The Time Travel Directorate (13 page)

“Hmm,”
Vin replied, thinking about what, if anything, this told him. “If he’s so unlikeable why did he get to where he is today?”

“
My dad likes that he’s on top of everything—and discovering PTS, of course.”

“
Ah, so I’ve heard. How did he discover it?” Vin asked.

“
Back in his inspector days, travelers were getting sick—reporting bizarre incidents during their travels. After suffering from it himself, Smiley put the pieces together—determining that too frequent travel jars mental stability.”

“Once a case of
PTS is identified, are inspectors allowed to travel?” Vin asked.

“
No. There are all kinds of public awareness campaigns about it, even in the private travel industry,” Kanon said, shooing a fly away before continuing. “If you have a particularly bad case, your code is decommissioned—you can’t travel as an inspector or with the private companies.

“Why?”

“Liability, losing yourself in time and never coming back is bad for business,” Kanon said. “So after his days of travel were over, and he impressed my father with the discovery, he became Chief Smiley.”

“Hmm
,” Vin said, seemingly fixated on the topic.

“Enough about Smiley,
he isn’t important,” Kanon said, sitting up suddenly. “What we need to focus on is Julius. We have to go back through the case files. Obviously, you don’t have your reading pane.”

“Of course,
just as I don’t have anything else that would impact Standard D,” Vin said, accepting the change of topic nonchalantly. “Here is what I know. Inspector Quill took in the first report that Julius had overstayed.”

“
Where?”

“S
alem, Massachusetts—colonial era of responsibility. Central Computer turned off his code per protocol.”

“But, of course, it had no effect.”

“No, Julius jumped to the Middle Ages.”

“Did Quill know what his plans were?”

“Oh
, that was clear enough,” Vin said. “As it has been during every incidence of Julius’ travels. He desires influence and power—and he obtains it with fear.”

“Why didn’t Quill bring him in?”
Kanon asked, eyes narrowing.

“He moved to apprehend him, but Smiley screwed up the warrant. Julius then took off to this place.” Vin gestured around him. “After that, you know the rest.”

“
I never got to tell you what I learned, after finishing my training,” Kanon said, changing the subject and wondering how much longer they had together.

“Oh
, I saw what you learned,” Vin responded, looking at her coolly. “How are you able to use the web?”

“
It’s a question of will,” Kanon said, feeling her face burn from the tone of his voice. Checking herself, she continued, “I can’t explain it to you. All I know is that it’s related to our training, separating your mind from your physical state. The web uses a similar process.”

“And
it appears Julius Arnold made the same discovery,” Vin said ruefully. “We can assume he told Inspector Habit about it as well,” he said, searching for another blade of grass to toy with.

“
Habit!” Kanon cried, remembering again her vague sense of familiarity when she saw Vin’s executioner. “Yes, I remember him. Eyes too close together, thin face. And here I thought he was decommissioned years ago.”

“
Why?” Vin asked.

“
He had one of the worst PTS cases the Directorate had ever seen,” Kanon said. “Reported all kinds of bizarre sightings—he was gone before I came on board.”

“Well
, it’s clear that he went back at some point—or maybe he never came home. Habit must have run into Julius during his career,” Vin said.

“Or someone put them in contact
,” Kanon offered, her posture stiffening as she looked at Vin intently. “Well, I’m not going to wait for you to say it. My father is certainly a suspect. He is privy to all kinds of internal happenings at the Directorate—suppose he knew.”

“
It’s not your father,” Vin said succinctly. “Let’s go back to motive. What is Julius Arnold trying to accomplish? I had a few moments to question him before he ordered my execution.”

Kanon
leaned back to grip the cool grass, the sensation calming her.

“
What can a man so obsessed with decapitation have to tell us?” she asked glibly.

“
I’m serious, Kanon,” Vin chided. “Julius has been a critic of the Directorate from day one. With this discovery, unregulated time travel could be brought to the masses. He said it himself. With deregulation, people could live out their most debauched fantasies in the past.”

“To what effect?”
Kanon asked, confused.

“In order to
preserve peace in the present.”

“You cannot be serious
,” Kanon replied.

“
I hardly need to add that he is close to proving his point. Think about what he has done thus far. Mass executions, who knows what else. He is being deliberately cruel to prove a point—that it doesn’t impact the present,” Vin said.

“And there has been no change in Standard
D,” Kanon noted, furrowing her brow.

