Mercury Begins (Mercury Trilogy) by Robert Kroese Read Free Book Online Page A

top was written, in his own handwriting:
     
    EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENT
    Founding of ROME
    Critical historical event
     
    So far, so good. He remembered writing that stuff during Uzziel’s briefing . But as he worked his way down the page, Mercury’s limited attention span began to show itself in increased use of abbreviation, incomplete ideas and illegible smudges of ink :
     
    Determinism, Divine Plan, etc.
    Syncretism – East/West
    Nec . For Renn ., Ref., et al.
     
    The note culminated with:
     
    Talk to Dave
    Help Greeks find back door
    Get Trojans to Italy
    Anus???
     
    At the very bottom was a crude drawing of a horse. Mercury thought what it lacked in verisimilitude it made up for in charming naiveté :
     

     
    “Well,” said Mercury to the seagull , “that isn’t helpful at all.”
    “ Keeyaah ,” said the seagull.
    Mercury shook his head. “Can’t blame this on the keeyaah , I’m afraid. I was dead sober when I wrote this.” He regarded the note dubiously. He w as supposed to make sure Rome was fo unded, that much was clear. Or was he supposed to make sure Rome wasn’t founded? But why would the Apocalypse Bureau have a name for a city that was never supposed to exist? That didn’t make much sense. And it seemed like that Renn ./ Ref. stuff couldn’t happen if Rome wasn’t founded. The Renn ./ Ref. stuff was pretty important, as he recalled. He could always put a call through to Uzziel in Heaven, but that would mean admitting he hadn’t been paying attention during the briefing. Besides, the way Uzziel droned on, he’d probably miss all the same important parts again.
    Mercury studied the note some more. Who were the Trojans again? People who live in the city of Troy , he thought . Weren’t they at war with somebody? The Greeks . That was it, the Trojans were fighting the Greeks. But the Greeks couldn’t penetrate the giant wall the Trojans had erected around the city. “Help the Greeks find a back door” must mean help them get through the wall. At least he hoped that’s what it meant.
    The seagull cocked its head at Mercury, shrugging its wings.
    But who was Dave? That one didn’t ring any bells. Oh well, he’d just have to wing it. Mercury leaped into the air, soaring in a great north easterly arc toward the city of Troy.
    The seagull watched him go with interest. “ Keeyaah ?” it asked.
     
    *** * *
     
    Troy wasn’t a particularly impressive city, other than the thirty foot wall that ringed the city proper. If the Greeks could have seen the nondescript mud and stone structures that made up most of the town , they might have decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. But the grass is always greener inside the perimeter of a thirty foot wall, and the Greeks had been trying to get in for ten years now. Their ships were anchored a half mile or so down the coast, and a sizable contingent of foot soldiers was encamped around the city. Occasionally skirmishes would break out, with Greeks attempting to scale the walls or Trojans attempting to open a corridor through the Greeks for supplies to travel through, but lately neither side had put much effort into it. The stalemate seemed destined to go on forever.
    Mercury landed on a hilltop not far from the Greek ships and made his way down to the main camp.
    “Halt!” cried a sentry. “Who goes there?”
    Mercury, who had the foresight to alter his dress to that of a Greek foot soldier, was nevertheless caught off guard by the sentry’s challenge.
    “ Er , me,” said Mercury dimly.
    “Hermes?” asked the sentry.
    “Sure,” replied Mercury. “Hermes.” It was a good a name as any.
    “I don’t recognize you,” said the sentry suspiciously.
    “Yeah, I don’t, ah, spend much time in camp,” replied Mercury. “I’m a scout. Been keeping my eye out for those filthy Trojans. So, anyway, I’m looking for… Dave? ”
    The sentry frowned. “You’re looking for who ?”
    “Dave,” said Mercury, trying to sound more sure of