Free Asher's Dilemma by Coleen Kwan

called on you yesterday.”
    His mouth gaped in disbelief. “Minerva, I—”
    “You must have known who she was from the moment you first saw her.” Minerva’s indignation mounted. “Yet you were willing for me to remain in ignorance.”
    “How did you—”
    “I followed her after she left here yesterday, and I called on her.”
    “What? Blast it!” Uttering a groan, Asher rolled his eyes skyward. “I never wanted you to meet Mrs. Nemo. She can only do you harm.”
    Minerva’s ire stuttered. How strange that both Ashers held the same opinion of her mother. “Why do you meet with her then if you feel that way?”
    His guarded expression returned. “I’m afraid I cannot discuss that with you.”
    She huffed in exasperation. “In any case, that’s not why I’m here. I’m here because of that.” She pointed at the sedan chair contraption. “I know all about it. It’s not a perpetual motion machine, but something much more powerful. A chronometrical conveyance, isn’t that what you call it?”
    Asher’s face blanched until he appeared carved from stone. “ Who told you?”
    The explosive tone triggered a flutter of alarm in her stomach. “I’ll tell you in a minute, but first, have you considered the potential dangers of your device? Have you thought about the havoc you might wreak on unsuspecting innocents if unscrupulous people travelled back in time and meddled with history? Because the person who told me all about your machine has. He has witnessed firsthand the outcome of your invention, and he’s charged me to give you this simple message—you must destroy your chronometrical conveyance, destroy it forever and never think about building it again.”
    * * *
     
    From his vantage point just outside the workshop door, the other Asher had a narrow but clear view of the two people inside. They were too engrossed with each other to notice him. Minerva was partially turned away from him, but it was the person to whom she was speaking who claimed all Asher’s attention.
    He should not even be here. This was uncharted territory, and he had no idea what laws of the universe he might be breaking by looking at another version of himself. But Minerva’s fainting spell just outside the house had alarmed him more than he could admit. So ten minutes after she’d entered the house, he’d followed. Cheeves had been unable to conceal his bafflement at seeing his apparent master at the door, but Asher had brushed past him as if nothing were untoward, and the man hadn’t protested.
    Now, the present Asher, white-faced at Minerva’s message, let out a bark of humorless laughter. “Destroy my own work? Surely you jest.”
    “I’m deadly serious,” Minerva replied.
    “As am I. This is the greatest of all my inventions. Possibly it is the greatest invention of all time.” Asher’s eyes began to blaze as he swept his arm towards the chronometrical conveyance. “Can you imagine what man could do with such a device? The possibilities are endless, mind-boggling!”
    Asher of the future suppressed a crushing groan. Such hubris. How it stung to recognize that familiar trait in him. He wanted to stride over to the fellow, grab him by his shirt front and shake some sense into him. Oh, he’d been so arrogant, so foolish.
    Minerva was looking dismayed. “I know how upsetting this must be for you. You’re such a brilliant inventor, but—but you’ll invent other things.”
    “Nothing remotely as remarkable as this.” Asher harrumphed in disgust. “And you want me to destroy it on a mere whim? On the say-so of some mysterious stranger?”
    “Not a stranger at all.” Minerva moved towards him. “On the contrary, someone who is very familiar with you.” She paused, pulled herself upright. “This message comes from you. From Asher Quigley. Only, he is from the future. Eight months in the future, to be precise.”
    Asher stared at her, his nostrils flaring. “Now you are surely jesting.”
    “Why is it so