The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 123: Mrs. Steers' Will

Sam sat across the Steers' kitchen table from Mr. Harry Christie, Mrs. Steers’ lawyer.  He was wearing a vintage gray-flannel suit with a multi-colored polka dot tie.  His tortoise-shell rimmed glasses and handle-bar moustache completed the picture of an old-fashioned gentleman.

"Now according to the will of the late Mrs. Charlotte Steers, you, Master Samuel Henry, are the sole heir to her estate.  This includes the house, the furnishings, and a trust fund set up in your name.  The taxes and monthly expenses will be paid from a secondary trust.  Here is a listing of the total value."  He pushed an official bank statement for Sam to look at, but Emily picked it up first.

Emily's jaw dropped.  Her voice trembled with shock.  "I don't understand.  Why is my son the sole heir?  I thought that you..."  She stopped and pointed at Rose, then Xavier, and lastly Ari, all sat perfectly still. "Aren't you her relatives?"

Xavier spoke.  "We were her family in our own way, but legally, no.  Her real children, Em and Dan, are out on missions and very seldom come back here.  They are all in agreement about the terms of the will.  Isn’t that right, Mr. C."

Mr. Christie nodded and proceeded despite the chatter.  "Both Mr. and Mrs. Steers were very clear when she wrote it.  I was there.  Albert encouraged her all the way. It would have been about three years ago..."

"Three years ago," said Emily.  "We weren't even in Connecticut at that time.  How could she...  Ah... Right.  Watching us."

"As you can see," said Mr. Christie.  "The will is very clear. Samuel Henry, you are the sole heir to the Steers estate to be held in a trust until you are eighteen. It will be managed by Ms. Rose Reulen.”

Sitting back in his chair, Sam was still in shock over the news.  "How can I be her heir?  We were friends, but I..."

Mr. Christie stopped him.  "Well, as the legal representative of the Time Travelers Club and a member of the West Coast chapter, I know for certain that Lottie had been watching you for years.  She recognized your outstanding abilities to use the incantations and wanted to make sure you would receive proper training when you came of age.  And to do this, you needed to be comfortable."

"Well, judging by these numbers we're more than just comfortable.  We're well off." Emily shook her head as she glanced over the bank statements once more.  "I've got to take some time to soak this in.  This is all very... Very..."

"Much to soak in," said Xavier.

Mr. Christie, being proper and business-like, continued.  "Take your time.  Now, back to you, Master Henry."

Sam raised his eyebrows.  Master Henry...

"I am instructed to give you this," said Mr. Christie.  From his briefcase, he pulled out a large manila envelope.  "This is for you only.  It is from Mrs. Steers.  Open it later when you are ready."

Their meeting concluded with Mr. Christie promising to finalize the paperwork, meet with Rose to discuss her role, and get back with Sam and Emily to sign papers.  Stunned Emily went upstairs to lay down.  Everyone else left, leaving Sam alone with his envelope.

Plopping down on the sofa in the front parlor, Sam opened the envelope.  Inside, he found another legal-sized envelope and what looked to be a list.

Across the top was written A To-Do List from Mr. and Mrs. Steers for Sam Henry. Next was a personal message, then the list.

Sam, we want you to do the following.  You don't have to do all of them at once, but over the course of your lifetime.  Albert and I feel that you are the one who can accomplish them, and, of course, don't forget your friends in the Clubs.  It's a short list, but you can do it.

*Go back and explore Fingal's Cave.  I suspect there's a lot more to learn from the collection there.

*Prove once and for all that there is a lost archive.  That way it won't be lost anymore.  Find the 1642 map.  Clues for you to follow -- look high, then low, then left, then right.  Where you started.

*Visit Mrs. Labuler and the current archives.  She knows it better than anyone else.

*Visit Jameson often.  He's a man with many connections.

*Be good to and for your Mother.  She needs you.

*Be brave.  Be curious.  Be strong.

*And most importantly, remember to keep those secrets.  You will be one of the few who know the truth.  And I know you love a good mystery, but you also need to be mysterious.  It's more fun that way.

Sam laid the paper down in his lap and cried.  Mrs. Steers was truly a good friend and she knew him well.  His love of mysteries. His love of history.  And his sense of adventure.

Sam went upstairs.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 122: Mrs. Steers' Office

Out in the hallway, he spied Rose and Xavier going into the room he knew as Mrs. Steers’ office.  Weaving his way through the crowd and around the dining table, Sam thought the door was closed, but saw that it was cracked open.

"I forgot to tell you the other day, your performance was perfect," said Xavier. "Too bad we didn't need it."

"No kidding," said Rose.  "And you, poor Xavier, you didn't even get a chance to perform either."

Someone bumped into him and he fell against the door, pushing it wide open.  Pretending to just have arrived, Sam composed himself.

"Hey.  I didn't realize anyone was in here."

Sitting in an old rolling office chair, Xavier spun around.  "Welcome."

Rose, who was leaning against the desk, glanced over at Xavier with that "do-you-think-he-heard-us" look.  A slight bit of surprise on her face.  Xavier gave an "I-don't-know" shrug of the shoulders.

Not waiting for an invitation, Sam joined them.

Judging from the stacks of papers and jumbled books on the desk, the floor, and the bookshelves, as well as the row of three file cabinets with open drawers partially pushed in, Sam said.  "Wow.  Mrs. Steers wasn't as organized as I thought she would be."

"Well, she was a researcher," said Rose, looking around.  "She probably knew right where everything and anything was."

Sam didn't reply.  His gaze was fixed on a shelf on the wall beyond her.  He moved past Rose to get a closer look.

