For Want of One (Conclusion)

The final, and most touching part yet, in the wonderful sci-fi/historical saga "For Want of One"
-Bboy

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FOR WANT OF ONE - CONCLUSION

     Kaelen awoke with a pounding headache, unable to remember the 
last time he had felt so bad.  Thoughts of the last office party 
came to mind, making him very afraid to even open his eyes.  
Slowly, he sat up and did so anyway. 
     The light was blinding, and Kaelen realized he was sweating.  
Wherever he was, it was hot.  Very hot, and dry.  As he gradually 
came to his senses, he realized he was sitting in the sand, out in 
the open, in the blazing sun.  He looked around, but saw nothing 
but sand.  There were flat areas, dunes, and the sand blew up over 
the tips of those dunes in fog-like clouds.  There were patterns, 
dizzying to look at.  Kaelen shook his head and tried to focus his 
eyes.  The pain was almost intolerable.  “Where in hell am I ? “ he 
asked aloud.
     The voice that replied inside his head made him yelp and jump 
straight up, to land with no dignity at all face-first in the 
sand.  “Outskirts of ancient Babylon, circa 5 to 600 BC.”
     Then it hit him.
     The attempt had succeeded.  The temporal viewer had actually 
managed to focus enough of the distortions in Time to send him 
back.  Those same distortions, which he himself had discovered, and 
which had also erased his very existence.  He thought back to the 
initial launch of the Temporal Viewer.  There was so much to see, 
so much to learn in the past.  He never even dreamed of the side 
effect of the Viewer’s power consumption, however.  While viewing 
the events that had lead to the last great war, enough minute 
distortions in the very fabric of time had collected around his 
chamber.  He had, in fact, become exempt from the normal flow of 
time.  Then things begun to change.
     At first it was the name and face of the guard at his door, 
which he dismissed out of hand and blamed on faulty memory or 
inattention.  Then he had found, bluntly, that HE himself no longer 
existed.  Somewhere back in time, something had gone wrong while he 
was in the chamber. 
     One boy.
     One boy had had a son. 
     That son had had sons.
     Eventually, Kaelen had descended from that one boy, centuries 
later.
     But as he had sat watching history unfold on his monitor, 
something happened.
     The computer called it a Breakpoint.  It was based on the 
theory that anything that CAN occur, does occur - in alternate 
Timelines.  Kaelen, however, was outside of ALL the timelines when 
it had happened.
     One boy.
      His sons.
      Their sons - perhaps a very nation.
     Gone with the single stroke of a knife.
      
     Kaelen bowed his head to his knees, fumbling for his canteen.  
He had come prepared, at least.  Well, prepared to travel.  His 
implants were functioning, and he was in discreet communication 
with the computer he had built, centuries distant in ONE possible 
future.  The fact that the computer had spoken through the implant 
and frightened him bolstered his faith that he would succeed.  
Kaelen took a long drink and remembered why he had come.

     His name was (is?) Rahim, and he was a beautiful boy.  
Somewhere near ancient Babylon, this boy had lived, grown up, 
perhaps married, and fathered children who would in turn father 
children who would in turn give rise to Kaelen in the far future.  
That was one possibility.  The other was that Rahim, long before 
his reached manhood, was sold as a slave boy to a wealthy merchant 
and made into a eunuch.  With his emasculation, countless 
descendants had disappeared before Kaelen’s eyes on the monitor.  
Himself included.  Trapped in the temporally exempt chamber, he was 
left with only one choice.

     For want of that one boy, he had gone back in time to make 
sure that the Breakpoint never happened.  He had to make sure that 
Rahim was not gelded to live out his life as a plaything for some 
depraved and wealthy merchant.

     “Computer, “ Kaelen whispered to himself, “respond.”
     “Working . . . “ replied the soft feminine voice.
     “WHEN am I, computer ?”
     “Approximately 5 to 600 BC as stated outside ancient Babylon.  
You have 3 days to the Breakpoint to which you were drawn.” the 
computer informed him.
     
     Kaelen drew himself up and set out, walking slowly to conserve 
his strength.  The open desert was not the best climate for a hike 
and he had little time.  Following the tips from the voice only he 
could hear through his implants, he made his way to a caravan 
route.  The water and food supplements he had packed would sustain 
him, but Kaelen could not help but wonder how long he could hold 
out in the heat; especially with all the packs he was going to have 
to carry.  Fortunately, he did not have to wait long.  Upon the 
advice of the computer, he found himself on the track coming up 
behind a caravan which had stopped for the worst part of the day to 
rest at a scant oasis.  Obviously the computer had picked a near 
perfect place to “drop” him.  He adjusted his garments, paying 
special attention to his turban so as not to expose his shaven 
head.  Kaelen reminded himself that that, in this time frame, was a 
sign of a slave and very few free men or boys shaved their heads.
     No one in the caravan seemed to be paying much attention as 
they went about the business of watering their mounts and tending 
to their cargo.  Kaelen made an indelicate sound as he approached.  
There were at least a fifty camels in the caravan, and a few horses 
and what looked to be mules.  There were armed men, carrying wicked 
looking swords and staffs, and servants attending to the men as 
well as the animals.  It was obviously a well guarded caravan of a 
rich merchant, and the cargo was slaves.
     “I should be so lucky, “ Kaelen muttered.
     “Confirmed, “ the voice in his head supplied helpfully, “This 
is the caravan of the merchant you seek, but the boy is not with 
it.  He is already in the city.”
     Kaelen nodded, not thinking that the gesture would go 
unnoticed since the Viewer could not actually see him in person.  
He continued to survey the caravan.  The servants were clad only in 
brief loincloths, and all of them had shaven heads.  Most were 
black, and very few of them were large and muscular.  In fact, 
almost all of the ones serving seemed to be tall and thin.  Many of 
the guards were ominous looking, huge men with which Kaelen decided 
it would be best not to tangle with.  The men being served were 
richly dressed, and obviously had not wanted for anything in quite 
some time.  Still he approached, hoping that the implant could 
translate both ways fast enough for conversation.  It was then that 
he paused, taking closer notice of the cargo.
     That cargo was indeed slaves, now that he could see them 
better.
     They were being hauled in large cage-like wagons, which Kaelen 
found unusual.  He had assumed that they would be on foot, 
suffering with every step.  But upon further examination of that 
idea, he decided that a bunch of dead or injured slaves would not 
be worth much.  It made sense, especially if the market was good.  
A few of the bald servants were passing water skins to the 
prisoners in the wagons, and plates of fruit and dried meat as 
well.  From the looks of it, whoever owned them did not want them 
damaged in transit.  The slaves in the rolling cages took the food 
and drink without much enthusiasm and passed it amongst themselves.
     “You there !”  A voice shouted .
     Kaelen stopped as a large guard approached him, brandishing 
his sword.
     “What do you want ?”  The man demanded.
     The lag was negligible and Kaelen breathed a sigh of 
relief.  “I am a lost traveler, good sir, separated from my 
company.  Might I travel with your great caravan ?  I can pay you 
well.”
     The guard looked Kaelen over, judging him on sight.  In a deep 
and threatening voice he replied, “I will take you to the Overseer 
who will decide.”  Then he paused.  “He is a greedy man who will no 
doubt take what you can offer him, but be warned . . . “ and he 
left that last statement hanging.  Visions of being robbed and sold 
as a slave himself filled Kaelen’s mind, but he followed the guard 
to the oasis where a tent had been pitched under a puny palm tree.  
The guard announced their arrival, and pushed Kaelen inside.
     The man who sat in the tent was a bit fat, and dressed in fine 
silks and jewelry.  He looked at the guard and Kaelen and 
demanded, “What is this ?”
     “A lost traveler, sir, who wishes to pay to travel with us, “ 
the guard answered.
     “Very well, I am always open to make a profit.  What can you 
offer me, stranger ?”
     Kaelen reached into his pocket and produced a small bar of 
gold.  He had come prepared for monetary emergencies and gold was a 
universal currency.  The guard snatched the bar from Kaelen’s 
slight hand and presented it with a bow to the Overseer, whose eyes 
bulged.  “You are no doubt a well to do citizen, “ he replied, “and 
this will insure your travel with me.  Judging from the looks of 
you, you come from the high district, am I right ?”
     The computer had prepared his disguise well.  Kaelen nodded, 
inclining his head in respect.
     The Overseer then laughed.  “Dine with me, stranger, and tell 
me how you came to be out here in the desert, all alone and 
wandering.”
     Kaelen sighed silently in relief.  To be invited to dine, in 
this culture, was a good sign.
     The guard gestured to a cushion, and Kaelen seated 
himself.  “My own company was set upon by robbers, good sir, and 
only I escaped with my life and a few small things.  I was merely 
traveling back to the city, returning home.  This is a most 
terrible setback for me.”
     As they continued to talk, two bald and near naked servants 
entered.  They were much larger and healthier looking than the 
others Kaelen had seen.  They did not, however, make eye contact 
with either Kaelen or his host.  Both were black, with large lips 
and small ears and flattened noses.  In each ear and in their 
septums they wore thick gold rings.  Their brief loincloths left 
almost nothing to the imagination, and their sweating bodies showed 
very little, in fact, almost no body hair at all.  As one bent over 
to present him a plate of fruit chunks, Kaelen stole a glance at 
the small, tight garment.  It was coarse cloth, and very tight in 
the front, coming up to fit between the cheeks of the servant’s 
butt.  It left no doubt, upon a close look to the front, that the 
young servant showed no bulge at all through the cloth.  He was 
indeed a  full eunuch.
     Kaelen, despite the oppressive heat, shivered.  
     When the two of them had finished serving, the rich man waved 
them off to a corner where they sat cross-legged staring at the 
floor of the tent.  Kaelen took his queue to begin eating when the 
host did, which made him smile.  “You are well mannered, as I would 
expect from a high born man.  We will make the city by nightfall, 
which is good.  The desert can be very cold at night and all those 
naked slaves of ours might catch a chill.  They will need all the 
strength they have for what is to come when we arrive.”
     “And for where are they bound, excellency ?”  Kaelen asked 
politely.
     “Ah, they are the finest of Africa and a few young Arabs whom 
are destined to be sold on the slave block in the city.  They are 
all young and strong and healthy, and most have great looks.  My 
employer only imports the finest to sell, as there is much profit 
in this.  Why, on the last trip we brought him a Bedouin beauty of 
a boy which sold for more than I can remember in a long time.”  The 
fat man paused over a bite of fruit and took a long drink, passing 
the wineskin to Kaelen.  “In fact, “ he continued, “He looked 
somewhat like you.”
     “I do descend from stock in that area, I am told, “ Kaelen 
replied.
     “Most arrogant boy I ever saw, “ the Overseer continued, “no 
respect, no manners, fighting with everyone all the time.  He 
actually tried to escape several times and we finally had to tie 
him to a horse, literally, to keep him.  He even dared look 
everyone in the eye.  He was so perfect, however, that no one dared 
damage him . . . “
     As the fat man rambled about the boy, the computer confirmed 
through Kaelen’s implants that it was indeed Rahim that the man 
spoke of.  There was still time, it assured him, and the boy was 
being kept in careful preparation for his gelding - or not. 
     Kaelen continued to eat and to watch the quiet eunuchs as the 
fat man rambled on and on, while all the time some deep part of his 
mind was screaming.

