But he seemed reluctant as we ducked through the trees and climbed the boulders, as if he might be dreaming, that his dream-wife and dream-daughters were taking him on a journey he wasn’t really ready to take.
“Come on, Ben,” Mom said, gesturing back to him. “This is where I found it.”
He climbed up the last boulder. “That’s what I don’t get, Adri. Where was I?” But his attention was then on the tumuli before them. He reached up and ran his hands through his thick brown, curly hair, so like mine. And his face broke out in excitement. “Adri! Adri! We found it!” He hooted and shook his head in disbelief as Lia and I dragged him forward. “It was so close, all along! We were so close!”
“Yes,” she said, smiling at him tenderly, staring at him in wonder. “How I longed for you, for this moment.”
“Can you talk about it on the other side?” I muttered, pushing them toward Tomb Two.
“Other side?” he asked. “You intend…we are going back? In time?”
“Yes,” I said. “I have to, Dad.”
“First we’ll go to the future, by two years. Then back. That’s how it works,” Lia said. “We have to kinda bounce from one end to the other. I think.”
Mom gestured behind her. “If you think this is the archaeological discovery of our lives,” she said, “wait until you see Italia in all her medieval glory.”
“You realize this makes no sense, whatsoever, Adri. This is totally unlike you. Maybe you three stumbled into some bad mushrooms when you were collecting herbs or something?”
Mom took his hands in hers and looked into his eyes. “Believe me, Ben. I know what you’re thinking, feeling. How crazy this all sounds…But it’s important you come with us. Can you trust me?” She glanced back at us and then to him again. “Trust us?”
He hesitated a moment longer. “I’m willing to suspend disbelief for a bit. Test a theory.” He squinted at her. “We can make this leap? All of us? Safely?”
Lia and I looked at each other. We’d hardly been safe, considering all the battles and escapes we’d endured. But this was life. Life, more full and vital and exciting than we’d ever known. And we wanted more of it.
Mom was still trying to figure out how to promise him that it was safe. That was a laugh.
“All I can tell you is that the girls have made the journey twice already,” she said at last. “And that we must go too. In a way, Ben, we travel not to the past, but to our future.” She looked over at us. “We’ll be together, come what may. And that, I’ve found, is the best thing of all.”
Lia and I stepped closer. I held out my hand. “I like that, Mom. ‘Together, come what may.’”
“Together,” Lia said, putting her long fingers on mine.
“Together,” Mom added, placing hers on top of Lia’s.
We looked to Dad, waiting. He smiled at us, each one of us, and then gently put a big, warm hand beneath my own, and his other on top of Mom’s. The gesture made a lump form in my throat. I couldn’t look at Mom or Lia, knowing that I’d cry if I did.
“I don’t know exactly what’s happening here, or why,” he said. “But I know this…if my three girls are going somewhere, so am I.”
… a little more …
When a delightful concert comes to an end,
the orchestra might offer an encore.
When a fine meal comes to an end,
it’s always nice to savor a bit of dessert.
When a great story comes to an end,
we think you may want to linger.
And so, we offer ...
AfterWords—just a little something more after you
have finished a David C Cook novel.
We invite you to stay awhile in the story.
Thanks for reading!
Turn the page for ...
• A Chat with Lisa Bergren
• Discussion Questions
• Historical and Factual Notes
• Facebook Fan Site
• Acknowledgments
A CHAT WITH LISA BERGREN
Q. I understand that you listen to soundtracks as you write.
A. Yes. It makes me feel like I’m watching a movie unfold instead of just pounding away at the keys. For this series, I’ve been listening to I Am Legend, the Chronicles of Narnia soundtracks, Gladiator, The DaVinci Code, and a mix of medieval songs my husband found for me.
Q. Tell me about working at the library.
A. I wrote most of this book in our local library. I got almost obsessive-compulsive about it. I had My Chair. And My Table. And My Footstool. An outlet close by. Thankfully, I only rarely came across someone else sitting in My Chair. Because when I did, I just sat really close to them until they finally gave up and went away.
Q. Why write at the library? Not at home?
A. It’s weird, huh? For the first time in fifteen years, I have an empty house on school days. But all that space and silence just makes me want to fritter away the day rather than get anything serious accomplished. I’m sucked into Twitter and Facebook and email far too easily. I had to separate myself—go to the library, and never, ever, ever log on to the Internet. I’d slip on my headphones and disappear into medieval Italy for hours at a time. It was perfect.
