Prophet

by Mark J Rose

  Franklin stood up. “Bach! How is this possible?”

  “Electricity.”

  “Electricity doesn’t make music.”

  “It makes noise,” Matt said. “You’ve heard it crackle and pop. You adjust the strength for different sounds.”

  “This is wizardry,” Franklin exclaimed.

  “There’s God,” Matt said, “and there’s the science I think he wants us to discover, but there’s no wizardry.” He fumbled with the phone again. “I’ve Mozart in here too. I used it to practice the minuet down in Richmond.” Matt stopped the Bach and started the Mozart.

  Franklin was now leaning over Matt like a perched owl. “The men are contained in there?” he asked. “No, that’s ridiculous! Are there small instruments?”

  “There isn’t anything inside but electrical memory of the music,” Matt replied. “Humans play the instruments and it captures the sound as an electrical impulse and repeats it. It’s like an echo. There isn’t another man shouting back at you from the canyon when you hear your echo.” Matt shut the music off. “Whistle something,” he said as he pressed the record button.

  Franklin whistled “Yankee Doodle.” When he was done, Matt played it back as the older man stood shocked. “This is some magic,” Franklin said.

  “If I could do magic, would I be struggling every day to make medicine?”

  “I’m not sure what you’d do,” Franklin replied. “Could you not use this device for profit?”

  “How?” Matt said. “Eventually it would be taken from me by someone more powerful.”

  “It uses electricity?” Franklin asked.

  “There’s a small battery inside,” Matt said. “You can see how much electricity is in the battery there on the right corner.”

  Franklin looked at the screen. “Thirty-five percent.”

  “It needs to be charged,” Matt explained. “I have a portable device that uses a hand crank to generate more electricity.”

  “You make electricity with mechanical devices?” Franklin asked.

  “Not always. Most people in my time have electricity brought into their homes using copper wires. They use it to power machines and lights. I usually connect this device to those wires and it absorbs the power.”

  “I knew electricity could be harnessed!”

  “It’s routine in my time,” Matt said. “The average person has no idea how electricity gets to his home. I’m the same. If I lost this charger, I’d be out of luck.”

  “I might be able to help you put electricity back into this device,” Franklin observed.

  Matt felt a twinge of satisfaction at the disorientation he saw on the man’s face. “Let me show you some pictures.”

  Franklin stared back in disbelief.

  Matt fumbled with the phone again. “I have some of Philadelphia from my time.” He had about a thousand photographs from the last couple of years. Matt handed the phone to Franklin. “Recognize that?”

  “The State House.”

  “We call it Independence Hall now.” Matt dragged his finger across the screen while Franklin cradled the device in his hands. “You can swipe across to see others.”

  Franklin’s eyes were glued to the phone as Matt showed him pictures. When he could finally tear his gaze from the screen, he said, “Independence from what?”

  “Figure it out,” Matt replied. He eased the phone from Franklin’s hands and pressed the off button. It shut down with a beep.

  “I’d have thought a man from the future would know enough to make himself a king.”

  “Doesn’t seem to be that easy,” Matt explained. “Take this device. I have no idea how to make one. I do know how to make medicine, but only with the ingredients available in my own time. It’s driving me crazy.”

  “I think I may believe you,” Franklin said sincerely, though there was still a puzzled look on his face.

  “May?”

  The dog had wandered over to Franklin, and the man stooped to scratch him with both hands. “Of course, your story is ludicrous,” Franklin said, “but I find it difficult not to trust a man with a dog such as this.” He was speaking more to Scout than Matt.

  “You’re making fun.”

  “No. Noble animals like this don’t tolerate disreputable men. Scoundrels always have some nasty cur at their side.”

  “Did you hear that, Scout?” Matt said. “Dr. Franklin said you’re a noble animal.”

  “Now you’re joking,” Franklin proclaimed.

  “Nothing of the sort. Whose face is on the money?”

  “Mine, it seems. I can’t imagine why.”

  “You can decide how much to ask. We should both decide how to proceed.”

  “You could change the world if what you’re saying is true,” Franklin proclaimed.

  “No, Ben,” Matt said. “You’ll be the one to do that. I’ve less than two years to marry the woman of my dreams.”

  “So I guess naught has changed after, what, two hundred and fifty years?”

  Matt looked back at him, puzzled.

  Franklin shook his head in disappointment. “Young men have the world at their command and they can only think as far ahead as their wedding night.”

  31

  Jacob Smith

  The next day, a young man, probably in his late teens, was sitting on the porch of Grace Apothecary when Matt showed up for work. He greeted Matt with a handshake before Matt could reach the steps.

  “I’m Jacob Smith,” he said nervously. “I heard about the job and I rushed over this morning, first thing.”

  “Let’s go inside,” Matt replied. He unlocked the door and motioned Jacob into the building. Matt set his box of candles on the main counter and pointed to a rack for the young man to hang his coat. Matt pulled out two chairs.

