Déjà vu: An Alternative Universe Story

Graciously beta’d by Jo.

Disclaimers: Queen of Swords characters are owned by Fireworks on paper. All other characters and story are mine.

The Queen of Swords patted Chico’s sweaty neck as the big horse raced away from the soldiers. They had been riding hard for at least a half an hour. The sky had been clear when she started but now light fluffs of clouds drifted lazily.

\Montoya is getting sneaky,\ The Queen thought as she reflected on what had happened.

The gold shipment had been stashed in the stage to Monterey with only the driver and one guard. The Queen had watched to see if there were any soldiers behind, as her acquisition of the treasure had seemed too easy. Not wanting to let the gold go, she had stopped the coach, and the driver and guard had been most cooperative. \Montoya is getting too cooperative, which mean some things a foot\ thought the Queen.

As the Queen had ridden away, a soldier pulled a pistol and fired into the air. Almost at once, several soldiers appeared on the canyon lip and started firing at her. She managed to avoid the musket shots, but as she crested the top the canyon by taking a game trail, she saw five soldiers racing towards her. Putting Chico into a gallop, she raced away.

Just as she had lost the first batch of soldiers, fresh ones picked up the chase and drove her northward towards the coast mountains. Three times she had out raced five soldiers when five more would appear.

The Queen noticed that a strange dark cloud had appeared ahead of her. She had been too busy to notice before. \Great. All I need now is for it to rain,\ she thought.

To the Queen’s estimation, Chico was the strongest, most handsome, smartest and fastest best horse in Alta California, but he was tiring. She had to make a stand. Up ahead was a bowl-like area surrounded by boulders. She was within a hundred yards from what she quickly determined to be her respite when she saw a bright flash near the bowl. Chico raced through the narrow opening in the boulders as five musket balls ricocheted off the rocks. As the Queen reined in Chico, she heard a loud noise, as if ten men had fired at once. She turned towards the opening to see, standing in the open was a strange man dressed all in green with brown and black splotches all over his clothes. In his hands was a smoking weapon, and she somehow knew that he could cut her in half with one pull of the trigger.

"Who, who are you? Where am I," the man asked in what sounded like Helm’s native language.

It was quiet, deathly quiet. So quiet that he could hear his rasping breath. He swore that the enemy could hear him, especially if they knew he was missing from his unit. U.S. Army Sergeant Vernon Bigelow crept along the jungle trail, ever so careful; it seemed like it took hours to go ten feet.

It was August, 1968, and his jeep had just been ambushed on the road between Qui Nhon and Phu Cat AB, South Vietnam. During the sortie, he had managed to grab his M-16 rifle and three bandoleers of ammo and escape into the brush. His comrades had all been killed during the firefight. Miraculously, he had been left unscathed. When he had realized that his friends were beyond help and with the Viet Cong still firing at his position, he had crawled into the jungle.

He could still hear the shooting and the yells of the VC as they made sure that the Americans were dead. He played dead as the enemy trudged past, knocking the brush with the barrel of their AK-47’s. Finding a hole in the jungle off the trail, he progressed slowly, being careful not to break any branches or make loud noises that would give him away. He finally came to a tree that looked easy enough to climb. Taking off his jungle boots and tying them together, he swung them over his shoulder and climbed into the thick foliage that he hoped would hide him from prying eyes. He had taken the boots off so as not to scar the tree bark, which would have been a dead, give away. Dead being the key word. The last thing he wanted was to spend time in a Vietnamese tiger cage or prison, that is if the VC didn’t execute him on sight.

It was hot and humid, and he was tired. As was typical in Vietnam, the monsoon rains suddenly broke upon him. Even though he now was soaking wet, he thanked God for the rain, as it would help cover his

trail. He slowly let himself relax, and finally, he drifted off to sleep. Because he had tied himself into the tree, he didn’t have to worry about waking up twenty-five feet lower than his current position.

He awoke suddenly, with his mind instantaneously alert as to what brought him out of his sleep. The rain had stopped, and the only thing he could hear was the water dripping from the leaves. Each drop that hit his

helmet sounded like a drum beat. Bright light from above startled him. Since the VC did not have aircraft, surely an American helicopter was looking for him. But how would they know where to look? Cautiously, he untied himself and climbed to the top of the tree as far as he could and peered into the light. Expecting the crack of a rifle or machine gun, he was surprised that he could not make out the outline of the copter. All around the light was black. Nothing showed outside of the light.

