"Are you sure I'm the right person to. ."
"Oddly enough, yes," Chu smiled. "If you could inspire what would have become a wine-sodden nothing to change his life and write two of the greatest pieces of literature of classical times, you can do this."
"I don't know enough about physics," she warned, although secretly she was very pleased with herself to receive such an accolade.
"You don't have to," Chu nodded supportively. "What you have to do is prod him in the right direction. I'll tell you what you should tell him, but leave you to work out how to say it. Will you do it?"
"I'll try," she replied. "I mean, it's not as if I've much choice, is it?"
"It's when you've got no choice you tend to make the right one," Chu smiled. "If we can help in any way, ask, but don't waste time. There will be no further supplies of food or spare parts, and we do not know how long this will take."
"Do we know how long we can exist in this state of paradox?"
"Until the paradox is resolved or until we run out of food," Dr Chu said. "The instant our interventions cannot resolve the issue in our favour, or, for that matter, we give up trying, we cease to exist, as does the human civilization."
"We are devoting much of our nuclear energy to life support and growing vegetables," Grenfell added. "However, there is a problem. The viewer is very energy hungry, and when we use the viewer, we have to turn off certain life-support functions. If we over-use it, we shall degrade our own environment to an extent that we shall not survive."
"One of the other odd things about where we are," Dr Chu added, "is that since we are not connected directly to the rest of the Universe and cannot get energy in, it is also rather difficult to get rid of spare heat. If we cannot work out a way to get rid of it, and I am working on that, we shall eventually cook. The good news is that the viewer gets rid of energy, but the bad news is it does not get rid of heat."
"Suppose he doesn't accept me as a goddess?"
"I have an idea to help that along," Grenfell offered. "We get him to recognize you."
"How? I mean I can try in the dream, but if he rejects that. ."
"We have to dress you up to look the part, and we have to do this twice. What I want you to do is to persuade the builders of this little temple to erect a statue that looks like you. That way, our Roman will recognize you in his dreams."
"Is there an available sculptor?" Athene frowned.
"There was always a statue, and all we want to do is alter what it looks like. As it happens, we know that we can get a chance at him before he does your face."
"So you're going to dress me up as a goddess? Have we got what we need to make it look real?" Athene was somewhat doubtful that this could be done, after all, the temporal satellite was not exactly filled with theatrical material.
"The sculptor will dress you for the statue, and after that it is only your face that counts. But there is one more thing. This has to be an unusual statue. What I suggest is that you persuade the sculptor to show you thinking. Power and bombast simply won't do."
"To add to it," Chu smiled, "I'll make you something that glistens and looks like a laurel wreath crown. We can still put on some theatrics."
"Can we do this in stages?" Athene asked. "Firm up one step, then. ."
"We get one chance up until the alien civilization is resolved. At that point, their commitment to help, assuming we can get it, could lead to their arranging further communication, so the top priority is to get him there. However, in the later efforts you should also give one or two clues about the subsequent timeline, just in case, and also to stop him branching out into some further non-productive line."
"You don't want him becoming a prophet," she nodded.
"No, and there's another catch. While he must make these discoveries, he has to keep them secret until he gets abducted. The requirement that he could have changed the way Rome developed but for the abduction depends on his not having already done it."
"Further complications!" Athene nodded. "As if this weren't hard enough already."
"I know," Dr Chu smiled, "but I've got faith in you."
That might be misplaced, Pallas Athene thought as she stared at the notes in front of her. All she had to do was save two civilizations. This time she might have to earn that "Goddess" title she had given herself, and since there was no guarantee she would be born on the new timeline that would be created, she might end up being truly mythological.
* * *
Athene stared dolefully at the controls. This would be her last attempt, and she had to time it very well. Up until her previous attempt she had been so confident. Each previous attempt had worked surprisingly well, she had gathered so much information, she had discovered how her Roman would respond to what stimulus, and she had been so sure the last effort would really be the last. But it had not worked. Everything had gone off at a tangent at the end, and she was unsure why. Ralph Grenfell thought he knew: the Ulsians had to feel suitably guilty to let the Roman return. But how to achieve that?
The good news was that Dr Chu appeared to be on top of the heat problem. If this did not work they could spend years in this wretched capsule. She had to make it work! The problem was, there were three theories on what was required: hers, Ralph's and Dr Chu's, but there was only one option. They had discussed this for some time, and eventually Ralph had taken her aside and said that she had the casting vote.
"The reason," he had shrugged, "is that this depends as much on performance as anything. You could have the right approach but if you are not convincing, it still won't work."
She had thanked him for his support, but she felt anything but enthused. It all depended on her. Great!
She reached out and began turning the dials. She must find the very narrow window of time. Fortunately she had been very accurate previously, which was why she had managed to generate three extra chances. But this was definitely the last. The image on the screen began to take shape. She took a deep breath, and adjusted the homemade wreath. She had to look like a goddess! This had to work!
Chapter 2
Old Libo nodded at his young charge and smiled. "One on one! And no pissing around!"
Before the boy could answer, the top of Libo's shield flew towards his head, while the leaden tipped point of the practice sword thrust towards his chest. Totally by reflex, Gaius parried with his shield, but the weight of the thrust was too great, and he fell backwards onto the grass. The side of the wooden sword smashed across his legs.
'Bastard' Gaius thought, as he scrambled to his feet, and another blow fell across his back. "Miserable cheating. .' He readjusted his grip on his shield while Libo stood away from him, taunting. He grasped his practice sword, turned towards Libo, and angrily charged, shield to the fore. He was half way across the space between them when something flashed across his mind. 'Don't fight in anger!' He jammed his left boot ahead, pivoted to his left on it, and brought his shield across to cover the blow. Libo had launched at the angry young man, but Gaius' pivot left him striking air. Gaius' shield pushed into Libo's side and as he moved away, Gaius thrust his sword into his unguarded right flank.
Libo cursed, but recovered and thrust back. Gaius saw the blow, and pushing it towards his right, he moved forward, thrusting upward towards his opponent's slightly exposed right. Libo pulled his sword downward, parried, and stepped back. Gaius thrust forward, but it was a feint; as the shield blocked the thrust, and also partly blocked Libo's view, he leaped to his right. Libo had seen his feet, he swivelled, and they faced each other again.
Gaius stepped forward, pushing his shield to the outside of Libo's sword and thrust fiercely, but Libo had moved to his left and his sword struck nothing. Gaius pulled his shield downwards as hard as he could, anticipating the kick he sensed was coming. Libo swore, and momentarily seemed off balance. Gaius thrust with everything he had, but Libo still managed to parry. Gaius saw the eyes flicker, he realized his exposure, so he leaped back, bringing his shield across to parry the blow, at the same time bringing his boot around to catch the knee he had previously struck with the shield edge. Libo swore again, then swore again as Gaius smashed the edge of his shield into Libo's side.