The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 102: Guests from the West

"Sam, these are my distant twin cousins."  Mrs. Steers introduced the two young men, sitting at the kitchen table.

Sam scrutinized them.  "Aren't twins supposed to..."

"Look alike?"  Darren Scott interrupted.  "We aren't identical twins."  Darren's bright smile, dark curly hair, and piercing blue eyes were the opposite of Lewis' crooked grin, blond hair, and soft green eyes.

Lewis added.  "We love to tell people we are twins just to see the look on their faces."

“So you aren’t twins?” Sam was confused.

“Yes, we are twins,” said Darren.  “We just don’t look alike.”

That confused Sam even more.

Over at the stove, Mrs. Steers poured hot water in mugs.  "Who wants hot chocolate?”  Everyone raised their hands. “I met Darren in Ancient Egypt after you left, Sam.  I didn't know who he was because I never knew my Uncle Matthew. He was the one that disappeared out west somewhere.  He married late in life and had one son, Harry, and these two are Harry’s grandsons.  They’re members of the Time Travelers Club in Oregon."

Xavier popped in the kitchen.  “Ah the twins!  I’ve heard about you both.  Welcome to the East Coast.”

“Where have you been?” said Mrs. Steers, looking at his heavy winter coat, bright red scarf that wrapped his neck twice, and a furry wool cap.

“I’ve been in Siberia,” said Xavier, unbuttoning his coat. “Following up on a lead from Mrs. Labuler.” With a pointed finger, he made a swirling motion at the side of his head.  “I think she’s got her indexes mixed up.”

“Why?  What happened?” said Mrs. Steers, arranging cookies on a serving plate.

“She may have gone mental.  It seems to be a wild goose chase.  Or at least, a wild Siberian chase.  Maybe what could be called a wrong turn.”  Xavier accented the last three words looking in Mrs. Steers’ direction. The words a wrong turn was their signal to each other that he had something important to tell her.

“Hmmm…” said Mrs. Steers.

"So, they've come to help when...,” started Xavier.  Mrs. Steers poked him in the arm while Sam wasn't looking.  Xavier quickly stopped talking and mouthed an apologetic Sorry.  Sam had missed the whole episode.

“We’ve been wanting to get more involved,” said Lewis.  “Leightstone told us that you might need some help.”

Darren was just about to take a drink.  “We’ve heard that they are getting braver in their attempts to get one of the books.”

Still fascinated by Darren and Lewis, Sam studied them. He couldn’t believe that they were twins.  Darren’s posture was perfect.  He sat up straight, while Lewis crossed his legs and slouched.  Darren’s clothes were pressed and fitted.  Lewis looked like he had just gotten out of bed.

“It is true,” said Mrs. Steers.  “We have a plan in place to get the books to safety.”

Sam did hear that comment.  It drew his attention from Darren’s precise napkin-folding after he had dried the corners of his mouth after finishing his drink.  “What are you planning on doing?” asked Sam.

Mrs. Steers was caught off-guard and didn’t know how to answer.  Xavier jumped in.

“We don’t exactly know at this time.”  Xavier rubbed his hands together.  “We are waiting to hear from the International Council.”  He glanced over at Mrs. Steers, begging for help.

“Yes, that’s what we’re doing,” she hastily added.

Listening attentively to the conversation, Darren realized that Sam was the one he had heard about.  “Sounds like you are going to need some help eventually.  Glad we’ve been asked.”

“Mrs. Steers,” said Lewis, ignoring the entire conversation and grabbing a chocolate cookie from the serving plate.  Crumbs fell on the table as he broke it into two.  “Did Darren tell you about Great-Granddad Matt?  He knew Dr. Herkeimer when he was a medical student.”

Mrs. Steers looked surprised.  “What?  No, I didn’t know that.”

“It’s true,” said Lewis.  “Great-Granddad Matt was the one who removed some of the pages from the book.  You know the ones that have important incantations on them.”

“He gave them to that lady in charge of the archives,” said Darren.

Mrs. Steers and Xavier stared at them, not really sure what to say.

“Well, that answers a couple of questions,” said Mrs. Steers.  “I knew that we had loose pages to one, but I didn’t know they matched Dr. Herkeimer’s copy. Tell me more about Uncle Matt and the Doctor.”

Darren finished his second mug of hot chocolate.  “Here’s what we know.  Dr. Herkeimer found a copy of the book in an old trunk he bought somewhere out East.  Maybe Baltimore or Washington DC.  Anyway, when he came back home, he had just entered practice… Or started school.  I can’t remember which.”

Lewis butted in.  “I think it was when he started school, but I could be wrong.  Anyway, Great-Granddad Matt went to Dr. Herkeimer to have a mole removed or something similar.  While Great-Granddad was waiting, he found the book tucked in a bookcase.”

“Great-Granddad Matt knew immediately what it,” said Darren.  “He had been involved with the Club for a while and had mastered several of the incantations.  It seems to run in the Scott family.”

Mrs. Steers was fascinated by the story.  “Wait, I need to write this down.”  She grabbed a pencil and paper and scribbled notes.  Everyone else took the opportunity to refill their hot chocolate.

Darren began again.  “Great-Granddad Matt never spoke his parents or any of his family. It wasn’t until later that we knew why.  It was to protect them.”

“That includes you,” added Lewis, pointing at Mrs. Steers.  “We think he knew that you had the abilities to use the incantations.”

“Me?  Why me?”  Mrs. Steers was surprised to learn that information.

“He knew that you had the power to use some of the incantations. He remembered a time when you made a small orb and pretended it was a ball.”

“You set your Mother’s dress on fire with it according to Great-Granddad,” said Lewis.

