Bolingbroke Executed

The state of TIAH

September 30th, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: Today's Lascaux Cave entry is somewhat graphic, so please read it with that in mind. Don't say we didn't warn you.

in 1399, Henry Bolingbroke is captured and executed by supporters of the true English king, Richard II, as he attempts to usurp the throne. Although Richard was often perceived as a weak and indecisive king, he was still the one true king, and Bolingbroke had little popular support. With this rebellion dealt with, Richard II reigned without incident until his death in 1415. He left behind a young son, Richard III, who was 12 when he assumed the throne from his father. He was a virtual puppet for his grandfather, Charles VI of France, until his 18th birthday, when his mother convinced him that the English deserved a king who was his own man. Queen Mother Isabella had detested her father ever since he had given her to Richard II as a bride when she was a mere 7 years old, and had come to love the country in which she had spent almost all of her life. It was rumored that she sang a happy little song when King Charles died in 1422, but it is certain that she advised King Richard to press his claim on the French throne, which he did with little opposition, since France was in great disarray after Charles' death. Richard III proved to be nothing like his father, owing to his mother's strength as an advisor, and ruled for 65 years, expanding English dominion over half of Europe.

in 1972, as the morning light dawns, Professor Karl Ainsworth and Officer Xavier Hely dive into the Lascaux Cave, hoping against hope that they will find Doctor Roman Pelliot alive in the horrific forgotten passageway. Both men had been involved in the hunt the previous night, and had not slept. They were fighting exhaustion as well as their own fear of what was in that dark, terrible chamber, and Officer Hely was grieving for his partner, Jean-Paul Theriot, whom they had found dead during the hunt. “Promise me that you will not let them get me, Professor,” Hely asked Ainsworth. “I would rather be dead from a quick bullet than be torn like Jean-Paul.” Ainsworth tried to reassure the officer that he didn't plan on either of them dying. “It would be a poor rescue mission indeed if we lost half the rescuers for one man,” he said, attempting to lighten their mood. When they reached the forgotten chamber, Professor Ainsworth put fuel into his generator and turned the lamp back on. Officer Hely nearly dropped his gun at the sights that greeted him, and Ainsworth warned him, “Don't look up.” Unfortunately, they didn't see Pelliot anywhere in the chamber, and were about to leave when Hely felt something wet brush his cheek. He slowly, regretfully, craned his neck to examine the ceiling, and shouted in horror when he saw Dr. Pelliot hanging there, crucified against the roof, in the midst of what seemed to be hundreds of mummified corpses that had been given a similar treatment. Professor Ainsworth shouted up to him, “Roman, are you still alive?” Dr. Pelliot let out a soft groan, and the pair immediately went for a ladder, which they used to lower the doctor as gently as they could from the roof. As soon as their feet touched the ground, they were running for the cave's entrance, and Officer Hely collapsed onto the ground. “What manner of people are we up against, Professor Ainsworth?” Ainsworth, who was struggling Pelliot into his car, said, “The kind you have nightmares about.”

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Miguel The Blackhearted

The state of TIAH

September 29th, 2006

in 1547, the great pirate Miguel de Cervantes was born outside of Madrid, Spain. He spent his youth as a traveling adventurer across Europe, but was captured by Barbary pirates in 1575, along with his brother Roderigo. Since they had no one to ransom them, they were soon taken into the pirate fold, given small jobs on the ship, and then, during a climactic battle off the coast of Sicily, defended the captain of his vessel from certain death at the hands of the Sicilian sailors. The captain took de Cervantes under his wing and taught him the ways of the sea, and in 1583, de Cervantes took command of the ship when the captain drowned from a fall off the ship's bow. "Miguel the Blackhearted" was a feared name during the 1580's and 90's, sinking many vessels and terrorizing the Mediterranean with his ship, The Impossible Dream.

in 1972, As Professor Karl Ainsworth hunts for the wild animal that has killed two people near the Lascaux Cave, his colleague Dr. Roman Pelliot tries to relax in his home in the village. The events of the last few days have made him reconsider his chosen profession, and he has stayed up late into the night drinking to try to forget some of the horrors he has witnessed. Just as he is preparing to sleep off the stupor, he hears a familiar scraping noise from his front hall. Meanwhile, Ainsworth and the villagers who are on the hunt find more than they bargained for when they run into what looks like a pack of wolves attacking something. They fire several shots into the pack, but apparently hit none of the wolves, although they do drive the animals away. Professor Ainsworth is first to the body that the wolves had been devouring, and sees the tattered remains of a policeman's uniform, and the even more tattered remains of the policeman who filled it. One of the villagers coming up beside him says, "Merde, it's Jean-Paul." Ainsworth thought the name sounded familiar, and asked, "Was he one of the officers that went into the cave to collect that body?" The villager said, "Oui, I think so." Ainsworth set off at a run for his car, and drove without regard for safety to Dr. Pelliot's house. When he got there, he found the front door wide open, and signs of a struggle inside. Dr. Pelliot was nowhere to be found.

