He heard Tomorrow think back to him, “It is.”
CHAPTER 15
“She wasn’t what I expected. She was more. The one we called Adam had taught her many things.” -- from the Book of Venetia
“Okay you two. Stop. Get something to eat, we’re going to the hillside outside of town. Which one of you wants to go first?”
Both of them raised their hands immediately.
“Ok, just remember whoever goes first will be alone for a while and has to not move!”
Both of them lowered their hands.
“Well one of you has to go first. So are boys stronger or are girls stronger?”
Conan made a raspberry sound with is lips. “Everyone knows boys are stronger!”
Amy, looked at him sideways, “I think girls are because we are more patient and we don’t have to protect things down there.”
Surprised at that response, Tomorrow replies, “Okay we’ll throw the rabbit in the air. If Fluffy lands on his head, then the boy goes first. If he lands on his butt, the girl goes first.”
Odd topic Conan asks, “When is that man coming back. He hasn’t been here in a long time.”
Tomorrow refocuses, “What man?”
Amy replies, “Your boyfriend!”
Conan laughs awkwardly.
Tomorrow looks at the two of them, “Why do you ask? I’m surprised you even remember him. That was a long time ago.”
Amy says, “But you still think about him. When you’re not sneaking out of here to do whatever it is you’re doing.”
Tomorrow looks at Amy. “I don’t have to sneak anywhere. When I am not working with the two of you I have the right to go where I please.”
Conan adds, “That’s not what it sounds like to us. You sound sneaky when you are going somewhere else.”
Tomorrow ignores both of them and tosses the rabbit into the air. It lands flat on it’s face. She groans slightly to herself. “Okay Conan, come here, but remember you have to stay where we land until I come back with your cousin. Do you understand?”
Conan murmurs, “Uh huh.”
Tomorrow groans to herself inwardly again and then as he reaches out she touches his hand and clicks.
They appear on the hill above the city. “You sit here Conan. Do not move. Wait.” Then she clicks back, hoods out her hand to Amy and Amy walks toward her giggling.
“Do you want to take bets on if he’s there by the time we get there?” Amy asks.
“No. And it’s not funny.” Tomorrow clicks and of course, Conan has already wandered. Amy frees her hand of Tomorrow’s and clicks.
Then Tomorrow looks up and sees Conan dragging his cousin by the hair, “I knew she was going to do that.” Then Amy reaches up, grabs her cousins arm and they both click away again. Then they appear in front of her, Conan still gripping her hair. Tomorrow quickly reaches out with a hand around Amy’s wrist as she looks at Conan. “Why would she want to get away? What is there to get away from, or too for that matter?”
“She wants to see the world. Like you did. But she can’t go very far. I can go further.” Conan announces and let’s go of his cousin’s hair. He looks at Amy and says, “I am trying to look out for you. You are foolish some times and that’s what boys do. They look out for girls.”
Tomorrow thinks then says, “Okay, if I take you further, can you promise to say with me, BOTH of you?”
They look up and nod.
Tomorrow says, “Okay then, choose. Do you want to go someplace good or someplace bad?
The cousins look up at her as if it’s an odd question and then ponder it.
Then Conan announces, “I have to pee.”
Tomorrow looks at him and says, all right, well then go over there and take care of it.
Conan begins to walk off in the direction she pointed to and then she hears Amy say, “I do too.”
“Umm, Okay.” Tomorrow looks behind her and points, “You can go over there.”
Then Conan says, “Why do I have this and she has a hole?”
Tomorrow, not at all expecting the question looks at Conan, “What do you mean?”
Conan asks, “If I put this into her, would we make babies?”
Tomorrow becoming entirely flustered answers, “No. Well, yes, but not with your cousin. You have to find your own girl and she has to find her own boy. Cousins don’t have babies together or even try.”
Conan responds, “But I don’t know any other girls.”
“You will when it’s time.” Tomorrow answers.
Amy turns her head and asks Tomorrow, “When will it be time?”
Tomorrow answers swiftly trying to stay ahead of the barrage of questions she supposes every child wonders around their age. “No one knows for sure. I would say in a few years, judging by your ages now.” Then she stops cold. She does the math in her head. They are about twelve, but they were conceived before she was born. That would mean they should be about her age, but they weren’t. They were clearly younger. Her mind reeled for a moment and she could hear the kinds asking her questions, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. Then she remembered something Adam had said to her. In fact two things: Time is complicated. And he also said, “I can only travel within my own lifetime now.”
