“The Obsidian Compass,” said Mrs. Hudson. “What are you talking about? What happened?”
Ruby began to sob all the harder then. “It’s my fault!” she wailed. “It was my idea!”
Mr. Hudson held her close and tried to calm her. Mrs. Hudson put both her cool hands over Matt’s burned one. “We’ll talk later,” Mr. Hudson said, without even a hint of anger. “We need to get you three warm and dry.”
Their dad carried Ruby, still sobbing, while their mom helped lift up Corey and Matt, holding them close to her as they walked slowly back toward Tui’s cave. Tui built up the fire until the cave was practically an oven. Their parents didn’t say a word. They asked no questions, only wrapped them in furs and tended to the children’s scratches and Matt’s burns.
Corey looked drained. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot. Matt felt sucked dry, and now that the shock was wearing down, the pain from the burns on his arm was settling in, intensifying every second.
Chuck found a small first-aid kit inside of Blossom. It wasn’t much, just a few Band-Aids, some ointment, and medicine for pain. Mr. Hudson gave the medicine to Matt. The Band-Aids weren’t big enough to cover his burns of course, so Chuck brought over an old Led Zeppelin T-shirt filled with snow. Mrs. Hudson rubbed the snow on Matt’s burns and gently pressed the T-shirt around his arm. He sighed with relief at both the cold on his burns and the warmth everywhere else.
Ruby continued to sob into her father’s shirt. Mr. Hudson tried to comfort her, get her to calm down, but it only made it worse, and finally it all came spilling out. Between racking sobs, Ruby confessed everything.
Mr. and Mrs. Hudson did not speak, they only listened. Matt saw his mom’s jaw tighten and her nostrils flare at moments, but to her credit she didn’t yell. She didn’t even reprimand them.
“I—I’m s-s-so sorry,” said Ruby, through her shuddering sobs. “It was a-all my idea. I planned everything, and I t-told the boys what to do. I thought it would be okay, but we made a m-mess of everything. It’s my f-fault Vincent got the compass.” She looked at Tui when she said this. “It’s my fault he d-discarded you.”
“Oh no, child,” said Tui, reaching out to touch Ruby’s cheek. “You must not blame yourself. This is no one’s fault except Vincent’s.”
“And mine,” said Matt. “I was the one who had the compass, and then I threw it right at Vincent.” He gently touched the T-shirt over his arm. It was already warm. His skin was pulsing.
“If anyone is to blame, it’s me,” said Mrs. Hudson. “I should have told you before. I should have been more open with you.” She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them.
“Told us what?” Ruby asked.
“I made a very similar mistake once myself, only the consequences were far worse, I’m afraid.”
“You did? When?”
“A long time ago, about two years after I received the compass. I tried to go back in time and save my parents. I failed.” Her voice was cold and hollow, like someone speaking from the grave. “Worse, I was the reason they died. My presence . . . there was a storm. . . .” She didn’t need to finish. They all understood. Her time-traveling had caused the very storm that took her parents’ lives.
“How did you survive?” Ruby asked.
“I saved myself,” said Mrs. Hudson, and then she let out a derisive laugh. “Your mother has always had a keen sense of self-preservation.”
“At least you survived,” said Corey.
“Yes, but I hated myself,” said Mrs. Hudson. “For a long time, I loathed my very existence. But I learned. Oh, I learned a very hard lesson, and I did not make that same mistake again. I was very careful to never cross paths with myself or anyone I knew in my present in the past or future.”
They all sat in silence for a minute and let these things rest and settle around them and inside of them, like waves on the sea after a storm.
“So I guess we really can’t change the past,” said Ruby, “at least not the way we want.”
“Which is totally bogus,” said Corey. “What’s the good of time travel if you can’t change all the garbage in the past?”
Chuck stroked his beard and looked unusually pensive and wise. “What good would it be to change the past?” he said. “What would be the purpose of life without regret? All the wisdom in the world from the beginning of time has been acquired by mistakes. They may leave us bruised and scarred for life, but they also make us more whole, more beautiful. And sometimes good things come out of bad. Just think how much pain, how many mistakes have brought us together in this moment right here? I would not change the past for anything.”