A shaft of brilliant light poured upon him and he felt his whole body start to tingle. Then he felt his body being plucked out of the tree, then nothing. No feeling, no light, no noise just a black hole. Then a brighter flash of light.

Vernon woke up face down in the dirt. He cautiously checked the area. He raised his head and then crawled to a sitting position. Boulders in a large bowl-like area surrounded him. What made him think he was dreaming was the absence of tropical trees. He crawled to one side of the bowl and peered over the boulder. His eyes widened as he saw a great expanse of water. \Is that an ocean?\ he thought.

The reddish sun was starting to set as Vernon shook his head. "I blacked out in a tree in Vietnam and wake up in the dirt looking at an ocean. Vernon old boy, if you took drugs I would swear you had a bad trip," he said out loud.

The sound of something running brought his attention to the area to his left. Looking over the boulders, he was shocked. Across a large flat plain, five horsemen were chasing a lone rider, perhaps three hundred yards behind. They were coming his way.

He grabbed his M-16 and waited. As the first rider came closer, he could see she was a woman. The others were soldiers, he guessed based on the uniforms they were wearing. The woman rode through a small opening in the boulders just as the soldiers fired their weapons in his direction.

Vernon ducked as the bullets careened off the boulders, then he raised his M-16 and pulled the trigger. The automatic setting on the weapon caused it to spew out a burst of ten rounds before he let go. Swinging around to the horsewoman, he stopped as he saw the woman sitting on her horse and asked, "Who, who are you? Where am I," asked Vernon ignoring the pain in his back caused by a ricochet.

"No sabeo," replied the woman. "Se habla Espanol?"

"Si, Senorita," he replied. "Adonde esta?" was asked as he used his hands to indicate the area. The woman dismounted and tightened the cinch on the saddle, as it had become loose.

"Stay where you are. You are in Alta California," she said as she remounted after she finished checking the cinch. She peered down at him from the saddle. "Before we go any further, we should get out of here before their friends come looking for them," she said in Spanish.

"Just a moment. I am not going to get behind such a beautiful woman without knowing her name. I am Sergeant Vernon Bigelow."

"I am known as the Queen of Swords," she replied.

Vernon slung his weapon over his shoulder, placed a foot in the stirrup, and swung up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she led her horse through the opening in the boulders.

She shuddered as she saw the soldiers lying on the ground. Four of the horses had run away, but one of the dead men had his hand wrapped around the reins causing the horse to stop.

"Wait a minute," Vernon said as he slipped off of the Queen’s horse. He walked to the horse, losened the reins and then mounted the dead man’s horse. "Now we can go."

The Queen rode along side Vernon and noticed that this stranger sat a horse as if he was born to it.

"Vernon, where are you from?"

"You will think this is crazy, but I was born in California. Up until a little while ago, I was in a country on the other side of the world called Vietnam. One minute I was hiding in a tree from my enemies and the next I was face down in the dirt here. Something is weird here. People in California ride around in cars, not on horseback carrying swords. Where is the freeway? Where are the surfers? Those are great waves out there. Cowabunga dude, surf’s up."

The Queen looked at this crazy man with the strange speech and scratched her head. "What year do you think it is?" asked the Queen.

"1968 of course."

The Queen looked at Vernon. He was definitely not wearing clothes from 1819, and his weapon was more powerful than anything she had ever seen before.

"Is that what they wear in 1968?" asked as she looked at this stranger who was wearing clothes that were green with a black and brown leaf type pattern. His hat was a round metal pot, and his laced boots seemed to be cloth, not leather. On his suspenders was a knife held upside down. "I have never seen anyone like you. The year is 1819, what are you?" asked the Queen.

"The man wiped his face with his sleeve. "Did you say 1819? I have traveled back in time one hundred and forty nine years?" he asked increduousy. He shook his head and continued, "I am a soldier. In my time, California is part of the United States. Can you tell me where Monterey and Santa Barbara are?"

"Why?" asked the Queen.

"Like I said, I was born in California. If I know where those two towns are, I will know where I am.

"Verdad. Monterey is to the North and Santa Barbara is to the South," replied the Queen. "Santa Elena is about twenty miles in that direction," she said pointing.

