How was Paul to know, really, that time would not wait any longer?

It was not that the man's visits were so frequent that Paul began to think of him as a regular. Neither was he surprised anymore, like he had been the first two or so times the man had appeared at the restaurant's bar. What he did notice, and quite clearly, was that lately the man had come more and more often. And he was growing increasingly terse with Paul.

Still, it was all so much beating around some metaphysical bush, dropping becharmed hints and prognostications that Paul would spend days worrying over, writing them down in a leather-clad notebook he kept locked in the bottom desk drawer, under the hidey nook.

This night, the man was clearly agitated.

"You do remember?" The man leaned away from the sharp light of the suspended lamp above Paul.

Paul was pulling a pint, not really paying as close attention as the man wanted. "Yeah, yeah. Red. Failsafe. Blah dee blah blah."

"Paul. Hear with your mind and your second sight."

"My what? Second sight? Me? You really think so, mate?" Paul made his eyes go wide and innocent, his voice high and trilling. Then he snorted as he put a hand on his hip and set the pint down atop the bar with a bit more force than he'd intended. "Tell you what, I'd need fourth sight to make sense of your so-called teachings. Would it really hurt the whole 'we who shall not be named' routine if you just spelled this muck out in Mother English?"

Now the man stood, sighing deeply. He reached a slender arm over the bar. His hand, with its monstrously long, tapered fingers, gripped into Paul's shirt sleeve. His grip was unyielding.

Just as Paul was about to tell him, 'oi, take care before you crush the velvet, mate' - just then, the man yanked Paul bodily off his toes. In a split second, Paul found himself eye-to-eye with the man. Forgotten was the jostled pint splashed over his hand and down his jeans. All Paul noticed was the man's strength: freakish. And the intensity in his eyes, the hard set to his jaw.

"Do not be so cavalier with these futures that you have promised to help us protect." The man's words were designed to carve into Paul.

All Paul could do was nod, slowly, carefully. The smile was gone from his lips.

"You are all that stands in the way of destruction, should the moment come."

"The red button?"

"Your failsafe - if we are unable to stop this."

"Stop what? Nothing you've given me makes sense. I've tried, I have."

The man pulled Paul in just an inch closer. "He is already affecting people here even before the threat is made manifest. He has already communicated via the person who knows not her power but has guessed her role. Imagine, Paul, what destruction will occur if we are not successful. In that moment when it is simply too late, only you may be in the position to keep this future safe even if it means forever abandoning it."

"Who? Who is 'he'?"

"Paul, you already know. You have but to listen. Word and images are already reaching here. We are working tirelessly. But if we fail..."

"The red button."

"Yes. Good, you aren't a total loss after all."

"But how will I know if you've failed?"

"When you sense the moment, act. We have faith in you, Paul. You must act without delay, without remorse, without pity, without concern of the consequences to those you love dearest. Trust in us that even this failsafe is a way to protect you ... and them."

"You haven't told me how I'll know..."

