Time Patrol 2

Brave to Be a King

by Poul Anderson

• Release: August 1959
• Format: Novelette
• Genre: Science Fiction
• Audience: Adults
• Content: Definite Time Travel
• Original Language: English

In the case of a missing man, you were not required to search for him just because a record somewhere said you had done so. But how else would you stand a chance of finding him? You might possibly go back and thereby change events so that you did find him after all—in which case the report you filed would “always” have recorded your success, and you alone would know the “former” truth.

VARIANTS

1 English variant

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

• Ancient History (3000 BC to AD 476: Bronze/Iron Ages): sixth century B. C.
• Circa AD 1950 to 1959: mid-20th century

Timeline Models

• Multiple Naive Timelines: The patrolmen discuss rewriting time, but details of how things work are swept under the Persian carpet.
• Remembering Different Timelines: Agents who effect changes remember the pre-change timeline.
• Resilient Timeline: The small differences damp out in days or years, negative feedback.
• Pruned Timeline: After the agents save baby Cyrus, it is as if the timeline with Denison as Cyrus had never existed. It’s been a long time, even if it never happened.

Time Travel Methods

• Time Fliers: time hoppers

Themes

• Save “Jimmy”!: Manse aims to save his best bud, Denison.
• Traveler Becomes a God, Royalty, Wizard, etc.: Denison becomes Cyrus the Great
• Traveler Becomes Historical Figure: Cyrus the Great

Real-World Tags

• Cassandane
• Croesus
• Cyrus the Great
• First Persian Empire
• Harpagus

Groupings

• Cited in Paradoxes of Time Travel by Rayn Wasserrman ()
• Cited in Worlds Enough and Time, edited by Gary Westfahl ()
• Fiction (France) (periodical): #74, January 1960
• The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (periodical): August 1959
• Time Patrol (story series): 2
• Urania (periodical): #255–257, 7 May 1961 to 4 June 1961

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

1. From New York City [?], mid-20th century ⋙ to ancient Persia, 542 B.C.. Note: Manse goes to a period 16 years after Denison’s disappearance, hoping to find clues.
2. From 542 B.C., a short time after Manse’s arrival ⋙ to back to the night Manse left Denison and went into the hills.
3. From that same night ⋙ to 578 B.C.. Note: Both Manse and Denison go back to save the real Cyrus as a baby.
4. From an unknown time ⋙ to the winter solstice, 542 B.C.. Note: Manse and Denison jump forward to see that Cyrus is okay as an adult king.
5. From an unknown time ⋙ to New York City [?], mid-20th century. Note: Manse and Denison return!