     Kaelen had no problem with the caravan’s leader, and his gold 
bar did indeed get him into the city.  The trip was even pleasant.  
The only thing that had unnerved him was the fact that his host had 
seen fit to assign him his own servant, a shaven-headed eunuch like 
all the rest Kaelen had seen.  The eunuch was young, perhaps 
eighteen or nineteen at the most but with much fairer skin.  Like 
the rest, he also wore the gold rings in his nose and ears and was 
dressed only in the tight and small loincloth that made it 
painfully obvious of what he was missing.  He was of a slight 
build, and not tall in the least; as if the emasculation had 
stunted his growth some.  It had taken several hours, but Kaelen 
had finally gotten the eunuch engaged in some conversation.
    He told Kaelen of how he had once been free and had lived in a 
small village on the banks of the Red Sea some three or four years 
past.  He had been almost sixteen, he said, when the area’s crops 
had failed and the tax collectors had taken many of the young 
people as slaves to pay what their families owed.  He did not offer 
many details of his emasculation, only that he had expected it and 
had heard stories - all of which had proven true.  He had been 
purged and starved for three days in the slaves’ holding cells, 
then they had come for him.  There had been others as well, and all 
of them had been taken to a special cell and one by one, strapped 
down to a strange bench to watch as the slave broker’s men came at 
them with a glowing hot knife.  One by one, they had their genitals 
tied off with a tight cord, then sliced off completely with the 
searing blade.  For three days, they were given no water nor food, 
and the wounds where their penises had been were stoppered with a 
very painful plug.  Kaelen shivered at the mental image, with one 
phrase burnt into his brain :
     “About half of us were lucky, “ the eunuch had said, “they 
died on the second day.”
     Kaelen had excused himself at the end of the eunuch’s tale, 
and had gone straight to the overseer.  He produced two medium 
sized bars of silver, and had bought the young, short eunuch on the 
spot.  There might be nothing he could do for the emasculated youth 
as far as the damage that had been done to him, but there was 
definitely something he could do about the eunuch’s future.
     So it was that, as promised, they arrived in the city.  Kaelen 
and his eunuch, who refused to speak his name, parted the caravan 
and headed into the merchant district.  Kaelen purchased a room for 
the night, complete with bath, and shocked both his eunuch servant 
and the proprietor by only paying for one room.  The innkeeper had 
suggested that he put the eunuch in the slaves’ quarters with the 
others, but Kaelen  claimed that he had just bought the youth and 
needed to have a long talk with him that would doubtless take most 
of the night.  The innkeeper had given him a sly look, mentioned 
that the room with bath would be ready for them shortly, and 
happily taken a small silver bar from Kaelen’s purse without 
further comment.
     As they entered the room, Kaelen looked around in surprise.  
He had expected it to be bleak, but obviously his silver had 
purchased the best suite that the inn had to offer.  Weary and 
wanting only to be clean and to sleep, Kaelen began to 
undress.  “You know, “ he said as the eunuch took his garments one 
by one, “I just can’t call you ‘hey you’ or ‘boy’.  If you won’t 
tell me your name, I’ll give you one.”
     The eunuch folded Kaelen’s clothes and laid them on the one 
bed.  He was obviously nervous.
“As you wish, sir, “ he said. 
     Kaelen sighed.  “Alright, then how’s this ?  ‘Tal’.  Best I 
can do.  I’ll call you Tal.”
     The eunuch nodded and then looked strangely at his new master.
     “Your headpiece, master, “ he said questioningly.
     “Oh, yes, “ Kaelen replied, pulling the turban off.  Tal 
gasped as he stared at Kaelen’s stubbled scalp.  “Lice, “ Kaelen 
lied glibly.  
     That seemed to appease Tal, who seated himself in a corner and 
watched Kaelen get into the bath.  Kaelen could feel the eyes upon 
him as he sank himself into the cool water.  It was impossible to 
know what was going through Tal’s mind, watching him - an 
unmutilated man, his new master - naked before him.  Tal quickly 
averted his eyes and lowered his head.
     “What’s wrong, Tal ?”
     The eunuch did not answer.
     The fires from the many lamps cast eerie shadows as Kaelen 
waited for a reply.
     “I’m not going to hit you, Tal, “ Kaelen said finally.
     “Forgive me.  I looked.  I envy you, as all eunuchs envy men.  
Punish me as you will, sir.”
     Kaelen was taken aback.  Quickly his mind ranged through what 
he knew of this ancient culture, and seemed to remember that it was 
not unnatural for slaves to attend all of their masters’ needs.  
The computer's soft voice promised in reply to devote some study to 
it, and also to the eunuch's height and build.  Kaelen was puzzled, 
but merely let it go.  “When I am done, I want you to wash as well, 
Tal, “ he ordered.  A visible shiver ran thru the eunuch’s slim 
body, but he nodded.
     “Then when neither of us smell like camels anymore, we’re 
going to bed.  It’s large enough for the both of us and there’s no 
sense in you sleeping on the floor.”  Kaelen stated.  Another 
shiver ran through Tal.  He scratched nervously at one ear, 
adjusting the gold ring.  “And by the way, “ Kaelen continued, “Do 
those rings come out ?”
     Tal shook his head.  “They are sealed loops, master, the only 
way to remove them is to cut them out.”  Kaelen smiled.  “Perhaps 
not, “ and he left that idea hanging.
     When he finished bathing, Kaelen dried himself and ordered Tal 
into the bath.  Now that the himself was clean, the smell of travel 
was evident on Tal.  He put on a robe and sent his clothing out 
with an employee of the inn to be laundered, also ordering 
something more for Tal to wear.  He also ordered food and drink.  
He turned just in time to see Tal dropping his scarce garment onto 
the floor, but the eunuch’s backside was to him and he saw nothing 
of the mutilation that the youth had obviously endured.  Tal began 
to scrub himself quickly, pausing after he had lathered his head.
     “Problem ?” Kaelen asked.
     Tal nodded.  “It is a rule that slaves have shaved heads.  I 
am beginning to stubble, and, well, “ he faltered, “I cannot do it 
myself without another servant.  We used to do each other.”
     “I think I can handle it, “ Kaelen offered.
     All of this was obviously coming as a shock to Tal, who had 
seemingly never been well treated by any master he had had before.  
Kaelen found a razor in the pack which contained what few 
provisions a slave would carry, and set to work on Tal’s head.  He 
noticed that they were about the same color in flesh tone, and 
since he had shaved his own head on numerous occasions, Kaelen had 
no trouble in giving Tal a smooth and shining shave.  As the eunuch 
passed a hand over his shaven scalp, he stared up at his new master 
in wonder.  “In a few days, Tal, you’ll understand.  I’m not like 
anyone you’ve ever met before.”  He paused for a moment, looking 
the youth up and down.  "You're really short for a eunuch, you 
know."
     The eunuch nodded, and Kaelen respectfully turned his back as 
Tal stood up and stepped out to dry off.  There was a knock at the 
door, and Tal jumped, clutching his towel in front of himself.  
Kaelen answered the door to find a girl there with a large plate of 
food and a decanter of wine.  She smiled at them, her eyes 
lingering a bit on Tal, and then turned and left.  Kaelen sat the 
plate down on a small table near the foot of the bed and sat down 
to eat.  “Hurry up and dry off, “ he said to the seemingly frozen 
eunuch, “there’s plenty here.”
     Tal bent to pick up his brief garment, but Kaelen stopped 
him, “No, forget it.  It smells like a camel.  Use the towel until 
the laundry gets back.”  Reluctantly, Tal secured the towel about 
his narrow waist and came over to stand by the table as Kaelen 
continued to eat.  “Sit down and eat, Tal, don’t serve me.”  The 
eunuch did as he was told, never taking his large brown eyes off of 
his new master.  Kaelen felt those eyes upon him, and glanced up to 
make eye contact.  Tal quickly averted his gaze.
     “Tal, “ Kaelen said flatly, “I think you need to understand 
something.  I bought you from the caravan master not because I 
wanted a slave.  I needed help carrying things, and I also need 
someone more familiar with this area and culture to help me.  I 
don’t expect you to serve me, I am NOT going to hit you, and as far 
as I am concerned you’re not my slave.  You’re my partner if 
anything.  I need your help, not your fear or submission.  
Alright ?”
     The young eunuch stared into the face of this strange man who 
had just bought him.  While life as a caravan servant had been 
hardly easy, this was just too strange to cope with.  Tal thought 
for a moment and shook his head.  “I don’t understand, sir, “ he 
replied.
     Kaelen sighed.  “I didn’t think you would.  You’ve been too 
well trained I guess.”
     Tal shuddered a bit.  Kaelen caught it.
     “You’ve been beaten, haven’t you ?”
     The eunuch nodded.
     “Well I am NOT going to do that, Tal, and I trust you’ll not 
run away.  I mean, it is sort of obvious with the shaven scalp and 
the gold rings that you’re a slave.  You’d just get picked up as a 
runaway and resold . . . so . . . you may as well adapt to how I 
treat you and help me out, “ Kaelen explained, “Besides, “ he 
added, “I lied.  I am not from here and I need your help.”
     Slowly the light of realization began to show on the eunuch’s 
face.  He looked at the plate of food, then he looked at Kaelen and 
his many packs he had helped carry.  “Very well, “ he agreed, I 
will trust you since you have been so kind to me.  It has been a 
long time.”  Unshed tears stood in Tal’s large, luminous eyes and 
Kaelen felt a lump rise in his own throat.  How long had it been 
since anyone had shown kindness to this unfortunate youth ?  
Besides the painful emasculation, how much more suffering had he 
been forced to endure ?  It was more than Kaelen could imagine.  No 
wonder Tal had been so self-conscious during the evening in this 
room.

     They finished eating in silence, and there was more wine in 
the decanter than was probably good for either one of them.  Tal 
excused himself to go the toilet, and Kaelen quickly consulted the 
computer via his implants.  Nothing had changed.  His actions had 
not altered history, nor damaged it any further.  No new 
Breakpoints had taken place, Tal was still short and the computer 
had no clue why, and Rahim was still out there, somewhere, waiting 
for Kaelen to rescue him - to rescue himself . . .

     The wine was beginning to affect Kaelen when Tal returned, 
still clad in the towel with which he had dried himself.  Kaelen 
gave brief thought to how the youth relieved himself, then decided 
that he really didn’t want to know.  Tal pointed his new, if not 
easy-going, master in the general direction of the facilities and 
sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed to wait.  When Kaelen 
returned, weaving a little, Tal pulled back the covers, took his 
robe, and gently assisted Kaelen into bed.  Then he stood there 
watching.  “Go around to the other side, put out the lamps, and get 
into the bed, Tal, “ Kaelen mumbled.  He had not had that much wine 
in a long time, and no wine he had ever tasted had tasted like 
that.  He silently cursed himself under his breath.
     “Obviously, “ the computer’s voice said in his head.
     “Oh shut up !”  Kaelen retorted so that Tal would not hear him.
     Reluctantly, Tal blew out the last lamp and Kaelen could feel 
it as the eunuch slowly got into bed.  He himself was naked, and he 
certainly hoped that Tal had discarded the damp towel.  Certainly 
the laundry would arrive in the morning, he thought, as the long 
day and the wine finally claimed him.

     It was not right, Tal thought to himself.  He buys me, brings 
me here, and then treats me like a friend instead of a slave.  But 
I AM a slave.  A eunuch slave, and he IS my master, no matter how 
strange he may seem.  What will he ask of me, what will he have me 
to do ?  He has invited me to his bed, yet he sleeps . . . 
     These thoughts kept Tal from sleep.  For him, sleep had been 
the enemy for the past three or four years.  When he slept, the 
dreams came.  And with the dreams came the horrors.  Many a night, 
Tal had awakened his fellow servants with his cries in his pain-
haunted slumber.  He had not been the only one, but over time the 
others had seemed to adapt.  But it was not to be for Tal.  When 
sleep took him, he found himself night after night waiting in the 
cold dark cell with no food nor water.  The straw scratched at his 
naked skin, and the men came with their coarse rags and stinging 
soap to scrub him raw and rake the hair from his body with cold, 
sharp razors.  They held him down and drove sharp needles through 
his ears and septum, forcing the smooth gold rings into the holes 
and then bending them shut.  Somehow, they would heat the rings and 
his skin would burn as the rings melted a bit and became an 
unbroken loop.  Then they would leave him to suffer along with the 
other boys, burnt and bleeding, and knowing that the worst was yet 
to come.
     Some time later, they would return.  They would take them to a 
new cell, and scrub them down again, tearing at their already 
damaged flesh.  They would hold him down, and he could see the them 
taking the others, bending them over and pushing long pipes up into 
them via their backsides.  The pipes were attached to large 
waterskins, and the men would hold those large skins high so that 
the water mix  would flow down and fill the struggling youths with 
the irritating fluid that made them loosen their bowels.  They did 
it to him, several times a day.  His belly would stretch and the 
cramps would tear at him.  Still they came to scrub them and purge 
them, promising them that the worst was yet to come.  They were 
handsome youths, they said, and they would bring much money on the 
market.  
     Finally, they came and took them to the room with the bench.  
The room with the smoking braziers and red hot tools heated in 
them.   They were large men, muscled and strong - which Tal and the 
others would never be.  They laughed as the first of them was tied 
to the bench and the cord tied around his manhood.  He was young.   
Too young.  Many of them like him, voices unbroken and faces 
untouched by beards.  Still slight of build, their futures sealed.  
Tal watched in his pain-haunted dreams - or were they dreams ?  
Where was he ?  
     Suddenly he would find himself free, lying naked in the sand 
on the beach.  His friends were there, and they were happy and 
healthy.  They were boys dreaming of being men, sharing each 
others’ secrets and fantasies, getting intoxicated on pilfered 
wine, and enjoying life.  Then the clouds would roll in, blotting 
out the sun and the men would come.  They emerged from the waves 
like demons coming up out of Hell to take the youths and bind their 
thin limbs with cutting ropes.  Their lurid grins spoke volumes as 
they called Tal and his friends slaves, taking them away to some 
terrible place they could not understand.  It was dark, then there 
was light in the cramped cells.  The cells gave way to the room, 
that room with the bench and the hot knives . . . Tal’s closest 
friend Aron was tied down, a gag in his mouth.  The men held him 
and the others, making them watch as they tied Aron’s manhood off 
with tight cord.  Tal could feel the man behind him; he had an 
erection and it was pressing into Tal’s back.  The grins were the 
worst.  Eternities seemed to pass.
     One of them was feeling the bound youth’s manhood, turned blue 
and cold in his grasp.
     Then came the knives, only it was not Aron but Tal on the 
bench and the hot knife dug into him . . .

