The mother with child was a tall man around thirty years, not taller than Pablo himself, with soft feature and a very choleric temper. Pablo dislikes the chap particularly - already from the first time, when he saw him - however he was the man, whom he should enlist here. He was Pablo�s man. Pablo touched down its best Barkeeper smile.
Perhaps Pablo was supercritical. He didn't have to soft feature; he carried this nickname only, because he answered at each question about its occupation, "I�m mother with child." If he were in good mood, he added "... for four cent per word. I write stories of the life."
If he were pissed, he lurks that someone made somewhat from this answer. He fought strangely - nearly womanlike - therefore Pablo wanted him. But that was not the only reason.
The mother with child had already drunken too much, and his face showed that he despised mankind today more than otherwise. Pablo gave him a large beer, which he emptied immediately up to the half. As it the glass set off Pablo tapped after.
Then he wiped off the bar, from the overcrowded foam. "Well, how it goes in the business of the mothers with child?" Pablo asked.
It seemed that the mother with child wanted to throw the glass at Pablo. He groped for his night stick, but he noticed dropping the tension. He had learned such things well in his training. "Sorry," said Pablo "was only one question. How is the weather there outside?"
The mother with child twitched with the shoulders. "The business runs. I write, the things are printed, I live."
Pablo tapped himself a small beer. "You write well," he stated and raise his glass to him. "I already read a few your stories. You bring out very well the female point of view."
This risk Pablo had to take. The mother with child hadn�t communicated ever his aliases to him. But he dealt fortunately only with the last sentence. "The female point of view!" he repeated depreciative. ", That I know very well."
"Sisters?" Pablo furrows his brows.
"No. No sisters. But you would never believe history!"
"Barkeeper, psychiatrists, hairdressers, and lawyers know, how crazy the truth can be," accounted him Pablo. "If you would know what I already.... Well, that is unbelievable, I can say to you!"
"Psahw, you don't know all, what�s unbelievable."
"You say! Nothing more can surprise me, my son!"
"Want to bet for a bottle whisky?" Pablo placed a full bottle Glennfiddich on the bar. "That is my trey." "Hmm. . ."
Pablo gave a sign to Michelle that she should continue alone. They were completely undisturbed at the end of the bar; the other guests regarded a soccer game on the television, and someone played with the gambler.
"Okay," began the mother with child. "I am an illegitimate child..."
"That's nothing special," interrupted him Pablo. "My parents were also not married." "I..." Pablo saw him smiling the first time, since he knew him. "Are you serious?" "Sure. In my family nobody marries. We are all illegitimate children."
"Nonsense - you are nevertheless married!" He pointed to Pablo�s ring.
"Ah, that you mean." Pablo showed him the ring. "Looks only like a marriage ring; I have it only to have my peace from women." Pablo had bought the ring in the year 2035 from a colleague, who brought him along him from pre-Christian Norway.
"That is a dragon bite itself into the own tail."
The mother saw hardly. "Then you can put yourself thus into my position. As a little girl... "
"Hey!" did Pablo, "I mishear?"
"Who tells the story here? Yentl, or Exner � technique say something to you?"
"First is an old film about a transsexual in the past millennium, and the second sex transformation? You want to affirm... "
"Listen, or give me the bottle and I stop! I was suspended - 2023 with one month, in front of a SOS � children�s village. As a small girl I envied children with parents. I was cleared up very early in the child village, and you can believe me, there one becomes that very early, Pablo... "
", I know."
"... I swore myself my children should have a father and a mother. This resolution has me induced to defend my "innocence". That was genuinely not simple, in such an environment. Sometimes I had to slam strongly, to make it. When I became elder then, I noticed that I had cordially few prospects for marrying. Also the same reason was why I was not adopted." Anger folds put on his forehead. "I was ugly, had inclined teeth, no boobs and stringy hair."
"You don't look worse also than me."
"Whom does it interest how a Barkeeper looks? Or a writer? But adoptive parents take rather blond-curled blue eyed angels, which can be also calmly stupid. And later boys want a young girl with a good figure, a pretty face and a smile, which say them to them how good they are." Again he twitched with the shoulders. "All that I couldn't offer. Therefore I applied for the job of a crew carer in spaceships."
"Ah, I understand..."
