Edward Graves: Temporal Detective

Jessica looked down the smoky alleyway and just stared at the building that Edward was pointing to. It looked like a grimy old nightclub that hadn’t been painted or cleaned in at least fifty years, and that was from this time, 1928. The only thing that stood out from the grey exterior was a worn-out neon sign that flickered in and out of life. Well at least half of the letters did.

“Welcome to The Chrono-Logic,” exclaimed Edward, “the biggest hotspot for the average Archaic who’s looking for a good night out, hoping to bump into a celebrity from the pages of history, or just interested in hearing the latest temporal gossip.”

“And that’s us, right?”

“You bet! The owner, Archie is an old friend of mine. If anyone’s heard anything about why the Black Glove want the Eternity Stone then it’ll be him.”

“Well no disrespect to your friend, but I think that it’s seen better days.” Jessica felt an icy breeze suddenly cut through her dress and cardigan, making her teeth chatter. “But as long as it’s warm in there I don’t care,” she said as she hugged herself tightly.

“Appearances can be deceiving,” said Edward. “Why don’t we take a look at it from Timespace?”

“OK,” said Jessica, “But I can’t imagine it looking much better in shades of blue.”

She closed her eyes and focused on moving through the cracks between seconds; squeezing her corporeal form out of the physical universe and into the temporal one. She felt her body surge and then vibrate at a great velocity as she felt soft energy flowed around her body. She opened her eyes and gasped.

“OK, not so shabby after all.”

The rundown little building had been transformed into a glorious and luminescent palace of light; blues, pinks and greens that even managed to shine through the azure haze that covered it. Searchlights cut through the sky and there were all manner of people lining up the stairs that led to the doors, all dressed in beautiful tuxedos and cocktail dresses. Jessica looked down at her simple attire and suddenly felt horribly underdressed.

Out of nowhere there was a sudden streak of flesh coloured smoke that whooshed by and coalesced outside the club, taking on the form of a blonde woman. Two more streaks, one dark and the other light whooshed in from the left, also turning into people.

“Is that what it looks like when we’re in Timespace?”

“To an outside observer,” said Edward, “yes. Timespace is kind of tricky when it comes to perspective and relativity and whatnot.”

He held out one vibrating arm and said, “Shall we?”

Jessica smiled and looped her arm through his, relieved that they didn’t just pass through one another and they began walking up to the club.

They walked straight past the people in the line and went straight for the door. Jessica was beginning to wonder just how many lines they could cut in one day, though the people in this line didn’t seem to be very upset, rather many of them were whispering excitedly to one another or pointing in amazement.

“Edward, I think people are gawking at us.”

“Really? They must be mistaking us for a couple of celebrities.”

The bouncer at the door held up a large, resonating hand and said, “Sorry folks, end of the line.” But then he did a double take and lowered his sunglasses then glanced at his clipboard and said, rather apologetically, “Oh Mr. Graves I’m sorry, I didn’t realise...Come in, please, you and your lady friend.” He lowered the red rope that blocked the door and stepped to the side.

“Thank you my good man, you’re too kind.”

They passed through the grand doors and entered a beautiful and ornately decorated entrance hall.

“So I guess that he mistook us for celebrities as well?” Jessica said.

Edward shrugged, “What can I say? Word of my exploits gets around and, as I said, the owner is a friend.”

It was only now that Jessica realised that she was no longer resonating and that the hall was not awash with the familiar blue light of Timespace.

“Aren’t we in Timespace anymore?” she asked as she examined her arm.

“No we’re not. We’re now inside the building in regular space. Though we can only enter the building from Timespace, if you were to try and enter the building from regular space then it would appear abandoned and decrepit.”

Jessica shook her head, “Sounds confusing.”

“Isn’t everything?”

At the end of the hall there was a set of large double doors with brass handles and a man, dressed as if he had stepped right out of King Louis’ court, stood elegantly to the side.

“Ah, Mr. Graves,” he said with an accent that Jessica couldn’t quite place, “how splendid to see you again. Business or pleasure?”

“Business I’m afraid Sidney.”

“It always is with you,” he tutted, “you need to learn to unwind from time to time.” He looked at Jessica and said, “And who is this lovely lady?”

“Jessica Lazarus, pleased to meet you,” she said before Edward had a chance.

“The pleasure is all mine, you may call me Sidney,” he said before gently kissing her hand. “I shall announce you presently,” he said before gripping both door handles.

“Actually,” said Edward as he placed a hand gently on Sidney’s arm, “I’d rather if you didn’t. I’ve never been one for fanfare. Besides, I’d like to see the look on Archie’s face when I surprise him.”

