“Sometimes, without our knowing it, time gets the hiccups. It goes backwards and then moves forwards again. Perhaps like déjà vu. Or, it can go haywire and stop. And, the hand isn’t always able to move in the same direction—they’re too many of us watching it.”
“Could you explain that a little better, Titiana, because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s lost.”
“You’re right about that, Sara.”
“Time, it’s different for each one of us. Its rhythm isn’t the same for everyone. Time dances, imperceptibly, but only for one person at a time. And the clock tells time for the person who’s looking at it. It tells time as it really is. With all of us here, how would you expect it to know?”
At that moment, the school clock chose to ring that it was the end of the mechanical hour. Even if one couldn’t grasp time, or control it as Titiana had said, mankind would forever be chained to this litany of numbers that make up the minutes.
Once outside, Cosmo spoke alone with Merlin. He wanted to bring the clock home so he could take a closer look at it. Titiana’s explanation hadn’t convinced him. He was sure that a thorough examination would reveal the clock’s secrets. Merlin promised him he would bring it by that afternoon.
Several hours later as dusk settled over the town, Cosmo was at work in his bedroom, painstakingly studying the clock whose time held the symbol of infinity. He spent hours noting its every movement, the tiniest swaying of the small metal symbol. Without a hint of any possible pattern.
He stayed up all night watching and typing on his big computer keyboard, trying to note down the unpredictable path of the rogue clock hand. He took precautions such as stabilizing the globe, checking that the temperature remained constant, and avoiding disturbing the air movement in his room. Despite these efforts and the hours of observation, Cosmo couldn’t come up with anything conclusive about the clock and the movement of time that it was supposed to tell. The rebellious clock hadn’t revealed its secret.
By morning, an exhausted Cosmo finally wrote “unfathomable-pending” and then closed the file and turned off his computer. He refused to believe that reason could not be applied to every element, with no exceptions. Yet this clock didn’t follow any known pattern. A day would come when he wouldn’t be so upset about not understanding it.
CHAPTER 3 THE COLONEL GOES BOWLING
Days passed by. One by one, they had sided with Albin. Merlin was testing them. Even Titiana was waiting for him to finally reveal his plan. As for Cosmo, he was concerned about where the clock had come from. He was sure he would better understand it if he could meet its makers. Only Arthur continued to believe their teacher was innocent of any motives.
One day, Merlin met up with Albin at the school exit. The old bus that was supposed to transport them to and from school, a junkyard special according to Sara, had left without him. It wasn’t a particularly comfortable ride, but it was the only bus in town that could accommodate his wheelchair. Albin was waiting at the gate for his mother to pick him. Several yards away were some of his classmates, the “walking ones” in a group. Mostly girls and a couple of boys. They were laughing with each other, and no one noticed him. This was the best it would ever get. It had been a long time since he’d stopped making an effort to join them. Meanwhile, he pretended not to see them.
Yet an astute observer, which Merlin undoubtedly was, would have noticed that Albin’s face turned several times towards the students and most often when the voice and laughter of a particular blonde broke the silence.
“She’s very pretty.”
“Oh, you’re there. I didn’t hear you coming.”
“You like her?”
Albin sighed, “She doesn’t even know I exist. To her, I’m just one of the misfits. She’s never bothered to look at me and never will.”
Merlin responded by taking a closer look at him. He would have been handsome, unquestionably, if his illness hadn’t dulled his features. Yet his face was finely chiseled, and it wouldn’t have taken much for him to be attractive. Even in his wheelchair, it was obvious that he was tall. He had an intelligent look and a sadness that he hid with his jokes and teasing. Despite all that, he was right. It was unlikely that a girl such as the one laughing nearby, one of the popular girls who only loved superficially, would ever be interested in him. It was unlikely that she would ever know the pain she caused him. And no one could do anything about it.
Before Merlin could talk with his student any further, Albin’s mother had arrived. She appeared nervous and in a hurry, yet so happy to meet one of her son’s teachers that she invited him to dinner that night. After looking over at Albin who had sunk deeper into his chair, he accepted the invitation.
