Time Chase (excerpts)

The Inn was a welcome sight. Belle dismounted with the help of the soldier she'd been desperately clinging to on the wild ride out of London. She'd not expected quite such a wild time when she'd joined the Iolausians, but, thinking back on her normal quiet life, she was glad she had. "You're never too old for a little adventure!" she said to herself as she entered the White Hart.

Inside the dim and smoky taproom, she saw D. near the bar. "Wow! And I thought the party in New Greeceland was exciting!" she greeted the other newcomer.

"Who are all those people, do you think?" asked D., pointing to a large group gathered around the hearth in the taproom. Belle followed her gaze and noticed a group of widely varied people, apparently from all walks of Medieval life. A monk, a couple of nuns, a knight, and several others were paying rapt attention to a florid matronly woman seated near the fire. She gestured dramatically with her flagon of ale as she made a point, and the audience laughed with her at the tale.

"Oh, they're headed for Canterbury to visit the tomb of St. Thomas a Becket," said the landlord, who had overheard D.'s question. "Can I get you ladies something?"

Next....

"Probably it is a real method against boredom for some of them, don't you think so?" said D.

"Who needs a method against boredom?" Iolaus came up behind his two friends, slinging an arm around each of their shoulders. "Say, barkeep, I'll have whatever these ladies are having," he said. "Three pints of your finest! I'm parched! By the way, who's buying?" he asked with a grin.

"Not us, Iolaus," replied Belle with a laugh. "Ask Salmoneus, he took in the collection at the guerrilla theater!"

"You know, I think there must be a lot of pilgrims coming through this inn," said D. as the landlord brought their drinks. "The shrine at Canterbury is very famous."

"Oh, yes! We get 'em all the time," said the landlord. "In fact, another group left here just before you got here." He wiped the bar with a damp cloth. "They were hanging around and just about to order another round when a new guy showed up and hurried them all along and out the door."

"A new guy?" asked Iolaus, putting his mug down on the bar in mid-sip. He exchanged glances with Belle and D.

"You don't think?" Belle put her mug down too but raised an eyebrow. "Was he wearing green, by any chance?" she asked the landlord.

"Couldn't say," replied the landlord. "He had on one of the pilgrims cloaks like they all wear." He turned away to serve another customer just as Salmoneus bustled into the room.

"Look at these!" the arch-salesman said with glee as he showed the company an armload of plain gray cloaks. "Can you see it, embroidered on the back, 'I Went to Canterbury'!" He nodded encouragingly at his audience. "The color of your choice!" He flung a cloak around himself and swirled around the center of the room.

"I don't know about embroidered slogans, Salmoneus, but where did you get all those cloaks?" Hercules asked from the courtyard door. He took a cloak and tried it on for size.

"There's a whole closet full of them, for the pilgrims," explained Salmoneus. "But think how much more attractive, and profitable, with 'Canterbury' in big red letters! Maybe elegant script? Hmmm. I could do caps to match..."

As Salmoneus speculated on his latest profit-making idea, the Iolausians followed Hercules and each took a cloak. Now they would blend in with the pilgrims...

Next...

K. went to join the other Amazons and Iolaus strolled over to the bar where Belle and Hercules had their heads together over two glasses of "iced tea."

"You remember when Ares tried to crash Kora's talent contest? When you were at the Academy?" asked Belle.

"Yeah, he was trying to win that prize piece of the Chronos Stone," replied Hercules.

"But its power wasn't time travel."

"No. It gave Herc super powers. He blasted me across the room just by pointing at me!" chimed in Iolaus.

"Sorry, little buddy. You know I didn't mean it." Hercules moved over to give his friend room at the bar.

"I know, Herc. It's just lucky we were able to keep it away from Ares."

"He has two other pieces, you know," said Belle. "And it took him centuries to find them. I don't think he's forgotten his quest, despite his kinder, gentler side. If he could get all five pieces together, he'd be unstoppable."

"Herc threw that piece at Kora's so far, I cant imagine where it finally landed," said Iolaus, taking a sip from Hercules's glass. "Ew, what is this stuff?" he cried with a grimace, setting the glass back on the bar.

"If Autolycus knew what the pieces are worth to the God of War..."

"He'd go to any length to find them," Hercules finished Belle's sentence. "We should tell the others to be on the lookout for other pieces of the Stone."

"They look pretty ordinary, unless a god touches them, or a demi-god," said Iolaus, remembering Hercules's accidental blast of power. "When I touched it nothing happened, but when Herc did it started to glow. And then, whammo!" He punched his fist into his other hand.

Iolaus ignored Hercules's frown and continued gleefully, "That was great the way you brought the chandelier down on top of Ares! Boy, was he mad!" He laughed as he remembered the astonished look on Ares's face.

"I still say we missed our chance at stardom, Herc," he went on. "Too bad we had to break up the band after that concert. We could have given Orpheus a run for his money!"

"Why did you break up?" asked Belle. She'd always wondered about that, and seized her chance to find out.

