The Time Mechanic

by Victoria Bastedo

  By this time he’d been dragged out of the room and he was crying this as he moved away.

  Jeremy went screaming into the hallway after them, whacking, slashing and throwing bits of debris at them the whole time. Mars jumped in his chair when he heard the distant outside door of the building crash open.

  “Help!” he could hear the far away string of Jeremy’s voice into the nearby market streets of Tonturin. “I’m being attacked!” he shrieked. “Send for the authorities! Help, help!”

  Mars sat with pounding heart as eventually the sound of his friend’s voice faded.

  “Get me, out of this, chair!” he roared belatedly. Try as he might he couldn’t remove himself from the ropes. He just fell over trying. He heard the outer door of the building bang again and he wriggled in his bonds in alarm. But it was all right; there was the sound of pounding footsteps and then Jeremy running back in. He fell down to Mars’ level and cut the bonds. The knife he was using was very sharp. Once free Mars climbed to his feet and then rage caught up to him.

  “Blast you, Jeremy! Why’d you take that poison instead of me!” he bellowed.

  “Just shut up and let’s go!”

  Chapter Twenty-Two (In Which Jeremy Learns the Consequences of Failure Firsthand)

  The first stumble of pain came as they hurried down the main market street of Tonturin. They’d been blending into the early morning crowds; who were freshly arrived at the marketplace. Jeremy knew they had to return to Mars’ house without being followed.

  “Go that way, and slip into the alley behind— Ow!” he directed. He shivered through a flash of intense pain that clutched his insides. If he’d had any doubt that he’d been successfully poisoned back there, that question was answered now.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Mars.

  “Nothing. Just hurry, here, let’s get behind this group of teenagers so we can disappear into the crowd.”

  They managed to clear the main streets of Tonturin a few minutes later, but Jeremy was lagging. He had to pause and throw up in a waste bin. He felt fortunate that he made it in time when, a few moments later, he barely made it to the next one. His belly now empty he began focusing only on the pain of his recurring contracting stomach.

  By the time they’d made certain they weren’t being followed and approached Mars’ house Jeremy felt terrible. He ached all over and weakness made his legs shake. He couldn’t imagine what was going to happen to him over the next few days leading up to the death that Serrin predicted if he felt this bad after only one hour.

  Mars opened his front door and Jeremy stumbled in crooked until he crossed the room and collapsed with a sigh onto Mars’ settee.

  The two women began asking questions the moment he stepped inside— demanding to know what happened. He didn’t answer. Finally Ffip noticed that something seemed wrong with him.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked, settling down beside him and putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

  “Don’t feel very well,” Jeremy gasped.

  He felt her fingers rest for a second on his forehead.

  “He has a fever!” she said.

  “Of course he does!” yelled Mars, and both girls jumped at the ferocity of his voice. “The wretched fool!”

  “Shut up, Mars,” Jeremy grunted.

  “Argh! I could kill you!”

  “Just wait a few days and I may be glad of it,” Jeremy said, and then the pain in his stomach halted his voice. He clutched it with both arms and leaned forward barely listening while Mars filled the girls in on what had occurred this time when Jeremy was questioned.

  “So Jeremy’s been horribly poisoned?” Kannikey said at last in a high voice. “We’ve got to sit here and watch him die?”

  Jeremy opened his eyes.

  “Sorry for the inconvenience,” he breathed.

  “Oooh,” she roared. “You are by far the most inconvenient man I’ve ever met!”

  “Jeremy is not going to die!” interrupted Ffip in an even higher voice. “That awful man told you there was an antidote, right? We’ve got to steal it from him!”

  “Back to thievery again?” said Mars. “Trouble and more trouble!”

  “Well, we’ve got to do something!”

  “Traipsing back into the danger furnace with you women by my side doesn’t seem like a promising idea!”

  “Jeremy’s in no shape to go with us,” stressed Kannikey. “Look at him!”

  Jeremy had wilted over sideways to try to find a cool place to rest his head.