Sidney nodded politely, “But of course.”

“Thanks,” whispered Jessica to Edward, relieved that she wouldn’t have to face the embarrassment of countless strangers staring at her, out of place and drastically underdressed.

The doors opened and a wave of orchestral music flooded over her body, sending chills down her spine. She wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but it was beautiful.

The space beyond the doors was just as breathtaking as the music and was certainly not what Jessica had expected when Edward had called the Chrono-Logic a nightclub.

She was bathed in a golden light as she examined the cavernous room before her, which was more like a ballroom than a club. The room was divided into two main sections; an outer circle of tables and a spacious dance floor in the middle. There was also a large band stand for what looked like a small Chamber Orchestra being conducted by a funny looking man with fluffy white hair. The whole affair was illuminated by gigantic chandeliers which hung from the ceiling, like golden fireworks suspended in mid-air. Jessica was reminded of the movie Titanic.

The whole room was filled with people in fine dinnerware either engaged in friendly conversation, dancing and spinning around the dance floor or eating food which seemed to vary from Lobster to Hamburgers. Waiters and waitresses criss-crossed and zigzagged their way through the crowded room in an expert pattern as they carried fine silver trays of food and drink. There was even a large bar at the back of the room, scattered with a few individuals at various stages of intoxication.

“Ah Mr. Graves!” said Sidney, as though he had just remembered something, “I’m terribly sorry, but I forgot to tell you that Mr. Wright is in the Schrödinger room this evening.”

“Of course, the bar, where else?” said Edward.

Surprisingly, Sidney actually pulled the doors closed, which confused Jessica greatly.

“Aren’t we going in?” she asked.

“Oh we are,” said Edward, “just not that room.”

Jessica cocked her head but Edward just told her to wait for a moment. Sidney gripped the door handles again and closed his eyes, sending faint swirls of blue energy down his arms and into the door.

He pulled the doors open and Jessica’s ears were assaulted by a horrible, screeching, pounding sound. She had to press her hands hard against her ears to protect them as best they could. With one eye open she could see that the majestic ballroom and dining area had been replaced by pulsating strobe lights and dozens of young people jumping around and dancing in a most provocative manner. The orchestra had been replaced by a DJ covered in glow sticks and the music he was playing was definitely not classical.

The doors swiftly closed with a loud thud and the horrendous sound of the ‘music’ was silenced.

“My sincerest apologies!” said Sidney who was rubbing his ear and making strange expressions with his face. “A slight miscalculation on my part.”

“What just happened?” asked Jessica a little too loudly.

“Just a simple Temporal Overlay,” said Edward. “Archie built this place so that Archaics of all ages, from all times could have a place to mix and socialise. So in addition to the main version of the Chrono-Logic, which we saw before, he also set up a few alternate versions in different points in time. Sidney here, as well as the other doormen, can switch between them through the use of Temporal Energy.”

“Yes and I apologise, but I do make the occasional mistake.” Sidney gripped the door handles and once again blue energy flowed down his arms and into the door. This time though, when he opened the doors, Jessica didn’t need to cover her ears. This time the room was a quiet little lounge with a large bar that occupied the entire back wall and some soft jazz being played by a live band. Cocktail waitresses wearing big smiles and not a whole lot else strutted around rhythmically, carrying carefully balanced trays of drinks to patrons, most of whom were cigar-chomping men.

“Voila!” said Sidney. “I have redeemed myself; shall I announce you this time?”

Edward waved his hand in a dismissive gesture and then bid him thanks as he stepped through the doorway. Jessica felt an odd sensation as she followed Edward through; like a pulse passed through her entire body, causing her to have a mini-convulsion, knocking the wind from her lungs.

“Are you OK?” asked Edward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Passing through a Timespace shortcut like that can hit you hard, but it’ll pass in a moment.”

He was right, Jessica was already feeling better; the wave of energy had completely passed through her. The only problem now was that the excessive amount of cigar smoke in the room was burning her lungs and making her eyes water. It smelt like somebody had shoved burning matches up her nostrils and left them there for a few days.

“Passive smoking isn’t much of a concern around here, is it?” she choked out.

“Yes, it’s quite vulgar isn’t it? Unfortunately though there isn’t a whole lot that we can do about it, so might I suggest holding your breath for as long as possible?”

Jessica gave Edward a look that said, ‘are you serious?’ He just smiled and gave a soft shrug.

They made their way through the cushy chairs and little tables, overhearing various dirty jokes and other profanities, until they eventually reached the bar at the back of the room. Edward walked towards one of the stools and a man in a red suit, nursing a glass of Scotch.