“Oh my,” said Mrs. Steers. “I don't remember that.  Mother never talked about it. So I’ve always been able to use them.”

  Across the room, Sam quietly asked Xavier. “So, did it also run in your family?”

“What?”  Xavier was confused at first by Sam’s question. “Oh, you mean the abilities to use the incantations.  Yes, it did.  Both of my parents and grandparents. Uncle Griff taught me after my parents died.”

“Really.  What happened to them?”

“They died in a plane crash,” said Xavier.  “I was only four at the time, so I don’t really remember them.  I lived with Uncle Griff most of my life, except when I was away at school.”

“Are you able to use all of them?”

Xavier intentionally kept his answers short.  “No, just a few.”

“Really, which ones?” asked Sam.

“A few.  Well, Sam, I need to go.” Xavier went to the back parlor where Rose sat quietly staring out into space.  He settled down into a chair next to her.  Fidgeting with his vest buttons, he rolled his head back and forth.  “Sam is a nice kid, but sometimes I just don’t feel like talking to him.”

“Still have those bad feelings from school?”  Rose jested with him.  “Feeling the teasing?  Set those feelings aside.  Sam is our only hope right now.”

Xavier nodded.  “I get it, but that doesn’t mean I have to spill my life’s story to him.”

Looking past him, Rose stared at Sam in the kitchen.  “He’s our best hope.  Our only hope right now.  We have to make him our priority and keep Dr. Herkeimer from getting to him again.”

Mrs. Steers popped her head around the corner.  “Aha.  Xavier, give me the scoop.”  She settled into her chair, making sure that no one could hear them.  “What were you looking for in Siberia?”

“Mrs. Labuler had found information about a cave in Northwestern Siberia that may or may not have something stashed in it.  Great lead, eh?”  Xavier rolled his eyes.  “But I did find a cave.  Inside, I found something interesting.  Symbols of a bird and a bear carved into the wall in the far back corner.”

“What does that mean,” asked Rose.

“I have no idea,” said Mrs. Steers, rubbing her chin.  “I’ll have to check my research.  This is very curious.  What do they mean and why are they there?”

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 101: A Captive

Rubbing his eyes, Fulop Farkas woke up, staring up at a stone ceiling. Light streamed in from the small window at the top of the wall.  He yawned and stretched before getting up. Looking through the bars on the window, it was obvious he was in the lower part of a building, since all he could see were the roots of shrubs and some patches of grass.  Crossing to the other side of the room, Fulop squeezed his face into the bars of the window in the door.  It was only big enough to see the brick wall on the other side of the hallway.

“Hello?”  Fulop shouted out.  “Anybody out there? Anyone?”

Silence.  Letting out a heart-felt sigh, Fulop sat down at the rickety table in the corner.

“This is it,” said Fulop, looking around his cell.  “At least the bed is comfortable.  And I’ve got a table and chair.  And some books.”  He picked up the one he had been reading, opened to his bookmarked page, and read aloud.

“Ichabod, who had no relish for this strange midnight companion, and bethought himself of the adventure of Brom Bones with the Galloping Hessian, now quickened his steed, in hopes of leaving him behind. The stranger, however, quickened his…”

Out in the hallway, Fulop heard the squeal of rusty hinges as someone opened a door.  Muffled voices drew near.  His heart began to race, wondering if he would be freed or would meet some other fate.

The lock clicked.  The cell door opened.

“Ah, good morning,” said Rufus Leightstone, followed by Griff Graff and Mrs. Labuler.  “We hope that you don’t object to this safeguard too much.”  Leightstone looked distastefully around the cell.

“I’ve seen worse,” said Fulop, picking up on Leightstone’s unimpressed evaluation of his quarters.

“Oh, I’d like to hear about it sometime.”  Leightstone walked over to him.  “But for now, we feel this is the best place to hide you.  The Doctor or his gang have never located this place and the incantation will keep you hidden from the rest of the world.”

“I hope that I didn’t rough you up too much,” said Griff, putting his hand out to shake.  “I had been assigned to watch the Doctor’s lair.  I was amazed to see you come rushing out and into the woods.  I wasn’t sure what you were up to at the time.”

“I don’t mind,” said Fulop, shaking Griff’s hand.  “I was the lucky one.  I was on my way to Connecticut… Um… Wherever that is. To find the old lady. I had no idea where I was going.”

“And we’d like to thank you for the book,” said Leightstone.  “From what we can tell about it, Dr. Herkeimer’s partial copy include a lot of the incantations.”

Mrs. Labuler added.  “I had several of the missing pages and they are a perfect fit.  I’ve got the entire provenance on this copy.”  She then left, saying that she would go fix lunch.  Griff and Leightstone continued to talk to Fulop and assure him that he would be safe where he was.   They quizzed him about any future attacks that he might know of.  The International Council was on guard across the globe.

“I think that we can work this out,” said Leightstone to Fulop.  “We can offer your safety until we’ve taken care of Dr. Herkeimer.”

“And what are you planning on doing with him?”  Fulop nervously thumbed the pages of the book he held, more interested in his own fate would be.

“We don’t know yet,” replied Leightstone.  “We’ve dealt with his type before in a variety of ways. We will let most of it play out.  You, of course, will be kept here for your own safety.”  Leightstone straightened his tie and coat then added.  “And to evaluate your allegiance.”

“And the book?” asked Fulop.  “What will happen to it?”

Griff and Leightstone gave a sideways glance at each other.  “It will be destroyed along with the others.  We thank you for bringing it to us.”

Straightening his tie again, Leightstone promptly left the cell. Griff gave Fulop a thumbs up and left too.