Chuck stopped speaking and gazed into the crackling fire.
“Chook,” said Tui. “You have spoken great truth.”
Chuck bowed appreciatively. “Thank you, Princess Tui.”
“Yes, thank you, Chuck,” said Mr. Hudson. “I too am grateful for all our past pains and mistakes that have brought us together.”
“Hear! Hear!” said Corey.
Matt yawned and felt the final dregs of his energy drain out of him. He felt like he could sleep for a century.
Matt woke in the middle of the night. His arm was hurting. The burns pulsed with heat. He needed more snow or ice, and he almost got out of his furs, but then he heard voices.
“I think we need to rethink our strategy here,” said his dad. “We’ve got to work with the kids somehow. We can’t allow something like this to happen again.”
“We need to take the compass,” said his mom. Matt started, fully awake now. “We should take it from him now, while he’s asleep.” He grabbed his compass.
“You could do that,” said Mr. Hudson, “but he’ll never forgive you.”
“I can live with that,” said Mrs. Hudson, “as long as it means he’s safe.”
“What does that even mean, Belamie? Safe. You know you can’t protect them from everything, and even if you could, I don’t believe you could live with Mateo’s anger toward you if you take his compass. That completely defeats the purpose, protecting those you love just so they can hate you forever. Maybe you can live that way, but I can’t.”
“You’re letting your emotions get in the way of reason,” said Mrs. Hudson.
“And why shouldn’t I?” said Mr. Hudson. “Why shouldn’t we be emotional about this? This is our family, Belamie, not a crew of pirates!”
“I know that,” said Mrs. Hudson, her voice tight.
There was a pause. When Mr. Hudson spoke again, his voice was calm. “How come you never told me Mateo came to you in the past?”
Mrs. Hudson let out a long breath. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Try,” said Mr. Hudson. “I think I have a right to know.”
“But that’s just it,” said Mrs. Hudson. “You don’t really have a right to know something like that, to see your own child before you even know you’ll have children, before you’ve even met the person you know you want to spend the rest of your life with. And then when you finally do and you’re ready for the child to come, they don’t come, and it makes it all the more confusing and torturous, because you know you’re supposed to have this child, but you don’t know when or how. . . .” She paused and took a long breath. “I guess I was just trying to spare you some of the pain and confusion.”
“Wow,” said Mr. Hudson. “Thanks for that. None of our life has been painful or confusing at all.”
Mrs. Hudson stifled a laugh.
“We’re running out of options,” said Mr. Hudson. “Tui is right. The past is coming back to haunt us, and we can’t run or hide from it. We’re going to have to face it, Belamie. We’re going to have to face Vincent.”
“It’s not Vincent that I’m afraid of,” said Mrs. Hudson. “Not really. He’s part of it of course, but he’s not the biggest threat. It’s Quine.”
“You’ve told me so little of him,” said Mr. Hudson.
“Because I know so little. I don’t know what his end goal is, or if he even has
one. I don’t know if he is good or bad, if he’s on Vincent’s side or ours. I only know he wants Mateo.”
Matt’s heart pounded in his chest so loudly, he wondered that his parents didn’t hear it. Quine wanted him? Why?
“Why?” his dad said, echoing Matt’s thoughts. “Do you think it’s because he built a compass? Maybe he sees that as a threat.”
“That could be part of it, possibly,” said Mrs. Hudson. “But I think it goes deeper than that.”
“What? Like he’s Mateo’s biological father or something? His grandfather, his mad genius uncle?”
“I don’t know,” said Mrs. Hudson. “None of it makes any sense. That’s what scares me so much.”
Matt’s parents didn’t speak for a while. His heart was still racing.
“Then I think we have to find out what it all means,” said Mr. Hudson. “We can’t live like this, Belamie. The kids can’t live like this, always in fear, wondering each night if when they wake up their family will be ripped apart. I can’t live like that.” Matt thought he heard his dad’s voice catch in his throat.
