“Excuse me?” replied Shirlyn, offended.
I scrambled, trying to find some type of microphone on the Estrel-Flyer. “They can’t hear you. Here, speak into this. ”
“I said that I am Shirlyn Hall. Valcas is my cousin. I’ve come to visit and have brought with me Romaso Bredani and Calla Winston.”
“Thank you, Miss Hall. You and your guests will be taken inside the tower, to separate rooms, where we will further determine your motives for being here.”
“HOW UNBEARABLY rude,” Shirlyn mumbled under her breath.
She sat behind me so I couldn’t see her face, but I would have bet good money that her freckled nose was twitching up a storm. Two of the security guards attached cables from their yellow and black Estrel-Flyers to our tan and white Estrel-Flyer. Then they pulled us along with them to the tower. The rest of the fleet surrounded us. I shook my head. We were just three non-violent teenagers. It was complete overkill.
Two arched doorways opened. The entire fleet of Estrel-Flyers passed through. As we entered, my jaw dropped. The inside of the tower extended forever forward rather than upward. The walls on either side of us were a gleaming white, lined with white doors with silver doorknobs. By the time we stopped, I’d counted over forty doorknobs.
A guard from one of the Estrel-Flyers attached to ours helped Shirlyn, Romaso and me dismount and then motioned for two more guards to join us. Each of us was assigned our own guard and led to a separate room. My guard was tall with gray hair and a thick moustache. His face was stern, but his dark eyes were bright and curious.
I caught a glimpse of Shirlyn’s scowl of indignation and Romaso’s almond-shaped eyes, now overly stretched into circles, before I walked through the doorway that my guard had opened for me. I felt the regret of having dragged them with me all over again. The small room was bright white like the hallway even though there were no lamps or windows, not that I expected the black sky outside would have provided any sunlight. Two dark wooden chairs sat facing each other on top of royal blue carpeting. There wasn’t any other furniture. After my guard closed the door behind us he sat down in one of the chairs.
“Please take a seat,” he said. His voice was authoritative but not unkind.
After I sat down, I looked up at the guard.
“Is your name Calla Winston?”
“Yes,” I answered. Shirlyn had told him that much already.
“From where are you visiting us, Miss Winston?”
That was a very good question. I’d been all over the place in the last month. I decided to answer with where I’d lived the longest. “I grew up in central Massachusetts.”
“That is in the United States, America, correct?”
“Yes.”
“From when are you visiting us, Miss Winston?”
I shifted in my seat. This guy was just full of good questions. “I am from the twenty-first century.”
The guard nodded. “How is it that you appeared here today with Miss Shirlyn Hall?” His eyes were warm but wary. He knew something was up.
I sighed as I tried to figure out the shortest way of providing my very complicated answer. Then I took a deep breath. “I met Shirlyn and Romaso in my travels. We all came here together from the Halls’ estate in Folkestone, England. We’re here to visit Shirlyn’s cousin, Valcas.” I’d intentionally left out anything about the chase, hoping that Shirlyn and Romaso would do the same.
“From when is the Miss Shirlyn Hall who came here with you today?”
“The twentieth century.”
The guard nodded again.
“From when and where is the Mr. Romaso Bredani who came here with you today?”
“He’s from seventeenth-century Venice,” I answered.
The guard looked at me thoughtfully as if he was calculating something in his head. His eyes widened slightly before he regained his composure. “How is it that you were able to bring not only one but two silhouettes from different time periods here with you?”
“Excuse me?” I asked. I hadn’t the slightest clue what a silhouette was.
“From what you’ve told me, both Miss Hall and Mr. Bredani existed in time periods before yours. Therefore you must have traveled to their pasts. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s true.” I shifted in my chair again. He must have figured out that I’d brought Shirlyn and Romaso with me. “What’s a silhouette?”
The guard looked at me and shook his head in disbelief. “A silhouette is a copy of an individual’s past version that is taken out of that individual’s past and transported somewhere else.”