"Are those..." started Sam. His attention was fully on what looked to be trophies. All had marble-pillar-shaped bases, but the tops were different.  A few looked like milk-glass orbs, some silver, others clear glass.

Now close enough, Sam could read the metal plates.  Charlotte Steers, Winner of the 94th Annual Orb Competition.  Another read Charlotte Steers, Winner of the 95th Annual Orb Competition.  Sam counted a total of twenty-seven trophies, all in order from 72nd to 99th.  He marveled at the framed photographs of Mrs. Steers holding the trophies.

"Ta-da," Xavier announced.  "Welcome to the Lottie Steers' Trophy Hall of Fame."

"You see Sam," said Rose.  "Mrs. Steers was the champion orb thrower of all time.   Even better than I am.  She taught me and numerous others in the Club."

“Wow, I had no idea,” said Sam. “I just keep learning more and more about all of you.”

“Why don’t you stay here and look around,” said Rose.   “You will need to become familiar with a lot of the materials in here.”  Rose and Xavier left Sam alone in Mrs. Steers’ office.

Xavier whispered.   “Do you think we should?  Leave him alone in there?”

“He’ll be fine,” said Rose, walking to the far end of the dining table to cut a piece of cheesecake.  “He’ll learn soon enough.”

“Yes, I know, but…” Xavier leaned toward Rose.  “Her age.  Her real age.  He’ll certainly question if he does the math.   How do you explain to an eleven-year old how someone who told you that she was seventy-six is actually one-hundred and three.  That’s over a thirty-year difference.”

Savoring the creamy cheesecake, Rose shook her head.  “Sam will have to handle this in his own way.  We just need to be there for him.”

Cutting his own slice of cheesecake, Xavier didn’t let up.  “And then there are the elixirs.  What about those?  Do we need to tell him about those?”

Rose saw that his hands were trembling, trying to hold onto the dessert plate. “Xavier, I understand.  It’s going to be hard for Sam to swallow, but we didn’t know him at the time.  It was too late for his Dad.  We would have had to have caught it early on to use it.”

Hushing him and putting her hand on Xavier’s arm, Rose saw Sam come out of Mrs. Steers’ office.  Glancing around, he spied them.  After stopping to grab a gingerbread slice, he made a bee-line to them.

“There’s a lot in there,” said Sam. “I just don’t feel right about being in there.  Maybe later.  I think I’ll just wander around.”

Later, Sam sat down on the bottom step of the stairs and watched the crowd circulate through the downstairs of the Steers’ home.  Rose was talking to her mother and father, no doubt about what to do with Dreda.  Sam had met Andreas Reulen, who had already spoken to Rufus Leightstone about what will happen to his daughter.

Ari was talking to two Greek members of the European society, while William Trenda poured drinks for members of the Indian group.  Darren and Lewis Scott sat in the dining room looking at old photo albums.

Sam heard Xavier coming from the kitchen. He was talking to a man who looked like a professor, wearing a jacket with suede elbow patches. His graying beard and round glasses added to the look.

“You come highly recommended,” said Xavier. “I think you will be perfect for writing about some of our adventures.  Have you written any books before?”

“I can’t say that I have,” he said. “This would be my first book.”

“Ah, here’s Sam,” said Xavier.  “We think that his first adventure would be the place to start. Sam, I would like you to meet…”

Sam didn’t catch his name because a group right next to them laughed too loud.

“So you’re Sam,” said the unnamed writer.  “I’ve heard a lot about you and your involvement with the Club from Xavier.  And I hope to spend some time with you.”  Sam stood up and shook his hand.

“Sam, your story is going to become a book,” said Xavier, slipping his arm through the nameless guest’s arm.  “I suspect he will want to interview you and the rest of us.”  Being a little flirty, Xavier winked at the writer.

“Sam, how exactly did your first time traveling experience begin?” her asked.

Sam was humbled by all the attention.  “Well, I found an old newspaper from London in the attic with a fingerprint of Jack the Ripper on it.  And I think I was meant to find it...”  Sam began to feel excitement about the idea of his story being made into a book.

“Ah, a fingerprint of Jack the Ripper,” repeated the writer.  “Hmmm… Might make a good title, eh?”  Sam watched him rub his bristly beard thoughtfully.

From the dining room, Darren called to Xavier.  “Hey, come check this out.  We found a picture of you as a kid.”  Xavier led the writer into the dining room.  "Excuse us, Sam, better see what the boys found."

Sam went back to crowd watching.  Emily came from the kitchen carrying a plate with a piece of cake, handed it to Sam and then sat down next to him.

"It seems like our lives are about to change," said Emily, looking around the crowd.  "I'm not sure I like this, but then I see all these people here..."

"Mom," said Sam.  "I'm beginning to realize and understand what special abilities I have.  And like you said, all these people. I don't think you'll have to worry too much."

Emily smiled and kissed Sam on his cheek.  “You’re going to be just fine.  All of these people are here for you. And that includes me.”

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 121: Many Words

Rufus Leighstone spoke for a few minutes to the crowd in Mrs. Steers’ front parlor, before asking "Master Henry" to come forward. Sam was nervous. He fidgeted with his tie, then his shirt collar.

Sam got up in front of the assemblage. He had tried to count them but gave up thinking he had counted some twice.  He knew for sure he was up to at least seventy-three.  He knew only a few of them.

"When my Mom and I moved here, Mrs. Steers gave me an opportunity.” Sam spoke slowly at first, trying to read from the paper in his hand.  “That was to go places...  And now...  And now..." Sam stopped.  He lowered his head in sadness, not able to look at anyone.  "And now she's gone..."

Sam flashed back to the moment they returned from Fingal's Cave.  He could still see the whole scene in his head.

