The Time Mechanic

by Victoria Bastedo

  “You,” yelled his friend of old— “make me so frustrated! First you take up with a girl who enjoys destroying you any way she can. Then you quit your job so you can feed us your last meal, and finally you search out the nearest murderer in Tonturin. Only a fool would follow you!”

  Jeremy couldn’t think of anything to say in reply. He just sat staring at Mars’ excitement, stupefied. At last he coughed a bit. “I’ve told you many times before, Mars,” he managed to say. “You’re no fool. You never were. Just go on then. Go on back to your shop, and your interrupted life. It’s obvious you’ve been better off without me in it. Maybe I should send you girls away too, but it’s not up to me.” Jeremy bent his head and waited for Mars to clear out, once and for all, from their friendship. But no giant figure stormed from the premises and no door slammed. Mars bellowed instead, loud enough to disturb the elderly landlords of the manse in their sleep.

  “Don’t think you’re going to kick me out again, Jeremy! I’ve still got a few things to say about that Fiasca nonsense, and maybe I’ll bloody your nose again once it heals up!” He turned. “Kannikey,” he said, “decide what you’re going to do, right now! If you’re done following Jeremy, then put that tray down and get out!”

  “Don’t take it out on me if you’re frustrated,” the girl said, her dark blue eyes calm, as if she was used to people yelling. “I’m not going until I decide I’m going.”

  Chapter Fifteen (In Which Jeremy’s Bed Has Two Women, Himself, and then No one At All to Rest On It)

  After Jeremy was stitched up and the last bit of dinner and most of the wine was consumed there was little conversation. He was the Time Mechanic, this rag tag group was the team that had arisen to assist him, yet he wasn’t sure if they were ready for any more missions right now. He sat in his big chair and studied them. Mars had plunked down in his other chair, once he’d been admonished to quit pacing across the small space. The two girls were sitting side by side on his bed, leaning back against the headboard to be comfortable. He smiled to himself. He never would’ve imagined, last week, that he’d have two women lounging on his bed. Kannikey was a bit taller than Ffip, and she was from head to booted and polished toe. Her clear skin, mysterious eyes and obvious refinement made her a girl that ordinarily he’d never have the chance to talk to… he smiled again. Unless he’d caught her stealing from Nemeth’s shop, that is. His gaze flickered over to Ffip. She was dressed in ill-fitting, near-rags. Her features were animated and the dimple disarming. Her washed- out attire made her face pale. But those eyes were as beautiful as any he’d ever seen. He shook his head and looked away. He thought he might be drunk, but he didn’t want to admit it. He wasn’t certain about Time Mechanic etiquette, but it almost certainly didn’t include ogling his assistants. It’d been far too long since he’d thought about dating, just as it had been too long since he’d searched for friendship. His gaze switched back to Mars. Perhaps the man was right, and he was an idiot.

  He sighed.

  “Well,” he said. The others gave him their instant attention. “It’s getting late. All of you should head home and get some rest.”

  “And leave you here alone?” demanded Mars.

  Jeremy chuckled.

  “I’m thinking the four of us sleeping together in my little room might not be what my landlords had in mind when they rented me the space,” he said.

  Mars glanced at Kannikey and Jeremy noticed that his cheeks darkened with color. The man fell silent.

  “If I’m not home by the time the last evening bell rings my mother will notice,” said Kannikey.

  “I guess I should get going too,” added Ffip.

  “I’ll drop you off,” said the other girl.

  “Thank you.”

  The feminine part of his company stood up.

  “Mars,” said Jeremy.

  “What?”

  “You’ll escort them.”

  “Fine.”

  Jeremy stood up and to his relief he felt better than he had earlier after Ffip was done stitching his arm and the slash across his stomach. She’d told him that it had been too many hours for that original cut to be stitched properly. It would leave a bigger scar than if she’d gotten to it sooner, but the wound on his arm should heal with a minimal line. The girl seemed to have knowledge about many subjects, he thought.