Fulop’s allegiance began to waiver again.  “I don’t have the ability to use any of the incantations.  Thank heavens for that.”  Fulop laid down and began to read his book.

 Back in the archives, Leightstone and Griff sat down to talk about the plan. Mrs. Labuler had fixed a light lunch of sandwiches and mixed greens for them.

“We have to get to the cave,” said Leightstone.  “Lottie is very confident about the boy.  We’ve got to get to the cave.”

Griff polished off his first helping of mixed greens and dished out more.  “Don’t worry.  We’ll move very soon.  The last part of the plan is almost in place.  The boy’s Mother is going to be the tough one to convince.”

Leightstone drank his milk.  “Not much to worry about there.  You’ve heard about the Henrys.  Lottie filled in the Council about them.”

“Some of it,” said Griff.  “I’ll ask Xavier about it.”

Leightstone nodded.  They wrapped up their meeting and left.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 100: Seeking Papa

Later that evening, Rose waited and waited and waited, pacing the dressing room floor.  Finally, her mother, Maria, glowed from her last standing ovation.  All decked out in her opera costume. 

“My darling,” said Maria, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek.  “I had no idea you were coming.”  She slipped behind a curtain to change out of her costume.  "I am playing one of the lead roles in La Boheme by the great Giocomo Puccini.  Did you see and hear me?  They loved me."

“I’m sorry to just show up,” said Rose.  “I won’t keep you long.  Have you heard from Papa?”  Leaning towards her Mother, Rose listened carefully for her answer.

“Not lately.  Why?”  Maria’s voice was muffled by the curtain. Maria wrestled out of her costume and into her dressing robe.

“Did he say where he was the last time you heard from him?”  Rose spoke impatiently.

Maria stepped out from behind the curtain.   “Alright, what’s going on?  The only time you ever ask about the whereabouts of your Father is when you are in trouble.”

Rose slumped down on the sofa.  “You know me so well.  I'll come clean.  It’s not me.  It’s…”

“Dreda, isn’t it?”  Maria put her hands on her hips.  “I suspected, but now I know.  What is it?”

Rose rubbed her foot on the carpet making circles and took a deep breath.  “She’s involved with them.  Dr. Herkeimer led her to believe that Pavel was killed by a member of the Club.”

“Poor Dreda.  That explains why I see her so little.  She never told me anything.  Remember how she hid everything from us?"

Maria brushed her hair, shaking her head in disbelief.  “She’s so vulnerable. This is my fault.  I shouldn’t have pushed her so hard.”

Rose got up and put her arms around her Mother. “It’s not true. You and Papa did the best you could.  She wouldn’t listen and still doesn’t. Do not blame yourself.  Dreda has always beaten to her own drum.”  Rose sat down on the sofa. “How about that time she ran off to South America and got involved with that strange group down there.  There’s not much more you could have done.”

Sitting down next to Rose, Maria snuggled up to her.  “I know, but I just can’t help but wonder what more I could have done.”  Maria turned and pointed to her shoulders.  Rose began to massage her mother’s shoulders.

“There’s only one person that she will listen to,” said Rose.  “Papa.  I’ve got to find him.”

Maria went to her dressing table and pulled out a postcard.  “Here’s a card from the last place I heard from him.  San Carlos de Baliroche in the Rio Negro Province in Argentina.”

“Hmmm… Why was or is he there?”

Maria poured herself a glass of water.  “Some sort of official Club business.  You know we retired from the Club to get away from all of this and he turned right around and accepted small projects.”  She rolled her eyes.  “That’s when I decided to start my singing career.”

Rose hugged her Mother from behind.  “And a great singer you are becoming.  And I love and admire you for it.  But now, I must track Papa down.  Is he accepting notes?”

“I haven’t gotten any of mine back, so I can only assume he is.”

Maria opened a drawer in her dresser and pulled out a sheet of small paper and a pen.  “Here.  Write your note and I’ll send it.  I need to wash my face.”

Rose jotted her note.  Dreda in trouble.  I need your help a.s.a.p.  I’ve tried to talk to her, but she really needs you.  Come quickly.  Rose

“Here you go,” said Rose and handed her Mother the note.

Maria spoke the incantation that would send it.  “Et eos qui de his verbis Andreas Reulen.”  Poof!  The note disappeared in a whirl.

Rose yawned.  “Now we wait.  Do you think the notes might be intercepted?”

“Who knows?  The mission may be too dangerous to contact Papa.  We’ll just have to wait and see.”   Maria stated to clean off her make-up.  “You know your Papa.  He gets so wrapped up in his work.”

“What’s he up to now?  Do you know?”

Maria shrugged.  “Something about the lost archives.  Always with the lost archives.  He thinks he’s Indiana Jones.”

They laughed.  Rose stretched out on her Mother's sofa.  “Are you going out to dinner?”

“Not for a little while,” said Maria, peering in her mirror for any stray hairs in her eyebrows.  She glanced at Rose’s reflection in the mirror.  “You want something else?

“Not really.” Rose yawned.  “But if you have some time, tell me again about Dreda and South America.”

Still removing her makeup, Maria began.  “Dreda went to steal about a copy of the book from a collector that supposedly had a copy. It was all a trick on Dreda.”

“What was she going to do with it?” Rose yawned again.

 “Who knows,” said Maria, gently rubbing her face with a cloth.  “She doesn’t know that the International Council already knew all about it.  The collector she met was hired by them.”

“What happened then,” asked Rose.  “Anything?”

“I don’t know.  That’s where your Father got involved.”  Now at the sink, Maria washed her face, cleaning off the last of her make-up.  “He would know more…”  There she stopped since Rose had fallen asleep.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 99: Surprised?

“You are sure of this?” pushed Mrs. Steers.  “You have double-checked your research?”

