The Time Travelers' Club: Chapter 9 -- The Mysterious Guest

The weather man successfully predicted an Indian summer.   Sam strolled enjoying the warm sun and the light breeze after another day at school.  From down the sidewalk, Sam spotted Mrs. Steers in her rocking chair.   He could hear her clicking knitting needles from the sidewalk.  Uneasy, he wanted to avoid another story like the trip to the bookshop and Albert.

"Hello, Sam," said Mrs. Steers, as he rushed up the porch steps taking two steps at a time.

"Hello," replied Sam, stopping long enough to wave. Trying his best to be polite, he kept heading to the screen door at the end of the porch.

"How was school today?" asked Mrs. Steers.

"It was good.  Thanks" Sam replied pulling open the screen door, without looking her direction.  Despite his attempt to evade her, she continued talking.  He had to be polite, so he quietly sighed and turned back to her.

"My new scarf is nearly done.  I'll need it before long.  This warm weather won't last long…" She stopped mid-sentence.  Her knitting needles fell silent.  Sam glanced at her.   Mrs. Steers leaned forward in her rocking chair and gawked over the porch rail.  Sam turned to see what had caught her attention.

A young clean-shaven man stood at the edge of the park. Staring at the house from behind his round sunglasses, he touched the rim of his blue squat top hat with the silver cap on the end of his black cane.  Sam stared at his flamboyant outfit, reminded of someone from the circus.  Under his knee-length purple velvet coat with glittering brass buttons, he wore a red and white-striped vest and dark blue pants.

"Sam, you must excuse me.  I have some official business to do," said Mrs. Steers with a sense of urgency, getting up from her rocking chair.  "Why don't you go on upstairs?   You must have homework to do."

Sam glanced over at the young man still standing across the street. Stepping through the open screen door, he pretended to go up, letting his curiosity take over. 

Why had Mrs. Steers sent him away?  Who's the stranger crossing the street then onto the porch?  Sam couldn't see either of them, but he could hear part of their conversation.

"Xavier, what's the matter?  Why are you here in the middle of the afternoon?"  Mrs. Steers questioned him.

"Lottie, we must move on the latest plan.  You've got to get the book soon," said Xavier in a soft accented voice. "It must be brought here and secured.  We almost lost it."

"I'll get there sometime this week," said Mrs. Steers.  "I've talked to him.  He's the perfect match, but he doesn't believe me.  Something is stopping him from believing me.”

“Maybe he needs some more time,” said Xavier.  “He is just a boy.  And then there’s the part about his dad.”

Straining to watch and listen without being noticed, Sam saw Mrs. Steers shake her head.  Xavier paced in front of her, rubbing his forehead and twirling his top hat on the end of his cane.

"I see," said Xavier.  "At his age, I would think he'd be into it. And after all the work and research you’ve done."  Sam wondered who they were talking about, surely not him.  Mrs. Steers moved closer to Xavier whispering something Sam couldn't hear.

"Ah yes, Jameson has it at his shop," said Xavier.  "You must get it while we distract them.  Do you think he'll be able to manage?  Pull it off as you might say?"

"Who?" said Mrs. Steers.  Once again, with their backs to him, Sam didn't hear Xavier's answer.  Mrs. Steers shook her head then circled Xavier.  "I have a bigger problem to deal with first.  I have my work cut out for me.  He's lost.  He's so lost at a young age.  I'm going to have to convince him.  Show him I'm serious.  Maybe I need some outside help."

"You keep working on him," said Xavier putting on his top hat. "It's going to be tough.  Regardless, we have to get there soon.  It needs to be safe.  We must discover what they are trying to place."

"Don't worry about that.  Rose and Ari are working on that. The evidence points to something small this time.  The Doctor is really trying my nerves.  He’s such a strange and somewhat cunning man."

"Whatever happens, you can count on Xavier Graff!"

With that, Xavier Graff gave Mrs. Steers a quick hug and peck on the cheek. He walked back across the street and turned tipping his top hat to her just as a van drove by. After it passed, he was gone. Sam glanced around as best he could from behind the screen door, but there was no sign of Xavier Graff.  He had simply vanished.  

Sam stared in disbelief, then shook his head and hurried upstairs.