People were moving everywhere because of the war. I walked up the hill from the landing to the place the captain told me to go. He told me to tell them at the hotel, he had sent me. The inn was two stories, overlooking the river, top of Memphis hotel. It had toilets and baths in every room.
June said, “John, I want to take a bath.” I told her I had something to do.
I walked to the front desk. “Sir,” I asked, “Do you have a bus or train station?”
Replying, he said, “We have both.” The train is just down the street. They’ll come get you if I call them.
I asked, “Could you find what time the next train is to Little Rock?”
He told me, “Sir, no need to call. It’s at ten forty-five. You want to go?”
I told him, “Yes, tomorrow.”
“They will be here to pick you up at the front desk.” I thank the man and left, back to my room.
The next morning, we were picked up by the Seaboard railroad express line to Little Rock. June and I would travel for two days, one to Little Rock, then to Oklahoma City by bus. We would spend two days, then to Amarillo, Texas then to Roswell. Once in Roswell, we would stay the night, then to Carlsbad, New Mexico.
June looked at me. “John, so close yet so far.”
“June, we will see our children, I promise you.” If they come, Tyler will know what to do.
17
From New York to Saint Louis, the inspector smiled all the way. Walking over, he collected his bags and walked outside. The inspector walked around for a while showing Willard’s picture to all that would look.
Showing the picture to a cabbie, “Yes,” he said. “I took them to a hotel on Lindbergh.”
The inspector asked the driver, “Can you take me there?”
“Sure, get in,” he said. The inn was crowded. Checking in, he went to his room to freshen up, then went for dinner. Walking along the avenue, all he could smell was fish cooking. Setting at a table facing the road, he thought Saint Louis was a big town; people are everywhere.
I asked the waitress, “Where is everyone going?”
She uttered, “It’s shift change.” I just left it at that. I told her I would have the catfish.
The waitress asked, “Would you like the hush puppies?”
I looked at her. “I suppose.” I had no idea what that was. I told her I would have coffee. The waitress brought my coffee. She continued to look at me.
“Is there something wrong.”
“You know sir, I love the way you talk.” She said.
“Young lady, I do suppose I have an accent.”
She said, “You know there was a charming couple here several days ago.”
I looked at her. “You don’t say.”
“Yes, I do say, sir. They sounded just as you do.” I took the picture from my pocket, showed it to her.
“Yes, that’s them. Why do you have a photo of them?”
“They’re dangerous people.” I told her I was an inspector from England, Scotland Yard.
She said, “Inspector, they seemed like nice people to me.
I asked, “Do you know where they went?”
“I really didn’t notice,” she said. Eating my meal, walking back to the inn, I checked with the innkeeper.
The clerk said, “They stayed here for two days. I believe they said they were going to Kansas City. I believe he wanted to go to a famous steakhouse there.”
The morning came with the dreadful heat. The inspector inquired about a ticket to Kansas City. He spent two days walking the streets. He had no luck. No one had seen them or remembered them. He sat while drinking his coffee. Well, the fox has outsmarted the hound again. I went back to Saint Louis.
The next morning, I covered the streets of Saint Louis with no luck. Standing by the wharf, watching the boats come and go. I had decided to go home. The Willards had vanished, I suppose they were picked up by one of those UFOs.
The inspector watched as the Queen docked, watching as the captain come ashore. “Ah, captain! A nice boat. Where do you go?”
The captain said, “Downriver to Memphis, Tennessee, then to New Orleans.”
The captain said, “We must be having a British invasion.”
I asked the captain, “I’m not sure what you mean.” The captain told me of the Willards. I took a picture, showed him a photo.
“Yes, that’s them,” the captain said. “They got off in Memphis.”
I went to the inn and packed my bag. I called a cab, “Take me to the airport.”
The captain told me of a hotel, top of Memphis. I thought as I walked along the walk, this was beginning to be expensive. I’ve drawn money from my account; now I need more. Arriving in Memphis, I went to the hotel the captain suggested.
Inquiring, the innkeeper stated, “I remembered them, they stayed for two days. Let me see.”
The clerk said, “Oh yes, they caught the train to Texas, or that’s what they said. Train leaves in two hours, just down the street. Inspector, if you’re trying to find them, Texas is a very big state.”
I didn’t care how big Texas was, I had come too far to back down now. The hound had been outsmarted by the fox. Now he was back on the trail.
The train stopped long enough in Little Rock to take on passengers. As the conductor call all aboard, the train once more moved down the track.
I asked the conductor, “What is the next stop?”
Replying, the conductor told me Texarkana. Sitting, watching the forest go by, the porter said it was time for dinner. I made my way to the dining car. Speaking with his English accent the waiter asked, “Tea, sir?” The man was an old black man, looked to be in his seventies.
“You old boys from England, where is yawl going, sir?”
“Texas,” the inspector said.
“You knows, just the other day a couple rode the train. They got off in Little Rock. I don’t knows why they had tickets for Dallas.”
“You mean, they got off the train?” I asked.
“Shoo did, in Little Rock, sir. You want Mo tea?”
