Time-Traveling Viking
As time machines go, it was crude. Made of wood and leather straps, and a few bits of precious iron, it was not the sophisticated time vehicle of centuries hence. But the fact that it was devised by a Viking was remarkable enough.
Olof set the primitive dial to 399 B.C. He meant to go back to the time of Socrates, and kill him. He didn’t really know why. He’d heard the monks talk about Socrates, and that seemed reason enough.
But when he arrived, Socrates was already dead, an empty cup of hemlock at his side. Olof stabbed several of the mourning disciples, stole the cup, and headed off into the future. It had been a good day.