I felt guilty and it must have showed. Just as I was about to spill my guts about the chase and how Shirlyn and Romaso got dragged here with me, the guard hastily added, “Do not worry, Miss Winston. There’s nothing wrong with bringing silhouettes into the tower. We will just need to notify anyone who Miss Hall and Mr. Bredani may encounter so as to minimize confusion. Thank you for answering my questions, Miss Winston. I will show you to a guest suite where you can rest while I consult with the other guardsmen.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied, faintly relieved.
The guard led me back through the white hallway past several more doors and opened another door that contained a room where I found Shirlyn sitting inside waiting for me.
“Can you believe this, Calla?” she cried. “I can’t even remember when I’ve been so horribly abused.”
I took off my shoes and fell facedown, exhausted, onto an ivory pillow bed. “I’m so sorry. Did they ask you a lot of questions too?”
“That’s not what I meant. Granted, that formality was taken grossly overboard. What I want to know is why we’re not in the main house. One of the servants told me that we are offsite, in a guest suite.” Shirlyn sat with her arms crossed, evidently irritated.
I turned on my side to face Shirlyn, propping up my head with my hand. “Is that all? There isn’t anything else bothering you about this place?”
“Valcas should have properly greeted us by now. When he visited the estate with Aunt Sable and Uncle Jim, they were all given the finest rooms in the East Wing. No one here even asked if we would like refreshments. Since we haven’t eaten anything since tea, I demanded that we be served dinner.”
“Will Valcas be joining us?”
“He’d better be.”
“And Romaso?”
“The poor dear is trying to get himself ready in another room down the hall.”
“Get ready for what? Dinner?”
“Apparently we’re not presentable,” Shirlyn sighed. “Our attire is laid out in the adjoining room.”
I stifled a laugh as I dragged myself out of the bed and walked into the next room. Two floor-length gowns were spread out across another pillow bed. How had any of this made Shirlyn so upset? I’d worried that the interrogation would lead to some type of beheading, yet here she was upset about staying in a guest suite and having to dress up for dinner.
Once dressed, Shirlyn, Romaso and I followed a male servant to where we would be having dinner. Shirlyn’s copper gown was a little baggy on her, but the shade matched her coloring beautifully. Streams of ribbon stretched from her bracelet cuffs to her shoulder straps. My gown was silver and of a similar style, but worn with an attached shawl rather than sleeves. Romaso sported a black suit with a red silk tie which would have looked great on him had he not looked so uncomfortable.
“We’re walking all the way to the main house?” Shirlyn asked anxiously.
“Yes, Miss Hall,” said the servant as he led us through the long white hallway.
WE WALKED for just a few minutes before we stopped at another white door. I wondered how anyone could keep all of the doors straight. They all looked the same to me and none of them were labeled.
Before opening the door, the servant explained, “Mrs. Sable Hall and Mr. James Hall are away on matters of business. Their son, Valcas, will be joining you for tonight’s repast. I report with some regret that he dined earlier this e
vening before you arrived. Therefore, once seated at the table, please help yourselves to the dishes in front of you. Valcas will be along shortly.”
“Thank you,” I answered on behalf of all of us.
The door we passed through led into another long white hallway, this one lined with live Japanese maples and trees of a variety that I’d never seen before. Round in the middle and tapering into a point on top, the leafy greens fell in a cascade of teardrops. I couldn’t help taking a closer look at both types of tree. Each leaf was a tiny replica of the shape of the entire tree to which it belonged. The trees reached upward to a ceiling of windows, through which only black sky could be seen. Sable and Jim’s world was inside out. Life and light made up the interior, the realm of daytime. The exterior was darkness and night.
A room fanned out at the end of the hallway. Before a freshly lit fireplace stood four chairs around a table with three place settings. Upon each silver plate sat a matching dome cover. I waited until Shirlyn and Romaso were seated before I sat down. When I opened the plate cover, I found my favorite dinner, Chicken Kiev with garden greens and a slice of lemon meringue pie.