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Invasion Of England

The state of TIAH

September 28th, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: We have a post from a Guest Historian today, Steve Payne. Our thanks to Steve for contributing! If you would like to contribute, also, read the "state of TIAH" link at the top of every post and email us.

in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, lands on the coast of England only to be met by the forces of Tostig Godwine and King Harald of Norway – the English King, Harold Godwine, had masterfully negotiated an alliance with the pair and used them as a buffer against William's initial assault. Although William won the day against England's erstwhile defenders, he was weakened by the battle, and was easily defeated by King Harold at Hastings a few days later. As Harold executed Duke William for his crimes against England, he supposedly insulted the Duke's lineage by saying, “No tanner's bastard could ever sit upon the throne of England.”

in 1945, General of the US Army Douglas "Brass Hat" MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito meet for the first and last time to discuss the occupation of Japan. The Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers since VJ Day, MacArthur wore his standard duty uniform with no tie instead of his dress uniform. MacArthur may have done this on purpose, to send a message as to what he considered the emperor's status. An outraged member of the imperial household certainly thought so, stabbing the General through the heart for this perceived humiliation to the heavenly sovereign, killing him instantly. -post by Guest Historian, Steve Payne-

in 1972, Dr. Roman Pelliot and Professor Karl Ainsworth, having spent a day researching the history of the area around the Lascaux Cave, find little to match what they have seen inside the forgotten passageway. “That line of worship must have died out,” Dr. Pelliot says, “how could it not?” Professor Ainsworth doesn't believe this, and tells his colleague, “Even if the worshipers died out, surely something about the cult itself must have survived – some legend, something to tell us what might have gone on here.” The two went back to the pub to take a break from their research, and found that another person had been the victim of the wild animal that had killed Franz Jaeger. The townsfolk were gathering men together to go on a hunt, and asked if the two archaeologists would join them. Professor Ainsworth, who was a crack shot, volunteered, but Dr. Pelliot begged off, pleading poor aim. “I couldn't hit water from a boat,” he said. The small team of men agreed to meet back at the pub that night and fan out from there in search of the animal.

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Hard Luck In This Timeline

Alternate Historian's Note: Yesterday, I received the news that I, along with a large number of people that I have worked with for over ten years, will be phased out of our jobs beginning in December. I'm one of the lucky ones that gets longer, but will still be let go.

So, I don't feel very inspired today, and am going to take this morning to indulge myself rather than work on TIAH. I'm sorry for the interruption in the Lascaux timeline, but we'll get back to it tomorrow, when I've regrouped myself a bit. I'll also have a guest historian entry appearing tomorrow, thanks to Steve Payne, so check back then - I promise to be more my old self.

Oh, and if you've ever wanted to buy any of our merchandise, now's the time. The links are all over the page.

Thanks, everybody.

Robbie

Charges Dropped Against Chicago 8

The state of TIAH

September 26th, 2006

in 1583, Sir Francis Drake arrives at the court of Emperor Hoatchitepe of the Aztecs, bearing an invitation from Queen Elizabeth of England to his majesty. She asks to meet with him in the British colony of Drakesburg in the Iroquois Confederation. The two had been corresponding since Hoatchitepe's ascension at his father's death, and they were becoming increasingly familiar with each other. Queen Elizabeth was almost 15 years the Emperor's senior, but the two were surprised at how much they had in common. Hoatchitepe agreed to the meeting and prepared a small, loyal and discreet entourage to accompany him to the north.

in 1969, at the urging of President Johnson, charges against the so-called Chicago Eight are dropped. The leaders of the Yippie, MOBE and Black Panthers had been accused of pagefuls of charges, but President Johnson felt it would be better for the nation if they simply put the chaos of the Democratic National Convention behind them. When they had burst onto the floor of the convention and started chanting, he had taken control and negotiated a truce with them; he had been on the verge of a peace treaty in Vietnam, anyway, and promised them that the war was almost over, if they would just be patient. Johnson's surprising charm and willingness to talk with them moved them to give him a chance, and, in a surprising move, the delegates at the convention began calling for Johnson to run again for reelection, in spite of his pledge not to. The very next vote, in fact, was an almost unanimous one for him. Hubert Humphrey even promised to stay on as his vice-president if he took up the mantle of the party again. Moved by this show of support, Johnson accepted the nomination and was able to defeat Richard Nixon in the general election after the successful conclusion of the peace treaty in October.

in 1972, Professor Karl Ainsworth and Doctor Roman Pelliot go back into the Lascaux Cave's forgotten passageway. The generator pumping power to the lamp was dead, so they both carried flashlights. Professor Ainsworth saw the camera he had dropped and retrieved it quickly, but on their hurried way out of the chamber, he noticed that the odd symbol at the entrance was completely gone – he flashed his light around for a bit, but it was nowhere to be found. Dr. Pelliot told him to hurry, and he forgot about it and they left the cave. Once they were outside, Ainsworth checked his camera and saw that it was damaged badly – far more than it should have been from a little drop. It almost looked liked someone had stomped on it – but Pelliot hadn't been anywhere near the camera when they fled the cave. “Someone else has been in there, Roman,” he said to Dr. Pelliot.