She yelled at the kids, pull your britches up, let’s go! Amy, I’ll take you first. Trust me when I say don’t move. It’s a very deadly place. I know, I’ve been there.”
Tomorrow walked over to Amy, grabbed her hand and she clicked. She could see the place and the time in her mind, so she thought she might be able to do this, but she wasn’t sure. She considered that she might be foolish to put Amy at risk, but it was too late. As she appeared on the edge of the cliff, she looked out and saw herself and Adam. Quickly she clicked back and arrived with Conan. Then she looked down and saw Adam was peeing. Then she caught it. He looked directly at her and waved. Her mind began reeling as she considered the fact that Adam knew then. She calmed herself enough to realize she had just made her first time jump. Then she heard Amy behind her.
“Isn’t that you down there? You look younger.”
Tomorrow turned to look at herself looking up between Adam’s leg’s. She blushed at her actions as a young woman. He had changed her. Made her very different. She was older now. She had been raising the kids for years. Then she herd Conan behind her.
“I’m hungry, can we go back now, it’s hot here.”
Tomorrow wanted to answer, “Try rattlesnake!” But instead she took a breath and said, “Okay, Amy your first. Conan, don’t move. I promise you - you will regret it if you do.”
The way she said it had more of an effect on him than she expected. She knew he had just relieved himself before they clicked here, but apparently he wasn’t done. She looked at his pants and realized she had to take him first. She turned to Amy, but saw the same dilemma. “Okay, Amy concentrate on my thoughts and grab your cousin’s hand, we’re going to try something.” Tomorrow realized she couldn’t organize her thoughts well and started to let go when she felt Amy tug at her hand.
“I know what you are trying to do. I’ll hold onto Conan.”
Tomorrow started to reconsider but instead she just clicked. Her theory worked. Amy could listen clearly. While she couldn’t click very far, let alone time, she could do it with help. She had been the one to move Conan with her.
Tomorrow then snapped into action. “Okay, kids. Get out of those wet clothes and into a bath. When you are done come give me a hug. I think we have had enough adventure for today.”
Both of the cousins nodded and began to strip. Tomorrow spoke up, “I meant in your own quarters. Actually, whatever, just hand me your clothes so I can go wash them.”
Not too long after she set up the washed clothes to dry and set out their night clothes on their beds, they walked back into the classroom, still not wearing any clothes, but soaking wet. They walked towards her and each of them hugged her.
Tomorrow looked at them, “Did you two walk down the halls like that?”
They looked at her and nodded.
“Remember I said you’re going to change soon. It is no longer okay to walk around without clothes. Understood?”
They both nodded.
Tomorrow added, “It’s not because you two are different, but it’s why you see adults wearing clothes. Understand?”
The two cousins looked at each other and then back to Tomorrow and nodded.
“Sleep well you two. I hope you had fun today.” Tomorrow said as she watched their faces and they simply nodded again. Then they ran off to their own rooms and she stood to head towards hers with a head full of things to think about. As she was closing the door to the classroom she thought to herself, “Well at least they will listen to me better now.” Then she clicked into her own bed and stared up at the ceiling for a while trying to unravel what it was Adam had planned and why. Then she thought of the things she has been doing in her spare time and noted that if the children had figured out that she was keeping a secret, it was possible others, without their rudimentary ability to hear her, may also be aware of what she was doing.
She started to fall asleep, but she couldn’t stop thinking about those topics. She sat up, wrapped a robe around herself and clicked down to the common area and found the concierge. As she approached eh smiled at her, as was clearly one of the reasons he held his position. She wondered what he was really thinking about her approaching him so late with only a robe on. “I’m told news comes here in writing. I would like one of those things sent to my room in the morning, please.” The concierge made a note and bowed to her. As she walked away she rounded the corner and clicked back to her bed.
Then she sat up again. She couldn’t read very well. Most of what she had learned she had learned from Adam only in situation where he had to explain what letters were and their basic sounds, so he could hand her a short note, usually a single word, at the most two, so that she could carry it with her to remember the tasks he had given her. Usually they were at the end of a long list which he audibly told her, but she did find the notes useful towards the end. The rest she had learned from tutors, such as herself who were assigned to teach her to read so she wouldn’t remain behind the kids too far in that rudimentary skill. While she could recognize words, she didn’t know all of them and there were few sentences she could make out as a whole. She considered asking the concierge to read to her, but decided on concealing her weakness until she overcame it.