  “Goodnight,” he said to the girls at the door. “Keep an eye out and be careful.”

  They murmured their goodbyes and some assurances and went out. Mars turned and spoke.

  “I’ll be back here after,” he growled.

  Jeremy thought to argue, but decided against. It was the man’s job to be the guardian of the group, after all. He’d have to tolerate it. He nodded in agreement. Once the three of them had left he cleared up after dinner and then put cold water in his sink. It was easier to wash blood out of material if the water was cold. He’d learned from Tov. He scrubbed his shirt, Kannikey’s handkerchief, and Ffip’s turban. When finished he wrung them out and hung them to dry by the fireplace.

  He opened the door and sat in the chair next to it. He poured himself the last big glass of wine, for the warmth of it swallowed up awareness of his aches. The residents of the manse were all of them, since they were elderly, in bed by now. He grew still and listened to the sounds of the night. He sincerely hoped that he hadn’t been followed home somehow. He didn’t want to bring danger to the manse. But he discerned nothing alarming. Finally he heard the hoof beats of a lone rider. He got up from the chair and looked out to see Mars pulling up in the yard. He breathed a sigh of relief as he finished gulping the wine and stood up. The fellow might hate him, but his large frame was reassuring. He stepped out of the way and shut the door once Mars came in.

  “Here,” said Jeremy, handing him Kannikey’s handkerchief and Ffip’s turban, dried now. “Return these to the girls when you see them next.”

  “You could as easily as I,” said Mars, but he took the items and folded them into his pocket.

  “Thanks.”

  “I’ll sleep in the chair,” the man grunted. “You take the bed.”

  Again, Jeremy didn’t bother to argue. He had aches and pains that Mars didn’t and tomorrow was an unknown. He needed all the rest he could find. He craned his shoulders and stretched out his sore jaw and then stumbled a bit crooked in the direction of his bed.

  “You need anything?” from Mars.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Jeremy blew out the lantern and they each fell quiet, the firelight illuminating the far corner of the room. Jeremy had already taken his boots off and now he climbed onto the bed fully dressed but tired enough not to notice. Soon he was on his back with the pillow situated behind his head. He felt driven to talk. Latent reaction to nearly being murdered earlier in the day compounded by the irrevocable changes he’d just made in his life caused him to spill out a diatribe he hadn’t planned beforehand.

  “Mars,” he said.

  “What?”

  “I really am sorry about what happened between us a year and a half ago,” he said. “The truth is that deep down inside I knew you’d done nothing wrong. I was aware that I was treating you unfairly, that you didn’t deserve the blame. I took it out on you, all my humiliation and stupidity. Once you were gone I… well, how do you try to fix mistakes like that? It was easier to pretend that somehow I wasn’t as big a dolt as I knew myself to be. Falling for Fiasca in the first place! As if women like that ever were interested in men like me. I was punishing you because all the girls had always beamed on you but you rarely noticed them. This time the girl was mine, and she’d agreed to marry me. But yet there she was eventually, flirting with you. I couldn’t bear it somehow. If I didn’t see you or her anymore; I could act brave; like I was worth something. I’ve realized of course that I had no courage at all because I never apologized like I should’ve done or faced the fact that I’m a fool. All of this that you’ve been doing right now, well, it just goes to show all over again that you’re the better
man after all, and you’re…”

  Mars had sat in silence during this speech, his hands clutching the arms of the chair. Jeremy’s words froze in his throat when the man suddenly soared to his feet, every inch of him threatening.

  “So help me, Jeremy,” he growled. “If you say one more word about this I’ll blacken the other side of your idiot face!”

  Jeremy shut his open mouth and laid back on his pillow. Then, no matter how his jaw ached, he turned to the side that faced the wall. He wasn’t sure at what moment he fell asleep, or if Mars ever sat back down in the chair again. But in the early morning dawn when he woke up, Mars and his horse were gone.

