Organization: Penn State University Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 00:52:22 EDT From: Marshall Ryan Maresca Message-Id: <93238.005222MRM122@psuvm.psu.edu> Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: Roundtable #5 IN THE KNICK OF TIME by Marshall Ryan Maresca Every time when I leap, there is some emotional discomfort in adjusting to the new situation that I am in, from electric chairs to being pushed on stage. After over a hundred leaps or so, I'd figured I could handle that discomfort pretty well. However, no amount of leaping prepares you for the physical discomfort of having an ice-cold beer poured down your back. The crowd danced and jigged around, spilling more beer on the wooden floor. They were all wearing Shakesperian-period dress, and the band, the "Krewe of Bacchus" as I gathered, were playing some folk tune with traditional instruments: mandolin, freezipper, and a couple others whose names hovered right outside my swiss-cheesed memory. "Quite a party, isn't it, Sam?" said Al, who had suddenly appeared beside me in his usual fashion. His choice of fashion seemed to match the people around me- he was wearing doublet, hose and a cape, all green. "Yeah, I guess," I said, "Outside." "What?" said one of the party-goers. "Outside," I said, "I just wanted to get some air." He merely nodded and drank deeply from his beer mug. I slipped out and found Al waiting there already, in his usual pose of handlink in his left hand and cigar in his right. "Where the hell am I?" I asked Al. "Sterling, New York," said Al, "It's about an hour east of Rochester, the same north of Syracuse. It's August 31st, 1980." "People are acting this way in 1980? I would have sworn I was in the late sixties." "It's a Rennasaince Faire, Sam. Didn't you ever go to one?" "I don't think they had them in Indiana." "Well, I don't know about that. Anyways, the Faire goes on over the weekend. Most of the performers, which includes you, Kyle Edwards, age 23, of Fairport, come up here on Saturday morning, do the Faire, party some, stay overnight, do the Faire again, and go back to their regular jobs Monday morning." "So it's a stomping ground for mediocre actors?" "No, Sam, not at all!" said Al, obviously annoyed with me, "Look, in a way, they do the same thing we do- they're trying to recapture the past." I couldn't help but smile. I'd seen Al intense about a lot of things, mostly women or flying. I didn't realize he liked these fairs so much. "OK, Al, I'm sorry. So why am I here? Let me guess, I'm here to get Kyle discovered so he can do Twelfth Night on Broadway." "No, Sam." said Al, looking at the handlink very seriously, "According to a coroner's report dated September 2nd, 1980, Kyle Edwards was killed- stabbed through the heart." "Stabbed... through the heart?" I asked, I little shocked. Every time Al gives me that historical glimpse at my own mortality, a shiver runs through my spine. Looking at Al, I could tell he feels the same way, knowing that if I don't change things, I'm already dead. "How did, uh, does it happen?" "We're not sure yet. Gooshie is running some scenarios with Ziggy. I'll have more later. But that report was made on next Monday, and based on his estimated time of death, it doesn't happen until Sunday night. So we have some time. Don't worry, Sam." With that, Al punched in the door code, and slipped through. "Yeah, don't worry," I said to no one in particular. "But I AM worried, Kyle," said a female voice behind me. I turned to face her. She was a young girl, at least by my standards, about 20, with long red hair, wearing a period dress, cut quite low. I forced my eyes back to her face and thanked God that Al had left. "Why are you worried?" I asked her, doing my usual "playing it by ear" routine. "It's Dan," she said, "He's gotten more and more suspicious." "He... has?" I asked, fearing the worst, since that was usually what I got anyway. "Oh, Kyle," she said, "I don't want to lose you!" And with that, she kissed me. Now, I might have been somewhat socially inept when I was that age, but it doesn't take a quantum physicist to figure this situation out. When she pulled back, I noticed a diamond ring on her left hand. "But, Dan is you husband," I said, trying to sound more like I was stating a fact rather than asking a question. "I know," she said, "And this is our last weekend together. I want to spend it with you." "I knew it," said a voice in the shadows, who then stepped out, a man with dark hair and a strong build. It was easy to guess who this was. "Um, Dan, let me explain," I said. "I don't want to hear an explanation, Edwards! Laurie, we're going back to our tent." "No," she said, but with a lot of fear in her voice, a kind of fear that triggered my swiss-cheesed memory: Chuck and Katie. "You are coming," he said, and raised up his hand. Instinct took over for me- I grabbed it mid-swing. "Don't touch her," I said firmly. He looked in my eyes for a minute, then dropped his hands. "This isn't over yet," he said. After a moment of thought, he said, "Rapiers, tomorrow