Clockwiser (11 page)

A seed of an idea began to brew in my head, but I needed help to execute it. I motioned for Josephine to follow me.

I walked toward the cabin and when I was certain we were out of earshot of the kitchen I asked, “Can you ride a horse?”

“Of course.”

“Would you be free to go riding with me today?”

“I thought you weren’t feeling well?”

“Perhaps a ride will brighten my spirits,” I said, then I turned to face her. “Can you keep a secret, Josephine?”

From the way Josephine’s young face brightened, you would think nothing interesting ever happened to her. “I excel at keeping confidences.”

Perfect. “I need to find my brother. Do you know the way to Camp Cameron?”

“We pass it weekly on our way to church.”

“Can you lead me there?”

Josephine considered my request. “I suppose, but I don’t think they will let us on the grounds.”

“Let me worry about that. It’s just it’s very important that I find him.”

“Is he in trouble?”

Tim was always in trouble. I nodded and showed her my sad face. “I’m asking for your help because I believe that you’ve developed an affection for my brother?”

I left it as a question, but if she wanted to dispute it, she didn’t.

Her mouth formed a sly grin. “Perhaps.”

“Okay. We must prepare two horses, and exit the farm stealthily.”

Josephine let out a little giggle. “There is a path that leads out from behind the barn to a back road. It’s very secluded.”

“Perfect.”

The summer breeze blew gently; cool enough to counteract the humidity. If it weren’t for the fact that I’d basically manipulated a minor into helping me find Camp Cameron so that I could break the law, it’d be just another lovely day for a ride.

I pulled up on my skirt a little more to get a firm grip with my shoes in the stirrups. They weren’t custom made for the nineteenth century, unfortunately. I wore a pair of strap on sandals from a twenty-first century Wal-Mart.

Josephine stared, but there was no way I could conceal them. “Those are odd shoes,” she said.

“Um, my, uh, uncle, is a shoemaker. He made these on a lark, when I told him my feet were too hot.”

“Not a bad idea.”

Josephine took a sip of water from the leather canteen she thought to bring along and then offered it to me.

“So, Cassandra, why do you and sometimes a brother, keep coming to our place?”

I wiped my mouth and handed the canteen back to her. “Well, like I’ve said before, we’ve a large family. Sometimes we’re out of work.”

“But with the war on every city is bustling. I heard Papa talking about the ammunitions factory built a year ago in Springfield. Surely there must be enough work for everyone now?”

Who knew? I’d never been to Springfield, in this time or my own. The best tactic I’d learned in these awkward situations was to deflect.

“Are you sick of us?” I cocked an eyebrow. “You seemed pretty happy to meet my brother.”

“Oh, it’s not that. It’s just your family is a curiosity. And I admit that your brother Timothy has a certain charm.”

I wasn’t used to riding, and my butt was getting sore. Nellie’s tail kept swatting at annoying flies, and lifting on occasion to do her business, a procedure that didn’t require stopping or slowing down. A sweaty horse smell wafted up in the heat.

We eventually came upon the farm where the army trained. I instructed Josephine to canter by as I assessed the situation. A soldier manned the entrance, and even from my vantage point at the road, I could tell he was not much older than me. A meagre fence ran roadside, nothing that would keep a man from leaving if he wanted to. But it was fairly bare of trees and bushes, so I could easily be spotted if I just walked in from the road. The entrance followed the edges of a treed area. I had to go in on that side, if I wanted to stay concealed.

“What means of escape do you have in mind?” Josephine said.

“Well, I thought you might use your female gift of persuasion as a distraction.” I felt a little bad at this suggestion, but it wasn’t like she had to get off her horse. Besides, the boy at the gate looked harmless.

Josephine spotted the soldier and grinned. “That sounds like fun.” Then she stared at me. “What are you going to do?”

“If I can sneak by him, I can gain access to the forest immediately. When he’s completely enamored by you, which will take all of two seconds, I’m going to slip past him. Once I’m in, you can go home.” I patted the flank of my horse. “Nellie can carry me and Timothy back.”

When we were out of the soldier’s line of sight, we stopped and I slid off Nellie and tied her to the fence. “Josephine, if for some reason, we don’t come back tonight, you’ll need to come for Nellie tomorrow.”

She stared down at me. “Why wouldn’t you come back?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged like it wasn’t important. “You never know how things will play out.”

“Are you sure you want to do this? I can attest to the fact that Timothy was eager to enlist. He was in no way coerced.”

“I believe you. There are things you don’t know about my brother, and you have to trust me that what I’m doing is in his best interest.”

She nodded, then nudged her horse with her knees and turned him around. “Hopefully we’ll see each other again later.” She clicked her tongue and galloped away.

I followed on foot, watching from the bushes in the ditch as she approached the soldier at the gate. In no time flat she was giggling and the boy was staring up at her with a docile grin. I stepped carefully behind him, and would’ve been caught if Josephine hadn’t executed a perfectly timed sneeze.

Once inside the gate, I took cover behind the trees and bushes making my way toward several rows of long narrow buildings. I was careful to stay in the shadows and out of sight.

There were a lot of men, more than I imagined, milling about. Some running a track, other’s shooting off rifles on the other side of a field. Others were doing foxhole manoeuvres of some kind. I peeked inside a barrack window, and saw rows of empty but made-up bunk-beds. Tim was sure to come back to this place at some point. I’d just wait it out.