"What a day," said Ari, as he quickly found a place to sit.  "My back is killing me."

"Too much Bruno for one afternoon," said Rose. "You know he and that other guy... What was his name?  Fan?  They left rather quickly back through the passageway.  I wonder where they went."

After unbundling herself, she warmed her hands in front of the fire.

Sam threw his coat on a nearby side chair.  "Maybe they were freaked out by the sight of Mrs. Steers' orb.  That was one awesome orb.  I had no idea that she was..."

From out in the hall they heard someone racing down the stairs.  Xavier zipped into the parlor.  He had tears in his eyes.  All he said was.  "It's not good."  Over and over as he paced.

"What?  What is it?" said Rose.  "What's not good?  Where's Lottie?"  Anxious, Rose took Xavier by the arms.  "Where is she?"

"She's gone.  The orb, it..." He couldn't finish the sentence. 

Ari stood up.  Sam was right next to him.  Rose dashed past Xavier, calling out. “Lottie?  Lottie?”  Uncle Griff and a youngish man appeared in the doorway.

"Dr. Porter," said Rose.  "Were you...?"

Sam spoke up.  "What's going on?  Where's Mrs. Steers?"

Uncle Griff looked at Rose and Ari with great compassion, knowing he was about to make a difficult announcement. But before he had a chance to speak, Dr. Porter did.

"I'm afraid the orb did more damage than we originally thought.  Mrs. Steers is gone.  I couldn't help her."

Sam gasped.  He stood silent.  It was as if the whole world had just stopped.  He moved his mouth as if trying to speak.  His eyes filled with tears.   His knees buckled and he swayed.  Ari gently helped him to the couch. The last thing he heard was Rose breaking out in sobs.

And now several days later, Sam stood in front of the entire Time Travelers Club, along with his mom, and his Grandma and Grandpa Henry, about to speak about her.  The one who had taught him something unusual.  How to travel in time.

Sam started over.  This time with more confident as he looked up.  "When my Mom and I first moved here, I thought Mrs. Steers was one weird lady."  Everyone chuckled.  Sam relaxed a little.  "I mean she was making me my favorite sandwiches and I wasn't sure how she knew what they were.  Then she started talking about traveling through time with Mr. Steers.  And how they went to see different events.  I actually passed out."  Sam smiled, recalling that moment.

"She did a lot to convince me.  And then there was the newspaper with the fingerprint on it.  And how it supposedly belonged to Jack the Ripper and then we actually went to London and when Jack the Ripper was there, and we were there..."  Sam paused and sighed, grinning.  "That was amazing.  And then came Cleopatra.  And the Pyramids.   I got to know Rose and Xavier and Ari.   Remember, Ari, how you had to carry me over your shoulder while we ran from those guys..."  Sam looked at Ari, who grinned back and nodded.

Sam stopped for a moment, trying to pull his thoughts together again.  "I guess what I'm trying to say is Mrs. Steers gave me a whole new life.  Not just for me, but my Mom also.   She's still in shock."  Emily sat nearby, seeming a bit detached, she waved to everyone.

"Mrs. Steers opened a whole new world for me.  I wish I wasn't standing here without her.  But, I still have the rest of you.  And I want to meet all of you.  I want to be part of this Club.  I know my Dad would want me to be.  I guess that's all."

Sitting back down next to his Mom, the service continued with others briefly sharing stories about Mrs. Steers.  When the remembrances were over, everyone mingled, eating and drinking.  Soon, it seemed more like a party then a wake to Sam.

"Nobody seems really sad," said Sam to Rose as they stood in the kitchen, drinking hot chocolate. "I mean aren't funerals supposed to be sad.  My dad's was.  And by the way, what happened to her? I mean where is she?  And Mr. Steers?  I never heard where he was buried."

Rose was silent for a moment.  "Well, everyone would prefer to celebrate her life and how she contributed to the Club.  And as for burials, the Club has certain rules for that.  I'll tell you later."  She smiled and patted him on his back.  "For now, just get to know as many people as you can.   Like her.  That's Mrs. Labuler."  Rose pointed at the Club's archivist who had just come out of the kitchen.

Sam got up to introduce himself.  An hour later, Sam had shaken many hands and felt overwhelmed, trying to remember names.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 120: The Doctor Is Gone

With marksman precision, Mrs. Steers' orb had hit its target.  Dr. Herkeimer was no longer a threat to the Time Travelers.

"Look out," screamed Xavier, but it was too late.

Before being hit by Mrs. Steers’ orb, Dr. Herkeimer had formed a small grey orb and threw it.  His orb sailed just below hers, so she didn't see it coming. It hit her on her left side, catching her coat on fire.   Mrs. Steers slumped to the stone floor.

Uncle Griff and Ari ran to help her, putting out the smoldering wool.

"I've got you," said Uncle Griff, holding her in his arms.

"No!"  A scream came out of nowhere.  It was Sam.  He had stepped through the invisible shield just in time to witness Mrs. Steers’ orb take down Dr. Herkeimer and then see her get hit by his.  He ran towards Mrs. Steers.  Before he could get close enough, Uncle Griff had picked her up. She put her arms around his neck and they disappeared. 

Rose held onto Sam.  "She's alright, Sam.  She was just grazed on her side.  Barely a burn."  She looked over at Xavier, who had a solemn look about him.  He disappeared.

Sam looked at her.  "You promise she's alright."

"Yes," said Rose.

"I did it.  I put the books in a secure place in there."  Sam pointed to the entrance.  "They're safe now."

By then, everyone else gathered around to listen to him.

"What was it like in there?" asked Ari.  Darren and Lewis, holding the tied-up Vincent, came close.

