The Making of an Angel

Book 3: The Time Door

By: Anthony Harrington

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

In Book 3 Angel decides to use Ka's ability to open a door in time to travel back to 1062. Her aim is to stop the Norman invasion of England and to start the Industrial Revolution seven centuries early, hopefully in a less damaging way for the planet. ... Pausing at the brow of a hill, near the crossroad at Little Upton, the Duke was astonished to see what looked to be the solitary figure of a very tall girl standing on the bridge. His eyesight was not brilliant at a distance, though it was perfectly fine for close work, so he screwed up his eyes to try to bring the figure into better focus. “By Gods blood and bones, Stephen, is that a girl on the bridge?” “It would seem so Bryan. Either that or it’s a man with a couple of oranges stuffed down his shirt front,” Sir Stephen replied jovially, standing up in the stirrups to relieve his rear, which was feeling tender after four days of hard riding. “She has a sword on her hip, I believe, and no guardian or husband in sight. Damn me if that is not the strangest sight I ever saw,” the Duke marvelled. “And a kind of large journeyman’s satchel beside her, which suggests she is travelling alone, on foot and - oh dear, I think she is about to learn why young women do not travel alone on England’s blessed roads,” Sir Stephen added, leaning forward in the saddle. “Hmm, I see them! As nasty a crew of cut-purses and thieves as one could wish. I make out five of them,” the Duke said, a worried frown crossing his broad brow. “Seven actually, there are two more, bowmen I think, just on the edge of the wood,” Sir Stephen added. “Ah, I see them now. Well, we’d better get down there before they rob and murder her,” the Duke said. “True, but we’ll need to watch those archers,” Sir Stephen said, settling back down in the saddle. “Holy Mother of God!” he gasped, as the girl exploded into motion just as they were about to put spurs to their horses. It was over in a few seconds. The two horsemen watched, open mouthed with astonishment as the girl ended the action by flipping her first assailant over the low wall of the bridge into the stream beneath. That left her standing amid six bodies, four of which were twitching while two were very crumpled and still. “I never saw anything like that in my life. You?” the Duke asked, sitting back in the saddle and running a hand over his mouth and chin. Sir Stephen shook his head. “I’m not sure what I saw. She’s fast. Very fast,” he said. “And kicks like a mule.” “She never drew her sword. Why would she not draw?” the Duke asked, a plaintive note in his voice. “Any sensible person would have drawn.” “Not enough of them?” Sir Stephen volunteered, and gave a bark of laughter. “Sweet Jesus,” the Duke answered, with a shake of his head. “We must hurry down. I must meet this prodigy,” he said. “I would not hurry. We do not want her to misconstrue our approach. Nice and gentle and speak softly when we reach her, or we could find ourselves stretched out alongside those ruffians,” Sir Stephen advised, smiling...