     Kaelen was awakened in the middle of the night by the scream.  
He was also cold.  Tal had pulled the blankets off and wrapped 
himself tightly in them, curled up into a fetal position.  That 
awful cry had brought Kaelen up out of his wine-induced slumber 
into sobriety, and he saw Tal shaking and crying out in his 
sleep.  “No, “ he moaned in a voice that brought tears to Kaelen’s 
eyes, “No please, have mercy !”  And then the scream again.
     Quickly, Kaelen grabbed at the covers and pulled, yanking the 
dreaming eunuch close to his side.  He grabbed Tal by the shoulders 
and pulled him up, shaking him and shouting in his ear.
     The room was dark, nowhere near morning yet.  Kaelen continued 
the shaking, and suddenly the cries of anguish faded into soft 
whimpers.  Instinctively, perhaps from memory, Kaelen took the 
shivering youth in his arms and pulled him close.  Tal buried his 
face in Kaelens’ shoulder, and he could feel the hot tears flowing 
freely down the eunuch’s face.   At first Tal resisted, but then 
gave himself over as the storm of weeping tore at him anew.  Kaelen 
held the youth tight, pulling him closer and offering what words of 
comfort he could.  He wondered how long it had been since there had 
been ANY comfort, and not beatings for this.  How often did it 
happen ?  Was every night like this ?  Of what was Tal dreaming 
that was so horrible ?
     Then it came to him.
     The gelding.
     Slowly, as he remembered his mother doing when he had had 
nightmares as a young boy, Kaelen began to rock the still-crying 
eunuch back and forth.  He placed a hand on the back of the youth’s 
smooth shaven head and held it down to his own bare 
shoulder.   “I’m here, Tal, not them.  They can’t hurt you 
anymore.  It’s over now.”  Small words, he knew, of even smaller 
comfort, but it was the best he could do.  It seemed like hours 
before Tal fell, wordlessly, back into sleep.  He tossed a great 
deal, and Kaelen could feel it.  Tal slept, but Kaelen did not.  He 
arose after a time, lit a small lamp, put on his robe, and pulled 
the blankets back over the sleeping eunuch.  He carefully made his 
way to the window, groping in the near-darkness for one of his 
packs.  By touch, he located his small portable computer and pulled 
it out, filling the room with a soft glow from the screen.    He 
also located something to take for his hangover.  He checked and 
rechecked the map of the city.  He consulted via his implant to the 
computer centuries in the future; the fact that it was still there 
giving him comfort.  Aman Fadil - that was the man who had Rahim, 
and Kaelen's very existence as well. 
     And then he had a new idea.  Actually several.
     There would be no more sleep for him tonight, he could tell.

     Tal awoke feeling sandy-eyed and groggy.  As usual, the 
nightmares had ruined his sleep.  He rubbed his eyes and then 
jerked himself into a sitting position as he realized where he 
was.  Then he sneezed and uttered a rancid oath.  Kaelen, who had 
been sitting by the window eating breakfast, choked on his juice 
and sprayed a fair amount of it out of his nose.  They both paused 
then laughed for a moment.  When each had recovered his composure, 
Tal spoke first. 
     "I really hate this thing, " he muttered, touching the sealed 
ring in his septum.
     "It does look uncomfortable, " Kaelen agreed, "Not all the 
slaves had them though."
     Tal shook his head.  "It was an affectation of the master who 
owned me before the caravan leader.  He very much liked 
ornamentation.  At least he took back the cuffs and collar when he 
sold me."  Kaelen looked confused, so Tal clarified.  "All of us, 
his slave boys I mean, had the nose ring, rings in the ears, heavy 
gold collars inlaid with jewels, and wrist and ankle cuffs which 
all locked.  He figured if we ran away, someone would be more than 
happy to cut off our heads or limbs to get the jewels.  No one ever 
tried it."
     Kaelen shook his head in disgust.  "Just sit there a moment, 
Tal.  The laundry isn't back yet and I don't want to make you any 
more uncomfortable than you are.  I have an idea, " he said, 
rooting in the larger pack.  "This is going to be odd, but I want 
you to close your eyes and keep them closed until I say to open 
them.  Trust me."
     The eunuch nodded and did so, having no reason to distrust his 
newest master yet.
     Kaelen pulled out a laser cutter and flipped it on.  It made a 
soft hum as it powered up, and he set it for precision tight beam.  
He went to the bed, placed one hand on the back of Tal's shaven 
head, and bent it down.  He carefully set the point of the cutter 
to the gold ring which hung just above the eunuch's upper lip and 
hit the trigger.  A small bolt of red light shot out of the end and 
Tal twitched.  The ring grew warm, and within a few seconds, a 
small gap appeared in the ring.  Kaelen reset the tool's controls 
and it emitted a beam of force which spread the ring enough so that 
it could be removed.  He then stowed the tool back in the 
pack.  "Alright, Tal, open your eyes and take that ring out of your 
nose."
     The young eunuch's eyes popped open and he looked dumbfounded 
at Kaelen.  "I cannot."
     "Just turn it and pull, " Kaelen suggested.  Tal complied.
     The ring slid around until the eunuch could feel the gap on 
his septum and pulled.  He stared at the ring in his palm and 
touched the end of his nose and rubbed his upper lip.  His smile 
was like the sun rising.  "How ?" he asked, "There was almost no 
heat and no cutting and no tools !"
     "Trust me, " Kaelen replied, returning the smile, "I have some 
rather odd tools in my pack."
     Tal nodded and tossed Kaelen the ring, feeling more secure of 
their relationship with each passing minute.  For some reason, he 
felt almost no fear of this strange man who had bought him on 
impulse and taken him away from the boring life of the caravan 
route.  What other adventures could such a strange master have 
waiting for them ?
     "Why don't you have some breakfast ?" Kaelen suggested.
     Tal started to get out of the bed then stopped suddenly.  "I 
won't look, " Kaelen promised, tossing the slim eunuch a small 
pillow and turning his back, "Just put that in your lap once you 
sit down, it'll do.  Where is that damn laundry ?"
     Once seated, Tal began to eat and Kaelen turned back around to 
face him.
     "I keep forgetting, I'm sorry.  I know it must be a very 
sensitive thing for you.  Eunuchs are not very common where I come 
from, you know."  Kaelen supplied, resuming his own eating.
     Tal looked confused but said nothing.  Since his mutilation, 
only the old women who had tended the wounds of the new eunuchs had 
seen him totally naked.  Of course each new master insisted on 
seeing him, but he did not - for some reason - count that.  It was 
simple - the buyer had to see the merchandise he was paying for.  
Certainly THIS master would sooner or later give up the subtle 
approach and order him to expose his ruined body.  They finished 
eating in silence, then as they sat contemplating what to say next, 
there was a knock at the door.  Tal stood up, dropped the pillow, 
pulled on his scant but still dirty loincloth, and answered it.  
Kaelen watched as the eunuch took the clean laundry from the 
servant who had brought it.  The servant was a girl, and her face 
paled as she stole a not so quick glance at Tal's obviously smooth 
and empty crotch, bowed and left.  The eunuch sat their now-clean 
clothing on the bed and merely stood there facing his master.
     Then he pulled the drawstring and let the brief garment fall.
     Kaelen said nothing, then averted his eyes.
     But what he had seen left a lasting impression on him and 
toughened his already iron-hard resolve to find Rahim and restore 
his own future.  There was no sign between Tal's legs that he had 
ever been a man.  Whoever had cut him had done a precision job, 
evenly removing all of Tal's manhood.  There was little scarring, 
although the skin was a slightly paler color than the rest.  There 
was a tan line of course, from being out in the sun in only the 
scant loincloth he had worn.  But the wounds had healed very well, 
obviously making him a much more valuable piece of merchandise.  
Where his penis had been, there was not even a stump as Kaelen had 
thought that there would be.  There was a small hole, of course, 
but there was also a divot, indicating that the stump had somehow 
been taken out as well.  There was only smooth skin below it with a 
slim white scar running vertically where Tal's balls had once 
been.  Kaelen considered the anatomy, the crude methods of the day, 
and marveled that anyone could live through it.  Of course, many 
more had not.
     "There should be a short tunic for you there, Tal, I had to 
guess on the size.  I thought you might like something less 
revealing than what you had."
     The eunuch turned and pulled a plain gray tunic from the pile 
of clothing and put it on.  He tied sash at the waist, tightly, for 
he had never eaten much since the gelding and was very slim.  Tal 
had seen other eunuchs who became obese, unable to lose the weight 
once they put it on and had vowed never to become unsightly like 
them.  The tunic had a V-neck and no sleeves, and it reached almost 
halfway to his knees.  Kaelen watched as the eunuch smiled once 
again and it made him feel warm.  "I have not had real clothing 
since . . . " Tal began, then stopped as if choking on the words.
     "It couldn't have been easy, Tal, and I didn't expect you to 
show me, "  Kaelen offered.
     "You are my master, you are entitled, " Tal replied.
     Kaelen had no idea what to say.  "Well, if you just had hair 
now you could pass for a free boy, you know."
     The eunuch reached up and tugged at an earring, and Kaelen 
noticed that the large gauge had stretched the youth's earlobes 
considerably.  He could remove the earrings like he had the septum 
ring - but unlike the septum scar which was not noticeable, the 
holes in his ears would be.  "Are earrings common among free men 
here ?"
     Tal shook his head.  "Not this type.  These are only for 
slaves.  Stretched ears are another sign.  We are marked too well 
to hide it, master."
     "Call me Kaelen, please.  I don’t' feel like a master quite 
yet."
     The eunuch looked puzzled, but he agreed.
     "At least your hair can grow back out, " Kaelen said.
     "Perhaps, but you will have to make out emancipation 
documents.  Until then it must be kept shaved."
     "We'll see as we go. "
     "And where ARE we going, mas - uh, Kaelen ?"  the eunuch asked.
     "We need to find the estate of one merchant by the name of 
Aman Fadil."
     Tal's face paled visibly and his hands began to tremble.
     "What's wrong ?"
     The eunuch sat down heavily on the bed and sighed.  "He is the 
richest man in the city.  He is also the largest dealer in the 
slave trade, and he specializes in eunuchs.  The caravan you 
joined, when you bought me in the desert, was his.  He was 
importing African youths to geld and sell as slaves for harem duty, 
among other things.  Do not cross him mast - Kaelen, he is very 
very powerful."  Tal fell silent then and sat staring at his feet, 
which were small once Kaelen noticed them.  Small, but calloused.  
He made a mental note to find sandals or some type of soft shoes 
for the eunuch.
     "Time index 46.2 hours to breakpoint, " the voice said inside 
Kaelen's head, making him flinch.
     Fortunately, Tal was still lost in his own thoughts and missed 
that one.
     "Tal, if he is a merchant of such gain, he is greedy and I 
have money.  More than you can imagine.  I am NOT going to sell
you to him, don't worry.  I am buying again, and NO, not to replace 
you, " Kaelen explained.
     Tal still did not look up, but he whispered, "He is a horrible 
man, and his estate is a horrible place.  I do not want to go 
there, Kaelen.  Please don't make me go there . . . " and the 
eunuch's soft but high voice trailed off into small choked 
whimpers.  There was more, and suddenly Kaelen made the connection.
     "He bought you at first, " Kaelen stated.  It was not a 
guess. "Then HE ordered you cut."
     The eunuch nodded.
     "Then he sold you to the caravan master."
     Tal shook his head and tried to suppress a choking sob.  He 
failed.
     Kaelen sat down beside the eunuch on the bed and put an arm 
around his slender shoulders.  Tal flinched away momentarily, then 
as he had done the night before, he gave himself over to a fresh 
storm of weeping.  It took a long time regain his composure, but 
once he did, there was something strange in his eyes.
     "Tell me, " Kaelen said softly.
     "When we were taken as payment during the year of the drought, 
me and the others from my village, the collectors sold us on the 
slave block.  They knew that Fadil's caravan Master would buy us, 
it was prearranged.  We brought a low price then, as the auction 
was rigged.  They hauled us across the desert in wagons as you saw, 
where we were attending the others when you arrived.  It was at 
Fadil's estate where the nightmare actually took place.  They 
locked us naked in small cells, clean and airy, but then they 
stopped feeding us and starting the purgings.  Several times each 
day we were made to drink something oily and foul, and they took 
great pleasure in filling us up with soapy stinging water that made 
us lose our bowels.  For three days they did this, then stopped.  
The next day, they came and took us to the cutting room.  I think 
it was worse for those who went last, like me.  We had to 
watch . . . "  Tal paused for a moment, lost in memory and 
trembling in Kaelen's embrace.
     "I watched them cut Aron, my lifelong friend.  We were born on 
the same day and were like brothers.  He was so slight of  build 
and beautiful, you know.  They cut him very deeply, not wanting to 
leave any evidence of the man he would have become.  Some they do 
this to so that they feel nothing, they say, when their 
masters 'use' them.  He screamed so much, and I watched him 
struggle.  I am so ashamed, Kaelen . . . "  Then the eunuch wept 
softly for a bit more, as Kaelen waited patiently.
     "They MADE us watch, we could not look away.  It was 
compelling somehow.  I had an erection, we all did, while they were 
doing it and the guards laughed and made jokes.  It was terrible 
watching them mutilate my best friend, and then they promised to do 
the same to ME.  I was aroused by it, and I hate myself."  Tal hung 
his head then, his shoulders slumped, but the crying seemed to have 
run itself out.  "You want to go there and buy a youth ?  Why ?"
     Kaelen noticed that the spark had returned to Tal's eyes, 
something he had not seen in the eunuch, nor any of the others in 
the caravan.  
     "WE are going there Tal, to buy ONE certain boy BEFORE they 
can do to him what they did to you.  I cannot explain it fully so 
that you will understand, but this one boy must NOT be gelded.  Too 
much will go badly wrong if he is, " Kaelen said, "And I have 
traveled farther than you can imagine to prevent it."
     Tal looked up the ceiling and sighed.  "With my gelding, my 
sons-to-be died.  And with them all their sons, and perhaps with 
them, a very nation."
     A cold chill ran up Kaelen's spine as the young eunuch quoted 
a piece of literature that would not be written for almost 2000 
years.  "A Sound of Thunder, " he replied.  Tal looked at him in 
puzzlement.
     "A story written in my home land long ago - well, long ago for 
ME that is.  The story goes that a man killed a butterfly in the 
far distant past.  A small thing really, but for want of that one 
butterfly, a bird starved later on in the future.  For want of that 
one bird, a fox starved - and for want of that one fox, a man 
starved to death and all of his sons died with him.  What would 
have been did not come to pass, and the whole world was changed, " 
Kaelen summarized quickly. 
     Tal's mouth was slightly open and his eyes wide.  The thoughts 
of every eunuch that realizes that HE would have no sons ran 
through his mind and he was amazed to know that a MAN like Kaelen 
would understand or care.  He remembered seeing his master's nude 
body at the bath and feeling jealous, but also wondering if Kaelen 
had any sons.  "And THIS one boy MUST have sons ?"
     Mutely, Kaelen nodded.
     "Why him ?" Tal asked.  "Why is HE special ?"  There was an 
edge of jealousy in his voice, irrational, yet there.
     "Because if he is made a eunuch, Tal, as I said, all of HIS 
sons will die and theirs with them.  Me included."
     The look that the slim eunuch gave his master clearly 
indicated that he did not understand, but was willing to hear more.
     Kaelen decided to try to explain it, even though the 
computer's voice was screaming inside his head not to try.
     "Tal, what would you do if the Gods could send you back to the 
time before the slavers came for you ?"
     The eunuch's response was immediate.  "I would take Aron and 
run far away and never look back."
     Kaelen nodded.  "Perhaps we can find Aron then."
     Tal turned his head and sighed, his grief run out and only 
anger remaining.  "No, we will NOT find him.  He was one of the 
lucky ones.  He died the second day after the cut.  He began to 
bleed in the night and no one knew.  In the morning, he was dead.  
We could not sleep for the pain, Kaelen.  He had to know, yet he 
did not call out.  Not even to me, and I was right next to him.  I 
did doze a bit, but not real sleep and in the morning when I 
touched his hand, it was cold.  Part of me went with him, I fear.  
A part, that like my manhood, I will never regain."
     "Let me ask you this, Tal - do you believe that in time, in 
the future, man will grow wiser ?  That he will invent things that 
will make life easier and finally someday stop using his strengths 
to kill or hurt the weaker ?" Kaelen asked.
     The eunuch thought for a moment.  "Yes, " he replied 
wistfully, "but it is too much to hope for."
     Kaelen then pulled the youth close to him and ran a hand over 
his very slightly stubbled scalp and smiled.  "Believe it, for I 
will prove it to you.  Now, let us pack up and head out.  We must 
find Fadil's estate.  We have many sons to save."

