The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 83: Keeping Sam Safe

"No matter the cost, we must watch Sam at all times." Mrs. Steers pounded her fist into the palm of her hand. "He's our hope and our future. The one who can do it. I am just sure of it.  No!  I know so. He has to be the one."  She turned to look at Xavier who just sat and watched her.

"Lottie," said Xavier, fluffing the pillow under his head.  "You mustn't worry. We are all taking turns in guarding him without his knowing it. Right now, Rose is waiting outside his school to make sure nothing happens to him on his way home. He'll be fine."  Xavier stretched out his legs on the sofa in the Steers' front parlor.

Mrs. Steers put her head in her hands. "I know, but now I've made matters worse. He doesn't trust me anymore.  He hates me.  I've got to rebuild his trust. I still can see him yelling at me." Her mind flashed back to the last time she has spoken to Sam.

"You crazy old woman!"  Shaking, Sam had been furious with her.  "He tried to kill me.  You said this would be fun.  You said that it would be great to go back and see people and places and history.  All that's happened is this old freak wants me to tell him where the books are."

"Sam, you must trust me," said Mrs. Steers, concern and fear coloring her words.  "We let you down and Dr. Herkeimer got you, but he won't again.  I promise you.  He can’t get a copy.  That would be bad. Very bad."  She shook her head.

Her words fell flat to his unforgiving ears.  Sam ran up the stairs, yelled down at her, and slammed the laundry door.

Returning to the present moment, Mrs. Steers cried, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief.  "This is all my fault.  I should have been more cautious."

Xavier got up and walked her to the kitchen.  "Lottie, no it isn't.  He's scared and very hurt.  He just got beat up by Doctor Herkeimer.”  He sat her down at the kitchen table then picked up the tea kettle from the stove, filling it with water at the sink.  "You were as cautious as you could be. We all were.  This is not the time to be regretting anything."

Mrs. Steers put her head in her hands.  “I know.”

Xavier was firm in his tone.  “Sam is our number one priority.  We have an obligation to protect him.  He's just a kid trying to find his place in the world.  He thinks he's only got his mother, but he has all of us.  He will come around and learn that in time."

Mrs. Steers barely listened to Xavier.  "We're not going to be able to convince him.  I don't know how to make it up to him."

Xavier tried brightening the mood.  "Maybe it's not you he needs right now.  He took a great liking to Rose.  Maybe she needs to talk to him. It's going to be just fine.  Let’s have some hot tea."

Mrs. Steers managed to agree.  “Maybe you’re right on that, but I still feel guilty.”

Just then, there was a slight pop and a piece of paper fluttered down from nowhere.

"Hmmm...  A note," Mrs. Steers grabbed the falling piece of paper and unfolded it.  "It's from Jameson.  He says he's got some good and bad news.   He wants me to come at once."

After reading it, she dropped it into a nearby glass of water.  The paper dissolved and turned the water a glowing bright purple before fading away.

"I love that color.  I must ask him how he get that."  Xavier studied the water as the color vanished.   Jameson had created papers soaked in special solutions for Club members. With this system, they could authenticate that a note really came from a Club member. The paper was simply placed in water, if it turned the sender's chosen color, then it was a real note.  It would do the same if thrown into a fire, turning the smoke the designated color.

"Good luck on finding out. He's got special recipes for those."   Mrs. Steers paused.  “Right!  I’m off to Jameson’s.”  Mrs. Steers disappeared and stood in front of Jameson's shop.  The historic storefront looked funny on the side of a metal building.

"Where am I?"  She said looking around.  There were patches of green grass scattered about the red soil.  Dead trees stood bare.  "This looks like the outback."

"It is," said Jameson from his shop door.  "Welcome to Australia.  I found this old abandoned military building a long time ago and often settle here for a while.  No one ever comes by. At least no one expected."

Mrs. Steers chuckled as a small troop of kangaroos hopped by.  "At least the wildlife is fun to watch."

They went inside. Several fans turned, keeping the shop cool.  Jameson had placed rocks on top of stacks of paper to keep them from flying off in the breeze.

"Since it's summer here, I don't need the heat."  He offered her a seat and some lemonade.

"Spill it.  What's the good news and the bad news?  I know you didn't just call me here to chat about the weather."  Mrs. Steers sipped her drink.  "Hmmm... Perfect."

"You are going to like hearing this," said Jameson, fluttering about looking for something.  "I know I left it over here somewhere.  You know how I am.  Keep stuff hidden until needed."

Mrs. Steers didn't argue.  "Humph.  That's very true."  She watched him thumb through a stack of books.

"Aha," exclaimed Jameson.  "Here it is.  A map."

Mrs. Steers sat her drink down and got up.  "What kind of map?"

"An old map.  A map with important information.  Information you will want to know.  And study."  He unfolded the supple piece of aged paper.   "Look at that."

Amazed at the excellent condition of the map, she swooned over it.  "Wow.  Extraordinary.  Brilliant.  What am I looking at?"  Now she was a little flustered.

Jameson spoke slowly.  "This is a 1642 map indicating the possible location of the lost archives."

Mrs. Steers gasped.  "What?  Who?  Where? Show me."  Her trembling hands carefully grasped the map.  Jameson pointed to a location at the map's edge.

"You see here.  These unnamed mountains.  There is a line through them.  See how it snakes along.”  His finger moved along a very faint line. “Then a river." 

"I see it," said Mrs. Steers.  "The line.  It goes through a forest, over another river, and...  Is that a lake or a sea?"  She followed it to the other edge of the map.  "But where does it go?"

"That's the bad news," said Jameson.  "The rest of the map is missing.  I have no idea how big it is or how much is missing."

The excitement collapsed like a balloon being deflated.  Mrs. Steers drooped.  "Damn."

"But wait, look here."  Jameson showed her a few words across the bottom.  "Almost faded, but they're there.  In old English script.  It reads when translated From KDO, a possible line to the lost archives of Tempos Servos. 1642.  Two hundred.  Find the paths... or maybe parts... to create the way."

"How odd," said Mrs. Steers.  "May I take this with me to study."

"Certainly."

An hour later, Mrs. Steers had finished another glass of lemonade, talking about Sam, and her research.  Together they watched an Australian outback sunset.  The red sun sat and eventually the clear sky filled with stars.

“Gorgeous,” said Mrs. Steers, awed by the millions of stars.  “Simply gorgeous.”  Then, Mrs. Steers was gone. Back home with her new treasure.