"He Walked Around the Horses" is a science fiction short story by American writer

H. Beam Piper Henry Beam Piper (March 23, 1904 – ) was an American science fiction writer. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alt ...

. It is initially based on the true story of diplomat Benjamin Bathurst, who mysteriously disappeared in 1809. It was first published in the April 1948 issue of ''

Astounding Science Fiction ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

'' magazine (now ''Analog''). The story is told in

epistolary Epistolary means "in the form of a letter or letters", and may refer to: * Epistolary ( la, epistolarium), a Christian liturgical book containing set readings for church services from the New Testament Epistles * Epistolary novel * Epistolary poem ...

style, as a series of reports, statements and memoranda by various government, army and police officials, and inn servants, stating what they know of the matter.

Plot

Benjamin Bathurst, a British

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

, 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 Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

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 The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion ...

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 Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

is a colonel in the French Army who is considered a brilliant tactician and is completely loyal to the

Bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...

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 George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

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 Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarch ...

several years prior to 1809, while James Madison is in exile in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. 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 officer. 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 officer is revealed to be

Sir Arthur Wellesley Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...

- 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

Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American science-fiction writer, editor, and fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first published work, the 1937 poem "Elegy to a Dead Satelli ...

noted that Piper "first attracted attention" for having written "He Walked Around the Horses".H. Beam Piper
by

, at ''The Way the Future Blogs''; published January 10, 2010; retrieved November 19, 2018 The '' Los Angeles Review of Books'' called it "classic".Blowing His Horn: The Twisted Fiction of Sarban
by Paul StJohn Mackintosh, at the '' Los Angeles Review of Books''; published December 7, 2016; retrieved November 19, 2018 In his 2014 biography of Piper,

John F. Carr John Francis Carr (born December 25, 1944) is an American science fiction editor and writer as well as the executor of the literary estate of H. Beam Piper. Career Carr was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in San Diego, California ...

reported being told by Jerry Pournelle that Piper had claimed "He Walked Around the Horses" was a true story.H. Beam Piper: A Biography
by

(chapter 20: "Piper's History of the Future"); published January 28, 2014 by

McFarland & Company McFarland & Company, Inc., is an American independent book publisher based in Jefferson, North Carolina, that specializes in academic and reference works, as well as general-interest adult nonfiction. Its president is Rhonda Herman. Its former ...

References

External links

* {{isfdb title, 56179 1948 short stories Science fiction short stories Short stories by H. Beam Piper Alternate history short stories Works originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact Cultural depictions of Benedict Arnold Cultural depictions of Thomas Jefferson Cultural depictions of Louis XVI Cultural depictions of James Madison Cultural depictions of Napoleon Cultural depictions of George Washington Cultural depictions of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Fiction set in 1809