Albin wasn’t surprised. Cosmo had told him that Merlin had seemed full of curiosity when he’d brought over the clock. He hadn’t eaten dinner with them because Cosmo’s parents weren’t the type of folks who had extra meals ready for surprise guests. In fact, they hadn’t been home when Merlin came by. Nevertheless, Merlin was fascinated to learn that Cosmo’s father was a famous scientist and was presenting at a conference some two thousand miles away, and that his mother studied the effects of pollution on the environment. Apparently Merlin wanted to know all about his students, including their home environment.
Merlin showed up on the dot, armed with a bouquet of flowers and a stream of compliments for Albin’s mother. His teacher would have at least one ally at the table. As much as Albin admired and liked Merlin, he wished that he had canceled the dinner and all further invitations that his mother had probably extended. But his teacher was already ensconced in the seat of honor, the house’s nicest armchair reserved for distinguished guests, when Colonel Carquois entered the room followed by his three other sons. They were covered in mud and grass stains from a particularly tough rugby match, the colonel explained as he heartily shook Merlin’s hand. Upon learning his identity, the colonel glanced down at a morose-looking Albin, worried that his son had an attitude problem at school. He ducked out, claiming he needed to make himself more presentable, and left his wife alone to carry the conversation during cocktail hour. The colonel returned just in time for dinner and served himself a scotch, never once turning to speak to their guest.
At the dinner table, it was the noisiest ones, obviously not Albin, who ruled. His mother served their plates and watched as they ate while Albin’s brothers horse played and fought over pieces of bread. As soon as one of them discovered that the man on their right was only their brother’s teacher, they started making fun of Albin until his mother intervened. There was no reaction from the colonel—he was the type who laid down the law only when the noise became unbearable. Not once did he speak to Albin or his teacher. He didn’t even respond when his wife made several attempts to start a conversation between the two of them. He only conceded to do the dishes, along with his other sons, so that they could head to the bowling alley. It wasn’t the most pleasant of dining experiences.
Visibly upset and also embarrassed, Albin’s mother made excuses for her husband as she accompanied Merlin to the door. Albin was in the living room as he overheard his mother say, “Please don’t take offense. He’s a good father, very attentive and available for his other sons. It’s just that he refused to accept Albin’s handicap. He was so proud when he was born. He was our first child, and a son! He celebrated for an entire week with his friends. I’d never seen him so happy. Then, the horrible convulsions began. I still don’t know what brought them on. I panicked, it was so terrifying, no one knew what to do. Albin was so small and fragile. My husband was beyond disappointed when the doctors told us he would never be able to walk. He never forgave him. If he seems a little, um, distant, it’s because he’s in pain. He’s never been able to express his feelings. Please don’t hold it against him. Please don’t take offense.” As if reciting a petition. In a way, to convince herself. If others believed it, so might she. Merlin kindly reassured her that he hadn’t taken offense, and then he left in a contem
plative state. He better understood Albin’s wariness towards him. That was the night Merlin decided it was time for his students, and for him, to learn more than what was on the school syllabus. It was time to lift the curtain. Or at least a part of it.
CHAPTER 4 POWER OF THE IMAGINATION
It was precisely the next day that Merlin had class with his senior M students. Once they were all inside the room, he carefully closed the door, making sure that a gust of wind couldn’t blow it open. He also closed the curtains and then asked his students to form a circle near him and hold hands. Intrigued, they all did as he said, forming a wide circle several feet away from the plywood desk where Merlin had set his briefcase. The room was dimly lit with only a few of the overhead lights turned on. He told them to close their eyes. “It’s extremely important. We’re going to do an experiment, so you have to do exactly as I tell you. And the moment I say it. Keep your eyes closed, do not let go of each other’s hands, and stay very focused. Here’s what we’re doing: we’re going to test the power of the imagination. No need to be alarmed. Just do exactly as I say. Imagine a place, a place you’ve never seen before. There’s a meadow. The grass is tall, and the wind is blowing it. Some wildflowers grow in between the blades of grass, but no one has come to pick them. You’re on a hill, a small hill, more like an embankment. Below is a flowing river and you can hear it rustling even though you can’t yet see it. Several yards away is a village where all the houses are white and the roads are of light-brown dirt. From where you are, you can see a bell tower that might belong to a church. Listen, listen, the wind is blowing it and making it sing.”
