He was being drawn remorselessly toward a blazing portal of light even as he gathered into a whole man. He felt as if he were Eve being assembled from Adam’s rib and brought forth into the light of day. They burst forth in a bolt of lightning with a whoop of the odd vacuum-like thunder in the very same courtyard between the house and the carriage house. The only difference was in the furniture, which was no longer of wrought iron, but of some flimsy painted shaped wood, and wooden-slat fencing had replaced the brick walls that had originally separated the courtyards of the various houses.

Randy, obvious having experience with these dwellings, left Jan to secure the hoop, which was now inert, and advanced to the glass-paneled door to the carriage house and found it open. They then followed him into the small house out of the inclement weather—yes, indeed, it is snowing! I wonder if our transit caused this snow.

Once within the carriage house they did an equipment check: Jan carried the diplomatic pouch containing the hoop and his gold; Richard carried the two saddlebags full of opiates and hashish and his two books and the journal; Randy carried only a slim leather case which contained Richard’s Colt .45. The gunfighter had donned his arsenal beneath his great coat, convinced that they would be accosted by people of the 24th Century who stalked them—that is most disconcerting —and confident that the cold winter weather and his heavy coat would obscure his armed status from the modern police, who it appeared, were most jealous of their exclusive right to go about armed.

What kind of slave society is it where only the bullies of the state may bear arms?

Much of Europe had weapons prohibitions in your day. You are just unhappy that the great American frontier has closed and there will be a concurrent lack of adventuring opportunities.

Yes, I shouldn’t fret with all of Time laid before me should I!

Randy soon located a white projection on the wall connected to a length of tubing that ran to the ceiling and pressed a button on it. With that simple act a great rolling door, which was in fact the entire back wall of the building, rose to permit their egress into a barren concrete street, which had apparently been downgraded from cobbled street to paved alley.

They were now out in a congested warren of a world. The streets were much wider than the many Asiatic cities he had visited, but were just as crowded thanks to the numerous horseless carriages about—which he had been duly informed of. The skyline was not much different than some British city with the pleasant exception of the many trees planted between the black-paved streets and raised concrete sidewalks.

Jan took their bearings based largely on the foot and vehicle traffic, checked the time on the fine silver watch in his vest pocket, and declared that it was 10:07 a.m. on a weekday morning, and announced that they would walk north on Charles Street toward the Inner Harbor, and hire the first available carriage, called a ‘taxi’.

Whatever compelled an American to name a hired carriage after the now defunct German Imperial Mail Service?

A world of mystery both begrudging and bedazzling awaits your inquiring mind!

The modern American professor led the way, with Richard behind him, and the edgy Randy bringing up the rear.

Of all of the adventures you have dreamed of Richard, not one could compare with this. You are a veritable Gulliver adrift on the Sea of Time.