“How thoughtful,” Shirlyn said as she looked at Romaso’s seafood risotto and her own plate of oysters.
Music trickled into the room and gradually increased in volume. There were no speakers or any other identifiable source of the music. His style hasn’t changed much, I thought. As I was starting to get comfortably full, the door on the opposite side of the room opened. Valcas walked in wearing a robe-like jacket and slacks of dark gray. I squeezed my fork in my hand mid-bite.
He was wearing his glasses.
“What an honor to have guests even so late at night.” Valcas grinned. He stepped closer and sat in the fourth chair, the one across from me. I felt my body tense up and my mouth go dry, but I didn’t know whether it was from fear or anticipation.
“Thank you, cousin. Although I must say you have certainly taken your time in greeting us.”
“I apologize, Shirlyn. I’d already retired to my room for the night.”
“I see. What time is it here?”
“Nearly three o’clock in the morning,” Valcas answered with a weary smile.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!”
“Please don’t let it bother you any further.” Eyeing me, Valcas asked, “Are you going to introduce me to your companions?”
“Yes, yes of course. But take off those blasted glasses already. How can you see a thing in here?”
“I will remove the glasses, but be warned—I wear them because some find my appearance frightening.”
My stomach flip-flopped. I watched in agony as Valcas slowly removed the visors from his eyes. What if I hadn’t traveled back far enough into his past? The travel glasses were gone and I had no backup plan. Valcas’ dark visors landed on the table with a lifeless clack. Then he looked at me with two illustrious emeralds. His gaze was questioning, amused, beautiful. My stomach flip-flopped again, but for different reasons.
“This is Calla Winston,” Shirlyn said. “She’s an American girl. Isn’t she very pretty?”
“Yes, very pretty. Although, I will admit that I prefer darker eyes. Welcome, Calla. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Blushing, I had to stop myself from blurting out that my eyes were very dark—at least they used to be. The fact that I cared what he thought embarrassed me even more. “Good to see you too,” I mumbled.
“Don’t mind him, Calla. Valcas is a relentless tease. All that business about looking frightening was just a ploy. He knows he’s very handsome. He’s just begging for compliments.”
Valcas laughed at this, his eyes brightening. “Possibly. And who is this fine-looking young man?”
“This is Romaso Bredani. We met in Venice in the 1600s while Father was on holiday,” Shirlyn announced proudly.
“And after meeting in a romantic place, you are forever in love,” Valcas suggested more to Romaso than to Shirlyn.
“Yes, forever,” Romaso replied feelingly.
Valcas gave Romaso a hard look, his green eyes blazing. “How is it that you still remember Shirlyn when she met you during your past?”
I was barely aware of Shirlyn’s terrified gasp. Valcas had my full attention. I’d wondered the same thing.
Romaso pulled a round silver locket, the size of a pocket watch, out of his suit pocket and handed it to Valcas.
“What is this?” Valcas asked as he opened it.
“It’s a memento,” explained Shirlyn in a weak voice. “Romaso and I exchanged gifts during my last day in Venice.”
“Shirlyn, you know better,” Valcas said stiffly.
I craned my neck to see what was inside the locket. Shirlyn hadn’t written anything in her journal about having given Romaso a gift. Valcas held the locket up so that each of us could see the black and white portrait of Shirlyn inside. She’d signed her name underneath the portrait.
“I didn’t want him to forget me.” Shirlyn pouted. “I knew that I would never forget him and it wasn’t fair.”
“Romaso, can you read the name written on this photograph?” Valcas asked.
“Sheer-lean.”
Valcas sighed. “This breaks TSTA rules, Shirlyn.”
“What’s TSTA? I learned that the past could only be observed, not changed. Is that wrong?” I had to ask. Had Edgar been wrong about that? If so, it sounded like a really big mistake.
“What you’ve just said is only partially true. That’s actually more of a governing rule rather than a principle of time travel,” replied Valcas. He handed the locket back to Romaso. “A writing on a physical object can act as a daily reminder. There are penalties and fines for trying to change the past. TSTA stands for Time and Space Travel Agency; it is the governing body that regulates travel through time and space.”