“Tell me, where is the next stop?” I asked.
The man said, “One hour, sir. It be Texarkana.”
“Good, I’m getting off,” I said.
The hound found himself outsmarted by the fox again. “Damn this guy. I’m lost, where would he go?”
Walking to the ticket window, I showed the photo. No one knew them or remembered them. I tried to figure out where he would go. I’ve spent my money on what? I can’t keep up with him. Chasing them across a country, I can’t believe I was doing this. I don’t even know where to look. It would appear they are headed west.
All the backtracking I’ve done, I’ll give old man Willard one thing he was cunning. I’ve chased him from England to New York, now to this place in Texas. Now he is a week ahead of me. Each passing day, the trail gets colder. The only reason I’m here now is he was English, spoke with an accent.
The only way to travel in this country, if you don’t own an automobile, was on a bus, train, or plane. I spent several days before I came upon a clue. Sitting at the bus stop, a bus came in from Oklahoma City.
I asked the driver, “Have you seen these people?”
I showed the driver the photo. “Yes, I know who they are. English couple went to Oklahoma City.” Once again, the hound was back on the trail. I waited for the next train. I thought of the day in England when I said to myself, the old chap wasn’t that smart. Well, I would never say that again.
18
June and I boarded another train after one day in Little Rock, one day traveling after three days in Oklahoma City. This train would take us to Amarillo, Texas. Arriving in Texas, I would buy a ticket to Denver, Colorado. I knew the inspector would be behind us. The inspector would be in the states where he would have no authority. Even if he made
up a crime, this I have no doubt he would do. Tyler wrote in his letter, if we made it to New Mexico, go to the local police; he would help.
The United States was a vast piece of land. For weeks, we have been traveling. I could tell my wife was tiring, I could tell yet she said nothing. June was driven by the will to see her children, children she had not seen in twelve years. Each time we stopped, people would ask us where we were going. Each time, we would tell them a different place.
In a small town in western Oklahoma, my wife and I got off the train. The scenery was like pictures I’ve seen in books like the old west. Sayer Oklahoma was hot and dusty. The Cowboys still rode horses, worn guns.
June said, “This is so exciting, John.”
A man on the train called to me. “Sir, I believe you’re going to Amarillo.”
“Yes,” I answered.
He announced again, “Sir, the bus is about to leave. There’s another one tomorrow.”
I bought a coke, picked up our bag, ran to the bus. Our next stop was Amarillo.
Amarillo was a cow town, you could smell it everywhere. Stockyards were booming. So many times, we passed ranches with cows, cows, cows. Of course, there were horses. In England, we hardly saw a cow, yet they were there. I just never went to the countryside. Here, it was different; everyone had a ranch.
Coming from the bus, we were directed to a small inn with a steakhouse you could smell forever. Checking in, we walked across the way to the steakhouse. A big sign that read: Texas Red’s Steakhouse. If you like our food, tell a friend. If you don’t, tell me, I’ll make it better.
Walking in, we could see why it was called Texas Reds. Red was a big man with red hair down on his shoulder, walking around, greeting people. Coming to our table, I introduced my wife and myself.
Red said, “An Englishman.” Red asked about our trip. I told him we were going to Denver. The food was unbelievable. People were coming from everywhere.
I looked at my wife. “June, have you ever seen such a place?”
She replied, “Never John, only in this country.”
A couple sitting beside us asked, “You’re English?”
I said, “What was your first clue? How did you know?”
He smiled. “The accent.” He told me they rode the train to Little Rock with a man from England. The couple said, “We got off in Little Rock, he went on to Texas. He was an inspector, with Scotland Yard. We talked for several hours until we got off the train.”
Mr. Willard stood. “Old chap, good talking to you. We must go to our room, we need rest. Long way to Denver.”
The couple said, “We will see you around.” I told them we are on vacation.
The couple said to the Willards, “We’re going to Roswell then to Carlsbad New Mexico.” Reaching into his pocket, he took out a coin. Little did he know, I had one just like it in my pocket.
“That’s an odd coin, where did you come to have that?”
“My mother gave it to me before she died,” he said. “She told me to go to New Mexico if I ever wanted to go to the world she was from.” June and I could not believe what we were hearing. I thought, should I take the chance?
I asked, “Sir, where was your mother from? What do you mean her world?”
The couple said, “Let’s go outside under those big trees, it’s cooler there.”
Under the big white oaks, it was as a breezeway. The air came from the wrong direction. Damn, all you could smell was cows, cows, cows. I was sick of smelling cows. The man started talking. I just looked at him.
I asked the lady, “What do you think of his stories, miss?”
Speaking for the first time, “He’s my husband, Mr. Willard, I love him. I do not believe in flying saucers or stupid space ships, sir.”
“So, you think people cannot live beyond the stars?” I asked.
“No, I don’t,” the young girl said. Reaching into my pocket, I took out the coin, showed it to him. The young man looked at me, reached for the coin with shaking hands.
The young girl asked, “Where did you get that from?”