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Tragedy At Lascaux

The state of TIAH

September 25th, 2006

in 1959, Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev and US President Adlai Stevenson meet at Camp David in Maryland to discuss peace between their two countries. Premier Khruschev agreed, in principle, to pull troops from East Berlin and reduce the number of Soviet soldiers in eastern Europe, and President Stevenson promised trade and a lessening of hostile espionage against the Soviets. President Stevenson temporarily halted the U2 spy plane program while he saw where this line of talks went. By the time he and Vice-President Lyndon Johnson stood for reelection the following year, there were treaties working their way through the US Congress and the Soviet Politburo to seal these agreements into law. Unknown to Khruschev, Stevenson had NASA working on a spy satellite program, and was able to maintain surveillance of the USSR without the spy planes that had been such a concern to the Soviet leader.

in 1972, Professor Karl Ainsworth and Dr. Roman Pelliot discuss whether to send a larger team into the forgotten passageway in the Lascaux Cave. Dr. Pelliot wants to simply seal the chamber up again, but Professor Ainsworth would like to document it. It was while they were discussing this matter that Ainsworth remembered dropping his camera in the chamber and said, “I've got to at least go back for that.” Dr. Pelliot reluctantly agreed to accompany him back to the cave, but insisted it be early in the morning. “I want as much daylight as we can get,” he said, shuddering at the memory of the passageway. They were sitting in a cafe in the village near the cave, drinking liberally while they talked, and Professor Ainsworth noticed that the other patrons of the bar were gathered around a man with a newspaper, excitedly speaking about something. He walked over to see what it was, and saw a picture of the German intern, Franz Jaeger, on the front page of the paper. He asked the man with the paper, “What happened to the boy?” The man shook his head sadly and replied, “Killed by a wild animal. I saw the body – torn to ribbons, the poor boy.” Disturbed, Ainsworth returned to his table with Pelliot and told him what had happened to Jaeger. Dr. Pelliot teared up, saying, “He was a good young man; such a pity that this was his last discovery.” They both raised a glass in toast to Jaeger, then retired to their rooms for the rest of the day.

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The Hijra

The state of TIAH

September 24th, 2006

in 1375 AUC, an Arabian merchant who had been agitating for an overthrow of Roman government of the region was forced out of the city of Mecca by local authorities. He and a handful of followers regrouped at the friendlier city of Yathrib, where they gathered many who believed in a religion of surrender to a single, omnipotent God. The Roman governor of Arabia didn't like the idea of another monotheistic cult growing out of his province; he had studied history, and knew what trouble the messianic cults of pre-millennial Judea had been. He imposed harsh restrictions on these Muslims, as they called themselves, requiring them to register with the Roman government, and he watched the leader very closely. The cult eventually faded away, just as the messianic cults had, with the death of the leader.

