Time's Echo: A CHRONOS Files Novella Read Online Free

the center
aisle a little after five-thirty. The ticket-seller was right—he's fat and he's
middle-aged. He's also a good foot shorter than my six-foot-one, an unusual
enough fact that you'd think the woman might have added it to her description.
A redheaded girl comes in a few seconds behind him and slinks down the left
aisle toward the prop room door, giving me a nervous glance before she closes
it behind her.
    "You're not ready yet?" Easley brushes crumbs from
his waistcoat, which is stretched a bit too tight over his belly, and settles himself into a seat a few rows from the stage.
    I'm reminded of an afternoon when I was maybe seven, sitting
on a bench outside a barn at the Cyrist farm with my dad. He was angry,
something I'd rarely seen. When I asked why, Da gave a
bitter laugh and said he was just tired of dealing with the Cyrist version of
the Golden Rule—whoever has the gold makes the rules.
    I don't know whether this Easley guy is rich, but he
certainly has the attitude down pat. You can tell he likes being in charge.
It's a shame I don't have a Cyrist recruitment flyer on me, because he'd fit
right in down at the Temple.
    "I'm ready," I say. "Just let me get my coat
back on."
    "The kid's been waiting for over an hour, Erv . So have I." Eliza doesn't seem nearly as cheerful
as when we were talking backstage. She casts Easley a glare that is downright
poisonous and then walks over to the coffin, followed at a distance by the
redhead.
    "Daisy is probably smart enough to catch
on," Eliza continues, "since all she'll need to do is put on the
cuffs and help me spin you around before the reveal. But wouldn't it have been nice to have her here to go over things earlier?" She flashes Daisy a fake
smile.
    I look over at Daisy, but she doesn't meet my gaze,
apparently having discovered something very interesting on the toes of her
shoes. Whatever drama is going on here, there's no way I'm getting caught in
the middle.
     "I guess we'll just have to discuss the details
with Daisy afterward. Assuming I get the job."
    "You'll get the job." Eliza glances toward the
seat where Easley is sitting, his head back and his eyes
closed, and then adds under her breath, "Clive didn't give notice.
Don't let the Little General fool you—he's desperate for something to close out
the first act."
    I bite back a laugh. Easley does look a bit like a chubby
version of Napoleon, with one hand resting on his gut.
    "Well then, let's do this," I say, giving her a
smile that I hope looks more confident than I'm feeling. Then, I walk
center-stage and bow, sweeping my hat off in one of the grand gestures I
practiced over and over with Kate. It still feels hokey.
    "Ladies and gentlemen, I… am …the Amazing Boudini . Tonight you will see—"
    Easley's eyes are still closed, but his hand goes up,
signaling me to stop. "No, no, no. I don't want to see your card tricks,
rope tricks or the rabbit you've got up your sleeve. Any fool can learn those
and you wouldn't be here if you hadn't mastered them. You'll need ten minutes
of filler before your finale and damned if I care what it is. Just skip to the
main event and don't waste my time with the crap you feed the audience."
    I'm kind of relieved. Skipping the other tricks means
there's less chance I'll mess something up. Unfortunately, I practiced the act
in order, so I stand there for a minute, trying to remember the lines I use to
introduce the finale.
    To hell with it. I'll drop the
stage act entirely. Easley's an ass, but he's right about one thing. If I can't
sell it with the finale, it's never going to work. Stage magicians are a dime a
dozen.
    I pull the jacket off again, toss it offstage along with my
hat, and climb the steps to the wooden platform behind the coffin. Eliza goes
up the opposite set of stairs, holding two sets of handcuffs and the keys.
Daisy follows a few steps behind me with the other handcuffs and the larger set
of shackles for my ankles.
    Holding the first set of cuffs above her