"You do not understand anything! The space corps recognized early that the men did not want to be months-long alone. Therefore they looked for volunteer, who were first of all intelligent and emotional stable. Beauty didn't odd, therefore existed operations - free, mind you. And the girls could count at that time like today on the fact that they got a nice man at expiration of her contract. With eighteen then I was arranged for a family as an auxiliary worker. Actually it should be au � pair place, but cheap worker meets it probably rather. But that was no matter to me, because I could occur only with twenty � one in the space corps. I worked during day and went in the evening, officially into a further training course for secretaries - however in truth I was on a dance - and behaviour course for improving my chances. Then I became acquainted with this chap with its hundred � Euros bucks." He made a grimace. "He had actually a whole bundle in his trousers. One evening he showed me them and requested me to take a few. I didn't do it however. He was the first man, who was nice to me, without wanting to undress me directly thereby. I gave up the course, in order to be able to meet him more frequently. At that time I was so lucky. Since it happened, one evening in the park."
"And then?" Pablo asked.
"Nothing! I never saw him again. He had kissed me in front of the entry insured that he loves me - and disappeared." He made a bad face. "If the chap would be here now, I would kill him!"
"I can imagine, how you feel" Pablo stated, "however isn�t that a little bit violently? Perhaps he should earn drubbings, because he left you alone, but... "
"He should earn much more! Wait till you heard the rest." He drank a deep sip. "Somehow I brace myself and said myself that that was only to my best. Finally the space corps was still open, I imagined. But then I noticed, what had happened!" "Pregnant?"
"And how! My stingy family saw away as long time as possible and as I could not anymore they set me on the street - in the orphanage I couldn't go anymore. Thus I found then as a "house pregnant woman ' generally hospital in Vienna and dragged night pots, until it was time. I cannot remember any longer at the delivery. I woke up in a bed and was paralysed from the chest on. As the doctor came he asked
�How you feel?�
�I feel dead.�
�Don't surprise me, because you are packed up good, and hang on the pain-killer. Such a caesarean is also today still nothing.�
�Caesarean? Something happened with the baby?�
�"The baby is OK.�
�Boy or girl?�
�Girl, small strongly and has approx. three and a half Kilo.�
I was contently; nevertheless I made a healthy child. But the physician continued to speak.
�I still must make another report for you. Best I enumerate everything, and give you a syringe after, so that they can sleep. You will have it necessarily.�
�You ever heard about the Exner - method? That is a method, how someone can slip from its current life into a new. Officially one is someone else, has however the advantage to have no conceivable physical difficulties till the end of life. The only difference is that one lives as a man. One can marry, and according to which newest methods even make children. Everything is in best order.'
�What has that to do with me?'
�That I want to explain you. You are a man.'
I tried to erect; impossible with the chemical clubs. "What, am I?'
�Calm down. When we had you on the table, we didn't have choice. As a woman, you never would have become correctly healthy again, but as a man you have the chances for a normal life. Make therefore no concerns, you are young and we can make a real man from you.'
I began to cry. �And my baby?'
�You cannot satisfy it naturally and... On your place I would release it for adoption.' �Never!�
He twitched with the shoulders. �Your decision. But you didn't have to think over it now; first of all become healthy again.'
On the next day I was allowed to see my daughter for the first time. She was not beautifully, like all newborn children. Nevertheless I loved her and was firmly decided to provide even for her. But four weeks later even this resolution was worthless." "Why that?"
"Someone kidnapped her!"
"Kidnapped?"
The mother with child nodded violently. "Kidnapped from the hospital!" His breath went heavily. "If that was no crime ..."
"Real, that's coming on strong," agreed Pablo. "Disappeared, I accept without trace." "The police found hardly references. Someone spent himself as her uncle. When the nurse did not look for one moment, he disappeared with the baby."
"How the person of the description was looking like?"
"Only a man, as you and I." His run tents the forehead. "I have the feeling that it was her father. Who would kidnap otherwise a child? Childless women do that sometimes - but men?"
"What become with you?"
"After one year hospitalization, five operations and a quantity of hormones, I became dismiss as a man."
"Actually not so bad," Pablo explain him. "You are a man, earning enough money and have no bigger concerns. The life as a woman is surely not simple."
The mother stared to Pablo. "What do you know!" he shakes his head. "Can you imagine how heavy it was to get accustomed to the new life? I had to only - damned -, learn at first, how to be a man!"
�Need time, I assumes."
"However! I don't mean how to dress and into which toilet I have to go, that I have learned in the hospital! But from what I should live? Which job I could accept? Imagine I couldn't even drive a car! I was unemployed, was not allowed to work heavy, because I had too many scars and sensitive excoriation. Furthermore too many people in the city know me; there nobody wanted to employ me.
Therefore I changed first my name and came then to Brussels. First I was frit digester, then I had bought a computer and a small office had opened. It was ridiculous. In the first months I typed ten letters and a manuscript! The manuscript was for �the history of your life' - ghastly bad - however the chap sold it. That brought me also on the idea; I bought a pile of these trash magazines and read them." He smiled pointed. "Now you know thus, from where I know the authentic point of view of a woman with child. Although since now I never sold this true story. Do I win the bottle?"