Mrs. Labuler promptly handed her a piece of paper and sternly answered. “Mrs. Steers, I will give you the speech I gave you the last time.  I can only do the research.  This is all based on information that someone else did.  Legends, myths, and facts are all mixed together.  The only way to really tell is to go and see for yourself.”

“I apologize,” said Mrs. Steers, backing off.  “It’s just that I’m worried about the Dr. knucklehead, the books, and of course, Sam.”

“I totally understand.  How many times have we been through this before?”  Mrs. Labuler picked up a stack of papers and began to sort them.  “This group is no different than any others in the past.  See this stack here.”  She held out what she had just picked up.  “Remember that group in Paris in the 1870s?  This is research that I pulled together about them. I have finally organized it after how many years?”

Eyeing the stack, Mrs. Steers empathized.  “I understand.  And I know that feeling.  As a Club, we haven’t done a lot to keep our own history organized.  I’m glad to see you’re making progress.”

From out of nowhere, a piece of paper fluttered down.  Mrs. Labuler grabbed and read it. “It’s for you. You’ve been summoned home.”

Mrs. Steers read it then dropped it into a nearby glass of water.  It glowed pink.  “Well, I guess I’d better be going.”

Returning home, Mrs. Steers found Sam and Xavier waiting at the kitchen table.  They had just refilled their mugs of hot chocolate.

“What’s happened?”  Mrs. Steers fretted.  “Is everything alright?  Your note was vague.”

Xavier motioned for her to sit down at the kitchen table.  “We’ve got something to tell you that you’re going to love to hear.  Hot chocolate?”

“Yes, please,” said Mrs. Steers.  “And then get talking.”

Sam jumped right in.  “Xavier and I went to see the duel.”

Mrs. Steers shrugged.  “What duel?”

Fumbling about with the tea kettle, Xavier emphasized his words.  “The duel.  The famous duel.  You know… the one that started the organization of the Time Travelers.”

Mrs. Steers was speechless, mouth gaping.  “Do you mean…”

“Yes, the duel.”  Xavier placed a mug of steaming hot chocolate in front of her then sat down.  “Ranulfus and Iordanus.  Now, before you get mad, you need to know something.”

Xavier pointed at Sam.  That was his cue.  He had been afraid of her once before, when he went into the attic.  He had no idea how she would react to his time traveling alone.

“Well…  I… I…,” Sam stuttered.  “Well, you see, I was reading and… I thought about going back…”

Mrs. Steers waited patiently, before interrupting.  “I know.  You don’t even have to say it. You thought about going back to the place and time.  And Boom!  You were there.”

Sam simply shook his head.  “I barely said them.  I only said them once.  Are you mad?”

“No,” said Mrs. Steers.

Sam was shocked.  “But I thought that…”

“Don’t fret.”  Mrs. Steers retrieved cookies from her cookie jar in the shape of a bird house.  “You went to a time no one else that I know of even did.  Alright now.” She pulled an envelope from her jacket pocket. “Xavier, I need you to go to Rufus Leightstone with this.”

“Fine,” said Xavier.  “I’m off.”  He glanced at Sam and shrugged his shoulders.

After Xavier disappeared, Sam turned to Mrs. Steers.  “Don’t you want to know more about the duel? Something strange happened while I was at the duel.”

Mrs. Steers looked perplexed.

Sam didn’t wait for her to ask.  “I think the guys who were dueling could see me.  They kept looking at me.”

Mrs. Steers puzzled over Sam’s comment.  “Hmmm…  I wonder.  They might have thought you were a ghost.  The two gentlemen you saw were the most powerful of all the Tempos Servos.  They could use all the incantations, but who knows for sure.”

“I was really freaked out by them looking right at me and saying something in some language I didn't recognize,” said Sam.

“It was probably an old German dialect or Dutch.  Who knows. Don’t worry about it.  It’s been my observation that these things work themselves out.”  Mrs. Steers got up.  “Now, I have some important business.  Why don’t you head upstairs?  Your Mom will be home soon.”

Sam left disappointed with her.  He couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to hear more.  Mrs. Steers, on the other hand, went to her office and immediately began sorting through piles of papers.

“Where is it?  I just know it’s here.”  She moved around the office.  "Where are those notes about Ranulfus and Iordanus?  I do need to get this office cleaned up."

Moving one stack after another Mrs. Steers muttered to herself over and over.  "They saw Sam.  They saw and touched Sam."  Then to "I read about it. I read about the whole scene.  I read about how they saw a ghost.  A ghost of a small boy."

Hours later, exhausted from looking through papers, Mrs. Steers stopped. She sent off two notes, summoning Rose and Ari to meet her when they could.  She glanced at the clock.  It read 11:12.  Outside the sun shined bright and reflected off the snow.  At 12:23, Rose came in through the back door in the mud room, removing her snow-covered boots.

“That sun is really bright when it hits the snow.”  Rose took off her coat and laid it over the back of a kitchen chair.  Rubbing her hands together, she went straight to the stove to make tea.  "I'm here."

"I'm in the back parlor." Mrs. Steers called out to her.  She put her papers down.  “We’ve got a lead. Mrs. Labuler found new evidence of the location of the scroll. Or at least part of the scroll. Or maybe not. You know how that goes.”

Stepping into the parlor, Rose watched Mrs. Steers’ face go from excited to disappointed.  “Now, Lottie, you have to remember that stuff gets lost.  The scrolls may have been destroyed long ago.”

“Yes, I always seem to forget that.”  Mrs. Steers smiled at her.  “You’re right.  I worry too much.”