Before Edward could even touch him on the shoulder he spoke, with an accent that Jessica thought may have been from northern England. “Good god, look at the rabble they’re letting into this respectable establishment these days. I shall have to speak to the owner; the bouncer will lose his job for this, for sure.”

“Respectable establishment?” Edward scoffed, “I should hope not. I find that the respectable ones are usually rather dull.”

The man turned around and opened his arms, “Edward Graves my dear fellow, it’s been far too long!” Surprisingly, Edward actually received his hug without any fuss, even adding a few pats on the back for good measure.

Edward then touched Jessica gently on the arm and said, “Jessica I’d like you to meet Mr. Archibald Wright. Archie I’d like you to meet my new partner in training, Jessica Lazarus.”

Archie turned his attention to Jessica and shook his head. “Oh now this is a disgrace.”

Jessica winced. “Pardon?” she stammered, shocked.

“How did such a charming young lady end up in the company of this vagabond?”

Jessica smiled; her self-esteem no longer under threat.

“It’s a dire shame my dear,” continued Archie. “May I?” He grabbed Jessica’s hand and placed a soft kiss upon it.

Jessica blushed, “Ah, gee, thanks.” She thought that after all of the chivalrous attention which she’d received from men over the last few days, that she’d be used to it by now. But evidently it was still proving to be a shock to her Twenty-First Century self.

“Watch it Archie,” said Edward, “she’s still learning the ropes and I don’t want you to give her a...poor impression of Archaics. Understood?”

Archie just shrugged, “My dear Edward I have only the best intentions for your young companion. Why, if she’s your partner then she’s practically family.”

“Family in training,” corrected Edward.

Archie admonished Edward with a hand gesture and then said to Jessica, “If you ever need anything and the old windy-wallets over there isn’t around, don’t hesitate to ask me for help.”

“Thanks,” said Jessica, genuinely appreciative, “that means a lot.”

Edward made a sound like he was clearing his throat and then took his hat off and sat it on the bar. “Now unfortunately this isn’t a social call,” he said as he took a seat at the bar and gestured for Jessica to do the same.

“It never is old boy, it never is. But come, let’s discuss this in more comfortable surrounds.” With a snap of his fingers Archie summoned the bartender, “A round of drinks, delivered to my office, if you could be so kind. Scotch on the rocks for me, Edward the usual I take it?”Edward nodded an affirmative. “And for you my dear?”

Jessica wasn’t much of a drinker and even if she were she wouldn’t think it a good idea to drink on the job; keep a clear head and all that. “Just an Orange Juice for me thanks.”

Archie motioned for the bartender to get the drinks, before leading Edward and Jessica into a back room, which turned out to be a rather lavish office, even more luxurious than Dr. Churchill’s.

Archie walked past his large, Mahogany desk and instead sat in a high-backed armchair, offering Edward and Jessica seats opposite him.

A moment later there was a soft knock on the open door and in came a smiling Chinese waitress with brunette hair carrying a silver tray of drinks. Jessica felt a little indignant about how she was dressed. As with all the waitresses she wore a black strapless leotard that resembled a one piece swimsuit, stockings, high-heels, a white collar and cuffs and a red bow-tie. It was the typical kind of clothing that men made women wear for their own amusement; giving them something to ogle while they chomped their cigars and threw back their drinks. Unfortunately everyone is a product of their time, even Archaics.

“Ah thank you Lucy darling,” said Archie.

“You’re most welcome Mr. Wright,” she said in fluent English while she set out the drinks, bending lower than was strictly necessary. To his credit, Edward didn’t seem to notice and simply thanked her politely, before retrieving a curly straw from his coat pocket. “And an Orange Juice for the young lady,” she said finally, smiling cheerily at Jessica. She gave an uncomfortable smile in return and took a sip from her juice.

It was only once the waitress had wiggled her way out of the room and closed the door behind her that Jessica noticed what Edward was drinking. “Is that custard?” she asked in disbelief.

“Why yes it is,” said Edward rather excitedly. “And it’s delicious!” He rubbed his hands together and then put his curly straw into the glass of thick, yellow dessert.

“You drink custard through a curly straw,” she asked, still in disbelief.

“Only when I’m in public,” he assured her. “Ah home I generally just take it right from the glass. But it can get a bit messy sometimes, so better safe than sorry, eh?”

Jessica looked at Archie who just shrugged and gave a silent laugh. “That’s our Edward,” he said. “He’s been drinking custard for as long as I’ve known him,” he said.

