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with the volume behind Akron’s voice.
    “You back? Your next contact will be on line thirty-three. On this one monitor only. Disable every other connection you have in that place. Immediately.”
    “Immediately?”
    “Do I stutter?”
    “No.”
    “You are about to go back in time, Thanos.”
    “I am?”
    “Not literally. We aren’t that good yet...although our technicians keep trying. I meant, I need you to cut off everything modern...except your generator. You may continue running it. For now.”
    “For now?”
    “According to our records, you got your tanks filled...oh. Looks like almost six months ago. You have enough for a few more weeks, maybe months?”
    “Yes. But how far are we talking? What era?”
    “Oh. I’m thinking seventeenth century should do it. Before global communications.”
    “Cable, too?”
    “Everything. I don’t want any kind of signal coming from anywhere on that island until further notice. And try to keep smithy work within acceptable levels.”
    “Acceptable?”
    “I understand mating can be a tricky business, Thanos. I’m going on hearsay, but I’ve been told it’s like a delicate dance, fraught with trauma. Tears. Rage. And sometimes it gets violent. Just don’t go taking out any frustration on metal...beyond your normal. The last thing we need right now is a geological team checking on that pseudo-volcano of yours.”
    “Are you ever going to tell me why?” Thanos asked.
    “Oh. Of course. Apparently, your mate and this big-mouthed archeology student are BFFs, Thanos.”
    “BF—what?”
    “Best Friends Forever,” Nigel inserted.
    “Forever? How can humans say that?”
    “Don’t try and figure out modern lingo now, Thanos. We’ve only got a bit more time, but we are to the worst of it now.”
    “And that is?”
    “Hunters are on site. They got to your mate’s BFF before we could. I’m already working to countermand that as well, but I don’t want another international incident. I have to go on supposition that this Lizbeth person is cooperating fully with them and work from there. That means your Darcy is not to contact her in any way, shape, or form. Not even smoke signals. Got it?”
    “Got it.”
    “I do have one pertinent question for you, Thanos. If you would.”
    “Yes?”
    “Why didn’t you just take both of them?”
    “What am I supposed to do with two women?” Thanos asked.
    “Oh no. No. He did not just say that. And I did not just hear it. And they call me wet behind the ears.”
    Nigel sounded disgusted. Akron was chuckling. Thanos was frowning.
    “Signing off now, Thanos. Good luck. Oh. And I suppose congratulations are in order as well. Nigel?”
    And the line went dead.

CHAPTER FIVE
    She’d never felt better in her life.
    Darcy rolled onto her back and stretched, her head smacking something hard. Oh. She’d forgotten. She wasn’t in some fantastic cloud of bedding. Oh no. Not her. She wasn’t that lucky. She was on the ‘vacation of a lifetime’, accompanying Lizbeth to an archeological site; complete with ancient villas, equally ancient men, and a cot that wasn’t remotely long enough for a good night’s sleep. Their cots had a bar across the top and bottom to hold the cross-pieces together. And just like everything else on this trip, the cot seemed designed with Lizbeth in mind. Not Darcy. Lizbeth fit the airline chairs and could even curl up to sleep. She had no trouble with the bus seats, or even the little speedboat that had brought them out here. The boat had an awning to block wind and rain and sea spray. Liz fit perfectly. Darcy could only fit if she slouched. And that had given her a really nice back ache.
    Ah...to be just a few inches shorter! Or even five foot, like Lizbeth. She slept in perfect comfort, while Darcy’s ankles were slung atop the end bar, dangling her feet in midair. And if she didn’t watch it, her head would smack into the top bar.
    Just like now.
    Hitting her head on solid matter smarted slightly,