 

~~~

 

It had all begun so innocuously. It began in the summer. Paul would always remember how charmed the summer seemed. 

His nephew was growing more like his father every day. Before long, he'd be out playing footie. Paul had always loved him, from the very first moment he'd wrapped tiny perfect fingers around his own pinkie. But as Joey aged, his personality began to crystallize. With that came the touches that turned love into something on a plane so high Paul understood he would die for this boy - his boy.

It was that smile. The one Joey gave Paul when he'd turn his face ever so slightly away, as if coyly making Paul work to see it in its full majesty. Inside that delighted smile, Paul always saw Jeff.

If someone had asked Paul what it was he'd first really noticed about Jeff, there're no doubt a hundred things he could say. Many of them would even be true. One, high on the list, had to have been that smile. The first time he'd seen Jeff smile, really smile at him with swagger, Jeff'd been looking down at the beer he held in his hand. Maybe that's the moment Paul had first felt the lurch inside that told him this man was going to rock his world.

That's how Paul felt about Joey, an eager elation to learn all about him, to understand everything that went on in his mind, to earn the swaggering smile. To know that special connection.

The weather intoxicated him. It was not like summer months at home. No, this was all topsy turvy weather in Australia. He enjoyed the cool days, chilly nights. It amused him to watch the visiting couples in the group who'd arrive in hot weather gear only to either grouse or delight in the cool temperatures in Melbourne. For some, it was respite from horrendous heat indexes at home; for others, it was robbing them of the hot months they adored the most back home.

They all came often that summer.

Not that everything was perfect; how could life ever be? But there were no major traumas, no extraordinary threats, no horrendous losses. 

Even Hando commented one day how the waters seemed calm in their world. To Paul, hearing this kind of remark from a man such as Hando makes an impression, which is why he remarked on it later to Jeff.

"Yeah but, mate, that was a complaint from Hando - not a cause for celebration." Jeff was fixing a feeding for Joey at that particular moment. He gave Paul a sidelong glance. "Something bothering you?"

"No. Nothing." Paul looked out the window at trees blowing gently in an evening breeze. He'd have to be back at work in less than an hour. "But d'ya think it means anything? That it's so calm."

"Yeah. It means it's life. Even people like us catch a break, eh?"

He'd remember this later. He'd write it in his notebook, the one he locked away. Sure, Hando wasn't happy things were calm but it wasn't like he was unhappy either. He'd gone back to spending time at Max's place, working around there, earning some keep. Had developed a strong protective nature about Max's son. Paul always figured this was because it meant something powerful to Hando when Max had relied on him to save the lives of both his son and his wife.

That's the thing, Paul wrote in his notebook later, that they'd all been through some really tough things, all came through it more or less in tact. So why is it that the organization watching their collective back seemed to be getting anxious? Did they figure that the longer the group went without a major problem, the bigger the next problem would be?

Why wasn't it possible this just meant the threats were gone and there were no more?

So that summer was a time when calm descended for the most part. Oh, sure, there were a few nicks and bruises but nothing life-threatening.

In fact, when Paul thought about it, there were some real highlights. The biggest one? Had to be Jack and Angel's wedding in England.

The attending festivities also included a hen week for the gals and him in New Orleans. It was a high old time - after all, they'd all been wondering just when Jack Aubrey was going to make an honest woman of the enchanting Angel, mother to his son Philip.

It wouldn't be too much longer, Paul mused as he poured a hearty Beaujolais for Maximus, that they would almost surely be featuring the General's wine grown on his own property in Louisiana.

He glanced at Maximus, sitting at a table near the far wall with Ann, Bennett, her mother, Ralph and Hando. They had bounced ahead after the terrors they'd had last year. Maximus looked younger, more relaxed. His skin was tanned a lush nutty color, highlighting the shock of his green eyes as he gazed at his family. Becoming the gentleman farmer agreed with him. Turning his property into a boutique vineyard and polo pony stable was not an easy task. But this group was thriving at the challenge, especially Maximus.

Just then, Ralph half turned in his seat, looking about intently until his eyes caught Paul's. He looked troubled. Paul made a mental note to ask Ann later.

 

Terry was talking about relocating to Sydney, even proposing opening another franchise there, although without any of them as regulars. Sydney was a little too close to His Majesty for any of them to risk it. But if even the K and R man himself was thinking of settling down so far from his professional world, planning marriage and looking forward to fatherhood, then life really seemed to be taking a turn down Suburbia Lane. Why, even Dino, the inveterate womanizer himself, seemed devoted to wheeling his daughter round the park these days. Maximus, Terry, Dino, Cort, Jack - all the big guys married and happily playing daddy? Paul found it hard to imagine that anything untoward was looming on the horizon.