"It was awesome.  There's a lot of stuff in there.  Other books. Some maps.  A couple of cool old boxes.  There was also a glass ball. You know the ones that gypsies look into to see the future."  Sam regaled them with the best descriptions he could.  Everyone took turns asking questions.

"Wait, where's..." Sam turned to look at the body of Dr. Herkeimer.  He grimaced at the sight of his charred body.   "Oh.  I guess he got his... I mean...  He was a bad person, wasn't he?"

"He wasn't really bad.  He was just misguided," said Vincent.

"But weren't you part of his club?" said Sam.

"I was, but I was wrong about it all...”  Vincent lowered his head.

"Come on, old chap," said Darren, taking hold of Vincent's arm.  "We've got to take you to Rufus Leightstone."

Vincent nodded.  "Well, Master Henry, I hope we can meet again. Maybe under better circumstances."  He stood up with Darren and Lewis.  The three disappeared.

"He called me Master Henry," said Sam.  "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"

Rose chuckled.  "I don't. And neither does Ari here."

"I've never really gotten to talk to you, Ari," said Sam.  "I want to hear more about you."

Ari grinned.  "Remind me to tell you about the fishing docks in my hometown.  That's a good place to start."

The three of them stood in silence a moment.

"Hey, what happened to the other woman?" said Sam, realizing that Dreda wasn't with them.  "Did she die to?"

"No, Xavier had her cornered, but after she saw Dr. Herkeimer... well... die, she left."  Rose teared up.  She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.  Sam was surprised to see her cry.  "You see, Sam, she is my sister."

Sam didn't say a word. He just wrapped his arms around her and gave a hug.  She hugged back.  "Let's get out of here.  Mrs. Steers is probably waiting for us."

Taking one last look around, they stood in the glow of the orbs.  The tiny orbs that emerged from Sam's one large orb glowed bright, filling the entire cave with light.  They all knew that they would someday return to the cavern, deep in Fingal's Cave, now that they knew there were more mysteries here to solve.  Ari put his hand on Rose's shoulder, and in the blink of an eye all three stood in Mrs. Steers' front parlor.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 119: Come Along Ully

Back in the cavern, Dr. Herkeimer and Mrs. Steers prepared to duel to the last.  Mrs. Steers rolled up her sleeves.  Dr. Herkeimer straightened his vest, tie, and last his coat, pulling his shirt sleeves down to show below the coat sleeve.

"I've been waiting for this," said Mrs. Steers.  "It’s time I teach you a few manners about slapping around young boys.  Namely Sam.  Prepare yourself!”

“I really don’t want to fight a lady,” said Dr. Herkeimer.  “It’s against my gentlemanly ethics.”

“You jack-ass,” said Mrs. Steers.  “You are a terrible person.  You will beat up, slap around, and mentally torture a young boy, but you can’t fight a woman.  Dream on, buster.  I’m going to show you what this woman can do.”

The rest of the Club members found their own vantage points, where they could use their own strengths to help defeat the Doctor. Mrs. Steers planted her feet about twenty feet away from Dr. Herkeimer.  She clasped her hands together, rubbing her palms.  Quickly, she pulled her hands apart, forming an off-white orb about the size of a basketball, and sent it sailing.   The orb moved so fast that Dr. Herkeimer had no time to think to move out of the way.

Mrs. Steers’ thunderous orb hit him square in his chest.  The bone-shattering blast threw him back against the stone.  The thud of his body hitting the wall echoed throughout the cavern.  His clothes ignited making him look like a red and orange flare.  Everyone was stunned with horror as the limp Dr. Herkeimer slid to the floor.

Once the flames died down, Dr. Herkeimer tried to lift his arms, struggling as the searing pain engulfed him.  He could see blurred figures moving around the cavern.  He tried to speak but couldn’t.  The cavern grew darker and darker.

 From up above, a small speck of white light formed, slowly swelling. He could see it moving down towards him, growing and growing in brightness. Blinded by the light, he barely held his hand up over his squinting eyes and felt a wave of warmth and belonging come over him.  A tunnel of light formed.

"Ully," a young girl's voice called out to him.  "Ully, I've been waiting for you.  Come and play with me."

At first, he couldn’t see her, only hear her voice.  She called his name again.  "Ully."

From out of the bright light came a little girl dressed in old-fashioned clothes. She beckoned him to come with her.

“Ully Herkeimer, I’ve been waiting a long time. Come play with me?”

“Who are you?”  Dr. Herkeimer didn’t recognize her.  “Do I know you?”

“Of course, you do, silly,” said the little girl.  “Come play with me.  I’ve got all your favorites.  Mother sent me to get you.  So get up, lazy.”  She joked and smiled, still beckoning him to come with her.

Dr. Herkeimer looked up at her, still unsure who she was. He then grinned.  A flood of memories came back. "Sissy, is that you?"  He could feel himself floating up, leaving behind his body.

"Come on, Ully," she repeated.  "Come and have tea.  It's your favorite."

Dr. Herkeimer took her small soft hand.   He noticed his own was young again.  He was as he had been at sixteen.   Enjoying his time at the seaside cottage. They ran up the walk together.  His Mother sat fanning herself on the porch.  She waved.

In the middle of the yard, under a large tree, sat a tea table, all laid out with cups and saucers, teapot, and a plate of cookies.

They sat down.  Sissy began to pour Ully a cup of tea.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 118: Let Them Rest

Sam lay on his back. A flash of light almost blinded Sam, but he was quick to put up his arms over his face.  After it subsided, he saw Tinean flat against the invisible shield.  He was on fire.  His head looked like a ball of flames. Sam gasped in horror as he watched the clothing burn off Tinean's body.  Finally, Tinean's burnt carcass sled down and fell backwards into the pool.