Exhausted by all of the thoughts in her head, she start to fall asleep. Then she came to full consciousness one last time as she kissed the last pillow her Adam had slept on. That was so long ago, it no longer smelled like him. It smelled like everything else in her room, but it had become a habit.
CHAPTER 16
“He told me, to understand time and space, learn to use a bullwhip in thin air.” -- from the Book of Tomorrow
“Those were bog fish. Why did you click me out, I almost had one.” Tomorrow looked up at Adam wondering.
“Do you remember me showing you how a triggerfish has teeth and how aggressive they are?” Adam asked.
“Yes. They’re colorful, but I’ve seen what jerks they are to other fish.” Tomorrow answered.
“Ok, well those are called sharks. They eat fish too and people. In fact they are pretty efficient about it.”
“But I can click, Adam. I could have had one.” Tomorrow responds.
Adam laughs and out loud he says, “Great plan, Tomorrow. Bring something on the boat that can eat us.” He again laughs at her naiveté but stops himself and says, “They don’t taste good.”
Tomorrow asks, “So they taste like rats or bats?”
Adam smiles and says “No, tougher meat, like gator. It’s not fun to try to cook and it’s not fun to eat.”
“You’ve tried it?” She stares at the shark with hunger.
“Yes, really big fish. But with big teeth and the meat isn’t really worth the risk. Plus, your fishing method is a tad insane. I keep trying to show you how regular people do it, but you are determined to do it your way which puts you at risk. If you see one, you click back. Understood?”
CHAPTER 17
“She was seen as a hero. Most of us applauded her. Even Conan and I, and we knew her weaknesses.” -- from the Book of Amelia
She heard the knock and woke and went to the door. She opened it, but no one was there. She started to close it when she noticed a small stack of paper just on the other side of the threshold. She assumed this was how news was disseminated and why everyone else always knew the ‘goings on’ while she had to pick it up from their thoughts, randomly.
She picked it up and closed the door behind her. She went to look at the sun and realized she had a long time before the kids were to be in her classroom. She looked at the stack of paper, at first exhilarated, but then intimidated. She noted there were a lot of words. She thought back to something Adam had once said to her. “If a road looks long stop staring at it. Start walking. It gets longer the longer you stand still.” She still missed him, even though she tried not to think about him, it really didn’t work.
She noticed some words immediately. They were words she learned to read from her mother about the martyr. Savior. Help. Sent. She tried to concentrate on the words between. She couldn’t make them all out but she got the overall gist of the first page. It was talking about someone who was saving the people and helping them. She noted some of the examples and made out enough words to realize those were places she had been going. Then she realized. The people were calling her a savior. She thought about that. The things she did, she did in the name of Phillip, but she didn’t see his name at all in the first page. She turned the page and slowly made out the rest of the story.
After a while she got up and went to her window and looked up at the sun. She was late. She started to get dressed quickly to meet the kids and thought to herself, “If I can read that much, then it’s about time I start learning how to read time, like everyone else here does. They’ve been patient with me for too long. She started throwing on clothes as she considered who would be a good tutor for that. Then she clicked and was in the classroom. The children weren’t there, but Venetia and Tina were. She held her breath and looked at them.
Venetia, as usual, spoke first. “We are aware you scared our children.” She then went silent and Tomorrow looked at Tina who also kept her face without expression. She started to listen to their minds, but decided that would do her no good. She had no explanation for her actions and therefore knowing details of what they thought of them were inconsequential. She folded her hands behind her back and remained silent, awaiting the decision they had clearly both decided on.
Tina spoke next, “Thank you, Tomorrow. No one else was going to do it and they were becoming quite spoiled. We know it couldn’t have been easy for you.”
Venetia stood up and stepped forward and reached out her hand towards Tomorrow. “I owe you a great debt. We didn’t do all of this to have brats that felt like this was easy. They needed to learn that life can be hard. They are at a time when that starts to be a very real thing and we want them to deal with it appropriately and make good decisions. We want them to be more like their father and less caught up in the world and position now find ourselves in.”
