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.”