“My mother, when she came back to Earth and had me. My wife’s mother and father were born on a planet, a very long way from here. My son is in Carlsbad waiting for us. The ship will be here in October.”
The young girl looked at June Willard. “You’re really going there?”
“I have children that have been there for twelve years. Yes, I’m going.”
“Mr. Willard, my name is Jay. My wife, Betty. We have come from Phillipsburg New Jersey. My mother told me as I’ve said, I would know when the time was right. I sold everything I owned. My wife still thinks I’m crazy.”
I asked, “What do you think she will say when she sees the ship? Twelve years in Cambridge England, we almost made it, but something happened. I told my son, the one we are going to meet, to take his sister and run, don’t look back. We have waited so long to be with them. This inspector you speak of on the train, he will follow me to the end if he must. It is my belief he has found out by now we did not go to Dallas.”
Jay asked, “So you think he is coming for you?”
I told Jay, “I assure you, this man is not one to give up so easily. For twelve years, he and his men followed my wife and myself wherever we went. Took us to his office, hounded us for hours. For twelve years, we never let on we had children. Dorn took them on the ship.” Betty sat, listening. Her eyes were so big; her ears could not believe what she was hearing.
“I swear I can’t listen to this,” she said. “My mother and father told me not to marry Jay. They told me he would lead me down a path of pure destruction.” Through teary, dim eyes, she said with a choked voice, “We had a beautiful home in New Jersey. I worked at a local business, Jay worked at the hospital. We had a simple life, a life I always wanted. We talked about having children.”
I told her, “All this you want, it can still happen.”
“No, Mr. Willard. My husband has broken us. I don’t think we can afford to go home. We will live a life of a beggar,” Betty said.
June expressed, “No, since you have each other. Betty, come sit with me, let me talk to you. Betty, has Jay told you of things to come?” Through tears, she shook her head no. “Look, in Carlsbad, we will go on a ship, leave here to go to a place you will never believe. Betty, my son and daughter has been there for twelve years. He’s waiting for us, this I promise you. Come with us, be my friend. You won’t be the only one, there’ll be others.” Betty had stopped crying, yet she still looked skeptical.
Betty said, “I just can’t believe you can go into space.”
I told her, “You will see if you will stay. Come on, let’s go join the men.”
I asked my husband, “John, what are we to do about the inspector?”
I said to June, “Let him follow. Tyler will take care of him.” The ticket man saw me buy a ticket to Denver. I had already had my ticket to Carlsbad. I got on the bus to Denver, then got on the bus to Roswell. We stayed the night at Roswell then to Carlsbad. June and I had come too far now to be stopped by the inspector. I knew he would come; nothing will stop him. The one thing he didn’t count on was Tyler. The letter said, ‘If you come to Carlsbad, see Henery; he is one of us.’ I was counting on my son. I’ll go to the police.
Jay and Betty were staying at the same inn as us. We sat and talked much into the night. Betty was scared to death. The closer we got, the worst she got. She would not be leaving anyone behind. Betty was the only child; her mother and father were dead; just a few relatives you would think she would want to leave. My wife tried hard to calm her. Betty still could not believe a spaceship.
She said, “It’s all Jay could do to get me on an airplane. Now he wants me to go into space on a ship. Then what if this didn’t happen? We have no money, sold all our things, stuck in a desert town thousands of miles from New Jersey. Lord,” s
he cried again. “Lord, I should have listened to my mother,” she said.
Jay looked at her. “Honey, if you don’t want to go by the time this is to happen, I’ll give you all the money, the coin I know it is worth something. Then you can go back to New Jersey. Betty, if you like, I’ll get you a ticket now. I never knew you felt this way.”
“Oh, Jay, you really mean it? I can go home now.”
“Betty, if that is what you want.”
“Then go, Jay. Hurry, get us a ticket home.”
“No Betty, not us, just you. I’m going to Carlsbad. I’m going home, Betty. I’m through with this place. I’m leaving on that ship, Betty.”
My wife and I said goodnight to them. Went to our room, we sat and talked until three o’clock before we fell asleep. My wife called me at six; she had already showered.
“I’m next,” I said.
“You bloody well are unless you got a frog in your pocket. There’s no one here except us.” Peaking out the window, there was nothing moving except cows, cows, cows; everywhere was cows. I’ve never seen so many cows. I wondered if they will have cows where we’re going. I’ll ask my son when I see him. My thoughts went to my daughter, Tyler said she was beautiful and powerful. Marie held a place on their council.
June asked, “Where do you think we will live?”
“I don’t know, June. Near the city, maybe.”
June asked, “What do you think we will do?”
I told her I don’t know. Whatever it is, I’m sure we will fit right in.
We packed our things; how few they were! I went to the front desk, paid our bill. Jay and Betty came in, you could tell she had been crying all night.
“Going for breakfast?” I asked. Betty sat without saying a word.
June asked her, “Betty, how are you?”
Betty looked at Jay. “I’m fine. I just want to go home.” Jay reached into his pocket, took out an envelope, handed it to her.
The Staff of Ira Page 16