by Lauren James
She tried to swallow but failed. She couldn’t believe he was looking at her like that, like she’d hung the moon, all over a raw chicken.
“I have my ways,” she eventually managed to reply. She tried to sound mysterious, but it came out too breathy.
His gaze shifted to her lips, and suddenly Katy snapped out of her daze and went cold. Instinctively, she pressed her face against his shoulder, hiding in a tight, unromantic hug. He had been about to kiss her, and she couldn’t let him, not when she was still hiding so much from him. She squeezed him a final time, and when she released him, the soft, warm expression on his face had gone.
“So, chicken for dinner, then?” she said brightly, wanting him to stop eyeing her like she was a moving target he needed to pin down. His reply was a little subdued, but she tried not to care.
> Error in time-landscape 1854
> First objective not achieved
> Prepare for possible intervention
UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM CAMPUS, ENGLAND, 2039
Kate knocked at Matt’s door, balancing two plates of breakfast in the crook of her arm. They were going to spend the morning decoding the diary they had discovered the night before. Tom had given them a program to use which analysed the text by determining the frequency with which each symbol appeared and compared the results to data tables of the most commonly used letters in English. The program then made a pretty good guess at what each letter could be.
Matt must still have been sleeping, because he took a while to open the door, finally appearing in loose pyjama bottoms. He scratched his head, then adjusted his glasses. He obviously hadn’t had a chance to put in his contact lenses.
“Morning.” He took the plates from her, and then let her in. He dumped the plates on his desk, where Kate arranged them. She was trying to keep her eyes from his bare chest, but the movement of his shoulders as he shrugged on a T-shirt was distracting. He dragged a woollen jumper on over the top, tucking his thumbs through the holes in sleeves.
“I brought you breakfast from the dining hall. They ran out of milk again,” she found herself babbling. “The latest restriction on imports is the worst. They gave me apple juice to go on my cereal.”
He grunted and settled on the bed beside her to eat.
The program would work fast, but first they had to scan in the entries and digitalize the handwritten code. It took a while for the program to learn how to pick up the handwriting, but eventually the first entry was scanned in and ready to be decoded.
The results showed that there were three symbols that appeared much more frequently than the others. According to the analysis tables, these could be “e”, “t” and “a”. Kate did a search and replace on the symbols for those letters. The system seemed to be working, because on a few occasions the symbol she replaced with “a” was a lone letter, which made sense.
“We can assume the other symbol that’s on its own must be an ‘i’, then, right?” Matt asked.
“Good thinking. Where it says ‘t µ e’, the ‘µ’ is obviously an ‘h’.”
They worked through the text, slowly revealing whole words and letting the computer make guesses to fill in the gaps. Occasionally they made a mistake, but it was easy to pick up words that didn’t work. Each new decoded letter let them find several others, and soon the text was almost readable. They scrolled back to the top, so that they could read through the first entry. Kate couldn’t stop grinning with excitement at their achievement.
Folios/v7/Time-landscape-2019/MS-167
CHAPTER 14
Folios/v7/Time-landscape-2019/MS-150
UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM CAMPUS, ENGLAND, 2039
Kate woke up on a strange bed, covered with a blanket. Matt was asleep, curled in a comma towards her. They’d fallen asleep waiting for the program to finish decoding the rest of the diary. She watched him sleep peacefully, resisting the urge to stroke his hair. Then he snored loudly, and the moment was gone. She smiled, reluctantly fond, and rolled over.
She should probably go to her own room, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. She checked her tablet. She had three messages from friends and a missed call from her mum. She ignored them. She’d get in touch with them later. She didn’t want to disturb this moment. It was so right here: half asleep and listening to Matt’s relaxed breathing. She felt like she belonged, like she should have been here all along.
“You’re not a goose egg,” he muttered as he dreamt.
“Thanks for the reassurance,” she teased.
He laughed, reacting to her joking tone even while asleep. She buried her face into his pillow, muffling a grin. She’d always loved it when he did that.
A loud noise pushed into Kate’s sleep and she groaned, not bothering to open her eyes. She pressed closer against Matthew, pulling the blanket over her shoulder. It was cold in the castle.
“Has it started?” Kate murmured. “It’s not even light yet.”
“I don’t know,” he mumbled, pulling her tighter against him. “But you’d think Charlie could wait until morning.”
“It’s very inconsiderate of him,” she said, mid-yawn. “What does he think this is – a siege?”
Matthew laughed, and the sound brought her into full wakefulness.
“Oh, it was just your alarm,” she said, and then caught herself. Alarm? Castle? Why did this keep happening, this … dislocation? Her dreams weren’t usually this vivid.
Matt shifted behind her. “I don’t have work today. Let’s go back to sleep,” he said and kissed her neck. She tilted her head, giving him better access, and then she froze. Matt had never even kissed her before, let alone done whatever this was.
“Matt?” she asked weakly.
He lifted his head. “Hmm?” he said, looking at her like he had no idea what was wrong, and she had to look around to check. Yes, they were definitely in Matt’s uni room. No, they had definitely never done this before.
