CLARA was looking about the house Jennifer and Calpurnia when she peered out into the pool area. The shed that housed the DeLorean had it’s door opened. Immediately, she went out to the shed and peered in. The DeLorean was gone. Clara reached into the stole she was wearing and produced the infra-red visor used to track the DeLorean when it was cloaked. But that too told her that the DeLorean was gone. Recalling that shortly after the flux capacitor in the car was fixed, Doc installed a homing device in the DeLorean and had it locked in on the remote control. Clara went back to the guestroom and picked up the remote. On it was a map of the world. A map capable of zooming in at a certain location and zooming out to show the entire world. Pushing a button a small dot appeared. Clara zoomed in on it until it showed where the DeLorean is. It was across the Tiber. Immediately, she left the house.
++++++
After teaching her to parallel park, Jennifer told Calpurnia “Now try to pull out. First look into the rear view mirror to see if there any cars coming.”
“These ‘cars’ do not exist in my time.” insisted Calpurnia.
“Well then, just pretend.” said Jennifer.
Calpurnia did. After pulling out, Calpurnia started to drive when there was someone standing there on the road. It was Clara! And she was wearing the visor. She also had the remote with her.
“Uh oh.” said Jennifer, “Stop the car.” Calpurnia did. It was a quick jolt. “Not that fast.” said Jennifer.
Meanwhile, Clara was seen approaching the car. Apparently she used the remote to turn off the cloaking device. After she knocked, Jennifer had Calpurnia open the window.
Clara was steamed. “Jennifer.” she asled, “Why are you teaching Calpurnia how to drive?”
“Because she wanted too.” said Jennifer.
“It was my fault.” said Calpurnia, “I wanted Jennifer to get her mind off of McFlius. So I thought having her to teach me how to drive would do it.”
“Calpurnia.” said Clara, “What are you going to do with such knowledge like that? The automobile will not be in existence for the next nearly two-thousand years and you’ll be long gone by then.”
“At least I became the world’s first car driver.” said Calpurnia, “Too bad nobody will ever hear about. I will always be known as the wife of Julius Caesar.”
“Aright Calpurnia.” said Clara, “Get out and get into the back. I’m driving back and I’m taking the keys with me.”
Calpurnia did. After Clara got in on the driver’s seat, the car lifted off the ground and flew back to Rome and Caesar’s house.
++++++
It was a hassle getting back to the house in broad daylight. When they were overhead they saw that some of the servants in the back yard.
“I thought I told them not to come into the back yard.” said Calpurnia.
Just then, Clara remembered something. “We had trouble finding you and Jennifer and the last thing I heard was a search was organized.”
“Well we’re going to end that search right now.” said Calpurnia, “Clara set the chariot-I-mean car over there.”
“Are you sure?” asked Clara.
“Yes. I’m sure.” said Calpurnia, “I’m going to get out and dismiss everyone.” Immediately, Clara set the DeLorean down in the spot of the back yard that Calpurnia indicated. Once done, Calpurnia said “Alright Jennifer. Let me out. But get out very stealth fully.” Jennifer did what Calpurnia said. Once she got out, Calpurnia approached the servants saying “I thought I dismissed you all from this place.”
The servants turned to see their mistress appear out of nowhere.
“Mistress.” cried out one of them, “Thank the gods that you are safe.”
Lorrainia came running out and embraced her mistress as if she was welcoming home an old friend.
“Mistress.” she said “We were so worried about you.”
“Don’t be.” said Calpurnia.
Just then, McFlius who was among one of the servants searching for his mistress spoke up.
“Where is Jennifer?”
Calpurnia turned to say to him and said “McFlius, we need to talk.”
“Where is she?” demanded McFlius.
“McFlius, please.” said Lorrainia, “That’s our mistress you’re questioning.”
Meanwhile in the DeLorean, Jennifer witnessing this started to get out.
“Jennifer.” asked Clara, “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got to tell McFlius that I’m fine.” said Jennifer.
“Jennifer.” said Clara, “You stay in here. Let Calpurnia handle it”
However, Clara’s pleas fell on deaf ears.
Jennifer got out and said “I’m alright, McFlius.”
“Jennifer.” said McFlius, “Thank the gods that you are.”
“Jennifer.” said Calpurnia, “I told you…” then looking around and seeing the servants watching this, she said “Never mind. McFlius, you and the rest of the servants go back into the house. I want a private chat with Jennifer. Don’t worry, we’ll have our discussion afterwords.”
McFlius and the servants bowed and left.
Once they were gone, Calpurnia turned to Jennifer asking “What are you doing out here?”
“Well, you didn’t say anything about staying in the car.” said Jennifer as Clara got out.
“It doesn’t matter now.” said Calpurnia, “Let’s go get the time chariot and roll it back into hiding.”
At once they went back to the DeLorean to wheel it back into the shack.
++++++
Once inside, McFlius ran into Priscilla who said “I thought I wanted you to stay away from that shepherdess.”