Then there was Uma. Paul smiled to himself recalling her recent running gag about this new Wade bloke and the coincidence of her name being so similar to the title of his film. It was so typical of her to act like she was in waiting for some big tough stud to come and sweep her off her feet, when everyone knew she was besotted with her own guy - quiet, gentle Andy who wryly shook his head and took no notice of her manic behaviour. He wasn't worried. He even seemed to enjoy watching her playacting. What they had was private and special but Paul was close enough to them both to know a few things that maybe not many did. That they were seriously talking about getting married for one and that she had finally relented on that issue mostly because Uma unfathomably refused to have the baby they were planning born out of wedlock. It turned out she was surprisingly conservative about such things now the moment had come.

But the moment had come. The most unexpected transformation of them all. 

Maybe that was what was worrying the 'Powers That Be'? The recent quiet, the calm waters, the apparently safe and settled relationship almost everyone was enjoying might be a sign of impending trouble, some prophetic calm before the storm? It was a total laugh when you came to think about it. He'd never been known for his brain power. This Twilight Zone crap was right above his head. Who in their right mind would have selected him as The Chosen One?

But if on the off chance the survival of their world did depend on him, then he wouldn't let any of them down. These people were his life. They were his family. Even though he wasn't exactly the first choice of hero one would want on their side in case of a dire emergency. However, it appeared somebody seemed to think he was the man for the job.

Which was kind of ironic. And kind of reassuring, too. The man for the job. He'd never thought of himself as a man for any job before now. So if the safety as the world as they knew it was dependent on him, you could bet your sweet boots he was not about to fail them all. The only question was - when would he know for sure it was the right time? And what if he got it wrong?

 

*

 

Like most everything in life, the event one dreads most and has been looking out for always arrives when one's back is turned and danger seems least credible. It was an early October midweek lunchtime, filling up nicely with the regular crowd. The only odd occurrence was that a lot of the gang had chosen today to dine at the restaurant which was unusual as they mostly turned up in the evenings after work. Today, however, Clarity and Biebe had met and were taking a quiet lunch, talking quietly at the table. Skinner was holding forth about his trip to California and a sure fire investment he had bought.  Terry had just strolled in, the new father, his smile as big as the cigars he was arranging on the bar top. Smoking might be banned in the restaurant, but he intended to take a few of the guys out back with a bottle of fine cognac and wet this new baby's head good and proper. A few of the women were in having a girls' lunch without their guys: Carol, Tulip, Wildie and Karen. Jack and Angel, back from honeymoon, had left the little fella with grandma and were enjoying a last lunch of freedom before returning to their little boy.

Uma was whirling around like a flaming dervish, still convinced Wade was about to show, even though he had signally let her down on Sept 7th, Sept 14th and every other recent opening date. They had tried to tell her that films never open on a Wednesday so it was absolutely impossible for him to turn up that day. Ann had even dropped by sans baby and general to join the other girls although she was currently trying to talk some sense into Uma's head - and, Paul suspected, stay close on the unlikely chance that Uma was right and the current man of the hour did stroll in. Andy was staying hidden away in the kitchen. Apparently Uma'd been tossing and turning all night, unable to settle, and Andy had subsequently also had a terrible night's sleep. Her restlessness had disturbed him and when he had finally got off, he'd had a nightmare about Celia. It had been of a graphically sexual nature and coupled with Uma's antics he was in a very grumpy mood that afternoon, and not at all interested in listening to any more of her nervous twitterings. Paul had laced her fruit juice with vodka and was hoping she'd just pass out and give them all a break. Some hopes.

As Paul was so busy at the bar, all he could hear were snippets of drifting conversation. His own mind was on Joey who had cried half the night and been very clingy to them both, unable to make up his mind which of his fathers he wanted, chopping and changing, flinging himself dramatically from one to the other; thus nobody had got any sleep. He was teething at the moment but also running a slight fever. Jeff had even taken a few hours off work to have him checked out at the doctor's. He also mentioned he might have a word with the doc himself; he felt run down and low for some inexplicable reason. His dad had been on his mind a lot lately. This was also bothering Paul who hated to see Jeff out of sorts. So, in other words, Paul wasn't paying attention. His proverbial back was turned.

 

Skinner clicked his fingers in that way he had to call the barman's attention; Paul shot him a look as if he would have liked to smash his face in. But with his usual professional charm he instead smiled glibly and pulled him another beer, guessing Terry would be soon requiring a refill and giving him another at the same time, charging both to Skinner's bill.

"...it was odd. Maybe it had to do with this trip to California. It turned out he'd been to this place years ago, one of his old haunts. I hadn't thought about the old bugger for years but it's like a recurring dream. Sort of drifting images of a summer years' ago when Uncle Henry set about educating my palate for wine and giving me the benefit of his vast worldly experience...maybe I should try and get away for a weekend? Call over and see him? He can't have long to go; he's riddled with every possible ailment after a lifetime of abusing his system. But it's just so bloody awkward at the moment...there's so much activity on the markets and I can't spare the time..."