“I know,” said his mom. “I know.”
They said no more, and Matt was left to his own thoughts. Quine wanted him for some unknown reason. He could be his father or some blood relative. Matt wasn’t sure how to feel about that. His dad was his father. His mom, his mother. His adoption was simply a technical fact. He never considered who might be out there wondering about him, perhaps missing him. But if they missed him, why would they have given him up for adoption in the first place?
People can have regrets.
Yes, he knew that as well as anyone. It was a heavy load to process, especially when his brain was already overloaded.
The next morning, as they all sat around the fire eating stale granola bars, Mrs. Hudson made an apology.
“I’ve been selfish,” she said. “And a coward.” She looked at Tui, who gave Mrs. Hudson an encouraging smile. “I will not pretend I’m not frightened, but your father and I have agreed that we can’t go home and go back to normal. No matter what I say, we’d spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. We don’t want to live like that, and you children deserve better.”
“What does that mean?” Corey asked, hopefully.
“It means we’re on a mission. We’re going to find Vincent and put a stop to him.”
“Do you mean it?” Matt asked. “And Jia? We’ll rescue her?”
Mrs. Hudson nodded. “I can’t make any promises that we’ll succeed on either front. But we’ll do all we can.”
Matt felt a knot loosen in his chest.
“I want to be clear,” said Mrs. Hudson. “This is not a game. The risks are great. None of us can comprehend the dangers we might face, but if you are willing to face them, then I will face them with you.”
“I’m willing,” said Matt, eagerly.
“Me too,” said Ruby.
“Me three!” said Corey. “When do we leave?”
“Hang on, not so fast,” said Mr. Hudson, holding up a hand. Matt was a little surprised at how stern and businesslike he sounded. “Before we go further, we need to get a few things straight. First, all of you place your right hand over your heart. It’s time to take the Hudson Family Oath.”
Matt, Ruby, and Corey all did as they were told.
“Now repeat after me,” said Mr. Hudson. “I solemnly swear . . .”
“I solemnly swear . . .” the children droned.
“That I will listen to my parents and obey their every command.”
“That I will listen to my parents and obey their every command.”
“And I will never time-travel without my parents ever again.”
“And I will never time-travel without my parents ever again.”
“If I do . . .”
“If I do . . .”
“Then . . . uhhhh . . .” Mr. Hudson clearly had not thought of a punishment to fit the potential crime.
“May I be cursed to listen to pop country music for the rest of my life!” Chuck interjected, raising his pointer finger into the air.
“Uhhh . . . ,” said Mr. Hudson. “Let’s just say, ‘Shame be upon my head forever more.’”
“Shame be upon my head forevermore,” the children repeated.
“And, Mateo,” said Mr. Hudson. He stood squarely in front of Matt and looked him straight in the eyes. “Your mother could steal that compass from you with her eyes closed and you wouldn’t even know it. She has allowed you to keep it, and we will allow it now, out of respect for the fact that you did build it, but if I get even a hint that you might use it again without our express permission, you will wish you’d never made it at all. Do you understand me?”
Matt didn’t think he’d ever seen his father more serious. It surprised him, not just because his dad was normally easygoing and friendly, but also because he’d been the one to object to his mother’s proposal last night that they take the compass from him, and yet Matt had no doubt whatsoever that his father would follow through with his threat.
Matt nodded. “I understand.”
“Good,” said Mr. Hudson. It took a few moments for the tension to loosen a little, but then Ruby asked where and when they were going and how they were going to stop Vincent.
“We’re going to Chicago first,” said Mrs. Hudson, “to 1893. We believe that’s where Vincent is now and has been most of the time since he left us in New York.”
“Why there?” Matt asked timidly. He didn’t want to seem too nosy or in charge at this moment, but since Chicago was the place he’d traveled when he first built the compass, and it was where he’d seen both his mother and Vincent decades in their past, he assumed it had some significance.
“Quine made a reference to it in his letter,” said Mrs. Hudson.
“Is that why you were there when you met Matt?” Ruby asked.
