Chapter 9

Even though Jake, Randy and Marilyn thought they were set for the duration, there were things people need they didn't know they needed. The watch and the Pioneer solved that problem.

But ... and don't you just know ... there's always a but ... the Pioneer seats five. Bill just happened to know where there was a flying TWIN Pioneer. A Twin Pioneer will seat, including two crew, 13 friendly people, and not very friendly at that. Fully loaded it needed the 'runway' they had.

Although it was flying in 1961, Bill thought he could time it and buy when the Royal Airforce held their expendable stores sale. This was going to have to be a bid situation ... and it might be tricky. The tricky part getting it back to Texas from half way round the world. The RAF squadron was stationed in Cameroon.

He'd be bidding against some serious people ... like the Cameroon military and, worse yet, the Christian Missionaries. They would be sure to try and beg or borrow the plane after he bought it ... if he bought it.

They wouldn't be crass enough to outright steal it but pressure through prayer often had results ... especially if the pray-er let the pray-eed upon know the prayers "of a nation" were being sent to heaven so Bill would "Do the RIGHT thing."

It can't be called stealing if you're using God to do the dirty work ... and it does work. Guilt is such a wonderful weapon.

"Eat your Peas ... children are starving in Africa." Claiming the African children wouldn't eat the peas either never impressed mom. Besides, mom never did say why you eating your peas would help the children.

To keep the christians from eating his peas, Bill was going to have to be tricky. As the reader has seen ... Bill and tricky are not synonymous ... in fact, Bill and tricky are antonymous. They do not rub well together. For sure, it was going to have to be E'veen O'Riada who was going to pull it off ... if anyone could.

"E'vie," whined Bill, "we need a larger plane."

Jake, Randy and Marilyn agreed. Randy was running out of a green budding substance ... and certain hallucinogens.

"Hey, Bill ... can you time it good enough to get to Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in 1960?"

"Where's that?"

"Switzerland."

"We'd have to be close to the building. I suppose we could go there by ship or plane ... with the way Homeland Security works, one of those damn TSA agents would steal my watch. The first time he wound it, he'd be gone and we'd be stuck.

"Not a good idea, Randy. A cruise-ship ... but they seldom head for Europe with passengers. Still and all, we have to get to Mamfe airbase in Cameroon Equatorial Africa just before the RAF clears out in 1961. Otherwise we need to get to England when they do surplus stores sales ... or we could time it to the middle fifties and just order a new one."

Jake ... Jake came up with the right idea. "We pop ahead ... I could even go with Bill, just the two of us and I'll buy a bus. We'll take the whole shooting match, wives and girlfriends, and maybe even Junior, to the future in the bus. Then we head for Savanna Georgia ... no ... that won't work. The watch takes you back to where you were when you wound it ... right?"

"Right" Both E'veen and Bill said it like twins.

"Just ... well ... shit."

"I know!" exclaimed E'veen, "we need Violet."

"Who is Violet?" Jake asked.

"She's a Colorado Mountain Tribe's Tribal Shaman," said Bill.

"And ... I just know there's an and here..." Randy was right.

"She has a watch," E'veen explained.

"So?" Marilyn questioned just where this was going.

"Her's goes sideways in time," Bill said.

"Oh," that settled Marilyn's hash.

"Just Oh ... no congratulations for solving the problem?" E'veen was disappointed. Unrecognized genius. "Well, there is more ... she's also a Texas State Trooper."

"Well, how do you get her here?"

"That I don't know ... I know that Mina just asks." Bill said, "what the hell ... Violet? We need you."

"Bill, what are you doing?" Walking out of the woods near the gathered folks, Violet said to Bill, "you don't believe in the Powers that Be. Why are you summoning?"