by Will Hubbell
"How could you prove that?"
"I knew the dates. I knew the names of the mines. I had all kinds of proof, and it all fit. But, most important, it's true— I'm the legendary Constance Clements 7"
"I can't believe this, it's too fantastic."
"Spoken by a man who just visited the Cretaceous and survived the K-T impact."
"So the current version of time depends on our traveling from the twenty-first century to live in the nineteenth?"
"Yep," said Con, "and that thing Jane called 'the archive' bore me out. Hitler and Stalin looked really put out."
"The whole thing's mind-boggling."
"Isn't it?" said Con with a grin. "When you think about it, this must have happened before. Otherwise..." Con looked confused.
"It's a paradox, an infinite loop," said Rick. "Don't even try to figure it out."
"Maybe it started in another version of reality," said Con. "One many times removed from our own."
"Maybe. What I'm curious about is how could you have known about this woman? We're talking over a century be-tween you and her."
"Never underestimate a strong-willed woman with money. Our children will name their daughters Constance and they'll pass on the story."
"That you traveled through time?"
"Not that story," said Con. "The story about you and me being found and the mines and the family curse."
"Curse?"
"That if the oldest daughter isn't named Constance or doesn't learn her story, the family will be ruined."
"Who'd buy that?"
"Daddy did. Rich people can be very traditional; all my girl cousins are named Constance. Besides, there are lawyers involved."
Rick grinned and shook his head in amazement. "Con-stance Clements was quite a woman."
"She sure was," agreed Con. "Now that I know she's me, I'm even more impressed."
"What about her husband?"
"The geologist? He helped discover the mines. Then he retired to collect fossils." Con kissed Rick. "They were very happy."
Rick looked dazed. "So what now?"
"We won't be found for three days."
"Three days!" said Rick, in alarm. "You'll be eating grass!"
"Jane left us a supply of cubes for our honeymoon."
Rick lay back in the grass to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine. Con cuddled next to him. "First we'll build a cabin, then we'll look for gold. Of course, we won't find much until after Joe is born."
"Joe?"
"He was my final proof that I'm Constance Clements, the one that clinched it. They tested me."
"What are you talking about?"
"Joseph Burns Clements, silly. Your son. I'm pregnant."
"Pregnant?" exclaimed Rick. He looked at Con with an awed, silly grin.
"Yeah. We'll discover The Second Chance two months after he's born. In a year we'll be rich!"
"Con! You're going to drive me nuts if you keep telling me my future. Save a few surprises." Con giggled. "That's no problem. I'm probably the most surprising woman in history."
Epilogue
TOM CLEMENTS GAZED UPON THE CROWD AT THE SYM-
posium, smiling and nodding to whomever he knew. Many of his colleagues were there, along with his students and former students. There were also numerous new faces. One of those belonged to a slender, blonde-haired woman who stared at him in a puzzled way. Thinking perhaps he should recognize her, Tom acknowledged her gaze with a nod. The woman hesitantly approached him. As she advanced across the room, Tom looked at her more closely. She had the sun-darkened face of someone who had spent a lot of time in the field. Her tanned skin set off her light blue eyes. She was clutching a bound manuscript. A new doctorate, he surmised, networking for a position. When she was a few feet away, he glanced at her name tag. It read dr. c. brown.
Dr. Brown also glanced at Tom's name tag and her reac-tion was one of surprise. It took a moment before she re-gained her composure. When she did, she blurted out, "Are you related to Richard Clements?"
A look of sorrow passed over Tom's features. "I had a brother by that name."
"No, I mean Richard Clements, the ammonite collector."
"I'm afraid not."
"He's not famous, but he was a pioneer in the field. A contemporary of Marsh and Cope."
"Nineteenth century?" said Tom. "I fear my history's weak. Besides, I'm mostly interested in Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary mammals."
"Richard Clements was way ahead of his time," said Dr. Brown, waxing enthusiastic. "His collection is extensive."
"I've never heard of it," said Tom.
"It's still in private hands, my aunt's actually. It was in-valuable in my research." Tom tried to hurry Dr. Brown's banter to the point by asking the question he assumed she was hoping for. "Is that your paper?"
Dr. Brown nodded and handed it to him. He read the title aloud. "The Cladogenesis of Ammonites in the Pierre Sea-way."
"I'm presenting it tomorrow," said Dr. Brown proudly.
Tom smiled, remembering his first presentation. Definitely a new doctorate, he thought. "So you spotted my name tag and thought I was related to your Richard Clements."
"No and that's the strange thing," said Dr. Brown. "You look a lot like him."
"Look like him?"
"See for yourself." She opened her manuscript to a page with a photograph. It showed a man in antique clothing standing behind a fossil ammonite that almost reached his waist. Tom stared at the picture in amazement, for the man had his brother's face. The caption beneath the photograph read, "R. Clements and Splendidodiscus tomatis." Tom trans-lated the Latin in a soft voice. 'Tom's splendid disk."
"The resemblance is remarkable," said Dr. Brown. "Did I say something wrong? You look upset." Tom wiped his eyes. "Where did you get that photo-graph?"
"It's a family heirloom," said Dr. Brown. "Paleontology runs in our family."
"We've got to talk," said Tom urgently.
"About what?"
"Richard Clements. I think I own the first ammonite he ever collected." Dr. Brown looked at Tom quizzically. "You just told me you had never heard of him."
"Please don't think me forward, but could we have dinner? We could eat at my place. There are things there I need to show you."
"What kind of things?" asked Dr. Brown.
"I have a hypothesis about your Richard Clements, a crazy, fantastic, wonderful hypothesis. Together we may be able to prove it. Bring your paper and whatever other material you have on him tonight."
"I haven't agreed to come," said Dr. Brown.
"Please say yes," pleaded Tom. 'This is really important to me. If my theory's right, you'll be amazed."
"Can't you explain it now?"
"It's too complicated and too fantastic even to consider without some hard evidence. You'll need to see it for your-self."
Dr. Brown looked at Tom and tried to take his measure. There was a disarming sincerity about him that made her feel she could trust him. Adventurous by nature she had to satisfy her curiosity. "All right," she said, "I'll come."
"Thank you, Dr. Brown. You won't regret it. I'll make my famous chili."
"Call me Constance," she said. A smile crept on to her face. "It's only fair to warn you, I'm infamous for my ap-petite."
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Document ID: d832a191-646a-43f7-9147-d9378b561199
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Document creation date: 8.4.2012
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Will Hubbell
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