“I think we fell asleep here last night,” she explained.
He stared at her, and then pinched his eyes tightly shut, shaking his head to clear it. Finally, finally, he let her go.
“Right. Sorry. I was dreaming.”
“Yeah, me too.”
> The build-up of memory layers seems to be causing confusion between the subjects
Folios/v7/ Time-landscape-2019/MS-167
Folios/v1/Time-landscape-1745/MS-4
File note:
Route march of the Jacobite army from their arrival in the British Isles to Carlisle during the invasion of England in 1745
Carlisle, England, 1745
Since they had made up, that day on the castle battlements, Matthew and Katherine had been growing increasingly close. Matthew barely seemed able to keep his eyes off her for more than a moment now. He would hold every gaze until Katherine looked away, unable to match his intensity. Katherine had fallen for Matthew, but she didn’t know if she was ready to do anything about it yet, not when it would result in so much uproar. Even if her aunt and uncle didn’t disown her, it would still cause a scandal.
Matthew seemed to understand her hesitation, even though they had never discussed it. He was patiently waiting for her to make her choice. It all depended on her. Until she had decided, they were engaged in an unspoken truce that involved just a little too much touching to be described as purely platonic and an awful lot of sleepless nights – on Katherine’s side anyway.
The sleeplessness wasn’t all due to Matthew, though. Katherine was also worried about the Jacobite invasion. The Rebels were rapidly approaching England, and one morning when the frost was beginning to colour the fields a soft grey, horsemen were spotted on the hills outside of the city walls. Katherine and Matthew were in the castle supply room.
“The Rebels have arrived!” a soldier called in horror. Katherine emerged to see a group of the men from the castle run up to the battlements. “It’s too soon! The army aren’t gathered to defend England yet!”
Katherine dashed back into the supply roo
m where Matthew was intently focused on stacking jars of beans. With Matthew’s hand in hers, her thumb rubbing across his knuckles, she followed the soldiers up to the battlements. She released Matthew’s hand just as they stepped out into the dim sunlight.
Durand was looking at the banks of the river through a telescope. He was surrounded by men: the jumpy soldiers of the militia and the calmer castle garrison. Katherine strained to try and make out what they were watching. She could just see a stationary group of horses, whose riders had obviously been sent to survey the city’s defences. Matthew tugged at her elbow, pulling her to a nearby step so she could see a little easier. He stood next to her, one hand discreetly pressed against the small of her back.
Katherine was just counting the number of riders when something whistled past her ear, and then a lump of stone fell from the wall just behind them with a loud crack. She let out a cry, ducking down below the parapet as dust settled on her head.
“The devils are firing at us!” Durand cried, turning to one of his gunners. “Return fire!”
The gunman was frozen with fear. He had crouched down with his hands over his head. Katherine looked around at the other soldiers. They were all too terrified to move. Without thinking, she ran forward and lifted a heavy cannonball from the pile by the cannon.
Matthew came to help her guide it into the barrel and point the weapon at the Rebels. But just as Katherine was preparing to fire, some farmers, driving a herd of cattle, wandered past the soldiers.
“Damn it,” Durand muttered. “Hold fire.”
Everyone on the battlements held their breath, waiting for the farmers to move out of the way. The Rebel riders made sure to keep a protective barrier of innocent men between themselves and any possible cannonballs.
Eventually, the farmers moved on, and with a nod from Durand, Katherine lit the gunpowder to send the cannonball flying across the fields with a deafening bang that made her jump. When the smoke had cleared, the Rebels had retreated, apparently unharmed.
Colonel Durand sighed in disappointment. “Good try, lads. I don’t suppose they’ll be back tonight. Officers, I expect more bravery from you next time! In the meanwhile, make sure the sentries keep a constant watch from now on. Ensure that there are no lights after dark, and tell the sentries not to unlock the gates in the morning – unless they want Highlanders to come rushing in.”
The garrison nodded and went to do what he had ordered. Durand then turned to the sheepish soldiers, who were all standing with their heads bowed. “Now, you lot. That was appalling. A child would be braver than you men.”
Katherine and Matthew grinned at each other, inordinately proud of themselves.
When it was clear the Rebels wouldn’t be returning that day, they left the castle. Katherine was so jumpy with exhilaration and nerves on the way home that she practically skipped through the busy streets. Matthew was a little more collected, but even he couldn’t stop talking. They discussed the brief firefight endlessly, until it sounded as dangerous as a full-on battle.
“I didn’t think I’d have a chance to actually fire a cannon!” Katherine gushed, lingering at the stable door as Matthew gave the horses their evening meal. She was hopping from foot to foot, unable to stop talking.
Then she noticed the bustle of hurried activity coming from the house. She said a quick goodbye to Matthew and slipped inside by way of the kitchens. As she did so, she heard, with a wince, her aunt’s voice giving a steady stream of orders. Katherine quickly dashed up the back stairs to change into her dress. Aunt Elizabeth burst into the room just as she was shoving Matthew’s clothes into her wardrobe.