  “I need someone to mind the store and sell to customers,” Matt said. “What makes you qualified to work here?”

  “I’m good with people, hardworking, and God-fearing.”

  “Do other people say that about you?”

  Jacob nodded, then thought for a moment. “Except my father. He’s short on compliments.”

  “Any schooling?”

  “I can read and write, add and subtract. My father says ’tis not enough, though.”

  “Your father must be a hard man,” Matt replied, chuckling.

  “I’d own the world before he’d say he was proud.”

  “You give me your word that you’ll do your best?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “We’ll try you out for the week, and then I’ll decide if I want you back.”

  “Can I start today?”

  Matt nodded. “Five shillings a week, plus ten percent of the price of everything you sell. The better you treat the customers, the more you make.”

  The young man smiled.

  “It can be hard when they’re complaining,” Matt said.

  “Customer is always right, my gramps used to say,” said Jacob.

  Matt spent the morning explaining how he operated. There were more customers than usual, so he was able to show Jacob a fairly representative sample of his patrons. Matt had his customers’ names on a list behind the counter, so he could greet them when they came into the store. Jacob watched intently as Matt sold them the sundries that now lined many of his shelves.

  After lunch, Ben Franklin entered the store. “Ben,” Matt said, surprised. “What can I do for you?”

  Jacob, who had been organizing shelves, stopped to watch their conversation.

  Franklin went silent upon seeing the young man. “I have questions,” Franklin said. “Can we meet for dinner tonight?”

  “You all right with everything?” Franklin looked ruffled.

  “Just some things I’d like to discuss.”

  “Six o’clock at Poor Tom’s,” Matt said.

  Franklin reached out and patted him on the shoulder. As quickly as he’d come, he turned and was gone. Jacob watched him walk out the front door.

  “That wasn’t B
en Franklin, was it? The scientist?”

  Matt nodded.

  “He’s rich,” Jacob said.

  “I’m not sure if he’s rich or not.” Thus far, Matt had not gotten a clear picture of how Franklin made money or even how he spent his days. Franklin had demonstrated a knowledge of business, politics, and even things as pedestrian as blacksmithing and baking, but he had never talked about going to a job during the day. The man was an enigma.

  Jacob nodded and smiled, like he had some doubt that Matt knew so little about Franklin, and returned to organizing shelves. At three o’clock, Matt left him to mind the store while he went back to harvest the cantaloupe mold. When he was finished, Matt went through a few more details with his new employee and then told him that he could go. Jacob had made almost a pound with his daily salary and commissions. He smiled as Matt paid. “Days aren’t always this good,” Matt warned.

  “Not if I can help it, Mr. Miller,” Jacob replied.

  Matt watched Jacob walk away with a spring in his step. He briefly regretted the ten percent commission as too large, but shook it off. He knew that if he wanted Jacob to take on more responsibilities, including procuring supplies and stocking shelves, he’d need to keep him motivated.

  Matt closed the store and hurried home to exercise the horse and the dog. They spent almost two hours that day riding in the country. The mild February weather had dried the roads, so they could run and gallop at will. By the time they were done, man, horse, and dog were tired. When Matt got home, he cleaned up for dinner with Franklin, wondering the whole time what the man had on his mind. He wasn’t sure how much of the future he should disclose.

  32

  Pressing Questions

  Matt arrived at Poor Tom’s Tavern a little after six o’clock to see Franklin already drinking ale and speaking with Charity. She had a shy smile on her face. The girl greeted Matt with a kiss on the cheek as he walked up to the table. Matt looked around for her father. “He’s not here,” she said.

  “He’d chase me out of here with a musket.”

  “He would not,” Charity said. “What will you have?”

  “Some of that darker ale.”

  Franklin sighed when she walked away. “To be twenty again.”

  “I’m an expert. Twenty’s not as easy as you think.”

  “Don’t ruin an old man’s fantasy,” Franklin huffed. “I imagine myself having the face and body of a twenty-year-old and the wisdom and means of my own age. That young beauty would be kissing my baby face instead of yours.”

  “I’m sure we’re not here to discuss beautiful women.”

  “I was up all night thinking about your story,” Franklin replied. “I don’t believe you in the slightest.”

  “Still think I’m making it up?” Matt said doubtfully.

  Franklin shrugged. “Hypothetically, if a man from the future did appear here in Philadelphia, it might be prudent to ask him a question or two.”

  “You should worry that—”

  “I already know your fear,” Franklin interrupted.

  “You might change the future based on your knowledge of it.”

  “Do people in your own time speak often of time travel?”

  “Quite a lot, actually,” Matt said. “They write whole books about changing the future.” Matt waited for Franklin to consider it.

  “If you were to go back and somehow cause the death of your mother before you were born,” Franklin said, “would you disappear?”