in 1972, Professor Karl Ainsworth and Doctor Roman Pelliot enter the Lascaux Cave and head for the strange passage that recently held the remains of Doctor Phillipe de la Roscaux. Professor Ainsworth has brought a small generator and a lamp, so that they will be able to view the passage more clearly. Dr. Pelliot holds a flashlight on him while he sets this up in the strange passage, and he hears the scraping sound return. “Karl, please hurry,” he pleads with Ainsworth. The professor flicks on his lamp, and the passage is brightly illuminated. The scraping noise is replaced by the scurrying of hundreds of small creatures from the light, which startles both of the archaeologists. Professor Ainsworth laughs at his own jumpiness; “Just a bunch of bugs, Roman,” he says, before seeing the drawings on the cave walls. Dr. Pelliot, who had only seen glimpses of those drawings before, puts a hand to his mouth to stifle the scream he had been about to utter. He was gazing at the huge drawing that covered most of the western wall, and his mind was recoiling from what it represented. Professor Ainsworth stumbled over to it, drawn as a moth to the flame. “My god,” he whispered, and truly meant it; he felt the need for a benevolent deity at this moment. “Are you sure this isn't a forgery?” Dr. Pelliot whimpered, “It's been sealed since the 50's – I checked. Oh, mon Dieu, Karl, are those people in its mouth?” Ainsworth took a very close look and nodded. “Could it be just a religious drawing – not real?” Ainsworth looked around the chamber; at the moment, it seemed suffocatingly small. “The only other abstractions are the symbols that we found; like this one, here.” He pointed to one at the right hand of the entrance. “It looks like one of your trigger-happy officers damaged it.” There was a bullet-hole and a spattering of rock-dust obscuring it, but Ainsworth could make out most of the symbol. It looked like it had been built up out of the rock, rather than drawn on, and was 6-sided during most of its existence – one of the sides had been obliterated by the bullet. There were criss-crossing lines in an intricate pattern across its surface, a pattern which had also been broken by the errant shot. It was mesmerizing to look at, and Ainsworth had to shake himself after a moment. Dr. Pelliot joined him, largely because this symbol was close to the passage's entrance. “Is it just me, or does the painting material in here look different from the rest of the cave?” Dr. Pelliot nodded, shuddering. “I think it's blood. I wouldn't be very surprised if it was human blood.” Professor Ainsworth took out his small 8-millimeter movie camera, turned it on, and swept it around the room, capturing every picture he could. He then pointed the camera up, and the startling image he saw through the lens almost made him drop it. Dr. Pelliot looked up, let out a shocked cry, and fled the chamber. Unwilling to remain alone in the cave, Professor Ainsworth followed him at a run. Although it was barely ten in the morning, Pelliot pulled out a flask of whiskey and gulped down a large swallow. He offered it to Ainsworth, who also took a swig. They stood in the sun, unspeaking for several minutes before Dr. Pelliot said, “I didn't want to believe such things existed, Karl. I always wanted to consider your sideline as an eccentricity. I don't know what I believe in, now.” Ainsworth rubbed his colleague's shoulder reassuringly. “I'm not sure what I believe in, either, Roman. But I know that we will crack this mystery. Let's get back to the village.”

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He Had Not Yet Begun To Fight...

The state of TIAH

September 23rd, 2006

in 1779, in one of the last naval engagements of the failed American Revolution, Captain John Paul Jones' ship, the Bonhomme Richard, was defeated by the British vessels Serapis and Countess of Scarborough. Jones put up a valiant struggle, even refusing an offer of surrender by the captain of the Serapis before his ship began taking on water. Captain Jones allowed his crew to surrender and be taken prisoner aboard the surviving British vessels and the merchant ships they were escorting, but he went down with the Bonhomme Richard. This last defeat on the waves cleared the way for total British domination in the naval war with the colonies, which encouraged Congressional President John Jay's reconciliation movement.

in 1972, Dr. Roman Pelliot meets his associate, Professor Karl Ainsworth, at the train station in Montignac. “Thank you for coming,” he tells Ainsworth. “I presume you know about the Lascaux cave?” Professor Ainsworth nods, and Pelliot continues, “Well, we just found something new – a passage that had been sealed off until a few years ago. An intern found a body in there – just a few years old, not something there originally – and I saw drawings on the walls that were quite unsettling.” Professor Ainsworth interrupts with, “Something that matches my old theories?” Pelliot nods, and continues with, “There was also something else with us in that passage. We didn't stay to find out what it was.” Ainsworth chuckled, and said, “So you're throwing me into the lion's den, eh? Well, give me a night in the local inn, first – I'd rather go in first thing in the morning.” Pelliot agreed and showed Professor Ainsworth to the room he had arranged for him. That night, Franz Jaeger came to see Ainsworth, and warned him about the passage, saying there was something utterly unnatural about that place.

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Ben Jonson Sentenced To Death

The state of TIAH

September 22nd, 2006

in 1598, London playwright Ben Jonson is sentenced to be hung after killing an actor in a duel. Before the sentence could be announced, though, Jonson claimed the right to be sentenced by a church court, which were famous for their light punishments. The judge, Samuel Arkham, had no love for the literary and performing arts, and was loathe to let this miscreant leave his court alive. He tossed aside Jonson's request and ordered his sentence to be carried out immediately. When word reached the church, as well as the royal court, where Jonson was a favorite, Arkham was removed from his position, and very nearly hung, himself. London's theatrical community mourned the loss of one of their brightest stars; his old rival, William Shakespeare, even penned a memorial play, The Rough-Hewn Man.

in 1972, four police officer accompany Doctor Roman Pelliot into the cave at Lascaux and make their way back to the forgotten passage. Dr. Pelliot, who had worked in the cave for 6 years, knew about the passage, but had never been back there. When he had first joined the project, some of the older employees had told him that part of the cave was haunted. When they saw the body of Doctor Phillipe de la Roscaux, he thought he had found the origin of that rumor. The police concentrated on examining the body, and Pelliot watched them to make sure their work wouldn't harm the cave. When they were wrapping up the body to take it outside, though, one of the investigators said, “Did you hear that?” They all became very quiet, and heard a very distinct scraping sound. Dr. Pelliot cast his flashlight around the chamber, getting glimpses of the drawings on the walls. Two of the officers draw their weapons, and Pelliot shouts at them not to fire; “Please, the cave is priceless!” But, when they all see something move in a far corner of the cave, he loses his resolve to protect the cave. Several shots ring out, and then they flee the passage, dragging Dr. de la Roscaux's body with them. One of the officers asks Pelliot, “What was that?” He can only reply, “I have no idea. But I will find out.” He places a call to an old associate in Paris and asks him to catch the first train down.