     With Tal's direction, they made their way through the city.  
After several hours of walking, however, Kaelen grew annoyed and 
bought two horses.  He paid for them in very small gold bars, and 
Tal nearly choked on the price.  They were fine and strong mounts, 
Arabian beauties, and full of life.  The eunuch had selected the 
dealer, a man with a good reputation, as reputations went.  They 
made much better time and arrived, naturally, on the far side of 
the city and it's outlying areas by nightfall.  As they rode, Tal 
pointed out various things at Kaelen's questionings.  As the day 
wore on, the eunuch almost totally ceased to think of their 
relationship as slave/master.  Kaelen was nothing but kind to him, 
seemed to have plenty of money, and had not once yet spoken harshly 
nor struck him.  Tal did not fully understand it, but he found that 
he liked it.  It was just getting on towards nightfall when they 
arrived at Fadil's estate. 
     "We will need to make an appointment with the guard, Kaelen, " 
Tal advised, "and he will expect a bribe."
     Kaelen laughed.  "I knew he would, Tal, some things never 
change."
     They were indeed met at the gate to Fadil's estate by a 
mountain of a black man who was under arms.  He was also not alone, 
another guard sitting in the small building that stood at the only 
frontal entrance to the vast palace grounds.  "State your  
business, " the man demanded in a deep rumbling voice that sounded 
like doom.
     From his appearance, however, Kaelen could tell that he was a 
slave.  He had all of the gold rings that Tal had mentioned, and 
the shaved head, but he was clothed and well-armed.
     Tal gestured at Kaelen, then spoke softly in his contralto 
voice, affecting a slight lisp and a retiring mannerism.  "Good 
sir, my master has traveled a great distance to seek audience with 
YOUR master.  He wishes to conduct business that will be mutually 
beneficial."
     The guard flexed his arms and let his hand fall from the hilt 
of his saber.  "You look well to do, good sir.  May I tell my 
master who it is that wishes his company ?"  He shot Tal a 
withering look and grinned.  The eunuch sighed and lowered his 
gaze, clearing his throat as a signal to Kaelen.
     "I am Kaelen of the Northern Moroccan Realm, " Kaelen lied 
smoothly, not knowing if Morocco had even come into existence yet 
or not, "and my servant and I have traveled very far and are sorely 
fatigued by our journey.  We have matters of great import to 
discuss with Master Fadil at his leisure that will surely benefit 
us all."  And with that remark, Kaelen leaned over and slipped a 
small bar of silver into the guard's hand.  As they clasped hands, 
the guard felt the bar in his palm, and grinned broadly. 
     "I will go to him at once, sir.  Contrary to rumor, my master 
is not a total tyrant.  Follow me, and we will see to your needs. 
You and your servant must be in need of comforts, and we shall see 
to them."
     Tal stole a glance and Kaelen and grinned.  The guard went 
into the small building and returned with a long trumpet, upon 
which he blasted a brazen note.  A few minutes later, two panting 
boys came running down the hill from a complex of buildings.  They 
were thin like Tal, but unlike slaves, had hair that was squarely 
cut off above their eyebrows and just below their ears.  They wore 
breechcloths which covered them, and sandals.  Neither wore jewelry 
of any kind, indicating that they were employees, not slaves.  
Kaelen considered this, not quite sure of the situation, until the 
large black guard spoke to them in his harsh voice.  "Take this 
good man's horses and see to them.  Run and tell the housekeepers 
that the master has a guest and his slave, and to see to their 
comforts."
     The wide-eyed boys nodded and took the reins to lead the 
horses up to the stables.
     Kaelen and Tal fell into step behind the huge guard and 
followed him.  Kaelen leaned over to whisper in Tal's ear, "I 
don’t' understand.  The stable boys are not slaves are they ?"  Tal 
shook his head, his gold earrings swinging.
     "Employed, or perhaps boys of noble birth being made to work 
for the lessons of it, " the eunuch replied, "One can sometimes pay 
employees, especially poor youths from the city, and it can be 
cheaper than maintaining a slave.  For a few pennies a day, the 
boys will work and not have to be fed and clothed and housed as 
slaves are."
     Kaelen nodded.  It made some sense. 
     It took them a few minutes to walk up the long path to the 
main house, and when they arrived, they were greeted by an older 
woman who appeared to be in charge of housekeeping.  "Ah, Sajeel, " 
she spoke to the guard, "come in, come in, I'm almost ready for 
them.  Master Fadil says that he cannot meet with our guest until 
morning.  He regrets the delay, but hopes you will take the time to 
freshen up and rest from your journey.  He awaits your business, 
you know, " she said with a rueful look in her aged and lined face.
     "I will leave you now, " Sajeel, the guard said, "This devious 
old woman will see to your needs."
     "You flatter me, " the old woman called after the departing 
hulk of a man.  He waved one hand back at her over his shoulder and 
shook his head.  "Follow me, please, " she said, more to Tal than 
to Kaelen.
     She led them deep into the huge house and up a flight of 
stairs to the guest chambers.  The room was opulent.  There was a 
huge bed near a bay window which led to a terrace overlooking the 
grounds.  In the middle of the room was a sunken bath, huge, with 
steps leading down into it.  Here and there were boxes planted in 
blooming flowers, and the room smelled of rich and rare spices.  
There was a large tray of food, and a large decanter of some red-
colored liquid which Kaelen suspected was wine.  He stood with 
mouth agape, not able to believe what he was seeing.  Nothing in 
the historical database had indicated this level of sophistication 
for 5-600 BC.  "Best we could do on short notice, " the old woman 
offered, "Will you be needing ANYTHING else, sir ?"  The leering 
look she gave Kaelen spoke volumes.  
     "Uh, no, ma'am, we won't, " Kaelen replied.  Then she gave Tal 
a look that spoke even louder.
     "I see. "  Then she turned and left, closing the door behind 
her.  No sooner had she left than there came a knock at the door.  
It was another pair of servants, these two teenage boys, and 
obviously slaves.  They were puffing from climbing the stairs and 
carrying all of Kaelen's packs.  "Come in, just set those on the 
bed if you will, boys, " Kaelen greeted them, "Carefully, mind.  
There are breakables in there."  
     "Yes, sir, " the first one replied, "of course."  They did as 
they were told, then stood next to the bed with hands clasped 
behind their backs, waiting.  Kaelen studied their shaven heads, 
their gold rings, and tight and revealing loincloths.  Each had a 
small bulge, but not what Kaelen expected from boys their age.  
Their faces were also smooth, indicating that neither shaved.  They 
were of a slightly muscular build, and had only a very faint amount 
of body hair.  Each had gold cuffs at the wrists and ankles, and 
they were barefooted.  Around their necks were thick gold collars, 
each inlaid with a large red stone.  They glanced at Tal, who was 
beginning to unpack their clothing bundle, then looked back at 
Kaelen.  "My master will not require anything else, " the eunuch 
said flatly, "you may go."  The boys looked from Tal to Kaelen, who 
nodded.  They fled.
     "Houseboys, guest quarters, " Tal explained, "shackled in gold 
so they cant' run away.  Obviously not servants to the harem nor 
womens' quarters."
     "I noticed, " Kaelen replied, thinking that he was beginning 
to get the knack of visually identifying slave positions and rank.
     "Eunuchs, but still with penises intact, " Tal 
continued, "Most times it is uneconomical to risk a full castration 
of all their manhood when it need not be.  Not that they can do 
much of anything without their balls to make them men though."
     "The guard at the gate, what of him ?"  Kaelen asked, "He was 
certainly looking manly to ME."
     "He WAS a slave, alright, " Tal thought for a moment, then 
continued, "Probably a harem guard, perhaps on rotating duty.  
Usually they find the largest and strongest youth, cut their 
penises off and leave their balls to make them into men.  They make 
them work, and they grow large and strong but are not a sexual 
threat to the women.  At least not with the tiny stump that they 
leave them to remind them of what they have lost.  They can guard 
the harem, they stay strong, and they always have BAD tempers.  
They're great in a fight, most of them love to fight."
     Kaelen shivered.  "I don’t doubt it.  I think I'd have a bad 
temper as well with that kind of frustration.  I can't imagine what 
it must be like to be surrounded by that kind of temptation and 
arousal and not be able to do a damn thing about it."
      Tal nodded.  "Society has to have eunuchs to function though, 
master."
     "I thought you were over that, " Kaelen reprimanded him.
     The eunuch shook his head.  "I must play the role while we are 
here, you understand."
     Kaelen nodded, and the voice of the computer implant began to 
explain the details of it to him as Tal was looking over the tray 
of food and pouring wine.  It was all very complex.  Eunuchs, some 
with no manhood at all, some cut deeper than others - as Tal and 
his friend Aron had been - and others still with only their penises 
removed, or the houseboys who had only had their balls cut off to 
make them beardless, soft, and docile.  Each type had his part to 
play in this primitive society, it seemed.
     The evening passed uneventfully.  They ate, bathed, and went 
to bed.  Tal slept soundly that night, dropping off early and 
sleeping deeply throughout the night.  Kaelen had anticipated that 
the young eunuch would be up all night, or that since he was back 
in the very place where his manhood had been taken from him, that 
his nightmares would be even worse; so when Tal had not been 
looking, he had slipped a rather powerful sedative into the 
eunuch's third glass of wine which had knocked him out cold within 
minutes of drinking it.  Kaelen had been amazed, when he picked the 
senseless eunuch up off the floor, at how little the youth 
weighed.  He himself had slept little and awoke very early.  When 
morning came, and with it the two castrated servant boys at the 
door, Tal was still asleep.
     They had brought breakfast, and Kaelen thanked them and 
dismissed them.  They looked a bit confused, and lingered a 
moment.  "Sir, " the one who had done the talking the night before 
asked, "Is your servant quite alright ?  Are you sure you don't 
need anything else ?"  
     "He's fine, boys, really.  He just had a little too much to 
drink last night is all, " Kaelen replied.
     They nodded, gathered up the plates from the previous night's 
meal, and started for the door.  Then Kaelen remembered that he 
might need something else.  "Boys, " he called as they were almost 
out the door, "I must ask, as I am a stranger to this city and its 
customs, am I properly dressed - and is there anything I should 
know when I go to conduct business with the Master of this house ?"
     "Can you get all this ?"  the first boy asked of the other, 
who had not spoken.
     The seemingly mute second boy nodded and took the tray and 
departed.
     Then the first looked Kaelen over and smiled.  "You are very 
well attired, sir, and if you are here to talk commerce, well - my 
master will no doubt talk with you all day.  He never misses the 
chance to make a little more profit.  One thing, though - if you 
take your servant with you, it might be prudent to dress him down a 
bit more.  It is not seemly to the Master for slaves to be so well 
attired and forward, " he concluded.
     "I see.  Thank you.  Our relationship is a bit more casual 
than most, I have noticed.  I have had him for so long that he's 
really almost like a son to me, you know, and we tend to confuse 
others at time, " Kaelen lied glibly.
     The servant boy nodded, and Kaelen noticed that he not once 
looked him in the face.  Overcome by curiosity, however, Kaelen 
took the boy by the chin, lifted his head a bit, and looked him 
straight in the face.  He turned the boy's shaven head from side to 
side, and placing his hand atop the youth's head, made to turn him 
around in a complete circle.  "Sir ?" the confused servant asked, 
once again lowering his gaze.
     "Just curious, " Kaelen replied, taking in the boy's smooth 
and flawless face, his large gold earrings, and the very round 
shape of his head, "and what of your silent friend ?"
     "I don't understand, sir, " the servant replied, his face 
flushing slightly.
     "The other boy you seem to work with, the one who didn't say a 
word."
    "Ah, " the servant replied, "him.  He can't talk, sir.  Hasn't 
said a word since I have known him, and we've both been here for as 
long as we can remember.  I think we might have been born here 
even."
     About then, Tal sat up and groaned.  "Hangover ?"  Kaelen 
asked with a broad grin on his face.
     Tal groaned again, covered his eyes with his hand, and fell 
back onto the pillow.  The servant boy tried to suppress a laugh 
and failed, then took a step back and lowered his head.  Kaelen 
sighed.
     "I'm sorry, sir, " he offered hastily.
     "Not a problem, boy.  I'm not going to hit you over it."
     "Thank you, " the servant replied quickly, still not looking 
up as if he did not believe him, "Will you need anything else ?"
     "Just an idea of WHEN to meet with your master is all, if you 
can find out."
     "I will ask right away, sir, " he replied, and bowed and fled.
     Kaelen glanced over at Tal, who had managed to pull himself 
into a sitting position.  He was holding his stubbled head in both 
hands and was a bit pale.  Kaelen cursed himself silently, 
realizing that the eunuch's body probably wasn't at all ready to 
handle the effects of a 'modern' sedative mixed with wine.  "Are 
you going to live ?" he asked.
     Tal slowly shook his head.  "I don't think so."
     "Well drag yourself over here and try to eat something, " 
Kaelen suggested, "and drink this."  He handed the eunuch a glass 
of water into which he had mixed a bit of what he used on himself 
for hangovers, although at a much lower dosage.  Tal took the glass 
and drank it slowly, finished, and made a face.
     "What was that ?"
     "Just a bit of something to clear your head, " Kaelen 
replied.  The drug took hold almost instantly and Tal stood up, 
unsteadily, and stretched.  He yawned, and began looking around for 
his tunic.  Kaelen was about to mention the servant boy's words of 
warning to the eunuch, but it seemed that Tal had already realized 
it.  He did not put his sandals on, and instead of the soft tunic 
that Kaelen that given him he tied the brief slave garment about 
his waist and pulled out his razor.  After his head has been shaved 
smooth once again, and they had eaten breakfast, Tal's eyes grew 
distant as he looked out the window.  Kaelen sensed his discomfort.
     "They haven't sent word when are to meet with Fadil yet, " 
Kaelen stated.
     Tal nodded but said nothing.
     "I had a very interesting conversation with one of our 
servants before you woke up, " Kaelen said.
     "How did you manage that ? " the eunuch asked.
     "Must be my charm."
     "It is very unusual for slaves to engage guests in 
conversation, you know.  If word gets out, he will be punished, " 
Tal supplied, "but I doubt if he mentions it to anyone.  He should 
know better."
     Kaelen nodded.  "This is all very confusing to me, you know.  
Things are much different in my homeland."
     "I will do my best to keep you from making too many mistakes 
then, " Tal replied with a grin, the traces of the hangover 
seemingly gone.
     "Well, what do we do now ?"
     "We await the Master's pleasure, " Tal responded with a grim 
look.

