Simon Hawke - The Cleopatra Crisis

“I bucked ’em and I’m still around.”

“Yeah, well, you always were a cowboy. You and Carnehan. Thesuper spooks. Me. I got old and tired. I got slow. So I took early retirement.”

He pressed something on the table and a hidden drawer poppedout. Steiger instantly had a laser pistol in his hand.

“Hold it, John.”

“Take it easy, for God’s sake!”

“Whatever’s in there, take it out slowly.”

Marshall produced a pack of cigarettes. “Satisfied’?”

Steiger grinned and lowered the pistol.

“You want one?”

“Don’t mind if I do. What happens if one of your slavescomes in and catches us smoking?”

Marshall lit one up and tossed the pack to Creed. “My slavesknow what’s expected of them. They don’t come up here unless they’re told to. I’mstill a careful man. Creed.”

“Yeah, but you’re slipping. I got in here with no sweat.”

“How the hell did you get in’?”

“Came down from the roof.”

“You see? I told you I’m getting slow.”

He held out the lamp for Creed to light his cigarette.

“So. You going to tell me what you’re doing here?”

“I’m on a covert mission. We may have a potential temporaldisruption on our hands.”

“You part of an adjustment team?”

“No, but there’s been one clocked back here. Delaney.Priest, and Cross. You know them?”

“I’ve heard of them. I also heard that Priest bought it inAfghanistan.”

Not exactly,” Steiger said. “But that’s a long story.”

“So they sent in the first string, huh? Must be pretty big.Where do you fit in?”

“Sort of unofficial backup. Undercover.”

“Meaning they don’t know you’re here.” Marshall grinned. “Youhaven’t changed. Still the same old cowboy. What’s going down?”

“I’m not exactly sure. but it has to do with Caesar.”

Marshall exhaled heavily. That is big. What’ve you got?”

Steiger briefly told him what he knew. Marshall listenedsilently. not saying anything till he was finished.

“And this L.T.0.. Travis?”

“Travers.”

“Right. He thinks it’s going to center around Caesar’sassassination?”

“That’s my guess.”

“What do you mean, it’s your guess ?”

“I mean I haven’t spoken to the man. All I’ve got is thefirst report he made of a possible anomaly involving Caesar.”

“You mean the oracle.

“That’s right. Travers sent up the balloon and the team wentout. but I’ve had no contact with him, so I don’t really know what the latestintelligence is. Caesar’s supposed to die in about two weeks. That’s got to bethe focus of the disruption.”

“You think the S.O.G. is going to try to prevent theassassination.”

“It would make for a hell of a disruption.” Steiger said. “Itwould probably bring about a timestream split. I think this is going to be arough one. The old man didn’t approve of contacts between the agency and theUnderground, but I’ve been trying to convince him he was wrong about that. We’regoing to need all the help we can get from now on.”

“What made Forrester change his mind?”

“He hasn’t. At least, not yet “

“So what are you telling me? Ile doesn’t know about what you’redoing here’?”

“Not officially. I’m supposed to be on R amp; R. He knows whatI’m doing, but no one else does.”

“I get it. You fall down on this one, your ass is wide openand his is covered.”

“Something like that.

“And you wonder why I decided to get out.”

What can you tell me about Caesar?”

“That you don’t already know? Probably nothing.”

“What do you mean, probably nothing?”

“Just what I said. What do you think. I’m on his dinnerinvitation list?”

“But you’re the local impresario around here,” Steiger said.“Hasn’t he been staging chariot races and fights?”

“Well, yeah, but you don’t think I deal with the mandirectly. do you? he’s the Emperor. for Christ’s sake.”

“Who do you deal with?”

“Lately, it’s been mostly Antony.”

“Marc Antony?”

“That’s right.” said Marshall. “It’s not always him inperson, though. Most of the time. I work through intermediaries. He’s animportant man.”

“Can you get me an introduction’?”

Marshall sighed. “I guess I could try. Damn it. I thought Iwas through with all of that. Why the hell couldn’t you leave me alone? You’regoing to get me killed, you know that?”

“I’ll try to keep you out of it as much as possible.” saidSteiger. “All I need is a connection. And a base of operations.”

“ Here ?”

“Partly. but I’d also like to arrange a safe house. Whatwould you recommend?”

“I own some apartments in a tenement block in the Argiletum.a shopping district near the Subura district. Not exactly your luxuryaccommodations, but I could set you up in one of those.”

“Oh. so you’re a slumlord, too?”

“Give me a break. Steiger. I’m trying to cooperate because Iowe you.”

“What, not for old tunes’ sake?”

“Well. maybe that. too And I’ve also got a life-style toprotect here. I don’t want a temporal disruption any more than you do.”

“Okay. An apartment will do fine.”

“You’ll need money, I suppose.”

“I’ve got some, but a little more can’t hurt.”

Marshall nodded. “All right. Anything you need, just say theword But there’s one condition. This is strictly between you and me. I don’twant that adjustment team involved. I don’t want them knowing about me.Otherwise, all bets are off.”

“That goes without saying. John.”

“Okay. I just wanted to make sure we understand each other.What about your cover?”

“What would make me interesting to Antony?”

“He likes chariot racing.”

“A betting man?”

“Obsessive.”

“Good. Why not say I’m a breeder of racing horses? And I’vetrained charioteers. You’ve bought strings from me in the past. Where should Ibe from’?”

Marshall thought a moment. “Ilerda. in Nearer Spain. Thatwould make you a provincial and no one would be likely to ask you any detailedquestions about where you’re from. You could always say you’ve never venturedvery far from your farm out in the country, by the Ebro.”

“So what brings me to Rome? A business deal?”

“Let’s say I’m contemplating purchasing your entireoperation, leaving you run it. of course. and I’ve invited you here in order todiscuss it.”

“That would work.” Steiger grinned. “Almost like old times,isn’t it?”

“Too much like old times, if you ask me.” Marshall repliedsourly.

“When’s the next race coming up’?”

“As a matter of fact. I’ve got several teams entered in onetomorrow.-

“Will Antony be there?”

“He never misses a race if he can help it.”

“Good. What are the chances of putting in a fix?”

“You want me to fix a chariot race?” said Marshall with disbelief.You realize I could get the death penalty for that’?”

“Only if you got caught,” said Steiger.

Marshall sighed. “Hell. I suppose it could be arranged.”

Steiger smiled. “You haven’t changed much, either, have you?”

“A man does what he can. You’re planning to take Antony?”

“For a bundle.” Steiger said. “What better way to get toknow a man than to have him owe you money?”

“I hadn’t expected it to look so beautiful,” said Andre asthey approached the city. Andell drove the coach, while Castelli rode ahead ofthem, with Corwin and Drummond mounted on their horses, bringing up the rear.Travers had clocked back to his villa in the city, to await their arrival