Pablo pushed it to him. Then he thought again at the work. "You would probably want revenge still today at this chap?"
The eyes of the mother lit up predatory.
"Moment, you would not kill him nevertheless?"
He grins ugly. "Why not?"
"Slowly. I know more about it, than you think. I can help you. I know where he is."
The mother reached for Pablo. "Where does this chap live?"
"Release my shirt, boy - otherwise you�re on the road and we say to the police, you became insensible." Pablo showed him the baton.
The mother released it. "Sorry, but where he is? And from where do you know so much?"
"Everything at its time. There are documents, from which everything emanates from - patient sheets, child village documents, and so on. The child village was led by a Mrs. Wagner, right? And there you were as Hannah, right? And I don't know it from you, because you did not mention it, right?"
The mother was astonished and a little scared. "What should that everything?"
"I would like to do a favour to you. I can deliver you this chap. You do with him, what always you please - and I guarantee for the fact that nothing happens. But I do not believe that you would kill him. You are not so crazy."
"Where is he!" the mother pushed excited.
"Not so hastily! I do something for you - therefore you can do also something for me." "Aeh... what?"
"Your job doesn't please you. What you would say to become a high content, a regular work, and for an unlimited period high expense account, independent activity and interesting occupation?"
"Balderdash, Pablo," he declined, "doesn't exist this all at once."
"Okay, I make a suggestion: I supply him to you, you balance the account with him, and then try my job. If he doesn't please you... now finally you are free man."
He varied slowly; the last beer had been probably somewhat too much. "When I will get him?" he murmured incomprehensibly.
"If you are one with me - immediately!"
He stretched the hand for Pablo against. "I agree!"
Pablo nod to Michelle, his female assistant, she should take part his part, noted the time, eleven o'clock p.m., and disappeared with the mother toward stockroom. Only Pablo�s managing director and he had a key to it; only Pablo had the key for a small, hidden, area under the camp.
The mother looked around. "And, where he is?"
"Coming soon!" Pablo opened a box in the centre of the secret area. It contained a transformer for coordinates, model VI.6 year of construction 2075 - a wonderful machine. No mobile parts, a weight of 18 kg if fully loaded; not to differentiate outwardly from a cardboard.
Pablo had already adjusted it; now he needed only to spread the fine-mesh net, which limited the transformer circle.
"What is that?" the mother wanted to know.
"A time machine," answered Pablo and threw the net over them.
"Hey!" the mother called and yielded back. But thus he turned out only more surely under the net. Pablo used his surprise, to operate the activator.
0915 - Time block VII, 5 June 2042 Austria, Vienna, U - railway station Donauinsel. "Hey!" repeated the mother, "remove the condemned thing from me!"
"Sorry," said Pablo and plugged the net again into the box. "You want to seek him out, or?"
"However... You said, the thing there is a time machine!"
Pablo interpreted from the window. "Outside is September? Or Brussels?"
While the mother recovered from her shock, Pablo took a bundle of hundred Euro bucks from the box, and made sure that the numbers and signatures were compatible with 2042. The time office does not have anything against high expenditures, but it does not bear avoidable anachronisms. The money was correct. The mother turned. "What happened?"
"He is outside. You should try to catch him. Here you have money for your expenditures." Pablo pressed the bundle into his hand. "As soon as you accounted for you with him, I pick you up here again."
It is fascinating, how hypnotic bundle cash notes can be on people, which are not accustomed to it. The mother stared it disbelievingly on, when Pablo pushed him carefully to the door. The next jump was easy; he only had to move with the time.
1800 time block IX 14 May 2043 Mischek Tower: Under the door a note had been pushed through that the lease ran out next week. Otherwise the apartment was unchanged. Outside the most beautiful juiciest spring sheets on the trees were to be seen. Pablo hurried to come into the general hospital. It took twenty minutes until he had bored the nurse in such a way that she left him for one instant with the baby alone. Pablo took it also in the Mischek Tower. This time the attitude of the time machine was somewhat more complicated, because the target hadn�t existed 1975. But he had predicted everything.
0115 time block XI 18 June 2023 pension Bruderhofer Altm�nster: Transformer, baby and Pablo arrived in the pension at the edge of the place. Pablo had announced himself already before there as �Friedrich Wilhelm Decker, from Wels ', so that they landed in a room, whose key Pablo already had.