     The day wore on.  They sat on the balcony, walked around the 
gardens with another large black slave as an escort, toured the 
stables where the working boys were busily brushing the coats of 
the many fine horses there, and began to wonder if Fadil had 
forgotten them.  They passed a few servant boys in the corridors 
and on the grounds, but did not see the two had seemingly been 
assigned to them the night before.  The thought of them, however, 
gave Kaelen an idea.  "Tell me, " he asked the escort, "if you 
happen to know . . . does Master Fadil do much business in the 
breeding of slaves, or does he just import them ?"
     The large black man's brows creased and Kaelen could tell he 
was thinking very hard.  "I am not sure how much he deals in that 
area, " he replied, "but I do know he does breed some of the better 
looking slaves from time to time.  Those he does not geld, that is, 
and that is most of them."  His statement ended in a low, 
indelicate sound which spoke volumes.
     "Thank you, " Kaelen replied, "and do also know where I might 
find the guard called Sajeel ?  I picked up his name from the old 
lady in charge of housekeeping last night."  As he asked, he 
slipped something into the large man's hand.
     "He would be asleep now if he was duty last night late, " the 
huge slave replied, "but I will tell him that you wish to see him 
when he relieves me tonight."
     Kaelen glanced at Tal and the young eunuch nodded.  He bent 
over to whisper into his master's ear, "He will, a failure to 
deliver a message is worth ten lashes.  You can also be sure that 
the boy who promised to find out when Fadil will see us is either 
looking for us now or has someone higher up seeing to it."
     Then the voice of the computer spoke silently to 
Kaelen.  "There is a 98% probability that Fadil will NOT see you 
today, " it said flatly.  
     "Why not ?!"  Kaelen whispered.
     "One -  he is busy in his harem, and two - later on he will be 
busy seeing to the preparations of Rahim."
     "Explain, " Kaelen demanded.
     "Breakpoint probability indicates a 94% chance that he will 
geld the boy, " the computer replied.
     "What happened to 50-50 ?"  Kaelen demanded in shock.
    "Your entry into this time frame has altered events slightly."
     "Why didn't you tell me this earlier ?" he demanded in 
exasperation.
     "You did not ask, " the computer replied,  "However, you still 
have one more day.  It is not advisable to try and force a meeting 
with Fadil.  There is 99% probability that he will kill you if you 
do."
     Kaelen could feel his anger rising.  This was taking too great 
a risk, cutting it too close.  There was nothing else to do but 
wait, however, and Kaelen and Tal followed along back to the main 
house and returned to their room.  When they arrived, Kaelen sent 
Tal out to try and find the servant boys from the previous night, 
or the old woman in charge of guests.  Tal, who obviously was well 
versed in the roles of the many slaves of Fadil's estate, left on 
his mission with only a nod.  Once alone, Kaelen pulled his 
portable computer out of his pack and sighed a sigh of relief that 
its power cells were still at full charge.  He spent the rest of 
the afternoon and early evening going over theoretical outcomes, 
refining his plans, and finally bringing events into line as he 
wanted them to turn out.  He was not happy with the 65% chance of 
success that the computer gave him, but he could not help but think 
that since it was still there in the future and still communicating 
with him, that he would succeed.  Then a chill passed through him 
as he realized that the main computer core back home in the future 
was inside the Chamber where time had no meaning.  He himself had 
had his own existence wiped out by Rahim's gelding, but he had 
remained.  Everything in the Chamber had remained.  He had not 
considered that before.   The idea of that paradox made his mind 
falter.
     "Master, " Tal announced as he entered their room, startling 
Kaelen so badly that he almost fell off of his cushion, "I have 
news.  I did not mean to startle you, " he offered, looking down at 
his bare feet.
     "Well ?" Kaelen asked in an irritated voice.
     Tal came to stand beside him, glancing at the portable 
computer and its glowing screen, and whispered into his master's 
ear, "We have been and are being spied upon.  It seems your 
mannerisms towards ME are giving Fadil ideas.  I also picked up 
some gossip in the kitchens.  It seems that over the past few 
years, Fadil's attentions have been drifting away from his harem 
ladies and more and more towards the more attractive of the slave 
boys here.  He already has a whole regiment of children, and he is 
more concerned with his fortunes now than ever before.  It seems he 
is of the idea that relations with eunuchs do not produce more 
legitimate children to support, and he is quite the depraved one."
     "How did you find this out ?" Kaelen asked.
     Tal shrugged.  "No one pays much attention to a slave who is 
asking around on where to find another slave to deliver a master's 
requests, " the eunuch replied, scratching at the gold cuffs on his 
wrists.
     "Where did you get those, and that horrible collar ? " Kaelen 
asked in disgust, out loud.
     "I met up with our two room servants, " Tal responded, "they 
noted that I should be more suitably attired for a slave, and if I 
looked a bit more like a palace regular I would attract even less 
attention."
     "Did they give you a key, perhaps ?"
     "They will bring it with supper and give it to you.  The 
quartermaster expects them back when we leave, " the eunuch 
explained, "and besides, I don't like them.  Did you know that the 
slightly shorter boy is a mute ?"
     "You're calling HIM short ?  But yes, the other one told me 
that earlier before you woke up this morning.  Damn, I had hoped to 
get in to see Fadil today and get this cleared up.  It looks like 
I'm going to be here a lot longer than I expected.  Tell, me Tal, 
do you think this could get us a permanent dwelling near here ?"  
Kaelen asked, reaching into his pack once again and taking out a 
cut ruby the size of a golf ball.
     Tal stepped back and his face paled.  "A house, or a palace ?" 
he breathed.
     Kaelen smiled.  "I think I've found one flaw in my plan if 
Fadil won't sell me Rahim.  It's going to require I take up 
residence here for a long, long time I think."
     "Master, it would buy an estate probably a quarter the size of 
this one, and this place is vast !"
     Kaelen put the ruby away and smiled.  "I thought so."
     "May I know this plan ?" the eunuch asked.
     "Not yet, I want to surprise Fadil, just in case someone is 
watching and listening, " Kaelen said, glancing around at the walls 
and up at the ceiling.
     "Spying is the custom, master, " Tal offered.
     There was a knock at the door, and the same two servant boys 
entered with supper.  The smaller one, the mute, set down a tray on 
the table and glanced at Kaelen and his computer.  All he could see 
was the back of it, so he didn't know what it was.  Not that he 
could have told anyone anyway.  Kaelen snapped it shut and pushed 
it back into his pack.  The boy paused, reached into a pouch tied 
at his waist, and handed Kaelen a key.  He wordlessly gestured at 
Tal, held out a wrist to Kaelen and pointed at his own gold cuff.  
He then touched the key, pointed at Tal, and then spun his hand in 
a circular gesture.  "Are you trying to tell me this key unlocks 
Tal's cuffs and that I need to return them when we leave ?"  Kaelen 
asked.
     The boy smiled and nodded.
     "Open your mouth, " Kaelen ordered.
     The servant boy did as he was told.  His teeth were white and 
straight, and he still had a tongue.
     "So much for that idea, master, " Tal offered.
     "I just had to know is all, I'm sorry, " Kaelen said to the 
boy, who shrugged his shoulders and took a step back to stand with 
his hands clasped behind his back as his partner set the table.
     "If I may, " the other said between setting out the 
glasses, "it is rare to cut out a slave's tongue here.  One would 
have to say something very bad to have that happen, sir."
     Kaelen turned back to the mute boy.  "So you were born a 
mute ?"
     The boy nodded.  He touched his chest, pointed to his partner, 
and made a sweeping gesture then pointed at the floor.
     "He says we've always been here, " the other servant 
translated, "Did I not mention that earlier, sir ?"
     Kaelen nodded.   "Any more news ?"
     The first boy nodded vigorously.  "Master Fadil will see you 
tomorrow morning, first thing.  He has received your proposal and 
is very interested.  He says he has some very important business to 
attend to tomorrow evening, but the morning has been set aside for 
you, sir."
     "Thank you boys, both of you.  Anything else ?" Kaelen 
inquired, with a sly look.
     The two of them looked confused, and shook their shaven 
heads.  Kaelen couldn't help but notice how their earrings swung 
when they did that.  "Well, I guess we'll eat, then retire for the 
night so we can have a fresh start in the morning.  Oh, I almost 
forgot, is Sajeel on duty at the main gate tonight ?"
     "We can find out for you, sir.  Have you already sent word 
about that ?"
     Kaelen nodded.
     "Then he will meet with you first chance he gets, most likely 
in the morning when he gets off duty.  Messages are always 
delivered, sir.  Whomever you spoke to will see to that, as no one 
wants a beating, " the boy said with a shiver.
     "Very well, you may go now, " Kaelen said, and he watched the 
two eunuchs bow and leave.  Then he turned to Tal.  
"Since you're not much on sleeping, I don't expect you to try if 
you don't want to.  I don’t' know what you want to do, or if there 
is anything TO do, but consider yourself dismissed until morning, " 
he said, looking around at the walls and winking at Tal.  Tal's 
answering grin told him that he had understood.  After they had 
eaten, he thanked Kaelen and left the room.  Kaelen spent a great 
deal of the night with his computer, running down temporal 
scenarios and trying to refine his plan further.  He went to bed 
late, and Tal had not returned.  Kaelen didn't think he could run 
away, not after what the eunuch had told him, and especially since 
he had been nothing but kind to him.  Kaelen sighed.  He looked 
forward to the meeting in the morning, as he KNEW what Fadil was 
planning to do that night.
     He also knew what HE was planning to do that night.

