Time Castaways #2

by Liesl Shurtliff

  His parents gave up on making him come up for family meals. He was hardly present anyway, so they left him in the basement. Corey and Ruby brought him food on occasion, which he didn’t always eat. They pestered him with questions about what he was doing, and he evaded them with vague answers. He wouldn’t show them.

  Matt started sleeping in the basement, too, if he did sleep. He’d unearthed a puke-green, moth-eaten couch where he’d crash when he was too sleepy to focus anymore.

  He lost track of the days and hours. He never knew what time it was, barely noticed if it was day or night. He torched, pounded, sculpted, welded, connected. He ran tests and experiments. Then he’d pull everything apart and start again. He scribbled more formulas and equations in his notebook, sketched new designs, found new pieces and ways to connect them all. It was like he was in a giant maze, feeling his way through. When he came up against a dead end, he’d just turn around and go the other way. He kept going and going and going until he couldn’t go anymore, until his brain was fuzzy, and his eyes betrayed him and closed without his permission. Then he’d always dream of Jia. Jia alone, afraid, lost . . .

  4

  Spying

  July 4, 1893

  The World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois

  Over a century and a thousand miles away, the city of Chicago was hosting the World’s Columbian Exposition, celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival to the new world in 1493. The air was hot, humid, and tingling with magic.

  White classical buildings had been built right on the edge of sparkling lagoons that flowed into Lake Michigan. Great ships and yachts of differing design dotted the shoreline. Among all these, resplendent in black with gold trim and three tall masts with white sails, was the magical, time-traveling ship Vermillion. At the top of the mainmast was a black flag emblazoned with a white compass star and a red V at the center.

  Jia sat cross-legged in the crow’s nest of the Vermillion looking out toward the magnificent city that seemed to have been fabricated out of clouds and dreams. Her favorite was the big white wheel, suspended in the air and rotating slowly in the sky. It was called a Ferris wheel, she had learned, named after the man who had designed it. She’d overheard Captain Vincent tell the crew in a scornful tone that it had been built to rival the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

  Jia felt a sting just at the thought. It reminded her of the Hudsons. She brushed her fingers over their names carved in the mast of the ship, as she had done a hundred times since they’d gone. Mateo, Corey, Ruby. Paris had been their first mission together, stealing the Mona Lisa from the Museé de Louvre in 1911. They’d become her friends. She’d never had real friends before. Before she’d come on board the Vermillion, she’d scarcely dared hope for a kind word. Captain Vincent had been kind, at least at first. He had given her food and clothing and purpose. She almost forgot about her life in China, and she thought she’d never want for anything ever again. And then the Hudsons came along. She didn’t know how wonderful it would be to have other children on board who she could talk to and play with. Albert was about her age, but he had never been one to play or even talk much. He was far too serious. And Pike was sweet, but she was quite a bit younger than Jia, and she never talked at all. The Hudsons were different. Especially Matt. She’d never felt like anyone truly understood her until she met him. He was smart and a little bit odd, just like her. He liked to build and experiment and invent things just like her. Jia smiled as she remembered the day she and Matt spent trying to wire the Vermillion with electricity. They had zapped themselves until their hair was standing on end.

  But now they were gone. Jia herself had betrayed Captain Vincent to help them get home to 2019 New York, despite knowing how important the Hudsons were to the captain’s mission. His wrath had been a hurricane. The moment he’d discovered her duplicity, he’d hit her in the head hard enough to knock her out. She’d missed everything that happened in New York, which she had since learned was quite a lot. When she finally came to, she saw Matt for only a moment, chasing after her and shouting, but her brain was fuzzy and slow, and Captain Vincent had already turned the dials of the compass. The Vermillion started to transform, and then it disappeared, leaving the Hudsons behind.

