by S G Read
‘When I need some more I will be back.’ William answered and they shook hands.
Now all William had to do was to get what he had bought into Goliath’s cart, Gus had already turned the cart round ready for the return journey, now he helped William load the first few bits into the cart and then sat on the cart with his blunderbuss in his hand just in case someone decided to help themselves, while William finished bringing everything out. He gave Ebenezer a wave knowing that this was the last time he would see him, as he was destined to burn to death tonight but there was nothing he could say or do about it, when the place was locked up, it was just as hard to get out as it was to get in.
With the cart loaded, William and Gus headed home to find out how well George Yeoman had got on with the repairs and the fortifications. They trundled down the road with William holding Gus's blunderbuss trying to look menacing. When he reached the house William climbed down and stretched, even though it had not been a long way, it had taken some time to get back. He walked inside to see how George was getting on and found him working on the back door.
‘They made a good job of this one,’ George complained, ‘I'll get this finished tonight but I won't be able to repair the door to that room and I won't get to bar the back windows.’
‘You can only do your best George and that will be good enough for me,’ William answered, I have just bought two duelling pistols and a French percussion pistol, so if anyone comes visiting tonight I'll be waiting for them and not with open arms.’
George smiled and worked on. William walked back out to work out where to put all that he had bought, the gold watches and gold chains could be taken up into the flat quite easily but the rest would have to stay in the past or he would not have room to move in his flat. In the end he decided that everything would stay in the past and he would stay and protect them but to do that he needed a bed. He walked back out to the cart where Gus was sitting with his blunderbuss ready for action.
‘If I get this lot unloaded quickly is there any way we can go and buy a bed for tonight?’ He asked.
‘We can get a bed tonight for you to sleep on but what the hell did you sleep on before then?’ Gus asked.
Chapter 6
The question caught William by surprise but it should not have done because, as far as gas and Goliath were concerned he went in there every night, so they had to assume that he slept in there every night. He picked up a painting and carried inside to give himself time to think when he walked out again he was ready to answer.
‘So far I slept on the floor, helped mostly by Goliath’s ale,’ he declared, ‘but it is not a very comfortable thing to do, as I am finding out, although it was why I was awake enough to hear the men trying to break in. I am not expecting company tonight and I'm not going over to buy any ale as I don't want to leave this lot on its own, not when someone can easily climb in the back window and take what they want. When George finishes tomorrow I shall feel a little happier about locking up and walking across the road for well-earned ale.’
‘No wonder you're grumpy sometimes,’ Gus replied, ‘it explains a lot and we'll go get you very soft bed for you and bring it back when you finish unloading. I know the very shop.’
‘You're all heart!’ William exclaimed.
He continued unloading and put everything into the room where the door into the future was located, he did not want to put it into the room where George was working and it was quicker than carrying it upstairs. When he started putting it in the room he leant it against the wall just inside the door so that it was out of sight of the window. That no one would see it and be tempted to try and break in. As he bought more in he moved along the wall away from the door but kept whatever he was bringing in close to the wall under the window. When the cart was empty, he closed the door to stop anyone walking in from the street while George Yeoman was working. While George was going to and fro from his cart, he would let nobody walk inside and take anything they wanted.
Next they went off to get a bed for William to sleep on that night, Gus knew just where to go and went into the shop with William, advising him just how much to pay for it, which was a lot lower than the asking price. To William it was just like modern day, things sat in the shop, overpriced, for some time, just so that they could have a sale and slash the prices down to where they should be. He bought his bed and loaded it onto the cart then headed back for the house, as it needed putting together William hoped to be back before George left, so that he could borrow some tools or even let George do it.
When George went home, William had a new bed to sleep on and the house was full of moneymaking items, they had heard nothing about a fire over in Cheapside but William knew that it was either happening now, as he thought about it, or it would happen soon. Gus stayed in the house while Goliath gave William a lesson in how to load and fire his flintlock pistols, behind the tavern, just in case he had to use them. They were in the back yard of the tavern shooting at an old barrel, one Goliath had used for target practice before. By the time William walked across to relieve Gus he was a reasonable shot with both the flintlock duelling pistols and the French percussion pistol. He said goodnight to Gus and locked the door behind him, then he settled down for what was going to prove to be a long night.
He had deliberately refrained from drinking any ale during the evening so that he would hear if he had any unwanted callers during the night. The bed was placed by the stairs to be out of sight of anyone peering in the window at the front, not that he expected any visitors during the night. He settled down on the bed and was soon asleep but voices woke him in the early hours. He opened his eyes and lay there listening to try and hear what they were saying, he heard the name, John used again and assumed it was the Barber brothers paying him a call. He smiled in the darkness. He had the two flintlock pistols to hand as well as his French navy pistol, were they in for a surprise.
