Chapter 19

While I had been at the hospital keeping Nina company and giving consolation, Anita had slipped over to Die Freude in our machine and told them our good news. Of course, they all wanted to come and visit Nina in the maternity ward but concluded that it might raise some unsettling questions if they all showed up. One man and that many women, obviously attached to each other, could cause a lot of suspicion, bearing in mind that they would visit the sixties, and the town being small, news would travel fast. Who knows what could come out of that. We didn't want the government or any of its branches on our backs. After some discussion it was decided that Thekla and Petra would go and visit Nina in the hospital, while the rest would stay with us at Home and be introduced to Chris.

All nine of them showed up at Home and were quickly introduced to Chris. Then Anita, Thekla and Petra went to the hospital to see Nina and the baby while the rest of us stayed at home and had a good time. Champagne and some Iranian Caviar with toast and lemon slices were served while we waited for the women to come back.

"Oh, he's so sweet! What a nice boy! He looks just like you!" Were some of the comments I received upon their return.

The latter I hoped wasn't the truth, because when I last saw him he looked like a tiny little pugilist after a twenty round match, all swollen and bruised; red and violet and lilac and... Well I could go on but you get the idea. And sweet? Not much! A boy, yes, that I had noticed too.

I acted as the proud father I was though, and didn't say anything except the usual pleasantries in return to the compliments that were showered on me. The women couldn't talk about anything but the baby, and I had to get dinner ready as best I could, thankful that Anita and Chris had prepared everything ahead of time. So it was just a matter of putting it in the preheated oven to warm it up, then to carry it to the table and attracting the attention of the women long enough to get them to sit down around the table. After that I was left to myself.

Fritz sat between Anita and Chris at the opposite side of the table, and he went out of sight occasionally whenever either Chris or Anita bent across his plate when they had something 'very important' to discuss with the other. At times, both of them leaned over at the same time, talking to each other.

After dinner it was time for the grand tour up to the baby's room to let the ladies take inventory of all clothes, diapers, washcloths, soaps and God only knows what else. Everything was dutifully inspected very carefully and was finally approved by all. Fritz and I just stood there in awe. Once in a while we looked at each other and just shook our heads in astonishment.

"You're a lucky man, Robert," Fritz said as we sat facing each other, sipping on a glass of Cognac. "Three nice, good looking women and a son." He fell silent for a moment, then continued. "You know what, I know a priest that would be very happy to make you all husband and wives. That is, if you would like that, of course."

"I think I might," I replied.

"I'll bet your women would too," Fritz chuckled.

"Are you... ?"

"Oh yes. To all of them." He looked around, as though to see if anyone were close enough to overhear us. No risk of that, the women were happily chatting upstairs and would be for some time yet.

"There are a couple of things that worry me," he finally said once he was satisfied all the women were out of earshot.

"Oh? What?" If Fritz were worried, I too was worried.

"It's probably just my imagination, but it's as if I've been being watched. No, maybe not watched... well, as I said it's probably just my imagination."

I remembered the creepy feeling I'd had in the days just before Fritz made contact with me. I too had thought it was just my imagination.

"Well, it's better to play it safe. I'll come over as soon as Nina and the baby come home, and then we can work on that tracking device again. It's been on hold much too long anyway."

"OK, if you think so... But please don't mention this to my wives."

I assured him I wouldn't, and we let the subject lie. While waiting for the women to rejoin us, we sat in silence, each deep in his own thoughts.

The women eventually came downstairs and joined us. The evening went on normally, as if our conversation had never occurred. Fritz' wives talked about books they'd read or plays they'd been to. Anita talked about how the renovation of the house had gone and some amusing anecdotes about the plumbers. All in all, a pleasant evening, if it hadn't been for Fritz' suspicion.

Unfortunately, I soon forgot all about it, since I had my hands full with a horny mother and daughter. Anita seemed to be even hotter now that our daughter had joined us. Between bedroom romps, I had to go and visit Nina because, as was usual then, she had to spend a week at the hospital. I had to move all her things over to The Home and to buy the last items you always needed to take care of a newborn baby. Well, to me it didn't look like the last items. It was as if Anita and Chris had started their shopping spree all over again.

I fetched Nina from the hospital on a Thursday, and she was a little reluctant to take the baby into the van, not knowing what time travel would do to him, but after much trepidation, we were finally on our way and a few seconds later we parked on the yard outside our Home. Anita and Chris already stood there waiting for us, and they rushed over as soon as the van had come to a stand still.

They greeted Nina very lightly, and then they had the boy in their custody, leaving me to carry everything inside. As I climbed the stairs, I could hear Nina 'Ah' and 'Oh' as she was shown the numerous items of baby things that had accumulated in the nursery. They didn't notice me when I entered so I just put the stuff down where I stood and went over to Anita, who was holding the baby in her arms, and looked at him with a critical eye. He looked much better now. Actually he looked quite cute. Almost bald with a round face, a small mouth and an upturned nose that didn't run in any line of my family I knew of. His hands were a little wrinkled but seemed to be OK. The nails were a little too long for a boy though. Slowly I reached out my hand and with a hooked finger I stroked his chin. It was smooth. The smoothest skin I'd ever touched.

Suddenly, I became aware of the silence in the room and I looked up, surprised at the lack of buzzing voices. The women were all staring at me with smiles on their faces.

"What?"

"He's sweet isn't he."

"Yes."

"Do you want to hold him?"

"Oh no! No way!" I protested.