“But Priscilla.” said McFlius, “I was worried about her…”
“I don’t want to hear your explanations.” said Priscilla. She turned to leave only to be intercepted by Lorrainia.
“Priscilla.” she asked, “What are you doing?”
“Unhand me, Lorrainia.” insisted Priscilla, “I’m leaving.”
“You can’t leave.” said Lorrainia, “You are bound to this house for life. What has McFlius done to upset you?”
“He’s flirting with that shepherdess.” said Priscilla.
Lorrainia turned to McFlius and said “McFlius!”
“But I’ve got eyes for you, Priscilla.” said McFlius.
Priscilla would hear none of it. Immediately, she went off to her room. Just then, Calpurnia, Clara and Jennifer came in.
“What’s going on?” asked Calpurnia.
“Mistress.” said Lorrainia, “Priscilla saw McFlius and Jennifer together and got upset.”
“Where is she?” asked Calpurnia.
“She headed off to her room.” said Lorrainia.
“Very well.” said Calpurnia, “I’ll go talk to her. McFlius, you’re with me.”
“Yes mistress.” said McFlius and the two went off the Priscilla’s room.
++++++
Priscilla was packing her things when there was a knock on the door.
“Priscilla.”
She recognized the voice as that of her mistress. Immediately, she went to the door to open it. It was Calpurnia who knocked. And she had McFlius with her.
“Mistress.” said Priscilla bowing to her.
“As you were.” said Calpurnia, “Priscilla, I understand that there is resentment about McFlius’s association with one of the shepherdesses who rescued me. Is this true?”
“It is.” said Priscilla, “He seems to be in love with her.”
“You know that’s not possible.” said Calpurnia, “He is betrothed to you.”
“An arranged betrothal.” said Priscilla, “Did you or your late husband ever asked if we had chosen to fall in love with each other freely?”
“Priscilla listen to me.” said Calpurnia, “I have McFlius here and I’m going to talk to him about one of my rescuers.”
“Forget it.” said Priscilla, “I’m going.”
“Priscilla, you can’t.” said Calpurnia, “I forbid it.”
“You can’t forbid me to break off an engagement.” said Priscilla.
“I must.” said Calpurnia, “Don’t ask me why, but I must.”
“But I’m asking.”
“Just say that the future has something to do with it.”
“Listen! You’re only Caesar’s widow. You’re not Eros nor are you Aphrodite. If McFlius wants that shepherdess he can have her. I release him to her.”
At that, she picked up her bags and left.
Calpurnia turned to McFlius and said “See what you did?”
McFlius was speechless.
++++++
Clara was busy scolding Jennifer about her involvement with McFlius and giving Calpurnia driving lessons when one of the servants came through. That servant paused for a minute before turning to face the two time travelers.
She approached Jennifer and said “You want him? You could have him.”
Jennifer looked at her and said “You’re McFlius’s fiancé.”
“Correct, shepherdess.” said the girl.
Jennifer realizing the damage she caused with her involvement with McFlius said “Listen, I didn’t mean to break up your romance with McFlius, honest. Just go back and give him another chance.”
“It’s too late for that.” said the girl. She turned and left.
Jennifer stood and started to cry as Clara put her arms around her for comfort.
+++++++
Priscilla was barely on the street when a voice was heard.
“Priscilla.”
She turned to see who it was. It was the soothsayer who on the Lupercal had warned Julius Caesar about the Ides of March.
“Soothsayer.” she asked, “What do you want with me?”
“To go back and give McFlius a second chance.” said the soothsayer.
“Never.” said Priscilla, “I gave him a second chance and he blew it.”
“Priscilla.” said the soothsayer, “Do you remember what happened on the eve of the Ides of March?”
Priscilla racked her brains and said “I remember the incident in which Calpurnia’s bath was interrupted when this stranger came in on a chariot and landed in the pool with her.”
“Do you know who he was?” asked the soothsayer.
“Charlton Heston.” said Priscilla, “And he was here yesterday too.”
“Don’t be certain.” said the soothsayer, “If you do not go back and fall in love with McFlius again, there will be no Charlton Heston to disrupt Calpurnia’s bath.”
“What are you talking about?” demanded Priscilla.
“Don’t make it difficult than it is.” said the soothsayer, “It was not just Caesar or Calpurnia that arranged your engagement with McFlius, it was destiny. A destiny that sees you bearing McFlius a son who in turn shall father children who themselves shall be parents too. One such child shall begin a long line of descendents until one day a decendant of McFlius shall meet a descendant of Lorrainia and fall in love. They will have children and one of them will have the name Charlton Heston. But please go back and make it happen. The future depends on it.”
“Soothsayer.” said Priscilla, “It doesn’t make any sense. You’re talking like Heston was from the future but that’s not possible.”
“In two thousand years hence,” said the soothsayer, “it shall be. But please go back and make it possible but tell no one what I said.”
Priscilla pondered this. Then, she said “Alright.”
She relented on her anger towards McFlius and went back to the house.