  “That concept’s almost a cliché in my time,” Matt replied, laughing. “Anyway, you’d need to find a very horrible and stupid man to do your experiment.”

  Franklin looked at him, puzzled.

  Matt stared directly into Franklin’s questioning eyes with a clever grin. “He’d have to be willing to kill his own mother and be fine with bringing about his own demise.”

  “Obviously, I haven’t given this much thought,” Franklin admitted with a perplexed look on his face. “I trust, though, that the Lord designed this world to last an eternity. I can’t imagine two random scallywags could undo what He’s done.”

  “So all questions and answers are fair game?”

  “I’ve decided only one thing should remain unspoken,” Franklin declared. “A man shouldn’t know when he’ll die.”

  “Which is something I’ve already told you,” Matt exclaimed. “I thought you’d appreciate knowing you’ll live a long and happy life.”

  “I’ve had problems with my industry since learning that my life will last almost forever,” Franklin replied. “I can’t get anything done!”

  “I should have told you that you were going to die in a few weeks. You’d be working on your own statue of David right now.”

  Franklin purposely ignored him. “I didn’t sleep a wink. I’ve spent the night writing questions.”

  33

  Shining City on a Hill

  Franklin pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and put his glasses on to read the first question. “Tell me about this place you call the United States of America.”

  “Hard to know where to start,” Matt replied. “It’s probably the most prosperous country the world has ever seen. People come from all over the world to seek a new life and economic opportunity.”

  “Zounds. You must miss it immensely.”

  “Sometimes,” Matt replied. His sudden lack of enthusiasm caused Franklin’s expression to change, so Matt followed with, “It’s a long story.” Franklin was placated enough to drop his surprised expression, though Matt knew him well enough now to know he’d want a more detailed explanation at some point.

  “What kind of government do these United States have?”

  “Constitutional republic.”

  “I knew it!” Franklin exclaimed. “Any trouble?”

  “People find a million reasons to be angry.”

  “So even these United States aren’t the utopia man has sought for so long.”

  Matt recognized the cynical look in the older man’s eyes. “You don’t believe in utopia?” Matt asked jokingly.

  Franklin frowned. “Utopia implies a perfect society, but man is imperfect and he makes up society.”

  “People in my time believe that the United States can become this utopia with a little tweaking.”

  Franklin waved his hand and scoffed like this didn’t deserve a reply. “Speaking of, what mechanisms are there in these United States to help the poor and downtrodden? Do they still believe that if you transfer wealth to the poor, they’ll benefit?”

  “You are a cynical sod,” Matt declared. “They call it welfare. It helps poor people get on their feet.”

  “Certainly the ranks of the poor are very small, then,” Franklin said sarcastically.

  “I already knew this about you.”

  “Then I don’t need to explain myself.” Franklin looked down at his notes. “What’s the status of the fairer sex?”

  “When I disappeared, women my age were making higher starting salaries than men, and more women were graduating from university.”

  “I’ve always believed ladies were capable,” Franklin said, “but I’m surprised that they would achieve more education. Ladies control these United States?”

  “Not yet. Eventually the United States will have a woman president.”

  Franklin contemplated the concept for longer than a moment. He looked again at his list of questions and eventually asked, “What about slaves?”

  “Slavery ends about one hundred years from now. There’s a bitter civil war. Six hundred thousand men die.”

  Franklin gasped. “Where do the freed slaves go?”

  “They stay,” Matt replied.

  “As equal citizens?”

  “That takes another hundred years. When I left, a black man was president of the United States. He’s considered the most powerful man on the planet.”

  “Your society must truly be without prejudice.”

  “I’m in science, so I’m probably not the bes
t to judge. I work with men and women of all races. If I started caring about color or sex, my day would get very complicated.”

  “It’s always a complicated interaction between the races,” Franklin affirmed. He stopped, then added, “And the sexes.” He chuckled to himself, then returned to his list. “Are these United States a free market?”

  “More than most places,” Matt replied. “Some think the government should control more and make sure the wealth gets spread around.”

  “The control of capital should never be taken from the people,” Franklin declared.

  “People in the future will try that too. Some countries will become socialist or communist. Their citizens work for the government and they distribute wealth according to need. There’s no private property.”

  “Are those countries powerful?”

  Matt shook his head. “Most didn’t last longer than a few generations. Their people were dirt poor and tens of millions were killed, usually by their own governments.”

  “Any good student of history would predict this.”

  “Many people in the United States think differently. They believe that the United States would be better at socialism.”

  “Give all the coin to the government and you’ll see that change,” Franklin proclaimed. He checked his paper.

  “What about religion?”

  “Christmas is a national holiday in the United States.”

  “Everyone is required to be Christian?” Franklin asked, surprised.

  Matt shook his head. “There’s a strict separation of church and state. The government can’t make any laws concerning religion.”

  “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s,” Franklin recited. “A republic with Judeo-Christian laws!”