Q. You’ll go back there to complete Torrent?
A. Oh, yeah. Obsessive-compulsive now, remember?
Q. What impact did your focus group have on these books?
A. They saved me, over and over, from looking like the Dweeb Mom trying to speak to Teen Culture. There is an example right there—they’d never let a word like dweeb slip into Gabi or Lia’s speech. Moreover, I was encouraged when they fell in love with these characters with me. And they’ve been a good sounding board for me when I’m trying to figure out a particular plot or character problem. I loved hearing their feedback on the River of Time Series Facebook page or via my surveys.
Q. What happens next for the characters in the series?
A. Can’t tell ya. It’s between me, God, and the librarians.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Growing up, most of us were taught to go the extra mile in peacemaking and getting along with others. But in this Us or Them medieval world, Gabi and Lia come up against this decision over and over again. What would it take to make you draw a line in the sand and refuse to budge? Would it be a societal trend, physical survival, or what? Describe.
2. Gabi goes through extreme physical and emotional trauma in this book. When she’s in the cage in Firenze, there is a very real possibility that she might die. Have you ever been on the edge of death? If so, describe. What did you learn about life that you want to remember? If you haven’t experienced this, what do you think it would teach you?
3. Would you ever date two different brothers at different times? How about two guy friends? Why or why not?
4. Do you ever wish arranged marriages were still done today? Discuss the pros and cons.
5. Many lives are lost in the battle for borders, property, and power in this book. What land would you fight for? Your family property? Your state? Your country? Other countries? If you wouldn’t fight for any land, describe your thoughts on that.
6. When Gabi is in the cage, she hears a voice she identifies as her father’s, but she’s not entirely sure and isn’t thinking clearly … it might be God’s. Who do you think it was? Discuss.
7. If you were in Gabi’s shoes, how would you convince your mom and sibling to stay with you? What would be the good parts about living in that era versus living in today’s culture?
8. In the end, Gabi risks her relationship with Marcello in order to try and go back and save her dad. Would you have done the same? Why or why not?
9. How would losing a parent change your family? If you have lost a parent, describe what has transpired for your family.
10. What do you think will happen in book three, Torrent?
Join other readers and Lisa on the “River of Time Series” Facebook page. There, you’ll find information about th
e books, discussion with other fans, and contest and prize information.
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HISTORICAL AND FACTUAL NOTES
I used a good number of research materials to give this series its backbone. A full bibliography can be found in Waterfall. While I like to base my novels on historical fact and stick as close to it as I can, I’m a novelist and compelled to write the best, most dramatic story possible. Therefore, I feel free to take liberties! Here are some things to note:
While Siena and Firenze were constantly at odds and often battled, and the lords within them oft battled one another, there was no such “war” as depicted in this book. Significant battles occurred over the centuries. But it wasn’t until 1555 that Firenze really took on Siena and forced her to swear allegiance.
Also there were outbreaks of various forms of illness and plague—something every city was worried about—but it wasn’t until 1348 that the worst wave of the Black Death ravaged the population of Europe, taking a third of Siena’s population alone. I’m assuming there were smaller, earlier waves of illness.
At one point, Gabi and Lia escape through a passageway among an Etruscan necropolis. This locale was inspired by a real place: Sovana, far from where the bulk of this story is set—in the south of Tuscany. The rounded tumuli I’ve described were inspired by those in Cerveteri, near Rome, but the “igloo” aspect was a figment of my imagination. Most Etruscan tombs are square or rectangular.
I hope you forgive me for playing around with facts and history to best serve the story. Such a power trip, this author gig!
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the publishing team that is bringing this series to life: Dan Rich, Don Pape, Terry Behimer, Ingrid Beck, Traci DePree, Caitlyn York, Amy Kiechlin Konyndyk, Sarah Schultz, Karen Athen, Karen Stoller, Jeane Wynn, Jeremy Potter, and Marilyn Largent, among many others. Also thanks to my agent, Steve Laube, for cheering me on in new directions (after a few careful, thoughtful questions). And blessings on the heads of David Carlson, who designed these gorgeous covers, and Christine Canterra, who made sure the Italian translations between the covers made sense.
My River of Time Tribe girls, who read this manuscript (and Waterfall, and soon, Torrent!) gave me excellent feedback that I could incorporate. Thanks, girls. I appreciate each one of you.
www.DavidCCook.com
www.DavidCCook.com
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
A CHAT WITH LISA BERGREN
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
HISTORICAL AND FACTUAL NOTES
Facebook Fan Site
Acknowledgments
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