  Jia knew she would be discarded immediately. The Vermillion seemed to roar as it transformed into a train on a long stretch of barren wasteland, no trees or shrubs, just dry grass and dirt. She couldn’t begin to guess where they were. Captain Vincent grabbed Jia by her vest and tossed her over the back of the still-moving train. She screamed and clung to the railing. Captain Vincent pried away the fingers of her left hand, then began working on the right. And that’s when she saw it. Dangling from the rail right in front of her face was Matt’s bracelet! The one he always wore with the Chinese character etched on the stone. Take it! the voice in her head told her. It was almost as if the Vermillion wanted her to find it. She didn’t think twice. She snatched the bracelet with her left hand, just as Captain Vincent ripped her right hand away from the rail. She fell hard and tumbled in the dirt and grass. She clutched the bracelet tightly to her chest as she rolled and rolled. Finally she came to a stop, but she kept her eyes closed. She didn’t want to open them because then she would be truly alone.

  But when she opened her eyes, the Vermillion was still there, puffing steam and growling like an angry bull. The Vermillion had stopped. Captain Vincent was standing on the caboose of the train from which he’d just thrown Jia, cursing and furiously turning the dials of the Obsidian Compass, but nothing happened. And then he saw her.

  Captain Vincent dragged her back on board, boxed her ears, and told her if she had any will to live she had better repair the Vermillion and fast. Jia didn’t say a word. She went all over the train, checking the engine and the gears, every possible thing. Nothing was wrong from what she could tell, but she gave the appearance of making repairs, pulling out her hammer and wrench, tightening nuts and bolts, and the next time Captain Vincent turned the dials, the Vermillion traveled without a hitch.

  Jia thought she might be safe then, that Captain Vincent might have let off some steam and would let her stay on the Vermillion, but no. Captain Vincent tried to discard her again. This time he dropped her in the middle of the ocean, just like he had the Hudsons, only there was no nearby island, nor any land that she could see. As soon as she hit the water, the Vermillion disappeared. Jia couldn’t swim. She had thrashed in the water in a panic, convinced she would drown. She almost did. Her vest full of tools was like a weight to aid in sinking her to the bottom. She clawed at the water, kicked her legs as hard as she could, but it was no use. She went under, convinced this was the end, but just as she was ready to give up and let the sea have her, she was caught in a net. It pulled her out of the water and she was hauled up onto a fishing boat and dumped on the deck.

  Jia coughed and cleared the salt water from her eyes. Brocco and Wiley, her longtime crewmates and friends, looked down on her. She silently begged them to protect her.

  “You know something, Captain?” Wiley had said, his pipe bobbing up and down in his mouth. “I’m starting to think the ship don’t want to let go of her just yet.”

  “Yeah,” said Brocco. “Seems like the Vermillion’s got some affection for Li’l Hammerhead.”

  “She’s sabotaging the ship somehow,” said Captain Vincent, giving Jia a rough kick in the ribs. She cried out in pain.

  “Well, it’s a smart move if you ask me,” said Brocco. “If you don’t want to be discarded, that is.”

  “Sho’ is,” said Wiley. “Make yourself indispensable and you won’t get left behind.”

  “Indeed,” said Captain Vincent. “But such betrayal cannot go unpunished. I will not tolerate it.” He pulled out his sword. Jia curled up inside the tangled net. She squeezed her eyes shut. She winced as there were a few slashing sounds, but she felt no pain. When she opened her eyes, she found the net had been cut, and also a good chunk of her black hair. “Fix the sh
ip,” said Captain Vincent, and he walked away.

  It wasn’t until later that Jia started to guess why Captain Vincent hadn’t been able to discard her. She hadn’t sabotaged the Vermillion. There was nothing wrong with any part of the ship. But Jia still had Matt’s bracelet. She’d held on to the bracelet for dear life, and the bracelet had saved her. That was the only explanation. She remembered when the Hudsons had been discarded, the Vermillion had done the same thing. The captain had dropped them and moved the dials of the compass. They started to travel and then they were whipped back as though the Vermillion had been caught on a fishing line. Jia had always thought it had something to do with the Hudsons, but what if it was something else? Something the Hudsons had? Could Matt’s bracelet be connected to the Vermillion somehow? Or the Obsidian Compass? Had Matt somehow left it for her protection?

