Magestic 2, page 121
‘I’d like to see how they sell it to their population, Germany being liberated by African soldiers!’
‘There will be a few raised voices in London, yes,’ Jimmy agreed. ‘And, no doubt, a little dissent in the ranks. And whilst we’re on the Germans, I’ve made the drugs available to them in Berlin; they’re being distributed by a group called Rescue Force, some being sent to London.’
‘I heard about this Rescue Force on our trip,’ Kennedy stated. ‘Tough medics that can go anywhere and do anything, a group that you founded. Should we look at a similar group here?’
‘There are many countries that you couldn’t send medics to, not yet,’ Jimmy suggested. ‘Better that the medics be ... neutral. And it’s not something for this year.’
‘You’re happy ... to see Germany re-take its old land?’
‘It’ll be their undoing,’ Jimmy enigmatically stated. ‘Just watch and see. They don’t dare return, and they don’t dare not return.’
‘Those that had been left behind won’t be too happy,’ Kennedy noted.
‘You noticed that aspect as well, did you,’ Jimmy quipped.
‘Should I be looking at arms reductions here?’
‘Not unless you want a war with your own generals. Let Congress do that when peace is a fact.’
‘You mentioned reductions to us before,’ Kennedy puzzled.
‘Only so that your Generals would be opposed to them, and keen to meet my sponsors.’
‘And the Japanese and German arsenals?’ Kennedy nudged.
‘Rendered useless by the shield. And, when the time is right, they’ll be disabled.’
‘That Jap sub off Guam was abandoned before it exploded,’ an aide mentioned.
‘And they may suffer further mishaps,’ Jimmy suggested. ‘I had planned on a negotiated process, but I have something to attend on another world.’
‘You’re leaving?’ Kennedy asked.
‘I’ll be going back and forth. I have ... someone to find, a puzzle to unravel. Besides, you have the right to govern, remember, and it’s a long process.’
‘And this meeting tomorrow?’
Jimmy took a moment. ‘I’ll give them the chance to negotiate first, and then I’ll make my choice. For now the shield is in place, The Brotherhood being dealt with, so we have a little time for them to adjust. Beside, it’ll take six months for any benefits from coal-oil and the drugs to be fully appreciated.’
Kennedy was handed a note. Lifting his head, he informed the group, ‘Both the German Foreign Minister and their Interior Minister will be here in the morning.’
‘That’s a good sign,’ Jimmy suggested. ‘Either that, or they’re desperate – which is still a good sign. For you, Europe is important. You need Europe to be rebuilt quickly, and to be independent of Germany, until such time as Germany is democratic - and an industrial powerhouse in Europe, at which time they’ll try and dominate again, but politely - and using money.’
‘There’s a ceasefire in place around Moscow,’ an aide put in.
‘Neither side has the energy for a fight at the moment,’ Jimmy commented. ‘I just gave them an excuse to down tools and take a breather.’
Later that evening, Jimmy sat with Big Paul and the guards, a beer shared.
‘This world on track?’ Big Paul asked.
‘I still can’t see why I was brought here. I had considered that it was to be set-up for a fall, starting a nuclear war. Now that the shield is in place that’s unlikely, but a bomber may still get through.’
‘Nothing special about this place?’
‘Not that I can figure, but it’s early. Maybe the real reason won’t present itself for a year or two.’
‘Your lad is back in 1938,’ Big Paul noted. ‘Why’s he there, and not here then?’
‘Good question, and so far no sign of him. They know not to shoot him, but they haven’t found him.’
‘I spoke to the other Paul on the plane,’ Big Paul noted. ‘The bald version. 1938’s Germany is occupied, and Japan surrendered after the Marines landed north of Tokyo.’
‘The Marines landed on the mainland?’ Jimmy puzzled.
Big Paul sipped his beer. ‘Yep, forced a surrender. Well, that was after five or six days of that carrier pounding the crap out of Tokyo’s housewives.’
