Chapter 35
John and I talked for about another thirty minutes. Evelyn came in and told us 'in no uncertain terms' (her actual words!) that there were two ladies that needed entertaining, and we two men were that entertainment. With that, she interlocked her arms with both her husband and myself, and walked us out into another room where Courtney was sitting at a table. I was asked if I played cribbage.
I didn't concentrate to well on the game. I kept looking at Courtney. She was beautiful, and intelligent. She bantered with her aunt and uncle, giving as well as she got. I managed to answer intelligibly when the conversation called for me to answer, but for the most part, I was 'bowled over' by this woman.
I didn't sleep well that night. Not only was there a new room and bed to get used to, but Courtney was in my thoughts constantly. When I did fall asleep, it was only to dream of her.
Lord, but I had it bad.
I finally decided to get up when I heard the first crowing of a rooster. I got dressed and wondered downstairs. A servant asked if I wanted breakfast. I was pleased that someone was up besides me. I nodded. He led into a smaller room than the one in which we'd had dinner in last night (or the dinner I had with them some time ago, on a previous visit to this house).
The table was much smaller, meant for a more casual meal setting. The room was located next to the kitchen, and was close to a window that afforded one a nice view of the gardens out back.
I was just finishing my breakfast when Courtney appeared, looking very cute in a riding suit. Her knee length boots, had her red riding pants tucked into them. A red jacket, a riding crop, and helmet/hat were in her hands. I had risen to my feet, unconsciously.
"Good morning, Tom," she said and smiled.
My heart pounded! Her smile lit her face. "Good morning, Courtney. I see you're ready for your ride," I replied.
"Yes. I wanted to get an early start. Lots of ground to cover. Would you care to ride with me?" she asked with the slightest hesitation.
"I would be delighted," I responded, with my heart in my mouth.
"Excellent! Uncle John will be down shortly, and the three of us can have a morning of it!" She exclaimed in a most delightful way.
Uncle John? I was disappointed. While I came for John's help and advice, sharing Courtney with him this morning didn't seem right, somehow. Speak of the devil! As soon as she mentioned his name, John appeared, dressed in similar fashion as his niece.
"Did I hear my name?" John asked.
"Yes. I was just asking Tom if he cared to ride this morning, and he has agreed. We shall make a morning of it," Courtney said and then the servants started arriving with a breakfast that had apparently been pre-planned.
"If you're going riding with us, I shall have to see if I have something you can wear. One must be properly attired you know," John said, then took a bite of scone.
"I think I might have something in my suitcase that will do the trick," I said, and he raised his eyebrows at me.
I went up to my room, locked the door, and teleported via NTZ back to London. I then 'time dived' back a few days, and went in search of a riding shop. I found one, and explained I had been invited to ride, and the gentleman of the house suggested that I have "proper attire" for the ride. Three hours later, and several hundred dollars poorer, I had an outfit.
I then returned to my own time, and teleported through the NTZ back to my room. I looked at the clock, elapsed time, practically none. I changed into my new riding clothes and boots. I checked myself out in the mirror, and felt like a kid dressing up in a Halloween costume! Well, hell; when in Rome, be a Roman candle!
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my helmet and went back downstairs. Evelyn had joined the other two while I had been gone. All three looked at me when I entered. Ok, I was a bit self-conscious.
"Marvelous! You look positively dashing!" Courtney exclaimed as I entered the breakfast room.
"Tom! How ever did you know to bring a riding costume?" Evelyn asked me.
"Well, I thought about it before coming to England. I wanted to do some riding while I was here, and so I procured the proper riding attire in case an opportunity presented itself," I answered her.
John just gave me a knowing look, and continued with his breakfast. I sat and joined them for coffee. Yes, they had coffee. Courtney was excited about riding, today. It had apparently been some time, and she had been looking forward to it.
After breakfast, we went to the stables, and saddled three horses: two mares, and one gelding. I was riding a horse called 'Lady'. Actually, she had a much longer and larger name, as did they all, but the names had all been shorted.
Soon we were in the fields, crossing a small stream, and angling towards a slightly wooded area. Courtney cantered off ahead of us, and we men hung back.
"That was truly amazing how you procured your riding clothes. You were only gone about 10 minutes. Care to tell me how you did it?" he asked curiously.
Well, in for a penny, in for a pound as the old saying goes.
"Simple really. I went upstairs, then teleported to a place I know in London, then went back in time a few days, bought the suit, had it altered a bit, paid for it, returned to my own time, at the 'when' that I had departed, then teleported back to the room you are letting me have for my stay," I answered truthfully.
He had a stunned look on his face. Then he started to chuckle, then broke into a laugh.
"I should know better than to ask, for what I might get," he said finally.
"Well, it surprised the hell out of me the first time I did it. I panicked, thinking what if I couldn't get back to my own time? Well, it worked out. I discovered I could in fact go back in time. I can now go back in time as far as the 1500's," I said casually.
John was silent for a short time, obviously digesting what he had heard.