As Merlin spoke in a voice that was almost sleep-inducing, each student, one by one, could feel the wind or hear the river. Arthur could even feel the grass tickle his calves. Albin felt hypnotized, but with no desire to open his eyes and find himself within the dull walls of their classroom. He dreaded hearing Merlin tell them to open their eyes.
The place was exactly as Merlin had described it. There were a few more details that he had forgotten, like the smell of the grass, the sun, a yellow butterfly that landed on Titiana’s nose and made her laugh. No one had ever heard her laugh. Sara, who was to her left, turned to confirm what she’d thought she had heard. She realized they were all standing on legs that seemed to have always walked. She was about to let go of Cosmo’s hand to feel her legs when Merlin yelled, “No, do NOT let go of each other’s hands yet. It’s too soon.” She felt a dizzy spell, and when she opened her eyes, they were all back in their classroom.
Merlin withdrew from the circle and sighed. “It’s over. You can return to your usual spots.”
They were back in the classroom. But where had they been? There was much more to this than the power of the imagination. Because they had all seen exactly the same thing, and there was no rational explanation for their being able to stand without even willing it to happen. There were too many coincidences, too many similarities, particularly in each one of their stories for it to have been a fluke.
They waited for Merlin’s explanation. He had lifted a corner of the curtain, and pressed his forehead against the window pane, protected from the lashing rain on the other side. No one had any recollection of rain before they had begun their experiment. Merlin’s face looked drawn and worn out. A huge fatigue had suddenly overtaken him. His students knew he should say something, explain what had just happened. He couldn’t act like it hadn’t happened. But he needed to regain his strength before confronting them. Obviously whatever he had to say was going to be awkward.
Finally, he turned towards them. They were still in the same place, ready to join hands in a circle if he asked them. Merlin sighed. He knew this day would come, this had been his goal since the beginning, but he would have preferred more time to prepare them and to prepare himself. No one said a word. Not even Cosmo, the most obstinate of them all, nor Albin, the jokester. No one dared break the silence that had settled over the room. They sensed, most certainly, that the words to come would change their destiny. They now realized that they too feared the unknown. But the unknown has a way of catching up with you.
After hesitating for several long minutes, Merlin finally decided to speak.
“I suppose you understand that what just happened surpasses the experiment that I had prepared you for. Well, I’ll try to make it simple. There are other universes besides the one you’re accustomed to. In any case, at least one other of which you’ve just caught a glimpse.”
“But...”
“Cosmo, you can ask as many questions as you like later. For now, let me continue. This world doesn’t have a name, but I call it Lalea. Considering how fate led me to it and all the adventures it embodies. I had a lot of time to explore it when I was your age. It’s truly a magnificent world. It follows different rules from ours. The clock that I showed you several days ago came from this place. It’s one of the few objects that I was able to bring back over. I showed it to you because I wanted to test you. I was almost certain I hadn’t made a mistake, but there is no room for getting it wrong. My children, Lalea is in danger, and it needs you.
They interrupted him almost simultaneously, except for Titiana who said nothing, though the opposite would have been surprising. One question after another, giving Merlin no time to answer a single one. There were so many issues to bring up, details he had left out. Albin was the one to silence everyone, exclaiming, “I don’t know what’s hidden in this world, or how to help. But I do know that there I’m able to stand tall, so I’m willing to brave any sort of danger so I can experience that sensation again. So, be quiet and allow Merlin to continue. He’ll never get anywhere if we keep interrupting him.”