Jimmy slowly nodded to himself. ‘The only thing here, that I think I may have been nudged here to deal with, was their desire to build time machines. They may have succeeded eventually.’
‘Even without Singh?’
‘They may have got lucky,’ Jimmy suggested. ‘They spent forty years at it, so another forty years may have produced something. And then, then they may have jumped somewhere and screwed up a world. It’s the only thing that makes any sense. Anyway, I’ve got a job for you lot, if you want it.’
‘What’s that, boss?’
‘How would you like to stay here for ten years, to build-up their soldiers and Special Forces?’
Big Paul exchanged looks with the others. ‘Won’t you need us in 1938?’
‘We’ve already trained the various Rifles brigades over there. Besides, I think there’ll be a few minor wars here, Vietnam style; well-trained soldiers will be needed. And they’ll need to know how to fight The Brotherhood. Give it some thought, because there’ll be few wars in 1938 for men of your calibre.’
‘Vietnam, eh?’ Big Paul let out. ‘Well I’ve done the Second World War, so Vietnam will look good in my memoirs.’
‘Paul, do yourself a favour, and put the idea of a biography firmly out of your mind, you’ll make us all look bad.’
‘What?’ Big Paul complained as the others chuckled.
The various delegates turned up on time for the scheduled meeting, all again laboriously checked by security. Jimmy greeted the German Interior Minister, having met him before with the Chancellor, the man oddly polite today. The Japanese and Chinese were just as frosty as the previous meetings, the Russians neutral in their expressions.
Settled about the table, the seating arrangement the same, Jimmy kicked things off. ‘Thank you all for coming here today. As you’re now aware, from having tested my missile defence shield, the shield works, and none of you will be able to fire off your very expensive weapons at others. If you do, they’ll simply drop into the sea, as they have been doing. That move, of unilaterally imposing a shield, was to prevent a global nuclear war, not to remove anyone’s right to govern their own countries. Kindly keep in mind that I will always try and negotiate first.
‘Now, to keep you all up to date, you may have heard through your spies – or caught it on CNN - that President Kennedy visited a world in the future. Your leaders ... are welcome to do so as well. That visit, by President Kennedy, was not favouritism, and it was designed to show him just how peaceful and prosperous your nations are in that version of the future. No deals were struck or signed, and the drugs that the Americans now have are the same as we’ve made available to Germany in quantity.’
‘May we have them as well?’ the Russians asked.
‘At the moment, I have no way of safely delivering large quantities to you,’ Jimmy responded. ‘But hopefully I will have soon. If I can secure suitable aircraft in Africa, I’ll fly supplies to you. And, whilst considering Russia, how’s your ceasefire holding up?’
‘It is holding,’ the Russians flatly responded.
‘Good. OK, we have with us today the German Foreign Minister and his Interior Minister, so I’m hoping that we can achieve something substantial. Would the Germans like to say anything ... in particular?’
The Interior Minister began, ‘We are prepared to move our forces to Belorussia as requested, provided that they are not harassed by advancing Russian units.’
‘Russia?’ Jimmy called.
‘We will hold existing lines for three months.’
‘Do the Germans accept this agreement?’
‘We do,’ the Interior Minister offered.
‘Do the Germans have anything else to add?’ Jimmy nudged.
‘We request ... that your doctors in Berlin pull back.’
‘That’s your right,’ Jimmy acknowledged. ‘I will arrange it. Where are your forces now?’
‘We have secured northern Germany, as well as Denmark and the east of France, Holland and Belgium. We are moving south.’
‘My soldiers are crossing the Alps, others approaching Czechoslovakia as we speak,’ Jimmy reported. ‘But the fighting in Somalia has caused many fighters to withdraw from Europe, their supply lines cut. And no reinforcements are being sent north. My soldiers will cross to Arabia soon, and that will draw the Arab fighters down from many places. And, as we speak, my drone aircraft are killing fighters in Syria and Turkey, hampering supply lines. Would the Russians like us to use such aircraft to harass fighters in their Caucuses?’
‘We would,’ they readily agreed.
