«On the other hand, we have the ejection itself. By chance alone, it is pointed at the earth. Normally, this would not be a problem — that happens all the time. Normally such phenomenon are quite harmless.
«But this time, the Timewave and the ejection feed off one another. They are mirror images, they are two colliding storms. They build and multiply and multiply …
«The ejection is pulled towards the earth, massively magnified and aimed by the Timewave. The two phenomenon are lovers, made for one another.
«And then — they collide, scalding the world.»
«But why Europe?» Volzstrang said. «That makes no sense. If the Timewave were truly generated here at MacLaren … would not this very base have been the target of this ejection?»
Hardin smiled a crooked smile. «And it would have, if not for the fact that it was nighttime here whilst it was high noon over Germany during that terrible, terrible day. The ejection was only stopped from reaching us by the mass of the very earth itself.»
Volzstrang nodded. «Ah,” was all he managed to say.
Rachelle’s eyes hit her feet. Bantam studied her. She seemed to be fighting back tears.
Hardin noticed as well. «My dear. What is it?»
«My parents,” she said. «They met because of the Day of the Red Sun. Both my grandparents relocated to the same refugee camp in South America.» She glanced up oddly at Bantam.
Hardin sat next to Bantam. «You’re still not getting it, so I will be try to be as gentle as I can.»
«What am I not getting?» Bantam said, irritated. Why was everyone tip-toeing around him now? Cleveland was confused as well.
«Your journey back through time … I believe it may have caused the Day of the Red Sun,” Hardin said.
Thunk.
There it was. The other shoe of Jack’s Giant, dropping on him like a house.
«The history of the entire world may have been changed from that moment forward. I know — hard to believe. I’m not sure I believe it. But these equations that you produced are clearly the work of a genius. In fact, I even recognize the handiwork of Hoermann Volzstrang himself here — or the alternate version of him from the alternate version of history in your world, in any event. Wouldn’t you agree, Hoermann?»
Volzstrang nodded like a man in a trance. «This is exactly how I would have expressed this idea, had it been mine.»
«Complex mathematical ideas may be expressed in a million ways. The chance that these equations are expressed in exactly the way Hoermann would have chosen to do so is infinitely small.»
Bantam stood as what they were saying sank in.
«But the electricity, though. Why does nothing electric work here?» Bantam nearly popped a vein.
Hardin and Volzstrang exchanged glances. But it was Rachelle that spoke up. «The … the Timewave. Plus the ejection. It could have been enough to short out the whole planet. If you assume electricity was once real.» She blushed, embarrassed suddenly. «Oh, I feel silly even even saying such a thing.»
Hardin snapped his fingers. «Yes … yes! Of course. That makes sense. If you posit that the earth once had a natural electrical charge, that would be have been burnt out. Or more than that: it may have — oh! Yes. It is actively interfering with electrical phenomenon!» He turned to Bantam. «I must confess: I have always felt that electricity should be real. I’ve felt that since I was a boy and read stories of it!
«But the experimental evidence always confirmed that it was not. And I am an empiricist: I always go where the evidence takes me.»
«So. Where is the evidence taking you now?» Bantam said.
Hardin laughed. «Well. I examined your capsule in quite excruciating detail, Mr. Bantam, I am ashamed to say. In my own defense, I don’t believe that I damaged anything. I was careful there. But several panels were opened, and I attempted to ascertain how such an apparatus might be made to function. And it was without doubt that electricity was a major assumption of its design.
«My first thought was that this was an elaborate hoax. Or a masterstroke of misdirection. You appeared on a Army base, after all. Perhaps you were an enemy, and you enlisted the help of top scientists. Could I have concocted such a hoax myself? I asked myself this question. Or Doctor Volzstrang?
«Were it put to us, truly and truly, to concoct a story such as what you have told, and build that capsule — could we have done it? And I am forced to conclude: We could not. It is too elaborate. Do you agree Doctors Archenstone and Volzstrang?»
They both nodded.
«Well. There you see. There it is.»
Bantam’s heart raced. He was nearly hyperventilating. «You mean this crazy top-hat world is all because of me?»
«It would seem so,” Hardin nearly whispered. «But I would also add, for what it’s worth, that I believe your story wholeheartedly and without reservation now, Benjamin Bantam. Given all the facts and their interlocking complexity, there is simply no other explanation that makes any sense.»
IT WAS THE NEXT MORNING that Bantam saw something in the newspapers that made every molecule in his body turn to ice.
Immediately, Bantam called for Hardin. Both he and Veerspike arrived together. «There. See that guy?» Bantam said, finger stabbing the paper. «In my timeline, he is responsible for the most horrible war ever known to mankind.»
The paper featured a large picture of a man with a curly moustache and a top hat. He was framed in an oval, like a proud portrait, and surrounded by drawings of a scroll-announcement and cherubs and eagles, as though this were a cherished annunciation or anointing. The headline in the scroll read:
ADOLPH HITLER APPOINTED SUPREME CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY
The moustache was different, as were the clothes. But there was no mistaking those eyes, those shark-eyes, filled with blood and ink. Those were the eyes of a shaman, of a legion. There was no one person in there; instead it was a well-pool of unconsciousness. Somehow, even here, he had managed to hypnotize the German people.
«You have to understand: whatever this guy does next will be bad. Very bad. In my world, he seized power earlier, in the 1930’s — so he’s a little behind schedule in yours. But you can bet he’ll make up for lost time.»
«What sorts of things?» Veerspike asked.
«He’ll attack other countries. He’ll start wars. In fact wouldn’t be surprised if it happened tomorrow. He’ll pretend to be friends. He’ll even sign treaties. Then he’ll roll in the war machines.
«Please. You’ve got to understand one thing: this man is dangerous beyond anything you’ve ever seen or could possibly imagine.»
Veerspike snorted. «Germany is our friend. Germany has always been an ally of America. They are grateful for all the aid we brought during the Day of the Red Sun.»
«Or resentful,” Bantam snapped back. «I’ve been reading your papers: their economy hasn’t been too great. And that was just the way it was in my world. Hitler took advantage of it: the fear, the resentment. Oh, the details are different, but the circumstances are the same. Bottom line? Germany’s got a little-man complex as a nation. And Hitler knows all the right buttons to push to goad it into doing what he wants.»
«You’re paranoid,” Veerspike said. «And ungentlemanly. Why ever would you try to rouse our hatred against our dear friends, the Germans? Bad form. Bad form indeed.»
Veerspike left. After a moment so did Hardin.
But Bantam noticed that Hardin took the newspaper with him.