"I can see why a government or group of men would want you working for them, or for them wishing to be controlling you. You have a very unique, and dangerous ability, did you know?" He asked me.
"Of course I know! Why do you think I keep it hidden, or I did, until recently?" I asked him in exasperation.
"How were you outed, if you don't mind my asking?" he queried.
So I explained about my college years, and my friendship with Levy and John. How I had asked their help in figuring out what I could do and how I did it, but only after swearing them to secrecy. I told him of discovering other abilities, but not telling John and Levy about those. I told him about John's crusade, and the final revelation to the authorities because I refused to help him or dedicate my life to his cause.
"Yes. Those types are everywhere. They always know better than you, how you should live your life. They are perfect socialists," John said rubbing his chin.
"Yeah, could you imagine what he would have had me doing if he knew I could actually go back into the past? It would be non-stop child rescue missions, not to mention my government's involvement. No, I refuse to tamper with the past. I have first hand experience that says the world changes if you do," I finished.
"What do you mean?" he asked me sharply.
So I told him about a future 'me' that had telephoned with a warning about my house being broken into, and my computers and software being stolen. I told of how 'he' had gone into the past, stopped the robbery, and left 'me' with two tied up perpetrators in my living room.
I told him about looking into the past, about how I saw the other me leave the two tied up. I also told of how I could not access what 'he' said had happened. A change had occurred, that left me unable to bridge the time at that point.
"So I have no plans to, and refuse to endanger me or the world by, tampering with past events," I concluded.
"But think of the good you could do. Why, you could warn governments of the dangers that we know of. Hitler could be handled while he was still a nobody," John said with an intent look on his face.
"No. While I found the two world wars to be a horrifying time for the people involved, I feel they served a greater purpose. I think the world as a whole matured and learned a valuable lesson. One that could not be learned any other way. History has a purpose.
"Two small countries can fight for a few years, the world does not take notice. Hardly anyone learns of the waste and destruction of war. But the two world wars drove a point home so hard, that everyone in the world learned something. Something that most people today know, with a certainty. And that is that over time, war is futile. Look at the worldwide consciousness over health. If plagues, aids, and other disease's had not affected the world so much, would we have developed cures for a lot of them?
"Look at the great communist experiment. It lasted, what? 70 years? It died of it's own inequality. It took them 70-years to learn that it was worthless. Oh, certain parts were good; but the corruption of total control over so many people by so few, ruined their system, and the world leaned that lesson. Other lessons that I am sure I have not touched on, were also learned. Thus ends my lecture for the day," I finished with a slight bow from my waist.
He chuckled at me.
"A very good dissertation. Brief, and you missed a hell of a lot, but you have thought this out. No, you are right. A government, or persons within that government would feel the urge to 'play god', and try to change history. You're doing the right thing keeping this a secret, and I will not reveal what you told me to anyone," John said intently.
I looked at him and believed him. I reigned to a stop, and stuck out my hand.
"Thanks," I said shaking his hand.
About that time there was a long 'halloo' from the rise in front of us.
"Come on! You two are riding like old men!" Courtney yelled from some distance away.
"The minx," John muttered seemingly to his horse. I grinned.
We kicked our horses into a canter and soon caught up with her. Of the gaits that a horse had, I hated a trot the most. A walk, a canter, a gallop, those were ok, even fun. A trot took a lot of time to learn. I was going to pay for it later today, with at least a backache.
We pulled up to a nice area that had a creek running through it. There was an area that came off and had gathered water at one point. It looked to be man made to me. I asked about it.
"Yes. I had this placed built a number of years ago, when my wife and I were trying for children. It's a good summertime swimming hole," John said smiling.
"Shall we have the snack now? Or wait a bit," Courtney asked.
"I would say wait. We have only been riding a short time," John said. I nodded agreement.
We resumed our trek, and I noticed we were following a very old trail. I also thought I recognized the area. I was sure I had come this way before when I had gone into the past and helped out the Avery-Smythe family, not to long ago.
We rounded a mound, and I stopped. I looked at the dirt and vine covered mound. I was sure this had been a watch house once. John confirmed it a moment later.
"According to family history, this was one of six watch houses that the family had kept. They were supposedly destroyed in the last war our family took part in, with another family," John said.
I nodded. I was right. I had been to this watch house myself back in the past. They weren't very big, really. A narrow building that had a place to cook meals on the first floor, and places for troops to sleep on the second. Finally, the tower at one end of the house rose another twenty feet above that.
We kicked around the ruins a bit. Courtney said when she was a child, she and her brothers, and a few local boys used to play at prince and princess. I grinned at that. They had used this very spot, on occasion. I 'back timed' and found a few of the times she was talking about.
I smiled as I watched the boys with sticks, pretending to wield swords. I also stumbled onto a sort of 'you show me yours and I'll show you mine' day, with just Courtney and another boy. They were about ten, I guess. I brought myself back to the present.
Courtney was busy poking around, but John was watching me, with an intense look on his face. I nodded slightly, and he seemed satisfied. He had known what I was doing! The man was smooth, but sharp, missing nothing!
Edited by TeNderLoin