When Carson heard they found the clock, he dropped to his knees and gave thanks. Bev got down beside him. Together, they prayed Charles would make it. When the clock finished chiming they looked at each other. They stood up and called Charles’ name looking around the office. Then they turned to look at the clock, stunned that he didn’t make it. Carson couldn’t believe it. Bev was in shock.
Then Airabelle looked at the clock and yelled, “The clock stopped before the last chime! Quick wind it! Hurry! The key, the key!”
Carson, once he understood what had happened, raced to the desk and fumbled around looking for the key. Once he found it he ran to the clock. His hands were shaking as he managed to wind the clock. Miraculously the clock finished chiming and a flash of bright light came through the office. The only sound in the office was the sound of two young men screaming at the top of their lungs. Carson and Bev heard them before they actually saw them free falling into the center of the room. Charles and Todd finally ceased yelling as they fell to the floor next to each other with a thud. They were a sweaty mess.
A strong breeze swept through the office. Bev turned and ran to Charles. She was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. She was blurry and his head was pounding, but he was home. Todd was on his back with tears of joy streaming down his face. Charles reached out to Bev and hugged her. Carson came over to the boys and asked if they were all right. Charles and Todd both nodded.
Bev gently took Charles’ face in her hands and said, “You did it! You made it back to us. We love you so much Charlie. I don’t think we’ve ever been so worried in all of our lives.”
Carson told both boys to stay where they were until they felt able to stand. Carson asked Todd, “Are you all right?”
“Mr. Jones, I am better than okay… I’m home! At last, I’m home again. I thought I might never see my home or my family ever again.” He sat up.
Charles was already standing, watching the reunion.
Todd then stood up and hugged Mr. Jones. He thanked him and said, “I am so sorry sir, for being foolish. Thank you so much for not leaving me in that dreadful place. This is one debt I can never in a lifetime repay. It’s good to be home, sweet home again.”
Carson hugged him and said, “Todd, I wish I could have come after you. The clock wouldn’t allow me to travel through the Passageway. Only Charles could save you.”
Todd smiled at Charles, shook his hand and said, “Charles, I can never repay you for helping me get back home. That’s just a debt greater than one man can ever pay.”
Once Carson made sure everyone was okay he took his bag and Charles’ bag. As Bev walked them to the house to take showers, Carson put everything in the vault and secured the office. Charles and Todd cleaned up. Amazingly enough Charles’ clothes fit Todd.
Todd went downstairs and into the kitchen. Carson took a closer look at him and said, “You haven’t changed at all in fifteen years.”
“I noticed that when I looked in the mirror. I believe nothing changed because I wasn’t supposed to be there.”
Carson asked him, “Have you ever been taken to a place like that before?”
Todd thought about that question, and how to answer. Then he said, “Yes, yes I have. Mr. Jones, I am a Sojourner. I saw your journals and your Passageway in your office. I knew instantly that you were too. That’s why I read your journal. I figured you kept your Sojourner glasses in your desk. When I found them I put them on and went over to the bookshelves. I picked out one at random and began reading. The last pages are always the best so that is where I started. That is where I found the information about the Incident Passageway. I noticed the clock was getting ready to chime. I thought it would be fun to go on an excursion. I tore the page without reading further to make sure I had all of the instructions. The next thing I knew I was in the other dimension. Once I read over the page I had in my hand, I discovered I only had the instructions on how to get there. I had nothing on how to get back. I’d never been so scared. Desperate times called for desperate measures. The experiences I had in the other dimension were not at all pleasant.”
Charles went into the kitchen and helped finish setting out dinner. They were all starving. When they filled their plates they gave thanks and then ate. While they were eating Todd told them stories about what it was like being in a strange place all alone.
“When hours turned into days, I became even more terrified. I realized I was stuck there and couldn’t get home. I resigned myself to survive.