I was a little worried I’d never spot him in this crowd of men, but an hour or so later I saw him coming from a large building, probably the mess hall. Unfortunately he was with Willie and another stocky soldier with blond hair. The barrack furthest away was up against a grove of trees and bushes, and I kept myself hidden. I whistled a bird call to draw his attention. He looked my way, but didn’t falter. I whistled again and this time he stopped. Willie paused, too, but the other guy kept going. Tim shrugged and started after Willie who was now a few steps ahead. I whistled again just as Willie stepped inside. Tim looked my direction; I stuck out my arm and waved him over.

“Who’s there?” he said.

I popped my head out from behind the shrub. “It’s me.”

“Casey?”

“Yes, get over here.”

Tim looked over his shoulder before ducking in behind the barracks.

“How did you get in here?” he whispered.

“It doesn’t matter. We just need to wait until it’s darker, and then we can sneak back out.”

Tim huffed. “I’m not leaving.”

“Are you crazy? You can’t be here. They’ll send you off to battle!” I spoke as sternly as I could in a whisper.

“I want to go to battle. It’s an adventure.”

“It’s not an adventure. It’s suicide.”

“Oh, come on. You said yourself that you couldn’t have died here since you’re still there.”

“That’s just a
theory
. I also said I wouldn’t purposely try to get myself killed.”

“I’m not trying to get myself killed. I’m getting an education. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Who gets to experience firsthand, historical events that happened before they were born?”

“Some things are better learned from a book. I’m not arguing with you, Tim. You need me to get back.” I stared hard at him. “Unless you want to stay here forever.”

He scoffed. “You’ll come again. I’ll catch the ride back to the future next time.”

So, not going to happen. I stomped my feet blowing hot air out my nose like a bull. Here I went to all this trouble to find Tim, recited the Gettysburg Address in public, dressed like a dork, enlisted a minor to commit a crime, committed the crime, and now he wouldn’t come with me?

A branch cracked under someone’s weight and I dropped to the ground.

“Cassandra?”

Crap. Willie saw me. I stood with my finger to my mouth. Last thing I needed was to attract the attention of the whole regiment.

“I’m just here for Timothy,” I said quietly.

“I don’t want to go,” Tim said

“Willie, talk sense to him.”

Instead of taking my side, he said, “How did you get in here?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Was I the only sane one? Why were they wasting my time? “I’m here to take Tim home.”

Willie sighed. “He’s enlisted. They won’t let him go.”

I felt like stomping my feet like a child. “I don’t care.”

I zeroed in on Tim. “You are coming back to the Watson farm with me tonight.”

Tim crossed his arms. “No I’m not. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

“You are not excused!”

Tim just smirked. “I hope you can find your way out without being caught. I’ll deny knowing you if you are.”

I’d run out of time trying to make him come to his senses. I felt the dizziness start. Oh, no, and with Willie standing right there.

“Would you give us a moment?” My voice was tight and I reached for my throat with my hand.

“Are you alright?” Willie said. He stepped closer instead of leaving.

“Please, Willie.”

I didn’t have a choice. Tim and I were going to disappear before Willie’s eyes, but I couldn’t risk leaving Tim here.

I grabbed Tim’s hand.

But he did to me what I’d done to Nate and tugged it loose just before I disappeared. For the second time, I left my brother behind.

But I wasn’t alone.

Chapter Fifteen

CASEY

I’d started to fall when Tim pulled his hand away, and another hand grabbed mine. Moments later I was looking at Willie’s wild-eyed face and I started screaming.

I was back at Cambridge Commons standing on the step stool with Willie beside me, his hand in mine. He wore his Union uniform, with his army cap sitting at an angle on his red head. The crowd started clapping and I heard people saying “How’d they do that?” Even the gawking teens looked impressed.

Lucinda’s arms dropped to her sides, her jaw slack.

And Nate glared, his eyes darting from me to Willie and back.

I stepped off the stool and reached for him. “I’m sorry.”

“You did that on purpose.”

“I thought it would be easier if I only had to worry about bringing one person back.”

“Looks to me like you brought the wrong person.” He clenched his teeth and a ripple of fear dripped down my back.

Then he turned to Willie and shook his hand. “Welcome to the twenty-first century.”

Nate might as well have pulled a gun on Willie, that’s how frightened he looked.

The crowds returned to their nattering as if they were totally used to people appearing out of thin air and acting oddly in public places.

“Let’s get out of here,” Lucinda said, picking up the stool. Then to me she whispered, “Well, at least he’s cute.”

Willie gulped “Did he say the
twenty-first
?”

I gave him an apologetic look then ran after Nate, who walked briskly, keeping a full pace ahead of my stride. “Nate?”

“You could’ve told me how you felt.” He stopped abruptly to face me and let out a frustrated breath. “So, where is Tim, then?”

“He wouldn’t come with me!” I let my voice go all whiney.

I’d never seen Nate angry before. Frustrated, yes, exasperated, yes, but not truly angry about something I’d done.

It scared me a little.

He spun away and I turned back to find Willie slumped to the ground. Lucinda waited next to him, looking unsure about what to do.

“Willie.” I rushed to his side and pulled him to his feet. I didn’t miss the strange stares and the rising curiosity of the crowd around us.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said, trying to sound soothing. “But we have to go.”

Willie scanned our surroundings as we marched through the park. The way people dressed or barely dressed. It was a twenty-first century summer, and Willie was seeing more skin than he’d ever seen in his life. The buildings towered over us, and I imagined the traffic noise must’ve been almost deafening to someone from 1862 who’d never seen a motorized vehicle.

He looked shell shocked, like he’d just survived a bad accident or witnessed a tragic event.

“I’m sorry, Willie,” I said. “I never meant for this to happen.”