it.”
“What should I do?”
“What would you be doing if we weren’t here?”
“I’d be helping to tend to Queen Ankhesenamun.”
“Then do that.”
“Very well.”
She left.
I took another look at Jonathan and decided to let him sleep. I grabbed my clothes and entered the restroom. I managed to bathe myself, and I felt a little better once I was clean. I toweled myself off with linens and dressed for the day. I wished I were back to full strength.
JONATHAN SHADE
Kelly sat on the edge of the bed when I woke up. She was already dressed, and her hair was wet. When I looked in her eyes, I thought she looked tired.
She stood and looked down at me. “You should go bathe.”
“Does that mean a trip to the Nile?” I asked as I sat up.
“They have a tub in the bathroom and water with small buckets. Normally a servant would wait on a master, but our servants aren’t here right now.”
“Okay. How long have you been awake?”
“Not long.”
“How are you feeling, or is that subject off limits?”
Kelly hesitated. “I feel fine.”
“I know you threw up yesterday.”
She stared at me, and I wondered what she was thinking.
“Be honest,” I said. “We’re going to be in a rough spot today.”
“I think it was the time travel.”
I nodded. “And how do you feel now?”
“Better.”
“Are you nauseous?”
“I’m fine.”
“Come here,” I said.
She squinted at me for a moment but approached. I stood and placed a hand on her forehead. She felt a little hot, but not as bad as yesterday.
“I’m good to go,” she said. “Satisfied?”
I frowned. “I guess. So how does the bath thing work?”
“It’s more like a shower. You just pour water over yourself and scrub yourself clean with natron and some scented oils.”
“Maybe I should wait for one of those cute servant girls to come back,” I said.
“You want me to wash you?” Kelly asked.
For a moment, I thought she might be serious. Then I realized she was just messing with me. “I’ve got it under control.”
I went to get cleaned up, but my mind kept drifting back to Kelly. She was still running a bit of a fever. Was it a side effect from the time travel? I felt fine, but maybe it affected people differently. I hoped the demonstration would just be wizards trying to blast me with magic and that Kelly could take it easy. Somehow that didn’t seem likely.
BRAND EASTON
After securing a room in a Victorian hotel, Brand went to work. First, he had to map out how he’d get from New York to California by railroad. It was going to be a long trip getting to the Pennsylvania Railroad, then to the Union Pacific, and finally the Central Pacific, which would take him all the way to San Francisco. He purchased a ticket for the first leg of the trip, set to leave the next day.
His next purchase was a Colt Peacemaker and a holster. Then he went shopping for some clothing, toiletries, and a suitcase. As he walked back to the hotel, carrying the suitcase filled with his purchases, Esther finally faded into view in front of him. Normally she popped in, but this was a gradual appearance.
There were too many people in the street to start talking out loud to someone nobody else could see, so Brand whispered, “Good to see you. We’ll talk at the hotel.”
“I can talk now,” Esther said.
Brand nodded and dodged an older couple on the sidewalk.
“That Chronos bird said things would feel instant to me, but this method of travel seemed to take forever and a day.”
Brand slipped into an alley and set the suitcase down. “I doubt anyone will be listening here,” he said. “I’m going to be on a long, boring ride across country, so I’m glad you’re here. It will be great to have someone to talk to.”
He was glad he could still see her. When he lost his standing as a Sekutar, he thought he might not be able to see her anymore even with one of her typewriter keys on him, but evidently enough magic remained in
“What should I do?”
“What would you be doing if we weren’t here?”
“I’d be helping to tend to Queen Ankhesenamun.”
“Then do that.”
“Very well.”
She left.
I took another look at Jonathan and decided to let him sleep. I grabbed my clothes and entered the restroom. I managed to bathe myself, and I felt a little better once I was clean. I toweled myself off with linens and dressed for the day. I wished I were back to full strength.
JONATHAN SHADE
Kelly sat on the edge of the bed when I woke up. She was already dressed, and her hair was wet. When I looked in her eyes, I thought she looked tired.
She stood and looked down at me. “You should go bathe.”
“Does that mean a trip to the Nile?” I asked as I sat up.
“They have a tub in the bathroom and water with small buckets. Normally a servant would wait on a master, but our servants aren’t here right now.”
“Okay. How long have you been awake?”
“Not long.”
“How are you feeling, or is that subject off limits?”
Kelly hesitated. “I feel fine.”
“I know you threw up yesterday.”
She stared at me, and I wondered what she was thinking.
“Be honest,” I said. “We’re going to be in a rough spot today.”
“I think it was the time travel.”
I nodded. “And how do you feel now?”
“Better.”
“Are you nauseous?”
“I’m fine.”
“Come here,” I said.
She squinted at me for a moment but approached. I stood and placed a hand on her forehead. She felt a little hot, but not as bad as yesterday.
“I’m good to go,” she said. “Satisfied?”
I frowned. “I guess. So how does the bath thing work?”
“It’s more like a shower. You just pour water over yourself and scrub yourself clean with natron and some scented oils.”
“Maybe I should wait for one of those cute servant girls to come back,” I said.
“You want me to wash you?” Kelly asked.
For a moment, I thought she might be serious. Then I realized she was just messing with me. “I’ve got it under control.”
I went to get cleaned up, but my mind kept drifting back to Kelly. She was still running a bit of a fever. Was it a side effect from the time travel? I felt fine, but maybe it affected people differently. I hoped the demonstration would just be wizards trying to blast me with magic and that Kelly could take it easy. Somehow that didn’t seem likely.
BRAND EASTON
After securing a room in a Victorian hotel, Brand went to work. First, he had to map out how he’d get from New York to California by railroad. It was going to be a long trip getting to the Pennsylvania Railroad, then to the Union Pacific, and finally the Central Pacific, which would take him all the way to San Francisco. He purchased a ticket for the first leg of the trip, set to leave the next day.
His next purchase was a Colt Peacemaker and a holster. Then he went shopping for some clothing, toiletries, and a suitcase. As he walked back to the hotel, carrying the suitcase filled with his purchases, Esther finally faded into view in front of him. Normally she popped in, but this was a gradual appearance.
There were too many people in the street to start talking out loud to someone nobody else could see, so Brand whispered, “Good to see you. We’ll talk at the hotel.”
“I can talk now,” Esther said.
Brand nodded and dodged an older couple on the sidewalk.
“That Chronos bird said things would feel instant to me, but this method of travel seemed to take forever and a day.”
Brand slipped into an alley and set the suitcase down. “I doubt anyone will be listening here,” he said. “I’m going to be on a long, boring ride across country, so I’m glad you’re here. It will be great to have someone to talk to.”
He was glad he could still see her. When he lost his standing as a Sekutar, he thought he might not be able to see her anymore even with one of her typewriter keys on him, but evidently enough magic remained in
Similar Books