  Not that it offered much protection in the end. She wasn’t discarded, but true to Captain Vincent’s word she was punished. She was shunned and ignored by the crew, overworked and half-starved. She had nothing but scraps from the table, and she was not allowed a room of her own. She was forced to sleep on the deck of the ship, even in the rain, and sometimes the Vermillion would transform and toss her about like a rag doll. Some days she almost wished to go back to China, to take back the choices and blind promises she’d made. It had all seemed right and good at the time, but now she wished she’d never come on board the Vermillion.

  Jia had no idea where or when the Vermillion traveled. Not only was she excluded from any missions, she was also excluded from any conversations. She tried to spy on Captain Vincent and the crew, to try to figure out what was going on, but Captain Vincent had probably told Santiago, his super intelligent pet rat, to keep an eye on her. Every time she came near enough to hear conversation, the white rat would appear suddenly and hiss and glare at her with his creepy red eyes. Then Captain Vincent would tell her to go scrub the deck or patch the sails or clean the toilets. She thought about sabotaging the plumbing as revenge. It was her design, after all, but she knew it would do her little good. Captain Vincent had the upper hand. He had all the power. She was stuck.

  She could run away somewhere, try to make it on her own, but the thought of being stuck in one time and place without a friend in the world terrified her, and she had just a tiny ray of hope that somehow she’d see the Hudsons again. Jia didn’t regret helping the Hudsons. She was only sorry she hadn’t been able to escape with them. They were her friends now more than ever, even if they were miles and years away. If she could go back, she’d do it again. She assumed Captain Vincent would be traveling back to New York to get them, and when he did, Jia would be ready. She’d run away, find the Hudsons, warn them about Captain Vincent’s plans, and then maybe, just maybe, they’d invite her to stay with them. She could offer to repair all their gadgets and things, like their refrigerator, and those little toaster boxes, and their electricity. She could be the official Repair Master (and family friend) of the Hudsons.

  But so far, for whatever reason, Captain Vincent had made no attempt to travel back to New York. They’d gone back to Nowhere in No Time for a little while. There Captain Vincent had locked himself in his office for two days, with no company except Santiago. Jia could only guess what they were scheming. After that they’d traveled to two or three different locations, though Jia couldn’t tell where or when, exactly. She thought she’d overheard Captain Vincent talking to Wiley and Brocco about picking up some new crew member, but hadn’t seen anyone besides the regular crew, so she must have misheard.

  Then, out of the blue, they’d come to Chicago in 1893 where a big fair was happening. The World’s Columbian Exposition. Jia had heard much about this fair. Wiley had read several books about it, and she’d overheard him telling the captain and crew all about the buildings and gardens, the exhibits and shows and food. It lasted for six months and millions of people attended from around the world. Jia thought it was magnificent, magical. It was also extremely warm, the air so thick and humid you didn’t breathe it in so much as swallow it down. There were tens of thousands of people on the shore of the lake, swarming the beach like a colony of ants. Jia had never seen anything like it, and she had seen a lot.

  They’d arrived in Chicago early in the morning. Captain Vincent had sent Brocco and Wiley out on some mission hours ago, but they had not yet returned. She’d seen very little of Albert or Pike, but Captain Vincent was now at the helm of the ship, looking out toward the city.

  Santiago poked his head out of Captain Vincent’s coat pocket and climbed atop his shoulder. Captain Vincent said something to the rat and the rat appeared to answer. Jia knew that sometimes Captain Vincent spoke to Santiago as if he were a trusted adviser. Only to the rat did the captain divulge all his secrets and future plans.

  Jia quietly climbed down from the crow’s nest and tiptoed over to where Captain Vincent stood. She hid behind some crates but was close enough to hear what he was saying.

  “They call this the White City, Santiago,” said the captain. “You’d fit in well here, no?”

  Santiago gave a noncommittal squeak.

  Jia poked her head out from behind the crates. Captain Vincent held the Obsidian Compass in his hands, circling his fingers around the dials. “I will need your help with this mission, Santiago,” said Captain Vincent. “I trust no one but you now. We must work together, you and I.”