"Your Santa Elena doesn’t exist in my time, but from a sure guess, this area is familiar. I think that in my time the town you know has grown into a city and been renamed. There is a Santa Helena but that is North of San Francisco." Suddenly Vernon slumped in the saddle.

The Queen reached over to keep him from falling when she noticed a wet spot on the dark color. She removed a glove and touched. She pulled her hand back and realized the wetness was blood.

Vernon groggily asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"First I am going to find some place to patch up that hole in you so you won’t bleed to death. Then I am going to lead you to a friend has a hacienda and she will help you."

The Queen found some trees and dismounted. She helped her wounded companion from his mount and started to get her saddlebags.

Vernon grabbed her hand. "In my ruck sack is a first aid kit and some medicine. I am sure it is more advanced than what you have."

"Why do you carry all that?" she asked.

"We all do," he replied.

Vernon showed her the kit and showed her how to administer the antibiotic shot, before he passed out.

The Queen repacked the rucksack and loaded Vernon onto his horse. She strapped the rucksack on her horse.

A little while later, Vernon woke up.

"Where am I? Oh yeah, I’m a time traveler. Like hell, I have been drugged," he said then saw the Queen as his vision cleared.

"I’m not dreaming am I? This is for real. I really am in 1819? Well after spending a year in hell, why not? What else could go wrong?"

The Queen cleared her throat, "I don’t mean to be rude, Vernon but your Spanish is rather crude."

Vernon laughed. "You speak what we consider pure Spanish or Castillian Spanish. I learned that in school. What I speak is a mixture of Spanish, Mexican and Indian with some English thrown in. Most everyone speaks English."

"The United States fought a war with Spain and captured Alta California?"

"Not exactly. Mexico broke off from Spain in the 1820’s. The United States and Mexico fought in the late 1830’s and purchased Texas, Arizona, California and a couple of others, as I remember. Americans came to California when gold was discovered. Spain and America fought each other in the 1890’s after an American ship was blown up in Cuba. A lot of history has happened between 1819 and 1968."

"I will be interested in learning more, Vernon. Now I have to get you to Senorita Alvarado’s hacienda, she will send for a doctor. The hacienda is about two miles that way. I must leave you now but you will be all right for now. It is dusk, so I would suggest that you wait until it is completely dark before you go to the hacienda so you will not be seen. Your clothing is rather different than ours."

"Gracias Reina," he said as he watched her ride away. \Damn, that is some woman. First round eye woman I have seen in nine months,\ he thought. "Well, if I get stuck here, it would be nice to know a beautiful woman.\

The sun had set and a full moon lit the cloudy sky casting shadows across the rancho as Vernon walked the horse to the hacienda. He tied the horse’s reins to a tree and then circled the hacienda. Determining that it was safe, he retrieved the horse and walked to the back door. He knocked softly on the door and was somewhat startled when the door was flung back, and he was staring down the barrel of a musket.

"Don’t shoot," stammered Vernon. \Damn, I survive the Nam and get shot by a woman with a musket,\ he thought. "A beautiful lady in black with a mask told me to come here. Are you Senorita Alvarado? The Queen said she was lovely."

"I am Marta, Senorita Alvarado’s duena. You are Senor Bigelow?"

"If you expected me, why the musket?" he asked.

"One can never be true careful," replied Marta.

"Si, Senora. La Reina did not lie. You are beautiful," said Vernon

Marta blushed and put down the musket. "Tessa, we have a visitor."

Vernon was overawed when Tessa came into the kitchen.

"I died and went to heaven," said Vernon. "In one day, I have met the three most beautiful women on earth," as he took Tessa out stretched hand and kissed it.

"Our English doctor once told me about something called the Blarney Stone," said Tessa, grinning. "I think you must have kissed it once or twice."

"Maybe my grandfather did, and I inherited it," grinned Vernon. "He was from Ireland."

"Senor, we must find other clothes for you, and we must set the horse loose so he can return to the pueblo. We don’t want the soldiers finding you," said Marta.

"Gracias, ladies for your hospitality. I know I don’t quite fit in. I am not Spanish," said Vernon. "If you would show me to a horse trough, I would like to take a bath."

"Nonsense, Senor, we do have a bathtub," replied Tessa.

Tessa led him to the bathtub while Marta heated up the water. When it was hot, Vernon helped carry the water buckets. When it was deep enough, Vernon took off his boots and stripped to the waist, leaving only his dog tags hanging around his neck.

