She was already looking back through the eyepiece again. “If that means you’ve made some small adjustments which greatly improved its performance then yes, you have tweaked it.” She continued to gaze through the telescope. “This is incredible, Connor. I don’t know what all I’m looking at, but it’s spectacular.”
After a moment, she pulled her face away from the telescope but kept her hand on it. “So all these nights I thought you were locked away in your room being unsociable. Is this what you have really been doing?”
“I only got the telescope tonight.”
“And what were you up to all the other nights?” She looked back through the eyepiece once more.
The breeze blew up the bluffs from the ocean below and stirred the chill in the air. He put his hands in his pockets to keep them warm. “At first I was going out at night to get the lay of the land. I wanted to know where I was, and I wanted to look for a way to return to my people.”
“Did you find a way?” She didn’t sound like she was sure she wanted the answer.
He rocked back on his heels and hoped he was right about her. “Nope. I found my boots, though.”
“So you said.” She pointed at his feet, which were still cramped into the pair of borrowed shoes. “Where are they?”
“In Frank’s cabin.”
She stepped back from the telescope and wrapped her arms in her shawl, sending a frightened glance behind them into the forest. “I didn’t think of him. Just now, I mean. Coming out here with you, I completely forgot about him.”
Though he’d never let on, he was glad to hear her say it. “I know where he is, Doc. You are safe with me.” He turned the telescope and pointed it at a cabin further down the bluffs. “Look,” he directed.
Lydia stepped to the telescope and looked. She popped her head up as if trying to see without it and then looked again through the eyepiece. “I had no idea you could see his cabin from up here, or that you could use this to peer into someone’s window. He has no curtain. His lamp is still lit this late at night. Oh, there he is!” She put her hand over her smiling mouth. “I’m not sure we should be doing this. Can he see us?” She continued to gawk at the man who usually gawked at her.
“No. We’re in the shadows and too far away. I’ve seen him parade around in there wearing my boots. No sign of the other equipment, though.”
“Think no more of the boots. I have arranged for a shoemaker to take your measurements at the market tomorrow.”
“How many gutters will I have to clean out to pay for that?”
Lydia chuckled. “None. I paid for it in stitches this evening.” She pulled away from the telescope. “However, I can’t replace your parachute.” She looked pensive then asked, “Do you need the parachute to leave?”
“I wouldn’t get very far!” He laughed. He loved her innocence. He loved the innocent feel of the whole place.
During his nights of reconnaissance and his days of conversations, he had learned there was no way for him to leave the Land. He didn’t want to leave anyway. Enough time had passed that any search for him by the military would have been called off. Alerting anyone to his whereabouts could alert everyone, and that would risk an invasion of the Land. He refused to be the cause of that.
His personal mission had changed from escaping from the Land to trying to protect it. How could he tell Lydia that without telling her what he needed to protect the Land from? Plus, he’d promised her father to keep silent about the condition of the world. He took a step closer to her. “I don’t need the parachute, but there were other items that could cause harm to a person if he didn’t know how to use them.”
He didn’t know how much of the ejection seat’s gear had made it to the Land. He didn’t care if Frank shot off a flare and it burned his cabin to the ground. He didn’t care if Frank got a compass or a shiny new knife to play with. Only one item could cause a problem if Frank had unknowingly activated it.
“There was a device attached to the equipment I had when I landed. It’s very important I find it.”
“What sort of device?” Lydia asked.
“It’s a beacon.”
“Of light?”
“No, a personal locator beacon. It sends out an electronic signal, which is designed to give rescuers my location.” He didn’t want to worry her with all of the possibilities he had to consider. “I know you’re smart and can understand anything I explain. I also know you would try to solve any problem I present. I have to spare you that burden. Your dad knows the details of the possible dangers. I won’t do anything he’s against.”
She stepped away from the telescope. “I appreciate your desire to spare me the details. I’ll do my best to leave the speculation and the worry to you and Father. However, my fascination with your work won’t allow me to rest.” She pointed to the telescope. “When I look up through this I see the moon and stars and celestial wonders I can’t explain. My people have some knowledge of these things, but you have more. Yes, I’m concerned more warriors might fall from the sky and they might not all possess your friendly nature. But I’m more curious as to what you see when you look through this.” Her voice was soft and settled when she spoke. “Does the night sky appear the same from here as it does from your land? Do you use the stars to navigate your aircraft like sailors do their ships? Do you see other warriors’ flying machines up there? Tell me, Connor, what do you see?”
She’d figured out far more than he gave her credit for. “I see a sky that looks totally different from the way it does from anywhere else on earth. In fact, I believe there is some type of atmospheric phenomenon over the Land. From here the stars appear to be spread wide, but they aren’t actually positioned where they appear to be. From here it’s like I’m viewing them with a fish-eye lens. Also, when I look up I should see man-made satellites and aircraft.” He stopped to choose his words carefully. “There is a lot of activity in the sky all over the world. I see none of that from here. During the daytime, many aircraft leave visible contrails in the sky—long streaks of cloud, depending on atmospheric conditions. I haven’t seen a single contrail since I came to the Land. I doubt it’s due to a lack of air traffic. And the moon isn’t oval—it’s round.”
