The Whenabouts of Burr by Michael Kurland

Author:Michael Kurland
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: parallel world, alternate universe, time travel, science fiction, aaron burr
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2015-12-03T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Nothing seemed to have changed, but suddenly the room smelled bad. The torches were now flickering and giving off an aura of thick black smoke. The perspective through the windows was different. Swift revised his first opinion, and decided that much had changed. “What happened?” he asked.

“That’s almost as silly as ‘Where am I?’,” Alex: commented, closing the little hatch in the stone.

“That was going to be my next question,” Swift assured him, climbing down from the stone slab. “Along with ‘what the hell is going on here’, ‘what do you think you’re doing’, and ‘why are those naked men with knives coming through the door’?” With the last question, Swift circled around the stone to keep its bulk between himself and the three naked men with knives who had just come through the door.

“They are not naked,” Hamilton said indignantly. “They wear breechclouts and feather headdresses, the proper attire for persons in service here in Tehetiltotipec. I would certainly never allow any persons of mine to go around naked. Even the women wear proper dresses. Although I’ll admit that some of the natives back in the hills… Oh, well; civilization moves slowly in its progress.”

“These Indians are in your service?” Swift asked, ceasing to crouch behind the stone slab.

“Certainly,” Hamilton affirmed. “Well, ah, to be technical about it; actually they think I’m some sort of a god. They work much cheaper if they think you’re a god.”

“Why do they think that?” Swift asked.

“Well, you know, it’s because I told them I was, that’s why.” Hamilton looked embarrassed.

“You told them you were a god?” Swift asked, the astonishment evident in his voice.

“Yes. Well, I suppose I could have told them about Jehovah, Original Sin, Purgatory, the Elect, and all that; but I didn’t think it would do either of us much good. Since all of the Elect live in Boston, and this is on the other coast, I didn’t think they’d appreciate that particularly overmuch.”

“You’re probably right,” Swift said. “The other coast?”

“You’re a slow learner, aren’t you son,” Hamilton said kindly. “That’s right. This is the city of Tehetiltotipec. On other levels known as Mission Dolores, or Yerba Buena, or Drake’s Bay, or San Francisco. Come along with me now, and tell me why you’ve been following me.” They went out into the sunlight, and from the top of the ziggurat, which perched on a hill, highest of a series of hills, Nate Swift could see the city of Tehetiltotipec spread out beneath him. The sun, halfway down to the western sea, spread lengthening shadows over the small, closely-packed brick buildings and the narrow, twisting streets. Nob Hill? Swift wondered. He wasn’t sure enough of the basic shape of San Francisco Peninsula, without its tall downtown buildings, to be sure just where the great stepped pyramid had been built. Off to the north Alcatraz Island shone green, golden and white, with some sort of high wall surrounding it, and low buildings visible within the walls. Swift pointed it out to Hamilton.

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