by A M Russell
‘We know that you and the lady are travellers. I realised that this style fo speech is familiar to you. My son spoke differently when you first met; as he would with any Outlander. I cannot tell you how I know just yet; but we can tell from your….residue, that you have found a way to our time most unusually. The place where you are is called Amberose. It is a name for this region. There are others. The city dwellers have their own names for us. We know these but do not use them ourselves. When we found you we thought perhaps that you had run away from the city. But we know that it is not possible for the children of elemental creatures to be from the city. Indeed we are puzzled as to find out where you have truly come from.’
I wanted to respond to him; to tell him my name. But I found that in honest truth I could not: I opened my mouth to speak, and then a thought flitted in and out as quickly….where in time were we? I had thought that we were in the past, in some outpost of humanity, but then….I remembered Janey’s words and felt all the world swirl around.
The man was watching my face. His expression did not change, but he became very still as if listening.
It was falling into place; I knew Janey; I knew her and her predisposition for danger and risk. Yes; she had saved us… but her taste for adventure had taken a dangerous turn. I looked at the man who had brought us into his home. He was waiting for something to happen; then I saw…. and looked at him sharply.
‘I will help you go back if that is in any way possible beyond today. I think that you have come to us from the distant past. The way to know this is to tell you the date of this present era. Perhaps in a moment. But first you will see something else.’ At this he took something from his pocket. At first I could not make out what it was, a small object for sure. Something slightly pearly, with banding in patterns on its surface, and a curved edge slightly ridged. He stood and slowly approached me. ‘Hold out your hand.’ He said, and then carefully tipped it into my palm.
It was familiar, and from where I came from a common thing, yet I sensed that this was a moment of significance for both of us.
‘Do you know what this is?’
I nodded and glanced at him. He seemed nervous then, and licked his lips. ‘Do you have these, where you come from?’
I stared at him, and then nodded again. He looked away, and then back again an expression of longing on his face, when he spoke again it was charged with emotion: ‘Do you reach the shore of your land easily?’ for the third time I nodded. He went and sat down again, staring at the floor.
I still held it in my hand. That little shell, some small fragment of something that one might find on many beaches around the coast of England. It was a rare little piece of proof, for both of us.
‘You have done something we thought was impossible,’ he said, ‘and you came to us, just at the time we…. I needed to know that it had been there, long ago. Otherwise there would be no hope.’
I understood none of this, yet knew that the knowledge I had of the sea was more significant than just knowing past history.
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘until now we did not know if our present watch of time had been overcome completely. But you bring us much needed news. And this is a good day indeed! For all of us. Your Lady will recover; for it is within my skill to heal the sickness of your kind.’ At this he stood, ‘I will tell you more soon. That is enough for now. When you are ready we can talk together and I can answer some of your questions. Tomorrow perhaps? My son will return you to your room.’
A little while later I lay back on my bed. The light had changed. There was a hint of peach in the light as it tended towards twilight. And later as it deepened to pale maroon, I thought of that day; our journey through time and I saw myself clearly for the first time. It was a day that had changed my whole world: literally, metaphorically. That was the day I would dream of in good dreams, and relive in my nightmares. In the power of forgetting that I was now released from other things began to reform. And I saw myself standing on the edge of something terrifying and strange.
I can see the stars now as they become visible through the skylight. I reached out a hand as if to touch them. It is all returning now, every moment, every word. Something is gone and there is no place to hide.
I reached out, but they are far away.
I try to call out to someone, and this time I can form the words:
‘I remember!’ I cried, and in the silence the visions of the past; the future; things that may be were my only answer.
*****
End