by Richard Lord
“I should have gotten away while I had the chance!” Tomorrow laughs and then reaches for her husband to kiss him.
Joy, looking impatient with her parents banter looks up and asks, “Are we ready?”
Adam replies, “Wait!” He holds up a finger and looks at each of them. “There’s so much more to show you!” He takes a deep bow while gathering his hands in front of him at arms-length, touching at the fingertips, in a wide circle in front of them then releases his arms over their heads to illustrate how much more there is to this journey.
Tomorrow asks, “What is does this symbol mean? It’s different from Venetia’s.”
“In olden days we measured time in year, as you know. It was something I came across in the year we called two thousand and sixteen. It is a knot that cannot be broken symbolizing three. Or as it was designed, seven hundred years before that, what was called the trinity.” Adam explained.
Tomorrow smiles at Adam as Joy indicates she is with him. Joy points to Tomorrow and comments to Adam, “You follow her.”
“I’ve always followed Tomorrow with Joy.” Renfield replies while smiling at his daughter and then to his wife.
“Why is it that your statement reminds me of when you introduced me to cheese? Kind of mushy, tastes a bit like ‘ugh’ and a bit like ‘mmm, mmm, good’. Now, I understand what you mean by cheesy.” Tomorrow comments and then after thinking for a moment asks, “Did you really not know my name when we first met?”
“I did not. However since knowing I was not unaware and noted the irony or the choice you made for our daughter’s name.” Adam replies.
“I see.” Despite his answer, Tomorrow looks at Adam with her own doubts. “What is this about a brother?”
Joy cuts in, “I dreamed about him. He’s pretty cool and we are good friends. Mostly.”
Tomorrow looks at Adam to respond.
Adam shrugs, “I can’t visit the future, but I suppose she has given us a homework assignment.”
Tomorrow responds, “I’ll do my best to get a great grade from my teacher.” Tomorrow grins at Renfield.
Adam turns and say to Joy, “Well, I’ve noticed you and Kumadri have become fast friends. Go on, give her a hug and thank her for making your outfit and helping you get into it.”
Joy flings herself into at Kumadri who catches her and holds her tight and eventually sets her down and looks at Adam. “You spoke true. This is a beautiful place. Thank you.”
Adam spreads his arms and wraps them around Kumadri knowing she wanted recognition from him too. He was eager to show let her know he appreciated all she had done. “You’ve done a phenomenal job leading these people. I believe in you and you have been twice as good to my family. As I keep telling them you have more to show.”
Kumadri grins and says, “Apparently you do too, I will adjust that area of your uniform so that it is more comfortable to suit you.”
Tomorrow laughs while looking down at her husband’s anatomy. “It gets worse, so consider that. I’ve learned tricks when I want to use them. By worse, between us women, I definitely mean better!”
Adam groans at the lady talk.
Kumadri laughs and gestures for them to follow her.
As they all descend to the village following Kumadri, Renfield turns to Tomorrow and Joy and gestures while he announces, “Prepare to be amazed at what you are about to see!”
Tomorrow thinks, “Show off.”
Joy responds to the thought with her own, “I think he’s cool too, Mom!”
They all begin running down the hill to catch up with Kumadri. Joy, realizing her legs are too short to keep up, clicks herself in front of her father who swoops her up and carries her while smiling at her.
Tomorrow watches from behind thinking about how excited he looked when she saw the side of his face as he picked up Joy. Tomorrow clicks in front of him too and purses her lips as she leans towards him. She thinks to him, “You’re excitement about life has kept you young for longer than I can imagine. I love you for it!”
Renfield leans in to snatch her kiss, pulls her into him and whispers, “You invigorate me, you’re the heroine!”
Tomorrow reluctantly pulls her lips from his while ending the embrace by sucking on his lower lip, “You’re my hero, but you already knew that.”
Joy rolls her eyes at her parents and moves a hand to cover them. Renfield laughs and says, “Hey girl, there’s nothing wrong with looking forward to Tomorrow! Just make sure you bring Joy.”