“And besides, not everyone can use the incantations…”

Mrs. Steers stopped her.  “Until they read them and realized they worked for them.  Some of us were tracked down, just like I tracked down Sam.  Albert was traced by Jameson, but then as it turned out, Albert’s family had been involved with the Club many generations back.  They left the Club and never spoke of it again.”

"Doesn't matter right now," said Rose, nestling into one of the chairs.  "We've got to talk about Dreda."

"Fine, but we've got something else to talk about as well," added Mrs. Steers.  "Ranulfus and Iordanus.  Sam saw them. They touched him.  They spoke to him..."

"Just like in the legend..." said Rose, leaning forward.  Her mouth gaped.  "This is really breaking news..."

Ari arrived.  "I'm here."

"Yes, we see you," said Mrs. Steers.

Rose's mouth was still hanging open. "Why is Rose staring at me like that?" said Ari.  "Why are you staring at me like that?  Do I have something hanging from my nose?"

"Don’t mind her. She’s just stunned.  Sit down and we'll fill you in," said Mrs. Steers.  "We need to talk about Dreda, Sam, ghosts, and Rome.   We need to go to Rome."

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 98: Just Like I Said

Lounging in the Steers' front parlor, Sam read about the Loch Ness Monster.  He studied the maps before moving on to the photographs.   His Mom had gone to work and Mrs. Steers had let him come down to read while she worked in her office.  Closing the book, he picked up the stack of papers about the history of the Club.  This was a boring segment about the archives being moved to its current location.  He was annoyed since it didn’t really say where that was.

“Studying hard.”  Xavier had appeared from nowhere.  Sam jumped.

“You like to just appear, don’t you?”  Sam was irritated with him.  “What are you wearing?”

Xavier had on a golfer’s outfit of knickers, a knitted red sweater, Argyle socks, and a newsboy cap.  Xavier spun about.  “It’s my favorite look. And what are you reading about now?”

“The archives,” said Sam, bored with the chapter.  “I wish there was more about the duel.  I saw much…”  Sam stopped midsentence and glanced up at Xavier.  He realized he had just slipped.

Xavier didn’t miss the comment.  With a questioning look, Xavier sat down next to Sam.  “What was that?”

Sam tried to skate around his response.  “Oh nothing, I just was saying that…”

Xavier zeroed in on Sam, a serious look on his face.  “You saw it, didn’t you?  You went back and actually saw the duel.”

Cornered, Sam confessed with a white lie, trying to cover the fact that he had gone back intentionally.  “I didn’t mean to.  I was thinking about what the incantation would be if I could go back, and before I knew it, I was there.  I was standing in the crowd watching the duel. I did something really bad, didn't I?”

Xavier didn’t know what to say at first.  “Listen. You should never travel by yourself right now, but I can’t be mad. You saw something that nobody has ever seen as far as I know.”

“I’m sorry for traveling by myself,” said Sam.  “I just thought that I could learn more…”

“I understand.  When I was first learning to time travel, I traveled numerous times by myself before I got in big trouble with Uncle Griff.”  Xavier tried to be positive.  He didn’t want to keep Sam from being curious. Xavier pondered a moment.

“Sam, do you think you could take me to see the duel?”

At first, Sam hesitated.  “I really should talk to Mrs. Steers first.”

“Don’t worry about her right now,” whispered Xavier.  “She may get mad and if I saw the duel, well, I could back your story. Take me to see it.  Let’s try.”

Sam reluctantly agreed.  He grabbed Xavier’s arm and within moments they stood at the top of a nearby hill.  This time, they were away from the crowd and had a side view of the duel with Ranulfus' back to them.  They had arrived just as Iordanus sank to his knees and Ranulfus walked over by him.  The crowd was cheering.  Xavier, however, was speechless as he watched.  Finally, the words came.

“It’s not a legend.  It really happened.”  Xavier took two steps while Sam still had a grip on his arm. “Look at all these people.  They were some of the earliest known time travelers.”

“I watched from down there,” said Sam, pointing at a spot in front of the crowd at the bottom of the hill.  “I remember those two women down there.  They were talking about the two guys dueling.  I didn’t understand anything they said except for one of their names.  That’s how I know the guy facing us is Iordanus.”

Xavier tried to move forward but was stopped by Sam’s grasp.  When Sam let go of his sleeve, Xavier disappeared.

Sam gasped. “Xavier?”  He looked around the crowd below, then up to Ranulfus and Iordanus on the hill.  Sam looked right at them.  His eyes widened.  Iordanus and Ranulfus were looking directly at him.  Sam stood perfectly still, staring right back.  The confused crowd below turned but seemed not to see Sam.  Ranulfus took several steps forward and said something in a language Sam didn't recognize.

Sam spoke to him.  "Can you see me?"

Ranulfus pulled back.  Iordanus took a step towards Sam, reaching out.  Sam didn't move this time as Iordanus touched Sam's shoulder.

"I felt that," said Sam.  "I felt you touch me."

Iordanus turned his head to Ranulfus, said something then turned back.  Iordanus reached out with both hands as if to grab Sam.

Freaking out like the last time, Sam shouted out the incantation that would take him home.  "Domum me!"  Back into the front parlor, there was no sign of Xavier.

“Xavier?”  Sam panicked.  He circled the room.  “Xavier, are you here?”

From the dining room, Sam heard running footsteps.  Xavier came into the front parlor.

“Here I am, Sam,” said Xavier.  “I’m alright.  I came back immediately after you let go of me. It must be because you can only travel back to see it. And somebody can touch you, but once they let go…  Anyway, Lottie’s not here.  I’ve sent her a note.”  Xavier began to laugh.  “We’ve got to talk about what just happened.  That was incredible.”

