Prisoners of Time: A Voyager's Credo
Story II
Chapter 1
Ramona knocked on the door to Phineas' laboratory holding a bundle of garments wrapped in brown paper under her left arm and a small, oak box in her right hand. She had a breakfast tray situated before her. It was the morning after he brought home a soot-covered boy. They had both endured a violent night and were in need of rest and care. She had drawn Phineas a hot bath and fresh night clothes, bandages and oils, while he had put the boy in a guest bedroom. The boy slept like a babe. Ramona had removed his clothing for a hefty washing and sewing and he didn't even stir. She was awestruck to find a silver pocket watch in his possession, but decided not to disturb Phineas until the morning.
"You may enter." She heard him say quietly.
Phineas usually answered her with a hearty, 'Come in, lass!' making her feel nearly fifty years younger. In his better moods he often called her 'Roma.' It was a name he had bestowed her as a toddler since he couldn't pronounce 'Ramona' fully. There was a melancholy in his tone.
Phineas mulled by the cracked window. His face was weary and he was still in his bedclothes. Ramona glanced to her left at the mysterious contraption, but Phineas had the velvet curtain drawn over it. Normally at this time he would be hard at work tinkering with the gauges and knobs. His world of science and adventure meant little to her, only because she felt she didn't have the capacity to sort it out in her mind. All she fathomed was that the mysteries of time were her master's dominant obsession.
Ramona wheeled the tray to his table and cleared off a space for his breakfast, being careful not to mix up his scattered papers. She set down the coffeepot and orange juice, and placed a steaming plate of scrambled eggs and ham beside it with a separate dish for toast, butter, and strawberry preserves. She always made certain that her master ate well. Phineas would get heavily involved in the engineering and forget his meals.
"Phineas, I ha' the boy's clothing and I already hung yours. He is still sleeping mighty sound."
Phineas let out a sigh and retreated to the table. His stomach gnawed at him and he dug into his meal. Ramona was an excellent cook. She gazed down at him with sloping and gentle, blue-gray eyes. Although over seventy, Ramona had the spunk of a young woman. Phineas could see beneath her care-worn wrinkles and white hair that she had once been a lovely maiden with fiery red locks. He once spied a gold locket she owned. It seemed to be her only possession of high material value. Inside was the portrait of a baby and she was on the opposite side in the full bloom of youth and beauty.
He never dared to ask Ramona about her personal life before becoming a house servant. On the wall of her sleeping quarters was a humble portrait of the same woman, a little younger, adorned in a simple, pale blue frock and standing beside an older couple. Everyone had a tale to tell. Age may ravage the body, but not necessarily the youthful spirit of the heart and mind. His father had often cursed the devil and Adam and Eve for plaguing mankind with their sins.
He glanced at her with a tight smile. "That's good, Roma, let him. He definitely needs it. You can put his clothing in the room he's in now. It has the curved windows and I think he'll like that room best."
"As you wish. Do you plan on letting him stay here, Phineas?"
Phineas folded his hands and nodded. "I've given it plenty of thought and for now, the answer is yes. After what we went through last night, it's unsafe to leave him alone on the streets. I have a feeling there's more to him than meets the eye."
"How do you mean, Phineas?"
Phineas finished off his juice and poured more. "I'll have to press him for information when he awakens. We weren't even formally introduced, but he's already made it a habit to call me, 'Bogg.' " Phineas chuckled. "I don't think I mind."
Ramona placed the box in his hands. "I imagine you'll definitely wanna speak to him after ya seen this. Now, I may not know much about your work, but I know that this is a compass or something ya studied in school, am I right?"
Phineas opened the box and peered at the silver pocket watch. He gasped in shock. He picked it up and traced the lid, then opened it. The boy had it all along – the silver omni that Drake had stolen from the Voyager Academy labs. The villain had carved his name into it, before the engravers at the Academy could rightly place the 'V' in the center and one of a Voyager's many credos, 'Time waits for no man.'
Phineas leaped from his seat with a shout of joy.
"I cannot believe it! That little bandit! He is wonderful! Roma, this…this piece had been missing from the Academy for quite some time and the boy has found it!"
"Don't ya mean he lifted it? I'd be very careful with your personal items, Phineas. Ya donna know you can trust him." Ramona cautioned.
"Ahh, I think he knows I mean business, especially after last night. He wouldn't dare try." Phineas' expression darkened at the thought of someone trifling with his time machine again, but he let the thought fly. The boy had only been curious.
Phineas placed it back in the box and hid it within his bookshelf. Ramona memorized the spot in case he were to forget in the future, although Phineas was very intelligent. Phineas bounded to the doorway.
