Benjamin Bathurst, a
British diplomat, disappears while staying at an
inn in
Prussia. Piper describes Bathurst in the story as "a rather stout gentleman, of past middle age" (although the real Bathurst was only 25 years old at the time of his disappearance). This story posits that Bathurst slipped into a
parallel universe. This event was referenced in the
Paratime story "Police Operation", also written by Piper. The
point of divergence from our history is the
Battle of Quebec on December 31, 1775, in which
Benedict Arnold is killed instead of merely wounded, leading to the victory of
British General
John Burgoyne over his American counterpart
Horatio Gates at the
Battles of Saratoga on September 19 and October 7, 1777. Consequently, the
American Revolution is eventually crushed while the
French Revolution is a total failure and there were no
Napoleonic Wars. The alternate Bathurst served as the lieutenant governor of the
Crown Colony of Georgia.
Napoleon Bonaparte is a colonel in the
French Army who is considered a brilliant tactician and is completely loyal to the
Bourbon Monarchy.
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord has remained in ecclesiastical orders and risen to become a
Catholic Cardinal as well as
Louis XVI's
Chief Minister.
George Washington was killed in battle at
Doylestown, Pennsylvania during the
short-lived rebellion of the colonies in
British North America. Moreover,
Thomas Jefferson - the author of the American rebels'
Declaration of Philadelphia - fled to
Havana and eventually died in the
Principality of Liechtenstein several years prior to 1809, while
James Madison is in exile in
Switzerland. The Bathurst from our timeline is judged to be either insane, or a spy, and imprisoned. He attempts to escape, but is fatally shot. There was also a theory that he was his counterpart's half-brother. However, it is noted that there is no evidence to support this. Bathurst's diplomatic documents are read by a high ranking British diplomat at the Prussian Court, with the title "
Minister". He is amused by Talleyrand's role as Bonaparte's advisor and
éminence grise, a role that he finds plausible. However, he is especially puzzled by references to a British general named "
Wellington." In the final line of the story, the British Minister is revealed to be Sir Arthur Wellesley - known in our reality as the Duke of Wellington. He attained the title by way of his victories in the Napoleonic Wars, which never took place in this universe. ==Reception==