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He and I were riding towards the Snoqualmie village together from the cabin, he on his mule, and me on Patty.
I sent him an irritated glance. “Don’t tell me that you believe Tyler and his buddies’ rumors about me being a witch.”
“No. I know that you’re not,” he said.
“That’s a relief.”
“You’re a person who can travel through time,” he added coolly. “Much more impressive, in my opinion.”
I drew Patty up to a halt. “Where did..? Why would you say such an outlandish thing? A time traveler?”
Henry returned his own withering stare, saying, “Don’t deny it, Callista. It’s the only thing about you that makes sense.”
I grimaced at the boy’s incredible insight. From some of the subtle remarks had made of late, I had suspected that he knew there was something different about me, but it shocked me to know how exact he hit the mark.
On second thought though, Henry Bautista was now old and intelligent enough now to scientifically consider the possibility of time travel, but still young enough to believe in the fantastical and the imaginative probability.
“I see you’ve been thinking about it quite thoroughly,” I remarked.
“I have. And you are, a time traveler, aren’t you?”
I considered what I should admit to. What effect might this truth have on the boy’s life? And more importantly, his future.
“You can’t tell anyone,” I said, pointing a warning finger at him.
“That is so...Callista, I want to know everything! How it’s done. Can I travel through time myself? When and where do you come from? Does Mike know? Of course, he must. What does he think of you? Can he travel, too?”
“Whoa, partner. That’s a lot of questions that will take a long time to answer. For now, I’ll tell you that yes, I do come from the future, one hundred years from now.”
“Holy guacamole,” he breathed with rounded hazel eyes.
“And for goodness sake, stop using my futuristic idioms, or the town will burnyouat the stake on Halloween.”
“Understood. At least tell me some things that will take place in the future, in your time,” he said as we continued riding forward.
I let go of a long breath as I considered what the boy should and shouldn’t know yet. It would have to be fairly innocuous in case he accidentally divulged something later.
“Have you ever heard of an author by the name of Jules Verne?” I asked.
“Oh, yes. Miss McGafferty just sent off for one his novels last week. She said I could borrow it after she’s finished reading it.”
“Good. Read it, then send for the rest of them yourself. Many of the things Mr. Verne imagines will actually take place in the next century.”
He gave a low whistle. “Is he another time traveler then?”
My brows hiked, never considering that prospect before.
Perhaps he was. Maybe he himself traveled to the future instead of the past, then returned to write out things in a way that the people in his own century could comprehend.
Or visa-versa.
“I don’t know, I doubt it. Anyhow, just read all of his books, then we’ll talk again,” I said, jutting my chin at the small box camera strapped to the back of his mule. “In the meantime, you make sure that you don’t offend anyone with your own ‘futuristic’ image collection box today, if you don’t want to be scalped. By me.”
“Yes, ma’am. Golly, I’m so fortunate that Mr. Eastman sent his new camera invention to me to try out. I can carry it and even inconspicuously take many photos of the villagers now.”
“Hmm, I wouldn’t advise taking any off guard, if you don’t want to be brained with it.”
“So are you going back to your time now that it’s Samhain?” Henry asked.