“One day I was walking in the park and I came across the fountain. I tossed the last coin I had in my pocket into the fountain and wished to return home. I began a ritual of tossing a coin in the fountain every day I was there. Sometimes I only had a soda top to toss. It didn’t matter what I had in my hand, I used it to make a wish. I remembered a day when my parents took me to a park that had a fountain. We would toss a penny into it and make a wish. My mom got up on the side of the fountain and walked around it singing a song. About two weeks into being stranded I did the same thing, and voila! Images appeared of events from my past and events that could happen in the future. The day before Charles came, I saw him in the fountain images chasing me, but I didn’t know why he was chasing me. When you found me, I had a lot of people chasing me because I owed them money. You came just in time.”
Charles said, “I want you to teach me how you did that. That was amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it. I’d love to try it someday.” Todd agreed to show him.
Bev offered, “They have a huge fountain in the Hub. It would be incredible to try it there.”
Carson added, “We might be able to arrange that!”
Bev continued, “I bet Dimitrios would be interested in seeing that.”
Charles said, “If I don’t get in trouble for not telling him about Todd in the first place.”
Carson said, “We will explain things. He’ll understand. Hopefully he can help us smooth out the process of introducing Todd back into society.”
When they finished eating, everyone returned to the office.
Bev looked at Carson and said, “What do we do now?”
“We need to see Dimitrios as soon as he is willing to see us,” Carson said. He immediately sent a request to have an audience with Dimitrios as soon as possible.
The group continued discussing Todd’s time in the other dimension and his future.
CHAPTER 87
Dimitrios came to Carson’s office early the next morning before Charles woke up. The two men sat down and discussed what had happened the night before. Carson told Dimitrios the history behind Todd’s rescue. Dimitrios sat quietly and listened to Carson. When Carson finished Dimitrios asked a few questions. Carson was able to answer each one to Dimitrios’ satisfaction. Dimitrios expressed his disappointment that he was not told of the circumstances prior to Charles’ journey to rescue this individual. He was especially concerned that Charles had traveled through an Incident Passageway. Given the fact that Charles had been selected as the next Prime Minister’s apprentice this could have resulted in an unfortunate incident. He was concerned that Charles had even taken that risk. His conclusion was that the action demonstrated poor judgment on Charles’ part. Dimitrios explained he would be required to share the incident with the Prime Minister.
As Dimitrios was getting ready to leave the office Charles walked through the door. Carson explained what they had discussed in their meeting. Charles said to Dimitrios, “I understand your concern, and that you believe it is necessary to discuss the matter with the Prime Minister. It is a fact that we felt pressured to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Todd Schluter. Based on the information we were given, we felt his life was in danger. We knew we had to act immediately, without hesitation. However, I did not willfully transport myself. I was transported by the cuckoo clock itself. If I had not complied with its instructions, once over on the other side, according to the journal entry in our family records, I would have fallen into the Lost Sojourner categor
y.”
Dimitrios asked, “So you did not initiate the transport willfully?”
“No. I did not. Nana and Paw Paw were talking about not going, when I was suddenly taken and transported without consent.”
“I see.” Dimitrios scratched his head. “I have heard of this happening with Incident Passageways. However, you had discussed being transported?”
“Yes, we had discussed the urgency of saving a life. Right as the Passageway opened, we decided I should not go until we discussed this with you.”
“Fair enough. I will discuss the matter with Anthony in complete detail. I will get back to you as soon as he has made a decision.” Carson and Charles thanked Dimitrios as he was leaving.
Carson sat down and momentarily covered his face with his hands as he leaned back in his chair. “I am sorry Charles. I hope that this doesn’t get you into trouble. Hopefully it won’t.”
“It had to be done. I’m sure Dimitrios would have helped in this matter if time had permitted. In retrospect we should have included him sooner, but we didn’t.”
When Dimitrios returned to his office Cassia came in and handed him a bundle of letters. He sorted through them and at the bottom of the pile was the letter from Carson. Dimitrios sat on the edge of his chair and opened the letter. He read it and then looked at the Hub markings. The letter had been mistakenly placed in the non-urgent classification stack of Hub mail. He was satisfied that this letter helped Charles’ case. He was certain Anthony would see that a young man’s life was at stake and the Jones family had to act in order to save that life.
