by Richard Lord
CHAPTER 17
“She was seen as a hero. Most of us applauded her. Even Conan and I, and we knew her weaknesses.” -- from the Book of Amelia
She heard the knock and woke and went to the door. She opened it, but no one was there. She started to close it when she noticed a small stack of paper just on the other side of the threshold. She assumed this was how news was disseminated and why everyone else always knew the ‘goings on’ while she had to pick it up from their thoughts, randomly.
She picked it up and closed the door behind her. She went to look at the sun and realized she had a long time before the kids were to be in her classroom. She looked at the stack of paper, at first exhilarated, but then intimidated. She noted there were a lot of words. She thought back to something Adam had once said to her. “If a road looks long stop staring at it. Start walking. It gets longer the longer you stand still.” She still missed him, even though she tried not to think about him, it really didn’t work.
She noticed some words immediately. They were words she learned to read from her mother about the martyr. Savior. Help. Sent. She tried to concentrate on the words between. She couldn’t make them all out but she got the overall gist of the first page. It was talking about someone who was saving the people and helping them. She noted some of the examples and made out enough words to realize those were places she had been going. Then she realized. The people were calling her a savior. She thought about that. The things she did, she did in the name of Phillip, but she didn’t see his name at all in the first page. She turned the page and slowly made out the rest of the story.
After a while she got up and went to her window and looked up at the sun. She was late. She started to get dressed quickly to meet the kids and thought to herself, “If I can read that much, then it’s about time I start learning how to read time, like everyone else here does. They’ve been patient with me for too long. She started throwing on clothes as she considered who would be a good tutor for that. Then she clicked and was in the classroom. The children weren’t there, but Venetia and Tina were. She held her breath and looked at them.
Venetia, as usual, spoke first. “We are aware you scared our children.” She then went silent and Tomorrow looked at Tina who also kept her face without expression. She started to listen to their minds, but decided that would do her no good. She had no explanation for her actions and therefore knowing details of what they thought of them were inconsequential. She folded her hands behind her back and remained silent, awaiting the decision they had clearly both decided on.
Tina spoke next, “Thank you, Tomorrow. No one else was going to do it and they were becoming quite spoiled. We know it couldn’t have been easy for you.”
Venetia stood up and stepped forward and reached out her hand towards Tomorrow. “I owe you a great debt. We didn’t do all of this to have brats that felt like this was easy. They needed to learn that life can be hard. They are at a time when that starts to be a very real thing and we want them to deal with it appropriately and make good decisions. We want them to be more like their father and less caught up in the world and position now find ourselves in.”
Tomorrow tries to hide the look of shock on her face. Nit knowing how to react or what to say she blurts out, “But I am late. Who would you suggest to tutor me about time. I apologize for wasting yours. You must have been sitting her for a while waiting on me.”
Tina spoke next, “We don’t know that much about time. We assumed Renfield had taught you about time.”
Before she considers, Tomorrow answers, “Who?”
“Renfield, your lover. The one who brought you here to us.” Venetia says, eyes open wide as if Tomorrow is under the influence of some drug.
“Oh.” Tomorrow thinks back to him mentioning he was called many names. “I’m sorry. I knew him only as Adam. Why do you all call him Renfield?”
Tina and Venetia look at each other and they shrug at each other, but Venetia speaks, “He is the first of the Renfield’s. So most called him by that name.”
Tomorrow looks at Venetia and Tina, confused. “What do you mean the first? He had a mother and a father.”
They both nod, and Tina speaks, “But he was here before them. He is called Adam because he is the first man. You didn’t know that?”
Tomorrow looks at both of them. “No, not really. We spent years together, but I’m still learning a lot about him.”
Venetia speaks next. “We see. So did you mean being able to tell time from a clock?”
“Yes, I know a bit about time the other way you thought I meant.” Tomorrow states, but stands perfectly still.
Tina looks up at Tomorrow. “We understand now. Marla and James could teach you about that the best. James is good at explaining things, but overwhelming at times. Marla does a good job of keeping his explanations in check.”
Venetia adds, “We’ll ask them to come to your room. Today is a bonus day off for you. We sent the kids to begin training with the guard. It’s time for them to start learning that his doesn’t all come easy. You were the bridge to that and we want to thank you again.” At that, they both got up and began to leave the room.
Tomorrow begins to add something but she decides on silence and clicks back to her room. She picks up with the news writing where she left off. She concentrates hard on sounding out the letters of the words she doesn’t know by sight and slowly begins to realize that when she says them out loud, she can tell what the word is. Reading goes slow, since she has to then go back to the beginning of a sentence and re-read it, but it keeps her excited at her progression. She hears a knock at her door and has the urge to hide the news on the papers, but then she realizes most people read them. It is not odd or different. She runs to the door to open it.
“So you’re Tomorrow! We’ve heard so much about you! I’m Marla, this is my husband James. Please excuse him, but you’ll get used to him.”
Tomorrow looks that the tall man standing next to her and notes the looks of aggravation at Marla for having added the last sentence. He holds out a hand. In his other is a thing with three pointers on it, all of different size, shape and one is a different color. She notes that it is round and recognizes it as a clock. She has seen them all around and noted people looking at them.