Sam got up. He saw Rose looking horrified at first, realizing that whatever she was seeing wasn't Sam.  He could see her looking around for something.

"Rose, it's me," yelled Sam.  "I'm OK."   She couldn't hear or see him.

Letting out a big sigh of relief, he knew he was safe.  He reached down and picked up the bag.

"It's time for me to do my quest,” said Sam proudly.

After a look around helped him get his bearings, Sam followed the dark passageway away from the entrance. He could hear the echoing of water slowly dripping from somewhere. It was the only sound that broke the silence.  He felt his way along the smooth stone wall.  His eyes gradually adjusted to the low light until a soft glare from somewhere ahead helped brighten the way.  Sam realized that he was at the end of the short passageway.

An opening in the wall led to a rounded chamber. In naturally formed crevices in the wall, bluish-white orbs in old metal lanterns sat shining bright, illuminating the whole room.  Sam felt a moment of exhilaration. This was the place where his ancestor had taken the scroll.   The scroll that led to a book.  And now, his own adventure.

"Look at this place." The chamber wasn't large, but Sam was awed by what he saw.  He turned to look at one of the lanterns.

"How do these last?"  Sam tried to stare into one of the orbs but couldn't.  "Isn't there an incantation that you have to use?"   Sam reached up to tap on the metal lantern.  When his finger got close, the orb swelled and spit out sparks as if to say "don't touch me."  He yanked his finger back and the orb returned to its normal size.

Sam walked around in a daze.  There were various-sized niches chiseled into the stone walls.  Each had something sitting in it.  A glass box held what looked like scrolls. Worn books bound in leather. A crystal ball perched on a brass stand.  Crudely made canisters with dusty labels. A wooden chest with hand-forged wrought-iron straps sat on a slab of stone in one corner.  All looked like they had been carefully placed in their spots.

In one niche several scrolls were stacked filling the entire space.  Their ends partially stuck out.  Sam pulled out the top scroll from its resting place, not noticing another piece of paper had fallen to his feet.   The heavy parchment paper he held rolled open easily to expose its secret.  Sam recognized the outline of Europe.  All he could read was a date of 1211.  Someone had written notes along the edges.  He found one in English that he could read.

“Trees of gold.  Ruins in the valley.  Leading to the resting place of Iordanus is a brass plate with the inscription.”  Sam didn’t understand what it meant, but he knew the name.  Someone had drawn an arrow from the words to a mountainous area in the center of the map. Sam rolled the map back and returned it to its proper place on the stack.

Sam looked down and saw the paper at his feet.  Picking up the brown paper, he saw that it looked like part of a map.  A line started on the left side and ran to the far side of the paper.  He couldn't read any of the words at the bottom.  He did recognize two of them -- Tempos Servos.  At the top right corner was a strange symbol, almost faded.  Holding it up to put light behind it, he could see it clearly.  It looked like some kind of compass with moons, stars, and letters.

"Hmmm... I wonder what that could be.  Oh well, now's not a good time." He tucked the paper along the side of the scrolls.

Moving on, Sam spotted a gold jeweled box sitting in one of the upper crevices.    He stood on his tiptoes to grab it.   It wasn't heavy despite all the jewels.  As he lifted the lid, an odor of black licorice mixed with something else hit his nose.  Inside were small yellow and brownish rocks. In the box lid, someone has written a note, but he could only make out "myrrh," "manger," and "traced to France."  He closed the lid and put the box back in its place.

As he started to reach for a small leather-bound book with gold inlay, he stopped himself.

"You have a mission."  Sam said to himself.  “You have to place the books here.  That’s your mission.” Sam fumbled with his bag and pulled out the four books.   Looking around he saw an empty crevice.  He walked over and tried to place the books upright, but they tumbled over.

“Well, I guess you will have to be stacked.  I can’t get you to stand like proper books should.”  Sam neatly stacked them.  As he went to place the last one on top, he held it.  He ran his hands over the leather binding.

“These are the books that have all the answers.  I could keep this one.  No one would ever have to know that I kept it.”  Sam gazed at the book, before opening it and turning a few pages.  The incantations fascinated him.  He stumbled on the one that turned rocks to gold.  He saw one that was for reading people's thoughts.  Another was titled "to reveal secrets."

Sam closed it and ran his hands over the binding again.  "So much to learn. I could.  I really could keep this copy."  He shut his eyes and stood silent for a moment.  He pretended he was the greatest member of the Time Travelers Club.  The head of the International Council.  He fantasized that he was addressing the Club members.  He looked around at them and...  Mrs. Steers.  She was standing front and center.  His eyes flew open.

Without thinking or saying anything else, he put the book on the stack.  "Someday I can come back here.  I can read it."

Sam stepped back and marveled at the collection.  "I can come back and learn all the secrets this room holds.  And Mrs. Steers can help me learn everything I need to know.  And Rose.  And Xavier. And Ari.  And everyone else."

Turning, he headed back through the passageway back to the opening.  He wondered for a moment if he just stepped right through it or if there were some words he had to say.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 117: Sorry, I Give Up

While everyone else was preoccupied with their opponents, Darren and Lewis chased Vincent through a stalagmite maze on the far end of the cavern.

Darren and Lewis split up and tried to corner him.  Vincent, on the other hand, just stopped and spun around to face his opponents.

"Aha!" exclaimed Darren.  "Ready to meet your doom?"

Without flinching, Vincent gave up.  "Don't hurt me.  Just don't punch me."  Vincent clutched his hands together and begged.  "I promise I won't give you any trouble."