"...Do it." Terry replied. "I would if I could. Go back and touch base with my son, I mean. I think it might be becoming a father again that's triggered it all,  but I keep dreaming about him. Mostly about all times when I let him down after promising faithfully I'd be there for him. I'm damned if I'm gonna let Luca and this child go through what my Henry suffered..."

Paul listened but didn't really give it much thought. On its own it was meaningless - unless one put it together with all the other similar comments. But naturally, he didn't. Who ever does see the elephant in the corner of the room?

 

Kathy ran in. "Is John here yet?" she gasped. Paul shook his head. She looked agitated.

"What's up? He doing okay?" he asked, a little concerned. Kathy shrugged. He handed her a glass of wine; she fingered the stem nervously.

"Not sure. He called me to meet him here. Said he had seen Charles again. It's been ages since he's been bothered by Charles. But he admitted that in the past few days they'd all been circling him. He felt like they were closing in...he said he thought he saw Alicia too, across the quadrangle at the university...."

Paul wasn't sure what to say about that. All that psychiatric stuff freaked him out. He decided just to listen and give her an ear, praying that John didn't wander off anywhere dangerous on the way over. As soon as he got here, he decided he could perhaps encourage him to go and see his specialist. Maybe he was in need of some professional help. Just then Nash came in, brow furrowed and his hands deep in his jacket pockets, his tie undone and his collar up. Kathy set to straightening him out. He looked relieved to see her. Paul set a beer down and told her to call him over if she needed a hand. She nodded so he let them get on with it.

That incident was the first that made him realize he felt uneasy. All at once he had this notion that everyone was ill at ease. Somehow all of them had been morbidly drawn back to their films either in their thoughts, dreams or even in actual sightings.

Uma asked him to take a bottle of sparkling mineral water over to the Biebe table. He put some ice and lemon slices in two glasses and made his way over. John and Clarity looked happy. Paul felt relieved. At least one couple seemed to be doing fine today. They were holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. He got the impression they were bursting with some private good news of their own. "One bottle of corporation pop, sparkling, as requested..." Paul announced, filling the glasses with a flourish. Clarity looked over at him- and then back at John.

"May I?" she asked. John nodded. She stopped him with her hand. "Paul...John and I have some wonderful news. We want to announce it later to everyone but I just have to tell someone right now...!" Her eyes filled with tears and her voice caught. I guess I already knew what was coming then.

John took over as Clarity stumbled over her words. "We're pregnant. It's happened at last. We've known a couple of weeks but we wanted to wait until we were sure this time. They checked her out this morning at the clinic - and everything is A-OK. So, it's definite. We're just so happy, I could burst. It keeps reminding me of when Donna first told me about Michael...I never thought I'd ever feel that way again..."

Paul reacted as he always did over the subject of babies. He got so clucky and emotional for them both that he didn't really compute John's reference to Donna and their first child. But then, on its own, it wasn't really a big deal. It was a normal reaction for a man who had already become a father to think back on the first time. Paul kissed them both, somewhat shocking John - who took it surprisingly well in the circumstances -and then took his leave, a little misty-eyed.

"You ladies okay for drinks?" he asked as he breezed past trying to hide his emotional moment in activity. The girls ordered another bottle of wine but barely broke stride in the conversation.

"...so he tossed and turned all night as only Zack can, cursing and swearing because he couldn't get to sleep...it was like sleeping with an overheated gorilla - sans sex. I mean, if he'd have decided to put all that restless energy into a bout of horizontal wrestling I wouldn't have minded so much- but no! He just had to be ornery and surly. I told him...nightmares? I'll give you nightmares, honey pie. How about the one where you never get laid again because I make you sleep in the spare room?"

The other women giggled. Paul rolled his eyes. Where more than one woman is gathered you can be sure that some poor bastard is getting his character assassinated and his personal life stripped apart.

"But, I did feel pretty sorry for the lovable misery, I must be honest. It's this recurring dream about when Eric was kidnapped. This time he pulls him out of the water and he doesn't wake up... He's too late...." Carol stopped and they all shuddered. "Poor Zack. Could anything be worse than that?"

"It's funny you should mention nightmares," Tulip observed. "Egan's been dreaming of that damn horse again. He even said he could have sworn he'd seen it in the mountains one day when he was riding. It was pretty weird. He said it was just like he was back then; it was even the wrong season...I put it down to him having a few beers with his mates at lunch time. He said he hadn't been drinking, but you know what they're like..."

Wildie just seemed pensive. She was never one for really laying it out there, probably the most private of the girls where her man was concerned. But it seemed to Paul that Tulip's comments disturbed her greatly. It was as if she had experienced much the same with East but had dismissed it as nothing - and yet now the other women were worrying her.