Tomorrow tries to hide the look of shock on her face. Nit knowing how to react or what to say she blurts out, “But I am late. Who would you suggest to tutor me about time. I apologize for wasting yours. You must have been sitting her for a while waiting on me.”
Tina spoke next, “We don’t know that much about time. We assumed Renfield had taught you about time.”
Before she considers, Tomorrow answers, “Who?”
“Renfield, your lover. The one who brought you here to us.” Venetia says, eyes open wide as if Tomorrow is under the influence of some drug.
“Oh.” Tomorrow thinks back to him mentioning he was called many names. “I’m sorry. I knew him only as Adam. Why do you all call him Renfield?”
Tina and Venetia look at each other and they shrug at each other, but Venetia speaks, “He is the first of the Renfield’s. So most called him by that name.”
Tomorrow looks at Venetia and Tina, confused. “What do you mean the first? He had a mother and a father.”
They both nod, and Tina speaks, “But he was here before them. He is called Adam because he is the first man. You didn’t know that?”
Tomorrow looks at both of them. “No, not really. We spent years together, but I’m still learning a lot about him.”
Venetia speaks next. “We see. So did you mean being able to tell time from a clock?”
“Yes, I know a bit about time the other way you thought I meant.” Tomorrow states, but stands perfectly still.
Tina looks up at Tomorrow. “We understand now. Marla and James could teach you about that the best. James is good at explaining things, but overwhelming at times. Marla does a good job of keeping his explanations in check.”
Venetia adds, “We’ll ask them to come to your room. Today is a bonus day off for you. We sent the kids to begin training with the guard. It’s time for them to start learning that his doesn’t all come easy. You were the bridge to that and we want to thank you again.” At that they both got up and began to leave the room.
Tomorrow begins to add something but she decides on silence and clicks back to her room. She picks up with the news writing where she left off. She concentrates hard on sounding out the letters of the words she doesn’t know by sight and slowly begins to realize that when she says them out loud, she can tell what the word is. It’ slow, since she has to then go back to the beginning of a sentence and re-read it, but it keeps her excited at her progression. She hears a knock at her door and has the urge to hide the news on the papers, but then she realizes most people read them. It is not odd or different. She runs to the door to open it.
“So you’re Tomorrow! We’ve heard so much about you! I’m Marla, this is my husband James. Please excuse him, but you’ll get used to him.”
Tomorrow looks that the tall man standing next to her and notes the looks of aggravation at Marla for having added the least sentence. He holds out a hand. In his other is a thing with three pointers on it, all of different size, shape and one is a different color. She notes that it is round and recognizes it as a clock. She has seen them all around and noted people looking at them.
“Actually, this is really simple.” James states while motioning with his other hand wondering why she hasn’t invited them in to her room yet.
Tomorrow picks up on the cue and holds her hand out pointing to the small table. She notes there is only one chair. She excuses herself from her own room and runs down to a guard at the end of the hall. “Could you please do me a favor?” He looks at her, clearly wondering what the favor is she is going to ask. “I have guests and I need two more chairs.” The guard smiles and turns away from her moving rapidly. She stands there. She heard him in acceptance of his request, but she hopes he doesn’t make the situation more awkward than it already was. Shortly he returns with two very nicely carved chairs in his hands and walks past her toward her quarters, she follows and watched him set the hairs down at the doorway and then turn to her.
“My apologies, ma’am. We did intend to return these to you early in the morning, but our card game ran late last night. Please forgive us. We are very appreciative of your gratitude in lending them to us.” The saluted to Tomorrow and returns to his post.
Tomorrow smiled after him widely. When he was back at his post she mouthed to him, “Thank you!” He nodded and began staring straight ahead again. It made her think about fishing.
“I’m sorry. I want to thank the two of you for coming and teaching me. I learned to tell time by the sun, but it’s not the best method, I suppose.”
James began, “Actually, it is, but you would have to stare at it an awful long time to get accurate down to seconds. Whilst this device can do that. Except I predict that we will eventually realize we lose a whole day every 5 years or less.”
Marla puts a hand on James’s arm. He looks at her and then he states, “Oh. She’s right. We forgot to bring a calendar. If you don’t understand a calendar, than time is not as relevant.” Then James looks at the stack of news on the table and says, “This will do for a start. Where is your pen and paper, I can draw out the rest as we go along.”