“And how long is that exactly?” She was still looking at Edward out of the corner of her eye, watching the creamy yellow mass travelling up his straw and doing a triple loop the loop before entering his mouth. It was a little disconcerting.

“Oh since the Earth was a molten mass,” said Edward, dabbing at his mouth with a handkerchief.

“It certainly feels like it,” said Archie. “We met at the Academy; the Temporal Council’s Archaic Academy. We both came from the Nineteenth Century, though I was from the decade after Edward, but we stuck together. We built up a bit of a gang with some other Victorians.”

Edward chuckled, “We were hardly a gang. More like a glorified study group.”

“A study group that once left one of the Titanic’s life boat’s in the Commandant’s office? Complete with ice?”

“Yes well...” said Edward. “There may have been a few good natured practical jokes here or there.”

Archie laughed so hard that he nearly spilt his scotch. Nearly. “My dear Jessica, you absolutely have to ask him about the time when...” he laughed and slapped his knee, “the time when...he...he...thought it’d be a good idea to teach a Zulu Warrior how to...” he could barely get the words out, “poor Jenkins was in hospital for a week!” He completely fell apart now and Jessica was surprised that he was able to stay in his seat.

“To be fair, I did send him flowers every day,” said Edward, also laughing a little. He looked at Jessica, “You really don’t want to know.”

They waited for a few minutes as Archie calmed down, wiping tears from his eyes and regaining his composure. “Oh forgive me old friend and my new friend. You see this lark and I had some truly wonderful times together and as I get older it feels as though I have to fight to hold on to those memories.” He straightened up and took a sip of his drink. “Now, how may I help you my friends?”

Edward placed his glass on the table before making himself comfortable in the chair and pressing his finger tips together gently in his lap. “What have you heard about The Black Glove lately; Hayden Crawlfield’s lot. Jessica and I have had a few run-ins with them lately and they’re behaving in a way which doesn’t quite fit their bill.”

“How so?” asked Archie, intrigued.

“Well for starters,” said Edward, “they attacked Jessica here, who was a Linear at the time, in her home to retrieve a stolen necklace which she’d received unknowingly from a thief for hire.”

“The Eternity Stone?” asked Archie. Edward nodded. “You poor girl,” he said to Jessica, “that must have been horrible.”

“It wasn’t one of my better nights, let’s put it that way.”

“Furthermore,” continued Edward, “When we attempted to return the Stone to the Archfield Museum, we found them waiting, with one of them posing as the Curator. They took the real curator as a hostage. Fortunately I was able to swap out the real Stone for a decoy, but I’d wager that they’ll be coming after the real deal soon enough.” Edward picked up his glass and took a long sip of his custard. “Now I don’t know about you Arch, but it seems like they’re going to an awful lot of trouble for one gem.”

Archied nodded silently, nursing his Scotch. ’You’re not wrong there,” he said and then downed the last of his drink. “As it happens, I have heard rumblings; more like whispers really, about some strange goings-on within The Black Glove. A lot of the lower members frequent my establishment, I maintain neutrality here as you know Edward. So as long as everybody plays nice, I let them in.” He spoke directly to Jessica for those last two sentences.

“What kind of whispers exactly?” asked Edward, with his curly straw sticking from his mouth.

“There’s been talk of a leadership change. The Black Glove is under new management, as it were.”

Edward looked astonished, “Somebody took out Crawlfield?”

“Not quite,” said Archie. “From what I hear Crawlfield is still the official leader as far as the men are concerned, but he’s more of a figurehead now. The real person pulling the strings is some mysterious newcomer; someone whom even Crawlfield ‘The Beserker’ is scared of.” Archie scoffed, “Now that’s a worrying thought.”

“Yes, it is,” said Edward. Jessica noted that he had a particular look in his eye when he was processing information. She could almost see his mind ticking away; calculating; sorting through what he was learning and categorising it, filing it away and formulating or adjusting theories to suit.

“So this new leader,” ventured Jessica, “he’s the one who wants the Eternity Stone so desperately?”

“That would be my best guess,” said Archie. He attempted to sip his Scotch but then remembered that his glass now contained only ice. He looked at it disappointedly and shook it a little, before resigning himself to his fate and placing it on the table.

“But hiring a cat-burglar to steal it once is one thing,” said Edward, “but why did they try to steal it a second time, using their own men, when we tried to return it to the museum? It seems like a lot of risk and planning for a single piece of jewellery. Do you know anything about this new player at all?”

“Sorry old chap, not an ounce of information. As far as I know, nobody knows anything at all and you know how steadily information flows through my establishment. If I haven’t heard anything than this fellow must be more than secretive; he must be a ghost.”