“Thank you, Albin. It’s quite complicated, and I would never have enough time to explain everything. I just know that you are exactly the ones Lalea needs. I knew it the moment I saw you. Before seeing you, in fact. Unfortunately, I’m no longer able to cross over to Lalea, but I’m still in touch with a good friend there. He’s the one who led me to you. He asked me to prepare you. But he didn’t have time to tell me for what. You’ll only have yourselves to count on. You need to realize that this adventure could be difficult, and your lives may be endangered. I don’t have any more information, except that my friend seemed really upset, and there’s surely a reason for it.”
“Stop trying to persuade us. You should know by now that we’ll go no matter what. I will for sure. Who would consider saying no?”
After this unabashed declaration, Albin turned to the others. One by one they all agreed. Sara being first, then Titiana and Arthur practically at the same time. Cosmo, though skeptical, finally acquiesced. There were risks, but until they had confronted anything perilous, it didn’t really exist. They were at an age when adventure was a word that could make you take off without looking back, and when danger was just an idea invented by adults to slow you down.
Albin, temporarily taking over as spokesperson, insisted that Merlin provide more details. Merlin admitted he didn’t know anything about Lalea’s state of affairs since he had left it. In aging, he had lost the ability to cross the bridge between the worlds. However, in certain circumstances, he still knew how to open the bridge. Their classroom had been built on a force field, just parallel to the hill that he had described to them. That was why their departures would always take place during class time.
He also explained to them that time wasn’t the same on Lalea, as they had observed when examining the clock. The hour during which he would be waiting for them in the classroom might unfold at a completely different speed on Lalea. They should always be prepared for a sudden return.
As for the rest, it would be up to them to figure it out. He apologized for not having any other advice and worried that his explanations might have confused them. The problem was that he had never fully grasped the rules governing Lalea and the portal. All he knew was that they were the group that needed to go there, and that they would need to make several trips. Everything, everything else would
be crazy speculation.
Suddenly, Merlin’s suntanned face turned pale from what appeared to be worry. He was now trying to dissuade them from going, but his doubt only strengthened their determination. They would go, they would make the journey. They were ready to pay the price.
CHAPTER 5 FAR SIDE OF LALEA
Merlin had decided that their first real trip would take place the following week, thus giving them several days to think it over with the possibility of changing their minds. Yet on the chosen day, as he would have predicted, they were all present and fully determined. Not a one of them would miss such an appeal for help. Each had their vision of what their voyage would be like. Arthur suggested bringing a sack full of food supplies and drinks as if they were going on a mountain hike, but Merlin explained that it would be very difficult, if not impossible to cross over with objects. That was the reason they were able to walk on the other side. Since wheelchairs didn’t exist on Lalea, neither did their handicaps. A rather unusual cause and effect that didn’t bother them one bit.
After a few last words of advice, Merlin asked them to form a circle. He told them to view this first trip as an observation mission. Their previous visit, a surprise foray, didn’t really count. This time, they needed to explore Lalea calmly and without drawing attention to themselves. They wouldn’t be able to stay long because he wasn’t ready to let them head straight into “the country that was on the far side of the universe.” The purpose of the trip was for them to get acquainted with this land that was allegedly much different from how Lalea used to be.
Merlin was worried, and he couldn’t hide it. He reminded Albin of his mother when she’d enrolled him at the high school. She would have worried all the more if she knew the school was built above a doorway to other worlds. As for Cosmo, he was already mentally reviewing their adventure with scientific precision. New questions popped up at every stage. He knew that Merlin didn’t have all the answers, and so it would be up to him to solve the puzzles. Arthur was wondering if glasses had been invented on Lalea, Sara was picturing herself saving them all with her courage and her intellect, and Titiana was smiling. Barely noticeable—an inward smile. No one had noticed this change in her personality. They were all too preoccupied with their own emotions. The mystery in front of them had awakened their dormant imagination. Any and everything was possible. These infinite possibilities had stirred up their dreams, and being able to walk was definitely not a minor one. So how could they have noticed the shadow of a smile on Titiana’s pale lips?
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