“But he’s not fully altruistic, not Julius
,” Vin began, rubbing his hands together as he concentrated. “He is a business man at heart—he’ll want to monopolize the market, and force out competitors.”

“
By collecting all our webs and eliminating the Directorate,” Kanon said.

“Making him . . . What is he worth now? Does the man really need more money?” Vin asked.

“It’s a game to him, and he
’s winning. What does he want out of all of this?” Kanon asked.

“
To be a leader of the free world,” Vin said. “Or something to that effect.”

“
And we are powerless to stop him,” Kanon said, growing angry. “Forced to sit idly by and watch the dissolution of everything we worked for. Well, Inspector Damato, what are you going to do? You’ve found me, what are your orders?”

Vin
stretched his legs, looking at the spread of food with disinterest.

“
I’ve been thinking about that. If you could teach me how to use the web, maybe we could find Julius together.”

“Or you could just take me in. A
fter my dad is fired, and Smiley takes over the Directorate, you could become Chief,” Kanon said sarcastically, hoping Vin would react.

He didn’t respond, staring at the tip of her
shoes. Slowly, he looked up at her, with a tenderness that caught her off guard.

“Sorry
,” she said softly.

She felt their isolation keenly, from the setting of the quaint picnic to the way he lapsed into casual silences with her. She dearly hoped she could both make it out of this mess, if only to extend the feeling a little longer.

“What happens when the budget crisis is over?” she asked, desperate for another topic.

Vin
shifted away from her slightly, and Kanon felt her mood sour. Why couldn’t she just tell him how she felt? That she thought of him endlessly and wanted him to feel the same. Why did she have to push everyone away?

Oblivious to her reflections,
Vin continued.

“Julius can evade one or two inspectors but he can’t avoid all of them. I’m sure once a budget deal is reached, the Directorate will deploy inspectors en mass.”

“
And since I’m in the line of fire, they’ll be coming for me. Dead or alive, remember?” Kanon said, unable to stop her voice from breaking. Vin didn’t respond. He sat still, staring at her. Looking down, Kanon continued, “When do you think that will be?”

He
stood up abruptly and began pacing. His anger seemed to quell her anxiety slightly.

“
If I knew the answer to that question, I would be on a yacht somewhere,” Vin said.

“I wish we were
,” Kanon muttered. “Can’t I have a great PTS experience where I’m on a yacht?” she said, smiling.

Vin
didn’t laugh. He stood very still, before turning abruptly.

“
Inspector Hay,” he cried, his enthusiasm growing, “I think you’ve figured it out.”

“PTS,” Vin said, shaking his finger at her.

“What about it?” she asked, laughing at his intensity.

He seemed electrified.

“A convenient explanation for any inspector who brings the same story back to the Directorate,” he said. “I’ll grant you, time travel can be disorienting. But enough to make up whole fictional stories? Especially when they are so similar?”

“Vin
. . . ” Kanon began, before he interrupted—anxious to convince her.

“I
t’s a cover up, all of it, to prevent inspectors from realizing the full potential of the webs.”

He bent down, shaking her arm in excitement.

“But Vin, PTS is a confirmed medical condition.”

“I’m sure it is, but in this
instance, they are using it as a blind. I think those inspectors had real experiences. I think they were using the web and ending up in different places.”

Kanon
frowned, pushing a strand of hair from her face.

“
Chief Smiley?” Kanon said.

“
He possibly discovered it first, masterminding the creation of PTS,” Vin responded.

“To protect
the secret . . . That would be classic Smiley. This is, wow, Vin.”

“I know
,” Vin said, smiling broadly at her.

“I
f Chief Smiley is the mole, we are in serious trouble,” Kanon cautioned. “He’s in control of Central Computer—and my father.

“I agree the
combination of Smiley and Julius Arnold is formidable. Unless we get to him first,” Vin countered.

Standing,
he gestured for her hand. Kanon accepted it with pleasure. Standing, she shook the wrinkles from her skirts.

“What are our next steps?”
she asked.

“We have to
find Julius. Before they come for you,” Vin said matter-of-factly.

He
directed his energy to putting their picnic items away. Kanon watched solemnly. She tried to appear nonchalant, but her stomach twisted in knots.

“
I need to get back to meet the Duchess or else she’ll worry. Let’s talk later,” Kanon said, feeling herself shutting down as they moved toward the horses. “Here, help me.” She stood by her mount, staring at Vin. He began to move towards her, but stopped at the last minute.