“Actually, this is really simple.” James states while motioning with his other hand, wondering why she hasn’t invited them in to her room yet.
Tomorrow picks up on the cue. She holds her hand out pointing to the small table. She notes there is only one chair. She excuses herself from her own room and runs down to a guard at the end of the hall. “Could you please do me a favor?” He looks at her, clearly wondering what the favor is she is going to ask. “I have guests and I need two more chairs.” The guard smiles and turns away from her moving rapidly. She stands there. She heard him in acceptance of his request, but she hopes he doesn’t make the situation more awkward than it already was. Shortly he returns with two very nicely carved chairs in his hands and walks past her toward her quarters, she follows and watched him set the hairs down at the doorway and then turn to her.
“My apologies, ma’am. We did intend to return these to you early in the morning, but our card game ran late last night. Please forgive us. We are very appreciative of your gratitude in lending them to us.” The saluted to Tomorrow and returns to his post.
Tomorrow smiled after him widely. When he was back at his post she mouthed to him, “Thank you!” He nodded and began staring straight ahead again. It made her think about fishing.
Tomorrow turns to the two standing in her room. “I’m sorry. I want to thank the two of you for coming and teaching me. I learned to tell time by the sun, but it’s not the best method, I suppose.”
James began, “Actually, it is, but you would have to stare at it an awful long time to get accurate down to seconds. Whilst this device can do that. Except I predict that we will eventually realize we lose a whole day every 5 years or less.”
Marla puts a hand on James�
�s arm. He looks at her and then he states, “Oh. She’s right. We forgot to bring a calendar. If you don’t understand a calendar, than time is not as relevant.” Then James looks at the stack of news on the table and says, “This will do for a start. Where is your pen and paper, I can draw out the rest as we go along.”
Tomorrow looks at Marla who shrugs back at her. “I am not sure. I suppose they used that to keep tally of their card game.” Tomorrow stands and again runs through the door, the guard chuckles and watches her hand motion paper and a pen. Again, he is off quickly.
He returns and runs back towards her and looks to her. He notices her face has gone rather blank and he raises his voice, “Sorry m’lady, almost forgot. We used this to keep score of the dart game. Please forgive us. We are very gracious that you are so kind to lend us your things.” Then he ran back into position while Tomorrow entered the room and handed the pen and paper to James.
As James rattles on about days and years, Tomorrow looks at Marla understanding what she meant about forgiving him. But then he starts discussing months. Tomorrow sits up and says, “Why do they not have the same number of days? There’s twelve of them, why not divide them evenly?”
James looks at her, and says, “Well for one they don’t’ divide evenly. The closest you could get, mathematically would be to add another day, but not every year. But...”
Tomorrow interrupted him, “Then why 12 months?”
James begins again, “Well initially the way most things were broken down was in units of ten. I suppose that is because we have ten fingers. So it was easy to count with fingers. Apparently, many years ago there were leaders, Augustus and Julius, hence the addition of two more months. Although, I think Augustus was Julius. I’m not sure. I can do my best to make that clearer for a later meeting.”
Tomorrow ignored that finer detail and asked, “So how many days does it take for a baby to be born, from conception to birth?”
James did the math in his head, “Somewhere around 280. Why do you ask in days?”
Tomorrow again ignores his question and asks one of her own. “So you two were there. What day were the cousins conceived?”
Marla looks at Tomorrow. “I know we were aware there was some upset going on and we all guessed what it was about, but we don’t know a specific day.” James nodded at her answer.
“Okay. What month was it? And also tell me what month Phillip died.”
James let out a sigh and looked at her. “I really don’t think we were that focused then.”
Marla said, “It was within a few months. I know because they weren’t showing yet, but Siri and I had guessed from the way they both looked.”
Tomorrow muttered out loud, “Within our own lifetimes.”
James and Marla looked at each other and Marla put her hand on Tomorrow’s. “What do you mean by that?”
“He moved me back, but he couldn’t go further than his lifetime. More to the point, he couldn’t go back further than mine and still be able to take me with him.” Tomorrow exclaimed.
He couldn’t move into the future but I went back and he saw me, so from the moment he did, and waved at me, he knew what the result would be. Maybe before that. I don’t know. That was my first time, but later I may do it sooner.” Tomorrow kept going down her line of thoughts when Marla interrupted her.
“What are you talking about? You’re beginning to sound like Philip on a bad day. That’s worse than James.” She turned to her husband and kissed him on the cheek in apology for being so direct.
James turned to Marla and patted her on the hand, then he looked back at Tomorrow. Soo, let’s talk about seconds, minutes and hours.” He held up the clock he had brought with him.
Marla tried to shush him, but then she realized he knew what he was doing and let him continue. She waved a hand casually downward while looking at Tomorrow. “Don’t worry, he’s just excited. He’s going to be a Daddy.” Then she grinned wide at Tomorrow.
Tomorrow smiled back, but focused on the clock he had brought ready to learn the minute details of time before considering the more confusing ones of moving through it and the effects that had.