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Death Of Mectezuma

The state of TIAH

September 21st, 2006

in 1581, Emperor Mectezuma of the Aztec Empire of North America dies. His grandson, Hoatchitepe, his sole living descendant, assumes the throne and leadership of the empire. Hoatchitepe is far less interested in the expansion of Aztec power than his grandfather was, and even sends an olive branch across the Atlantic to the European powers by officially apologizing for the invasion of England. Queen Elizabeth of England accepts the apology and sends word back via her North American colony up among the Iroquois that she would prefer cordial relations with the Aztec, as opposed to the hostile stance currently existing between the two great powers. Hoatchitepe agrees, and begins what will be a lifetime of correspondence between himself and Queen Elizabeth.

in 1972, Franz Jaeger, a young German emigre to France who was working on his graduate degree in archeology, starts working in the Lascaux cave. He notices a passage that seems to have been neglected for some time, and decides to see if it needs some maintenance. He halts when he sees the decaying body of Doctor Phillipe de la Roscaux on the floor. Since Doctor Roscaux has obviously been dead for years, Jaeger recovers himself and looks around the passage. This passage has wall paintings, too, although they seem to be by a different artist than the one who draw the paintings in the rest of the cave. And, although there do seem to be humans and animals depicted by this artist, they are not depicted in the same way that the artist of the outer chamber drew them. Jaeger becomes less curious the more he examines the walls, and decides to turn and leave when he hears something scraping the floor. Terrified, he flees the chamber at a run, only stopping when he is outside in the warm afternoon sun. In the light of day, he feels somewhat foolish about running out of the cave, but feels no desire to go back in. He informs his employers of the body in the forgotten passage by phone from his room in the local village, and they dispatch the police, with Doctor Roman Pelliot along to ensure the safety of the cave itself, to determine what happened to poor Doctor de la Roscaux.

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London's Reconstruction

The state of TIAH

September 20th, 2006

in 1575, Queen Elizabeth of England sits upon the throne in her new Palace of London, celebrating the end of the great city's reconstruction. Although the work of recovering from the Aztec invasion has been difficult, Elizabeth's steadfast determination that London should rise again kept the population focused on their central goal, and the rebuilt London bore few scars from that time. Only the memorial Tower of the Sun evidenced the darkness within all Londoners hearts towards the North American empire. The queen uses the occasion to host ambassadors from France and Spain, as the three countries have become close allies, and she discusses with them the possibility of a punitive expedition against Mectezuma. Although eager for vengeance against the Aztec emperor, they all come to the conclusion that they would suffer from the same disadvantage that he did during the occupation – supply lines too long to support an invasion force. They do decide to collaborate in sending a small band of colonists to live with the Iroquois, who live far to the north of the Aztecs. If an alliance could be made with them, perhaps revenge could be had, after all.

in 1963, President John F. Kennedy of the US proposes a cooperative mission to the moon between his country and the Soviet Union. Coming less than a year after the hostile atmosphere of the missile crisis in Cuba, it took Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev by surprise, but he quickly agreed. The cost of their two space programs was prohibitive in both countries, and by pooling their resources, they were able to accomplish far more. This massive thawing of the Cold War had many side benefits; Khruschev became a liberalizing force in the USSR, loosening decades of tight-fisted Communist control. Kennedy was able to free money from the military budget and spend it on social programs in the US, lessening the burden of poverty in his country. And, in 1966, American astronaut Jim Lovell and Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov set foot on earth's satellite with their immortal statement, “We come in peace, for all mankind.”

in 2005, Javier Silverman-Lord was born in Bryan, Texas. After his parents moved back to their native Canada in his teen years, Silverman-Lord became interested in Canadian politics and served as an intern in the Canadian Parliament several summers. He came to know many politicians, which came in handy when he ran for his own seat in 2040. After several terms as an MP, Silverman-Lord moved up the ranks of the Liberal Party and was elected Prime Minister in 2058, the first American citizen to hold the position. His opposition had tried to use his dual citizenship against him in the campaign, but Silverman-Lord described it as an advantage - “Our two countries are close in geography, history and heritage; why not have a leader who represents that?”