Tessa looked at Vernon. He was six foot two inches tall and weighed probably one hundred and fifty pounds. Her eyes traveled over his chest muscles and rippled stomach. \There is no ounce of fat on him,\ thought Tessa as a warm flush came over her face.

Marta caught Tessa’s arm and ushered her charge to the door.

"Tessa, what are we going to do with him? Montoya will be looking for him. Do you know what Montoya will do if he finds him here?" asked Marta.

" I already sent for Doctor Helm. I am sure he will have some suggestions. For now we will see that our guest is bathed, fed and rested."

"He is very handsome isn’t he?" asked Marta.

"Yes he is. You know he reminds me of someone. I just can’t place him," said Tessa.

The next morning, Vernon stood in the parlor looking at Don Alvarado’s picture when Tessa came in.

"That is my father. He died from falling off of a horse," said Tessa.

"I am sorry for your loss, Senorita. It must be hard to run a rancho by yourself but surely you have a husband or a fiancée who helps you run it?" asked Vernon.

"Neither. I run this rancho by myself and my workers."

"You are in the wrong time zone. In my world, you would be a very modern woman. I congratulate you. I have read that it was very hard on single women at this time. Everything is owned by the men in the family, including the women."

"Not always," replied Tessa with a sly grin.

"Reina, I mean Tessa, I appreciate you taking a stranger in. Your secret is safe with me."

"What secret?" asked Tessa with a shocked look on her face.

"You and the woman who sent me here are one in the same."

"You are welcomed into my home, and then you accuse me of being the Queen of Swords?" asked Tessa, red flaming in her face.

"Your walk, your eyes and the slight callus on your right hand. I would suspect that comes from using a sword. I also checked out your stable and I recognized a certain horse in the back stall."

"You have only known me a few hours, how could you know anything about me?"

"Alert, alive as they taught us. It has been almost a year since I have seen a woman who was not Asian. Your eyes are gorgeous and they flash when you speak. Your walk is distinctive and I never forget the way a woman walks when she is walking away from me," said Vernon with a grin.

"You are only the second person who has told me that. A man named Jacob Van Der Horst told me that some time ago."

"Jacob Van Der Horst?" asked Vernon as his eyes grew wide.

"Why does that name shock you?" asked Tessa.

"He was my great great grandfather."

"I suppose the name Rob Swain is familiar also?" asked Tessa.

"His great grandson is my godfather. Now this is very interesting."

"Amazing is not the word for it," said Tessa as she collapsed in a chair. "Marta, will you come in here, please?"

"What is it Tessa?" asked Marta.

"It seems that our visitor is descended from Jacob and Rob."

"Now I know he kissed the Blarney Stone," said Marta.

She walked over to Vernon and took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes.

Marta started to turn white.

"Marta what is it?" asked Tessa.

"I see much death, strange machines, much destruction, much sadness. I have seen those eyes before. They are Jacob’s."

"Vernon, you must not tell anyone. Your ancestors are not well liked by Colonel Montoya or Captain Grisham," said Tessa.

A knock on the door startled all of them. Tessa went to answer the door and ushered in Doctor Helm into the parlor.

"Doctor Helm, This is Vernon Bigelow. He dropped out of the sky and saved me last night," said Tessa.

Helm rolled his eyes. "How many people are you going to tell and expect to remain hidden from Montoya?"

Helm looked over Vernon. "American?" he asked in English.

"Yes, and you must be English," Vernon replied in the same language.

"You are a soldier. Are you looking for Grisham, too?" asked Helm.

"Hardly. I am from your future," grinned Vernon. "It seems I am something of a misplaced time traveler."

Helm looked at Tessa and Marta who nodded their heads.

"Now this is interesting. How did you get here?"

"Good question? How do I get back is the next question?" said Vernon.

"That is out of my experience. I have never heard of such a thing. Tessa, what are you going to do with him? He is dark, but I suspect that is suntan. He will raise a lot of questions."

"At least I do speak Spanish," interjected Vernon. I know California of my time. I think maybe I should head inland. I know that the Spanish never explore the Central Valley, except for some deserters. I also know where they will find gold about forty years from now." he grinned.

A knock on the door alerted them again.

Pablo stood at the door. "Senorita, soldiers are coming."

Marta took Vernon to the secret room where his clothing had been stored.

Colonel Montoya led a column of soldiers to the front door as Tessa walked out.