  Jeremy shook his head. What had he been raving on about the night before anyway? He’d sounded maudlin like he’d had three pints too many in the local tavern instead of just a few glasses of wine. If Mars hadn’t of stopped him he might’ve of ended up sniveling like an infant. He was tired of all of it. What was he doing, waiting around on all of these people? Kannikey had problems enough to deal with behind the wealthy doors of her life. Ffip was a strange mystery but it wouldn’t do the girl any good to go wondering off after a man like him. She should fix her life and find a place to be safe in. And Mars? Well he was through whining about the past. He’d made a mistake and he’d apologized and now the man could go and dig holes. He had a job to do as the Time Mechanic. If they cared to join in he wasn’t going to plead. They could catch up.

  He got up and dressed in his dark brown shirt and his black pants. He ate the small pile of nuts and the sodden half of an apple that was leftover on the shelf. The last gulp of coffee and now his kitchen was empty. He looked around his room, less than tidy since he had guests. And yet all his clothes were in the dresser, his books were stacked on the shelves, and the rest of his possessions put away. It wouldn’t take much to box everything up and store it. In fact, that was what he was going to do.

  Industry took over. He had a small storage shed allowed to him and he marched right out and got the trunk and the two large wooden crates he had stored. He carried them in and got busy. Within an hour everything he owned, including the sheets, the towels and the blanket off his bed were packed up. The bed, the dresser, and the bookshelves, all were in the center of the room. He went into the manse and had a talk with the gentile elderly couple who owned it. The interview was short, lasting less than twenty minutes. He took a last swallow of the tea they’d had the servants bring out in the fine china cups, shook the couple’s hand and left them all with a bow.

  They’d agreed that he could store his property and his furniture in their barn for an indefinite amount of time. If he didn’t return to claim it within a year they could sell it or dispose of it any way they liked. He agreed to pay them a good amount, which he’d remove from the bank and have delivered to them later in the day. He was pleased with their relieved faces, for they were actually pinched financially and might not find a new renter right away. Even the butler came out and helped him with the cart and the loading. Jeremy wrapped his portraits carefully in the bed sheets, separated out a bag of his clothing to take with him, placed everything else in the driest corner of the barn storage room he’d been allotted and locked the door behind him. He went back to his now empty room and swept everything, cleaned down the water closet, raked out the fireplace, and wiped down the shelves.

  Let that white-haired man come looking for him and the wretch would discover nothing but this empty room. Then the accountant named Serrin would have no reason to keep an eye on this place. The elderly couple that had housed him so long would be safe.

  He wiped the sweat off his brow and gulped water from the squeaky pump sink until he was satiated. Last he put a notice on his door. It said:

  ‘To any friends looking for me, don’t worry, I’ll find you. To any enemies, don’t bother. I’ve left without a trace. Jeremy’

  It felt good to swing into his marvelous coat. He put on his backpack that he’d filled with his clothes, his tinderbox, some candles, a knife, fork and spoon with a flat bowl that could pass for a plate, a mug, a filled canteen, his shave kit, and his toothbrush and comb. He knew exactly what he needed to go and do next. He’d been given a clue to follow and he’d pursue it like a sniffing dog after a scent. When he went striding down the road he barely noticed his sore spots or that the early morning workout had tired him. It felt too good to declare himself finished with the earlier melodrama. Up close humanity was a pain to deal with. It was better to try and save people from a distance. He found himself grinning as he reached the end of the lane that lead to the Manse for the last time. He was a free man.

  Chapter Sixteen - (In Which Jeremy Decides to Make his Companions Accessories)

  He wasn’t alone for very long. Almost immediately, as soon as the lane blended into the outer streets of Tonturin, his extra senses picked up on the fact that he was being followed. He didn’t bother running or hiding. He got to where people were out and about on the streets and then turned right around to catch his pursuer in the act. His tense muscles relaxed but a scowl settled on his face.

  Ffip was the one behind him, and he regarded her like she was a ragged puppy that’d taken up residence at his heels and wouldn’t go home. She came up to him with a little smile. Except that she looked like a he again- her turban cap was on and she’d squared her shoulders and had that masculine swing in her walk.

