“Get him into the castle now. Move it!”

As the body was picked up, Grant stared at the shocked pike men.

“I want these brave men buried before sunrise. Now snap to it.”

Charly was carried into the healing chamber, where the armour was quickly removed.

The shocked woman groaned in despair.

“The wound is deep sir.”

“Then wash it out and stuff it with something.”

The woman nodded and as she set to work, Grant noted that his friend was breathing.

“Just hang on in there mate. We’ll soon patch you up.”

As the wound was carefully washed, the king entered.

“How is he?”

Grant looked grim.

“Badly wounded sir but I think he’ll pull through.”

“What of my knights?”

“All gone sir. I’ve ordered their burial.”

“Tis a dark night indeed. Now we are defenceless.”

“Only if this knight returns sir. Let’s try and look upon the bright side eh?”

The king nodded and left the room, as the wound was stuffed with clean cloth. When Charly moaned, the woman brightened up.

“That is a good sign sir.”

Grant nodded.

“I hope so mam. He’s a tough old bird you know.”

Three weeks had passed and Charly was sitting up in bed as his cat, Christine, meowed, and chewed his finger. As Grant entered, he smiled.

“How’s it going mate?”

“A little painful but I’ll manage thanks. We both need a break you know.”

“I hear the fishing has improved.”

Charly smiled.

“Yes why not indeed. Can you help me up?”

Now out of bed, Charly stood stiffly as the cat looked on.

“I won’t be able to wear my armour for a short while. At least the riding won’t be affected.”

As he dressed Grant asked, “What happened out there?”

Charly grimaced.

“The black knight led me on a fool’s errand. We walked into a trap.
As for their ruddy swords. They cut through my men like paper.”

“A different type of steel?”

“More than likely. Did you gather up the enemy weapons by any chance?”

“There were only four of them mate.”

Charly smiled.

“We’ll give them to the blacksmith and perhaps he can duplicate them.”

“You think this black knight will return then?”

“Yes I do Grant. He has too you see. He knows that I am here.”

With that rather mysterious remark, Charly hobbled out as Grant followed. They reached the weapon stores, and took the four swords to the waiting blacksmith.

“We need as many of these as possible. Think you can do it?”

“Sounds no problem to me. A sword is a sword sir.”

Charly shook his head and removed his own. He then handed it to the blacksmith, and snatched up one of the captured weapons.

“Now defend yourself.”

The blacksmith was a dab swordsman and lashed out. Charly ducked and slashed back at once as Grant jumped to one side.

“Hey you two, stop it.”

As the swords clashed, Charley’s sliced straight through the blacksmith’s.

“Ha!”

The man was astounded.

“That should not have happened.”

“I know smithy,” Charly said putting his sword in its scabbard. “That’s why we need as many as you can make.”

“Where to now?” Grant asked.

“I think to the alchemist my boy. I want a word with him.”

The alchemist was a tall but strange chap who dabbled in chemicals and experimentation. His current project was trying to convert uranium rock into a usable power source.

Charly knew about this line of research and strongly disapproved. For obvious reasons!

“Hello Charly, glad that you are up and about.”

They saw the bottles lining the wall and Charly smiled.

“How is the research going?”

“As well as can be expected. It is a long and slow process you know.”

“It’ll never work,” Grant assured him.

“Let me put it another way,” Charly said icily. It must never work. So here is a substitute.”

He reached inside his cloth trousers and handed over a note.

As the alchemist read the list, he scratched at his straggly hair.

“I recognise these ingredients Charly. What do you want me to do with them?”

Charly just smiled.

“Why not mix them together and make as much as you can. We may need to use it.”

They left the puzzled man and walked into the courtyard.

“What was that all about?”

Charly winked.

“I just gave him the recipe for gunpowder. We may not have cannon, but it sure will make one hell of a bang!”

“Sorry sir,” a guard called out. “The king needs you at once.”

The friends sighed and followed the man into the presence of the monarch.

“Who’s this?” Charly asked.

He stared at the bent over figure of the crone. Her beak like nose and glassy eyes were reinforced by the black frizzy hair. She held herself up with a crooked walking stick and looked almost ready to drop.

“This is the soothsayer captain. You may find this rather interesting.

As they waited, the old crone began.

“A kingdom shall fall and twins shalt die, as the comet fractures the sky.”

“Is that all?” Grant asked.

“Beware my warning!”

The king waived her away and as she hobbled from the castle, her tortured frame faded at once.

“What do you make of it captain?” the king asked.