"Colonel Montoya, so nice to receive you this fine morning? "

Montoya dismounted.

"I am afraid this is not a social call, Senorita. Five of my soldiers were shot down while chasing the Queen of Swords. Most of the horses came back to Santa Elena but one led us here and then back to the pueblo."

"Was it one of the horse that I sold you? If he was loose, he might have come here where he was born. You suspect the Queen of Swords shot five soldiers? That doesn’t sound like her," said Tessa.

"No it doesn’t. I think she had help this time. We found some strange footprints around the bodies. There were markings on the soles. I have never seen anything like them. Have you seen any strangers lurking around?"

"No one has been lurking around here, Colonel but thank you for your concern. I will alert my rancheros to be on the look out. Do you think this person is a pirate or something?"

"Please let me know if you see anyone. He is dangerous. One man killed five of my soldiers. The gunshots were unusual also. I heard Doctor Helm was seen riding in this direction. Would you please ask him to come see me if he comes here?"

"Most certainly, Colonel and thank you for the warning," said Tessa as Montoya led his men away from the hacienda.

While Tessa spoke to Montoya, Vernon rummaged through his rucksack and took inventory. One item in his rucksack struck him as funny. He pulled out a Kodak camera. A thought crossed his mind. \If I ever get back, no one will ever believe me. I think I will take some pictures.\

That night after dinner, Vernon took out the camera.

"Tessa, I know you have portraits done, but I would like to take your picture. I can’t develop them, but if I ever get back, at least I would have a picture of you."

"How long would I have to sit for you to take my picture," said Tessa remembering the longs hours while having her portrait done.

"Oh about three seconds," grinned Vernon as he picked up the camera and flashed a shot at Tessa.

Tessa and Marta were startled by the flash. They relaxed as he took a couple more of Tessa and Marta, separately and together. The next morning, he climbed the hill above the hacienda and took pictures of the hacienda.

Vernon wandered over to the two gravesites and sat down. He put his head in his hands a quietly wept. \I will never see my family or friends again,\ he thought. \I wish I knew why these people have been so nice to me.\ He wiped the tears away as he heard Tessa walk up behind him.

Without turning to her he asked, "Tessa, why did you become the Queen of Swords? I mean, a wealthy young woman fighting the local soldiers, that just isn’t done."

"I know my father was murdered and I think Montoya was responsible, but I haven’t been able to prove it. Somewhere in his quarters, there is proof," replied Tessa.

"Maybe I can help you look, or at least protect you while you look."

"I couldn’t ask you to risk your life like that," replied Tessa.

"Before I came here, I was up a tree hiding from some very serious bad guys. These garrison soldiers of Montoya are nothing compared to the Viet Cong. I will go with you."

"You don’t know the pueblo," she replied.

"It wouldn’t be the first unknown village I have been in," he replied.

Three nights later the Queen of Swords crept into Montoya’s office as he had personally led a gold shipment to Monterey leaving Grisham in charge.

Vernon crept through the pueblo and made sure that the soldiers were asleep where they stood. He used the hilt of his knife instead of the blade to insure they stayed asleep. An hour later, the Queen came out to the balcony and saw Vernon on his mount and holding her horse. She dropped to Chico’s back with a quiet oomph.

"Doesn’t that hurt?" whispered Vernon.

"Chico hasn’t complained yet," she flashed a smile.

"Did you get what you were looking for?" asked Vernon.

"No, I know he has it hidden somewhere, I just need to find the right hiding place," she replied.

As they carefully walked their horses out of the pueblo, Grisham opened the door of his quarters and looked down. He grabbed a lantern and searched the dirt. The same footprints he found earlier were in the pueblo.

He shouted for the guard but no one came. He marched to the garrison barracks and called out the troops and ordered them to mount.

A few miles away, Vernon pulled up. "Tessa, the garrison is following. You head for home. I will lead them away."

"Vernon what if they catch you?"

"I have a feeling that tonight they will have to go a long way. I have been watching the clouds and there is a strange cloud building over the bowl I landed in. That is one reason I changed into my fatigues. I did leave my helmet in your secret room. Call it a souvenir."

"Here is a souvenir for you. She slipped something into his pocket as she reached over and kissed him. "If you are right Vernon, we will never see each other again. In the future, come back to the bowl and dig at the north rim. I will leave something there for you," she smiled as she turned to leave.