     The sun arose bright on the eastern horizon, holding the 
promise of a new day.  Kaelen Laws stood on the balcony of his 
guest quarters and watched it rise.  He was ready for his meeting 
with Fadil.  The plan was worked out.  The computer had verified 
it.  Fadil had had all the children that history said he was going 
to have.  Kaelen was not surprised to find this out.  Tal returned 
only a few minutes after Kaelen had risen, and in whispers on the 
balcony, had told his master all that he had been able to learn in 
his night of snooping.  There were dark circles under his eyes, and 
his face wore a haunted expression that indicated that he had seen 
something that he probably shouldn't have.  They took their 
breakfast on the balcony, once again brought to them by the same 
two eunuchs.  Kaelen noticed that both of the boys had the same 
look of a sleepless night about them, and theorized that they and 
Tal had been up to something.  He had, however, not asked.  Sajeel, 
the huge mountain of a black man who was the guard that had met 
them when they had first arrived stopped by and left quickly with a 
seemingly heavy bag from Kaelen's pack.  They had said nothing.  
Shortly thereafter, the old lady in charge of housekeeping had come 
and done the same thing.  Tal wondered what was going on, but did 
not ask.  Not even when the mute servant boy returned and left with 
a bag as well did he say a word.  He merely sat watching his 
master's face and wondering, considering himself very lucky to have 
fallen in with such a good man.
     There had been no beatings, no harsh words, and certainly no 
sexual advances.  This confused Tal at first, but he wrote it off 
to the fact that perhaps his master preferred women.  The eunuch 
sighed, remembering the girls he had so longed to keep company with 
before the slavers had come.  Then he remembered Aron, and the day 
they had interrupted Aron's oldest brother and his soon-to-be-wife 
in the act of sex.  How long they had stayed quiet and watched, 
dreaming of the day -- a day which had never come.  Now here he 
was, come full circle with a new master who had some devious plan 
involving eunuchs, the very trade which had ruined his life.  Many 
times Tal had considered taking his own life after he had healed up 
and been sold to the caravan master, but he had not the nerve to do 
it.  He hated his life, yet he was afraid to die.  Such was his 
conundrum.  Now, however, he looked into Kaelen's face and found 
himself wondering for the first time in a long time, what the day 
would bring. 
     The sun rose higher, bathing the world in a golden light.  The 
warmth spread all over them, and Kaelen motioned to Tal.  The 
eunuch rose to stand by his master's side, and Kaelen said, "Look 
and remember this always if something goes wrong, my friend.  No 
matter what happens, if I should fail, then you must go on.  The 
very course of history depends on it."  The eunuch stared into his 
master's eyes, not understanding.  Finally, Kaelen rose, put a hand 
on the youth's shoulder, and led him back into the room.  He pulled 
a small yellow device from his pack and handed it to Tal.  "Put 
this in your pouch, Tal.  If anything happens to me, shove this 
into one of your ears and say the word ACTIVATE aloud, loud as you 
can.  Then all will be made clear to you.  Do you understand me ?"
     Tal nodded and took the strange yellow device from his 
master.  It was small and thin, and would certainly fit inside his 
ear.  He did not really understand the reason for it, but he 
trusted Kaelen.  No one had been so good to him since that terrible 
day so long ago.  He decided to obey.
     There was a rap at the door and they both jumped.  "Enter, " 
Kaelen said.
     It was the first of the two servant boys.  "Master Fadil will 
see you now, " he said, "Follow me please."
     They both did.
     Tal noticed that Kaelen put on his overcoat, and that there 
seemed to be many things in the pockets.
     They followed the still-nameless boy down the stairs and down 
a long corridor which opened up into a grand hall.  There were many 
guards, all of them large black men like Sajeel, and all of them 
slaves.  At the end of the hall, they exited into another corridor 
with many doors and followed it for another few minutes.  It too 
opened into a great hall filled with statues, guards, potted plants 
and pools filled with live fish.  There were caged birds as well, 
and small animals roaming freely.  The Hanging Gardens of Babylon 
came to Kaelen's mind, and he wondered if this place were the 
precursor to them.  The room was enormous, and at the far end was a 
throne-line pavilion.  Seated alone with a large black guard to 
each side of him, and with a youth sitting cross-legged at his 
feet, was Fadil.  He was smiling.
     "Who approaches ?" called out one of the guards.
     The servant boy who had been leading them bowed and cleared 
his throat.  Tal jabbed Kaelen in the ribs from behind and they did 
the same.  "Master Kaelen from the Far Moroccan Reaches, 
Excellency.  A merchant, seeking commerce with you."
     "You may go, " Fadil said flatly.
     The eunuch turned and fled.
     "Well, Merchant Kaelen of Morocco, wherever that is, what is 
on your mind ?"
     "Business, Excellency, " he replied in a gay tone of voice, "I 
am told you are the richest, most shrewd merchant in this part of 
the world with an empire rivaling my own.  I come to discuss 
mutually beneficial trade.  I have come to seek a partnership of 
sorts, which may well make us both richer beyond our wildest 
dreams."
     Aman Fadil was a man of great ego and greed.  At the 
promptings of the voice of the computer in the silences of Kaelen's 
mind, he was able to pay compliment after compliment until Fadil 
was overcome with curiosity.  Finally they made their way to a 
table off to the side of the throne-like pavilion and sat down to 
talk business.  "You deal in slaves more than anything I am told.  
Slaves, slave girls, harem stock, eunuchs . . . I too deal in this 
area.  It has come to my attention that we might combine markets, 
trade races.  I have slaves from the farthest east that you may 
have never even seen before, and certainly I have not seen the like 
of some of the beauties I have seen in your land."
     "Tell me more, " Fadil said with genuine interest.
     "Have you any white slaves ?"
     "White ?" Fadil asked, "What do you mean ?"
     "Slaves with skin the color of this lily, " Kaelen replied, 
pointing to a nearby flower.
     "There are men like this ?" Fadil asked in shock.
     "Yes, " Kaelen went on, "with hair as yellow as fine gold or 
red as a sunset.  And I have none such as this one here -" he 
gestured at Tal, "whom I bought on the caravan of yours from Adis, 
I think it was.  Wonderful man, picked me up in the desert where I 
had been set upon by robbers.  He speaks highly of YOU you know."
     Fadil grinned an evil grin.  "Adis is yet here, " he said, "we 
have some plans for tonight."
     "If I may be so bold, what would that be ?"
     Fadil laughed.  "Entertainments of men, " he replied, shooting 
a condescending glance at Tal and not recognizing him, "and later, 
we will turn our attentions to some new stock."
     "New stock ?  Perhaps the boy I have heard about ?"  Kaelen 
asked.
     Fadil's smile faded.  "What have your heard ?" he demanded.
     "Only that your last shipment, not this one but the last, 
yielded some rather remarkable boys, one in particular.  A wild one 
who has no regard for protocol and is a rare gem of looks and 
body ?"  Kaelen offered.
     Fadil snorted then laughed again.  "Yessssss, that one.  
Rahim, he calls himself.  His name is no matter."  Then his eyes 
grew distant.  "But his name is unimportant.  I'm having him gelded 
tonight.  That should settle him down."
     "Truly ?"  Kaelen asked in amazement, "Excellency, would it be 
possible for me to join you ?  I hear also that your mortality rate 
is very low, and I have this problem with my own eunuchs.  I am 
losing too many of them.  Might I consult your physician and learn 
his technique ?"
     That remark sparked an ongoing conversation that went on and 
on.  Tal sat cross-legged on the floor, listening.  He caught a 
glimpse of Sajeel once, followed by Eris, the young eunuch who 
could not talk.  Tal had gotten their names out of them the night 
before.  Eris and Orin.  He had also seen this 'Rahim' that Kaelen 
seemed so obsessed with, and understood why.  They were all going 
from guard to guard, whispering to them, something changing hands.  
Tal began to have suspiscions after seeing that.  Kaelen was up to 
something, and his banter with Fadil was only so much smoke and 
mirrors.  Then he realized, with a start, that Kaelen looked a LOT 
like Rahim.  Tal's eyes grew wide as he looked up at Kaelen.  Fadil 
saw him.
     "What is it, boy ?" he demanded in a harsh voice.
      Tal's mind raced.  "I, uh, forgive me, masters.  I must go."  
He winked.
     "Go ? " Kaelen asked .
     Tal put his hands to his crotch.  "Yes, you know . . . go !"
     "Well then go by all means, Tal, " Kaelen snapped, "The 
Excellency will be enraged if you have another accident."
     Tal jumped up and fled.
     "Eunuchs, " Kaelen snorted, "I should make him wear diapers.  
He's good enough looking and timid and obedient, but he has leaks 
sometimes."
     Fadil was laughing aloud, not suspecting the lies told to 
him.  "It happens sometimes, " he mused, "cutting off their penises 
can do that sometimes."
     "Speaking of which . . . " and they fell back into heated 
debate over full castrations, partials, and finally, breeding.  Tal 
could hear them talking money as he fled the room in search of Eris 
and Orin, and Sajeel.
     Tal found them outside, sitting on a stone bench with a boy in 
chains.  It was Rahim, the boy with Kaelen's face.  He was as of 
yet unmutilated, although he had lost weight and his face had a 
downcast look to it.  He was scantily clad in a slaves loincloth, 
and his head had not been shaved yet.  He wore no jewelry, but Tal 
could tell that the heavy chains made it almost impossible for him 
to move.  The eunuch glanced at the beautiful boy's crotch, and saw 
the bulge there.  A thousand things clicked in his mind at once, 
most of them wrong, but he gasped aloud.  All of them looked up at 
him.  Sajeel spoke first.  "Tal, there you are.  I was told to 
bring this favored one out for some fresh air and sun.  He has big 
night ahead of him."
     "Maybe, " Tal said, "My master wants to buy him."
     "I know, " Sajeel replied slyly.
     "And maybe more ?"
     "Perhaps, " Sajeel answered mysteriously.
     "Shouldn't you be in bed for night duty ?" Tal asked.  Sajeel 
merely smiled.
     "Well they're heavily into negotiations now.  I did not know 
my master was so extended, " the young eunuch said.
     There was a rattle of chains, and Tal turned to see Eris and 
Orin helping Rahim off the bench.  He then stretched out in the 
grass and sighed, staring up at the sky.  "I don't suppose you'd 
care to kill me NOW would you ?" he asked of Sajeel.
     "Not yet, boy, but give me time, " Sajeel rumbled.
     Tal noticed a few more guards making their way towards the 
pavilion.  
     "Something is going on in there, " he observed to no one in 
particular.
     "Yes, " Sajeel replied, eyeing the boy in the 
grass, "Something IS."

