“Da—”
He turned another corner, to an exit, and saw a group of Celestials rushing down the hallway. “You, stop there! Hands up!”
They all pointed blasters in his direction. Damien put his hands up almost instinctively, but doubted he had anything to do with whatever had happened. And he wondered if Richard was still giving his speech.
“Did I miss the king?” he asked a patrol.
A Celestial officer appeared behind him, and addressed the police commissioner. “Sir, someone took two shots and ran out. We—” He suddenly noticed Damien.
The police officers threw him against the wall, handcuffed him, and pulled him outside. The bewildered drummer had no idea the king had been shot until someone told him, and had no idea his question would be considered a confession. He expected the matter to be cleared up immediately. The last thing he expected was several days of confinement on death row, a rescue attempt by a journalist and a time traveler, and a release engineered by a depressed singer.
But, to be fair, everyone else had been as surprised as him.
3.
June 21, 2507
Zoë dreamily wandered back onto the ship. “Jamie’s alive!” she said. “I just stopped by the hospital.”
“I know,” said Thomas. He’d plugged the TV back in to watch the early-evening news. Zoë tossed her jacket on the sofa, looking at the screen.
“Jamie Parsons was successfully revived early this morning. The singer is staying in a hospital for treatment and a three-day mental-health evaluation. Police attributed his confession to temporary insanity.”
“Temporary?” Thomas asked, and Zoë hushed him.
“In an astonishing ruling, the Council has overturned their previous decision and declared Damien Martínez not guilty for the crime of regicide. He is staying at an undisclosed location.
“The suspected assassin, Jude Fawkes, has been wanted by the government for several years. He apparently died following a car accident yesterday morning.”
Thomas turned off the TV, walked over to his room and started to pack his clothes.
“Going somewhere?” Zoë asked, standing in the doorway.
“Well, I was hoping you could take me and Audrey back to London. But if not …”
“I’ll take you.”
He stared at her. “Right. I’ll be with you for the baby, but just so we’re on the right page, do you still want to get married?”
“I don’t know.”
Thomas felt as if she’d slapped him. “What?”
“You’re right. We have had a lot thrown at us. Maybe we should stay apart for a bit, just to see how we feel. Then we can decide.”
“Zoë, just consider this. We’ll take this one day at a time. Whenever you’ve got something on your mind, you tell me. Whenever I’ve got something on my mind, I tell you. And we just go, day by day, and see where it takes us.”
“Thomas, I don’t know if I can do that.”
“But we’re going to have a baby.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“If it helps,” came a voice, “I’m leaving.”
Thomas turned, and saw Ariel standing in the doorway. Her reddish hair had been pulled up in a ponytail, her sword slung over one shoulder.
“I’m just—” Thomas said to Zoë, motioning toward the girl.
“Go, go on,” said Zoë, her eyes watering.
He stepped outside the ship with the time traveler. The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, now faded into memory, and the sky unfolded with light.
“Thank you for staying with me,” said Ariel.
“It’s nothing, kiddo.”
“How’s your shoulder?”
“Better.” He looked at her for a moment. “You broke that assassin out of prison. He must have meant something to you.”
“He showed me time travel.”
“Nothing more?”
“I was fond of him. I’m glad you survived, and not him. That’s all.”
He understood.
“I went to the base, and couldn’t find any trace of Bailey. My guess is that she went back to her time.”
He suddenly remembered the platinum watch, then pulled it out. “Oh, kiddo. Kira gave this to me. I don’t need it.”
“Keep it. You’re an anomaly, and the universe might try to get rid of you. You never know when you might need a time machine.”
Thomas pressed the fob at the top, opening the watch. He looked up at her. “Are you going to keep traveling?”
“I really don’t know. I’ve got some unfinished business at home. Graduating high school, for one. I’ve got to …” Ariel’s eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh no. I’ve destroyed history.”
“What?”
“Listen. This is vitally important. If Zoë wants to run for public office, do not discourage that, okay?”
“All right,” he said cautiously.
“Public office. You have to be all for it.”
“What are we talking about? Governor, or—can’t be president, we haven’t had one in…”
Ariel’s smile grew.
“Oh my God,” said Thomas.
“Anyway, whatever happens is a long time away, but do not mess this up, okay?”
“Uh … I won’t, kiddo.”
“Good.” She turned to go.
“Wait, you haven’t asked me if I want to be your partner. You wanted my answer on the Flyday, right?”
“I already know your answer. You want to stay with Zoë. Besides, there’s no Saturnine Order anymore, no silly pairs.”
“So that’s it? It’s just you?”
“Yes. Just me.”
“And you’re not going to infect anyone back in the 21st century, right?”
She stared at him, nonplussed, then shook her head. “Not enough germs in me to spread it. My body fought it off. And people are still alive now, so I’m pretty sure I don’t wipe out humanity.”
“Ah ... right. And how is that different from you saving me?”
She shrugged. “People can’t be wiped out and still be alive now. That would be a paradox.”
“Oh. Time travel logic.” He pulled out the music player. “Here. Thanks for letting me borrow it. And—kiddo, has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?”
She pocketed the device. “Daily. But it doesn’t mean nearly as much as when it comes from you.”
He smiled. “Anyway, what I want to say is, this week has been crazy and mind-numbing and wonderful. And I’m really, really glad I met you. I mean, you don’t even make fun of my accent.”
“What accent?” she asked, smiling mischievously.
He sighed. “Yeah, that. Am I ever going to see you again?”
“Are you kidding? Count on it.”
“Then have a fantastic life, Miss Reynolds.”
“And you, Mr. Huxley.”
Thomas watched her walk away, a figure silhouetted against the twilight glow. He shielded his eyes for a moment, blinked, and she was gone.
The pocket watch was still in his hand: he could go back for her. He lingered a moment, tempted by the idea, then thought better of it. He walked back into the ship.
Zoë sat at the table, and looked up when she saw him. “I just received a call. Damien’s on a plane, headed to safety.”
“So you can’t see him?”
“No. But I know he’s all right.” She glanced down at the day’s news on her e-reader. A plate of toast and bowl of cut strawberries lay beside it. “I like your articles today,” she said.
“You always did.”
She put the e-reader down. “You were the first person I ever loved. Did you know that?”
He knew.
They stepped outside the ship to watch the sunset. Zoë looked up at the sky, mesmerized. Dusty lilac clouds floated across a backdrop of faded blue, and the lower sky glowed a soft pink as the last golden bursts of sun slipped under the horizon.
“Do you still want to get marri
ed?” Thomas asked.
She smiled and turned to tell him, but he already knew the answer.
###
About the author:
Laura E. Bradford is working on the rest of the Flyday series. Follow her progress at: http://lauraebradford.blogspot.com
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