Space-Time of Death: an Al Squires of the Protectorate Novel

Ch. 8.3: Don't Hate the Player, Haight-Ashbury!

We now skip over to when we regrouped with the others back in Golden Gate Park, just as Norah, Mattie and I told them what had happened. We moved to a relatively secluded part of the park in order to speak freely.

"Forgive me," Lady Lane said softly with a polite chuckle, "But it sounded like you said that Charles Manson gave you this information, then invited you to this Love-In, to wit he is co-hosting."

"That's because he did, milady," I said to her.

"That madman?" Jorge asked with a hiss, wide-eyed with ire-laced surprise. "That is who you got this information from?"

"Shee-it," Clint cursed. "Mister Helter-Skelter himself?" He suddenly remembered his manners and apologized to the ladies present.

"I've met him back home a few times," Rozz said with a knowing nod. "He's an annoying git, but he's one of the Damned Souls that are well-off down there. As well-off as a damned soul can get, at least."

"I take it by your reactions that this dude's bad news," Skinny said to us, not knowing the true context of our conversation. "Or will be, I guess."

"Let's just say that he and his group are going to make it big before the decade's end," Mei said, cryptically. "Other than that, we cannot say."

Skinny looked at her for a beat, then nodded. "Okay, then" he said. "I'll take your word for it. I know the score: it's dangerous for a TNL to have an inside scoop on a future event, from big-time to minor league."

"And what about this Love-In that he mentioned, Agent Squires?" Lady Lane asked me, changing the subject. "Are you sure that Feng is going to be there?"

"Charlie said that he told Feng about it himself," I answered her. "Knowing how...persuasive he's known to be, I'm sure that he talked our boy into going."

"And you said that he is only co-hosting this bacchanal," Jorge chimed in. "You said that the other host it is, in fact, a woman?"

I shook my head. "All he said was that she was a really groovy lady," I told him.

"Bah!" Jorge said in a huff. "For all we know, this mystery host could be Sister Time."

"That was my figuring, as well," Mattie said, before looking at Lady Lane. "What you think, ma'am? You're the boss of this outfit."

Lady Lane tapped her chin as she stood silently with a thoughtful look on her face. "It is a possibility," she said as if thinking aloud. "She could be using this Love-In as a trap for Feng. Enlisting the likes of Manson to both co-host and invite her target would ensure Feng's attendance. She does know that we'll be here trying for Prevention, but she wouldn't go out of her way to intentionally invite us. Even if it were Manson who did the inviting." She looked over to me, Norah, and Mattie. "You said that Manson and his ilk just happened to bump into your group," she said to us. "Could you see if there was any indication that he was lying? That he might've been following you, and made it appear that him and his bumped into you?"

Mattie shook her head. "No way, ma'am," she said, adamantly. "We would've seen if we were tailed, especially by that coot and his posse. We had our eyes peeled for Feng on the trolley ride to the park." She paused, then glared over to me. "Most of us, at least."

"My mind was somewhere else at the time, milady," I admitted to Lady Lane. "I apologize for my lack of attention. However, my senses are sharp enough to catch something even when I'm not paying attention. Also, whether Sister Time is the mysterious co-host or not, I believe Charlie was telling us the truth that he followed something that lead him and his followers to us. What it was that pulled him, I couldn't say." I meant that last part quite literally.