The Time Travelers' Club: Chapter 23 -- Her Majesty

Chapter 23 – Her Majesty

Down a side alley, away from crowds, Sam and Mrs. Steers found a secluded doorway where they could contemplate their itinerary.

"I have an idea," said Mrs. Steers.  "Why don't we see Queen Victoria?  After all, she was the longest reigning Queen of England… well until recently."

"Oh yeah?  Queen Victoria?" said Sam.  "Do you think she's home?"

"She might be.  It is a distance from here to Buckingham Palace.   Would you like to walk or take the short cut?"

Sam shrugged.  "What's the short cut?"

"We disappear from here and appear immediately wherever the Queen is in just a matter of seconds."  Sam looked puzzled.  "Albert and I used an incantation that saved a lot of walking... unless of course you want to walk?"  Sam shrugged his shoulders. "The transition spell allows you to move about without actually walking to your desired destination."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "That's cool. No chance of ghosts passing through me.  Let's do that. Can I learn it?  The incantation?”

"Sure.  The words are simple.   Tolle mihi videre... followed by where you want to go... or who or what you want to see.   The other nice thing about it is we can hold hands..." Mrs. Steers remembered Sam was uncomfortable holding hands.  "I mean… I can just hold your arm.   Like getting here, the incantation will move us as one.  Let's start at Buckingham Palace and see if she is there.  Otherwise, we may have to track her down."

"Tolle mihi videre Buckingham Palace!" said Mrs. Steers.  The current scenery swirled in a cyclone of colors.  It reminded Sam of the kaleidoscope he played with at his grandparent's house.  The spinning gained speed until it turned into a rainbow blur.  Then, just as quickly as it started, it slowed, refocusing into another part of London.

"And here we are," said Mrs. Steers.

"Wow!  That was awesome!  Can we do it again?"  Sam grinned, still looking dazed.

"We will, but for now. Let's see what there is to see here."  They stood in front of closed cast-iron gates and a towering fence. Buckingham Palace stretched in both directions.

They walked along the sidewalk in front of the Palace.

“Look at the size of it,” said Sam. “I’ve seen it in photographs, but had no idea of just how big of a palace it was.”

Soldiers in red jackets and the familiar tall black bearskin hats stood lifeless, guarding the grounds from unwanted intruders.  Tourists and passer-byes stopped, peered between the iron bars, and looked in at the Palace. Sam noted the difference in dress and manner of the crowd here as opposed to those in Whitechapel. Here, they were well dressed, polite to each other, and lacked the nasty body odor.  Sam and Mrs. Steers eavesdropped on some of the conversations.

"...I do hear that she just arrived yesterday..." said a portly lady in a blue bustled dress to a rather prudish-looking lady with pursed lips and a tightly-wound bun of hair, who nodded in agreement.

"...Let's hurry over to the park, mummy...  I want to see the ducks..." said a young boy in a white sailor suit with blue trim, making him look quite proper.   Sam chuckled at the sight of his outfit.  The boy's mother grabbed his hand.   "…In just a moment…  Remember, my dear, patience is a virtue…"

Sam rolled his eyes. 

"...Oh, yes, the prime minister says she looks very well..." said a distinguished gentleman with mutton chops whiskers to a couple of other gentlemen. "…Perhaps she will do something about this money lender situation…"

"Who do you think that they are talking about?" asked Sam.

"Hmm... I'm not sure," said Mrs. Steers.  "I assume the Queen."

"...Yes, the Queen...," replied one stately gentleman to another, unaware of her question.  "...I had read in the Times she was coming back from Windsor Castle... I notice the Union Jack is at full mast…"

Mrs. Steers replied "Thank you, kind sir."

“He can’t hear you,” said Sam.

"I know he can't hear me, but it always pays to be polite.  Well, Sam, she's here," said Mrs. Steers.  "See, Sam, the Union Jack is waving at the top of the pole.  That means the Queen is in residence.  It looks like you'll get the chance to use the transition incantation again."  Sam grabbed Mrs. Steers' arm.  She said the words to the incantation and "Queen Victoria," and within a matter of seconds, they stood in a dimly-lit room.

Despite the closed velvet drapes, being closed some light leaked through their cracks into the room.  Against one wall, Sam saw a large bookcase with pointy spires on top that reminded him of a church.  The glass doors were arched like church windows.  Books, knick-knacks, and framed photographs filled its shelves.  A black upholstered sofa and matching chairs formed a sitting area with a round marble-top table on a multicolored block pattern carpet in the middle of the room.

"Where are we?" whispered Sam, glancing around.

"I think we are in some kind of sitting room.  Maybe a library?"

Sam and Mrs. Steers waited for something to happen.  Finally, Sam broke the silence. "So where is she?"

Before Mrs. Steers could answer, a side door opened.  A young woman dressed in a maid's uniform complete with white apron and cap marched in, crossed the room, and pulled the drapes open allowing light to flood the room.  A moment later, a short, well-rounded lady dressed completely in black entered through the same door.

"Here she is -- the Queen herself," said Mrs. Steers. 

Queen Victoria glanced about the room, making sure it was in order.  She checked the table for dust, adjusted a white porcelain figurine of a girl holding flowers, and picked up a black leather book from the center table.

"Should we bow or something?" asked Sam.

"Considering she can't see us, I wouldn't worry," said Mrs. Steers.  "Look at her. All dressed in black.  Still in mourning for her husband, Albert."   

Pulling out his notebook, Sam jotted the more notes.

Not waiting for the Queen, the maid exited through another side door.   Finishing her inspection, the Queen followed.

"Is that it?" said Sam, raising one eyebrow with a frown, as the maid closed the door.  "That was barely worth the trip."

"We did ask to see her.  And remember, it didn't take that long to get here. Maybe you shouldn't have expected so much."  With that, Mrs. Steers recited the transition incantation and once again they stood in front of the Palace.  Mrs. Steers opened her guide book reading silently for a few moments.

"Let's move on," frowned Sam.  "What else is there to see?"

"Hmmm...  I guess we should go..."  Mrs. Steers appeared to be lost in thought. 

Sam glanced at the silent Mrs. Steers who had stopped reading and was scanning the crowd.  Somewhere a clock bonged twice.

"Are you alright?" said Sam, breaking Mrs. Steers' concentration.

"Oh... my yes!  This is London.  One of the world's greatest cities of this time.  We could go to Westminster Abbey, stroll through Hyde Park, then over to the Houses of Parliament. Let's walk down the Thames, London's main river."  Mrs. Steers consulted her map, then headed to the Thames.