“Katherine, where have you been?” her aunt said. “Call a maid and pack your things immediately. The city is under attack!”
“We can’t leave!” Katherine cried in horror.
“We are going, Katherine. I’m not sitting here and waiting for some filthy Scots to come and kill my family.” Elizabeth was almost crying with fear, and anger.
“I’m not coming,” Katherine said. “The city is defended. Some of the townspeople have been working for months to make sure we are ready for any attack. We will hold off the Rebels. I’m not running away like a coward.”
Elizabeth’s jaw was tight, her face white with fury. “Katherine Finchley, you will stay with this family. I’m not leaving you alone in an empty house while the Scots run wild. You will be … attacked!”
“I’m staying, Elizabeth,” she said firmly.
Elizabeth replied in a quietly serious tone, “I have given you the freedom and space to mourn your grandmother over these last few months. I have tried to support you and not stifle you, by letting you oversee the clearing of her house in privacy, but I will not let you do this. You are coming with us, even if I have to drag you into the carriage myself.”
> Subject allocation “ELIZABETH” may cause delay in time-landscape 1745
> Request intervention
>> Request denied
CHAPTER 15
KitKat 16:11:33
I want you to do the leg flick.
Gallows Humour 16:13:28
What’s the leg flick?
KitKat 16:13:56
Like in films. The girl flicks her leg and waves it in the air and that shows how good a kiss it was. Next time we kiss, I think you should do that.
Gallows Humour 16:14:11
Why don’t you do it? You’re the girl.
KitKat 16:14:36
Boys can leg flick too! GENDER EQUALITY.
KitKat 16:14:46
Gallows Humour 16:15:01
Stop using that emoticon on everything. I swear it’s not even remotely funny.
KitKat 16:15:27
ANYway, the point is that then I’d get to say my kiss is leg-flicking good. I can’t make my own leg flick.
Gallows Humour 16:15:52
Mmm, now that’s an image.
KitKat 16:16:10
NOT AT WORK AGAIN.
Folios/v7/Time-landscape-2019/MS-155
Varna, Bulgaria, 1854
Katy stared in horror at the unwashed patients lying on straw pallets in the hospital tent in the soldiers’ camp at Varna. The place was filthy. The floor – a foul-smelling mess of reeds, with open sewers running beneath them – combined with the stench of illness. She and Matthew were waiting for the doctor who had agreed to be interviewed about the cholera outbreak spreading through the encampment.
“If this is what it’s like now,” she whispered, looking around the hospital, “imagine the conditions when the fighting starts and the place is inundated with injured soldiers.” She had never imagined that the hospital tents could be this bad.
Matthew nodded. “I hope to improve it before then.”
“How? By writing about it in the paper?”
“Yes.” Matthew looked at her steadily. The uncertainty she’d felt at having to spy on him suddenly tripled. Matthew was only trying to help, and judging by the state of the place the army needed it desperately.
Katy had been surprised that morning when he had asked her to come with him to the hospital tent. “You’re still my assistant,” he’d explained when she asked why, “even if you did turn out to be … unexpectedly female.”
Standing in the hospital tent, she wished more than ever that Matthew would leave her behind when he did his reporting. She didn’t want to spy on him any more.
“Most of the problems are caused by a lack of equipment,” Matthew went on. “I can change that by bringing it to the public’s attention, to raise funds.”
“Oh.” That sounded perfectly reasonable. Why had Lord Somerset been so against Matthew coming here?
“Where are all the doctors?” Matthew asked.
She looked around, suddenly realizing that, aside from all the patients, the ward was completely deserted. “There should be nurses on duty in here at the very least,” she replied.
“Nurses aren’t allowed,” Matthew said, sounding resigned. “Before you say it, yes, it is ridiculous.
The French are allowed female nurses. I intend to fix that as well.”
“I hope so. Well, we should make ourselves useful while we wait for your doctor,” Katy said, rolling up her sleeves. “Shall we take around food and water?”
For a moment she thought he was angry with her, but then he said, with a hint of exasperated fondness, “You are … you’re…” He stopped, bit his lip. “Yes, let’s do that. I think the stores are next door.”
They returned from the storeroom with some meagre rations, which had been reluctantly provided by the soldier in charge, to find that a doctor had appeared.
“Good morning,” he said, straightening up from examining a patient. “What are you doing?”
“We thought we’d make ourselves useful while we waited for you,” Matthew explained.
Katy turned to Matthew and said, “Let me take those supplies. I’ll hand them out while you’re talking.”
Three hours later, they left with several pages of notes on problems with the hospital and some ideas for simple improvements that could be made.
“You should definitely pass them on to your editor,” Katy told Matthew. She didn’t care about Lord Somerset any more. Those men needed help. Many of them hadn’t been fed since the night before. The army should be thanking Matthew for helping them, not trying to stop him.
That evening Katy came back into their tent from the latrines to find Matthew lying on the makeshift bedding on the floor with his eyes closed. He was trying to get out of the argument about who was to take the bed by pretending to be asleep.