“Hmm,” said Edward. “I hate trying to arrest ghosts; it’s a nightmare trying to get the handcuffs to stay on.”

Jessica thought that she’d take a stab at her own line of inquiry; she was, after all, a detective in training. “So what makes the Eternity Stone so special anyway? I mean it was on display in a museum and it sure is different to any gem that I’ve ever seen, not that that’s a particularly broad sample, so what makes it so different? Edward you said something about it being time-sensitive and absorbing Chronon Radiation. Maybe whatever makes the Stone unique has something to do with why they’re so hell-bent on getting their hands on it.”

Edward gave Jessica a broad smile and said, “Atta girl.”

Jessica gave her own smile in return, though she did her best not to let her cheeks knock her eyeballs out. After all, she didn’t want to seem too desperate for approval.

“As a matter of fact the Eternity Stone is unique,” said Edward. “It was found in India in 2322 during an excavation project. It completely threw the world’s greatest Geologists and Minerologists for a loop; they’d never seen anything like it. It’s twice as hard as Diamond with a unique lattice unlike anything ever observed and whatever element or elements it’s made of aren’t found on the Periodic Table and seem to bond in a way unlike anything else in the universe. It also has unique properties when it comes to radiation, especially Time Radiation.”

“Chronons,” said Jessica understandingly.

Edward nodded. “The trouble is that nobody could ever really figure out what to do with it or how to properly understand it. So it was donated to the Archield Institute in 2391 and it’s remained there since. Until now of course. Naturally the Temporal Council keeps a close eye on it, that’s why they ensured that it was sent to a museum founded by an Archaic.”

Jessica found it utterly bizarre having a history lesson about the future, but incredibly fun at the same time. She wanted to ask about the museum being founded by an Archaic, but felt that it wasn’t really important right now and filed it away with the four thousand other questions she planned to ask later.

“So could they use the Stone and it’s time-sensitiveness in any way? I don’t know, can it be used as a weapon or something?”

Edward shook his head. “No, the Council made sure of that, they ran their own tests independently of the Linear scientists. It’s not dangerous in any way, it just glows in the presence of Chronons, i.e. Time Travellers, that’s all.”

Archie cleared his throat and said, “Well...” He deliberately let his words hang as he and Edward shared a look. Amazingly Edward managed to convey the impression of rolling his eyes without so much as tilting his head. It was extraordinary.

“Well, it could have something to do with the legend,” said Archie.

“Ah! Here we go,” said Edward.

“What? It makes sense doesn’t it? It provides the motivation that you’ve been looking for.”

“No, not motivation, fabrication. Folklore; fairytale; myth; that’s all the legend is,” he said, waving his curly straw like a sword. “Hayden Crawlfield would not go to so much trouble and risk over a superstition. No matter how scary his new boss is.”

“Hey guys, mind filling me in?” Jessica had to wave her hands a bit to get their attention.

“It’s nothing much really,” said Edward. “It’s just a story about origin of the stone.”

“Story or not,” said Archie, “there are people who believe in these things, you must admit that old boy. People have gone to war for a lot less. After all, what are ideals if not stories that we tell ourselves?”

Edward tilted his head forward a little. “I suppose. But I’m still not convinced.”

Jessica really felt out of the loop and desperately wanted to be brought up to speed. “Guys? The legend, please?”

Edward finished the last of his custard, abandoning his straw and downing it in one swift gulp. “Delicious,” he said with honest content. “Archie, you seem to be the expert on the legend, why don’t you regale Jessica?”

“My pleasure,” said Archie. He leaned forward and faced Jessica. “Are you comfortable? Good. Here is The legend of the Eternity Stone, or so it is told...”

“...Millions of years ago, at the dawn of time, a beast was born from the darkness. This beast was unlike any other, for it did not eat maidens, nor children, nor men, nor animal or plant of any kind. The only thing that could whet this beast’s appetite was time itself.”

“Wait,” interjected Jessica, “a monster that eats time? Is that possible?” Jessica found it hard to gauge what was realistic and what wasn’t anymore, so she just had to ask.

“Well,” started Archie.

“Not really,” finished Edward.

“Nothing is impossible,” retorted Archie. “Isn’t that what you always say old boy?”

“True,” said Edward. “But by that logic, impossibility is in fact impossible, making your previous statement invalid. Never trust my logic, it tends to be all gobbity libbity.”

Archie’s face went slack. “You can be downright infuriating at times, you know that right?”

“You’d be surprised how often I hear that,” said Edward with a look of surprise.

Jessica cleared her throat loudly. “Can we continue please?”