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A Hero, A Villain

The state of TIAH

September 19th, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: In honor of Talk Like A Pirate Day, use this website to translate whatever you need to pirate talk - harr, mateys!

in 1777, rebel General Benedict Arnold holds his tongue rather than antagonize his superior, General Horatio Gates, as British forces attack the Americans at Freeman's Farm. Arnold had suggested a plan of attack that Gates considered foolhardy, sending their troops to attack the British center column while using riflemen on their right flank. Instead, Gates held the colonial forces in one spot, and the British cut them to pieces. Gates finally ordered a withdrawal after it was obvious that the British had won the day. Arnold sent a rather scathing report of the situation to the Continental Congress, where it was agreed that Gates had acted foolishly. The Congress stripped Gates of his command and elevated Arnold to the position he had desired all along, command of his own troops. Benedict Arnold's name soon became synonymous with victory – the brilliant general was the colonials' greatest asset, and General George Washington called him “the mighty sword of our freedom.” After the war's end in 1781, General Arnold entered politics and was elected governor of Connecticut, and then its senator. He ran for the presidency once, in 1804, but narrowly lost to Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. His name will always be remembered as that of a true patriot.

in 1827, hotheaded frontiersman Jim Bowie stabs a banker to death in Alexandria, Louisiana, and is promptly arrested for murder. Bowie and his brother, Rezin, had been trouble ever since their family had come west from Kentucky, and officials in Alexandria were itching to put him away for something. This was the first of his many brawls to turn lethal, and charges were brought against him immediately. During the hasty trial, his surly attitude, combined with his unsavory reputation as an illegal slave-trader and land speculator, convinced the jury that he was a character that needed to be put down for the good of the community, and he was sentenced to be hung. His brother tried to arrange a jail-break for him, but was captured and jailed, himself. The judge presiding at the hanging, who had known the Bowie family, said, “If only the young man had directed his energies towards more wholesome pursuits, he might have been a man of worth.”

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Elizabeth Returns To London

The state of TIAH

September 18th, 2006

in 1571, Queen Elizabeth returns to the ruins of London. The dead lie so thick on the the streets that it is hard to move about without stepping on a corpse, but she stoically tours the city, giving comfort to the few survivors that evaded the Aztec occupiers. She orders the enemy sailors and soldiers that were captured in the battle off of the country's northern coast to be put to work rebuilding her country. She leaves the city afterwards, and tells her closest advisors that she cannot bear the thought of living in that formerly great city again. When they tell her that a different capitol can be built elsewhere in the country, she rebukes them, saying, “London is the beating heart of England, and no foreigner will ever be allowed to still that heart. London will rise again, and I shall sit upon my throne there, no matter what my personal feelings are.”

in 1961, Doctor Phillipe de la Roscaux pays what will be his last visit to the cave at Lascaux. When he goes to the forbidden passage to assure himself that it is sealed away from human eyes, an earthquake rumbles through the cave system, opening the passage and tumbling him into it. Just as de la Roscaux is regaining his footing, the last trembles of the quake seal him in. He cries out for help for hours, but no one hears. He does not die of thirst of hunger, though – his last few hours are ones of sheer terror that bring on a heart attack. He remains undisturbed in the forbidden passage for years, until the last person who had been given personal instructions by him about the passage leaves their employment in the cave, and new people are brought in to maintain the ancient wonder.

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Peace In The Middle East

The state of TIAH

September 17th, 2006

in 1571, the combined English, French and Spanish fleets smash into the Aztec ships attempting to leave Europe for their home back in North America. Emperor Mectezuma at first simply tries to outrun the Europeans, but the wind is against him, so he orders his sailors to “leave not a single ship on the water to show that these barbarians ever dared to challenge our might.” The Aztecs fought without mercy, but the Europeans were spurred by the outrage of London, and had the advantage of better knowledge of the coastal waters of Great Britain. As his fleet's numbers began to dwindle, Emperor Mectezuma ordered his ship's captain to leave the battle and continue sailing for home. The sight of the Emperor fleeing combat demoralized the Aztecs, and gave cheer to the Europeans, who redoubled their efforts. It is said that if the Emperor had stayed an hour or two longer, the tide would have turned in his favor, because the European fleets weren't doing as well further away from his ship; but near Mectezuma, his sailors weren't very successful. With the fleeing of Mectezuma, the Europeans were able to take the day. Over half of the Aztec ships were sunk in the battle, a dozen fled after the Emperor, and a score were taken captive by the Europeans.

in 1978, President Jimmy Carter of the United States forges a peace treaty between two implacable enemies, Egypt and Israel. With the signing of the accords at the White House, Israel exchanges the Sinai Peninsula for an alliance with the Egyptian people. Although the treaty is denounced by more radical Muslim nations, Egypt is ready to give up the useless struggles with Israel that they have been through over the last three decades. President Carter then goes to work on the issue of the Palestinians within Israel's occupied territories, and in 1979 comes up with a plan for two nations within a single border, in which local governments are chosen without reference to the nation they belong to, and Palestinians and Israelis live side by side. Derided as a Utopian fantasy at first, it gains more respect after Carter wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his work the previous year, and Yassir Arafat, leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, says that he will support the initiative. That November, when there are troubles around the American embassy in Iran, Arafat and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat step in to defuse the situation and keep the Americans in the Teheran embassy safe. The American people, grateful for this assistance, put great pressure on Israel to agree to the Two-State Solution, and in July of 1980, the lands of Israel and Palestine begin history anew. President Carter, having accomplished the minor miracle of peace in the Middle East, is reelected by an almost 2-to-1 majority in the 1980 elections, and uses his second term to promote anti-poverty measures in America and around the world. He left office with more good will worldwide than any president since Theodore Roosevelt.

