Sneaks (9 page)

“It should work for a long time.”

“Oh, Kally, thank you so much. It reminds me of my parents and my grandparents. They are all long gone, of course, but this clock was part of my childhood. I’m afraid it’s all I have left from that time. Everything else is gone or has been taken.”

I put my hand to my throat. “Maybe not everything, Mr. Bellini.”

“What do you mean?”

“I found this inside the clock.” I leaned forward so he could see it better.

“That is lovely, very lovely, but I have no memory of it. Are you sure you found it in my clock?”

“Positive.”

“Huh.

“I was wondering. Well, the second I saw it, I loved it. I was wondering if I could buy it from you.”

“How about you take it for your fee for fixing the clock.”

“It’s worth more than the fee. Here, look, the globe is from before the quakes. It’s the way the continents used to be. That has to make it valuable.”

“Really? Can you take it off so I can look at it?”

“I’m afraid to.”

“Why, for goodness’ sake?”

“I want to tell you, but I’m afraid you’ll think I’m crazy.”

“Oooh, this sounds good. How about I promise not to think such a thing?”

“It’s hard to believe.”

“Even better. It’s been ages since I’ve heard something fanciful and fabulous. Please tell me everything.”

I told him, just like I told my mom. I didn’t leave out any detail. Part way through he started crying, but told me to continue, and to ignore him. He begged me to tell it all again, so I did.

When I finished, I wasn’t sure who was more exhausted; him or me.

“You must keep it, and figure out how to use it,” Mr. Bellini said as he wiped his eyes with his big handkerchief.

“Thank you,” I said, happy and relieved at his offer. “Why did it make you cry?”

“My mamma, my mamma always told me she wasn’t from here but she could never tell me where she came from. My pappa told me that she was ‘from another time’ but I didn’t know what he meant. I’m sad that I’ll never really know. You must promise to tell your children if you have any. Promise me, Kally, that you'll tell them about your travels. I wish I'd known. I wish my mamma could have told me all about it.”

“I promise.”

“You keep it,” he repeated. “You keep it and find adventure and happiness.”

“I have to give you some money.”

“There is not enough money. There is only the clock, don’t you see that? My mamma must have placed it in the clock. You found it, it is yours.”

“It was in your clock.”

“If I was supposed to find it, I would have long ago. No, it is yours.”

I stood and went to him. I pulled his old bent shoulders to me in a hug. “Thank you, Mr. Bellini.”

“No. Thank you, Kally Bright.”

*****

Just because the necklace was now mine didn’t mean I knew what to do with it. I spent long hours pondering how it worked. Nothing happened no matter what I did – turn the pendant, twist the chain in between my fingers, or even take it off. I stayed in Chigo in 2185.

After six or seven months of waiting for something to happen, both Mom and I decided I was probably home to stay. We went back to living our lives and the memories of my Scottish friends became fainter and fainter.

But, in truth, we’d just ignored the final ingredient. Birthdays aren’t always magical. Sometimes they’re awful and ruined by big Decisions or terrible presents. But with the necklace, birthdays became full of magic – the magic of time travel, although I was about to find out how imperfect that magic could be.

2185

Seventeen

“Breakfast,” Mom called down the hatch.

Seventeen was the best birthday. There were no Big Decisions and no weddings. It was the year before marriage and the last year to enjoy every minute with your family.

“Happy birthday, baby.” Mom scooped some pancakes onto a plate just as I walked into the kitchen. 

“Thanks. Yum.”

“Did you finish the clock you were working on?”

“No, I’ll have to work on it after school . . . Mom.” I felt funny but I couldn’t find the words to let her know. 

My stomach shifted with my vision and by the time I figured out what was happening, Mom had almost faded completely. As it was, I saw the last bit of her look of surprise mixed with resolution. She knew what was happening before I did. And just when I figured out that I was traveling through time, I think I fainted. Or something.

*****

“Och, up with ye then, lass. Up and move off my land.” The voice was most definitely Scottish. Other than that, it wasn’t recognizable enough for me to want to open my eyes just yet.

But then the person attached to the voice kicked me not so gently in my side.

“Ouch. Okay, I’m awake.” I was woozy, but I tried to focus as I shielded my eyes from the warm sun and pulled myself up to my elbows.

“ Tis better. Now off with ye.” The person signaled as if to shoo me away and then turned and walked toward their house.

Berna’s house. I’d landed by her house this time.

“Berna?”

The old woman stopped moving and turned her hunched figure again. It was Berna, but it looked as if she’d had a rough year. She was so tiny and hunched, she seemed breakable.

“How do ye ken my name?”

“It’s me, Kally. Kally Bright. I was here a year ago.” I tested my balance as I stood slowly. It didn’t feel like I was going to go down again, so I reached forward and put my hand on her arm. “Do you remember me?”

She squinted and put her face closer to mine. Her eyes were dull and somewhat foggy. 

“No, I dinna remember ye. Ye are dressed strangely. Are ye some sort of witch or something?

I was in Govment-issued t-shirt and jeans. To celebrate my birthday, I’d put on the sneakers. I was glad I had them on. 

“No, I’m the one who found the baby and was taken by all the men on horses.”

“Aye,” she said slowly. “I think I remember, but that was a verra long time ago.”

Yeah, it’d been a rough year for her. 

“Here, let me help you back to your house.” 

Suspiciously, she let me hold gently to her thin arm as we walked. Before long she was leaning into my hands.

Her house was worse than I remembered; dirtier and smellier, as impossible as that seemed.