Suddenly a musket cracked and Vernon felt the round hit him. \Damn, shot by a musket,\ he thought as he prodded his horse into a gallop. Vernon rode to the bowl and crouched down behind the boulders, waiting for the garrison. He glanced up as the angry looking black clouds hovered above him A flash of bright light suddenly struck.

"Soldier, are you all right? We have to get out of here."

Vernon shook his head to clear his confused thoughts. He was lying by a tree, the same tree he had climbed before. He looked into the face of an American soldier the man’s nametag read Helm.

"Come one Sarge, the chopper is waiting at the LZ," said the American.

Vernon followed the soldier and joined up with four others. Five minutes later he was airborne in the Huey.

"Sarge, you’ve been hit," said Helm as he ripped the shirt off of Vernon.

Vernon Bigelow stopped his dune buggy and got out. He walked the sands of the California beach. He carefully looked at the cliffs above and then started climbing. Reaching the top, he looked down to se something he had not seen in thirty years. A bowl shaped area surrounded by boulders. He climbed down into the bowl and looked around. Nothing had changed since he woke up here in 1819. If he really had been here. No one ever believed his strange story so he had let it drop.

He searched the north part of the bowl until he found some boulders that seemed to form an arrow. He moved the rocks aside and dug with his hands until he hit a hard object. Dusting the dirt away he found a three-foot long chest and pulled it out.

The chest was old still in good shape. He shouldered the chest and climbed back down to the beach where he had left his dune buggy. Driving back to his motel, he took the chest into the room and opened it. His mouth fell open as he saw several things. A letter wrapped in butcher paper, five reales and a rapier sword. The reales were just like the two that he had found in his fatigues those many years ago.

He hefted the sword and felt the weight. It was gorgeous and still very sharp. No rust was on the blade and for some reason, no moisture had entered the chest.

He slowly opened the letter fearing that it would fall apart. The letter was in Englsih.

Santa Elena 1885

Vernon.

If you are reading this, it will mean that you have found me again. I told you to go back to the bowl when I last saw you.

I am giving you five reales and hope you will use them to complete the mission I am giving you, if it is at all possible.

I am leaving you the sword that your great great grandfather Jacob made and gave to me. I know swords are probably no longer used, as they are rare even as I write this. The sword served me for many years until I no longer needed to be the Queen of Swords.

I did not know you long, but know that I have missed you.

Look for the ramada. South side, eight inches below four inches from corner.

Be well. Live, Grow Stronger.

Maria Teresa Alvarado (Tessa)

A map was drawn on the back of the letter from the bowl to the Alvarado hacienda. Vernon took out a map of the area and overlaid the hand drawn map.

The next day he drove around the area and saw over the grapevines, a ramada set back off the rode a mile. He turned onto a dirt road and followed it until he found the ramada.

Several cars were parked at the ramada and a lady of Spanish descent was having an argument with an older man. Vernon got out of the car and walked to the ramada. Vernon guessed her age to be in the mid sixties.

"Look," said the man to the woman. "I have offered you a fair price for this land. Why won’t you sell it to me?"

"Mister Montoya, I have told you repeatedly that I can not sell the land for two more years."

"Why not?"

"My great grandmother put in her will that the land was not to be sold until the year 2000. Only one person could buy it up until then."

"Who would that be?" asked Montoya.

"I don’t know his name but my great grandmother said that she had given the person a letter and some other information that he would show me. Then I would know."

The old lady looked to where Vernon was standing, looking at the ramada.

"May I help you young man?" asked the woman.

"I am sorry for the intrusion. I recently came upon a letter addressed to me that said I should find this ramada," replied Vernon.

"Was a letter the only thing you received?" asked the woman.

"No. Five reales and a sword my great great grandfather made," replied Vernon.

"What is your name young man?" she asked.

"Vernon Bigelow."

"May I have the five reales?" she asked.

Vernon was curious but handed the reales over to the woman.

"Vernon Bigelow, you are now the owner of the Alvarado Vineyards," she smiled.

"What?" yelled Montoya.

"I don’t understand," said Vernon.

"My great grandmother left me a letter. Her name was Maria Teresa Alvarado and she wrote that a man with the initial VB would some day arrive bearing a sword and five reales that she had given him. You are that man and the rancho is yours."

"You can’t do this," shouted Montoya.

"Yes I can, now Mister Montoya please leave before I have you arrested for trespassing," replied the woman.

