the Darkness
Chapter 4
***
�This is a time stabilizer,� she said then as she pinned it on his shirt. �It is very important that you have it on when you travel through time. It will keep you from becoming unstuck in time � being lost in time forever.�
***
He sighed and walked up to the window, squeezing the time stabilizer in his hand. The secret panel moved behind him, and Diego turned to see his manservant cautiously slip into the room.
Bernardo signed questioningly, looking at his master. The young don grinned wearily and shook his head, �You really want to know where I have been?� Seeing the little mute nod affirmatively, he said: �Then I think you should better sit down.�
While he was retelling his adventures, Bernardo�s eyes were opening wider and wider, and, by the time he was finished, they looked like two giant saucers in his forehead. �You better watch it, my friend,� Diego warned with an amused smile, �or your eyes will soon come out of their sockets.�
Bernardo blinked, then tugged at the young don�s sleeve, calling his attention. Diego watched as Bernardo pointed at their shadows on the floor and made a sign for searching, and then shrugged his shoulders as if not finding any. �You mean, how do I find the agent of the Shadows?�
The mute nodded.
�I do not know, Bernardo. From what I have gathered, they can be invisible. They will pick a human whom they can keep under their influence and have him do what they want. The Shadows want to have it so that we, the humans, fight between each other. Then, when we have done enough damage, they will come in and finish the job.�
The little mute signed again, and Diego shrugged his shoulders, �I guess I will be looking for a man who makes the most effort to start a war.�
***
Two days later, Diego rode to the pueblo with Bernardo under a pretext of buying a new saddle. He saw no reason to alarm his father by telling him what was he really going to look for in the pueblo. Besides, one of the advantages of telling about the Shadows to Bernardo was that the latter could not talk. But if his father were to find out, there would be so much racket that it will alarm the Shadows, and then everything will be lost.
What Diego needed was time � time to investigate, time to come up with a plan. He knew he would have to be facing the Shadows� agent on his own. Delenn explained to him that no one except the Shadows had the ability to remain in another time for longer than several hours. And that was not a sufficient time to find the person they were looking for. Besides, once he is found, there probably would not be any time for the others to come to Diego�s assistance. So all he could really hope for was that his own instincts will warn him in time and that his telepathic ability will come through as Kosh promised it would.
Diego grinned, remembering suddenly the words of a hero of the famous play he read a while ago: �The time is out of joint � O, cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right.�
�How ironically perfect for my situation,� he thought cheerlessly, dismounting as he reached the tavern. As he was about to go inside, he noticed sergeant Garcia who stood by the well, looking longingly in his (or, rather, the tavern�s) direction.
�Buenos tardes, Sergeant. Would you like to join me in the tavern for a drink?� Diego offered, approaching him.
The sergeant�s round face spread in a wide smile that was full of delight. But the smile quickly faded, and the rotund sergeant shook his head morosely: �No, Don Diego. I cannot.�
�Cannot?� That was the first time Diego could remember that Sergeant Garcia actually refused to have a drink, and the young don was certainly puzzled. �But why?�
Sergeant looked around conspiratorially and whispered, �I am not even supposed to be talking to you.�
�Really? And what have I done to deserve such a treatment from you, Sergeant?�
�Oh, no. It is not just you, Don Diego. No soldier is allowed to converse with civilians. Those are the orders.�
Diego was completely bemused. �And whose orders are these?�
�The new comandante�s. The soldiers must remain on guard at all times.� The sergeant raised his hand preventing his friend�s next question: �I am sorry, Don Diego, but if the comandante sees me talking to you��
Diego nodded, �I understand, Sergeant. Good day.� Actually, he did not understand, but he hoped to have it clarified by somebody in the tavern, and he motioned to Bernardo to follow him.