‘We will need to co-ordinate the moves, so use the phone I gave you to contact my people,’ Jimmy told them. ‘Let us know which particular areas are a priority for you.’
‘We will,’ they again readily agreed, and why not, this was all a great benefit to them.
‘Does Germany have any further requests?’
‘Do you have any further requests of us?’ the Interior Minister countered with, surprising Kennedy and Jimmy alike, a look exchanged.
‘There are a great many things I would like you to do, but I think that they need time, and you need time to settle into Germany – do you not?’
‘We are willing to look at things, if there is a benefit to us both.’
‘How about wheat shipments from America?’ Jimmy offered, Kennedy now on the spot.
‘That would be most welcome. What would you wish in return?’
‘Well, let’s start simple. How about you close your bases in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the Canary Islands and the Azores, and pull back?’ Jimmy waited.
‘And how much wheat would that secure?’
Jimmy faced Kennedy. ‘How about ... twelve thousand tonnes, spread over the next year.’
Kennedy wrote down the figure before discussing it with his staff in whispers. Finally, he said, ‘We could do that.’
The Germans were surprised, so too the Japanese, who now seemed a bit put out.
Jimmy began, ‘Our American friends could also assist with beef supplies, and other food products. Perhaps another twenty-five thousand tonnes over a year.’
‘Could we take a ten minute break,’ Kennedy called, standing. He led his delegation and Jimmy to a side room. ‘What you up to?’ he asked, but without sounding unhappy.
Jimmy waved Kennedy’s group closer, like a football coach gathering his team to a confidential distance. ‘The Germans are here because they’re desperate. Their Chancellor knows that this is last chance saloon for him, to get his people back into Germany, and to try and rebuild before the rest of the European countries turn against him. When he’s back inside his own borders he’ll loosen control of the other countries, because he only has enough money to rebuild Germany. So, when your food arrives - with your flag on, the people of Europe will know where it came from, but not why. And, when those people turn away from Germany, they’ll turn towards you. The people you’re feeding this year ... are potentially next year’s consumers buying American products.’
Jimmy led everyone back in after a brief toilet break for some.
Kennedy announced, ‘We will look at twenty-five thousand tonnes of food.’
‘In return for ...?’ the Germans nudged.
‘In return for sixty percent of your air force leaving Britain for Germany,’ Jimmy suggested.
‘We believe that is possible,’ the Germans agreed.
Jimmy faced the Japanese. ‘Will the Japanese consider oil and food in return for concessions?’
‘What concessions?’
‘The removal of your forces from certain islands and lands, yet to be agreed,’ Jimmy suggested.
‘Do you have a list?’ the Japanese asked, Kennedy now clearly surprised.
‘Might I suggest,’ Jimmy began, ‘that the list start with those islands furthest from Japan’s shores and closest to Australia, and that we then work down the list from there. Might I also suggest that Japan reduces the amount of money that it spends on its military, since my shield will prevent any Chinese attack, or any other kind of attack.’
‘We make note,’ they stated.
‘Progress,’ Jimmy commended. ‘Something to make the masses rejoice.’ He faced the Chinese. And Paused. ‘Is there anything you lot wish to negotiate?’
‘We protest your people making broadcasts to our citizens!’
‘Noted. Anything besides that?’
‘We cannot be bought with food and oil!’
‘Can you be threatened?’ Jimmy asked.
‘Threatened?’ they repeated.
‘If I threaten to destroy all of your aircraft, and destroy all the electronics in many towns, would you be willing to negotiate?’
‘We cooperate on western border!’
Kennedy laughed, Jimmy hiding a smile. Jimmy said, ‘That is a benefit to you, not to world peace. Do you have anything to negotiate regarding world peace before I destroy your aircraft?’
They exchanged looks. ‘What do you wish to negotiate?’
Jimmy rolled his eyes towards Kennedy. ‘How about ... you leave Indo-China and return to your borders.’
‘In return for what?’ Arms were folded.