     They debated all afternoon before reaching an agreement.  When 
they finally signed it, Kaelen turned his attention to trying to 
buy Rahim.  Fadil was obstinate however, and Kaelen turned his 
strategy to the idea of breeding.  "Think of it, " he said 
slyly, "That beautiful boy, left intact.  In a few years, when his 
balls start to work, you could turn him loose with some of the 
gorgeous women I see here and let them breed.  You could make a 
fortune in selling the offspring !  But to be honest, I want him 
for that very purpose.  I could buy a few girls, maybe another boy 
like him, and take them back with me.  I could breed him with the 
white women as well in my country . . . " and Kaelen's story went 
on and on.  Fadil's face shifted from curiosity to anger and back 
to speculation over and over.  He was beginning to think he had met 
his match in Kaelen.  Just who was this stranger who had appeared 
out of the desert and been brought here ?  Fadil cursed Adis under 
his breath and was about to summon the guards.  He had made up his 
mind on the topic of Rahim, and none of Kaelen's ideas were going 
to change his mind.
     The computer was literally screaming at Kaelen in his mind.  
The probability of Rahim being gelded had suddenly shot up to 99% 
and the voice was warning Kaelen that the chances of him dying on 
the spot were also increasing quickly.  Kaelen then decided to 
withdraw.  "I can tell when I have been outmatched, Excellency, " 
he offered, "Please take this small gift in good faith to our 
forthcoming business ventures."  He held out a sapphire the size of 
a cherry to Fadil.  Aman Fadil's eyes bulged.  He took the diamond 
and stared at it.  It was the largest and finest he had ever seen.  
The computer's voice in Kaelen's mind informed him that his own 
life was now secure, but that Rahim's was not.
     Fadil cleared his throat.  "I accept your gift, and look 
forward to dealing with you more.  I cannot wait to see these white 
people you speak of."  And with that, he withdrew.
     He had lost.  There was to be no buying Rahim off of this 
man.  Fadil was too far gone in lust, Kaelen could tell.  As they 
had talked and talked, Fadil has let slip enough of his new taste 
for boys, namely eunuchs like Tal.  Boys cut so deeply that they 
could feel nothing, and used only for the perverse pleasures of 
their masters until they were either too old or lost their looks to 
time.  Time.  "Time, " Kaelen whispered to himself, knowing that he 
was almost out of it himself.  The scenarios played over and over, 
and the very last one, the one he had hoped to avoid, was now the 
only one left open to him.  Slowly he rose and went in search of 
Tal.  The sun was setting.

     Fadil went back to his personal quarters with the boy who had 
been seated near his throne and the two guards.  His mind raced 
over Kaelen's arguments, and he was trying to visualize what a 
white boy looked like.  The guards had never seen one either, they 
said, and they were intrigued as well.  "Inform the harem guards 
that I will not be visiting tonight, " Fadil barked at one of the 
black guards, who bowed and fled quickly.  "Oh, " he called out 
loudly, " and if you see Adis, the caravan master, tell him he can 
go on without me."  There was a shout of compliance from down the 
hall as the guard kept running to deliver his message.  "And you, " 
Fadil said to the boy who had gone to sit alone in a corner, "you 
stay right there.  In fact, you WILL stay right there."  The boy 
nodded and picked up a jeweled manacle from beside the pillow upon 
which he sat and closed it around his ankle.  There was short chain 
running from the manacle to a metal loop sunk in the floor, making 
it impossible for him to even stand up.  He sighed and kept his 
head down.  "I won't have time for you tonight, so you might as 
well take a nap.  I must tend to this wild new one shortly, " he 
said to the boy and the guard both.
     "As you wish, " the guard replied.
     "I suppose you want to watch ?"
     The guard simply grinned.
     "Well find a replacement and let's go, " Fadil ordered.
     In the hallway they met Sajeel.  The master stopped and looked 
as he joined them.  "Shouldn't you be on the night duty at the 
gate ?" he asked.
     Sajeel's response was fast.   "I have traded the duty with 
another, Excellency.  I, uh, well . . . I had heard of the nights 
events and . . . " he left it hanging.
     Aman Fadil laughed a wicked laugh.
     "You cockless eunuchs are all the same, vindictive, vicious, 
and I love it !" he announced.
     The guards looked at each other and then at Fadil.    They 
fell into step behind him.  Something changed hands between them 
and they said nothing.
     They made their way down the corridor and down a long flight 
of stairs to a basement where the new slaves were kept.  There were 
torches mounted in iron rings on the walls, and the air smelled of 
straw and smoke.  Fadil knew where he was going.  So did the 
guards.  They made their way to a cell where there were two other 
guards stationed.  They were dressed  exactly like Sajeel.  One of 
them pulled the door open as Fadil approached.  "How is he ?" Fadil 
demanded.
     "Exhausted, Excellency.  He had his last purging about an hour 
ago.  He should be totally clean by now, " one of the door guards 
answered.  Fadil smiled and stepped inside.  As he did, Sajeel and 
his partner placed something into the hands of the other two door 
guards who nodded and smiled in return.
     The room was small and the floor was covered in clean straw.  
Rahim was curled up in a fetal position, lying in a corner.  He was 
naked, and his small thin body shook as he cried.  Fadil turned to 
his physician who had been seeing to the treatment of the newest of 
the slaves.  "Is he ready ?"
     "As ready as he's ever going to be, Excellency.  I just told 
him what was about to happen to him and that finally broke him I 
think.  He hasn't cursed me in a good half hour, " the physician 
answered.
     Again, Fadil laughed his wicked laugh.  "You've been busy 
today ?"
     The physician nodded.  "Twelve so far, I think I need to 
resharpen my knife."
     Fadil gave him a dark look.  "Just make sure this one 
survives, " he threatened.
     The physician stepped back a bit.  "Have one of those black 
mountains outside haul the boy out of here, he's too worn down to 
walk to the cutting room, if you please.  Let's get on . . . 
on . . . ughhhh . . . I . . ." The physician's words were cut off 
as he clutched at this throat and his eyes began to bulge.  He sank 
to his knees, gasping.  Fadil stood watching, too stunned to move.  
The physician's face began to turn blue, and he stretched a hand 
out imploringly to Fadil.  Blood vessels began to burst in his 
eyes, turning the whites red.  His nose and ears began to turn 
white as well, and he fell into a violent convulsion.  Fadil called 
the guards, but although one of them ran to get help, it was too 
late.  The physician's spasms stopped, and he lay dead at Fadil's 
feet.  Rahim looked up, but said nothing.  There was a look of pure 
terror on his face.
     "What is this ?" he demanded of the guards.  They looked at 
the dead physician in puzzlement.
     Fadil then turned to the shivering slave boy.  "Has anyone 
else been in here ?" he thundered.
     "N-n-n-ooo, sir, " Rahim squeaked.
     Fadil looked around.  "Then what has happened here ?" he 
demanded.
     "I think I can answer that, " came a voice from the shadows, 
as Kaelen Laws stepped forward.  In his hands was a long strange 
device that none of them had ever seen.  It was thin and round and 
was made of a dark metal.  It ended at Kaelens' hip in what looked 
like polished wood.  Kaelen's hands gripped it steadily, and it was 
pointed at Fadil.  "Poison, " he explained, kicking the dead 
physician's head.
     "You !"  Fadil exploded, trembling in rage.
     "Yes, me.  And some help.  You should have treated your slaves 
and hirelings better, Fadil.  They were easily bought."
     Fadil looked around as the guards, led by Sajeel, drew their 
sabers on him.
     "Tal !" Kaelen barked to the shadows, and Fadil saw the trim, 
good-looking eunuch emerge to stand at his master's side.
"See to Rahim, " he said softly, get Eris and Orin to help you."
     The young eunuch vanished into the shadows once again, and re-
emerged in a moment with the two castrated slave boys.
     "And you !"  Fadil shouted at the mute boy, who returned his 
gaze with a level stare of pure hatred.
     "Just because he's a mute doesn't mean he can't tell others 
about the depredations you've inflicted on him, " Kaelen said, "he 
signs rather well and his partner translates what we don’t' get."
     "You bought them !  Bribed them !  But I have others, more 
loyal slaves than you know !  You cannot succeed !"
     Kaelen drew a deep breath.  "Boys, take Rahim out of here, 
NOW !"
     The three of the helped the weakened boy to his feet and half 
dragged, half carried him from the room.
     "Sajeel, go inform the duty heads of what has happened.  I'll 
be taking over here now, " Kaelen ordered.  Sajeel nodded and fled 
the room, leaving Kaelen with the other two guards who held their 
blades ready at Fadil.
     "Just who ARE you ?"  Fadil demanded.
     Kaelen sighed.  "I am that young boy's great-great-infinitely-
great-grandson.  I come from the far future, because with the 
stroke of your gelding knife on that innocent child, you not only 
ruin him as a man, but you kill all of his sons and all of their 
sons, even a whole nation -  ME included.  I study time and 
history, Fadil.  Events you cannot possibly understand drew me 
here.  I was outside of time itself when I saw Rahim cut.  I found 
myself alone in a chamber outside time, my whole existence erased.  
For want of that one boy, God only knows how many paid for your 
perversions.  It is time for YOU to pay now !"
     And with that, Kaelen leveled the gun at Fadil.
     It was an antique gun from his extensive collection and his 
favorite.  It was a bloody weapon, capable of much destruction.  
Not only did it have antique value in Kaelen's time, but it was 
also in perfect working order.  He was very aware of what it would 
do to a man at this range, and he did not care.  A hot taste surged 
up in his mouth, and he felt all emotion save his towering rage 
drain from him.  Kaelen's fingers moved over the cold gunmetal, as 
a lover's move over the body of his partner.  His right index 
finger twitched, there was a sound of thunder, and the computer's 
voice exploded in his mind - "BREAKPOINT AVERTED !  TEMPORAL 
PARADOX IN PROGRESS - LEVELING . . . minimal damage."

     They stood in stunned amazement as Sajeel returned with the 
heads of Fadil's various servant divisions.  Adis, the caravan 
leader, was with them.  On the floor lay the mutilated and blown 
apart body of Aman Fadil, the most notorious and wealthy merchant 
of Babylon.  On the wall dripped the remains of his insides.  The 
shot had taken him in the lower abdomen, and Kaelen laughed a 
small, vengeful laugh as the merchant's blown off penis slowly slid 
down the wall to land in the straw with a delicate sound.  Sajeel 
was the first to speak. 
     "What manner of weapon is THAT ?"
     "Twelve gauge pump, " Kaelen replied.
     They all stared at him.
     "It is called a shotgun.  As I said to Fadil, I came from the 
future.  I will explain fully later.  Assemble everyone in the 
pavillion room.  This place smells, " Kaelen ordered.
     The guards ran everyone back up the stairs, leaving the bodies 
of Fadil and his physician in the bloody straw.