“Where is Mrs. Steers?”  Sam wanted to talk to her about what he had seen.  He had tons of questions.  Why could Iordanus and Ranulfus see him?  And how could they touch him?  What were they saying?

“Apparently, she has gone to the archives,” said Xavier.  “I’ve sent her a message. She should be home soon.”

Sam tailed Xavier to the kitchen.  In a few moments, they sat in silence at the kitchen table with steaming mugs of hot chocolate, waiting for Mrs. Steers to return.

Fidgeting, kicking the chair legs, gripping his mug, Sam couldn't shake Iordanus’ touch.  He could feel the pressure of his fingers on his shoulder.  Then there were the few words he had said.  What could they have been saying?

Questions whirled in Sam's mind.  He could hardly wait to talk to Mrs. Steers.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 97: Tea Time Trouble

Under the shade of the tree, Ully and Sissy sat having tea. The sea air was salty and warm for a fall day.

"You like our seaside cottage, don't you, Sissy?" Ully sipped his steaming tea from the cup.  His napkin slipped off his lap.  He bent down and picked it up.

Sissy grinned. Her dimples were deep and her cheeks rosy. "I do. My favorite parts are making our sandcastles and watching you try to catch the biggest whale of the sea.  And of course, tea time."

"You need a proper tea set," said Ully, looking over the mismatched set of dishes.  "Perhaps you will get one soon.  Maybe buy one at the shop in town?  How about that set with the pink flowers."

"Silly Ully," said Sissy.  "I don't have any money.  How could I buy it?"

"You'd have to get a job," said Ully. "You would have to work somewhere to earn the money."

Sissy chuckled.  "I just might do that. And then I could get that set with the pink flowers."

In the distance, dark clouds began to roll in from the sea. "Looks like we are in for a storm soon," said Ully. "We'd better finish our tea and clean up, before the Pacific Ocean sends us an unwelcome guest."

"I hate it when it rains," pouted Sissy, starting to stack the hodge-podge of dishes.

"Why? The rain is good for the plants. It helps the pretty flowers that you like so much. And besides, you need a bath, so you can just stand in the rain."

At first, Sissy glared at him, tossing her curls, then started to laugh. "That's silly. I don't need a bath.  I had one last night"

While the two laughed, Selwyn strutted over. He had just come home, hands in his pockets, and nose stuck up in the air.  Selwyn was the oldest of the three and also the bully.

"What are you two freaks laughing about?  Did the circus come to town and you're joining it as one of the monkeys?" Jealous of both Ully and Sissy, he tormented them both.

"None of your business," said Sissy. "Leave us alone."

Selwyn sassed back, mocking her. "Leave us alone... Two babies drinking their tea.... Their dainty teacups..."

"Shut up, Selwyn." Ully got up from the stool and pushed him away. "Mind your own business."

From the front porch of the cottage, their mother, watching them, shouting. "Play nice children. Selwyn leave them alone." She sat back in her chair then mumbled to herself. “Selwyn is so angry all the time. Ever since his Father died."

Selwyn paid no attention to her or Ully. Feeling belligerent, Selwyn pushed the tea table over, sending the dishes to the ground. The teapot cracked. The cups and saucers scattered over the grass. Sissy began to cry, brushing splattered tea from her dress and apron. Ully flew towards Selwyn, grabbing him by the shirt collar. The fight was on.

Selwyn fell backwards to the ground with Ully on top, smacking him across the face. Selwyn attempted to grab Ully's flailing arms.

Standing up, their Mother yelled from the porch.  “Boys! Stop that. Someone’s going to get hurt.”

The housekeeper had come out with a tea tray.  "No use in yelling at those boys.  They never listen. They just keep on fighting.

Neither listened and, as predicted, the fight continued.

Ully gave Selwyn a perfect punch right to his lower lip.  Falling back, Selwyn felt his lip.  Blood flowed down his chin.  He was angry.

"Oh, you are so going to get it."

Ully didn't let up, relentlessly pummeling Selwyn with more slaps and punches.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 96: Who Killed Who?

Dreda was glad to be away from the Doctor. She meandered down a deserted country lane towards a church yard.  There was nothing for miles except for the church ahead. She ran her hand along the fieldstone wall of the churchyard.  The stones were rough.

When she approached the graveyard next to the stone church, she could see the name Caligar chiseled into a nearby plain tombstone.

Through a metal gate in the fence, Dreda walked over to the tombstone, already crying when she reached it.  Pavel Caligar was twenty-one at the time he was killed.  She was too young to be a widow.  She blamed The Time Travelers Club.

“They can deny it all they want,” wept Dreda.  “Deny it all they want.”  She sat down in front of the headstone.  She ran her fingers across the Pavel’s engraved name. “Someone in the Club killed you and I will find out which one and they will pay.”

Leaning against the headstone, Dreda dried her eyes.  The quiet of the cemetery gave her peace, but her hatred still thrived.  It had been growing over the past two years since Pavel’s death.  Naturally, her parents had supported her as best they could, but they were too committed to their own lives.

“I thought I might find you here,” said a voice from behind her.  Walking around a nearby headstone came a caped figure.  It was Rose.  “You come here very often.  I’ve watched you.”

“It’s not polite to spy on people,” said Dreda.

“That’s a laugh coming from you.  I know you’ve been telling Dr. Herkeimer about our movements and plans.  You’ve already gotten yourself into deep trouble with the International Council.  They could strip you of your abilities.”

“Isn’t that nice,” retorted Dreda.  “One of your so-called friends killed my Pavel and now I’m the bad person.”

“It wasn’t a member of the Club.”  Rose responded firmly.  “That’s not the nature of the Club.  Did it ever occur to you that it might have been someone else?  I’ve pleaded with you numerous times to go back and see for yourself!”

