Chapter 16
The three children crept along the back of the General Store. As they approached the window, they heard several men talking with Mr. Johnson. Nobody was shouting, but the voices coming through the back window were decidedly against allowing the Professor to leave.
“See here, preacher,” said the storeowner. “We got nothing against that man except he appears to be a bit nutty in the head.” There were rumblings of agreement coming from several men standing nearby.
“I understand how all of you feel,” said Mr. Johnson. “From what you say, he did ask some, well, some pretty strange questions.”
“Very strange,” said the storeowner. There were more rumblings of agreement. “He didn’t know where he was or even what year it was. I mean we all forget what day of the week it is or what day of the month it is, but to forget what year it is? Now, that’s pretty odd, especially if you don’t even know where you are. If he was a real old guy, I could say he was just suffering from being old. And, my gracious did you see how he’s dressed? Looks more like a dress than anything else. Then, there’s his hair. There’s something weird going on with that hair. Why, it doesn’t even look natural.” Everyone heartily agreed with all that.
Mr. Johnson sighed and probably nodded his head in agreement. “But, if he’s suffering from a concussion, and isn’t thinking or remembering things right, then he needs special care until he’s on his feet again. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yep, that’s why we’ve sent for the doctor.”
“Oh, good,” said Mr. Johnson. “Well, after he’s seen the doctor, his family can take him home.”
“Can’t promise that. It depends on what the doctor says.”
“I see,” said Mr. Johnson. “And when will the doctor be here?”
“Two days.”
“Two days? That’s quite a while. I know the family is anxious to have him home. Couldn’t they take him home and the doctor visit him there?”
“Nope, we already talked it over,” said the storekeeper, and the children could feel the others vigorously nodding their heads. “It’s too dangerous to let somebody like that loose.”
Well, the conversation continued as the children looked at each other in total dismay.
Reece looked at her brother then mouthed the words. “Two days?”
“We can’t hide for two more days,” Sean mouthed back.
Reece drew the two boys together in a tight huddle. “Okay, we’ve got to bust the Professor out of that room right now.”
James looked from Reece to Sean and back. “Bust the Professor out of that room?”
“That means we’re going to unlock the door and rescue everyone then make a run for it.”
James’ shoulders sank and he dropped his head. This was it then.
The children frowned. The huddle was definitely a little close when one of you doesn’t smell too good, but they couldn’t back up and still be heard. “What’s the matter?” asked Reece.
“I was thinking about what Mr. Johnson would do after you left.”
The children momentarily forgot about their own problems as they tried to figure out why James looked so worried. They were in the most crashing hurry to spring the Professor and leave, but the voices inside the General Store were still deep in discussion, so they figured they still had another minute or two.
“What do you mean?” asked Sean.
“He might not. . .like me anymore.”
The children turned to each other. They hadn’t for one second considered what might happen to James, and their insides tugged viciously in two directions. Mr. Johnson seemed very nice, but James only knew him slightly and the children only met him fifteen minutes ago. They didn’t think Mr. Johnson would leave town without James, but maybe the preacher would never trust him again. . . which is almost worse. How could they possibly hang around two more days? By then, they’d be stealing food right along with James. And, what if the doctor said the Professor was a raging lunatic? Then they’d never get home!
Sean turned to his sister. “Think!” he hissed in her ear.
Reece took two steps back and leaned against the store. Her brows drew together nearly touching as her brother sucked in deep breaths and exhaled enormous sighs.
Sean kept looking at his left wrist. He didn’t wear a watch, but that’s what adults did when they were in a roaring hurry and things weren’t working out. It seemed like ten minutes, but it was probably less than thirty seconds when the crease between his sister’s brows began to ease. “What’s the plan?”
Reece opened her mouth then glanced at James before answering. “I don’t have a plan yet, so let’s go back to the barn and think some more.”
“Back to the barn?” Sean wailed as quietly as he could. “We don’t have time to go back to the barn.”
James hadn’t a clue what was going on, but he trailed after the arguing children anyway.
Reece stopped just inside the large door. “Well, I thought maybe if we played a game it might help my brain to relax a little bit, and I could think better.”
Sean’s head jutted forward and he enlarged his eyes as he stared unblinkingly at his sister. “Reece, we don’t have time to play any games.”
James was curious. “What kind of game?”
Reece drew her lips inside her mouth for a second. “Hide and seek.”
James had experienced few games in his short sad life, but he’d seen the village children talk about it as they scurried around laughing. “How do you play?”
Sean slapped his hands over his eyes for two seconds then dropped them and turned to James. “Don’t worry about it, because we’re not playing.”
Reece gave him ‘the look’, and her brother blinked a couple of times then became calm and silent. “One person leans against a tree or something and closes his eyes and counts up to a certain number so everyone else has time to run and hide. Then, the person opens his eyes and looks for all the kids.”
James frowned for a minute then nodded his head. “Okay, who’s first?”
“You,” both children said.
James was somewhat startled, but he nodded his head again. “Okay, what number do I count up to?”
Sean looked at Reece. “One hundred,” she said. “Don’t rush through the numbers either. Count like this, one. . .two. . .three.” Another thought occurred to her. “Why don’t you go down to the end of the aisle and lean against Abby’s stall and start counting there.”
James frowned again. “This is a strange game.”
“You’ll like it,” said Sean. “It’s fun.”
This sudden change of heart puzzled James and he studied Sean, but the children merely smiled back expectantly until the boy turned and walked down to Abby’s stall where the mare resumed nibbling his hair. He looked down the aisle at the children who gave him an encouraging nod. Then, James did something very strange. He gave them a little wave and a crooked smile before he leaned against the stall door. He closed his eyes and began to count. “One. . .two. . .three,”
“He knows,” whispered Reece
Sean nodded his head, and they turned to leave.
The Door Into Time Page 16