All further ran very simply. Hannah slept firmly; Pablo carried her and put her into the baby bowl on the rear seat of the car, which he had made available, and drove toward SOS � children�s village Altm�nster. There arrived he bedded her into a banana box, which he had in the trunk and suspended it before the entrance. Then he called from a telephone box, returned in time, to make sure that she was brought in. Pablo left the car in the proximity of the pension, went to foot back in the room and adjusted the time machine again.
2215 time block VIII, 22 June 2042 Austria, Vienna, station Donauinsel: Pablo had predicted the expiration exactly. If he didn't err, Hannah discovered Hannah in this tepid summer night, on the Donauinsel that she was less morally, than she thought. He drove with a taxi to the address, where she worked at the stingy family and waited in the proximity. Then both emerged tight twined from the darkness. He said good-bye to her with a long kiss. When he went finally, Pablo represented him the way. "It�s enough now, my boy," he determined. "I fetch you now."
"You!" Pablo stared to him speechless.
"Me. You know now, who it is - and if you think a little, you also discover who the baby is... and who I am."
He didn't give an answer; he was very much shocked. It is a shock to get proven that one cannot resist the temptation to entice yourself. Pablo took him also into the subway � station. They jumped again.
2300 time block VII 18 September 2065 training camps: Pablo woke up the sergeant of the guard, showed him his identification document and instructed him to put the new one with a tranquilizer to bed. He should recruit him in the morning after. The officer makes an annoying face, did however, like Pablo to it ordered. He probably hoped that it was him that woke Pablo up as sergeant of the guard when they meet next.
"What�s his name?" he wanted to know.
Pablo noted it the name. The officer lifts a brow "Hmmm..."
"Do only your obligation, second lieutenant." Pablo contacted his companion. "You will like your new job � and you are qualified in the best way. I know."
"But..."
"Have a good night�s rest and let explain yourself then everything. The job pleases certainly you!"
"Clear," added the second lieutenant. "Regard me, I am 1945 born, still young and enjoy the life." Pablo returned to the jump area.
2245 time block VI; entry 9; 8. September 2050, Belgium, Le Faubourg: Pablo returned with a bottle whisky in the hand from the stockroom. The guests knew where he had been. The mother with child could have disappeared by the curtain, which hung as windscreen before the entrance. Nobody cares about it. Pablo was condemns tiredly.
The work is arduous, but since the large error of 2030, it is not easy to recruit someone from later years. Can one imagine a better possibility of recruiting dissatisfied ones and disadvantaged ones on the spot to offer to them good-paid, interesting (sometimes also dangerous) job, which also still used to mankind? Everyone knows why it didn't come to a nuclear war at 2001: Those bombs which were determined for New York were not on board the misfortune machines and hundreds other things did not run in such a way, as the terrorists wanted it. It was the responsibility of the time jumper.
Pablo closed five minutes earlier and left at the cash a note for the business guide. Their offer is accepted, she could discuss the details of the purchase with his lawyer, and he had to travel for a longer time. Thus everything was arranged again. Pablo went back into the stockroom and jumped into the year 2095.
2200 time block X 2 December of 2095 training camp, recruiting place: Pablo got in touch with the sergeant of the guard, and went then into his billet, for go to sleep late. He had carried the bottle whisky (finally he had won it) and drank a sip before he wrote his report. The stuff tasted dreadful without ice, but it was better than nothing at all. Pablo didn't like to be stone � cold sober, then he thought too much. But he was also no boozer. Other humans see pink elephants, Pablo saw humans.
He dictated his report: thirty-five recruitments, which had to be confirmed by the psychologists. Among them also its own, this should not make some difficulties. He was nevertheless here, or? Subsequently, he wrote a request for a transfer into another department. Pablo was fed up with recruiting. He sent both by E - to Mail to the responsible departments and went to sleep.
His view fell on the "statutes of the time ' over its bed:
Makes never yesterday, what would have to be done tomorrow.
Never make a second attempt, if you had finally success.
A prick at the right time saves nine billion.
It�s not possible to paradox a paradox.
It is earlier, as you think.
Ancestors are also only humans.
Even God nods.
They did not inspire Pablo any longer like at that time, as he had been recruit; nearby thirty subjective years as time jumper leaches humans out. When he undressed, he regarded his abdominal wall. Even if a caesarean does not leave any longer so large scars, they remain nevertheless. But Pablo had so many hairs that one did not see it any longer.
Then he regarded the ring at his finger. The snake, which always and eternally bites itself into the own tail... He knew, from where he came - however from where all do the other resurrected come?
Pablo noticed that he got headache, but he did not want to take a tablet. Once he had made that - and then all were away.
Therefore he crept under the cover, whistled quietly to give the switch the command for switch of the light.
The others there were not really there. Except him � Hannah � nobody is here in the Godless darkness. He missed her so much!