  “Thanks for washing my hat,” she said.

  “Thanks for wrapping it around my arm.”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You’re glaring at me.”

  Now she sounded like a female, he thought. He sighed.

  “Sorry.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’ve got work to do as a Time Mechanic,” he snapped.

  She tilted her head, and he immediately noticed when the tiny dimple appeared on her upper cheek.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  They resumed walking.

  “So,” he said after several moments had passed, “you must’ve seen Mars this morning— for him to return your hat to you.”

  “No, I didn’t see him. My hat was folded and set on the step by my front door.”

  “Ah.”

  “I thought Mars had stayed with you anyway, since you’d been hurt.”

  “I’m fine.”

  His sharp tone silenced her. He was relieved he was with her and not Kannikey for he was certain that the other girl would’ve had a comment to make about his attitude. He quickened his pace and entered the area near downtown Tonturin. She kept up with him and they passed through the morning crowds of the marketplace. He kept his eye away from Mars’ shop, and the end of the street where Nemeth had his. If all went well today, he’d get out of here and leave this city on its own for a while.

  He wasn’t exactly certain which building it was he’d seen in his vision, and when he found that there were several big brick possibilities more than he’d imagined he grew frustrated. He slid out of sight in a back alley to think about it. Tonturin was a large city but all the same he might be discovered if he stood out in the open too long. Ffip never questioned him but stood nearby like a wisp of a shadow. Except she smelled good— his subconscious pointed out to him. He frowned again and tried to concentrate. Aha, he had it.

  “Ffip, I have a job for you,” he said. She blinked at him, her eyes alert. He’d seen three buildings that were likely targets. He told her which ones to go to. “This man I’m looking for is a partner in an accounting firm,” he added. “Find out which firm has a new partner named ‘Serrin’.”

  “All right,” she said.

  “Don’t be pushy and don’t get in any trouble,” he said.

  “I’m never pushy.”

  “If someone wonders why you’re asking, say that you’ve heard a good report about Serrin and are thinking of recommending him, but try not to stand out, and refuse if they want to send you up to meet him.”

  “Well, of course.�
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  He sent her off and then settled in to wait for her return. He couldn’t have gone himself, for Serrin had seen him before and might notice him today. But the accountant had left the torture room before Ffip and the others had arrived to rescue him yesterday. Fortunately she wasn’t gone long. She’d discovered which the correct building was in less than half an hour. He smiled to himself. Having an assistant along was a good idea after all. He gestured with his chin and let her lead the way. Now that he knew which building it was he was able to locate the outside door he’d seen in his vision right away. He looked from side to side but there weren’t any people nearby to see them. They might as well enter the building in broad daylight as try to sneak in at night when the door was locked.

  He relaxed when he recognized the stairwell. He grabbed Ffip’s wrist and they hurried up. Around and around the stairs they went, ignoring each floor they passed. At last they came to the top, and Jeremy ducked with her behind the stairwell door when he saw two businessmen approaching. They pushed the door wider, never noticing the two people on the other side. Once their footsteps had receded Jeremy peeked out again. Although he could hear sounds of commerce nearby he was able to return to his destination without being seen. There it was against the far wall; the ladder that led to the rooftop. He had Ffip go up first and then he followed her slim legs once she’d cleared the ladder. On the landing he tried the small outer door and felt relief when it opened. He made sure it shut without noise and then breathed the free air of the roof. He marched right to the other side. He leaned way over the patch of roof tiles he remembered seeing. Ffip gasped and pulled back on his forearm.

  “It’s all right,” he murmured. He got back and held onto the edge as he felt forward. The three tiles had been slightly different in the vision- for he’d seen a clear delineation- those tiles had stood out somehow. He realized that affect had been just for the purposes of the vision for these tiles now appeared exactly the same as their neighbors. He got his fingers underneath them and tried to find the mechanism.