Time Travel Times 5

Time Travel Times 5

by Vincent Miskell

Copyright 2011 Vincent Miskell

Smashwords Edition

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

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Disclaimer

Time Travel Times 5 includes works of fiction set in imaginary universes, where names, characters, events, and things are used fictitiously. People, organizations, means of communication, and places in those imaginary universes are not meant to represent real places, real organizations, real means of communication, or real people in whole or in part. In fact, everything in these works' imaginary universes are fictional. Any similarities or resemblances to real people, organizations, places, or things (to anything at all) in the past, present, or future are purely coincidental.

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Also by the Author

Godspeed Inc.: A Naomi Kinder Adventure is a free novelette, the first in the series of Naomi Kinder SF Adventures.

Godspeed is followed by Rescuing the Future: A Naomi Kinder Novel.

Death and Faxes: A Science Fiction Story

To Ignite a Fire on Enceladus and Jack London's To Build a Fire

All available on Smashwords.

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Contents

Cover

Title Page and Copyright

License Notes

Disclaimer

Also by the Author

Selling July 4th

It Won't Be Long: With a Little Help from The Beatles

W.C. Fields Sends His Regards

Wizard of AZ

Dogs

About the Author

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Selling July 4th

They'd never have gotten around to proposing the damned thing that summer if it hadn't been for me! Sure, everybody knows now that it was signed July 4, 1776, but it wasn't always.

Try January 4, 1777. You just barely get over your New Year's hangover, and BLAM! fireworks start exploding in the snow. Believe me, it was a real mess. Nobody (except for kids) felt like celebrating so soon after the Christmas holidays.

Naturally, I went to Franklin first. If anybody from the 18th century could imagine the future, it have to be this wizard of electricity and lightning rods, stoves and printing presses.

I beg you to excuse my unusual garb, Dr. Franklin, I began, spreading three genuine hundred-dollar bills (two 1914 issue bed-sheet bills with his right profile and one small-size 1966 issue with his front-view portrait) on the beautifully carved wooden table. I'd made no attempt at period dress or disguise. In fact, I had chosen a pale-blue Nehru jacket with navy-blue bellbottoms (circa 1970) to enhance my futuristic, yet somewhat familiar, look.

Originally, I had a pair of white (1982) Reebok's, but I dumped them for some light-blue leather Jordan Jumpers (2015) when I noticed the miniature Union Jacks on the outward uppers of the Reebok's. As it was, he'd suspect I was a British spy or assassin. My only precaution was a heavy gold bracelet made of old Spanish coins, which I could break, if I suddenly needed a bribe.

Nodding, Franklin reached inside his long coat as if to draw a gun or sword. I sprang back two and a half paces with my legs poised sideways and my arms raised in a martial arts defense. Slowly, he set two pairs of spectacles beside the bills, and I sheepishly returned to my place at the table.

Then both pairs were positioned delicately on his head. With one of the hundreds in his left hand, he alternated spectacles. First one pair, then the other were placed over his eyes with the other pair resting on his perspiring forehead. Once or twice, he tried both together as he stared at his green and gray likeness on the bills. He seemed most intrigued by the allegorical figures on the back design of the 1914s, scarcely glancing at the picture of Independence Hall on the 1966 bill.

And I have brought you these for your inspection, I continued, carefully putting three reprinted (1981) texts of founding documents that Franklin had signed (or would sign) in the coming months and years—including The Declaration of Independence. Although 20th century typeface had been used on the reprints, simulated signatures finished the Declaration.

Smiling and making some smacking noises with the lips, Franklin gently positioned the bills back on the table and picked up the Articles of Confederation. By the Deity. . .! he exclaimed, . . .the printing! What miracle. . .?

Obviously, he'd seen the bills as fanciful flattering filigree, but the paper reprints of founding documents were far beyond the technology of his time, and he knew it.

I had his attention.

He stepped back. Pushing the chubby fingers of his left hand into his gray waistcoat, his right held the pages reverently as though they were pieces of a great work of art.

Please, sir, I implored, read a little of these documents you'll see—

No need, sir. No need, he rapidly interrupted. The formation of the letters and words are as clear and well-defined as a flock of geese flying across the dawning sun. My old eyes are truly blessed by this heavenly printing. And if the struggle of this war were not hard pressed upon me—upon us all so severely—a commercial venture 'twould be. . . .

Two armed sentries suddenly entered the room, and his voice just trailed off. He curtly nodded once and waved his hand, dismissing me, the documents, and anything I might say.

Still I tried.

Please hear me out, Dr. Franklin. Study the content of these documents, not just the form. . . . I begged. Your own signature. . .! I cried in unexpected desperation.

Then with the flashing speed of startling grey lightning, he spun around and left the room. The two sentries with their weapons held ceremoniously high flanked me to make certain that I found the proper way out

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With Jefferson, the great redheaded visionary, my chances just had to be better! Cautiously, I decided to reverse my procedure. Discussion and explanations would come first and only then my documented proof.

But Jefferson refused to see me. His beautifully dressed servant of African descent (with a blue and silver embroidered coat, silver slippers, and white powdered wig) claimed that his master was much too busy with affairs of Virginia to grant an audience at this time.

Sir, I said, not knowing how best to address a servant who was also probably a slave, please tell Mr. Jefferson that I am an ambassador from a distant country that holds the American cause quite dear in its heart. Handing him a two-dollar bill (1953 issue) with Jefferson's front portrait on the face design and a slightly angled sketch of Monticello on the back design, I continued, Ask him to examine this bill.

As the servant began to shut the door, Wait! I shouted. Here take these as well, I murmured breathlessly, dropping three nickels (1964, 1984, and 1987) showing Jefferson's engraved left profile on their heads side and a front view of Monticello on tails.

Retrieving a copy of Jefferson's first draft of The