James began, “The first thin to know is that clocks always move in one direction. All of these pointers are called hands. They all move this way.” He motioned clockwise with his finger. “So…
He went on for a while. Tomorrow started to understand and always snapped to attention when he asked a question but she kept wondering to herself. “Why did Adam leave me here. I understand now that he wanted me to learn, but why at this time and why with these people instead of just teaching her himself.” She thought to herself, “Did he not want me anymore?” Then she thought to herself, “No, he waved at me.” Then she countered her own thought, “That was before. In the early days.” Then she looked up at Marla and James and she stood. “Thank you for all of the help. Will you come by tomorrow, after I am done with my class? I could certainly use more help and I enjoy the company.”
Marla noted that was a polite way for her to ask them to leave pulled hard under James’ arm. “Yes, we’ll come back tomorrow evening.”
James, looking confused did what he always did and just followed Marla’s lead. But at the door her turned to look at Tomorrow. “I’m quite impressed. Usually adult students are hard to teach, but you gather concepts well. It would be our honor to visit you tomorrow evening, but would you allow us to bring you food so that we could dine together?”
Tomorrow glanced at the chairs, the pad paper and the pen. She knew the guard had to get them back to their rightful places. She bit at her lip and then said, “I’ve yet to visit you. If you will tell the guard where you are, perhaps I can get him to lead me to your place. I get lost around here and I suppose he owes me, due to the loans and all.”
James looked at Marla who responded on their behalf. “Do you like spicy?”
Tomorrow looked confused, but decided to admit ignorance on that topic, “I don’t know. I guess I’ll find out.”
CHAPTER 18
“Treat others kindly, Their battles may be fiercer than you can conceive.” -- from the Book of Conan
“You get the idea. You knew Phillip.” He sees the looks they are giving him, but he knows they need to move quickly, “Pack all of this. What you can hold I can take, one by one with you. What you cannot hold destroy.”
Venetia stepped forward, “Did you not notice he left tow of us pregnant?”
“Did you not notice I am here because, if for any reason, that, I am here to move you. Let’s go!”
Hearing the tone of his voice James looked at Marla and urged her to hurry. Paul looked at Siri and said, “James is lead now. Come on, let’s get our stuff together. It’s easier for us, we’re acclimated to being on the move. They are going to have the tougher time at relocation. We need to set an example and be first.”
Siri nodded at Paul and they both sprinted off to their quarters. They were back in time to note that Tina was yelling at the man.
“Why? Why do we have to leave, this is our home, we lost our leader, I lost the person I love and my child lost a father. Why do we have to take on more bullshit now?”
Siri moved next to Tina, “It’s not his fault. We knew all of this would have a huge impact. Right now, this is the result of that. Let’s ride the waves, Tina!”
Tina turned and looked at Siri. “Fuck you, I don’t see you without Paul or a child you have to care foe in your belly!”
Siri held up both hands and looked back at Paul. Paul stepped forward and said, “Tina, we need you to do the right thing so the right thing happens for your child. We know Venetia. We know she can be dramatic. We need you to be the example for her. Failing that, all we have done is waste. Clearly this man is here because he knows what we have done, he knows why Phillip died and he is offering us a chance to make something of that.” Paul moved his fingers to opposing sides of his lips and then puled them together as he thought. “I know we weren’t expecting what Phillip decide
d on, but he damn well knew he was our leader, so he damned well had a plan for us. It may not be optimal, but we’ve been through worse. Please Tina, be ready and please at least pretend to be willing by the time Venetia gets back.
Tina looked at Paul, the man she didn’t know and then Siri. She began to walk from the room but Siri said, “I’ll help you.”
Tina turned to Siri and said, “Do what?”
Siri responded, “Get your things together.”
“I have nothing to care about except for what I carry. But if you have more lighter fluid, that could be helpful.” Tina then turned but Siri followed anyway.
As they left through one door another opened and Venetia walked in holding a pole with a piece of fabric tied to it’s end. “This is what we will need.” She announced.
Paul and the man looked at what she was holding. Marla entered with James and they both noted what the other two were staring at.
“We leave one of these here. One of these in the city and we take one and found a new city under this banner!” The way Venetia said it, it was clear the issue was not open for discussion. The image was disturbing. It was a skull with two femurs crossing under it. Across that, painted in red to look like blood, or what they were hoping was paint, was a symbol.
The man none of them knew but all had decided to follow said, “Appropriate. Good work Venetia, I assume you are ready, so I will take you first.” He reached out to hold her wrist
Venetia pulled away and said, “I want to plant the three and I have yet to make the other two.” I will be last.
The man grabbed her wrist anyway. Then they were deep in the city. They looked out at the chaos of so many beings suddenly being without direction. Venetia wept but she understood why he had brought her here. She ran to the first piece of non-metallic ground she could find and staked the flag into the ground and then looked back as he grabbed her wrist and they again clicked. Appearing in front of James, Marla and Paul, she said, “Now one for the home we leave behind and one for the home we will build.” She turned to the man and nodded in thanks and then left the room.