“Don’t talk to me about going back to watch my Pavel die!”  Dreda’s rage boiled.  She leapt up from the ground and stormed towards Rose.  “I’ve suffered a great loss.  It was my husband.  What do you know about it?”

Before Rose knew it, Dreda had grabbed her arm, twisting it. Rose felt the pain of Dreda’s grip and tried to get loose by kicking Dreda in the shin.  Dreda let go of Rose’s arm and staggered backwards.

After regaining her balance, Dreda leapt at Rose again. Rose wasn’t prepared for Dreda to fly directly at her, so she fell on her back.  Dreda straddled her. Rose grabbed Dreda by the wrists and tugged her sideways.  Falling off, Dreda now found herself being straddled by Rose.

“You are something.”  Rose was harsh.  “You never listen to anyone.”

Dreda stopped struggling and stared up at Rose.  “You’ve always been the favorite.  You never did anything wrong.”

Letting go of Dreda, Rose got up and walked several feet away.  Dreda pulled herself up from the ground and took several steps in the opposite direction.

“You were always the favorite,” shouted Dreda.   “You always got what you wanted.  And when I found my chance at happiness, one of your friends took him away.”  Dreda lost control and screamed.

Unwilling to back down, Rose yelled back.  “I’ve seen the real murderer!  I went back and watched.  Your husband died a hero for the Club.  He saved several children’s lives.  The very person you work for had him killed. Why won’t you believe me?”

Dreda fell to her knees in front of Pavel's headstone.  “I don’t believe you.  It’s not true.”

Unlike the last time they met in the cemetery, Rose wasn’t going to back down.  “You have got to go back and see for yourself!”

Dreda shook her head.  “No!  I won’t.  You cannot make me.  Just who do you think you are?  How dare you!”

Dreda’s anger skyrocketed.  She jumped up from where she was kneeling and marched towards Rose.  Rose stood her ground as Dreda rapidly approached her.

Almost nose to nose, Dreda shouted.  “How dare you!  That stupid Club!   That stupid stupid Club killed my love.  My Pavel.”   Dreda pushed Rose backwards grabbing a nearby headstone to steady herself.

“If this is the way you want to be, I have no choice.  I am going to tell Mama and Papa,” threatened Rose.  Dreda was unmoved by her threat.  Rose became angrier. She had never yelled before when she argued with Dreda.  Now she couldn't stop.

“I am your sister!  And I care!”  Her tone softened as she spoke. “Pavel was my brother-in-law.  He was a wonderful man.  He loved you.  I love you. Why can’t you see that?”

Dreda broke down and cried.   Rose moved cautiously towards her, tears welling in her own eyes.

“You have got to believe me.   You must believe me.  This isn't going to end well.”  Rose shook her head.  She backed away, knowing exactly what she had to do.  She must find her Dad.  Their Dad.  His secret mission was less important than this situation.

Dreda had walked back over to her husband’s headstone.  "This isn't over.  And I don't care how it ends… as long as the one who killed my Pavel is dead.  One of your friends."

Rose rubbed her tears away.  Adjusting her cape, then her skirt, she walked away, knowing they would meet again and it would be a far worse encounter.  She disappeared.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 95: Practice Time

The next morning, Sam got up as usual, groggy from being up so late.  However, he was excited about his first day of orb training.

“Sam, behave.  Do what Mrs. Steers tells you to do and don’t give her any problems.”  His Mom was firm.  She slipped on her winter coat, wrapped herself up in a pale blue wool scarf given to her by Mrs. Steers, kissed him goodbye, and was off to work.

Moments later, Sam was downstairs in the back parlor where Rose was reading and waiting for him.

“Good morning,” said Rose without looking up from her book.  She turned the page and kept reading.

“I’m ready,” said Sam.  “When do we start?  Are we going to practice here?”  Sam bobbed back and forth, anxious for his first lesson.

Rose continued to read her book. She didn't budge. 

“Well?”  Sam was growing impatient. “What’s the first lesson?”

Taking a deep breath, Rose closed her book.  Looking very serious, she stared at Sam.  “Your first lesson is to practice patience.”  Rose cocked her eyebrow and laid her book on the table.

Sam stopped moving and stood perfectly still, awaiting instructions.

Rose smirked.  “Very good.  Now stay that way.  Patience is very important to being a good orber.  You must be patient.”  Rose walked over to him.  “You will need it to control your orbs, otherwise there will be problems.  Concentration will be paramount if you are to take down your opponents in a competition or someday in real life.”  Let’s just hope you never have to use them to kill someone.”

Sam’s eyes widen.  “Do you mean I may…  Well…  Kill someone?  Have you ever had to…”

“No,” said Rose.  “I’ve never killed anyone, but orbs can be very dangerous.  And they can kill in the hands of a reckless person.”  Rose remembered her first experience with Sam and his orb-forming abilities.  His orbs were the whitest she had ever seen.  No one in the history of the Club had ever formed an orb as white as his.  She could hardly wait to see one again, but she restrained her enthusiasm.

“Today, we will be heading to the desert.  So, you can leave your sweater here.  We have an area that is very safe and protected from anyone trying to find it.”  Rose took Sam’s arm and the scene changed to sand and mountains.  "It's often referred to as Area 51."

“Is this a desert like in Africa?” said Sam, feeling the warm sand. The sun came and went as clouds floated by.

“No time for trivial questions.  Let’s get going.  I only have about thirty minutes for today’s lesson.  Here’s what I want you to do.”

Sam carefully listened to Rose's instructions.  "This time Sam I want you to just think the words of the incantation and form an orb."

