...After a Few Words...

"...After a Few Words..." by Randall Garrett is a science fiction story that mixes the past with a look at future tech. It’s about a television producer named Robert Bowen who tries out a virtual reality helmet that sends him back to the Crusades. He lands in a huge battle with King Richard, fighting alongside a brave knight, Sir Robert de Bouain. As Bowen gets caught up in the war, the story talks about big ideas like honor and loyalty. But it also points out how war can be sold for money. Bowen realizes the ads in the simulation are better than the actual product, which makes it a statement about how real advertising is, especially when it messes with real life events.