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Elizabeth's Vow Of Vengeance

The state of TIAH

September 16th, 2006

in 1571, Queen Elizabeth receives the news of London's destruction at the hands of Aztec Emperor Mectezuma from a messenger who weeps openly when he tells her of the multitudes of the dead. She embraces him and tells him, “England shall be avenged for this, never fear. We shall rise from this day stronger than before, and we will make these barbarians pay a price most dear.” She orders all of the ships at England's command, which include over a dozen French gunboats, to sail after the retreating Aztec fleet. She is offered, much to her surprise, aid from the Spanish armada; the Spanish admiral in charge of the fleet, Jose Sanchez de la Gravina, was incensed at the betrayal of the Aztecs and their murder of Spanish soldiers. Elizabeth gratefully accepted the aid, which brought their numbers closer to the Aztecs'.

in 1955, the arguments of Doctor Phillipe de la Roscaux to close the cave at Lascaux finally win acceptance, and the archaeological committee in charge of the cave creates a mock-up in another location and closes the actual cave. Doctor de la Roscaux breathes a sigh of relief; he uses his influence to get people he knows into the cave maintenance positions that the Lascaux committee creates. He tells them of the secret passage, and warns them that this must be kept from the public at all costs.

in 1982, the Lebanese Christian militia known as the Phalangists are ordered to guard West Beirut while the occupying Israeli army searches nearby refugee camps at Sabra and Shatila for terrorists. The Phalangists ask to be allowed to search the camps themselves, but the Israeli command fears that they want revenge for the recent death of the Christian leader Bachir Gemayel, and refuses. For good reason, as it turns out, because they are soon called back to West Beirut from their search missions in order to stop the Phalangists from attacking unarmed civilians in the suburb. The Israelis are soon forced to realize that the militia is an expensive ally – they create more enemies than they defeat. They disband the Phalangists and incorporate them into a support force led by the Israeli Defense Force in order to calm the civil war raging in Lebanon.

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Sacrifice Of London

The state of TIAH

September 15th, 2006

in 1571, the warriors of Mectezuma gather in London, much to the dismay of the city's inhabitants. All of the Aztec emperor's ships also wait for his orders in the harbors of the city. When the last of his warriors arrives, Mectezuma addresses them, saying, “We came to this land to punish the English barbarians for their arrogance. Although we are mighty, and we have defeated them soundly, there are too few of us to control them. We cannot trust the Spanish dogs who have pledged their loyalty to us, because their loyalties are like the wind. Therefore, we will leave this land today – but there will be a sacrifice before we depart.” The Aztecs then turned on the citizens of London and the Spanish soldiers who were ostensibly their allies, and killed indiscriminately for hours. Refugees streamed out of the city, but thousands were slaughtered in the bloodbath before Mectezuma and his warriors set sail for the west.

in 1963, a bomb planted in a church in Birmingham, Alabama kills four young girls who had been attending services there. This crime horrifies the black and white community in the city, and 4 members of the Ku Klux Klan are arrested for the crime. Although there is some resistance to their prosecution at first, the image of the poor girls who had been killed haunts the city, and the District Attorney is forced to bring them to trial. He assigns the case to a young man who had, in the past, been very reliable in not securing convictions against Klansmen. This case is different for Ron Hartman, though, and he enters into it with all his heart. “These four innocent children,” he tells the jury in his summation, “deserve justice. I ask you today to be blind to the color of their skin, and give them what they need to set their souls to rest. The world is watching how you vote today; don't make us ashamed.” The jury, after many hours of very heated deliberation, did finally return a guilty verdict on the defendants, and the judge sentenced them to 10 years, a light sentence that Hartman protested to no avail. After this case, Hartman left the DA's office to work for the civil rights movement.