“Yes,” agreed Edward, “but perhaps the abridged version, eh Arch?”

Archie sighed. “You really know how to spoil my fun old boy. Very well. The gist of the story is this: The beast was on the verge of destroying the whole of time and space; all of history erased by its hunger. To fight it, time sent forth a hero to slay the time-eating beast. But being a noble man, he did not slay the beast, because after all, it wasn’t the beast’s fault that it had to eat time in order to survive. Anyway, he imprisoned the beast in a box at the very beginning of time, where it would be cursed to spend all of eternity removed from time; alive yet separate from all else. As a reward for this deed, time promised to protect the hero for the rest of his life. Oh and I forgot to mention that the beast had a third eye that shone like a jewel. The hero took this third eye as a reminder of the dangers of lust and hunger. Remember that, it’ll be important later.”

“Unfortunately for our hero,” he continued, “the beast was quite cunning and had a plan for revenge and freedom. Using its former third eye the beast was able to seal the knight in a box as well. Inside this box the knight would live as normal, except time would not be able to touch him; he was cursed to be immortal, watching his loved ones fall around him.” Archie sighed and shook his head, sadness glinting in his eyes. “Can you imagine such a thing? People always seem to think that death is the ultimate price to pay. But sometimes, sometimes life can be a far greater punishment.”

Archie’s face turned two shades sadder than it had been before and he swallowed hard. He looked at Edward and he returned the gaze, but before long Edward broke away and turned his attentions back to his glass. It spoke volumes about the two men and Jessica was beginning to feel suspicions building inside her mind.

The thought of immortality had always sounded so amazing to Jessica. But now the mere thought of watching her friends and family die of old age while she remained young, sent a shiver down her spine. She remembered when she and Edward had synchronised; when she had seen his Timeline. He was immortal but he had not explained to her how he had come to be that way. Could the legend be more than a legend? She looked at Edward, sitting there and playing with his curly straw. He sensed her eyes upon him and looked up at her and for a moment, just a moment, they’re eyes were locked and she saw an endless pool of pain and tragedy; of loss and suffering; of age too great to bear and guilt to heavy to share.

Then he looked away to just above her eyes and he smiled that big grin of his and he made a stupid joke. But just for a second he had let his mask slip and now when she looked at him, she could see that pain as clear as day, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

The silence in the room was becoming deafening so Jessica had to end it. “So how does the stone fit into the story?”

“Good question,” chirped Edward.

“Ah, well the legend goes on to say that the knight eventually realised that the beast was the cause of his misfortune. Upon coming to this conclusion he buried the beast’s third eye deep within the earth, hoping to rid himself of its influence and leave the beast to its isolation.”

Jessica thought about this for moment before voicing her theory. “So the third eye of the beast...that’s the Eternity Stone?”

“Well,” mused Archie, “according to the legend.”

“But even if that were true,” said Jessica, “or at least they believed it to be true, what use could they have for the magic eye of some time-eating monster locked away at the dawn of time?”

“Well I can’t say anything with certainty, but I have heard a couple of rumours; crazy stories really, that this new leader wants to use the Stone to free the beast from its prison and bring it under his control. How he intends to do that, I haven’t a clue.” He paused for a moment as if choosing his next words wisely. “Now I don’t blame you for being sceptical Edward, we both know that there aren’t any beasts at the dawn of time. You more than most.” There was one of those shared looks again. “But we both know that there is something or someone locked away back there.”

Edward didn’t break away this time, he just faced Archie, his expression not giving anything away. Jessica got the impression that they were having an entire conversation between themselves, communicated solely through a gaze. In the end it was Archie that broke away. Edward stood up and began to pace around the chairs in wide circles. “That’s ridiculous, I can count the people who know about him on one hand and I trust them all, even if some of them want me dead. But let’s say that is their goal, even if they are trying to free him, how do they plan to do it and why?”

Archie nodded in agreement but then a thought flashed across his face. “Do you think that a Genetic Imprint Isolator would help?”

Edward stopped in his tracks and did a double take. “What?”

Archie walked over to a large filing cabinet and began rummaging through one of the metallic drawers. He pulled out a file and said, “Aha!” He placed a transparent A4 sheet on the table in front of Jessica, which brought Edward over, hunching over to look at it.

Jessica didn’t understand what was going on so she leant forward to get a closer look. She watched Edward wave his fingers over the sheet, causing a scroll of text and images to fill it. His eyes darted from left to right while he flicked his free index finger to scroll down at a frightening pace. He looked increasingly concerned as he read. Finally he came to the end.

“Now that is worrying,” he muttered before handing the sheet back to Archie.