  “So now you’re determined to go on this mission then?”

  “Of course; you need a thief, right? That’s my job and quit leaving us women out of everything!”

  “If we’d included you in this last little jaunt, those villains would have Ffip to question and the rest of us would probably be dead by now!”

  “You should shut up!” Kannikey shrieked. “Jeremy’s right!”

  Jeremy waved his arms to get their attention. The movements made him feel worse and he groaned. He opened his eyes when he realized that Ffip was kneeling on the floor beside him, laying a moistened rag on his forehead. He looked into her eyes and saw that her lashes were moistened too. The sight gave him strength to speak.

  “No, Kannikey,” he said. “Mars is right this time.” Everyone turned and stared at him in amazement. The looks on their faces at his words made him smile. “Ow,” he complained. “Don’t make me laugh.”

  “What am I right about?” Mars said.

  “Your destination; you three should never go near those villains. I’d rather die than risk you.”

  “Too bad! Maybe people don’t want you to die for them!” said Mars.

  “Ha ha, ow.” Jeremy replied.

  He wondered if he was going to wretch again but the feeling was contained if he just quit moving or talking. He could tell, however, that he’d never be able to keep anything down, even water. But his eyes flew open when he felt Mars’ big hand on his forehead.

  “Burning up, blast it!” Mars concluded.

  “Get off my head.”

  But Mars yelled so loud the windows rattled.

  “Come on then, Kannikey! Let’s go find that weasel that did this and steal the antidote from him! Then I’ll shred the fellow!”

  Jeremy jumped up in alarm. The room swam around.

  “Mars, no!”

  “I’ll kill that swine if he tries to stop us!”

  “I’m stopping you! Don’t you see there’s a better way?”

  “What way?”

  “Just wait...”

  The room swam again, his head pounded, and his stomach clutched him. He didn’t know what to react to first, but Mars took hold of his arm in a firm grip.

  “Come on,” he commanded. “Drop that coat of yours right here. You’re going to bed.”

  “Promise me,” Jeremy gasped as he obeyed, shedding the weight of his coat. He leaned into Mars strength and forced his legs to go along. The two girls followed them down the hall. “Promise me you’ll stay away from there!”

  “I won’t!”

  “Stop being an idiot and think,” he managed to say, although every word cost his stomach. “Remember what Halbernon said?”

  Mars froze and the procession stopped.

  From behind them Ffip jumped up and down in her excitement. “Halbernon!” she cried. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “That’s right!” Kannikey agreed. “The old man said he’d gone to that other town with the antidote all those years ago!”

  “Let’s hurry and go get Halbernon then! He’ll know how to save Jeremy!”

  The two women turned and trampled back down the hallway and wrenched open the closet after their boots.

  “Wait!” said both Mars and Jeremy together.

  “Mars, go with them!” Jeremy added.

  “Stop giving orders,” said Mars. “We’ve got things in hand for now.”

  “We can’t leave Jeremy alone!” said Kannikey.

  At
last Mars pushed him into the guest room and Jeremy sat with gratitude on the bed. He felt clammy, shaky with pain, and suddenly exhausted. With any luck he could sleep. Jeremy got his boots off and then sank back onto the sheets and turned his head sideways on the pillow.

  “You idiot,” Mars whispered, into his ear. The message was just for him. Jeremy grinned when at last the man removed himself. A feminine form replaced him.

  “You two go on,” said her soft voice. “Halbernon will remember you and try to help, I know. I’ll stay here and take care of Jeremy.”

  Jeremy breathed in gratitude as Ffip knelt beside him on the rug, so her weight wouldn’t put pressure on the bed. The cool cloth she’d brought settled on his forehead once more. He tried to focus on the comfort of it. With her soothing voice in his ear telling him not to worry and that all would soon be well, he was able to drift off to sleep.

