told me.â Taylor looked at her grandfather, expectantly.
âSay I believe you. What is going to happen here next? You mention Rome. Before Rome, thereâs Ceccano. What can you tell me about that?â
âWeâre not going to get through this unscathed. There will be injuries and deaths, but weâll send the enemy running. I should have listened to you better when you talked to me about it. I thought you were hallucinating that I was in the war with you. But, you knew. âCause I told you. AM telling you right now!â
âOkay, Junior, calm down. I donât think youâre shell shocked. I believe thereâs something here. Youâve been right about a lot of things â like where the mines were on that road with the American.â
âMac is starting to believe me, too, and Whitey does already. Not about my being from the future, I havenât told them that yet. But, they do believe I can tell the future. If I donât get to talk to you again like this, I do want to tell you that my mom, your only daughter, adopts me when sheâs forty-two. She told me you waited a long time for me to show up and youâre the one who insisted they call me Taylor. And I will have a birthmark on my chest. Mom said that when you saw that mark, you said I was the one they had to adopt.â
âOkay, Junior. Of course, thatâs hard to prove, itâs so far in the future.â
âOh, and Pops, my mom has a problem. Maybe you can do something for her when she gets into her teens. I hate to tell you, but sheâs an alcoholic. I donât know if weâre allowed to try to change the future, but it would be nice if you could do something about that. She gets really bad right after my dad leaves.â
âYouâre giving me so much to think about here, Junior. All these facts. You canât have made it all up, can you?â
âNo, sir!â
âLet me sleep on this. Iâll talk to you again, soon.â Sarge stood up and left in a pensive mood.
When Taylor returned to the campfire, many of the soldiers were wandering off to settle down for the night in tents. Whitey, Mac, and Red had waited for her, anxious to hear what Sarge had spoken at length about.
âDonât tell us â youâve made full corporal; or is it sergeant now? Our hero-saving sarge,â Whitey said, pretending to swoon.
âNo, nothing like that. But I do have to tell you what itâs all about. If Sarge believes me, you guys have to, too.â
Chapter Nineteen
Whitey, Red, and Mac stared at Taylor, trying to understand what she had just told them.
âAnd Sarge might believe you?â asked Red, scratching his face fuzz.
âWow. I knew you could tell the future. But, to be from there? I see why Sarge wants to sleep on it,â said Whitey.
âItâs pretty strange, Junior. This reminds me of that movie with Bing Crosby when he goes back in time. What was that called? Connecticut Yankee? Yeah, thatâs it,â said Mac. âMark Twain wrote it, I think. You been reading some stuff about time travel, Junior?â
âWhat more do I have to tell you to make you believe me?â said Taylor, a line forming across her forehead.
âYouâve got me, Junior,â said Whitey, whittling away on what looked like a beak.
âIt sure wonât hurt if these other battles turn out the way you say they will,â said Mac. âBut not about the dying â I mean about the winning.â
Red nodded.
âSo what am I like when I get older? An old fart?â asked Whitey.
They all laughed.
âPops â ah, Sarge â keeps in touch with each of you, but he doesnât see you very much anymore because you live all over Canada and youâre all older and donât get around much. I only met you once when you were all in Toronto for a fifty-year reunion several years ago. You had all talked about going overseas for
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