at sunset. Winner leaves with Laurie." "Dan, that's crazy!" Laurie said, "Do you think I'm going to..." "Deal," I said. "Don't try running," he said, and he stormed off. "Kyle," she said, "You can't beat him!" "I think that's why I'm here," I said. She looked at me confusedly, "I'll go back to your tent. See you there." She walked off as well. As if on cue, Al showed up then. "Sam, Ziggy found something out. It seems that a Dan Jhelorak was arrested for your murder Sunday night. He serves some time, then is released in two years." "Al, PLEASE tell me that I fenced in college or somewhere," I said. "Fenced, you? Never." "Oh boy." "Why? What did I miss?" "Dan just challenged me to a duel. For Sunday night." "Well, then it's easy," said Al, "You don't show up, you don't get killed!" "I don't think so, Al. Run a check on Laurie Jhelorak." "Laurie Jhelorak, age 20," said Al, reading the handlink, "Married to Dan at age 18, committed suicide on September 17th, 1980." "I think Dan beats her, Al." "Oh, no, kid. You sure?" "Pretty sure. I've got to face him, Al." "Yeah, well, if we've got our data right, Kyle faced him and was killed." "So, all I have to do is... out fence him." I got very depressed all of a sudden. "Don't worry about that, kid." said Al, taking a puff of his cigar, with that, "I've got it covered." look on his face. "Al, if you tell me that you used to be a fencer, I'm gonna slug me." "You can't, I'm a hologram. And, no, I didn't fence. I couldn't parry a toothpick." "Then how?" "Tina, on the other hand, is a champion fencer. She was even an Olympic alternate in '96." "Tina?" "Yes, Tina. We'll have her show you some tricks, you're in good shape. You should do all right." "I better, Al," I said, rubbing my chest over my heart, "I better." *************** I slept restlessly that night, luckily with Laurie only lying in my arms. The next morning, I woke up around seven and got dressed. Since the faire didn't start until 10, and I didn't seem to have any particular responsabilities until then, so I found a fencing sword and tried practicing my form. The only other time I remember trying to use a sword was when I did Hamlet, and I don't think I did that very well, anyways. Just then, the imaging chamber door opened, and Al walked through. "OK, Sam, Gooshie's making the final adjustments. You'll be able to see Tina, but not hear her. Even still, Santa Fe is on brown-out." "Thanks, Al," I said. Then, Tina walked through the door. She was as cute as ever, but wearing a white fencing jacket. Even through my swiss-cheesed memory, I was sure it was the most covered up I had ever seen her. "Hi, Tina." I said. "Hi Sam" she mouthed at me, while waving. The she pulled out her foil and got down to business. With Al relaying spoken commands, Tina brought me through the basics moves of the sport over the next two hours. I had never realized how serious she was about it- she never giggled the whole time. "It's harder without an acutal partner here to gauge yourself against," said Al, "But I think you've gotten pretty good." Tina nodded in agreement. "She ought to go now, Sam. I'll be back in a little while." Tina waved again, "Bye, Sam." she mouthed, "Come home soon." "Bye, Tina. Give... everyone my love." I said. Why did I say that? It seemed like there was something else I should have said there, but through my swiss-cheesed memory, I couldn't think of what. The faire was opening up now, and it was time to do my bit. My "job" here was to wander around and be "in character" around the faire-goers. To be quite honest, it was a lot of fun. I did ad-libbed bits with the other performers about missing hankerchiefs, seeing the queen, the jousting match, and more. I stopped by the fencing exhibition around 3:00. The two masked duelers were going all out- both very good. It was incredible to watch. "Do you enjoy acting?" a young voice asked near me. I turned to face the speaker. He was about thirteen, with dark hair, and a familiar face, one I couldn't place. "I suppose so," I said, "It's hard work, but can be a lot of fun." "I'm moving to California in a couple weeks," said the boy, "Maybe I could be the movies!" "Possibly," I said, "Remember, though, it is very tough to make it, but you shouldn't give up your dreams. You never know when those casting agents are looking for a few good men." "Right," he said with a crooked toothed smile, "My friend and my mom are waiting for me. Gotta go." He waved and walked over to another young boy and an older woman standing in the distance. "Tommy!" she said, "I've said not to talk to strangers, don't you listen?" His friend responded, "He never listens, Mrs. Cruise." I was about to go back over to them, when the sound of "Huzzah!" came from the crowd watching the fencing. One of the fencers had disarmed the other one, and went for the point- made easily. He then shook his opponents hand, and took off his mask. It was Dan. "Sir Kyle," he said, keeping his accent, "Do not forget our match later." "Never, Sir Daniel," I said, my heart jumping to my throat. I