Joy giggles as they begin their descent noting that Kumadri is standing next to a blacksmith already. Both smile as the trio makes their way down the hill. They can’t wait for their arrival. They are excited to show off what they have in store for them.
The rest of the smiths watch this second presentation, eager to show off their own work. There was no question Kumadri’s presentation would set the tone. As the clear leader, they knew she would not fail them as first presenter to the legends they were soon to address. This was the second presentation. This was the one, they knew, would determine how their own innovations would be judged. All eyes were on Tomorrow.
“And then what’s next, Bob?” Tomorrow asked of the man she married and had a child with.
Renfield_2 turns and responds, “How long have you known?”
“You already know. It was before I was very good at blocking you. It’s been a long time. Adam died too, that day. He is the one who kept us alive. But, your explanation wasn’t completely false.” Tomorrow felt for one of the feathers and held it out. To him as she kneeled. “I met you. I married you. I had a child with you. It’s ok to be you, Bob.”
Renfield_2 started to respond, but Tomorrow kissed him and said, “You never got the chance to be, but you gave me the chance to be me and I still chose you.” She held his face in her hands. “It would have been interesting to know the man whom you are created from, but I know you and that means more to me.” She kissed his neck and then said, “You two must have been an interesting team. He existed yet never got to grow up. You grew up not existing. I’m sure somewhere in the middle is how you two met.” She kissed his hand. “I won’t pretend to understand. I don’t. I don’t really care, for once. I love you. You are mine. I am yours.”
“Talented. But Adam did exist. He did give his life, he bought Phillip the time. Sorry, the Martyr. I am born from Adam’s existence. Yes, it’s a lot like you put it. The best I can explain is that Adam and I did not get along well. Although, we were the same, once. Brian started to change that. Persistence did. For me, something that happened thousands of years ago, linear time, can be something that I will experience in my own future. Time is complicated.”
“So are you, Dad, I have to go!” Joy expressed while crossing her legs.
Bob focused on her heartbeat and her breathing and realized it was not a bluff. He noted that she was experiencing a moment of embarrassment and had blocked her mind, instinctively, as a result. Kumadri stepped forward to assist, but Bob waved her off. Tomorrow looked at him in surprise. Kumadri bowed, realizing her presence was no longer required. Bob bowed lower to indicate that he was in debt to her, not the other way around. Kumadri smiled at the gesture and left as fast as possible, looking at Tomorrow with trepidation as to what she would have to face.
“Wait.” Bob commented with a hand firmly on Tomorrow’s arm. “Urgency and shame are amazing tutors. She’ll face one of them and learn.” He turned and shouted down the hill, “Lawrence, I need tank, water and a piece of acrylic sized to fit inside short ways. That is if you have begun making it?” Bob sees the salute back and the rush as he turns to see his wife’s face.
Tomorrow looked shocked at the seeming cruelty of the statement her husband made to her daughter. She did note that Joy said, “Oh yeah.” And clicked.
Tomorrow looked at Bob. “You just can’t help being a mean teacher, even to your own daughter!”
Bob smiled wide and held out his arms for a hug from his wife. “If you still love me and y
ou can do what you do, then maybe it’s not cruel, just a damned good point.”
Tomorrow considered the comment, nodded then said, “You do know where and when she went, right?”
“Nope, it’s time she face her decisions. Especially while she’s young. Clearly with her mother’s plans on saving the universe, you won’t always be there. Face it, she’s going to travel and we can’t stop her. Let her learn while we are where she knows we are and can help, if she can retreat back to us.” Bob states then turns away from her. His face cringes at what he is saying, but he knows there are no other alternatives and he has to stomach the reality, just as his wife does.
“And you? Weren’t you going to pick up the slack? Or now that you are outed you consider yourself not responsible.” Tomorrow asks.
“You heard her. She promised to be responsible. I believe she will do her best. She is armored as much as we can hope for.” Bob taps the suit he has one and points to hers.
“Meaning you know where she went. You’re sweating me.” She asks with growing concern on her face.
