[yvanleterrible]

The image at the foot of Leterrible’s cot seemed to flicker on and off like those fancy new talking movies. On, off, on, off, then it flickered faster and faster and started changing position from one side of the cot to the other. On at right, off, on at left, off, and faster still it went, click, click, click, until it became a blur then stopped. On. At the foot of the cot...there was a man there with a cape, cane and top hat. Real as can be. He said:

“Adrian, I am not... pleased. We almost missed... the landing.
Good evening Mr... Leterrible!”

Leterrible was cowering back up the wall his legs pedaling under him, eyes wide and jaw gaping.

“... !?! ... Err! ‘evenin’? “

“My name... is Montsnmags. Doctor... Montsnmags. I am not a... shrink. I am here for the... welfare of my associates.”

“Err... and?”

“You have willingly... dissimulated an exploding device system in a place that is filling up with... innocent people at this instant. We wish... you to stop it now.”

Drat’s! He plumb forgot about Hilda, she must be seething with rage at this moment. There is no way he could make it in time to tell her how the system worked. There goes another pay! He thought.
“But... I ...”

“We can get you there in... time to stop it.”

Stop it? It wasn’t even on, he thought. But this guy says he can get me out of here? Hmmm, time to stall.

“You say you can get us out of here? Can we go undetected?”

“Yes, we travel backwards in... time to any physical place in the moment of a blink.”

Interesting. By now ideas began to shape in Leterrible’s mind.

“Can we go to the future?”

“It... is impossible. The temporal... laws are strict. We can move backwards and... come back to our precise time of departure at will... Not... now Adrian... We cannot influence what has happened only study... it. The future is still unknown and must... remain so.”

By now Leterrible saw a window of opportunity.
“If I accompany you, what will you give me in exchange?”

“The safety... of Vera Wayne’s life.”

Leterrible almost lost his poker face. Vera Wayne, his second daughter, how was she?

“She will be... participating in the poker game you have rigged for destruction. You... must keep her from harm.”

Playing the game Leterrible continued: “Why should I care, I don’t know her?”

“She is my protégée... and is of considerable value to her... people... Not now... Adrian... They want to see her... back safely. And we know you were with her right before you... were brought here...”

“Who are they?”

“I am... not at liberty to say.”

“You say you can travel back in time, could you bring me too?”

“Yes, it is the way we plan to... get you out of here undetected.”

“If I agree to help you can you grant me a special demand?”

“We... wish not.”

“It would be simple for you.” He pleaded.

“What would... it be?”

“I wish to go back in time and find my wife. We could find where she’s been and come back to the club in Cuba in time to stop the bomb from blowing up... Vera is her daughter...”

The man seemed to reflect a while and said:

“Adrian, we have... a change of plans.”

Leterrible jumped out and moved to the end of the cot. Montsnmags reached out to touch him and said: “Now... Adrian”
A crack of light and they were gone...