“Edward what is it?” Jessica tried to look at the sheet but Archie had already taken it back.

“It was a report,” replied Edward.

“A report on what?”

“A government report detailing the creation and subsequent theft of a Genetic Imprint Isolator, developed by the Indonesian Government in the 44th Century.”

Sometimes Jessica honestly thought that Edward didn’t remember that she was still new to all of this and thus needed some extra information from time to time. “Let’s just pretend for a minute that I’m still new to all of this; do you mind telling me what a Genetic Imprint Isolator is?”

Archie answered her immediately. “Well it’s a rather brilliant device which allows one to track an individual, no matter where they are in Time, by locking on to their genetic imprint. All you have to do is place a sample of DNA into the machine and you can find the person it belongs to anywhere in time and space. Obviously you need to have a sample of their DNA to begin with but it’s still a pretty handy little gadget.”

“I see,” said Jessica. “It sounds like it’d be handy in your line of work Edward.”

Edward smiled and gave a nod. “Well that was the idea behind its creation. It was thought that these devices could be used to track down temporal criminals. But,” Edward said with a sigh, “as usual, it didn’t take long for the technology to fall into the wrong hands and be used for other purposes.”

“What kind of other purposes?”

“Well it was soon discovered by certain nefarious individuals that they could use the device to not only locate people in time, but that they could also remove those people; erase them from existence altogether.”

The thought of someone being able to erase her very existence from afar made her feel a bit sick inside.

“Needless to say,” continued Archie, “the Temporal Council outlawed the manufacture and use of G.I.Is almost immediately. They placed agents inside the Linear governments and organisations who were developing them and tied up all of their work with a decent length of red tape, topped with a bow of bureaucracy.”

“Well it sounds like those guys didn’t get the memo,” said Jessica, indicating the file in Archie’s hand. “So is it safe to assume that our friends with the black gloved hands are responsible for relieving the Indonesians of their top secret whatsy-callit?”

“I’d put money on it,” said Edward. “If I were a gambling man of course. Which I’m not. Well that’s not strictly true; I take a gamble every time I step out my door of course. Then of course there was that one time with Sir Francis Drake; most rousing game of Lawn Bowls I ever played. I’m sorry where was I? That’s right, work; The Black Glove and the G.I.I!”

Edward began stroking his chin, looking much like a man who was deep in his own thoughts. “But even if they do have a G.I.I it won’t do them any good. For one thing they don’t have the Stone and for another they don’t have a Complete Temporal Observation Stand-Point.”

“Okay,” said Jessica, beginning to lose her patience for all of this jargon that she didn’t understand, “can someone please give me a glossary or a vocabulary list, or ‘An Idiot’s Guide to Time Travel’ or something?”

“Oh right, sorry. When one has a brain such as mine it can be difficult to remember that others need time to catch up.

“Oh Edward, I doubt that anyone has a brain like yours.” She was pretty sure that Edward took this as a compliment. It wasn’t.

“A Complete Temporal Observation Stand-Point, or CTOSP,” continued Edward, “is like a sort of peephole in the universe. It’s an anomaly, a rupture in time and space through which the entirety of the Spacetime and all of Timespace can be seen.”

“It really is quite a beautiful sight,” said Archie. “If the sheer intensity doesn’t kill you or drive you mad, that is.”

“So you guys have seen one of these Complete Temporal...thingies?”

“Oh yes, seen one, felt one, smelt one,” said Edward, “which leads me to a concern that’s been lurking at the back of mind for the duration of this conversation Archie. There’s only one Complete Temporal Observation Stand-Point that I know of, in the whole universe.”

Archie nodded, his jaw set tight. “The Furnace.”

“Exactly. Before you ask high inquisitor; miss ‘you never tell me what anything means,’” said Edward mere milliseconds after Jessica opened her mouth, “The Furnace is what we call the CTOSP that’s operated by the Temporal Council and it’s one of the most heavily guarded whosiewhatsits in all of time and space.”

Archie shook his head. “There’s no way that the Black Glove would try to attack the Council. To do something so brazen would mean they’d either have to be incredibly sure of themselves or incredibly stupid. That’s a straight out act of war.”

Edward stroked his chin as he paced. “A little bit of column A, a little bit of column B, I’d say. He made an unsure gesture with his other hand. “But no matter how cuckoo their new leader is, he’s not going to make a move on the Council until they’ve got all of the other, less Wrath of God earning, pieces together. So that means that they’re going to come after the Stone again, lucky me,” he said that last part with enthusiasm so great that Jessica wasn’t sure whether he was faking it or actually being sincere.