"Okay."  Sam concentrated, reciting the incantation in his head.  He started to move his hands.  An orb formed, growing quickly to the size of a grapefruit.  Rose stepped back, amazed at what had just happened.  She had never seen a student form a large orb that quick.

The orb flew out of Sam's hand, soaring up into the air then spiraling towards earth, smashing into the desert sand eight feet about fifty feet from where they stood.   A mushroom cloud of sand burst upwards.

Wide-eyed, Sam moved close to Rose.  "Did I just do that?"

"Uh um...  Well...  I didn't expect that.” Rose gave Sam a sideways glance. “Let's try again, shall we?  Only this time when it gets to the size of a golf ball, throw it at that."  Putting her hands on Sam's shoulders, turning him, she pointed to a large boulder standing alone about twenty feet away.

"Okay," said Sam.  Rose grabbed Sam's elbows as he put his palms together. She began to guide his arms very slowly while Sam thought the words to the incantation.  Sparks snapped and crackled.  The orb grew slower this time.

"Now, throw it like a baseball."  Rose abruptly released his elbows and Sam tossed the orb.  It sailed towards the boulder and exploded, sending small flecks of stone in all directions.

"Very good," said Rose, impressed by the impact.  Her expression was both shock and awe.  "Now remember how slowly I moved your arms and repeat that motion."

The next attempt didn’t go so smoothly, nor did the third or fourth or fifth.   After the sixth attempt, Sam began to feel discouraged.   The orb had flown back at them, sending Rose and Sam to the ground to avoid being hit.  It corkscrewed across the sand and then fizzled out.

"Am I going to be good at this?" asked Sam.

"I'm not going to lie to you. You have very strong abilities… The best I've seen in years.   I've trained several other members, but none like you… if we can get them to go towards their intended targets."

Rose’s encouragement gave Sam a boost of hope.

“Have you read any of the research that Lottie gave you?”

“I started last night.  It's a lot to remember.”

“Did you read about the famous duel?”

Sam raised his eyebrows.  “I read some of it.  What do you know about it?”

Rose sat down on a nearby rock.  Sam sat on a stone across from her.  The desert breeze was warm.  It reminded of Ancient Egypt, only in this case, it was present day and New Mexico.  The cloudy sky helped keep the temperature down.

“Sometime in the 1200s, there was an orb duel to determine who would be the leader of the Tempos Servos.  That means Time Savers in Latin.”  Rose fanned away a bug.  “They say it was the first attempt to unite those who had the abilities to use the incantations and to formalize into what we now call The Time Travelers Club.”

Sam jumped in.  “How long have they been around?”  Sam wiped his forehead with his sleeve.

“We know for a fact that a scroll existed in Ancient Rome and another one in the Library of Alexandria in Egypt.  We’ve never been able to locate them. There is a locater incantation to find thing or people, and a counter incantation to keep people or things from being located.  Nobody in any of the clubs has ever got either one to work.”

“Where did they come from?”  Sam edged down from the rock and picked up a stone, tossing it in the air.  Rose fanned her face faster.

“We don’t know.  Maybe there’s something in the lost archives, if they still exist.  Yet again, maybe not.”

Sam tossed the plain pale stone up in the air then back down it came.  Then up.  Then down.  Rose hypnotically watched it.  On its way up, she noticed that it shone when the sun hit it.  Back down.  Then back up.

“So Sam, the other thing about the duel was that no one has ever been able to go back and watch it…”  Rose watched the stone fly up in the air again.  The sun came out from behind a cloud.  Sunlight flashed off the stone as it hit its height.  The stone glowed when the sunlight hit it.

“Some argue that it never happened.  Others say that the counter-time travel incantation was placed on the event to protect it from prying eyes.  We have only a brief description.  Rose stopped talking and watched the stone Sam was still tossing.  It was a bright shade of gold. Rose got up and grabbed the stone on its way down.  Clutching it in her hand, she cocked her eyebrow, gazing at Sam.

“What?” said Sam.  ‘What’s wrong?”

“Sam?” said Rose.  “Wasn’t this stone a pale color when you picked it up?”

“Yep,” said Sam, looking down at it.  “I…  Well…  Oh, so that’s what those words were.  I kept thinking them in my head.”  Sam’s face brightened.  “Now I remember.  Mrs. Steers showed me the book of incantations and I read the words to one that turned stuff to gold.”  Sam picked up the stone and rolled it around in his palm.

Rose looked at the stone in his palm.  “You remembered the incantation and you were just reciting it... I mean thinking it... and now you have a stone turned to pure gold.  No one has ever gotten that incantation to work.  Not in recent history.”

“Really?”  Sam got excited.  "Wow!"

Rose leaned into him.  “Listen to me, Sam.  You must be careful using the incantations until you have mastered controlling them.  That is the key to being able to use them.  Learning to control your emotions and learning to use them.”

Sam listened intensely to her, understanding and nodding without saying anything.

“It is very important that you not use them without one of us with you.  Some of the incantations can be very dangerous even when you are trying to use them for good.  Do you understand?”

Sam nodded.  “I do.  Can I try making an orb one more time?”

Rose smiled. “Sure.  Aim for that rock right over there.  Try for the center of it.”  She pointed at a nearby boulder.  "Let's see that orb."

Sam faced his target, took a long deep breath, slowly exhaled, and cleared his mind.   He focused on the boulder’s center.  In his mind, he recited the words.  Between his moving hands, sparks snapped and crackled.  Sam didn’t move his eyes from his target.  The orb grew to golf-ball size.  Ready to throw. He did.  It sailed in a beeline right to the target.  When it impacted, it sent shards flying out in all directions.

“Perfect,” whispered Rose.  “Absolutely perfect.”