“Mmm, I love it when you sweat, but no, I’m not kidding. Her mother makes good decisions, she will too. Although I do have the parental instinct to hope she is not as adventurous as her mother. I also have the wisdom to realize that is foolish of me.” Bob, puts a hand to his chin as he comments, “You had the audacity to stay above ground in the desert with a stranger. Don’t you think she has some of your personality?”
“I became a teacher. Not the most adventurous job. It was pragmatic.” Tomorrow points out.
“Oh, so teaching other travelers is normal and keeping Phillip’s dream going is something people do in their day to day life while trying to keep up with two travelers he created?” Bob looks at Tomorrow with a wry grin as Lawrence delivers the tank and the piece of acrylic.
“You’re considering a concept I am somewhat familiar with, but not on the way you are thinking it. Spies, undercover, espionage. These are words I can feel the meaning of, but don’t know the details of.” Tomorrow doesn’t like where her husband’s mind is going, but she also realizes they are not his concepts, they are realities he has seen.
Lawrence puts down the tank and the acrylic in front of Bob, “I assumed you had a structure in mind. This will set fast, so don’t get your hand stuck in it.”, Lawrence explains.
Bob motions for a hand from Lawrence as he pushes the acrylic in and uses the bend to create force against the seal. “So now fill the other side with water, please. Thank you for your haste, Lawrence.”
“Thank you, sir, for everything.” Lawrence looks up at Tomorrow with stars in his eyes and then excuses himself.
Renfiled_2 chuckles to his wife, but the things she is thinking are not very merry.
“Are you that foolish with our own daughter’s safety, Bob?” As she calls him that, she sees from his reaction and feels within herself, how odd it is to refer to him that way. She realizes he nor her are yet comfortable using his true name. Even if they’ve both known it for a long time.
“Just as it is foolish of me to wait up all night for Tomorrow. But I do it anyway because I love her.” Bob rolled up the tight sleeve as much as he could and said, “Okay, this is politics.” He pushed his flat palm into the water on one side of the tank and as it began overflowing to the other side he said, “Understand?” He winked at her as Joy appeared.
“Let me guess. You have a grape?” Tomorrow asked Joy.
“I finished that a long time ago, Mom. I went to see my uncle and his cousin.”
“Where? What uncle and cousin?” Tomorrow asked trying to understand while looking at Bob.
“They live in nothing. Hasn’t Dad taken you there?”
“No dear, he has not. Do you know how to click home?” Tomorrow asked Joy.
“Yes.” Joy responded.
“Go now, please.”
“I’m older than you now, but I understand. I’ll see you there.” Joy, still the same age physically as she was just moments ago clicked.
Tomorrow’s face lit up ad she ran towards Bob, “You did know my name! I’ve heard all about your ‘nothing’ from your own head! It’s how I knew you weren’t named Adam, but a strange confliction of his name. I loved you anyway, but that wasn’t your only lie! You can travel into the future!”
Bob held up his hands in a time out gesture, but backed away instinctively, “Not true. I can see possibilities from there. Time is not set. Some things are more probable than others. You were not at all probable. How we met, et cetera. Those are things that meant the timeline was changed and you kept talking about the person who changed it and...” Bob wanted to explain, but knew his words were not making sense, “Well, what can I say, I fell in love with you. I didn’t marry you because you were some future I could know. I married you because you were the future I did not know.” He shook his head, then tried to repeat what he said differently, “I fell in love with you, Tomorrow. You know that. Way down you know there was no particular plan when it came to us.” Then he rolled his eyes back for a second and then looked at her as she held her fist at him. “Besides, all of the plans for you I had, eventually. Okay, now that makes me sound like a jerk.”
Tomorrow punched him hard. He was caught unsuspecting and took the blow hard.
“See? I sure as hell didn’t expect that.” Then he shrugged. “Well maybe, but not enough to think you would do it or I would have avoided that. It does hurt.” He looked up at his wife, wondering if she understood or didn’t.
Joy appeared. “Can you let, Dad get up at least?”
Tomorrow turned to her. “Listen to you! Little by little you’ve been growing up without me! You don’t even sound like…” She stopped. noticing Joy was the size of a teenager. “What is going on?”
