In 1985 A.D., pp. 11-16, Russian Army Private Garshin wanders alone in Afghanistan after an ambush until a captain appears like "...an angel from his grandmother's heaven..." (p. 11) and gives him a box - which contains the Bactrian letter - with instructions about how to return to his base and to get the box conveyed to the appropriate authorities whereas, in 1985 A.D., p. 123, Garshin wanders alone.
The Time Patrol has planted false evidence, then removed it from the timeline. How did they do it? Maybe:
the Patrol agent who plays the role of the captain is from the far future;
first, he travels from the far future to the far past;
his instructions are - travel forward to 1985 to give the box to Garshin, then return home unless, just before setting off to 1985, you receive a countermanding order to skip past 1985 and proceed straight home;
when Shalten is informed that Everard has killed or captured the remaining Exaltationists, he transmits that countermanding order.
See also:
1985 AD;
The Fall And The Time-Stream.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
It's things like the faked Bactrian Letter and Yuri Garshin "meeting" and then not "meeting" the Patrol agent posing as a Soviet captain which makes the Time Patrol stories both so fascinating and difficult to understand. Anderson did it so well, most times, that the occasional weak spot or "incoherence" you discover are easily overlooked.
Sean
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