“It’s no wonder you didn’t recognize this plant, my dear Ffefferpip,” he said at last. “It’s been outlawed. I’d hoped I’d never encounter it again.”
“What do you mean?”
“One of the ten cities was affected by it… oh, it must be near thirty years ago I guess. I had to travel there and identify it then. It was a terrible necessity to tell the city council members what had caused their trauma, and nothing I could do for many of the people who were affected. It was too late for them. The antidote couldn’t help after so long. None of you were born yet.”
“Affected by this plant? How?”
“It’s a poison, you see. In this form it can be handled, except you can’t eat the berries; however, juiced, cooked down and distilled; it’s one of the most dangerous poisons known to man. A mere drop ingested or breathing in the mist kills most victims, after causing miserable suffering.”
The grievous look on the old man’s face made Jeremy swallow hard. Suddenly a vision enveloped him, and he clutched his head at the heat of it. He was walking down the streets of a city he’d never visited. The lowering sun was behind the buildings, which were black in silhouette. Dark oranges spread across the horizon with flashes of red as the sun disappeared behind the horizon line.
This loss of light symbolized a bitter reality as he drew close to a house with closed shutters. The door opened and a casket was carried out, along with a set of three weeping girls- he thought they were sisters. Beside them was a young man who turned to glare as a second casket was brought out of the house behind the first. Strange that it was the face of that young man the vision focused on. His face didn’t hold sadness as Jeremy would’ve thought. It held rage, and when the young man stared at the caskets and the weeping girls, his expression changed to revulsion.
When Jeremy was released from the vision he found he was breathing hard. He lifted his head and discovered that he’d been moved from the place where he’d been standing. He was sitting now in a wooden chair outside in the back yard of the greenhouse, with only Mars and Kannikey remaining beside him.
“What happened?” he asked.
“You went out on us again,” Mars grunted, “sunk down right in front of us and fell over. Professor thought you were fainting at his bad news so he sent Ffip in to get you a restorative, and commanded us to bring you out here.”
“Are you all right, Jeremy?” asked Kannikey.
“I feel… pretty awful.”
“I’ve still got to wonder if this Time Mechanic business is just a bump to your head, Jeremy— except I saw that vision you showed us for myself.”
“Umm,” mumbled Jeremy, wondering if he’d hit his head too. With this vision, perhaps because of the miserable circumstances it represented, had come pain. His head pounded as if he’d actually been walking down those unfamiliar streets, and as if he’d been weeping his heart out like those three girls he’d seen. It felt like he’d gone back in time and lived it with them.
“Here we are then,” said Professor Halbernon’s voice, and Jeremy turned, blinking, to see him and Ffip approaching. The old man was carrying a steaming cup, and Ffip was carrying a heavy tray, laden with a tea pot, cups and saucers, sugar bowl and cream, and sweet bread and all the plates and forks they’d need. “You,” Halbernon said, clicking his fingers at Mars. “Take this heavy tray and carry it over there.” He pointed to an outside table, placed under a row of apple trees.
“Yes, sir,” said Mars, obeying orders once again.
Chapter Eleven - (In Which Jeremy Finds Poison in his Mission)
“Now, young man, I need to know, and this even before your name,” said the Professor to Jeremy, as soon as they’d settled around the outside table and been served tea, “what was it about my news, which was disturbing I admit, that caused you to faint?”
“I didn’t faint,” protested Jeremy. “I haven’t had breakfast or much food yesterday. I’m fine now.”
“Your big friend here had to sling you over his shoulder and carry you to that chair.”
Jeremy shuddered at the thought.
“This plant is terrible; it’s true,” went on Halbernon. “However, it’s just one specimen, easily destroyed.”
They all looked uncomfortable.
“Wait a moment,” snapped the Professor, jumping right onto the bit of information they were hesitant to share. “I’d thought you’d discovered only one of these plants, a stray that had popped up from some barren leftover seed. But from the looks on your faces I fear that it’s worse. Have you found a patch of more of these plants? Do you own property and saw them growing in some remote corner of your yard?”