‘In return for me not destroying your aircraft,’ Jimmy teased.
‘We will not be threatened!’
Jimmy lifted his phone and selected a number. ‘Destroy all Chinese military aircraft. Thanks,’ he ordered, being carefully observed by the Germans.
‘This is an act of war!’ the Chinese protested.
‘War is the next step, my friend,’ Jimmy told the Chinese before they walked out.
The Japanese asked, ‘All Chinese aircraft destroyed?’
‘All destroyed,’ Jimmy confirmed. ‘By morning.’
Kennedy faced the Japanese. ‘Pity about that shield being in place, or you could have struck back at them.’
‘We’ll call a halt for a week at least, time to make some progress and to consult with governments,’ Jimmy announced. He faced the Germans. ‘And Minister, may I say how ... well you’re looking.’
Everyone focused on the man.
‘You were injected?’ Kennedy asked, the man nodding affirmatively.
‘How ... how’s it been?’ Kennedy asked, genuinely interested.
‘I feel like I young man, fit and strong,’ the man stated, but with a reserved tone for his enemies. ‘I sleep for three or four hours, then I’m awake and working. And I no longer need glasses.’
After the meeting, Jimmy led Kennedy’s team to a side room. ‘Just because you promise food, doesn’t mean you need to deliver it. Let the fish swallow the hook.’
‘Will that food go to just Germans, not Europeans?’ Kennedy wondered.
‘Possibly,’ Jimmy agreed. ‘They’re desperate, but nuclear armed, so we tread carefully. They could move their people and their seat of government in months, and then the games begin. To destroy Greater Germany, all you need do is leave them to it, whilst being as nice as you can. And you saw the Japanese reaction in there. They’re starving, short of oil and ore, and probably facing a revolt from their own people as much as the Germans. They need to feed the masses, or there’ll be a revolution over there, and we don’t want socialists in Japan.’
‘And China?’
‘Right now, force is the only thing they’ll respect.’
‘And you trust the Russians?’
‘No, not even a little bit. They’ll play the waiting game, get their borders back, catch their breath, and go all out to try and dominate the world.’
‘So why the heck play nice with them now?’ Kennedy complained.
‘Why do you think, oh great leader?’ Jimmy teased.
‘You’re playing for time,’ a General suggested, Jimmy nodding.
As they walked towards the cars, Jimmy said, ‘The drugs, and the news of time travel, will eventually reach the small villages of Siberia; it’ll act like a cancer. Besides, I don’t mind if they sit behind their walls and stew for a decade or two; on our world they took sixty years to come around.’
At the White House, Kennedy was informed of a team of people arriving in Canada at the portal location, where a US military presence was being maintained. Jimmy explained to Kennedy that they were scientists who would give a few US industries a boost, especially in the areas of electronics and computers. It was all good news to the President and his men, not least Big Paul’s planned programme of Special Forces training. That good news was tempered by the news that Jimmy was heading back for a while, back to 1938.
That evening at midnight, Jimmy flew up to the border, but made the odd move of taking his new White House aide with him. That young man was called Hardon Chase, and would get to glimpse 1938 as an “educational experience”. As he flew northwest, a team of scientists from 2047 flew towards Washington.
At 7am, helicopters whisked Jimmy and Chase over the border, the short flight ending in a floodlit field, soon stepping down onto damp grass. Jimmy sent a signal with his phone, a terrified Hardon Chase jumping through to 2047. After little more than five minutes staring at the portal’s computer displays, Hardon Chase stepped back through to Canada, but to 1938, finding a field that was now warn down to compacted dirt, hundreds of people moving around in organised chaos. I met Jimmy with Susan at my side.
‘This young gentleman is my assigned White House aide from 1984,’ Jimmy informed us. ‘His name is Hardon Chase, if I pronounce it correctly.’
I shook Chase’s hand, controlling my surprise. Susan shook his hand and said hello as we turned towards the waiting Huey, bodyguards close.
‘You have helicopters ... in 1938?’ Chase puzzled.