"Jeffrey's been very moody lately, too, spending a lot of time with the girls. I don't begrudge it but...you know?" Karen began.

She looked rather pale, Paul thought, not her usual vibrant self. None of this was beginning to look good. Were these the signs that the visitor meant? But what if he was just getting over-excited over nothing? That red button was not something he wanted to trifle with. Christ knew what would happen if the day came he ever had to push it.

 

Just then a voice behind him startled him out of his reverie. It was Egan strolling in with Zack, of all people. "Give us two beers, mate, and a table nowhere near the ladies. We'll be for it if they think we're trespassing on their party...." He didn't explain what had brought then both there. They made a singularly unlikely couple.

"Make that three...I'm so feckin' parched I could drink the Liffey dry..."Cullen Murphy slapped them on the back. "Hide me. I didn't think Thornie would be in. I'm supposed to be off the booze after that last little bender I went on..."

"Where's Esme?" Paul asked as he brought the drinks over to the table in the corner.

"Working on some piece of art shit. She told me to feck off out of her hair. She's still pissed at me for using her Mackintosh lamp as a Gaelic football...I couldn't see straight...who could blame me...?" Cullen added with his usual insouciant air of innocence clearly excusing serious misbehaviour.

Was he up to his old tricks again, Paul thought? If he was he would have him to answer to. Nobody was allowed to upset Esme, not even the love of her life.

Jack came over, whispering conspiratorially. "Don't let Angel know but I might be away for a while. I was wondering if you or Mitchell would drop in from time to time and make sure all was well? It appears that someone is refitting the Surprise - or rather the one they used as the Surprise in the film...and would you believe, I have been asked to sail her round the Horn...?"

Paul assured him that they would always be there for his family but that feeling of unease was now becoming something more like a sense of dread. The films seemed to be impinging on everyday life in a way that did not seem entirely healthy. And there was no denying it was the 3rd of October. He glanced up at the clock. It was almost three.

The door burst open and in came Jeff loaded down with the baby buggy, the baby bag - and the baby. He looked flustered. Paul rushed to help him, taking Joey tenderly, leaving Jeff to struggle with all the paraphernalia. "What did the doc say?"

"He gave me some sleeping pills."

"Not about you, about Jo, I mean?" Paul replied. Jeff grinned sheepishly.

"The usual. Calpol and just keep an eye on the fever. He's been okay actually this morning. I rang in and said I wasn't coming in to work today though. I want to stay here with you until your shift's over..."

"Why? You should both go home and have a nap..."

Jeff shrugged then looked up; Paul could see he was worried. "I've just got this funny feeling that I really need to be with you today. That we have to stay close. I know it sounds like a lot of crap but just humour me, hey?"

It was the last straw. Paul looked again at the clock. It was five minutes past three.

Making his way to where Uma was sitting listening to Ann but not appearing to be taking much notice of her, he signaled for her to come over and have a word. She excused herself to Ann and joined him. "What's up?"

"Dunno. Something's not right. I just feel weird and everyone's sort of having the same nightmare..."

"Huh?" she said with a confused frown. "You need to get more sleep. Or eat more fibre. Or is it less? I always get confused. Oh, by the way, that freaky guy was in before. He left a note for you. You know that bloke who looks like a refugee from the Da Vinci Code who wears a hood? I think he's probably a paedophile but then, if he's a mate of yours he probably is...or is he with the Sally Army? It says something about 'the end being nigh' on here or something like that..." She dug around in her jeans pockets and fished out a folded up piece of paper.

Paul snatched it off her and read: 

 

'Stay vigilant. The omens are not good. The forces of darkness are gathering...when the time comes - be ready!'

 

"Everything alright, Paul?" Uma asked, suddenly alerted to the grey pallor of shock on his face.

"I don't know. I don't think so. Something bad's going to happen. Get Andy. Stay with him!"

"What? Why? He's only in the back.... Paul, is this something to do with THEM...?" Suddenly Uma seemed to catch his mood. Her dreamy look vanished in an instant.

They both looked around at the room, at all their friends surrounding them. Clarity was going towards the ladies' room; Skinner was on his way out of the gents'. They both stopped and exchanged a word. The table of girls was in uproar, the wine flowing freely and Carol deep in one of her monologues. Angel was listening to Jack, a look of adoration on her face. Ann was gathering up her purse and drink, about to cross the room and join the other women. She was the nearest to the door. Terry had joined Egan's table; the men were laughing about something Zack had said. Tulip set off to order a new round of drinks but as she passed Egan, his arm shot out and he dragged her to his knee. They kissed and the men made fun. Jeff was a few feet away, behind the bar, jigging Joey up and down as he selected a CD to play on the house system. Cullen was striding over towards the bar to get in another round. He grabbed Uma playfully.

The door swung open. The clock chimed a rather odd truncated note. A cold wind blew mournfully through the room and everyone turned instinctively to look in the direction of the draft.  All except Uma who whispered: "Andy!"

...And Paul, who lunged for the bar, leapfrogging it with ease, and grabbing a strange little box sitting on a shelf below the till.

He pressed the button as the song began to play....

 

 

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