“What if I hadn’t interfered in 1776?” Doc asked and, as was his custom, answered his own question. He waved a hand about, taking in their surroundings. “This is called the Possibility Palace for a reason.

“They pay for it because most people need someone to make them do things they don’t want to do.”

“I don’t need you to understand,” Dane said. “I need you to accept, with all of your being, that the mission of the Time Patrol is to keep history intact. No matter how difficult that might be.”

Unlike modern politics, in ancient times, such matters usually ended up being resolved by the sword.”

“Why did they do it?” Scout said. “The same reason people often do very bad things,” Moms said. “They were afraid.”

“I fail, and Roland will kill me,” Scout said. “He really likes her.” “You fail,” Dane said, “and Roland won’t have to kill you.” “That’s cold, dude,” Lara said. “It’s the reality we work in,” Dane said.

Everyone on the Time Patrol believed, because they’d run into enough myth and legend to make any other determination foolish. Myth and legend were often birthed from reality that was so ancient, the legends were the only “historical” record.

“What is the forever death?” Doc asked, curiosity winning out. “Dead,” Thyia said. “The forever death is the end of all. The spirit is gone.” “Is there another kind of death? Not forever?” “Certainly,” Thyia said. “If there weren’t, why would we distinguish a forever death?”

“Perhaps our conquering of fear hurt us in our war with the Shadow. Maybe fear is a good thing at times.”

Scout wasn’t there, and then she was there, but she’d sort of always been there. It was the best way to explain how she arrived, becoming part of her current time and place without fanfare or excitement among those around her. She was in the bubble of this day, not before, and hopefully she wouldn’t be here afterward.

“You know the history that you know,” Pandora said. “The history that was recorded. However, there is always a great deal that isn’t recorded. That is lost in the dust of time. Hidden in the darkness of neglect. There is also the history that is kept secret.”

War is such a terrible business, and there is no guarantee the correct side, which is always ‘ours,’ will prevail. Being right does not equal being the superior martial force.

The download gave secondhand information about what was going on in the parley, mainly because all accounts came from one side—the surviving side. And they all had an agenda after the fact.