Darren and Lewis watched as sniveling Vincent got down on his knees.  "Please don't hurt me."

Darren was stunned, looked at Lewis.  "Really?  Really?  This is our reward.  To catch the coward of the bunch?"

Lewis was shaking his head.  "Hey, we came all this way for a fight and we pick the one who immediately gives up.  What's up with that?"

"Sorry, Lewis," said Darren, patting Lewis on the back.  "It doesn't look like it's going to happen. But cheer up.  Maybe something else may come up."

Looking pitiful, Vincent just stayed on his knees, while his captives tied him up.  "I'm so sorry that I've let you down."  He sympathized with Lewis.

"It's alright," said Darren.  "He'll get over it.  Oh, and sorry, we don't have any rope to tie you up."

"That's fine.  I can pretend to be tied up."  Vincent clasped his hands together behind his back, and then tried to get up.  "Umm...  I need a little help here."

Lewis and Darren watched Vincent struggle to get up, before finally helping him.

Behind the waterfall, Rose took Sam over to the secret chamber's entrance.

"OK, Sam," said Rose.  "This is it. This is your part of the mission.  In this bag are the books.  You are to go through the secret entrance and put the books... well... wherever."  Rose had no idea what Sam would find on the other side of the wall.

"What will I..." started Sam.

Rose cut him off.  "I don't know.  It may be another room or another passageway.  Whatever it is.  You, Samuel Henry, are about to go into a place very few people have been.  Remember what I taught you about orbs.  Remember the incantations that takes you home."  She wanted to encourage him.  "Don't be afraid to use them."

Sam nodded his head.  "I get it."  He looked at the stone archway.  To him, the wall looked like any stone wall.  They couldn't see in.  Rose touch of one of the stones to prove the shield of energy was real.

"Leave the books.  Even the bag if you want to. This is so important to all of us and so many others.  We've waited a long time for this moment. More than you know."  Rose held back her tears, fearful for Sam's life.  She hugged him hard and whispered. "Be brave.”

They hadn’t seen Tinean fall into the shallow pool.  Just as Rose let go of Sam, Tinean had gotten out and was reaching out to grab him. Rose pushed Sam into the wall, shutting her eyes as a bright flash of light flared from the stones. Then she heard a snapping, crackling, and sizzling like a raw steak first hitting the grill. The sounds ended just as quickly as they started.  She couldn't look, but then the smell of something burning hit her nose.  Now, it even smelled like a steak.

Meanwhile, everyone stopped fighting as the brilliant light filled the cavern.  Mrs. Steers shielded her eyes from the flash.  Dr. Herkeimer took this opportunity to form an orb and throw it at her. She was quick, jumping to one side to miss it.  The orb whizzed past her and hit Bruno’s left arm.

"Awwww..." screamed Bruno.  Uncle Griff and Xavier fell back from him as he took off running.

Bruno ran into the passage that went back out into Fingal's Cave.  Eventually, he reached the opening and came to a halt.  The icy waters were churning, violently splashing up over the walls, freezing as it hit.

Slipping and sliding, Bruno nearly lost his balance several times as he climbed out of the cave's entrance.  Outside, it was a white squall.  He could barely make out the walkway but grabbed hold of the railing and leaned into the wind and snow.  He struggled along until he could see the fishing boat.

Jumping on board, Bruno made his way into the wheelhouse.  Brushing the ice and snow from his coat and hat, he rubbed his arms to get warm.

Fan rushed in. "We must get out of here," said Fan, grabbing Bruno's arm and disappearing.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 116: The Real Killer

Meanwhile, Tinean had Rose and Sam cornered between two stalagmites. There was no place for them to run.  Tinean reached for his knife from his boot. It was gone.  He reached under his coat and pulled another one out from the holster strapped under arm. "Which one first? You or you?"  He pointed to Rose then Sam then back to Rose.

Dreda stood behind him, grinning at Rose. Her anger towards the Club over the death of her husband grew to full force.  "Ha!  Doesn't really matter about her.  The Doctor wants the boy.  I'll take care of him."

"Stop this!" Rose pleaded with Dreda. Seeing that her pleas made no difference, Rose took a different strategy. "So Tinean is this the way it was when you killed Pavel? Did you use that exact knife?"

Tinean snickered. "I don't know what you're talking about, my dear."

"You know what I'm talking about," said Rose. "Pavel, Dreda's husband. Was he easy to kill?"

Dreda took a few steps closer. "Don't listen to her. One of them killed my Pavel. They should be the ones to pay."

Tinean snickered again. "Don't worry. They will." Still waving the knife back and forth, he stared right into Rose's eyes.

Rose stared back "You can't kill a woman. You only have the ability to kill men. Just like you killed Pavel. I bet it was easy to kill him.  Or did he put up a fight?"

Tinean became annoyed by her accusations. "Shut up!"

"You did it, didn't you? You kill only men. Not women or children. Only men. Just like you killed Pavel." Rose didn't stop, not breaking eye-contact with Tinean. "How did you do it? I bet he was easy to kill. You don't have the guts to kill us. Just my brother-in-law. He's probably the only one you've ever killed."

"Shut up, I say." Tinean blinked hard, still waving the knife. Dreda stepped even closer.

"Ah, you haven't killed anyone else have you? Have you?" Rose spoke forcefully.  Sam still stood behind her, watching Tinean whose eyes began to dart back and forth between her and Sam. He also swayed a little. "Come on, Tinean; tell us how you did it. If you even did. You probably didn't even kill him. You couldn't kill anyone. Not even Pavel. You just want people to think you did..."