"Come on. He won't bite you. Here, take him," Anita said, almost thrusting him into my arms. By reflex I took hold of him, afraid that I would harm him in some way.

"Don't be afraid. He isn't as fragile as you think. All you have to be careful about is his head. He doesn't have any strength in the neck muscles yet."

Anita helped me to lay him along my forearm, with his head resting on the bicep of my upper arm. He didn't wake up, although he was almost manhandled. From the moment the baby settled into my arms, I could feel my heart swell and my pride shoot out like fireworks, revealing my feelings. I had no idea. No idea at all that such a little thing could cause that much feeling. I lifted my eyes and saw all three women look at me with broad smiles on their faces.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Why don't you take your son into the living room and sit alone with him for a while. Get to know each other."

"He's asleep for heaven's sake!"

"Oh, how do you think babies get to recognize their parents?"

I thought about that for a while but had to admit that I didn't know. I had, up till now, not been interested in children other than in a professional capacity. Teaching is a bit of a vocation so the higher interest must have been laying there latent.

"Smell!"

"Oh." Well that made sense. I think I had read somewhere that a baby doesn't see until he or she is a couple of weeks old, or something like that.

Slowly and carefully I carried the baby to the living room and sat on the sofa, my son in my arms. I didn't know what to say to him so I just sat there looking at him. He, of course, was asleep so any conversation would have been impossible anyway. After a while the women joined me one by one.

"So," Chris said. "Have you thought of a name for him?"

I looked at her as if she were out of her mind.

"Daddy! He must have a name!"

"Yes, of course, he must. How about... Felix?"

"Felix!" Three indignant voices shrieked. "He's no Felix!"

"Weeell... How about Hannibal then?"

I think Chris was the only one besides me who had ever heard of Hannibal Lector and none remembered Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who had crossed the Alps with his elephants to invade Italy during the 2nd Punic war.

Chris shivered, exaggeratedly. "Daaad! You can't call a sweet baby like him Hannibal!"

"Well then, what about Christopher? That way we keep up the family tradition and can call him too Chris," Nina offered.

"I like that," I said.

"Mmm, me too," Anita said.

Chris just blushed, approvingly delighted.

"And why not Adam as a second name. Adam the first of a new... umm, not species, but a new branch of humanity," she said to hide her delight.

"OK, Christopher Adam it is. But, how are we going to get him christened?"

Suddenly, I remembered Fritz' suggestion earlier. "Oh by the way ladies, would you like to marry me?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"How could we?"

"You know it's impossible."

"I happen to know differently. It is possible. Fritz knows a priest, well he said he was a priest that... Well, he married Fritz and all his wives, so..."

Suddenly, I was over swarmed by three women, each of whom tried to kiss me and talk at the same time. That I was holding an infant in my arms didn't seem to bother them the least. When the commotion finally died down we started to make some serious plans and we decided that I should pop over to Die Freude the next day, partly to help Fritz with his tracking device but mostly to set up a date for our wedding - and christening.

The next day I hopped into the one way Machine and took the short trip over to Fritz'. I opened the door that should lead into the shed and stepped on... Ruble! I just had time to take a quick glance at the surroundings before I again slammed the door shut behind me, pushed the button and was at Home before I had time to understand exactly what I had seen. Chris was the first one to see me when I again stepped out of the cellar, and she rushed over to me.

"What is it? Is something wrong? Tell me!"

"Later, I must sit down and think. I don't know; something is wrong at Die Freude. It is all... Just rubble. And I could smell smoke, that's all I know. I came back here even before I had time to think."

"Oh my God! What could have happened? We must go over there and see if we can help them!"

"Yes. Yes we must. Just give me a few minutes to gather my thoughts. Will you get Nina for me please?"

I related what I'd had time to see to Nina, and she too looked worried.

"Well, we don't know if anything has happened to them. All we have is... No! That's only wishful thinking. Something's happened there and I don't like it anymore than you do. Can we sneak over there in the machine?"

"Sure. No problem."

"We could even go there invisible?"

"Yes... Yes! That's it! Can you calculate the coordinates for me?"

"Sure. Do you have a map?"

"A map?"

"Yes you need a map to get the coordinates."

"Yes, of course I know that. I was just wasn't thinking. No, I don't think so. Well, we do have an atlas somewhere. Anita do you know where the atlas is?"

"Sure, but I don't think that'll be sufficient. We need something more detailed. I know, Chris, take the car and get a roadmap, try the gas station first and if they..."

"I know mom, don't worry. I'll get a map."

While Chris was gone the three of us made plans, as best as we could with the few clues we had to what had happened. We outvoted any kind of weapon for two reasons; first we didn't have any and second we didn't know what to expect. We were only going to scout the situation, then come back and plan our next move. Weapons would be unnecessary.

Chris came back and told us that she couldn't get any map of France that would be detailed enough for our purpose.

"Wait a minute. Aren't the coordinates stored in the machine? There's a computer in it isn't there?"

"Damn! How stupid of me! Of course there is!"

"Don't worry darling, you suffered a shock and it takes a while to get over it, but I should have thought about it. My mind just got into the calculating and forgot all about logical and obvious," Nina berated herself.

"We have to blame ourselves. We all are in a state of shock, maybe it would be better to wait until tomorrow before we take any action?"

"No, we can't wait. If they've all been killed there is no way that we can alter that. But, what if they have been injured, taken captive, or in hiding? They'll need help desperately. We just have to act now!"