A police car that drove up drew their attention. Out stepped a man in his fifties wearing the badge of a Deputy Sheriff.

"Marta, is there a problem?" asked the Deputy.

"No problem, Robert. Mister Bigelow is now the owner of the Alvarado Vineyards, much to Mister Montoya’s dismay," she chuckled.

‘Vernon Bigelow, please meet Robert Helm, my cousin. Do you remember the story we were told as children, bout the man from the future? This is the man Great Grandma Tessa told us to expect. Forgive me Vernon, I am Marta Alvarado."

Montoya walked off disgusted and got into his car and drove away.

Marta laughed. "The Montoya family has been trying to get their hands on this property since Tessa Alvarado first inherited it in 1819."

"Marta, there is something I must check out, will you help me?" asked Vernon.

"Certainly," she replied.

Vernon went to the south side and dug down eight inches. He found a catch and pulled it. Part of the concrete slab under the ramada slid back to show a stairway.

"Deputy may I borrow your flashlight?"

Robert handed the light to Vernon as he descended the stairs. They were in a wine cellar. Vernon looked along the wall to find one bottle of wine in the rack. He pulled on it and the wall shifted. Flashing the light into the room, they were shocked to find furniture and other heirlooms hidden in the secret room. Against one wall were a black costume and a sword. Next to it was an American soldier’s helmet.

"What is all this?" asked Robert.

"Maria Teresa Alvarado was the Queen of Swords. That you probably knew already. That helmet is the one I left when I returned to the Twentieth Century."

"That is not possible," said Marta.

"We all came in here together. If you will look inside the helmet, you will find my name written in the liner.

Robert picked up the helmet and flashed the light inside. "I remember you," said the Deputy. "I found you against a tree completely dazed. We thought you were a little crazy. How did you explain getting shot by a musket?"

"Helm, Yes I remember. You’re the one who got me on the chopper. I just passed it off as if the VC were using old weapons. It is a small world, isn’t it? You know Tessa gave me something before I got transported back," he said as he pulled out the chain around his neck. It was a reales.

"What are you going to do know that you own the rancho?" asked Marta.

"I noticed that this area around the ramada is bare. I am going to rebuild the Alvarado hacienda exactly like it was in 1819."

"How are you going to do that? It’s been thirty years since you saw it," said Robert.

Vernon grinned and pulled out an envelope from his pocket. He showed it to Marta and Robert.

"I had my camera with me so I took pictures."

Marta and Robert were astounded.

"Would you like to see Tessa Alvarado? Here," he said handing the pictures of Tessa and Marta.

"She looks like my mother," Marta look at Tessa’s picture.

"Marta, look at the other picture. This is Marta?" asked Robert.

Vernon nodded.

"She looks like my mother. Tessa’s daughter married Marta’s son, which is how we became cousins."

Vernon sat in the parlor and looked at the portrait of Maria Teresa Alvarado as it hung on the left side of the fireplace. On the right side was a portrait of her father. Vernon flipped on the TV to watch the New Year’s Eve celebration ushering in the year 2001.

Vernon closed his eyes and remembered writing the story of the Queen of Swords and selling it to a man whose name sounded like a German tank. Vernon popped in a VCR tape of the show and smiled as he watched the actress. He took out the photo that he had snapped of Tessa as the Queen. They were identical.

A movement on his left caught his eye. He watched as a young woman in black wearing a mask and carrying a sword sat down.

"You did good, Vernon," she said.

"Thanks Tessa, I hoped you would like it," he smiled. "The legend of the Queen of Swords will live on.

He looked at another picture of Tessa and him together. "No one has ever seen this photo. They would never believe it."

"I believe it. That’s what counts," she replied.

The Queen removed her mask and stood up. She offered her hand to Vernon, which he took.

"Are you ready to come with me?" she asked.

"Lead on MacDuff," he replied standing up. The two walked to the parlor door. They paused and looked back at Vernon sitting in the chair, holding the picture.

"It was nice of you to leave the hacienda to Robert."

"After Marta passed away last year without any other family, it seemed the right thing to do. I knew I was dying from complications from Agent Orange and I wanted to defeat Montoya one more time," he grinned at the thought of how Montoya would react when he found out.

"Come, we have some old friends to see," said Tessa as they turned to see Doctor Robert Helm and Marta.

The two walked out of the parlor, joined the others and faded away.

The End