“Aren’t you going to help me?”
she asked, trying to find some humor in his hesitation.

“
Kanon, I’m going to do everything possible to keep you safe,” Vin said slowly.

Kanon
shook her head.

“I can take care of myself now.
You focus on finding Julius.”

Vin
took her firmly by the waist. After a slight pause, he helped her onto the steed. Kanon took the reins in her hands, feeling heat linger from his touch.

They didn’t speak on the return trip.
Vin led the way, weaving through the rolling pastures to the palace. The chill of the evening hinted to the end of summer, and Kanon shivered slightly as the sun dipped behind the ornate gates.

S
he watched as Vin dismounted, turning to help her down. Her feet placed firmly on the ground, he offered a short bow.

“I’ll come back for you he
re, around eight o’clock?”

“Yes
, that should give me enough time,” Kanon replied.

She stood fixed on the spot, wishing
she could tell him everything. But her pride would not let her, and the words died on her lips.

“Goodbye, Countess,” Vin said.

Worried her voice would break if she spoke again,
Kanon simply nodded. Turning, she felt his eyes upon her as she walked through the courtyard. Retreating to her suite, she found it vacant. Unable to remain idle, she began pacing.

The news
Vin brought her was wholly unexpected. She was now public enemy number one—no better than Julius Arnold and his henchmen. After years of dedicated service, not to mention her father’s role within the Directorate, the change of events stung her deeply.

Chief Smiley
had laid a trap for her, and she had readily played into his hands. Smiley might have gotten away with it too, if Vin had not believed in her so ardently.

She was
reflecting on this when the Duchess entered the suite, happily clutching one of her puppies.

“Oh!
Cécile, I was delayed, but it was not without pleasure,” she cooed, in a tone that hinted she was accompanied.

Looking up,
Kanon watched as the Duchess pulled Chief Smiley behind her.

She
froze, pausing as he waited until the last possible moment before meeting her gaze. He smiled, bowing slightly. He was wearing a neatly powered wig, his robin’s egg coat and spotless breeches cut in the finest cloth.

Seeing nothing amiss, t
he Duchess dropped the puppy on one of the low chairs. It flew from the chair, making a beeline for the exit.

“Oh! Naughty, Muffy! Please excuse me. Cécile, make Monsieur Reed comfortable,” the Duchess said before exiting down the hall in pursuit of the scampering puppy.

Chief Smiley
walked in a slow circle around her.

“
Inspector Hay, you have been derelict in your duties to the Directorate,” he said, his face devoid of emotion.

“Dear
, Chief Smiley, tell me how?” Kanon said, playing along as she quickly accessed her options.

Chief Smiley would never arrange a
tête-à-tête unless he had reinforcements. She had to get out of there before they arrived.

“
Well for starters, you’ve been using the web without Center Computer’s knowledge,” he replied, moving closer to her. “Beyond that, you have incurred numerous violations of the time travel code. Under the rules of the government shut down, you are strictly prohibited from traveling,” he said, crossing his arms behind his back.

“But I must ask you
about your crimes, as well,” Kanon replied, looking at him with as much smug detachment as she could muster.

“What crimes would that be?”
Chief Smiley asked.

“
Let’s start at the beginning shall we?” Kanon began, hoping she could get the pieces of the story together for maximum effect.

“PTS,” she said slowly, pausing to watch his reaction.

He shrugged.

“Is this all you have to accuse me of, a legitimate medical condition?”

“
The experiences of those inspectors were real, the diagnosis of PTS was not,” Kanon said, watching his lips twitch. Her confidence grew. “You knew webs could be manipulated, because it happened to you one day. Enter Julius Arnold.”

Chief Smiley
shifted as Kanon spoke, and her heart thudded as she hastened to continue.

“
I wonder, did he approach you? Or was it the other way around? The plan you set in motion was clear enough, systematically acquiring webs from inspectors, decommissioning anyone who realized the full potential of the technology.”

“Are you done
, Inspector Hay? We’d better be going,” Chief Smiley said, moving closer.

He took a
nother step towards her, now standing at an uncomfortable distance. Kanon felt her resolve stiffen.

“You knew the potential for acquiring web technology,
but it would only be useful without the Directorate around. The budget crisis helped with the first part, but you needed a distraction. Julius Arnold and his subversive acts have yet to impact Standard D, am I right?”