Mrs. Hudson nodded. “I was searching for the Aeternum, but after I saw Mateo, and I met your father, my goals changed rather abruptly. But it does make sense that Vincent would go there after he got the letter.”
“So he’s looking for the Aeternum there?” Matt asked.
“He’s following the trail,” said Mrs. Hudson. “Our mission is to cut him off.”
“And cut his throat,” said Tui.
“Tui . . . ,” said Mrs. Hudson in a warning voice.
“Sorry, Rubbana,” said Tui. “I will try to keep my vengeful thoughts to myself until they can be of use.”
“Chuck,” said Mr. Hudson. “You’ve been so patient with us through all of this. We can take you back to New York first.”
“What?! And miss all the fun?” said Chuck. “And what would you do without Blossom? Seems like you need her for your travels, and where she goes I go. We’re a package deal, so I’m afraid you’re stuck with us.”
“Fair enough,” said Mr. Hudson. “Thank you, Chuck. You’re a good man.”
“On to Chicago! The Windy City!”
Matt expected to come up against a lot of resistance and delaying tactics from his parents when it came time to actually travel. He feared that at any moment his mom or dad would steal his compass and take them all home. But to his surprise they were both efficient and businesslike in the preparations for their mission and showed no signs of hesitation or changing their minds. Mostly their parents reiterated that the children do exactly as they say, stay close by, and not attempt any stunts or heroics. “When we find Vincent, I will deal with him,” said Mrs. Hudson. “Is that clear?”
“Yes,” said Matt, Corey, and Ruby, all at the same time, like little soldiers.
Tui cleaned up her cave with great care, folding up the furs, placing her tools and dishes as though she were only leaving on a vacation and not forever.
As they were all loading up into Blossom, Matt got some more snow for his arm. The pain had subsided a little, but it was still pretty raw. He slathered some snow over his arm and wrapped the Led Zeppelin T-shirt over it. Before he got on the bus, Mrs. Hudso
n pulled Matt aside.
“A few pointers,” she said. “Start by turning the dial for location first, then move outward. It always made the ride a little less jarring for the Obsidian Compass, at least. Of course it’s different, and we’re not traveling in the Vermillion, but it might help. Also pause for just a second before you make the final click of the outer dial. That helps too. And put the compass away during travel. Don’t leave it in your hand to go flying around and knock into things. That disrupts the navigation.”
“Okay. Thanks,” said Matt.
His mom nodded. It was weird, taking time-travel advice from her when he’d been the one to build the compass, but of course she was far more experienced, and it must be difficult for her to not just take the compass from him and navigate herself. Matt knew she’d probably do a better job of it, but he felt it was important that he keep it. He was determined to learn and improve.
“One more thing,” said his mom. She hesitated a little. “Please don’t separate yourself from us for any reason. I may be captain of the crew, but you are the navigator. Without you, we’ll be lost.”
Her eyes were shining, and she swallowed a hard lump in her throat. Matt almost wanted to ask about what she’d said the night before, about Quine wanting him for some reason, but he didn’t want her to be angry at him for eavesdropping, so he just nodded. “I won’t leave you.”
Corey and Ruby were already buckled into the seats on either side of the little table in the middle. Matt wished he could join them, but his mom steered him to the back bench, and he sat between his mom and Tui. Mr. Hudson sat in the front passenger seat with Chuck as the driver.
“Everyone buckled up?” Mr. Hudson asked, turning around in his seat. After it was confirmed that everyone was buckled, Mr. Hudson gave Matt the location, date, and time for their mission.
Matt started to turn the inner dial of his compass as his mom had instructed. As soon as he did, Blossom sputtered, coughed, and roared to life.
“Good girl, Blossom!” said Chuck, giving the horn a little honk.
Matt turned the other two dials and paused for just a moment before making the final turn. Blossom rolled forward a little, revved her engine, and then shot into the air like a bird taking flight. Matt reached out to grab on to something, and Blossom made a sudden turn that caused them all to shift sharply to the left. Ruby screamed.
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