Bob stood. “She’s learning what Illumna could do. She can move in and out of bodies of herself that she has known.”
Tomorrow looked at him confused. “What?”
“Don’t ask me, I don’t know how they do it! Stop blaming me for everything, you have similar genes. Do you want to argue who’s genes allow for what? We could be here a while.” Bob stroked his face and looked at the blood on his hand. “I hope I’m still handsome after all of that!”
Tomorrow lunged at him and struck him again, harder.
He stood and repeated his previous action. “And that.” He looked at Tomorrow. “I know you know what those feathers do. You didn’t use them, so you don’t hate me. You’re angry, but I can’t change Joy.”
“Yes, you can!” Tomorrow responded huffing the oxygen from the air surrounding her while staring at him intensely.
“Not really. If I did that, I would never have you and then she wouldn’t exist. So consider that, and please don’t hit me again, that’s getting old.” He wrings his hand into the air, as if all traces of the incident would be stolen by the wind.
Tomorrow reaches for him and he holds his arms out as she cries in his chest.
“I wanted…” She begins.
“Yeah, me too, but she’s still our daughter and she still loves both of us.” Renfield_2 points out.
“I do. I wanted to learn. Brian and Persistence taught me a lot about cities. Kumadri is clearly the leader of this one. I would like to stay and teach her since she can’t go when Brian was building his.” Tomorrow requests.
“What?” Bob asks of his daughter. “You were in the city Brian and Persistence built?”
“Yes, it’s lovely. Things change. I learned.” Joy responded, dryly but with persecution for her goal, but still wanting the permission of her parents.
Renfield_2 stares at his daughter, perplexed. “How? You were born after and I have never taken you there. The only reason I have access to that time is because I had been there before what Stephen did.”
“Brian was there, Dad. Are you, ok?”
Tomorrow looks at her husband for both an explanation as to what her daughter and husband are discussing and also with the same concern that Joy is exp
ressing.
“Huh? Yeah, I’m ok. Just slower. A lot of things to remember. Now I know what Stephen’s changes couldn’t change. I have to go.” He kissed his wife’s hands and then he turned to his daughter and kissed her forehead. Then he turned back to his wife, “I’ll miss Joy. I’ll see you, Tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 34
“I knew I could not save my brother, but I also knew he would find an inventive way to save all of us. Even if we all died in the process.” -- from the Book of Phillip
“So you’re handcuffed here, but the charges are unclear. I don’t like unclear, Mr.”, Detective Brady looks at the paperwork, “Renfield.”
Instantly the man is behind him. “I’m not cuffed there, you are here. Help me save my daughters and yours, my friend.”
“That’s a neat trick, but who’s to say this time will be any different, Adam?”
“Well for one, I’m not Adam. It is predictable that echo memory is getting stronger in you, but I’ll warn you, it’s even stronger in him.” Bob points at the camera. “So do what you do. Do it fast.”
“I feel like this is déjà vu all over again.”
“Then let me explain that it is not and I already know what you will do and why, and what he does and why.” Bob again points to the camera. “I promise to walk you through it if you don’t fight that feeling that I have everyone’s best interests at heart. Even yours.” Bob clicks and Brady sees him grab the camera before he clicks behind Brady again and lays the camera on the desk. “Trust me, I have reasons to snap your neck and I’m not limited to this room. Run if you don’t believe me. You owe me. You are going to make good on what you did wrong.”
Brady’s mind reels trying to understand what is going on, but what he has seen with his own eyes has removed doubt of anything the man behind him has to say. “I’m listening.”
As the room is flooded with armed personnel Brady says, “Does anyone know this guy?”
Angela looks nervous for a moment, but realizes Brady isn’t paying any attention to her and continues doing what everyone else in the room is. Brady reaches for his cell phone as it rings, “Hi, Christina. Lunch would be nice, right about now. The usual spot. Make sure mine is a double, it’s going to be that kind of day, some kooky things here, but let’s not talk shop. Although, I am open to hearing about your day.”