For a few breathless seconds
, Kanon thought Chief Smiley was going to answer. He took another step, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“
Come with me Inspector Hay,” he said, his cat-like eyes flickering.

“
The least you can do is tell me if I got it right,” Kanon replied, breathless.

He released
his grip.

“
I didn’t set anything in motion that wasn’t already underway.”

He paused, looking at her with such intensity
Kanon shifted back.

“In this new world
, we survive only by the partnerships we make.”

“Why trust a
man like Julius Arnold?” Kanon asked, her eyes widening.

“
You think I didn’t take the proper precautions?” Chief Smiley asked, seemingly offended. “Julius’ ego is what makes him controllable. Once the Directorate sunsets into the chronicles of history, we can use time travel to bring about a new world order,” he said.

“What about
the inspectors, the Directorate? Don’t tell me it all meant nothing,” Kanon shot back.

Chief Smiley flushed
, frowning in displeasure.

“I dedicated my life to that organization
. It was my world. I know it better than your father, or anyone else for that matter. I’m killing something I love, and I won’t be lectured by you, or anyone else on what the Directorate means to history.”

“Then why are you doing this?”
Kanon asked, stalling for time.

“T
he challenge,” he snapped back, reaching for her again.

Feeling the web from beneath the folds of her gown,
Kanon knew she must act. She pushed Chief Smiley away, and was about to run when a large man appeared in the doorway. He eyed the interior of the room with a smile.

“What gutter
did this one crawl from?” Kanon asked, as the brute fixed her with a murderous stare.

“Paris, where else?”
Chief Smiley responded in English.

“So typical of you to leave the dirty work to someone else
,” Kanon said, watching as the thug moved towards her.

The man followed the exchange with interest,
advancing quickly to her position next to Smiley. Kanon moved behind a settee, anticipating his next move. Chief Smiley watched the routine with a grimace.

“
A few weeks with the monk and you think you represent an opponent,” he sneered, as his henchman lunged for Kanon.

She
deflected his clumsy attack and countered, aiming squarely at the fleshy part of his stomach with her heel. The man screamed, bowling over as she brought her elbow above her, bringing it down on the back of his head as hard as she could. He fell forward, grasping her skirts as he did.

Kanon
twisted away, cursing. The voluminous folds of fabric proved her undoing, as the man clutched them fiercely. Kanon fought frantically to free her lower limbs as he pulled her to the floor. Reaching forward to secure his hold, Kanon’s web tumbled out from her skirts.

She froze, watching as it fell to her side.
Chief Smiley flew into action, snatching it triumphantly. Kanon’s opponent took advantage of her distraction by grabbing her by the neck. Kanon’s hands flew to his, trying to loosen his grip.

As she gas
ped for air, he squeezed tighter, only releasing when footsteps echoed outside the sitting room. Air filling her lungs, Kanon drew herself to her knees, watching as Chief Smiley folded her web neatly away.

Another man entered the sitting room, so tall that his head almost touched the doorframe
. She knew it was Julius before he took his hat off and bowed with a flourish.

“
Mademoiselle Hay, what a pleasure,” he said, eyes gleaming. “Release her,” he commanded.

The thug stood,
grunting at Kanon’s prostrate form before retreating. Kanon brought herself to her feet, watching Julius as he entered the room. His powdered wig contrasted ominously with forbidding black brows and sparkling blue eyes.

“Unlike Smiley here, I’m capable of doing my own handiwork,” Julius said. 

“Are you dispensing with the historical
disguises so soon?” Kanon responded in English, trying to catch her breath.

“
When one obtains a certain level of influence, a great degree of, shall we say eccentricities can be explained away,” Julius said, smiling at her.

“You call mass murder an eccentric flaw?” Kanon asked, swallowing heavily.

“I am not
the criminal I have been made out to be,” he replied in dulcet tones.

“You insult me
, sir—I am certain it was you who sent me to the guillotine,” Kanon said, coloring at his clumsy attempt to confuse her.

Did he think a few kind words would make her
forget? Looking at his confident gaze, Kanon realized that he did.

“All a misunderstanding, you really must
believe me,” he said, motioning for Chief Smiley to back away.

“
I am sorry about the manhandling. That beautiful neck of yours is awfully red,” he said, easing into a low chair.

“I had to retrieve government property
,” Chief Smiley said by way of explanation.