Lou Muller

Lou Muller was a time traveller from 2059 AD. He was a short, blondish man.

He and his partner Mark Alvarez made a living by clandestinely retrieving lost books from the past while avoiding any trail that the Time Patrol might pick up. He was an expert in the second century Roman Empire and did the detective work to track down works of interest and negotiated with the locals to purchase them.

During one trip to 160 AD and the Empire, Muller picked up a rumour that someone in the town of Vesunna in Aquitaine had a copy of Sophokles' Aleadai. They followed up and meet with Clodius Eprius privately in his villa. After supper, Muller asked and Eprius confirmed this was so. He agreed to show them his copy. Muller read through it and confirmed it was genuine. He then offered seventy-five aurei which was many times the going rate for even a rare book.

Eprius agreed to sell it but first wish to have a copy made since it was a family heirloom. This was unacceptable since it would leave a trail that the Time Patrol might pick up. Muller began to return the scroll but Alvarez stopped him and attempted to steal it. Eprius resisted, striking Alvarez a hard blow with his stout walking stick. While Eprius turned his attention to Muller, Alvarez recovered, drew a revolver and shot Eprius dead.

Muller was horrified but Alvarez said that, with the way Eprius was shouting, he had no choice. As they left the villa with the scroll, Alvarez reminded him that they had researched Eprius and that his death would not leave any downtime clues. Muller then objected that a bullet would be clue enough. Alvarez replied that the local yokels wouldn't understand it and would call it the wrath of the gods and forget about it. All they had to do was sit tight for three weeks for their timer to recharge and then they would be rich.

Muller acquiesce but then realized that they left the purse of gold aurei behind. Alvarez told him to relax, it had only cost them thirty credits and that it would only confuse the issue for the locals. They arrived at their inn prepared to wait it out.