“Can I get you something? How about a cup of water?” I asked as I guided her to her bed.

“Aye, that would be lovely.” Berna sat.

I took a cup from the messy table and dipped it in the water bucket on the floor.

It hit me – I was back in Scotland! I knew how to get home and my mom new where I was. I was cautiously excited. I’d been trying to get back for a whole year.

I had so much I wanted to do. I wanted to see Ian and his family. I wanted to officially meet Ivar Lennox and his family. I also wanted to see if I could figure out who’d attacked me the last time I was here. I gave myself one week. If I couldn’t accomplish what I wanted to in that amount of time, I would pull break the chain and go home. 

But, I also needed to talk to Berna. She was the one who’d told me I needed to meet Ivar Lennox in the first place. She was the one who told me I was a time sneak. 

As I handed her the cup of water, I realized she’d fallen asleep sitting up. Her eyes were closed and she was snoring quietly. I sat the cup down and then moved her shoulders so she was lying down.

As much as I needed to talk to her, waking her seemed both cruel and useless. She hadn’t remembered me. Would she remember anything else? I thought about staying a little longer. I could wait until she woke up and try again, but I was impatient. I'd try to come back later, but I couldn't just sit around and wait to get answers I might not be able to get anyway.  

I'd learned the secret of the outside wells the last time I was in Scotland. I filled the water bucket from Berna's well, and then found two potatoes and two apples on a shelf, but nothing more than that. When I came back to see her, I would try to remember to bring food.

Also, the last time I’d been there, she told me to check the loose stone in the fireplace for a message. It took me a second but I found the stone and removed it, finding nothing but a large furry spider.

I crouched down beside her and said, “I’m going Berna. I’ll try to come back and talk to you again, but I’ve got to go.”

The only response was another snore. I left the cabin thinking I should have done more for, but not knowing what it would be.

The first trip to the Duncan castle had taken a quarter of a day on horseback. It would probably take at least a half day to walk there. I set out in the direction we'd gone.

Unfortunately, it got dark much more quickly than I thought it would. Very dark. It was never completely dark at home. There were streetlights, and car lights, and house lights. This darkness was so dark that I lost my bearings. If there were a moon and stars above, they must have been hidden by cloud cover. 

Suddenly, I was at a standstill. I was afraid to go forward because I didn’t really know which way was forward. I was afraid to go backwards for the same reason.

Finally, I sat. The night was warm. I didn’t feel unsafe. I felt very on display, but unless the wolves were desperate, I would probably be able to get some sleep. I was almost too tired to care about the wolves anyway. With a short reach to my left I found a large boulder. Its presence made me feel more secure. I snuggled myself up against it, and with my fingers around my necklace, tried to get some rest.

*****

“Wake up,” said the second person in one day.

This time I jumped up to a full-on panicked consciousness. My hand had moved away from my throat or the chain would have snapped.

“What? Who?” I said.

Hot torchlight moved in front of my face.

“What are ye doing out in the night?” said a male voice.

“I … I’m on my way to . . . to the castle. It got dark …” I said, shielding my eyes. “I can’t see you.”

“Castle? Whose?”

“Brian Duncan’s.” 

“Why are ye going to the Castle Duncan?”

“To see some old friends.”

“What are ye wearing and why do ye talk so strangely?”

“Long story.”

The torch flamed and blocked the view of my visitor as I assumed he thought about whether or not I was telling the truth. Finally, the fire moved enough that once my eyes quit seeing yellow after-lights from the flame I could somewhat make out the person.

At first I thought he might be Brian Duncan. The man, well maybe boy, was tall and muscled on all parts of his body that weren’t covered. His long black hair was braided down his back. And he was wearing a kilt. It was the first time I understood the appeal of kilts. His seemed perfect.

“Well, ye seem harmless enough. I’m on my way to the Castle Duncan myself. Would ye like to come along? I can give ye a ride,” he said cautiously as he pointed the torch toward his horse.

“Uh,” I said eloquently.

“Ye’ve nothing to worry about. I’m not going to harm ye. There are creatures around though who might find ye a tasty dinner.” 

“How do you travel at night?” I asked, not sounding much more intelligent than I had before.

“Lass, I’ve spent the entire sixteen years of my life roaming this country. I could travel it not only at night but asleep on my horse. Plus, I’ve got my torch.” He smiled fully this time, and his were teeth straight and white. Had they invented toothpaste while I was gone? 

Sixteen. He was tall for sixteen. Actually, he was tall for thirty. He was just tall. And he did remind me of Brian Duncan, but I supposed that dark-headed Scottish men all had a similar look. But I didn’t know him. I didn’t remember him. I was pretty sure I would have remembered this guy.

“I think I’ll wait until morning. I can make it,” I said.

“Oh, I’m sure ye can. Weel, all right then. I’ll be on my way.” He turned but then turned back to face me again. “Are ye sure?”

I wasn’t sure at all. If he was going to the Castle Duncan, it would be faster, though no easier on my body, to take the trip on horse, but I didn’t know him. 

“Yes, I’m sure,” I said.

He looked at me and then sighed heavily.

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to camp close by.”

“What?”

“Dinna fash yerself, lass. I’ll put out my bed over here. Tomorrow, I’ll make sure ye get to the castle.”

“That isn’t necessary.”

He smiled and then went to work. Amid my protests, he found wood for a small fire and unrolled something next to it that looked much more comfortable than the bare ground. His camp was about twenty yards from my own, but much more homey than my boulder.