Back in her time
told me.” Taylor looked at her grandfather, expectantly.
    â€œSay I believe you. What is going to happen here next? You mention Rome. Before Rome, there’s Ceccano. What can you tell me about that?”
    â€œWe’re not going to get through this unscathed. There will be injuries and deaths, but we’ll 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. ’Cause I told you. AM telling you right now!”
    â€œOkay, Junior, calm down. I don’t think you’re shell shocked. I believe there’s something here. You’ve been right about a lot of things — like where the mines were on that road with the American.”
    â€œMac is starting to believe me, too, and Whitey does already. Not about my being from the future, I haven’t told them that yet. But, they do believe I can tell the future. If I don’t get to talk to you again like this, I do want to tell you that my mom, your only daughter, adopts me when she’s forty-two. She told me you waited a long time for me to show up and you’re 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€œOkay, Junior. Of course, that’s hard to prove, it’s so far in the future.”
    â€œOh, 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 she’s an alcoholic. I don’t know if we’re 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€œYou’re giving me so much to think about here, Junior. All these facts. You can’t have made it all up, can you?”
    â€œNo, sir!”
    â€œLet me sleep on this. I’ll talk to you again, soon.” 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.
    â€œDon’t tell us — you’ve made full corporal; or is it sergeant now? Our hero-saving sarge,” Whitey said, pretending to swoon.
    â€œNo, nothing like that. But I do have to tell you what it’s all about. If Sarge believes me, you guys have to, too.”

Chapter Nineteen

    Whitey, Red, and Mac stared at Taylor, trying to understand what she had just told them.
    â€œAnd Sarge might believe you?” asked Red, scratching his face fuzz.
    â€œWow. I knew you could tell the future. But, to be from there? I see why Sarge wants to sleep on it,” said Whitey.
    â€œIt’s 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, that’s it,” said Mac. “Mark Twain wrote it, I think. You been reading some stuff about time travel, Junior?”
    â€œWhat more do I have to tell you to make you believe me?” said Taylor, a line forming across her forehead.
    â€œYou’ve got me, Junior,” said Whitey, whittling away on what looked like a beak.
    â€œIt sure won’t hurt if these other battles turn out the way you say they will,” said Mac. “But not about the dying — I mean about the winning.”
    Red nodded.
    â€œSo what am I like when I get older? An old fart?” asked Whitey.
    They all laughed.
    â€œPops — ah, Sarge — keeps in touch with each of you, but he doesn’t see you very much anymore because you live all over Canada and you’re all older and don’t 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

Similar Books

The Ghost Wore Gray

Bruce Coville

Distracted

Madeline Sloane

JoAnn Wendt

Beyond the Dawn

No Second Chances

Marissa Farrar