Shirlyn shrank into her chair, ashamed and deflated.
“Don’t worry, though,” Valcas added. “The TSTA can’t enforce its rules against silhouettes. Your secret is safe with me.”
SO HE knew Shirlyn and Romaso were silhouettes? I wondered whether Valcas figured it out on his own or whether his guards told him about our interrogations before he joined us for dinner.
I looked over at Romaso and Shirlyn, wondering what they thought about Valcas’ comment about silhouettes. Romaso seemed oblivious and unoffended. He was just happy to have the locket back. Shirlyn looked slightly confused, but her mood had improved now that she knew that Valcas wasn’t going to turn her in to the TSTA.
When I looked back over at Valcas, he was already smiling at me as if to say that his comment about silhouettes was meant for me. He must have also known that I’d brought them here with me. This was already turning out to be a very interesting visit.
“Are you busy tomorrow?” Shirlyn yawned. “We’re not sure how long we’ll be staying and don’t want to impose, but I was thinking that you might be the best person to show us around. I’ve never been to your home before, you know.”
“I’m free for the day, for many weeks actually. My father and mother likely won’t return for months. I’m here to keep an eye on things in the interim.”
“Splendid! We should all get some sleep then. I’m afraid we’ve kept you awake long enough. You will send someone for us in the morning?”
“I will personally knock on your door at half past ten and escort you to brunch.”
When Valcas finished speaking, the music that had been playing in the room stopped. The servant who had escorted us to dinner entered the room, ready to take Shirlyn, Romaso and me back to our guest suites. As if on cue, Valcas and Shirlyn both rose from their seats. Dinner was over. Romaso and I followed everyone else out of the room and into the white hallway. Valcas bid each of us goodnight and then turned and walked away.
I HAD trouble falling asleep that night. The travel glasses were somewhere outside the tower where I could not readily go. One wrong move and there would be security guards swarming all over the place. I couldn’t contact Edga
r or Enta, and if anything were to go wrong I had no way to escape. Unconscious of these problems, Shirlyn snored soundly in the adjoining room of our suite.
I was glad that the whole silhouette situation was smoothed over. Had green-eyed Valcas also figured out that I was visiting a past version of him? He looked so good with his natural eye color, so much less threatening. He also seemed to be a lot more open about his knowledge of travel, much more so than the jaded, eye-color-sapped version of him that I met at the dock. I yawned, wondering what could have happened to turn him into such a different person.
I woke to find Shirlyn rifling through dresser drawers full of ruffled blouses, skirts and Palazzo pants. I dressed quickly, wondering what time it was and whether brunch would include pancakes. A knock at the door announced that it was half past ten.
“We’re just getting finished up,” Shirlyn said as she let Valcas enter the room. “I’m still looking for something to tie back my hair.”
Valcas flashed a smile as bright as the tower when he saw me. “Good morning, Calla. Did you sleep well?”
I blinked. Creepy-eyed Valcas never would have greeted me like that. “Not at first,” I answered, “but the bed is really comfortable. I should be good for the day.”
Valcas nodded. Neither of us had anything else to say on that topic. Moments of uncomfortable silence followed until Shirlyn triumphantly announced that she’d pulled a ribbon from one of the blouses to use for her hair. We were all ready to go, including Romaso who arrived at the door as Valcas, Shirlyn and I exited the suite. Everyone seemed to recognize each other from earlier that morning, and Romaso was not wandering around completely lost. Good, I thought. It was still the same day we’d arrived at Valcas’ home, so their memories had not yet been washed away.
Valcas led us to another door nestled in the long hallway. Before going in, he explained, “We call this hall the Grand Entrance. You may have noticed the wall stemming from the exterior of the tower. We are now inside that wall. From here, we can go anywhere within the house. Most would consider what we call a house to be more of a city, a maze of doorways that lead to various places including areas of the main house, the gardens, the guest suites, the sea—”
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