slinked off. Al showed up again in about an hour or so. "Anything new?" I asked. "Not much," said Al, "Ziggy puts your chances at winning at only 27%" "I'm surprised she gave me odds that good. I just saw Dan sparring with someone else. He's incredible!" Just then Laurie came up to me again, "Kyle, you aren't really going to duel him, are you?" "What else can I do?" I asked. "We could run away right now, the both of us!" "There's an idea, Sam," Al said. He punched the handlink a couple times, then said, "Nope, Ziggy says if you do that, he'll hunt you down and kill you both." "That won't work, Laurie," I said, "Not with a guy like Dan. If I beat him, he'll back down. Trust me, I've dealt with this type of guy before." "You have?" she asked. "Yeah, when I was in high school, I had a... friend, named Cheryl. She was going to get married to a man who abused her, but wouldn't admit it to herself. I got him to show his true colors and get him away by beating him, too." "Fencing?" "No," I said, chuckling, "Drag racing." "I didn't know you raced," she said. "Well, that was almost another life for me," I said. Quick change of subject was called for. "Why don't you go to the jousting match? It's the last one, after all." "All right, Kyle. Please be careful." "Of course," I said, keeping a smile on my face. "Sam," said Al, "After the joust, the faire ends. The guests all leave, and it will be time for your match. Ziggy says if you spend this time stretching and practicing a little more, your odds will go up to 35%." "We need better than that, Al." "I'm working on it. Be back soon." With that he left. I spend some of the time practicing, but I couldn't get the thought that I was going to my death out of my head- it felt like Jesus Ortega all over again. "No," I said to myself, "I have control over the situation. I can beat him." In the distance, a cannon went off, and the visitors all headed for the gates. In the distance, the sun was beginning to set. It was time. Slowly, I walked to the fencing ring. Dan was waiting there, and so was Laurie, as well as some others. Dan held out two rapiers- fencing swords with real tips, not the safe tips being used earlier. "Choose one," he said. They looked identical to me, so I took the one on the right. No reaction from his face. He merely stepped back and stretched his arms. Al suddenly appear next to me. "Sam, I've got it. I don't have time to explain, so when I give the signal, go for the disarm- only the disarm. Ziggy says if you kill him, you do serious jail time. Stay on the defensive til I give the signal. Good luck, Sam." Then he vanished as quickly as he appeared. Dan stepped up and saluted with the sword, and then got in the en garde position. I did the same. For several seconds, neither of us moved. Then, he gave a quick thrust, which I parried. Another thrust, faster, parried. He continued with this, feeling out my defense. "Al, whatever you have planned, better come soon." His attacks came faster and faster- all I could do was defend. Suddenly, a noise came from my back left, and the crowd was moving. Dan glanced over there to see what it was. "Now, Sam!" Like lightening (I surprised myself), I stabbed for his sword hand, and struck. He cried out and dropped his blade. I slashed over to his neck, holding him at bay. "I was distracted," he said. "And I wasn't," I said, "Now go." Dan stepped back, and bowed his head down, and walked off. I turned to see the source of the commotion, and almost had to laugh. Al had gotten one of the jousting horses to come stampeding over to where we were fencing. With a smug smile on his face, he came walking over to me. "You did it, Sam," Al said, "Dan never bothers them again. And Laurie and Kyle are married in December." "That's great!" "Kyle!" said Laurie, wrapping her arms around me, "You did it! You actually did it! Promise me you'll always come to my rescue!" "I promise," I said, even though I knew I wouldn't be the one doing it. Again she kissed me. "Mr. Edwards," said a voice from behind, "Very impressive swordplay." "Umm, thanks," I said to the man, who looked hauntingly familiar. "We're doing The Three Musketeers on Syracuse Stage this season," he said, "Would you be interested in joining us?" "Syracuse Stage?" said Laurie, astonished, "Kyle, that's such a good break!" "Well, then, I have to accept, don't I?" "Excellent. I'll call you." And the man walked off. "Sam, do you know who that was?" said Al. "I'm so happy for you Kyle!" said Laurie, "A personal invitation from Ray Hutton!" "Ray...?" was all I got out of my mouth before I leaped. *************** Sam found himself sitting before a council of men, with a microphone in front of him and wearing a dark suit. A large crowd was behind him. "Answer the question, please," said the man in the center of the council. "Could you repeat it, please?" Sam asked, cautiously. "Are you trying to make a mockery of this committee?" "No, of course not," Sam said, "Never." "Very well, then, sir. Are you, or have you ever been a member of the Communist party?" "Oh boy."