Rule Britannia

Chapter 4

Chapter Four


Rubbing his forehead, Clive considered Pence's fantastic claims, as well as the thinly veiled threat.  Pence seemed to be saying that, should he decline to participate, Cedric would kill him.  In theory, he had a choice; in reality, though, he had no choice at all.  Even if the threat wasn't real, he realized he had a growing desire to seize this opportunity to do something truly unique.  He began formulating questions, the answers to which could well prove invaluable, should this tale turn out to be true.

"I've half a mind to call your bluff, but...let's say that this portal opens.  What am I supposed to wear, what am I supposed to do, and - most importantly - how am I supposed to return?"

An expression of relief passed over Geoffrey's face; he would not have to activate their contingency plan after all.  He addressed himself to Clive's last question first.

"Actually, the boffins are in disagreement on that point.  No one can categorically state how long the portal will be open, or if travel back through it is even possible.  It is, however, irrelevant, as the main thrust is to make the trip from "Now" to "Then"; in planning this operation, we've always considered the return trip a side issue.  As to what you'll wear and do..."

Geoffrey nodded to Cedric, who disappeared into the suite's bedroom and returned carrying a long box over which was draped pieces of some dark brown material.  Setting the box on a side table, Cedric handed the material to Clive.  Examining the pieces, Clive found he was holding what appeared to be a loose-fitting pair of trousers and a tunic of medium size.  There was also a pair of slipper-like shoes made of leather.

Pence removed a sheet of parchment from his folder.  "Compared to the present day, you're going to be right in the middle of nowhere, but you should head for the village of Salisbury.  This parchment contains a text in Latin, so you will be taken - or, at least, directed to - the nearest church or monastery.  I assume you don't understand either Anglo-Saxon or Latin, but you can at least walk in whichever direction is pointed out to you.  The parchment states that you lost the power of speech as the result of wounds suffered in battle.  It also states that you wish to offer your services to the King and, therefore, wish to be taken to the Royal Court.  Once there, you will offer the sword to Arthur as a gift."  Geoffrey paused a moment, then continued.

"Given your mysterious appearance in the land and the unsurpassed craftsmanship of the sword, we are fairly certain he will accept both your service and your gift.  You get the honour of serving one of the most famous kings in English history, and TASH gets the distinction of having provided substance to the myth: the legendary sword, Excalibur."

A knock came at the door and Cedric moved to open it.  A member of the kitchen staff rolled a cart holding various covered dishes into the room.

"Excellent timing," said Geoffrey.  "We'll continue our discussion over dinner."

As they ate, Clive listened to Pence as he provided some historical background on what to expect when he arrived.  Most of it tallied with what he'd learned and experienced during his reenactments, but some of it was new.  He briefly experienced another bout of irritation, when he realized that their prying had apparently included his culinary preferences.  After the second bite of an excellent bread pudding, though, he decided that, condemned man or no, he would eat a hearty last meal.

***

At Stonehenge, the 'repairs' were proceeding apace.  The tunnel now stretched nearly one hundred feet in a south-southwesterly direction from the verge toward the henge's center.  The goal was to have the tunnel end right at the northeast side of one of the standing stones, so that the tunnel's exit would be invisible from inside the circle.  Once the tunnel was finished, the final preparations would be made at the inward-facing base of the stone.

Tom, Jack and Hugh had been working nearly nonstop, alternating between operating the drilling machine and shoring up the tunnel.  Andrew's job, along with securing the tunnel's mouth, was to replace the dirt-filled bags with empty ones and, every two hours, to send replacement oxygen bottles for each man's breathing apparatus.

The dirt disposal issue had been solved by having a sliding-door van pull up to the canvas enclosure's opening every forty-five minutes or so.  The van's two-man crew would manhandle the bags into the van, then take a short trip down the road.  As the driver hugged the side of the road, the other would open the sliding door, undo the knot, and simply sprinkle the dirt along the roadway.  The winter sun having long since disappeared over the horizon, there were few concerns about being observed.

The van also replenished the shoring supplies.  The only way to get the plywood sheets down the tunnel was to slide them along the tunnel floor.  Once each three piece set was in position, the 'roof' was lifted into place.  The sides were then placed at an angle between floor and wall, and then pushed upright.  The pressure of the top piece on each side's upper edge kept them from collapsing.  It was hard work, but the crew was determined to succeed.  If the information they'd received was accurate, failure was not an option.

***

Chapter 4 word count = 918
Running total word count = 3085