Jeremy Robinson - The Didymus Contingency

David leaned back in the chair, relieved because he finally knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, time could not be changed. But then his stomach sank. He knew the truth. He knew the inevitable outcome of Tom’s past and future. He knew when, where and how Tom would die, and telling him wouldn’t do any good. It was set in stone, recorded in history; Tom was going to die thousands of years in the past.

Tom was beginning to wonder where David had gone. David left more than five hours ago and time wasn’t an object. If he stayed away for a year, he still could have come back just seconds after he left. Tom worried that something might have happened to David-maybe some kind of malfunction with the time travel devices or maybe David needed his help.

Tom’s thoughts were crushed by the loud laughter from the men around him. Jesus was to his right and the other men around the table were just a few of the other eleven disciples Jesus had appointed earlier that day. Tom formulated a plan and was about to excuse himself when David entered the tavern.

“Tom!” David said excitedly, as he moved to the table full of men, “Tom, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Is this a friend of yours?” Matthew asked. He was a rotund yet muscular man sitting across from Tom.

“I don’t go anywhere without him.” Tom turned to David. “Isn’t that right, David?”

“Ha Ha! Welcome!” Matthew shouted to David, and then more loudly to the barkeep, “A drink for our friend!”

Matthew expertly flung a coin to the barkeep, who caught and pocketed it. David was about to try to speak again, but Tom wouldn’t give him the chance. “David, I’d like you to meet, Matthew.”

“M-Matthew?” David would later realize how stunned he must have looked. Here he was, meeting one of the disciples and future authors of the Bible. David’s jaw was wide open. Not that Matthew seemed to notice.

“Fine to meet you!” Matthew shouted, as he gave David a firm whack on the back that nearly knocked all the air from David’s lungs.

Matthew leaned back as best he could and revealed a small mousy man sitting behind him. “Our shy friend here is Judas.” Judas gave a little wave.

“Judas? Him?” David couldn’t believe who he was meeting and the look on his face said it all.

“You have a look of knowledge about you. Perhaps you have met Judas before?” Jesus asked David with a suspicious look in his eyes.

“No…No, I haven’t,” David replied.

The man sitting next to Jesus extended his long, skinny arm to David. “I’m Peter.”

David tried harder to repress his shock this time around, knowing it was bound to happen at least eight more times. “Hi, hello…” David said, as he shook Peter’s hand. “Tom, we need to talk. It’s important that you know this.”

“You’re among friends here, David. You have nothing to fear from us. Speak your mind,” Jesus said.

“Yeah, what’s so important?” Tom added.

David was in a corner and struggled for words. “I, uh, I just wanted to congratulate you on becoming one of the twelve apostles-uh, I mean disciples! Disciples I meant.”

“Bartender, cancel his drink,” Matthew shouted, “He’s had too much to drink already!”

Tom smiled and said, “Well thanks for stopping by…hey, we’re heading out to the Sea of Galilee tomorrow. You want to join us?”

David was on the spot and could see Tom was enjoying it. Everyone’s eyes burrowed into David, urging him for an answer. David smiled. It was time to turn the tables on Tom. “Yes, of course.”

Tom’s facial expression went blank.

“Excellent!” Matthew said.

David turned to Jesus and said, “Is it…would it be all right if I traveled with you? With the disciples?”

Jesus mulled over the question briefly and then replied, “You may travel with me and the twelve, but some of my teachings you do not need to hear. Do you understand?”

Butterflies filled David’s stomach as he realized that this was Jesus, the man he believed to be God. Surely, Jesus knew who he was, where and when he was from. Was that comment, that question directed toward David as someone who knew what was going to happen in the years to follow, who already believed? “I understand,” David replied.

“Good,” said Tom, “The walking will do you good. You need to give those flaccid, old muscles of yours a workout!”

The group burst out laughing. Even David, no longer held captive by fears of catastrophic time alterations, was able to find the humor. He chuckled with the group.

“Be nice,” Jesus added, “He’s in excellent shape…for someone his age!”

The group laughed again and David’s laughter was among the loudest. Tom was laughing too, but his was a skillful ruse, deployed so that no one would notice the fear in his eyes. He had heard and seen enough to know that life here in ancient Israel was no picnic. He had begun to reconsider his plot to stay. Maybe it was too risky? Maybe they would change the future? Tom cursed himself for not talking to David when he had asked. He fully expected David to throw a fit, drag him outside and demand that they leave. What did David know, and why did he agree to stay?

Tom couldn’t make sense of anything since Jesus appointed him the twelfth disciple. The only thoughts Tom could hold onto kept repeating in his head, How the hell did this happen? And why is David suddenly making things worse?

Magdala, on the Sea of Galilee, Israel

Five months of life in ancient Israel proved to be the most challenging, rigorous, and most spectacular of Tom’s and David’s lives. They had survived the summer, traveling through the countryside, villages and cities of ancient Israel. Tom was beginning to speak Aramaic and David could pass for one of the locals. David’s speech, dress and knowledge of ancient customs were impeccable. But what annoyed Tom more than anything else was David’s sixth sense about what was going to happen next, what stories were going to be told and what they meant.

David traveled with Tom and the other eleven disciples, but as he had agreed with Jesus, did not participate in all discussions and did not attend every event. At the same time, Tom had the pleasure of a front row seat, and like a cocky child at a magic show, he searched and scrutinized for the slightest sign of forgery, misdirection and illusion. Over the months, he had witnessed the healing of lepers and cripples, heard the teachings of Jesus and had become swift friends with the bulky Matthew, the tall and slender Peter, the short and timid Judas and the ever-rugged Jesus. The six men, including David, were near inseparable.

Tom had come to respect Matthew’s knowledge of mathematics. For a man in ancient Israel, Tom was convinced Matthew could grasp Quantum Science if given the chance…and he was funny as hell. He found Peter’s firm and honest grasp of reality to be refreshing. And Judas, quiet Judas. Tom admired the man’s drive. Judas desired so powerfully to do something important with his life that Tom became convinced he would. Then there was Jesus.

Tom shared a love/hate relationship with Jesus. When on worldly subjects, the two saw eye to eye, but when it came to matters of religion, Tom openly and blatantly questioned Jesus’s teaching and miracles. Tom was dedicated in his quest to debunk Jesus, but was continuously frustrated. Tom had never met a man who could talk circles around him, but Jesus could manage it with ease. The group of them didn’t share the same beliefs, backgrounds and educations, but had bonded the way travelers in a dangerous land tend to do, and they trusted each other with their lives.