"Shut up! Shut it! He wasn't my only one..." Tinean stopped.  His mouth hung open in mid-sentence. Dreda gasped and stepped back.  Like a wave, it hit her.  She had been lied to by Dr. Herkeimer.  Her mind flashed back to the day she first met him.

“I can tell you who killed him,” Dr. Herkeimer had said.  He stood between two headstones staring down at Dreda.  She sat in front of Pavel’s fresh grave and looked up at the Doctor.  He smiled.

“He was killed by the group of time travelers that your parents belonged to.  He had discovered a plot against the world.  They had to kill him.”

She had believed him then.  Now, she heard Tinean clearly.  She realized what had happened to her while grief-stricken.  She had made a wrong choice without asking any questions.

Finally, she came back to the present moment.  Tinean was confused for a moment, before realizing what he had just confessed.

“Dr. Herkeimer lied.  He lied to me about everything.  The Time Travelers.  The plot against the world.  All lies.” Dreda stepped back from him.  “You killed my Pavel.  You did it.  I have been tricked.”  From that point, all her anger turned to Tinean.  He turned to glance at her, then back to Rose.

In a low grumbling voice, Dreda accented each word.  “You are a dead man.”

Rose reached around and grabbed Sam, pulling him close to her side away from Tinean.  Dreda forced Tinean to face her by stepping in between him and Rose.

“You take Sam and go,” said Dreda without turning away from Tinean.  She motioned for them to go.  Tinean’s eyes now darted back and forth between Dreda and Rose.  Dreda was ready for a fight.  A fight for revenge.  She had found the man who had killed her husband.  Rose held onto Sam.  She turned around and guided him away from Dreda and Tinean.

“You are a liar!” shouted Dreda. “Prepare to meet the devil.  Hell is waiting for you.”

“Don’t be so sure of yourself, my sweet.”  Tinean was smug, pointing his knife at her.  “I’ll enjoy slitting your throat.”  They faced one another about ten feet apart, waiting for the other to make a move.

Tinean made the first lunge. Dreda jumped to one side as Tinean stumbled forward.  Dreda punched him in the side.  Dropping his knife, Tinean grunted falling with a thud.  She kicked him in his other side then straddled him on his back.  She grabbed the hair on the back of his head and slammed his face into the cave’s stone floor.  Tinean wrestled to get her off his back, sending her backwards as he forced himself up.

“You bitch!  You’ll pay for that.” Tinean leapt up.   Dreda backed away as he spun around.  “You’re gonna get it.  Just like your sweet hubby.”

Dreda felt her rage boil. She flew at him and pushed him against the stone wall.   He wailed in pain as she punched him repeatedly in his gut.  Tinean managed to grab her and threw her against a stalagmite. She slumped to the ground.

“Now my dear.  It’s time to join your husband in sweet repose.”  Tinean searched the ground for his knife.  Just as he reached down for it, a foot landed on the handle.  It was Ari.

“I don’t think so.” Ari grabbed Tinean, lifted him up, and tossed him into the pool.  Tinean bobbed a few times, grabbing anything to get up.

The Time Travelers' Club -- Chapter 115: Face Off!

"Come here, boy!"

Mrs. Steers and Rose turned to see Dr. Herkeimer walking pointedly towards Sam.   The They had entered the cavern.  They had begun to spread out like the arms of an octopus about to snatch up the Time Travelers.

Rose raced, leaping between Sam and Dr. Herkeimer before he had the chance to grab him.  Dr. Herkeimer stepped backwards.

“You’re going to have to go through me first.”  Taking a defensive stance, Rose started to form an orb.

"Don't even start anything, big sister."  Dreda came to the Doctor's side. Her orb was at the ready.

"Ha!  Don't count on it," said Rose.  "We've got some catching up to do.  And we're going to start by forcing out the truth."

Dreda threw her orb.  Rose ducked and the orb smashed into the wall behind her.  Taking the opportunity, Rose pushed Dreda to her knees.  Startled, Dr. Herkeimer stumbled backwards, brushing against a rock, scrambling to get away from the fight.

When he turned to search for Sam, he found himself face to face with Mrs. Steers.

"I've been waiting to teach you what it's like to pick on a boy."  Mrs. Steers was furious.  Her hands trembled.

Dr. Herkeimer stepped back and bowed.  "Ah, Mrs. Steers.  I finally get to make your acquaintance."

"Stuff it!"  Mrs. Steers glared at him.  "I can honestly say I'm not happy about making yours.  This is our second meeting.  And, without a doubt, it will be our last."

Looking smug, Dr. Herkeimer shook his head and grinned.  "Mrs. Steers, why would you say that?  I only want to..."

"Stuff it I said," said Mrs. Steers.  "As I recall, the first time we met, you tried to kill me.  Remember?  And you didn't get another chance when we came to rescue Sam.  But, I do believe that I mentioned that I would see you again."

Dr. Herkeimer stood firm, face to face with Mrs. Steers.   "You are very foolish.  Just give me a copy of the book and we'll be on our way."

"Not on your life!"  Mrs. Steers stood her ground.  "I'm not going to let you get your hands on any copy.  I also won't let you get Sam either. That you can bet on."

Without so much as a hint of movement, Dr. Herkeimer formed an egg-sized orb and threw it at her.  Rose might have been the orb champion, but not even she could make then as fast as he could.

Mrs. Steers moved quickly, dodging the small orb.  "Well done," she said.  "You can still make them faster than anyone else.   Too bad you can't make them any bigger."

It was true.  He had the power to make them quickly, but they wouldn’t grow any bigger an egg and were very weak.

"I've been practicing," said Dr. Herkeimer.  "You might be surprised." 