Anthony wouldn’t be happy about Charles endangering himself. He could recommend some sort of program for Charles to learn more about protocol. He was certain Charles was out of danger though as far as being reconsidered for his apprenticeship. However he would still need to see Anthony about the circumstances of the rescue and how to rectify Todd’s status in the community. Dimitrios gathered his paperwork and documents and headed out of the office. He had a stop to make before his meeting with Anthony.
CHAPTER 88
Dolores had a hard time finding a parking space. She parked and made her way to the restaurant. She had to walk several blocks. She glanced at her watch, noticing she was punctual. Dolores walked through the restaurant’s double doors and was greeted by the hostess. She was immediately escorted to where her friend was seated.
“Ruthie, we really have to quit meeting like this.” Ruthie smiled and handed her a menu. “No, just my usual.”
Ruthie breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, because I already ordered.”
Dolores laughed. “Well, I have tickets to go to Anchorage Pointe again.” The girls grinned with anticipation. “I can’t wait for you to see what I have done to the place.”
Ruthie leaned in. “Go on.”
“I had the outside painted. I asked one of my neighbors to send a picture.” She reached into her purse. “Ta duh!”
Ruthie’s eyes got big. “Wow. Talk about a beauty makeover! Is that the same place, Doll?”
“Yep, and she’s a beauty isn’t she?”
Ruthie held the picture to her heart. “That’s incredible.”
“Wait until Sterling sees it.” Ruthie nodded.
CHAPTER 89
After Todd ate breakfast Bev told him that Charles and Carson were in the office waiting for him. They walked to the office.
Carson opened the door before Todd could knock and said, “Good morning Todd. I hope you slept well.”
“I did. I slept great! I feel like a new man.”
“Fantastic. Come in and join us.” Todd and Bev walked in. Carson closed the door. Carson explained that they had a meeting with Dimitrios, the Prime Minister’s Assistant earlier. He would get back to them regarding Todd’s status and how to reintroduce him to the community.
Todd was relieved and thanked them. He sat down, leaned forward and said to Charles, “I would have been dead if it weren’t for you. I tossed and turned thinking about last night. I was getting so tired of living in that other dimension. I believe that time was running out for me there.”
“I’m glad you were found. We will work this out.”
Charles then turned to Airabelle and went over to see her. “Thank you for being there for me. I missed you.”
“You’re welcome. We’re family, and I missed you too. I am glad you’re back.” Charles heard Carson ask Todd how this all began; why he had visited that day? Todd confessed, “I came over that day to see you about a class assignment, Mr. Jones. I noticed the door to the office was open and thought that you would return soon. I waited inside and became intrigued by everything in the office, especially the journals. I started looking around the room and was impressed by the beauty of the bird in the cage.” He looked at Airabelle, and cocked his head at the sight of two birds now in the cage. “I picked up several of your tools and began to manipulate them to see if I could discover how to use them. Time passed and I couldn’t resist the temptation of the journals. That’s when I looked for your glasses in the desk. (My family has similar journals, so I knew I needed a pair of Sojourner glasses.) Like I said earlier, I picked up a journal, but it wasn’t at random. Now I remember why I picked up that specific journal.”
He pointed to the wall. “The cuckoo appeared and pointed out a specific book on the shelf. It said, ‘Pick up that book to unlock the mysteries you are searching for. You will travel to places you have only dreamed of visiting.’ Wanting adventure, I foolishly picked up the book. When I read the entry in the back of the journal, it seemed simple enough. So I tore out the page. I thought the page contained the entire set of instructions. Without stopping to think things through, I listened as the cuckoo and children beckoned me. I went through the Passageway to the other dimension. I’ve regretted my haste ever since.”
Todd rose from the chair. He pulled out a folded page from his pant’s pocket and flattened it out. He gave it to Carson. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Jones.”
