“Then the final battle is drawing near?”
“On the morrow,” said the Abbot. “Charles moved his main body up this evening, past the old Roman mansio on the road south. He’s setting up his shieldwall, and planning the defense even as we speak. God be with him, for all Christendom and the fate of the West hangs upon the outcome here.”
“Yes,” said Nordhausen, “But Charles was only the anvil in this battle—the stubborn defense. He was certainly essential to the victory here, but he is not the one who decides the issue. It was Odo! Odo and his few thousand light cavalry! They were the horses referred to on the stela. And you shall know him by his eye, and the fire of his hooves! Even the Arab source writes about him. That line has a double meaning as well! It was Odo and his cavalry. That was the commotion in the enemy camp. He must have staged a raid on the camp as the long day’s battle waned— right at dusk. Fearing the loss of all their plunder, this caused the Saracen horde to break off their attack and flee to the defense of their tents. This must be the solution,” he said at last. “It was Odo! The Pushpoint lies with him.”
The Abbot blinked nervously, his eyes ever on a great wooden box that sat at the far end of the Scriptorium. They had been speaking for some time, now, and Emmerich eyed the candles with growing anxiety.
“Lord, guide me,” he whispered. Then looked firmly at Robert, resolved. “Be very careful now,” he said. “Are you certain of this?”
“The line from Fredegar’s Chronicle is clear in my mind,” said Robert. “I have no doubt about that. But the writer obviously flattered Charles because he retains power and goes on to hammer at the Saracens until he drives them out completely. Odo dies three years after this, unheralded and bitter to the end.”
“Then you believe it is Odo that causes the confusion in the enemy camp?”
“It had to be,” said Robert. “Charles was heavily engaged with the main body of the enemy cavalry. How could he be responsible? Odo had the only force mobile enough to pull off a raid on the Saracen camp. He commanded the Frankish Cavalry. Yes, he was held in reserve, but it’s clear that he had every reason to launch an attack like this. He comes to Tours after being roundly defeated by Abdul Rahman, and suffers the humiliation of having to beg his rival and enemy, Charles, for aid and succor. He’s bristling to restore his honor. The only victory he can really claim was won by just such a raid, striking the enemy flank at Toulouse while they were heavily engaged at the walls of the city. It’s exactly the sort of maneuver he would plan. In fact, it’s the only thing he could do given the circumstances. Odo’s raid causes a segment of Abdul Rahman’s army to retreat to secure their camp, most likely his undisciplined Berbers. Then the whole thing falls apart, and when Abdul tries to rally his men, he is killed. Only then does Charles launch his counterattack, just like the garrison of Toulouse sortied out when Odo won that battle. It’s Odo. I’m sure of it.”
“So how can the Assassins prevent his maneuver, short of killing the man outright? That would be difficult, given that Odo is much on guard now, and surrounded by the last remnant of his comitatus guard.”
“Don’t you understand?” said Nordhausen. “They haven’t figured any of this out either—the other side is as much in the dark as you are, as we all were! Every intervention the Assassins have been running has been aimed at Charles. They tried to prevent his ascension and put Grimwald in his place, but we’ve stopped them. They think it all has to do with Charles, but they’re wrong, and I’m right, by God. And that’s the end of it.”
The Abbot bit his lip, hesitating, an inkling of fear in his eyes, and much anxiety evident on his face.
“This is maddening,” said Nordhausen. “You mean to say that even given all your resources in the future, whatever year it is that you have come here from, your people cannot find the Pushpoint?”
“All our resources?” The Abbot gave him a wry smile. “We had two Arch complexes left operational after the Heisenberg Wave generated by Palma struck home. Exactly two. They are most likely still protected by Nexus fields until the outcome of these events, but they have limited capabilities, even as you operate within the limits of available petrol and quantum fuel in your era. And they were focusing most of their effort at solving the threat of Palma. We’ve only just been warned about the danger here at Tours. The remainder of all our assets, Agents, Supervisors, Controllers, Messengers, are scattered throughout the history, and at grave risk now. This abbey, for example, is now in jeopardy, and in like manner the remainder of our forces will be harried, hunted down and eliminated, throughout the whole of the Meridian if we fail to stop Abdul Rahman and his Saracens here.”
“So you fear your people are in no condition to assist you further?”
“You saw the message. Did you note the scrawled hand? It was obviously written in great haste. It could be that it originated at one of our Arch complexes, and was hastily sent through just before it failed. Perhaps that explains why I have received nothing further these last few hours.”
Nordhausen nodded, understanding. “I have seen you eying that box for some time. And you have opened it twice. The messages come though at that location?”
“Yes, they shift things into the chest there, but I have had nothing for hours,” said the Abbot. “Well,” he sighed, deciding. “I have nothing else to go on, and this information is most unsettling. I must put men on it immediately. The enemy may come round to this as well, and they could be hatching a new plot against Odo even as we speak.”
“I’m not so sure,” said Robert. “This is all new, you see. I suppose it’s another throw of the dice here after all these interventions. On the Prime Meridian Odo makes his raid, but this is new… Odo must be a what Paul calls a Free Radical. It is his choice that decides this battle, so it could go either way now. What will you do?” he finished.
“I have no real idea yet,” said the Abbot, “but at the very least I can put a watch on Odo and assure his safety tonight. The Assassins got that name for a reason, eh? If they come round to this same line of reasoning, and key on Odo as the Primary Lever, then they may be desperate enough to take bold and direct action. After all, his sons are already living and he does nothing of any further significance in the years ahead. If what you suggest is true, however, eliminating him now could decide the outcome of the battle. This is the consummate moment of his life where this one choice decides all. The stakes are enormous! So I have little time to waste now. I must put every man I have on this.”
He started for the door, tugging at the sleeve of the professor’s cassock. “And your candle is burning low as well.” He pointed a fat finger at the professor, smiling wanly.
“I don’t understand.”
“You’re going back soon,” Emmerich gestured to the candle. “See where it burns low? Your retraction scheme will initiate soon. In fact, I think it best we make our way back to the reception room. I will have to carry on here without you, but I must tell you that your intervention here could be absolutely decisive. I am much in your debt, professor.”