He did not move but listened as they tried to force the front door again, when they found it would not move, one of them cursed. Soon after he heard the other one whisper that the windows had bars on now, the other one suggested they went round the back again. William wondered just how they would get round the back, as the only way over was to climb up the toilet and jump into the courtyard behind. The only problem with that was the dog in the courtyard, which tended to bark at anything and probably would therefore bite anyone in the yard. As they would have to do it in reverse, walk through the courtyard and shin up the wall to go on to the toilet roof and then jump down, he wondered what the dog would be doing at this time.
He heard them move away and then could not hear them anymore, he assumed they were going to walk round the back where they would find easy access through the windows. William climbed out of bed, picked up all three pistols and headed for one of the back windows, he chose the window which had the door to the future in the same room, just in case he wanted to make a speedy escape. He took up a position to be able to see the toilet through the window but he hope that the two men would not see him where he was. Now all he could do was to wait.
The dog barked only once then yelped and was quiet, they obviously knew how to deal with dogs. He could just pick out dark shapes as they climbed onto the toilet roof and dropped into his backyard with their tools ready to break in. William did not want any damage done to his new door or to his windows, with the exception of the window he was about to fire through. The glass in that window would need replacing in the morning. It was quite dark in the yard but he could pick out some distinguishing features one being the nearest man’s right buttock and using the flintlock pistol he took aim and fired at it. The man yelled in pain, cursing the fact that he had just been shot in the bum, they did not return fire but fled the scene, the uninjured man helping the injured man onto the roof of the toilet before he himself hauled himself onto the roof. Once he was on the roof William saw the chance of another shot and fired at the man's left buttock just to see how good a shot he was now. The man squealed with pain and fell o
ver the wall into the courtyard but the dog did not make a noise at all.
William turned up the lantern and reloaded the two flintlock pistols then walked to the front door, the two pistols in his hand with the percussion pistol tucked in his belt. He unlocked the door but had to put the pistols down, to lift the two bars away so that he could open the door. Before he opened the door he picked the two pistols up again ready for action and then walked outside. There was no noise, not even the sound of horse’s hooves on cobbles and William surmised that they had their hooves muffled with sackcloth, to make sure they were not heard. Across the road Goliath appeared in the tavern doorway.
‘Had visitors have we?’ He asked.
‘Yes the same two as before I think.’ William answered.
‘Did you kill them?’ Goliath asked hopefully.
‘No only wounded,’ William answered, ‘they came in the back over the toilet and went back the same way both with a bullet hole in them.’
‘Where did you hit them then?’ Goliath asked.
‘One in the left buttock and one in the right buttock don't know which was which but I'm sure they know which one was which.’ William answered.
Goliath laughed for a few seconds and then became serious.
‘You made some enemies there you know,’ he warned, ‘they are not the most forgiving people in the world, as I'm sure you will find out when they get over their wounds.’
‘I didn't want to miss so I aimed at what was the largest target when they were side on to me.’ William answered.
‘Better to have killed them I feel and you would have been within your rights but I doubt if they'll be back tonight so I'll bid you good night for a second time, goodnight William.’ Goliath replied.
‘Goodnight Goliath.’ William called as Goliath closed the door and went back inside to go back to sleep.
William returned to his bed, he put the pistols on the floor beside him and was soon fast asleep not to be disturbed for the rest of the night. Now that the building was secured from intruders at the front it also meant that Mary could not get in to start her cleaning and that meant that William was woken by an insistent knocking on the door.
‘Just coming.’ William called when he had got his act together.
He jumped out of bed and dressed as quickly as he could. He lifted the bars from the door and slid the bolts back before unlocking the door to let Mary in.
‘Good morning Mary and where are you cleaning today?’ William asked, just as something to say.
‘I'll finish the upstairs today I think after that it will be polishing, if you want it polished that is?’ Mary answered.
‘You do what you think is necessary I want this place good enough to live in, in all the rooms, when you have managed that we can start to think as to what furniture should be in here and where. That takes a woman's touch.’ William answered.
Mary just nodded and went into cleaning mode, William moved the pistols out of the way so that she did not shoot anyone as she walked by the bed and she was soon upstairs with her bucket and mop working.
Soon after Mary arrived, George Yeoman arrived to continue with his work, William took him into the little room which was laden with antiques and pointed out the broken window that he needed replacing. George took note of it and mentally added it to his list then continued his work on the other window, to make that secure. It did not take long to fit the bars on the windows and soon both windows had bars on them and it left only the bars on the back door and the glass in the broken window for him to sort out. George went off in his cart to get the glass, as he considered that more important than the bars on the back door although he did promise to finish them both before nightfall. William was happy with that.
When George left to the glass, William locked the front door but did not refit the bolts or the bars so that it looked like he had gone out the front door which left Mary to unlock the door and let George back in when he returned. In reality William planned to go into the future and to take a few things with him including the duelling pistols which were going to earn him £10,000 back in the future or so he hoped. He walked through, passed what he wanted to take through the television into the basin and onto the toilet seat then climbed through himself.
