He chuckled. “When you put it like that, you make it sound dirty. I suppose whenever someone is well known and successful at something, it makes them more attractive or popular. In my era, sports like hockey, which I play, are prominent. But then there are things like basketball, where you throw a ball through a hoop, or football, where you kick or throw a pigskin to each other, or baseball, where you hit a ball with a big stick.”
She cocked her head, considering. “And people enjoy doing such things?”
“Yeah, of course. And even more people enjoy watching it.”
“I suppose it’s like bull-baiting,” she said, reaching to make a relatable correlation.
Tuck shook his head. “Never heard of it.”
“I’m not privy to the particulars, but as I understand it, there exist venues where individuals convene to witness the spectacle of a bull tethered within a chamber and then assailed by hounds. Wagers are laid on who will outlast the other, and it is deemedquite diverting entertainment. Although I must say, I personally find the idea positively nightmarish.”
“Yeah, that’s messed up. I’d say that’s one example of where the idea of entertainment has moved on to way better avenues.”
The mermaid fountain came into view, and there before it waited the wiry, gray-haired gentleman Lizzy had recognized from the ball.
His eyes lit up when he saw them approaching, and he came forward to meet them, walking briskly, arms extended. “Hello, hello.” He took Tuck’s hand and shook it heartily before turning to face her, clicking his heels and dipping into a full bow.
“Madam Taylor. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Ezekiel Fairweather, also known as your humble servant.”
Lizzy met Tuck’s dancing eyes and tried not to laugh. Mr.Fairweather’s manners were very earnest and she didn’t want to give offense.
“I imagine you have many questions,” Zeke said. “But from what I learned last night, I believe it would be helpful for me to make a summary. Is this agreeable for everyone?”
They nodded.
“Very good, we can stroll about the fountain as we talk. I’ve always been partial to this place when I visit town. Now, from what I understand, on the night of the winter solstice, in the town of Hallow’s Gate, you, Tuck, were driving ... Pardon me, Mrs.Taylor—I might be using some terminology that is unfamiliar for this time.”
“And I must confess, hearing you refer to me as Mrs.Taylor gives me more of a start than the mere mention of horseless carriages.”
“Ah, yes. Your marriage is a recent thing, I believe.”
“Yes. And while Tuck has deemed it wise to not reveal much about the future, I have been able to glean a few things.”
“It is very wise of him to exercise prudence.” Mr.Fairweather nodded. “One doesn’t know how the future can be affected if information crosses time. Better to share as little as possible. Now, where was I? Ah, yes, you were driving and to avoid hitting a boy and his dog, you overcorrected the car and crashed into a frozen pond. While attempting to free yourself, you emerged here in the year 1812.”
“That’s about it, yes.”
“In the modern world, I was a professor of Celtic studies at Berkeley. In this era, I’ve been fortunate to pursue similar work as a scholar in Oxford. Crossings have become quite a passion project of mine, and through my research, I’ve determined numerous likely portals on this island that were well known in ancient times, predating the arrival of the Celts and the rise of the Druid class.
“The indigenous Britons believed in the power of the unseen world. There are over one thousand standing stones across Britain and Ireland, and this number doesn’t even begin to account for those over the Channel in Brittany, or Basque Country, or as far out as the Black Sea. When we consider the burial mounds, hill forts, and springs, and we can begin to put together ancient maps that reveal energy pathways or ley lines.
“And of course, these are stories that extend far beyond the boundaries of Europe. There are the stone circles of Senegambia located in Senegal and Gambia, and the Stonehenge of Keishu in Japan, and—”
“Ley lines?” Tuck asked.
“For those who believe in the power of the earth’s energeticvibrations, ley lines hold great significance, often referred to as the earth’s veins. These lines cross the globe conducting metaphysical energy. But here’s where things get interesting. At the intersection point of some of these lines, energy gets concentrated like a battery.”
“What’s a battery?” Lizzy asked.
“Think of it as a device that can store energy. Where we have these intersections, there is an excellent chance at finding a portal. Take Hallow’s Gate. The name of the town is itself a clue.Halloworiginally comes from the Old English wordhalig, which means ‘holy’ or ‘sacred.’ Over time,haligevolved intohallow, which refers to anything that is considered holy, sacred, or consecrated.”
“That old cow pond is a sacred energy storage?” Lizzy said incredulously.
“Precisely!” Mr.Fairweather clapped his hands. “And remember, in ancient times, it wouldn’t have been an old cow pond at all but a place of reverence, ceremonies, and contemplation. Time leaches memories, and over centuries and even millennia that which was holy and sacred is often forgotten.”
“But if that’s the case and the pond was some energy battery or whatever, then why didn’t it work when I jumped back in?” Tuck asked.
“Ah, very good question.” Mr.Fairweather shook a finger, increasing his pace. “The night you took your crossing was December twenty-first, the winter solstice, or Yule, or, as the Druids called it, Alban Arthan. This is a night of great energy, when the ley lines seem to supercharge. The pond would have been at maximum power.