“Do you still have the Stone?” asked Archie. ’Don’t tell me where it is, a simple yes or no will suffice.”

“I’m keeping it close at hand,” he said, tapping his cane against his leg. “It’s always by my side, don’t you worry.”

Archie groaned. “Well now I know that it’s in your cane don’t I?”

“Not necessarily,” said Edward.

“You couldn’t help it, could you?” Archie sighed, “There goes my plausible deniability.”

“That’s OK if anybody asks, you don’t have to deny that it’s plausible, just don’t confirm that it’s truthful.”

There was a little bit more general chit-chat but after ten minutes or so, Edward thought that it was time to get moving.

Archie escorted them out of his office and back to the magic doorway, as Jessica liked to think of it.

“Thank you old friend,” said Edward, “I know what I have to do now.”

“Don’t mention it old boy,” said Archie with a dismissive gesture. “Now don’t you be a stranger! I’d like to see you dropping around to my place for a social call some time. You too Jessica.”

“You know me Arch, busy schedule and all.” His smile softened and he clasped his friend firmly, moving in for a man hug. “I’m sure I’ll be able to find time soon. You’ll never let me hear the end of it otherwise.”

With a final nod Edward walked through the giant gold and wooden doors, a swirl of blue light swathing around him, before the doors slammed shut again.

“It’s been a pleasure meeting you,” said Jessica before heading to the door to do likewise.

“Just one more thing,” said Archie, taking Jessica by surprise.

“Oh? Sure, what’s up?”

Archie gave her a smile that was somehow different to anything she’d seen him use with Edward. This wasn’t an attempt at charm, but rather a genuine look of concern.

“Just keep an eye on the old boy, will you? He may seem like he’s this great, all-knowing saviour of the universe sometimes, which is how he likes people to think of him. But underneath he has a lot of emotional damage and a lot of vulnerability. He tries to hide them away, but they’re there and I worry about him sometimes. I worry about him a lot actually. This case in particular could prove troubling for him.”

Jessica was feeling concerned herself now. Concerned but curious. “Why do you say that?”

Archie looked as though he was about to say something, but just then the doors opened again and there was that same swirling of blue energy. Edward’s voice echoed out to them from the hall outside. “Archie do stop boring my partner and let her come and bask in my greatness!”

Jessica laughed, but became disheartened when she realised that Archie had given up on whatever it was he was going to say.

“Just be there for him ok?” He finally said. “I’m sure he’ll tell you everything when the time comes, but until then just be there for him; be more than his partner or his student, be his friend. I can assure you that he needs you more than you may realise; it’s not often that he actually lets people into his life.”

Jessica felt as though a great weight of responsibility had just been placed on to her shoulders, but at the same time she felt that her bond with Edward had strengthened. With a smile and a nod of her head she bade Archie farewell one final time before heading out to catch up with Edward. She felt that pulse of energy again, but she was prepared for it this time and let it pass through her harmlessly.

Edward was waiting with his back to the door, his hands resting gently on his cane and Sidney was still in his place, smiling at her as she came through. They bade farewell to Sidney and exited the club. Edward pulled his hat on as they entered Timespace again and walked down the stairs, past the long line of guests waiting to enter. Shortly after that they were back in Edward’s library. He suggested a leisurely afternoon stroll to unwind and work out their next step.

“So,” he said as he took her arm in his, “what did you think of Archie and his little club?”

“He seems like a good guy; quite the charmer isn’t he?”

Edward faced her with a smile on his face. “Yes he is. What’s more, he’s saved my life more times than I can count. Of course, I’ve reciprocated a few times myself. The point is that Archie is one of my oldest and dearest friends and there’s nobody whom I trust more than he.” For a moment he seemed to be lost inside his own thoughts, gazing out at something that only he could see. Then, just as quickly, he was back in the present. “Now Jessica my dear, I think that you’ve earned yourself a bit of a rest before the next stage of our investigation.”

Jessica didn’t want to complain, but it had been one hell of a day. Had it been a day? Yes she was pretty sure that it had. Who would have thought that you could fit so much into a single day; nearly one thousand years actually.

“Some R and R would be nice,” she said.

“Good, it’s settled then. Take the rest of the day off and we’ll resume tomorrow. What time shall I come by?”

Jessica had to concentrate very hard to get dates and times sorted in her head. “Um, nine?” she ventured. “In the morning. I take it that tomorrow we’re going to Indonesia?”

“Smart girl, I want to investigate crime scene, you never know what you can learn from a fresh crime scene.”

Jessica felt the chilling spring breeze slice through her clothes. “As long as it’s warm then I’ll be thrilled!”