"I must get dressed. I have to go to the Academy right away and return it to the labs. When the boy awakens, get his name, feed him, clothe him…and for goodness sakes, throw him in a bath!"
Ramona laughed; overjoyed to see the Phineas she loved emerge. "I certainly will, I'll fill the tub now. Ya barely will recognize him when I'm done. Now off with ya…Oh, Phineas!"
Phineas nearly crashed into the wall. He grasped the edge of the door and poked his head back into the room with a smirk.
"Yes, me lass?"
Ramona blushed. "Oh, stop it with ya flirtations! Save it for the young beauties." She scolded. "I suggest ya clean yourself up well too, ya beard's coming in too thick and ya hair flops over ya eyes. You wouldn't want the old Professors to see ya in such shape, would ya?"
Phineas scratched the hairs on his neck and face. She was right. Professor Garth would expect him to take pride in his appearance. It was demanded of all Voyagers, regardless of their future travels or occupations.
"Most definitely not! I can just see old Garth's face and that wide–eyed stare and coarse brow looking down on me now. And Professor Brindle, with her eyes all narrowed and shooting out pointed daggers…and even Kane's mustached frown, though he's much more lenient. One clean shave coming up!"
~V~
Phineas rushed down the spiral stairs toward his bedroom and halted when he heard crying coming from the guestroom. It built up into a screaming fit. He flung open the door and ran inside. The boy was sitting up in bed, curled all the way against the wall and he hugged his pillow. He looked helplessly lost in an over sized, gray nightshirt. His face was red and sweaty and he seemed only half awake. Phineas came to the edge of the bed and sat down. The boy glared in his direction without really seeing him and then waved his arms.
"Stop! The fire! Help me! Help them!" He begged. His voice came out in heart-wrenching sobs.
Phineas grappled to put his arms down and pulled him into an embrace. The boy shuddered and closed his eyes. He whimpered. "Please save them…he's burning…it's burning!"
Phineas could only imagine he referred to the warehouse fire and King-Ray's violent death. He stroked his hair and settled the boy back onto the bed after pulling the pillow from his grasp.
"Shh…quiet now, nothing is burning anymore. You're safe here. You're very safe with me. You need to wake up, boy. It's all a bad dream."
Phineas reached onto the nightstand and cupped some cool water in his hand from the washing bowl. He sprinkled it over the boy's forehead and cheeks and the top of his chest. The boy's eyelids fluttered. He struggled to sit up, upon seeing the man Bogg before him. He glanced around the room. It was neat, with basic and sturdy furnishings and an attractive curved window across from the bed with pale green drapes.
"It's you! Where am I now? Is this an orphanage? What happened?"
Phineas smiled. The boy had fallen fast asleep on the horseback ride to the apartment and he didn't have the heart to wake him.
"No, this is my place. Remember, I told you I was bringing you here? You just passed out and it's no wonder. Are you all right? You were screaming so much, I thought someone was attacking you."
Jeffrey rubbed his eyes, feeling embarrassed for his display. The nightmares he had were coming less frequently, but they were vivid as ever. So much had happened to him in the last week and the events exploded in his mind. They warped and twisted the reality into the most terrifying images. King-Ray's demise was real and one he would never forget. He still felt himself shaking and pulled the blanket over him. He was grateful that Phineas Bogg had a kind heart and didn't turn him out.
"I'm sorry for scaring you. Thanks for…" Jeffrey's eyes filled with tears and he couldn't fight them back. Phineas was watched him sympathetically.
"Thanks for everything you've done…and not hurting me or turning me in. I promise I will never be any more trouble and I'll stay far away from you and your toys!"
"Hey, those things you've seen are not toys. They are intricately, complex…aww, never mind that. Where are you going?"
Jeffrey swung his legs over the bed and stumbled around, looking for his clothes.
"If I can just have something to eat, I'll get dressed and you'll never see me again!"
Phineas held his thighs and took a deep breath with a shake of his head. He stood up to his full height; the boy seemed small for his age and Phineas' nearly six foot two frame towered him. He put a hand on his shoulder and a fatherly impulse enveloped him. He could not imagine the rest of his life without seeing the child.
"No, boy, you're…wait a minute! Can you at least tell me your name so I can stop sounding like an old man?" Phineas urged. He made the boy laugh by stooping over on wobbly legs with an imaginary cane and clearing his throat. "Tut! Tut! Tut Boy!"
"My name is Jeffrey Jones."