“A load of cods wallop,” Grant hissed.

Charly however had other thoughts.

“Comets sire have always been regarded bad omens. This woman is simply following a long held tradition.”

“So we have nothing to worry about?”

“I won’t go that far sire. We should always be on our guard for unexpected developments.”

The king nodded.

“Wise words. What are your plans now?”

“A little R and R sir. With your permission.”

The king stood up at once.

“Consider it an order captain. Go and enjoy yourself!”

When they reached the stables, one question was playing upon Grant’s mind.

“What did she mean about the twins?”

“Never you mind mate. Just remember Nostradamus eh? Not all soothsayers are crazy.”

They dismounted after a relatively short ride west, and gazed upon Foxley Lake.

“Lovely ain’t it?”

“It certainly is Grant. Come on, we have some fishing to do.”

They set up the makeshift rods and watched as the feather float bobbed in the still waters.

“Do you think we will ever catch something?”

Charly shook his head.

“It’s quite dead I’m afraid. As dead as the town sleeping beneath.”

An hour or two passed in peace until a soft mist began to rise from the placid surface.

“Must be getting cool,” Grant commented as the mist grew thicker by the second.

“I don’t think so,” Charly whispered. “Something very strange is going on here.”

Grant rolled his eyes.

“It always is when you are around.”

To their astonishment, the rising mist suddenly turned to thick snow and through the blizzard, Charly saw the lake freeze over.

“I think we are in serious trouble,” he muttered.

“Perhaps we should leave eh? After all mate, you are still not quite recovered yet.”

“We need to check this out so come on.”

“Where too?”

“That way of course,” Charly said pointing to the blizzard.

As they crept along the frozen surface of the lake, thick snowflakes blinded them.

“What’s causing it?” Grant whimpered.

“I don’t know at the moment mate. It’s getting ruddy freezing!”

A few steps further and they suddenly sank up to their waists in soft snow.

“The ruddy lake has gone,” Grant said.

Charly agreed.

“If we don’t find cover, we will both freeze to death.”

They struggled to free themselves but it was quite hopeless.

“We’re stuck.”

“I know Grant. This is definitely the last time we go fishing!”

“Me and my big mouth mate.”

They had almost given up when a figure suddenly crawled toward them.

“Give me your hand.”

Charly did so and was easily hauled out. Working together now, Grant slid from his icy tomb.

Charly glanced at the white clad rescuer.

“Thanks mate. Where did you come from?”

“Just follow me eh?”

They kept close until a lighted trap door appeared. As they climbed inside and it was closed, they found themselves standing upon a vast metal platform.

Their rescuer was hidden inside a white duffle coat, and thick goggles hid the eyes. When they were removed of course, Charly smiled.

“Nice to see you again Triad. Rather unexpected but welcome none the less.”

“Where is this place?” a relieved Grant asked.

“Beneath our Yorkshire base of course. You had better follow me.”

“How did you know about us?”

“Oh Charly,” she muttered. “We have sensors everywhere.”

They stomped down the long steps and onto the vast warm floor. She led them into a small office and sat them down.

“Can anyone explain how we got here without a ring?” Grant asked.

Triad looked at Charly and winked.

“Your department I think.”

Charly rolled his eyes.

“I think it is obvious. For some reason the two time zones are merging. Call it a time crash if you like.”

“How can that happen though?” his friend asked.

Charly glared at the woman.

“Where were you when the world ended?”

“That was six months ago now. I was sitting at my desk reading a report when one of my men dashed in and called me outside. That’s when I saw it. Naturally I hit the klaxon that ordered everyone down here.”

“An emergency bunker?” Grant asked.

“It was built to survive nuclear war.”

“Lucky you,” Charly said grimly. “How many made it?”

Triad looked away.

“Only four of us. The rest were vaporised.”

“Too bad,” Charly said slowly.

“Where were you or shouldn’t I ask?”

“I was in Foxley when the energy wave arrived. I only just made it back.”

“So, we have both been lucky so far.”

She saw her old friend wince.

“What happened to you?”

“He had an argument with a sword and lost,” Grant explained.

“So how many more of these exist?”

“This is the only one Charly. What with government cutbacks.”

“How about missile silos?” Grant asked. “They crews must have survived.”

Triad shook her head sadly.

“They are dead by now. Their emergency power systems only last a
month. Thankfully our designers extended that period.”

“How long?”

“Six months Charly. In a day or two, it’s lights out and we freeze.
I’m damn glad to see you again.”