  Santiago squeaked, almost as if he were speaking real words. Captain Vincent seemed to be able to understand. Jia used to think it was interesting and magical. Now it just felt creepy.

  Someone shouted in the distance. A gondola was coming toward the ship. Wiley and Brocco were clumsily rowing together, each with an oar. Their strokes were uneven and out of sync, so the gondola made slow and crooked progress.

  “We got news, Captain!” said Brocco as he struggled to push his oar through the water. He was wearing a red velvet coat and top hat. The top portion of the hat was shredded, as though he’d set a bomb off on top of it. His clumpy hair was crawling over the edges like a bunch of hairy spiders.

  Wiley was in his usual brown suit and fedora, his pipe bobbing up and down in his mouth as he rowed. When they finally boarded the Vermillion, Brocco bowed to the captain like a subject to his sovereign. Ever since Jia’s betrayal of Captain Vincent, Brocco had been trying to prove to the captain that he was completely loyal and trustworthy. It seemed to be having the opposite effect on the captain, however, for he gave Brocco such a look of derision, even Jia could see it from her narrow hiding space behind the crates.

  “Well?” said the captain. “I hope you have something of value to tell me this time.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Brocco. “We found ’em! The Hudsons are here!”

  Jia’s heart jumped into her throat. Mateo? He was here? Now? And Corey and Ruby?

  Captain Vincent squeezed the Obsidian Compass in his fist. “And? Where are they?” he demanded, the impatience in his voice rising. “I gave you express instructions to bring me Mateo!”

  “We tried, Captain,” said Brocco, “but someone else got to ’im first.”

  “What do you mean someone else? Who?”

  “Some little lady with a gun! She nearly shot my hand off, and she ruined my new silk hat!” He pointed to his busted hat.

  Captain Vincent was silent. He gazed out across the lake to the gleaming city on the shore. “Brocco,” he said quietly. “Get your best guns and plenty of ammunition. Armor might not be a bad idea either.”

  “Are we going to war?” Brocco clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

  “We’re already at war, Brocco,” said Captain Vincent. “We’re going to battle. I need Mateo. I expect you to procure him for me at all costs.”

  “Okay, but what do I do if the mother gets in the way? You know how protective she can be.”

  Captain Vincent looked blankly at Brocco. Jia thought his eyes looked empty, dead. Cold stone had more life than his eyes. “Kill her if you must. Kill them all. I do
n’t care. Just bring me Mateo.”

  Jia gasped, then covered her mouth. No one seemed to have noticed, thankfully. Brocco gulped, eyes wide. He looked sideways at Wiley, like he was hoping he’d have something to say.

  Wiley removed his hat and pipe, which Jia knew meant he felt strongly about whatever he was going to say. “With all my respectfulness, Captain, I don’t think this kind of violence is necessary,” he said. “It was just one little lady with a rifle. Surely we can get the boy without killing anyone?”

  Wiley was a skilled pickpocket and seemed to have no qualms stealing for Captain Vincent, but he had always been a bit squeamish about violence, especially guns. He thought all problems could be solved with words and books.

  “When we are met with violence, we must respond in kind, Wiley,” said Captain Vincent. “An eye for an eye. That’s in the Good Book itself, isn’t it?”

  “Sure,” said Wiley, sticking his pipe back in his mouth. “Though I think Gandhi said something like, ‘An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.’ Hard to steal anything without eyes.”

  Captain Vincent gave Wiley a cool gaze. “Your wisdom is always appreciated, Wiley. Of course I don’t expect you to shoot any guns. Your skills are of a different variety and will be needed elsewhere.”

  Wiley gave a short bow. “Sure, Captain, whatever you need.” But Jia thought maybe Wiley wasn’t feeling quite so enthusiastic about his job as he had in the past. He, too, felt the shift. Ever since the Hudsons had left, the balance had been upset. What balance, Jia wasn’t sure. All she knew was that things were not stable. Something was going to topple soon, and she had a growing dread it was a big something.

  “Prepare yourselves now,” said Captain Vincent. “We must get to the Hudsons at once, before it’s too late. Send Albert and Pike to me, will you?”