“Thank you Todd. I regret what happened to you. I think you received punishment enough. We are glad you are back safe. We will help arrange your way back into the community.”
Todd looked back at the clock. “I was mesmerized by the ticking of the clock. I didn’t think ahead about consequences. I was an impulsive young man. I think I have learned a lot since then. I thought I’d never see home again.”
Carson put a hand on Todd’s shoulder. “It’s a miracle you were able to return.”
Todd turned as the Passageway opened. He saw Anthony and Dimitrios emerge. He screamed, “Oh no! They are here for me!”
Anthony held up his hand to silence Todd and calm him down. “No Todd, we are not here to take you. We are here to help you.”
Todd sat down and took a deep breath. He put his hands on the back of his neck to rub it and relax.
Anthony introduced himself, “I am Anthony, the Prime Minister, and this is my assistant, Dimitrios.” Todd shook his hand and then Dimitrios’ hand.
Anthony turned to Charles and said, “Dimitrios explained everything to me and I felt it was important to come to you in person so that we can discuss the events and figure out where to go from here.” Anthony shook Charles’ hand. ”Job well done by the way. The Sojourner Travel Files remain unharmed. The only issue to deal with now is the fact you need more training in protocol. Dimitrios will train you on that.”
Anthony turned to Todd. “Now we need to discuss your situation in more detail before we can give you instructions on reentering society. We will interview you. After listening to the facts we will come up with the best scenario for your reentry very soon. Reunification will be tricky. The cover up story will be even more so because of all the years that have gone by, and the special circumstances involved.
“Our Passageway Authority Commissioner, Anjoleah, is currently on another assignment. She has been brought up to speed on your situation not only because of the reentry situation but because your father is a long-time member of the Sojourner In
telligence Agency Community. Both your father and mother have searched for you many years now. Dimitrios’ secretary has arranged for your parents to meet us here. The secrets you are about to learn are secrets that may never be revealed to anyone, ever.”
Todd said, “I will swear to secrecy for eternity.”
“That’s good, because all lives are at stake for everyone in this room, and for those who are about to enter,” Anthony said. “Everyone please take a seat. Todd, Dimitrios and I would like to hear your story.”
Todd began....
Sometime later there was a knock at the door. Bev was closest to the door. She asked Anthony, “Should I?”
“Yes, please answer the door.”
When she opened the door Mr. and Mrs. Schluter were standing there. Mrs. Schluter looked around the room. When she saw Todd, she hugged Bev and thanked her. Bev motioned for them to enter. Mrs. Schluter walked over to Todd, hugged him and looked him over. Tears were in her eyes.
Mr. Schluter wasn’t sure of the exact greeting that was appropriate, but ended up thanking and hugging Bev as well. He went to Carson and thanked him for returning their boy to them. Carson gave Charles all the credit.
Mr. Schluter thanked Charles and said, “We couldn’t possibly ever repay your bravery young man.”
Mr. Schluter hurried over to Todd, hugged him and welcomed him home. The three of them stood in the middle of the office laughing and talking. To them it was a miracle they thought they might never see in their lifetime. Mrs. Schluter turned to Carson and Charles to thank them once again. Then they thanked the Prime Minister and Dimitrios for the “best gift” they had ever had.
Anthony, Dimitrios and Mr. Schluter moved to the other side of the room to speak in private. When they finished their discussion Anthony announced they had come to an understanding on how they were going to reintroduce Todd to the community.
Anthony explained, “What is obvious to us, and what will be obvious to the rest of the community, is the fact that Todd hasn’t aged from the time he disappeared. One way to help disguise his age is to have Todd grow a mustache and beard. We will give him a makeover adding gray to his hair and having him tan in the sun. When these items are accomplished, Todd will be reintroduced as having run away from home in his youth. The story will be told that he returned on his own after growing older and wiser; realizing he had made a terrible mistake. The only other information you can tell the community about Todd’s past is that after he disappeared, he survived by working odd jobs earning cash. No other information or explanation will be given, by anyone.
The Xidoran Prophecy Page 65