"The bass player graduated," said Hercules with a shrug.

"Ha! It was all Feducius's fault," said Iolaus. "You know we practiced in the Academy stables. Well, old Fiddle Face kept complaining to Cheiron that the music gave him a headache." Both men laughed at the memory.

"That's true too, agreed Hercules. Suddenly, he struck a dramatic pose and strummed an invisible lyre. On his second downward stroke, Iolaus leaned toward him, holding an invisible microphone.

"When I look into your eyes," they sang in perfect two-part harmony. "When I look into your EYYYYYES!"

Belle clapped and squealed like a teenybopper as they laughingly took a deep bow, their arms around each other's waists.

"Hey Herc, maybe we can do a nostalgia concert tour," said Iolaus. "Salmoneus could do the tunic sales!"

"I don't think so, Iolaus," said Hercules, shaking his head. "I don't think so."

Read MUSIC HATH CHARMS, a story inspired by this incident!

"What's that," Joxer asked, as he looked over the railing around the flat roof of the apartment house. He pointed to a brightly-lit neon sign some distance away.

"It says 'Blue Moon,'" said Belle, reading the big letters inside the blue art deco style crescent that had caught his eye. "They fill the sign with a gas that glows," she explained.

"Cool! I can see it now," said the delighted warrior. He gestured the placement of giant letters above his head. "'Joxer the Mighty!' Does it come in red?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes, yes it does, Joxer," said Belle with a smile.

"In big red letters!" Joxer smiled with satisfaction as he surveyed his imaginary neon sign.

Suddenly, there was shouting in the street below the Iolausians' lookout. Belle and Joxer crowded in with the rest of the group to see what was happening. There in the alley behind the apartment were Derik and B., shouting and waving wildly to the rest to come down at once. "Hurry! Hurry! We followed Autolycus's taxi to a place called the Blue Moon!"

The Iolausians rushed down the street and piled into some passing taxis, yelling at the drivers to get them to the Blue Moon. After a short but wild ride, they jumped out and ran toward the club. But they were barely half way across the street when they skidded to a halt, nearly landing in a pile on top of the Amazons who were leading the way. Belle bumped into D. who collided with A., who clutched Salmoneus's shoulder to keep from falling.

Standing on tip toe to peer over the crowd, Belle could see the problem. Two very large and very ugly bouncers stood outside the club, scanning anyone who wanted to enter. The Iolausians organized themselves with a collective shoulder shake and proceeded at a more sedate pace. If Autolycus were inside, they'd be sure to scare him off if they rushed in in a mob, anyway.

"Just say, 'Al sent me,'" whispered Q. as they approached the door. She walked up to the door confidently, gave the password, and to everyone's astonishment, the two thugs let her pass with no trouble. Soon, it was Belle's turn, and she entered the smoky nightclub right behind Iolaus, with Joxer right behind her.

As Belle looked around to get her bearings, Iolaus tugged at her sleeve. "Look! The musicians are all women!" He stared at the stage delighted. Belle followed his gaze, and laughed when she saw that the Blue Moon's band was indeed an All Girl Orchestra. The beautiful blonde at the microphone center stage was just finishing a number. "We'll be right back after a short break," she announced in a breathy whisper, blowing a kiss to the club patrons.

"Oh, boy! They're coming over here!" Belle rolled her eyes as the incorrigible Iolaus ran a hand over his blonde hair and straightened his vest as some of the band members came toward the bar.

"Hi, there," he greeted the one nearest him. "I'm Iolaus, what's your name?"

The musician jumped at his address. Belle recognized her as the bass player. "Oh. Uh. I'm Daphne," she stuttered, batting her eyelashes.

"Daphne, eh? That's an ancient Greek name, isn't it?" said Iolaus, following up on the lead. Belle watched his chatting up technique with interest. The Golden Hunter was a master of so many skills.

"Oh, is it? I don't really know," Daphne replied, just before she downed a shot of gin. She giggled nervously.

"Have you been with the band long?" Iolaus tried another tack.

"Oh, no. No, my friend Joe, er, Josephine and I just joined tonight, in fact." Daphne fanned her flushed face with her handkerchief. "Oh, here's Josephine now!" She grabbed the other girl's elbow as she came up to the bar and introduced her.

"Delighted to meet you," said Josephine. "Daphne, have you seen Columbo?"

"Columbo?" Daphne nearly jumped out of her skin. "No! Is he here?" She looked over her shoulder.

"I think we'd better get back to the dressing room, dear," said Josephine, pulling her friend's arm. "Right now!" With an apologetic giggle, Daphne waved at Iolaus as she followed Josephine toward the stage door.

"You know, Belle," said Iolaus as he watched them go, "those are two of the strangest girls I've ever met." He waggled his fingers at the departing Daphne. "They remind me of someone, but I just can't put my finger on who it is."

"Don't worry about it, Iolaus," said Belle, patting his shoulder. "Nobody's perfect!"

Take it away!

***

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