“What do you think all this means?”
“The atmosphere over this location is somehow skewing our vision of the sky. If I’m right, the view from above could also be skewed through the phenomenon. The Land would appear minuscule—possibly undetectable. This might be why the Land can’t be seen by our technology. On an image taken from outer space it appears there is only ocean here.”
“What about ships on the sea? Could they see the Land if they passed by?”
Connor shrugged. “I’m not sure. I don’t know how far this atmospheric phenomenon extends. If it’s shaped like a bubble, then it’s possible that passing vessels wouldn’t see the Land. Modern ships navigate with equipment that must frequently adjust readings for magnetic and oceanic currents, so people might have been sailing past the Land for centuries without knowing anything was amiss. From what I read in the founders’ journals in your library, they didn’t see the Land until they ran aground here.”
“That’s true,” Lydia confirmed. “The founders had been at sea nearly four months and were desperate for land. They believed God provided this place for them. You said yourself you didn’t know how you came to our shore. Perhaps it is as simple as Providence.”
“Perhaps. The people here have an advantage. See, after the time in history when your founders left America, people there developed ways to generate and send electricity into every home. There have been so many inventions since then that our civilization is now based on the constant use of electricity. Every populated area in the world gives off light that can be seen from space. All the electronic gadgets also emit electric signals. We have computers that store and send information, and our world is buzzing with these signals. We’ve launched equipment into outer space that monitors everything happening on earth—everythi
ng except here in your land. There is electronic silence here. This entire chunk of land is completely off grid. As long as your people don’t learn how to generate electricity or produce radio waves or start tinkering with electronics, I think the Land could remain undetected. And… as long as I can get that beacon back from Frank before he activates it.”
Lydia was quiet. Connor turned to the telescope and began to disassemble it. He removed it from its tripod stand and wrapped its sections carefully in the felt cloth just as he’d found it. Then he loosened the hinges on the wooden stand and collapsed its legs.
He nestled the bundle in the crook of his arm and offered the other arm to Lydia. She slipped her hand beneath his elbow and glanced back in the direction of Frank’s cabin before they walked the path to her family’s property.
As they left the forest path and stepped through the short grass behind the barn, Lydia stayed close to him, and he liked it. She hadn’t said a word the entire walk. Though he enjoyed her voice, he was also enjoying the silence.
When they got close to the cottage, she whispered, “Connor?”
“Yes?”
“There are experiments.”
“What do you mean?”
“With electricity. I’ve heard of such things. Not in Good Springs, but in other villages.”
Connor kept walking. He was focused on leading them through the dark shadow of the Colburn house and back to her door safely. He and John had already discussed electronics and Connor’s theory of how to keep the Land undetected. John hadn’t mentioned any experiments with electricity in the Land. What would Lydia know that the overseer would not?
When they reached her door, he stopped and looked at her. “Are you sure? Your dad said he knew nothing of electricity in the Land.”
“Yes, I am quite sure.” She kept her voice quiet. “Three years ago I traveled to every village in the Land. It was during my medical training. There was a man in Northcrest whom I distinctly remember discussing the electric motor he planned to build.”
Connor’s concern grew as she spoke, but he tried to appear unfazed. “How far away is Northcrest?”
“A week’s journey.”
“On foot?”
“Horseback. Of course, it’s in the opposite direction of Stonehill, and there was an inventor there who also spoke of electricity.”
He drew a deep breath and kept his visage neutral despite the possibilities she had mentioned. He opened the cottage door and checked inside the medical office. “We can talk to your dad about it in the morning.”
Lydia nodded then walked inside her cottage. “Good night, Connor.”
Connor pointed at the door before he closed it. “Does this lock?”
“Yes.”
“Lock it.”
Chapter Seven
Sleep evaded Lydia while troubled thoughts churned in her mind and prompted an early rise. Though Connor had acted unconcerned about the electrical experiments she mentioned, the notion of anyone producing signals that could jeopardize the safety of the Land worried her. Her life was devoted to healing the individual, but the more she considered the implications of the Land being invaded, the more trivial her work felt. Instead of resting during the night, her anxious mind devised a plan of action, making the new concern a priority. By dawn, she decided she should travel to the other villages and warn the inventors of the hazardous potential of their designs.
She yawned as she stood at the kitchen sink and filled a kettle. Intending to speak to her father about the matter before the rest of the household came to breakfast, she tried not to make any noise that would wake the others. She set the kettle on the stove as quietly as possible, but her tired hand caused the kettle to clank against the stove. She left it there to boil and carried a bread basket to the table as her father walked into the kitchen. Eager to discuss Connor’s theory of the Land and her plan to save it from being detected, she drew a breath to speak but promptly closed her mouth when Bethany trotted into the room.