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McKinley Assassination Attempt

The state of TIAH

September 14th, 2006

in 1901, President William McKinley recovers from the minor gunshot wound he had suffered on a visit to Buffalo, when an anarchist had taken an ill-aimed shot at him. A soldier who had been posted as security had noted the anarchist's nervous attitude, and just in the nick of time, had struck away the assassin's pistol. President McKinley was grazed across the shoulder, a painful but non-fatal hit. As soon as he recovered, he returned to the public eye, holding a reception in the White House for business leaders from around the country. Although he was urged by his advisors to tighten up on his personal security after this, he refused, saying, “Should I deny the public access to me, then this little pipsqueak of a man will have accomplished his task just as surely as if I were dead; for, if I cannot be seen among men without guards dogging my every step, then I have given in to the fear he wished to generate.” McKinley, already a popular leader, grew even more so after this incident, and he used this newly-earned status to push through international agreements that he himself would have found unthinkable a few years before. His second brush with death – his first had been as a soldier in the Civil War – found him rethinking many of his old positions. He had been known as a friend of business, but now he took an interest in the nascent labor movement in the country, and started urging conciliation with strikers, rather than the violent union-busting tactics that had been standard practice at that time. When his second term was ending in 1904, he let it be known that he would support the progressive Governor Robert La Follette of Wisconsin for the Republican nomination to the presidency. With McKinley's aid, La Follette won a hard election against Democrat Alton Parker and the Socialist Eugene Debs, who captured over a million votes, surprising everyone. La Follette, with no serious opposition on his right, but plenty to his left, combined many popular moderate leftist positions in his platform, and guided America into an era where business and labor found common ground. He appointed former President McKinley to the position of Special Labor Advisor, which evolved over time into a cabinet position. La Follette proved even more popular than his predecessor, and won not just one reelection, but an unprecedented 3rd term in 1912.

in 1951, during one of his now-monthly visits to the cave in Lascaux, France, Doctor Phillipe de le Roscaux sees that he can no longer block the narrow passage into the forbidden chamber that he has protected for 11 years. Although not as thin as he was in his youth, he forces himself once more into the chamber and looks at the strange art that had frightened him for so long. The primitive images again take on a life of their own, swirling in his brain, forcing him to conclusions that cannot be escaped, and he barely managed to stifle the scream that they brought again to his throat. He scrambled out of the chamber and spent hours in the sunlight outside of the cave formulating a plan. He looked at the huge number of people visiting the cave, knowing that they were steered away from that horrible chamber by the archaeological staff running the tours, and thought that they could be used to close the cave. He would argue that the number of visitors was deteriorating the cave walls. He resolved to push this with the committee in charge of the cave and not give in until there was no longer a chance that a stray visitor could stumble into that strange and terrifying passage.

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Attica

The state of TIAH

September 13th, 2006

in 1947, Doctor Phillipe de le Roscaux, who had been an assistant at the discovery of the Lascaux cave paintings 7 years before, returns to the cave to check on the seal of the secret passage. He has done this every few months for 7 years; like that old German professor, he was determined that what he had seen in that passage should never be seen by men again. When he sees that the seal is starting to deteriorate, he liberally applies some of the concrete that he has brought with him to cover up the patches that are opening. His visits have become more frequent because the last few times, his patches have begun breaking more quickly. In the back of his mind, he knows that he will eventually have to find some way to deal with what was on the other side of the wall; for now, though, he applies his patch and returns to Paris.

in 1971, Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York orders the retaking of the Attica Prison in Buffalo. The prison had erupted in riots four days before, and several guards and prison employees had been taken hostage. Governor Rockefeller, who was considered something of a liberal in the Republican Party, felt that decisive action could bolster his chances of challenging President Nixon for the Republican presidential nomination the next year. When the bloody strike at the prison ends in dozens dead, Rockefeller tells the press, “We're not going to sit around and let criminals make the first move anymore. We're taking the fight to them.” His harsh attitudes do, indeed, sit very well with Republican voters, especially after President Nixon's election shenanigans are revealed early in the campaign in '72, forcing him to drop out of the running. Rockefeller then faces George McGovern in the general election, and loses by such a narrow margin that he challenges the results. Although count after count is upheld, he maintains, like Nixon did about the 1960 election, that the Democrats stole the election. Republicans across the country picked up the mantra, and President McGovern was dogged by it all 4 years he was in office. Rockefeller ran against him again in 1976, and won by less than 10,000 votes. Since President McGovern had been unable to end the war in Vietnam due to hard Republican opposition in Congress, President Rockefeller enters office determined to get America out of the quicksand it had found itself mired in. Before peace negotiations can accomplish anything, though, South Vietnam is overrun by North Vietnamese forces, and American troops are forced to flee the country or be decimated. America's first military defeat becomes a noose around President Rockefeller's neck, keeping him from accomplishing anything of substance in office. He reluctantly relinquishes the Republican nomination for the office in the 1980 elections to Representative John Anderson of Illinois, who tells the electorate, “The Republican Party has become too entwined with the interests of the rich and powerful, like our current president. It's time for some plain old Americans to run things again.” Although this sentiment does well, it doesn't do well enough to keep Senator Edward Kennedy from winning the election handily. The first brother of a president to win office in his own right proves that he was not coasting on reputation; his two terms leave America more prosperous and strong than it had been since Johnson left office.

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