Phineas stood tall. "Aha! Thank you! Well, Jeff, your current situation is settled. You are going to stay here with me, provided…" Phineas cocked an eyebrow at him. Jeffrey's face was aglow, but he stared at him seriously.
"Anything, Bogg! You name it...well, I have a few conditions, ya know. No more stealing and uh…uh…stuff." Jeffrey hung his head ashamed.
Phineas groaned and anger flared inside him against the ones that had Jeffrey in their keep. He raised Jeffrey's head up and looked him plainly in the eyes.
"Hey now! This isn't Hester Street. Don't ever think to compare me to those rotten creeps out there." Phineas tone softened. "I know it can be a terrible world, but I promise you that you'll never have to deal with any of that stuff again. At least not if you stick by me."
Jeffrey bit his lip and nodded. Phineas Bogg was a forthright man and he feared nothing with him. "Thanks, Bogg, so, what's the provided? Provided I don't what?"
"You can stay, provided…you don't reveal this location to any more of your street friends, I'm perturbed the others even know. I'll have to improve my security systems around here."
"Don't worry, Bogg, I promise I'll never tell! And if they do show their ugly faces, they'll get it from me!" Jeffrey threatened.
Phineas chuckled. "Not before I get a run at them first. And the next thing. You keep your sticky fingers away from my personal belongings. If I find you removed or tampered with anything else, I will drop you in an orphanage far, far away. You needn't worry. I will make sure you have all that you need while you're living here. I won't deprive you, even if I deprive myself sometimes."
Phineas held out his hand. "Is that a deal?"
Jeffrey shook it eagerly. "That's a deal, Bogg! I swear, no telling and no touching."
Phineas threw out his arms with a wide grin. "Great! Now that we got the formalities out of the way, you need to get cleaned up. You smell like a rancid wet dog and we need to have a serious discussion about something you had among your belongings."
Jeffrey scowled at him. "Jeesh, Bogg, rancid wet dog?" Jeffrey sniffed his armpits and drew his face away with a groan. "It's worse than that and you know it."
Phineas liked the boy's quick wit, though he knew without a doubt that they would butt heads over many matters.
"I'm glad you agree. I was trying to be kind. I have to go on a very important errand." Phineas smacked his forehead. "Wait…before I do that, I'll wait for you to get cleaned and settled…because I have to return what was found among your belongings."
Jeffrey had to think what he was referring to, and then he remembered the pocket watch with the name Drake. He burned with curiosity to find out what Phineas knew about the device. Jeffrey squared his shoulders back and tried to stand tall. He wanted Phineas to view him as responsible and intelligent, the way his parents raised him.
"Alright, Bogg. We'll talk. I'd like to bathe now, before I eat."
"Done deal. You can use the bathroom on the first floor; I believe Ramona already set it up for you."
As they left the room, Jeffrey suddenly thought of his dog Ralph and burst into tears. He scurried ahead of Phineas and stood beside the stairs. He sat upon the first step. Phineas crouched next to him. He resisted the urge to ask, 'What now?' The boy had dealt with many calamities and was very sensitive.
"Jeff, tell me what's wrong?"
"My dog…Ralph! He must have died in the fire too. He was so good to me. He tried to save me, didn't he? I know he did. He nearly tore Mikey's face off."
Phineas felt strong twinges of regret for his disregard of the mangy dog. He was still very sore that his book had been destroyed and that the dog had played a big part in his losing it. He didn't want to upset Jeffrey any more.
"Yes, he did, all to protect you of course. He was a loyal one. He even tried to save my guidebook. I'm very sorry."
"I'm gonna miss him. After my parents died, he was all I had left of my old life."
Phineas' expression brightened. It was his intention to find out all he could about the boy. After he was pulled from the time machine, Jeffrey had insinuated that his parents needed to be saved. Phineas took his arm and led him down the stairs.
"Well over your breakfast, I want you to tell me about this old life and how you wound up working for such a vile scum bucket as King-Ray."
Jeffrey looked up at him with a lopsided smile. "Alright…but you have to promise that you'll tell me some things too."
Phineas held his hips. "Like what? There are many things that can't be revealed just now."
It was too soon to start delving into the details of his experiment. One thing he was learning about Jeffrey was that his emotions changed like the tides. The boy's inquisitive nature had currently overcome his grief.
"How did you know about King-Ray and the gang? What's so important about this pocket watch? Why did they only want me to pilfer that black book and…"
Phineas rolled his eyes. "Anything else, your highness?"
Jeffrey grinned and positioned his arms as if he were shooting an arrow. "Where do you get those fantastic weapons!"