  The hoped-for segment of sleep didn’t last for long. By the time Kannikey and Mars returned with Halbernon a few hours later Jeremy’s stomach clenches had increased to such a degree that he had to thrash around in the bed each time one gripped him to keep from crying out. He knew that the death he’d been promised by Serrin couldn’t possibly take three days to claim him. His other symptoms had escalated, too. His hair was ragged with sweat from his forehead and the sheets under him felt damp.

  Ffip had stuck with him through everything, trying her best to cool the fever and even rubbing at his convulsing stomach to try to unknot it. Jeremy took hold of her hand and tried to be gentle as he pushed it away.

  “Shhh,” she said, but her voice was strained. At last the door opened and Halbernon settled down beside him, in a chair which Mars had drug into the room for him. The botanist placed his dry fingers on Jeremy’s forehead.

  “This is far more advanced than you led me to believe,” Halbernon confirmed. “Are you certain he didn’t ingest the poison days ago? Ffip, you know better than to wait to send for me so long that the victim doesn’t stand a chance!”

  Ffip surprised Jeremy when she burst into tears in reply. She covered her face with her hands and howled.

  “Not her fault,” Jeremy gasped.

  “Hush now, child,” Halbernon. “I didn’t mean to say that…”

  “You just said Jeremy was going to die!” she wailed.

  “No, no, I don’t know that! It’s difficult, that’s all!”

  “But Jeremy hasn’t been sick for days, Halbernon!” she insisted. “It’s only been a few hours!”

  “Then he took in a large dose of the poison. Did he eat a bowlful of berries or something? And how did he stand swallowing them? They have a sour and unpleasant taste!”

  “Sir,” interrupted Mars in a firm tone. “Don’t you think you should quit wasting time asking questions? If Jeremy’s in such bad shape as you say, and he certainly looks like it, shouldn’t he get the antidote as soon as possible?”

  “Well, yes, you know that’s what took so long for me to get here! I had to prepare it first!”

  “Then please,” said Mars. “Hurry up.”

  “You’re quite intimidating when you growl like that, you know, young man. But bring some water to mix it in. The problem will be in getting our patient to hold down the remedy long enough. It’ll help, Jeremy, if you stop tossing like that and lie still.”

  Kannikey had run out at Halbernon’s directions and she hurried back in now with a pitcher of water from Mars’ kitchen and a glass and a spoon.

  “Here’s the water!” she cried.

  Halbernon poured in a small amount into the glass and mixed a spoonful of dust from a bag he’d pulled from his pocket in it.

  “Help him sit up,” he ordered Mars, and then, “Now Jeremy, drink all of it.”

  Jeremy swallowed the dusty liquid and then immediately wretched it. It was awful swallowing it back a second time but he managed to. He lay back down and felt the wave of his stomach muscles attack.

  “Aaah!” he couldn’t help but groan as he rolled to the side and back again.

  “Keep still!” Halbernon yelled in excitement and then turned. “You!” he clicked his fingers at Mars. “Hold him down!”

  Despite their efforts Jeremy’s stomach was soon empty again. Fortunately it was easy to clean up.

  “Smaller sips!” Halbernon directed.

  It took over an hour but the miniscule sips given every five minutes weren’t as offensive to his belly as the large gulps had been before. At last the entire dose of antidote was in him. Jeremy no longer cared how he looked or sounded or who was manhandling him.

  “I’m going to put him to sleep now,” Halbernon said. “Unconsciousness might help to conquer the powerful gripping of his stomach muscles for a while; give the antidote a chance to be digested.”

  “Do you think it’s too late for the antidote to help?” Ffip’s voice wavered.

  “He’s young and strong, try to hope, girl. Now Jeremy,” Halbernon said to him, leaning close. “I’m going to hold this rag over your nose. Breathe in the fumes and don’t let them create nausea in you.”

  Jeremy tried to relax as much as he could, eager for any relief unconsciousness could give him. It was while the world was going dark that he heard Halbernon’s last mumble.

