Chapter 46

Of course I nodded off after finishing my cigar. No matter how much coffee I drank, I could still saw logs when people left me alone for a few minutes. This time though I'm pretty sure Big Boy had helped the process along.

"Are we heading somewhere else tonight? I asked, as soon as I realized this nap was for the purpose of consultation with the man from above, or from somewhere or somewhen else.

"No. Not unless you feel the need."

"I don't. I'm pretty sure it will take a few days to get this new bunch in line, unless you think you can do it wholesale."

"We could, but prefer not to. We can keep close supervision on their thoughts though and we will warn you if it seems some of them are inclined to cause trouble," he thought at me.

"That should be good enough."

"We do have a suggestion though," he said.

"Well spit it out. I'll admit I'm just kinda drifting along on this deal."

"In the timeline you are familiar with Indians using horses came much later than now. We believe an earlier introduction of the process can go a long way toward discouraging explorers from Europe.

"In fact, we think introducing horses and providing the excellent compound bows and high-tech arrows can cause this timeline to proceed in ways much to the Indian's advantage. We believe these changes and the immunizations we've provided can make a radical difference.

"With horses the Indian's can put up a much more effective defense and they can also distribute the medicine to a wider area. The diseases early explorers brought with them did as much or more damage to Indian populations than anything else Europeans did."

"I understand that, and the plan to introduce horses sounds great, but where are they going to come from?"

"It only took you days to gather many of them during your trip to France," Big Boy said.

"That may be, but the horses were already there. How many are running around in the Americas that didn't arrive with Europeans?"

"I see what you mean, but it won't be a problem. We can transport an unlimited number."

"But where will you get them and what kind will you acquire. The horses in France are not really suitable for this. They are too large and frankly, too clumsy. They aren't the kind of horse to use in Indian style warfare."

"That really isn't a problem either. We can even raise the horses if it's needed. We can find a suitable area, put the facilities in place, and breed whatever type horses you need. In fact, one of my associates is hoping for just such a project.

"He is very interested in horses and has made a detailed study of the matter. He even has some suggestions. Would you like to discuss it with him?"

"Sure, I've got plenty of time," I said, knowing Big Boy seemed to be able to create time, sorta.

I was right about it too. Before quick could get ready I'd been transported into a sort of office and another voice was talking things over with me, in my head. He, she, or it never made an appearance but the office had the sort of high tech visual aides I'd come to expect from this quarter. Wall sized video screens and life sized holograms of horses were everywhere.

Though I felt I'd spent days there I never seemed to be tired or need sleep. The voice went over plans and specifications and told me about thousands of details regarding horses and the genetics involved in breeding the perfect horse. When I finally got worn out on talking horses we settled on a plan.

With their magic time traveling ways they were going to breed, raise, and partially train horses in any numbers needed. With the hocus-pocus available to them I'd have a hundred delivered into my fences three mornings hence.

The stock was to be a cross between some of the best examples of the tallest and most muscular Quarter Horses that had ever been and some of the best Thoroughbreds. The Quarter Horse side would tend to provide early initial speed and a steady disposition while the Thoroughbreds would lend their endurance.

Apparently their horse expert had come up with this idea on his own. Of course I approved, since I happened to know that particular cross was often successful. The shocker for me was the execution of the plan, and I'm sure it would have shocked any horseman.

"Horse Guy intended to go shopping back in earth's past to select breeding stock. He was almost giddy at the prospect and I could tell he really had fixated on horses. He named several stallions he intended to acquire, but the only ones I recognized were Wimpy P1, Steeldust, and Secretariat. He also named a few of Secretariat's get and a few of his ancestors. Hell, if you're going to start a breeding operation you can't go wrong with stallions like that.

He also explained how he'd be raising the horses on a suitable portion of another planet and bringing them here as needed. Buddy, that's what I call just-in-time shipping at its peak. The details didn't matter to me though. The part I liked was green broke mature horses that didn't even exist now showing up in my traveling pasture three days from now.

Of course there were dozens of other details. The saddles they provided being one of the most important. Sure, I know, wild assed Indians from America's past used a few leather thongs and a blanket and called themselves ready to rape and pillage. It worked well enough, kinda, but when you think back to the winning side you'll remember they were the ones with saddles.

We weren't going to all this trouble for a couple of victorious raids. We had to build a mounted army for what we intended to do, and that would require saddles. We'd make them as light as possible of course, but we were going to have plenty of fast strong horses that could carry more weight than an old time Indian pony that ate whatever it could find while it wasn't busy toting an Indian's ass around.