“Good morning, Father. Good morning, Lydia,” Bethany chirped. “The party was splendid last night, wasn’t it?” She twirled once before she sat in her chair at the table. Then she selected a muffin from the bread basket and picked a berry from its top. “Oh, Lydia! Your waltz was mentioned throughout the evening. All the girls said if they were you they would be fully intrigued by Connor.”
“Bethany!” Lydia huffed, her unrested nerves intolerant of her sister’s meddling.
“Not to worry, dear sister. I told them you’ve never been intrigued in your life.” Bethany popped a berry in her mouth and smiled in a way that rankled Lydia’s already irritated mood.
“You keep that to yourself!” she snapped, surprising even herself.
John cleared his throat with forced volume. Both girls looked at their father and knew what he meant. As John carried the coffeepot to the table, he changed the subject. “Bethany, will you be working at the pottery yard all day?”
“Yes, Father.” She ate the last bite of muffin and chased it down with half a glass of milk while walking to the sink. Bethany gave her father a loud kiss on his bearded cheek and flashed Lydia a pouty glare as she headed out the door.
Lydia wanted to speak with her father before anyone else came to the kitchen. As John poured the steaming coffee into his cup, she sat beside him at the table. He took a muffin and offered her the bread basket. She held up her hand. “I must speak with you about something.”
“You seem agitated this morning.” John tilted his head. “Is this about something that happened last night?”
Her father trusted her, but still she decided to avoid mentioning her evening of stargazing. Preparing to speak, she willed herself to level her voice and demonstrate the control that was expected of the village physician. “Connor said he has discussed the condition of the outside world with you.”
John set the bread basket on the table and then leaned back in his chair while brushing his fingertips together. He raised one eyebrow at her. “What did he tell you?”
“He said he believes the Land is undetectable to the technology other nations use partially because we don’t have electricity here. If we did invent ways to generate electrical signals, the Land’s existence might be detected by other nations. He was kind not to burden me with the details, but it seems we should try to remain hidden from the outside world.”
“Yes, it would seem that way. He asked me if I knew anything of electricity, but I knew nothing of the sort.” John picked up his coffee cup and sipped once. “Do you know of any such inventions in the Land?”
“I do, Father. Not here in Good Springs, but when I was traveling. There was a man in Stonehill who came into the medical office there. As he was being treated, he spoke of his inventions. He told us about being inspired by the lightning and how he was trying to create electric currents. I looked through my notes last night. The man’s name was Jeremiah.”
John continued sipping the hot coffee. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he listened to her.
“And in Northcrest after the church service one Sunday, a man told Doctor Ashton and me about his plan to build an electric motor. He said his grandfather had written that his grandfather told him about an electric motor he saw as a boy in America. I don’t remember his name, and I can’t ask Doctor Ashton. He only wakes long enough to eat. He might not remember even if I asked him.” The thought of Doctor Ashton’s condition brought a wave of grief. Lydia looked down at her hands. “I should go and warn those men not to continue their experiments.”
John reached out and put his hand on top of hers. “I do not like to see you burdened like this. We will let Connor know about these mentions of electric experiments, but this matter is not for you to fret over. You have your own responsibilities. This village needs you to focus on your work.” She looked at him then, and his lips curved in a gentle smile when her eyes met his. “It might seem like an accident to him, but I believe Connor landed here for a purpose. Since he understands these matters o
f technology, we will allow him to do the work.”
Lydia turned her head and looked out the kitchen window; her focus blurred as she considered what her father said. She found comfort in the notion that Connor came into their lives for a purpose; still, he would need her help if he went to other villages. He wouldn’t know to whom to speak or how to approach them. Her father said the task would be Connor’s work. John might not agree, but she should go too.
Levi walked into the kitchen. He shuffled to the coffeepot, poured himself a cup, and then sat at the table across from her. He leaned on his elbows and held the steaming cup of coffee in both hands.
Too mentally preoccupied to eat, Lydia went to the sink to busy herself with dishes.
* * *
As Connor left the guest room, he walked as quietly as he could past Isabella’s bedroom. She might not be awake yet, and he wanted to talk to John before anyone else went to breakfast. He stepped through the hallway and into the living room without making a sound. As he passed the staircase, murmurs came from the kitchen. He was too late.
He was grateful for the Colburns’ hospitality, but it was awkward to be a houseguest. And this situation took awkwardness to a whole new level. Though John was graciously hospitable, Levi seemed to hate him, Bethany had a crush on him, and the old lady thought he had a speech impediment.
And then there was Lydia.
He had spent most of the night lying flat on his back staring at the ceiling thinking about her. He had envisioned the dance they shared, the light in her eyes when she saw the telescope set up on the bluffs, and the feel of her close to him—trusting him—as they walked on the path through the dark forest.
He stopped in the living room to tuck in his shirt. He needed to concentrate on the matter he had to discuss with John—the possibility of electronic signals being produced within the Land. He walked into the kitchen but slowed his pace when Lydia, Levi, and John all looked at him. The only sound in the room came from the crackle of gray leaf wood chips in the stove’s firebox.
The Land Uncharted (The Uncharted Series Book 1) Page 10