD."
"Why is that year special?"
"It also is crucial to Sierra Waters – even more so than this year. Part of my task is to guard it–"
"Protect her?"
"Yes, and to protect what happened back then, from Sierra. . . . "
"What does Hypatia – Sierra Waters – wish to . . . undo?"
Jonah smiled, slowly. "You are a rapid learner. Someone that Sierra loved – or cared deeply about – was killed back then, right in front of her eyes. She has every reason to want to go back to that instant to prevent that from happening. She knows, of course, that if she stops the killing, then everything that happened afterwards could well be changed – including this very conversation we now are having. But – she has human frailty, as do we all. Do you understand?"
"I . . . I think so. You are here to make certain that does not happen – or to insure that the person she loved will die back then."
"Yes, although–" Another waiter approached their table.
"If he is a bearer of drink, I would be grateful for a flask of wine," Synesius said.
"Certainly," Jonah said. "Are you hungry?"
"No," Synesius replied.
Jonah spoke to the waiter, who nodded and left.
"You were explaining to me about the person Sierra loved, who died back then – a member of her family?" Synesius asked.
"No," Jonah said, "and–" Another man, broadly smiling, approached their table.
Synesius returned the smile. "The providers of food are very attentive in this future. Perhaps I will have something to eat – a small amount."
"He is not a bearer of drink or food," Jonah said, and stood to greet the man.
Synesius got to his feet, as well.
"This is Max," Jonah made the introduction to Synesius. "He is the one whose death Sierra wants to undo."
* * *
Jonah spoke to Max, quickly, in the language Synesius was hearing all around him. Synesius now realized the language was a type of Germanic, or close to it – not Celtic.
Jonah and Max sat. Synesius followed.
"Salve," Max said slowly to Synesius, in a dialect of Latin he had not encountered before.
Jonah spoke in the Alexandrian dialect of Latin he and Synesius had been speaking before. "I will try to explain his significance," he said to Synesius about Max, and nodded in Max's direction. "He and Sierra – Hypatia – were young lovers, in the land across the great sea, before they or I knew about the chairs."
Synesius looked at Max, who caught the quick glint of admiration and envy in Synesius's eyes. "I am Synesius, Bishop of Ptolemais," Synesius said to Max, very slowly.
"Max," Max replied, smiled, and extended his hand in friendship.
Synesius briefly grasped it.
"The two traveled across the sea in a swift airship – the trip took just a few hours," Jonah continued.
Synesius looked incredulous.
"I know," Jonah said, "I often wonder which is the more miraculous. But travel across time is far more disruptive of the nature of things – of God's law."
A waiter appeared. Jonah spoke to him in the Germanic tongue. The waiter nodded and left. "I ordered something simple, which you should find to your liking," Jonah said to Synesius.
"Thank you," Synesius
"And why this time and place?" Synesius asked.
"It is crucial in the journey of Sierra Waters – known to you as Hypatia – first known to me as Ampharete," Jonah said.
"Hypatia was born in Alexandria."
"Yes, the original Hypatia," Jonah said. "Not the woman you love, and now know as Hypatia. She took Hypatia's place, after she died."
"I understand." Augustine had told him the same. He had not completely believed him, but it seemed less incredible from this vantage point. "I am afraid someone may have died back there . . . in the chamber in 413, when my chair came to life."
"Likely he did," Jonah said. "A cult has arisen regarding that chamber in 413. . . . Its members believe it holds passage to a blissful afterlife. A similar cult arose in 150 AD."
"Why is that year special?"
"It also is crucial to Sierra Waters – even more so than this year. Part of my task is to guard it–"
"Protect her?"
"Yes, and to protect what happened back then, from Sierra. . . . "
"What does Hypatia – Sierra Waters – wish to . . . undo?"
Jonah smiled, slowly. "You are a rapid learner. Someone that Sierra loved – or cared deeply about – was killed back then, right in front of her eyes. She has every reason to want to go back to that instant to prevent that from happening. She knows, of course, that if she stops the killing, then everything that happened afterwards could well be changed – including this very conversation we now are having. But – she has human frailty, as do we all. Do you understand?"
"I . . . I think so. You are here to make certain that does not happen – or to insure that the person she loved will die back then."
"Yes, although–" Another waiter approached their table.
"If he is a bearer of drink, I would be grateful for a flask of wine," Synesius said.
"Certainly," Jonah said. "Are you hungry?"
"No," Synesius replied.
Jonah spoke to the waiter, who nodded and left.
"You were explaining to me about the person Sierra loved, who died back then – a member of her family?" Synesius asked.
"No," Jonah said, "and–" Another man, broadly smiling, approached their table.
Synesius returned the smile. "The providers of food are very attentive in this future. Perhaps I will have something to eat – a small amount."
"He is not a bearer of drink or food," Jonah said, and stood to greet the man.
Synesius got to his feet, as well.
"This is Max," Jonah made the introduction to Synesius. "He is the one whose death Sierra wants to undo."
* * *
Jonah spoke to Max, quickly, in the language Synesius was hearing all around him. Synesius now realized the language was a type of Germanic, or close to it – not Celtic.
Jonah and Max sat. Synesius followed.
"Salve," Max said slowly to Synesius, in a dialect of Latin he had not encountered before.
Jonah spoke in the Alexandrian dialect of Latin he and Synesius had been speaking before. "I will try to explain his significance," he said to Synesius about Max, and nodded in Max's direction. "He and Sierra – Hypatia – were young lovers, in the land across the great sea, before they or I knew about the chairs."
Synesius looked at Max, who caught the quick glint of admiration and envy in Synesius's eyes. "I am Synesius, Bishop of Ptolemais," Synesius said to Max, very slowly.
"Max," Max replied, smiled, and extended his hand in friendship.
Synesius briefly grasped it.
"The two traveled across the sea in a swift airship – the trip took just a few hours," Jonah continued.
Synesius looked incredulous.
"I know," Jonah said, "I often wonder which is the more miraculous. But travel across time is far more disruptive of the nature of things – of God's law."
A waiter appeared. Jonah spoke to him in the Germanic tongue. The waiter nodded and left. "I ordered something simple, which you should find to your liking," Jonah said to Synesius.
"Thank you," Synesius
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