My providers still hadn't mentioned what outcome they were shooting for, but this was a hint, or at least a form of confirmation of what I'd thought was going on all along. Apparently they intended to slow down, or even stop the European massacre of the North American Indians. I don't know if it was by design, but to me it seemed they had already missed saving any of the South American civilizations, such as they were at this time.

What the hell, I couldn't do everything no matter how much help I got. I had to concentrate on my Big Boy assigned job. Fleetingly I remembered some pictures I'd seen of the near naked beauties with darkly tanned asses shimmying and shaking down the streets of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. Maybe in another life.

For now though, I was tired of discussing herds of super horses produced in the thousands and delivered into the pasture behind my time traveling patch of ground. Suddenly I woke and discovered Meka tickling my nose.

"Daddy snoring. Sawing logs," she said, giggling while Tutsie barked at me.

"No, no. Daddy never snores."

"Daddy does too snore, but Tutsie me don't care. Come to supper Daddy," she said, and scampered off leaving Tutsie to haze me toward the dining room.

When I arrived I was surprised to see everyone seated but not much food. Fawne noticed my look and giggled before letting me in on the secret.

"This is just a little snack to hold us until the feasting starts. The other tribe arrived about an hour ago and they're setting up their camp. Jahedo says the feast will start just after sunset," she said, as one of the cute maids brought me coffee to go with my sandwich.

"I don't think it will hurt my appetite a bit."

"We should have let you go hungry since you took the afternoon off to sleep while most of us had to work," Ethel said.

When I looked up George was the first one I saw, and it shocked me. I'd intended to give Ethel a little quip but George's new look took it off my mind. I looked quickly at Bob, then Wanda, and finally Ethel. Hell, they looked younger. What the fuck was this?

"Don't be alarmed," Big Boy transmitted, "We have taken a few years off their body's ages. No one will notice. We thought it was a fair reward for the duties they've preformed for us over the years."

They didn't look like teenagers again, but they were obviously younger than they'd been earlier in the day. It didn't bother me but it was quite a surprise. Looking closer and trying not to seem to be, I noticed even Carolyn and Geneva looked a little younger. Chuck and Dave looked the same, and that made sense too. None of my harem seemed to have changed. Then again none of them were over twenty-five or so anyway. I wondered if I'd been spruced up while I was asleep.

I let it go and worked on my sandwich. It was a small one though and apparently Harriette meant for it to last me only until the real meal got started outside. It would have to do. After we'd finished I strayed outside to see how things were going.

The smell of roasting buffalo slapped me in the face as soon as I walked out the door. When Jahedo had mentioned a feast he'd meant it. There were cooking fires everywhere in what I considered my front yard, and it didn't bother me a bit. We were going to have plenty of food.

When I located Jahedo I walked over. He was talking with two of the men from the Comanches and as I listened it was obvious there'd been a demonstration for them earlier. Probably shortly after they'd arrived. The two newbies were still quizzing Jahedo about what they'd seen when I walked up.

"Here is John. Ask him the questions. He gave us these gifts. You will have to show him you're worthy to receive them."

Twako was the older of the two and he was the leader of the Comanches now. Jungka was with him and apparently second in command, or something similar.

"What must we do to gain these magical weapons," Twako asked, right away.

"You must stop fighting others over nothing. All of the people are now fighting among each other, helping the white devils even before they come to take your land and kill all the buffalo.

"You must join me and help get ready to send them away, back over the sea. You must help me find others to help also. The dark ones will be coming up from the south, and whiter ones will come from the east. They care nothing for the land now, but later they will spread and take everything. We must stop them. They have ruined their own lands and soon they'll come in the thousands to ruin yours.

"They bring disease with them and you must help distribute the medicine I have. If you don't the disease will wipe out whole camps in days and not enough will live to defend your lands."

"We have seen no white man but you," Twako said, and he didn't sound like he'd enjoyed the first meeting that well.

"When the floods come does all the water appear at the same time? The one that are coming will start slowly, but never slow down unless you make them.

"You must be ready to treat them like you tried to treat Jahedo's band. Kill the men and take the women and children. Teach them your ways. If you don't you will end up without ways of your own and they will choke the life out of your people. You must learn and teach others or you will be no more."

"But if so many as you claim are coming how can we stop them?" Twako asked.