18...

“Looking Forward”

Jaru rubbed his face, sighing in frustration.

“Am I the only one who is beginning to think this can’t be done?”

“Just because it hasn’t been done yet, doesn’t mean it can’t be done.”

“The numbers aren’t adding up.”

“Just because they aren’t adding up yet---”

“Oh, would you quit with that?” Jaru picked up a piece of crumpled paper and threw it at him.

Vidish caught the paper and chuckled. “Have faith, my friend. We have the three most talented

engineers working on the problem.”

“Three?”

“You, your wife, and...me, you imbecile! Me!” He tossed the paper ball at Jaru’s head.

Jaru ducked to avoid the missile. “Fine, then you can...Hey, what’s this?”

“What’s what?” Vidish asked without looking up from his calculator.

Jaru bent to pick up the piece of paper that was lying forgotten under the table. He read it

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through several times trying to make sense of it. “Did you write this?” he asked, handing the note to

Vidish.

“No.” Vidish’s eyes grew wide as he read the message. “Could Amoli have…”

Jaru shook his head. “It’s not her handwriting. What do you think it means?”

“I think it means someone else agrees with our earlier supposition. We need to take another look

at the set date. A future date may be the answer to the equation.”

Jaru took the note back and smoothed it out on the table. He turned it over and frowned at the

mark on the back. It almost looked like smudged crayon. He couldn’t make sense of either side.

“Amoli isn’t going to like it,” he said. “She told us that we needed to stop talking about the future.”

“This is for the future. All of this. For our families. For our wives, our sons.” He laid a hand on top

of the note, forcing Jaru to look up at him. “It’s worth one more look. Don’t you think?”

Jaru hesitated. The skin on the back of his neck prickled, warning of danger. Vidish withdrew to

his side of the table again, and Jaru's eyes drifted down to the note, and he read it one last time.

S T O P

T O W E R

D O E S N T

W O R K

F O R W A R D

He nodded once. A plan had already begun to form in his mind. The decision was made.

“Let’s do it then. Forward…”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Tower, eyeless and mouthless, turned away from the jabbering, foolish men and instead set its attention in

the child. It watched as the baby opened her eyes wide. Then she opened her mouth and released her first full-throated

cry.

The guardian was not needed anymore. Not until the girl returned.

Absently, in the way of one not quite capable of thoughts or feelings, it wondered if this time might be

different. The past could not be altered. The future...it was possible.

It couldn’t bring itself to care. But still, having some company had been nice. It hoped that she would hurry

and return soon. Until then, it would stand. The immovable Tower of Time.