He changed his clothes and after preparing his antiques for travel, he phoned for a taxi, he felt that this lot was worthy of the taxi fare he was going to pay. He was going to Chiswick auction house again, his other lots had done fairly well and he was out of debt, with the exception of it student loan, which still had to be paid off. The auctioneer recognised him as he walked in and came to meet him and took some of his load.
They estimate on his duelling pistols was £10-£20,000 which pleased William no end as it would see an end to his student loan. One picture was valued at roughly the same level which again pleased William and he would end up with money in the bank, enough to make him not worry any more about money. He returned to the flat a happy man, changed and climbed through to go over to the tavern for a meal. Mary was still working on the upper floor when he unlocked the door and he pretended he had just come in and walked up to see her after locking the door again.
‘Who broke the window?’ Mary asked.
That took William aback but when he thought about it she obviously had to go out to the loo some time and it would be hard to miss it, with all the glass on the ground outside.
‘I had visitors last night, probably the same two who came last time and I put the ball into each of them.’ William answered.
Mary smiled, she didn't smile often.
‘Are they dead?’ She asked hopefully.
‘Probably not,’ William answered and saw disappointment appear on her face, ‘it was dark so I aimed for the largest target which was their backside.’ He explained.
‘You shot them in the bum?’ Mary asked.
‘One in the left buttock and one in the right buttock,’ William answered, ‘I didn't want to miss, did I now?’
‘Better to have killed them I feel,’ Mary replied, ‘they are monsters who bear grudges, so I reckon they'll be back and probably come back armed as well.’
‘I'll take my chance on that,’ William argued, ‘I'm going over for a meal did you want something to eat?’
Mary was obviously taken by surprise no one ever offered to feed her without an ulterior motive.
‘In fact Mary as I'm paying your wages and can order you about, you will walk across the road with me and we will eat a meal together.’ William declared in case she tried to say no.
All resistance faded. She wiped her hands on her dress and followed William out of the house, she waited while the locked up and they walked over to the tavern together to eat. William walked to his normal table and sat down. He motioned for her to sit as well at the same table. He did not wait to hold the seat while she sat down, as done in the films he had watched, just in case it was not the done thing. Goliath brought a tankard of ale over to both of them and disappeared into the kitchen to get their food. There was no sign of Gus but there were quite a few other patrons in there which made it quite busy for him. It was obvious that Mary was ill at ease in the tavern waiting to be served but William ignored it and engaged her in small talk. One thing he found out was that she could not read, right or count. He rebuked himself for not realising that, considering her station in life and where she lived. He thought he could do something about that when things were settled, it would improve her chances of a better life.
They ate together, with William keeping up the small talk until the meal was finished with the exception of Mary's left overs which she wrapped up in a cloth to take with her. William didn't know why and did not ask, as he considered it none of his business. When things slowed down Goliath join them at the table and Mary used his arrival as an excuse to go back to work, William did not argue and let her go. When Goliath sat down, he watched her as she walked away and William perceived that Goliath found her attractive. He did not press it or mention it, to save G
oliath from being embarrassed, just in case he would be embarrassed if he did say anything. It was something that William did not want to happen. He had made two friends in Victorian times and he did not want to lose either of them. They talked for some time and then Gus walked in and join them at the table, from then on the conversation was three way, only interrupted when Goliath had to go off and serve.
George finished all the work and walked over to the tavern. William invited him to partake in a meal but George declined, on the grounds that he would eat home, with his wife and family. William did not mind either way and paid him there and then. He was happy with his work and he liked to pay workers immediately when he had the money. Now the place was as secure as Ebenezer Gold's place, the only difference being that William had a safety exit, to get out in case of fire, all he had to do was to go in to the future and unplug the television. He was not worried about the two robbers returning as it would take them a while to get over being shot in the bum.
The next day William put on his normal clothes and walked out onto Tooley Street with cars driving by, which, in itself, would be enough to frighten any Victorian. He had a plan. He had seen Ebenezer using his slate and chalk in his shop. William decided to get one of his own, and take it through to Victorian times, with some chalk and start to teach Mary how to read and write. Once she had mastered that he could teach her how to count, something that would help her in the future. He had measured the screen of the television and knew just how big the slate could be, to go through the television. He needed a big one to be able to write the alphabet on it and every slate he had seen in Victorian times had been quite small.
It was not an easy task to find one but in the end he did. Carrying the slate back was also a problem as the taxi when it turned up refused to load it and drove off again. William ended up travelling on a bus, something he had not done for a very long time, he also has to pay for the slate as a passenger but then he could afford it. The next problem he encountered was that the slate apart from being very heavy was longer than the table legs and therefore will not go through easily. William thought about it, climbed through and thought about it some more then climbed back through to put his plan to work. By moving the table to the middle of the room, he tilted the ladder to a lower angle through the television, without damaging the television. He thought he would be able to slide the slate down the ladder and across the floor. All he had to do was to support the ladder so that no weight was put on the television, if that happened and the television broke the door would close cutting the slate and the ladder in half. It might also cut William's legs off in the process. Not a good idea.