Jeremy sighed.
“Yes, we saw that there were more of them growing, sir,” he said.
“How many?”
No one said anything causing the old man to grow instantly impatient. He clicked his fingers.
“Come now, Ffefferpip. You’ll tell me,” he fussed.
“I can’t unless he says I can,” she said, nodding in Jeremy’s direction.
“You again! Who are you, anyway?”
“I’m just a citizen of Tonturin, worried about these poison plants, professor. We brought the specimen to you to be identified. Now that we know they’re dangerous we intend to do something about it, so don’t worry.”
“You intend to eradicate them?” demanded the professor.
“Yes we will. They can serve no good purpose. I’ll destroy them, and then I’ll go away. I’ve got a journey I’m soon to take- and these three will go with me.”
“Ffefferpip, too? Does your father know of this journey, boy?”
She chuckled.
“Don’t snap your fingers at me anymore, sir,” she said. “Just tell us how best to rid the area of this poisonous plant.”
“Only one way to be certain,” Halbernon said. “As you can see the root structure isn’t deep. Fire the noxious weed above ground and the roots will wither below. Burn these plants down to the ground.”
They finished their tea and took their leave of the professor, Jeremy fending off his many questions until the man clicked his fingers at Ffip again. Odd but Halbernon never seemed to confront Jeremy directly. The man was under the impression that Ffip was working for Jeremy now.
“Tell your boss you’ve got family to think of, boy,” he said.
“I’ll send them a message, I’ll be out of town,” she replied. “They’re used to me being away.”
“Humph,” said Halbernon. “Just be sure, Ffefferpip, that those poisonous plants are completely eradicated!” he added as they left. The door slammed shut behind them and they climbed into the carriage. Kannikey clicked up the horses and then slanted a look back at Jeremy.
“So you intend to destroy two fields full of poisonous plants, Mr. Time Mechanic? You made it sound so easy when you were talking to that old man.”
“I’ll figure out a way,” Jeremy said.
“Oh, I’m sure you will with no problem,” she agreed, except her face was filled with sarcasm. “Now that those two guards had to fight us off last night, there’ll no doubt be more guards placed there tonight. Not to mention the fact that setting a fire that large could set fire to all the farmland bordering Tonturin.”
“Those fields have the road on one side and the river on two of the other sides. The side that’s left faces the mountains, away from Tonturin, and the ground goes rocky there. If we’re careful we can keep the fire contained.”
“’We’ can keep the fire contained? No offence, boss, but that compulsion I was feeling; to stay by your side? It’s sounding like more of a ridiculous idea every passing moment.”
“As I said, none of you are being forced to assist me.”
“I agreed to follow you, but that was when I assumed you weren’t going to be doing anything pointless and idiotic,” she growled.
“Burning down a field of poisonous plant life that has the potential to be used to kill people isn’t pointless.”
“You don�
�t even know what they grew those berries for! Maybe it can be used for more than to poison people! Perhaps they’ve discovered the plant can be distilled for other purposes! In fact, I’ve heard my stepfather speak often around the dinner table, there’s a new booth being built at the market place. The booth sellers are supposed to be bringing in a new medicine called ‘Surebelow’— one that’s expected to be sold in huge quantities to all the population of Tonturin. Perhaps this field growth has to do with that! Maybe the plant is to be distilled and a small amount of it put in as a special ingredient to enrich this new medicine. Have you thought of that?”
“I know this poison is just that— poisonous. It must be destroyed before we leave Tonturin in the hands of the sort of people who would grow such a crop. It’s part of my job as Time Mechanic.”
“How do you know that?” she demanded.
Jeremy thought again of the visions he’d been shown so far. All had pointed him towards those poisoned plants. They were obviously the source of the trouble. He frowned.