     They all assembled in the ornate throne room a few moments 
later, save for Rahim and Eris.  The mute eunuch had stayed with 
the weakened and half starved boy in Kaelen and Tal's guest 
quarters.  Kaelen ascended the throne and waited, his terrible 
weapon at his side and ready.  Word had spread quickly of this 
strange man who had a kind nature and passed out jewels like candy 
and who spoke of a better life for slaves.  It took some time, but 
after a few moments Sajeel announced that he thought that everyone 
who needed to be was there.  Tal took his place at Kaelen's right 
hand, and his own hands was another of Kaelen's weapons.  Tal held 
it tightly and carefully.  His master had called it an 'uzi'.
     "My name is Kaelen, " he began, "many of you no doubt have 
seen me.  Many of you have no doubt seen the newest slave boy who 
has the same face as I.  I came here for one thing, and that was 
the boy.  None of you are in danger from me, unless you move to 
threaten me.  Aman Fadil, your former master, would not sell me the 
boy.  Had he done so, I would have taken him and Tal and I would 
have left.  But he would not, so I killed him.  It is a long and 
unbelievable story, so I will not repeat it.  Some know it, I am 
sure, and the story will spread.  I had no wish to take over this 
place, but I must.  For reasons you cannot
understand, I cannot leave.  Nor do I wish to leave."  
     He placed a hand on Tal's shoulder and pulled him close.
     "Those of you who wish to leave and are not slaves may do so.  
Those who are slaves will report to me in groups, which Sajeel and 
the good lady who gave me a room a few nights ago will organize.  
Things will change, and I believe you will all like it very much.  
This is not some fleeting thing, as I have the means to continue 
the trade that brings money to this estate.  My estate.  Your 
estate.  I know this will be difficult to accept, but in time you 
will.  Any of you are free to talk to me, Tal, Sajeel, or Orin at 
any time.  I don't think you'll get far with Eris.  Anyway, for the 
moment, it might be wise to resume life as it goes on every day 
until I get reorganized here.  It's been a long day, my friends.  
Goodnight."
     And with that, Kaelen sank back into Fadil's ornate throne.
     One voice rose up in protest however.
     "Murderer !" Adis the caravan master shouted, but he soon 
found himself surrounded by several guards who had already become 
true believers in Kaelen.
     "And how many slaves did you and Fadil murder in transit or by 
gelding ?"  Kaelen asked softly.
     Adis fell silent.
     "Your livelihood is not in peril, Adis, " Kaelen said, "I 
still will need to run the caravans.  Only now you will deal in 
general goods and not people."
     "You lie !"  Adis exploded.
    The crowd parted away from him.
    Kaelen sighed and casually approached the trembling man and 
shot the caravan leader in the head.  At point blank range, Adis' 
head literally vanished and his body fell twitching to the 
floor.  "Any other questions ?" he asked softly.
     No one said a word, and the hall emptied.

     Kaelen did not sleep that night.  He returned to the guest 
quarters to find the Eris and Orin still there, along with Tal, 
watching over Rahim.  The boy was asleep in the bed, and there was 
evidence on the table that he had eaten a rather large meal before 
going to sleep.  Kaelen motioned them all to sit back down and they 
did, watching the sleeping boy for whom Kaelen had literally 
sacrificed a whole Reality.  After a few minutes, he reached into 
his pack and pulled out the portable computer.  He turned it on as 
the three young eunuchs watched in amazement.  On the screen were 
images of the future, and a soft voice spoke through it telling 
them that Rahim's descendents were all indeed safe and that Kaelen 
was free to return home without fear of his existence.  In essence, 
for Kaelen, time has resumed it's normal flow.  But something was 
still wrong.
     He could feel it.
     "Boys, " he said to the two servants, "thank you for taking 
care of Rahim.  I think you should both go and get some sleep.  
We're going to be very busy tomorrow."  
     The mute servant boy getured at everyone in the room, moved 
his arm in arc over his head, and then shrugged his shoulders.  
Kaelen thought for a moment, then said, "Yes, all of us are going 
to busy, you included.  We have MUCH to do."
     The boys nodded and turned to go.
     "Eris, Orin, " Kaelen called after them suddenly, "Who has the 
key to those cuffs and collars ?"
     They paused and smiled openly at the new master of the 
estate.  "Yes, why, sir ? " Orin asked.
     "Because tomorrow they come off, for good.  Now off to bed, 
both of you !"
     The two young eunuchs fled, their smiles not fading in the 
least.  Kaelen sighed.
     "What's wrong ?" Tal asked, once they were alone.
     "What of this do you understand ?" Kaelen asked.
     The eunuch thought for a moment, obviously struggling with a 
concept he could almost grasp.  "You come from the future, days 
that have not yet come, but somehow have.  You came back to save 
this boy because if they had cut him, all his sons would have not 
been born, and you would not either since you descend from him.  
Now he is safe, and you can go back.  Your thing there tells you 
so, " Tal said, pointing at the screen.
     "Close enough.  But I can't leave, Tal.  What will happen to 
you and the boys and all the others like Sajeel if I do ?"
     Tal considered it.  "There would be no master to run this 
estate.  We are slaves, we cannot hide from that.  I do not know.  
Perhaps Fadil's first son would take over ?"
     Kaelen stared at the eunuch and then shook his head.  He would 
have to deal with Fadil's herd of children somehow.
     "I have to stay, Tal.  In all my calculations and research, I 
overlooked one thing.  ME coming HERE changed things too.  Time and 
the future are like they should be, UP where I came from.  But my 
arrival here changed something I had not even considered.  My son, 
and his sons . . . " Kaelen said wistfully.
     "But you have no sons here, Kaelen, " the eunuch replied.
     "Not yet."
     Tal smiled, and it warmed Kaelen's heart to see it.  'What a 
fine boy he is !'  Kaelen thought, 'how could I even think of 
leaving him ?'
     "You know, Tal, I owe most of this to you and your knowledge 
of this time."
     The young eunuch's face flushed.  "I was only doing my 
master's bidding like a good slave."
     "And now ?"  Kaelen asked.
     "Now, I wonder if my friend is going to leave me."  There were 
tears standing Tal's eyes.  Kaelen took the youth by the hands, 
pulled the key out of his pocket and removed the gold cuffs from 
his wrists, the collar from his neck, and bent down to free his 
ankles.  He then pulled out the strange tool with which he had 
removed Tal's septum ring.  He locked the cuffs and collar shut and 
tossed them aside.  Once again, Tal's smile lit up the room.  
Kaelen took the short eunuch onto his lap and pulled him close.  He 
held him as a father would hold his son who had made him very 
proud, and whispered into his ear, "Look at the screen, Tal."
    "Computer, show us TI-File image 050031BC, " Kaelen requested.
    On the screen, Kaelen was in the throne room with a beautiful 
woman at his side.  In her arms was a baby boy.  A young man who 
looked much like Kaelen - who could only be Rahim, only older - was 
approaching them.  In his arms he also carried a baby boy and was 
followed by an equally beautiful woman.  Kaelen heard a small 
choked sound, and turned to see tears running openly down Tal's 
face.  He hugged the eunuch tighter and said, "Wait, there's 
more."  Tal watched the screen, his heart heavy in his chest.  He 
turned to look at the sleeping boy, Rahim, who was so important to 
Kaelen, and back at the screen.  As he wiped his eyes and watched, 
he saw himself - a bit taller but no different looking - enter the 
scene.  This future-Tal was not alone, but at his side was no 
woman.  He approached Kaelen and Rahim and their families, holding 
the hand of a little boy who looked just like him !  The boy on the 
screen looked to be about 2 years old, perhaps 3, and he ran along 
on his sturdy little legs at his Tal's side. 
     Tal stared in disbelief.  "Whose child is that ?" he asked.
     "Yours"
     "And is that me ?  I have not grown any since . . . 
since . . . well, when I was cut, " Tal informed him.
     "I think I have a bit of some human growth hormone in that 
pack somewhere in the medkit, Tal.  You're young yet."
     Tal wiped his face again, his mouth agape.  "But I am  . . . 
I . . . I mean, I cannot have a son !"
     Kaelen smiled.  "You cannot, right NOW, in the way that you 
know how to make a son with a woman.  But once, you were a whole 
boy and not a eunuch.  I travel in Time, Tal.  See here . . . " and 
Kaelen reached into another pack of his and pulled out another 
strange device.  It looked like a slim metal cannister with some 
sort of odd device on the end which Tal had never seen.  It was 
making a dull humming sound, and there was a flashing green light 
on it.  
     "What is it ?" he asked, "And how can it give me, a eunuch, a 
son ?"
     "When I bought you from Adis, I knew you were a eunuch.  I did 
a little research here on my machine that night.  It told me in one 
view that you had a son, which I could not figure out.  So, I 
looked further.  You remember the night here that you slept so 
deeply and woke up feeling terrible ?"  Kaelen asked.
     Tal nodded, his eyes still wide and his lip trembling.
     "That night, I made a side trip back to your village.  You 
were very young then, and you don't remember me.  But, inside your 
body, some things had already begun to change.  I followed you and 
your friends for quite some time on that trip.  One night after a 
long day at the beach with your friends, you camped there, all of 
you.  You had brought some stolen wine with you  hidden in 
waterskins.  While you were all playing in the sea, I slipped a 
drug into those waterskins.  I was going to at least try to bring 
your friend Aron back with me, but doing that would have caused too 
much damage to the Timeline.  You all slept very well that night, 
and I knew that at least you would have that memory when he was 
gone.  I'm truly sorry about him, and leaving him there was one of 
the hardest things I've ever had to do.  So, I used a device called 
a med-spray.  It can inject or withdraw.  I took a large amount of 
your semen from you that night, and Aron as well."  Kaelen 
explained.
     Tal stared at him.  "I don't understand.  I have no manhood, I 
cannot make love to woman and make a son.  What is this 'semen' you 
speak of and how can this tool help me ? "
     Kaelen smiled at him.  "That's the fluid that's made in your 
balls and comes shooting out of your penis during sex.  It is that 
fluid that makes a baby grow inside a woman."  Kaelen held up the 
device.  "Inside here is fluid from YOU and from ARON before the 
slavers took you."
     The eunuch shook his head.  "I do not understand.  I never, I 
mean, I didn't ever do that before they . . . "
     "Tal, you know about sex, right ?"
     The eunuch blushed and nodded.
     "Sex causes children sometimes."
     "I know, but, well, I just don't understand, " Tal replied.
     "All I have to do is inject a woman with this, and she will 
bear a son from YOUR seed, Tal.  And your friend Aron, the one who 
died, his son can yet be born too !"
     Slowly, the light began to show on Tal's tear-streaked 
face.  "You have my seed, and Aron's, in there ?" he asked, 
pointing at the med-spray, "from before they cut us ?  You went 
back in time from HERE and took it and then came back ? "
     "Yes."     
     Tal looked back at the frozen image on the screen.  Kaelen 
touched a key on the computer and the image changed to one of Tal 
holding a little boy with another older boy standing at his side.  
The little boy had Aron's face, and the older one - Tal's.
"So, " Tal said softly, "Since I have no manhood to deliver seed 
that I no longer have, YOU will do it with this device ?"
     Kaelen nodded.
     Tal began to cry again, burying his face in Kaelen's shoulder -
 only this time, his tears were tears of joy.  All the nightmares, 
all the dread, all the pain that came from knowing that he would 
never have a son of his own vanished.  It was if a great weight had 
fallen from his narrow shoulders.  Kaelen held him tightly and 
stared at the screen and at the med-spray.   He really only had one 
thing left to do, but he waited for Tal to recover.
     Slowly, Tal regained his composure.  He looked his friend in 
the eye and said, "Then I will never die, nor will Aron.  Our sons 
will have sons."
     "Yes, " Kaelen agreed.
     From behind them, Rahim sighed in his sleep.  Kaelen went to 
the bed and pulled covers back up over the sleeping boy.  He bent 
down and kissed his forehead. "We both owe it all to him."
     "I understand, " Tal said, "Someday, one of his sons and great-
grandsons-to-come will sire YOU and you will come back here to save 
him so that he CAN, and you will also save mine and Aron's very 
souls in the process."
     "I guess you could see it that way, Tal.  Now I have but one 
thing left to do."
     The eunuch jumped to his feet.  "You're not leaving ?" he 
almost cried.
     Kaelen shook his head and walked over to the computer.  He 
spoke softly to it.  "Computer, transmit message 7, encoded to host 
processor, deliver to President.  Then shut down the remote link 
and this unit as well.  Once the President reads the message, 
initiate auto-destruct of the temporal core and erase all data."
     He waited.
     "Confirm authorization, " the computer's voice replied.
     "Authorization code Tal - Aron - 0 - 0 - pi - initiate !"  
Kaelen said.

     On the screen before him, Kaelen watched his dream die.  
     
     The voice in his head fell silent.
     On the bed behind him, where Tal had finally succumbed to his 
own weariness, he watched his dream reborn.
     On the computer's last printout, he watched his dream change 
history as the images of the smiling eunuch and the impossible sons 
came out in hard copy.  In the last picture, he stood with his own 
family - a whole regiment of children.  Their names were neatly 
spelled out across the bottom of the page, along with a brief 
genealogy across the back.
     The screen faded to black.

     On that genealogy sheet, Kaelen saw a small piece of his 
dream, a name that chilled him.  He would change history again, 
this time in the form of his Great-Nephew - a boy he knew that he 
would not live long enough to know.  "I cannot leave now, " he 
whispered to the sleeping boys on the bed, "Not even if I wanted 
to."

     Softly, he stepped out of the room and closed the door.  He 
smiled at the two guards on duty, and they raised their sabers to 
him in salute.  Things were changing.  As he made his way down the 
stairs, Kaelen's thoughts drifted ahead in time and he spoke the 
name of the boy that would eventually descend from HIM in this time 
frame - another boy who would change history - 
     "Bagoas." he whispered.


END