  “Asleep at last,” the fellow said. “Let’s hope he wakes up again.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three (In Which Jeremy Gets Fed Up, and Then Fed Soup)

  When Jeremy woke up it was night time. He opened his eyes and stared at the unfamiliar wall facing him. He thought it was long ago and that his mother must be cooking a late dinner in the next room. Then he realized it was later than that and his Uncle Tov must be asleep already since he had to get up before the sun. At last his gaze traveled to the side and found Mars.

  The man was sitting there staring at him but saying nothing. It was odd; Mars had grown up somehow. His chest was filled out. His hands were veined and his chin had beard shadow.

  “How old are we?” Jeremy croaked.

  Mars blinked, but answered him.

  “We’re 27.”

  “Twenty… seven…?”

  Jeremy felt confusion and lifted a hand to his head. He realized his hair was greasy and his skin had dried sweat on it.

  “I need a bath.”

  “Humph,” agreed Mars, crinkling his nose. “You sure do.”

  “Well get out of the way and let me get to it then.”

  “Just like that, Jeremy? You’re going to get up and walk around like you haven’t been courting death for three days?”

  “Three days… hasn’t it been eleven years?” He tried to recall anything at all.

  “Blast it!” Mars finally erupted into a shout as he leapt to his feet. “Ffip!” he called out. “Get in here!”

  Jeremy watched Mars stomp out of the room. His heart began beating in his chest in strange anticipation. He had full memory of this one subject. The girl named Ffip. In seconds she hurried into the room behind Mars. She was wearing a flowing dress of blue and a concerned expression on her face. She came right up and took his hand.

  “I’m so glad you’re awake!” she said. “We stopped giving you the sleeping draft last night, but you went on sleeping so long we feared we’d given you too many doses!”

  Jeremy forced the grogginess to recede and tried to concentrate on something other than the feel of her hand in his. Suddenly it hit him.

  “Wait a minute! Did Mars say it’s been three days?”

  He couldn’t believe so much time had passed by without him being aware of it.

  “Yes, and you’ve been awful,” Mars complained from back by the door. “Up, and down with the stupid fever, and then thrashing around again every time we thought the antidote was working! And now what’s wrong with you? Has your brain been damaged like Halbernon said might happen?”

  Ffip turned around and scolded him.

  “Mars, don’t say that! Halbernon said he seemed to be recovering fine!”

  “Jeremy told me he thought we were 16 again! An
d after all the trouble he’s just put us through, it’s too much for him to expect me to have to go and inform his Uncle Tov that he’s even more of an idiot than he was before!”

  “You haven’t given him a chance to wake up properly!”

  At Mars’ words Jeremy remembered the height of the pain he’d felt when he’d been poisoned and he shuddered. He squeezed Ffip’s hand and got her attention refocused on him.

  “Thank you for helping me,” he said.

  “Of course!” she gushed. “Don’t listen to Mars! We don’t think you’re trouble at all! None of us have minded having to…”

  “I don’t worry about Mars,” he interrupted. “But I was wondering something.”

  Her luminous eyes blinked.

  “What?”

  “Would you be so kind as to prepare a bath for me? I’m eager to soak off the sweat of this sickness and leave it behind.”

  “Oh, I’d feel the same way!” she said with enthusiasm. “In fact we’ve kept the bath kettle filled with hot water! I’ll go fix it and Mars can help you into the bath room!”

  Mars and he both grimaced at the idea but watched as she hurried out.

  “You needn’t worry,” Jeremy said once she was gone.

  Mars leaned against the wall by the door and crossed his arms. “About what?”

  “Talking to my Uncle Tov. I was confused for a moment but I remember everything now, except for this time when I’ve been sleeping.”

  “Hmm. So you’re the same degree of stupid as before, I see. That’s a relief.”

  “Are you still angry at me? Forever? I was angry at you last and it remains my turn,” said Jeremy.

  “I’m angry again. Every time I get over a past grievance, you hand me out a new one.”

  “So you no longer hold the mistakes I’ve made in the past against me?”

  “Don’t push my goodwill so far.”

  Jeremy began to feel better, despite his weakness and being so filthy. “Three days,” he repeated. “What’s been going on in the meanwhile?”