Read My Troubles With Time for Free Online Page B

assistance. I am informed that today my troops would have been defeated by the Germans except for your timely intervention and leadership.” He saluted me and bowed.
    I bowed in return. “It was my great pleasure to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with your men,” I said. “They are gallant soldiers.”
    “They try,” the Colonel said sadly. “Most of them are members of the National Guard. I wish we had more time to train them. They do what they can against the Germans, but they’re not as good as my old regiment.”
    He looked at me and felt compelled to explain further. “I had the honor to be,” he said with obvious pride, “a Colonel in the Imperial Army. When the Emperor abdicated, I gave my allegiance to the Republic.”
    DePorte then turned to Colbert. “Please make sure,” he said, “that Colonel Snodgrass is made most comfortable.”
    Turning back to me, the Colonel added, “I will send a messenger to notify General Trochu, the Military Governor of Paris, of your arrival. I expect that he will want to meet with you. In the meantime, I would be honored if you would dine with me and the officers of my staff tonight. We will do our best to make you as comfortable as possible.”
    Under the circumstances, I interpreted DePorte’s invitation as a command. I smiled my agreement, bowed and followed Colbert out of the room.
    The Major led me to a nearby room. Make yourself comfortable,” he said. “Let me know if there is anything you need. We normally eat around 7. I will come and get you then.”
    I thanked him and looked about the room as he left, shutting the door behind him. It was beautifully decorated, with fine furniture. A large canopy bed occupied most of one wall. Unfortunately, any pleasure I might have felt from occupying such a fine room was dispelled by the temperature, which seemed close to freezing and by the darkness. The large fireplace designed to heat it was bereft of any fire and the chamber was illuminated by a single small candle.
    Using the pitcher of water and the wash basin to clean myself prior dinner was, I decided, foolish under the circumstances. I spent the next half hour huddling in my coat and blowing on my hands in a futile effort to keep them warm as I waited for Colbert to return.
    His arrival caught me by surprise. I was looking at my wrist watch to ascertain the time when I became aware that he had entered the room silently and was staring at me.
    “Is that a time piece on your wrist?” he asked. “May I look at it?”
    With a shock, I realized that I had been monumentally stupid. While I was wearing clothing painstakingly prepared to appear normal to people in the nineteenth century, I had neglected to replace my battery-operated wristwatch. If Colbert examined my watch and was able to decipher its advanced technology, it could have incalculable consequences on the future history of the world.
    “That’s what it’s supposed to be,” I said derisively. Something the scientists at the War Department are experimenting on. Unfortunately, the damn thing doesn’t work.”
    As I said this, I quickly put my hand into my pocket to conceal the watch, wryly recalling a science fiction story I had read while I was in high school. It involved a time traveler to ancient Rome who had thoughtlessly connected his electric razor to a wall socket without checking to determine if it was direct or alternate current, thus changing history to erase Rome’s discovery of electric power.
    Fortunately, Colbert did not press the matter of the watch. “Colonel De Porte and his staff are awaiting the pleasure of your company at dinner,” he said. “Will you please follow me.”
    He led me into the corridor, which was so dark that I almost tripped several times. I followed him, touching the wall to guide my steps, till we reached a large room, illuminated by a score of candles.
    As my eyes became adjusted to the light, I saw De Porte seated at the head of a long table. He arose, as did the