Meanwhile, Sam had run to the grotto where he had seen the words carved in the wall.  From his hiding place by one of the stalagmite columns, he saw Mrs. Steers getting mad as if she could throw a thousand orbs at Dr. Herkeimer or at least punch him in the nose. 

From out of nowhere, Fan appeared, just in time to see Sam run into the grotto.  He slid between the back wall of the grotto and an enormous boulder, looking for a place to hide from Fan.  But Fan was able to grab Sam's coat sleeve.

"Wait!  Don't run. I won't hurt you."  Fan tried to be as pleasant as possible for a gentleman of his formality.  "I have to speak with you.   About a scroll.  A scroll in Chinese that may or may not be in this cavern."

Sam tugged to free his coat sleeve.  "No way!   You're one of them.  Get away from me."

"No," said Fan. "You misjudge me. I am working for someone else who is just as interested in the lost archives as The Time Travelers.  Master Henry, I must speak with you."

"Master?" said Sam.  "Why do people keep calling me that?"

Confused by Sam's comment, Fan waved his hand.  "It's not important.  I need to ask you for a favor.   When you enter the cave, you must look for a scroll.  A very ancient scroll that will..."

Before Fan could finish, Rose pushed Fan backwards against the grotto wall.

"Back off, buddy!"  Rose jumped between Fan and Sam.  "Leave him alone."

Holding his hands out in front of him, Fan tried to explain.  "You don't understand.  I have my own instructions."

Fan wasn't able to finish explaining to Sam about the ancient Chinese scroll.  Rose grabbed Sam and they ran out of the grotto.  Fan watched and knew that his mission had failed.  Then he saw Tinean.

Making a quick decision, Fan tripped Tinean, pretending it was an accident, and giving Rose and Sam more time to get away.  As he helped him up, Fan was able to pull Tinean's knife undetected from his leg holster.  Fan hid it as quickly as he could. Tinean shoved Fan away and ran towards Rose and Sam.

"This way!"  Rose shielded Sam, putting him in front of her.  Tinean chased them back into the grotto with the stalagmites on each side.

Meanwhile on the other side of the cavern, Ari, Xavier and Uncle Griff took on Bruno.

Uncle Griff taunted Bruno.  "Aha!  Three against one."

Like a sumo wrestler, Bruno hunched over and began swaying back and forth.  "Bring it on.  Don't bother with the orbs."

Ari and Uncle Griff laughed, while Xavier took a more serious tone.  "What are you two laughing about?  This guy's going to be tough to bring down."

"Oh yeah. Is that so?" said Uncle Griff.  "Then watch this. Ready, Ari?"

“Ready,” said Ari.  From the depths of their coat pockets, both Ari and Uncle Griff pulled out sling shots, and from their other pockets, they each pulled out a stone.  Before Bruno knew was about to happen, Ari and Uncle Griff launched their attack.  One stone smacked Bruno in the center of his forehead.  The other went to his right knee.

Falling to one side, Bruno grabbed his knee, wincing in agony. “That hurt!”

Watching, Xavier crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby stalagmite.  "Don't mind me.  Go right ahead."  Ari and Uncle Griff launched their second round of attacks as quickly as they launched the first.

“Stones hitting Bruno where it hurts,” announced Xavier. “And that’s just about anywhere he can put his hand.  And now they’re going in for round three.  Ladies and gentlemen, this fight is getting ugly…”

Ari took aim at Xavier.   “Will you shut up!”

Xavier went quiet and Ari went back to his barrage of stone.

"What the...!"  Bruno held his hands up, trying to protect himself from the onslaught.

Running low on stones, Uncle Griff backed away, scanning the ground for more.  “Hey… Could you lend a hand here?”  He motioned for Xavier to find more stones.

The lull in the action gave Bruno the opportunity he needed.  Rushing Ari and Uncle Griff, he reached out as if to grab one of them but spun around and grabbed Xavier instead.

Bruno had wrapped his arm around Xavier’s neck and was hoisting him up.  Xavier stood on tiptoes and used Bruno’s arm like chin-up bar, digging his fingers into Bruno’s muscular arm.

“Put the rocks down,” growled Bruno. Ari and Uncle Griff stopped their attack.  “Back off or I’ll break his neck.”

“Now now, Bruno,” said Uncle Griff.  “Don’t do anything hasty.”  Uncle Griff stalled for time, trying to figure out what to do.  A strategy that would take Xavier out of harm’s way.

Looking furious, Bruno took a few steps back.  Xavier dug his fingers into Bruno’s arm and saw that Bruno had backed up against the wall.  Xavier winked in Ari’s direction.  Ari nodded.

Swaying close to Uncle Griff, Ari poked him in the arm, signaling him to be ready, for anything.  Xavier had something in mind.

“Hey Bruno,” squeaked Xavier.  “Not that I’m complaining, but this grip you have on me is really getting uncomfortable.”

Bruno didn’t respond; he was too busy keeping his eyes on Uncle Griff and Ari. He paid no attention to Xavier.

Taking advantage of Bruno’s lack of interest in him, Xavier gripped Bruno’s arm hard, jumped up while kicking his feet out, pulled his feet in quickly and planting them square on Bruno’s knees. Xavier pushed back as hard as he could.

“Ouch!” Falling against the stone wall, Bruno lost his grip and Xavier tumbled to the side.  Uncle Griff and Ari plunged forward, slamming their fists into Bruno’s stomach and sides.

Xavier got up.  "Well, that was... Well, all I can say, gee thanks, Ari."  He adjusted his coat.

Bruno shoved Uncle Griff and Ari at the same time, causing them to stumble back.  Free from their attack, Bruno ran towards the entrance, finding a boulder to lean on to catch his breath.  His side ached from a kick by Ari.