Tomorrow looks at Marla who shrugs back at her. “I am not sure. I suppose they used that to keep tally of their card game.” Tomorrow stands and again runs through the door, the guard chuckles and watches her hand motion paper and a pen. Again he is off quickly.
He returns and runs back towards her and looks to her. He notices her face has gone rather blank and he raises his voice, “Sorry m’lady, almost forgot. We used this to keep score of the dart game. Please forgive us. We are very gracious that you are so kind to lend us your things.” Then he ran back into position while Tomorrow entered the room and handed the pen and paper to James.
As James rattles on about days and years she looks at Marla understanding what she meant about forgiving him. But then he starts discussing months. Tomorrow sits up and says, “Why do they not have the same number of days? There’d twelve of them, why not divide them evenly?”
James looks at her, and says, “Well for one they don’t’ divide evenly. The closest you could get, mathematically would be to add another day, but not every year. But...”
Tomorrow interrupted him, “Then why 12 months?”
James begins again, “Well initially the way most things were broken down was in units of ten. I suppose that is because we have ten fingers. So it was easy to count with fingers. Apparently many years ago there were leaders, Augustus and Julius, hence the addition of two more months. Although, I think Augustus was Julius. I’m not sure. I can do my best to make that clearer for a later meeting.”
Tomorrow ignored that finer detail and asked, “So how many days does it take for a baby to be born, from conception to birth?”
James did the math in his head, “Somewhere around 280. Why do you ask in days?”
Tomorrow again ignores his question and asks one of her own. “So you two were there. What day were the cousins conceived?”
Marla looks at Tomorrow. I know we were aware there was some upset going on and we all guessed what t was about, but we don’t know a specific day.” James nodded at her answer.
“Okay. What month was it? And also tell me what month Phillip died.”
James let out a sigh and looked at her. “I really don’t think we were that focused then.”
Marla said, “It was within a few months. I know because they weren’t showing yet, but Siri and I had guessed from the way they both looked.”
Tomorrow muttered out loud, “Within our own lifetimes.”
James and Marla looked at each other and Marla put her hand on Tomorrow’s. “What do you mean by that?”
“He moved me back, but he couldn’t go further than his lifetime. More to the point, he couldn’t go back further than mine and still be able to take me with him.” Tomorrow exclaimed.
He couldn’t move into the future but I went back and he saw me, so from the moment he did, and waved at me, he knew what the result would be. Maybe before that. I don’t know. That was my first time, but later I may do it sooner.” Tomorrow kept going down her line of thoughts when Marla interrupted her.
“What are you talking about? Your beginning to sound like Philip on a bad day. That’s worse than James.” She turned to her husband and kissed him on the cheek in apology for being so direct.
James turned to Marla and patter her on the hand, then he looked back at Tomorrow. Soo, let’s talk about seconds, minutes and hours.” He held up the clock he had brought with him.
Marla tried to shush him, but then she realized he knew what he was doing and let him continue. She waved a hand casually downward while looking at Tomorrow. “Don’t worry, he’s just excited. He’s going to be a Daddy.” Then she grinned wide at Tomorrow.
Tomorrow smiled back, but focused on the clock he had brought ready to learn the minute details of time before considering the more confusing ones of moving through it and the effects that had.
James began, “The first thin to know is that clocks always move in one direction. All of these pointers are called hands. They all move this way.” He motioned clockwise with his finger. “So…
He went on for a while. Tomorrow started to understand and always snapped to attention when he asked a question but she kept wondering to herself. “Why did Adam leave me here. I understand now that he wanted me to learn, but why at this time and why with these people instead of just teaching her himself.” She thought to herself, “Did he not want me anymore?” Then she thought to herself, “No, he waved at me.” Then she countered her own thought, “That was before. In the early days.” Then she looked up at Marla and James and she stood. “Thank you for all of the help. Will you come by tomorrow, after I am done with my class? I could certainly use more help and I enjoy the company.”
Marla noted that was a polite way for her to ask them to leave pulled hard under James’ arm. “Yes, we’ll come back tomorrow evening.”
James, looking confused did what he always did and just followed Marla’s lead. But at the door her turned to look at Tomorrow. “I’m quite impressed. Usually adult students are hard to teach, but you gather concepts well. It would be our honor to visit you tomorrow evening, but would you allow us to bring you food so that we could dine together?”