“You’ll have to take my word for it,” he said.
“I’m getting tired of you saying that!” she exclaimed, pulling her carriage over to the side of the road, near a quiet grouping of cottages that lined the property at the end of the college grounds. She craned around in her seat and glared at him. “What are we all doing here anyway? Following a madman who faints and drags us into dangerous situations? Maybe there’s something wrong with you like Mars said!”
Jeremy shook his head.
“I didn’t faint,” he stressed.
“Tell us what you know!” she yelled. “We shouldn’t have to follow you without knowing what we’re getting into!”
Mars and Ffip, sitting so close to them as they argued, allowed Kannikey to do all the work of trying to demand more information. They remained silent.
“One more time,” Jeremy answered. “You don’t have to follow me at all. But I promise you. I have no intention of dragging any of you into danger if I can help it. I must do what I must do is all, and you must choose whether you’ll assist me.”
“Ohh!” she shrieked, turning to Mars. “Has he always been this secretive?”
“Always. And he’s the most stubborn wretch I’ve ever met.”
“Ohhh!” she gasped again, turning back around and getting the horses trotting forward again with a sharp snap. “Time Mechanic!” she yelled. “Who’s ever heard of such a thing in real life? It’s just a legend we were taught in school! Why are we wasting our time?”
“Please,” inserted Jeremy. “You must stop shouting out loud that I’m the new Time Mechanic. People might hear.”
This time when she turned to glare he hunkered down in his seat. The seconds dragged by but help came from an unexpected source. Mars cleared his throat.
“I’ve known Jeremy since I was five years old,” he said. “He’s got his faults like everyone else. But I’ve learned this. He’s powerful smart. If he’s been chosen as the new Time Mechanic there’s a good reason. He may keep secrets, but he doesn’t lie.”
Jeremy’s heart began pounding hard at Mars’ words. He found that they meant a lot to him. Ffip spoke up too.
“About this firing-the-fields job that’s got to be done,” she said, “I may know of something that can help us. A steam contraption I designed and paid to have built. It could be very useful indeed.”
“Let’s talk about this in private, please,” Jeremy said, as several children came running out of one of the nearby houses.
“Oh, of course!” hissed Kannikey, making the horses trot till the carriage rattled and bumped along the road. They reached Tonturin and Mars reminded them he needed to spend a little time at his shop.
“Well, I need some time away from all of you!” Kannikey said.
“I’ve something I need to look into, here in the marketplace,” put in Ffip. “My contraptions may not work very well, but I should deal with them!”
“Just drop us all off here, Kannikey,” agreed Jeremy. “We’ll spend some time apart. Today after the shops close come back to my room. I’ll make all of you dinner. If you don’t show up, I’ll know you’re no longer interested in going along with this. Don’t feel badly if you choose another path. Someone else will arise to take your place. Just please tell no one what we’ve shared with you.”
She pulled the carriage over and it was a relief to get out and bow in her direction to say goodbye. In fact Jeremy thought that he also needed some time away. When he’d first become the Time Mechanic a sort of driving excitement had fallen on him. Great adventures would be sought out and he’d be part of something important. But now her doubts had infected him. In fact, he hadn’t accomplished much so far, at all. A few visions, a night raid on a hidden field, visiting a botanist and… he had to admit the experiences hadn’t been all bad when once again he remembered the sight of Ffip, rising up out of the river. He blushed now as she murmured to him, changed her posture into looking like a man again in front of his eyes, and hurried off towards the marketplace. Soon it was just he and Mars, walking down the street towards the exclusive line of shops that were so familiar to Jeremy; so familiar, but now not his to walk past daily anymore. Beside him Mars perked up, his eye on his own shop and his purpose in Tonturin.
“I’ll see you later, Jeremy,” he said, walking away.