Charly looked at her suspiciously.

“You want something?”

She nodded.

“You can lead us back to your time. At least there, we can live.”

“Out of the question.”

Triad was shocked.

“You and Grant live there,” she snapped.

“We got away with it. Your arrival will upset the delicate balance.”

“I’ve been in this Brigandia before though.”

“Not to stay. Don’t you see? The balance could shift and my new world would be utterly destroyed.”

“You would leave us here to die?” she asked with understood resentment.

Charly gritted his teeth.

“I had to leave my friends and colleagues to die in order to save my monarch. I have to live with that for the rest of my life.”

Grant suddenly interrupted.

“Sorry to butt in, shouldn’t we be trying to stop this merger?”

Charly nodded.

“We have to stop it soon. If this is allowed to continue, it's the end of both worlds. Past and future.”

“So what caused it?” Triad asked coldly.

She almost heard Charley’s mind whirring.

“I used the ring as the wave arrived. That could have weakened the dimensional walls.”

“Now it’s collapsing?”

“Yes Grant it is. Hence the mist, the snow, and not forgetting the frozen lake.”

“So how do we save both worlds?” Triad asked.

Charly looked at her coldly.

“Another form of energy could close the hole I suppose. You won’t have it anyway.”

“Have what?” Grant asked.

“A small kiloton thermo-nuclear device.”

“You are kidding right?”

Charly gave Grant an ice-cold stare.

“Seems that you are not.”

Triad sighed softly.

“About a year ago I requisitioned two of them in case some unfriendly aliens tried to land here.”

“You still have them?” Charly asked excitedly.

“They were stored down here.”

Charly glanced at Grant.

“Now we have a ruddy chance.”

Then he paused. Realising an unpalatable truth.

“If we use them Triad, you understand the consequences.”

She nodded grimly.

“A sudden suntan mate. When I signed up for military intelligence I knew my life was on the line. Hell, who gets a chance to save two worlds eh?”

“What do you want to do with them Charly?” Grant asked.

“They need to be positioned just at the apex of the merger. Hopefully the resulting explosion will heal the breach and push them apart.”

“Sounds good to me,” Triad said.

“It has to be done quickly,” Charly warned. “Beyond a certain point, nothing will work.”

She nodded.

“You had better give us a hand then.”

She called her remaining men together, but did not say why. She led them deep into the bunker where the warheads were stored. Once there, they were loaded onto transporters and taken to the base of a second shaft.

“Help me to place them on the platform.”

They helped Triad do this, before the metallic surface was raised toward the roof. They saw it slide back and thick snow drifted inside.

Upon that freezing surface, Triad asked, “Show me where to put them Charly.”

“Just follow us.”

They carried the heavy devices into the blizzard until Charly felt the snow slightly harden.

“This is it Triad. The transition point. Forward is my world. They have to go off now.”

“I’ll set the ruddy timer for two minutes then.”

Charly shook his head.

“When I mean now, I actually mean ten seconds.”

“How about you two? You’ll never get clear in time.”

Charly just grimaced.

“We will take that risk. Goodbye Helen Carter.”

“Get out of it Charles.”

Charly grabbed his friends arm as she set the lethal timer.

As they stumbled onto firm ice he yelled, “We are nearly there!”

They broke through the thick blizzard and stumbled onto the banks of Foxley Lake. A thousand years earlier, a woman watched the needle reach zero.

“Seems like we made it,” Grant said.

“They blast was contained within the transition zone my friend. Look at the blizzard. It’s gone now.”

As they reached the castle gate, the guard smiled.

“You two have been gone three days. Enjoy yourself?”

Charly gave him a withering look.

“Never ask that again.”

Stepping into the apartment, Charly noticed something odd. Christine was huddled upon the floor shivering violently.

“What’s wrong darling?”

He ran to her and shouted, “Get me cool blankets now! She’s burning up. I don’t understand this. She was alright this morning.”

He lifted the loving cat from the floor and sat upon the sofa with her upon his lap.

“Here’s the blankets.”

Charly took them and carefully swaddled her within. He cradled her now, singing a lullaby.

A heavy hand suddenly gripped his shoulder.

“Sorry mate but she’s gone.”

Charly looked down and stared at the still animal. He shook her gently.

“Come on darling. Time for your din dins. Time for your treats.”

There was no response.

Charly stared toward the ceiling as tears rolled down his bonelike cheeks.

At the top of his voice he screamed, “Noooooooooooo!”