Jeremy stood in the middle of the street and sighed. The coat he’d bought felt heavy on his shoulders. The morning sun was beginning to heat the air so he took it off and draped it over his arm. He turned and wandered towards the food vendor booths. There was new construction at the edge of a nearby alley; a huge new booth was being built. It must be the booth that Kannikey had just mentioned. Something inside him tingled as he saw a small painted banner placed in front of the booth. It depicted a spray of leaf with a clump of herbs on one side and he squinted forward to see until he stood just a few feet away. The rest of the painting was of a hanging berry, gray-purple in color. Under the painted picture was the name of the company doing the advertising— ‘Surebelow’.
Scratching his head he stepped backwards and had to apologize when he nudged a woman hurrying by behind him. The banner advertised the new medicine about to be sold at this booth and he felt more doubt. What if Kannikey were right? What if the hidden fields grew those poison plants because they were to be an aid to this new medicine that was to be sold? His stomach churned at the thought. He should be hungry, but he was too unsettled. He remembered that he didn’t have any money with him anyway, and no new income coming in. At least the professor had fed him a few sweet breads with the tea. He watched the crowds browsing, each person busy with errands or engaged with friends. Before he could buy the ingredients he would need to feed the rest of his team dinner he’d have to go to the bank and remove some of his money. A goodbye meal, he thought for some of them. Maybe all three would change their minds, for despite the visions he’d had and the coat even he was beginning to wonder if he was capable. He found that he couldn’t help but wander by Nemeth’s shop. And there, just outside, he walked right into a man that popped up in front of him.
“Excuse me,” Jeremy mumbled barely sparing him a glance. But then his eyes flew upward for a second look. The man had short, white hair; brown, tanned skin and icy blue eyes. This was the thug he’d encountered last night, at the field, holding a knife, and whom he’d barely escaped from. The fellow’s eyes seemed to gleam as recognition flared in his gaze. Before Jeremy could think to leap away they were interrupted.
“Jeremy!” called a voice from right beside him. It was Nemeth. “What are you doing here? Have you come to ask for your job back?”
Chapter Twelve - (In Which Jeremy Has More Friends than he Realized)
Jeremy turned towards Nemeth with gratitude, stepping away from the thug.
“Hello, sir!” he said. “No, I…”
His words were halted when he felt something cold against his back. He could sense how close the thug was standing behind him. He started t
o glance backwards but the knife pressed painfully against his skin. He could feel the edge of the blade now.
“Uh…” he stuttered.
“Jeremy, who’s this fellow?” Nemeth asked. “Is he a friend of yours?”
The thug spoke up right away, before Jeremy had the chance to reply.
“This is a fine shop you have,” the man said in a gravelly voice. “Jeremy and I are old friends. Now, if you’ll excuse us,” the thug put a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder and steered him around to leave. “We’ve someplace to hurry away to or we’ll be late,” the thug finished. He was pushing Jeremy now, one hand holding the knife against his back and the other still on his shoulder.
Jeremy tried to crane around and give Nemeth a look but the thug turned them at the nearest edge of building, leading into the alleyway. It was too early for anyone to be walking down the deserted pathway between and behind the buildings. The thug grew even closer as they walked, arranging the knife more comfortably against Jeremy’s side.
“Say nothing and come with me,” the man growled.
It was frustrating but Jeremy couldn’t think of any way to disarm the man. The skills deposited in him when he’d been given the job of Time Mechanic seemed to have deserted him. Or perhaps the ability had dimmed due to his recent doubts. He stumbled along, trying to decide what action to take. At least that field of poison plants was way too far for the thug to take him to right now.
Before Jeremy had figured out what to do the thug stopped at a black-painted door at the intersection of a brick building and a mass of steam pipes.
“Open the door and go inside or I’ll cut you,” he was instructed.
Jeremy paused and the man acted. The blade sliced a scratch across his stomach. Jeremy gasped and the thug released his shoulder, shoving him first to throw him off balance while he opened the door. Jeremy was slammed against the doorframe.
The Time Mechanic Page 8
