TIME MACHINE CHAPTER SEVEN
A/N: "Stupid f***ing white men" is taken from the film 'Dead Man', it's more or less an ongoing gag through the film.
The children were upset. Ben Chiltern and Mr Keogh had walked into the woods in grief and heartache over their friend Rita, Mrs Beauchamp and her friend Miss Harrison were 'holed up' in Miss
Roach's, and Mrs Beauchamp was unfit for work, and now they had to be taught by horrid Miss Wright (a descendant of Slatternly Honey, no doubt) who made them do sums and wouldn't let them
act out plays. Little Tina Seabrook was already in the corner with a dunce's cap on her head.
Meanwhile, Ben and Dylan were struggling on. They'd walked through the woods till it became too dark to go on, nervously remembering the "watch out for bears" warnings Grey Owl had marked on
the map. They'd already spent a nerve racking night in the open, and were already exhausted. They were sustained not only by the thought of seeing Rita again but by the berries they'd eaten and the
water that they'd drunk from streams.
Grey Owl had described which berries were safe to eat and which would kill the "stupid f***ing white men".
They'd told Connie and Jess that, if they didn't come back in three days, the ladies should make their way to the machine and hide in there. If they weren't back within a week, they advised Connie
and Jess to move on to a safer place in a safer century.
Dylan was impressed by Ben's stamina. He wouldn't have believed the younger man had it in him, but Ben had gritted his teeth and had climbed over rough terrain and ran for as much of the journey
as he could manage. Ben had even – oh, the torture for Dylan! – stripped off and swum in one of the streams on the second morning. He'd climbed out, shivering but gasping:
"You should try it, Dylan! I feel so much cleaner for this."
"Are you saying I'm dirty, Chiltern?"
Ben felt his pulse racing at the thought of Dirty Dylan, but he shook his head.
"It's made me feel more awake though."
"You know what would make me feel even more awake?" snapped Dylan, "Beans and sausages and a huge mug of tea. Not berries or bloody stream water. I'm going to give Rita the lecture of
her life when we catch up with her."
By the second night, Dylan could see the dark circles under Ben's eyes when the moon shone through the trees, but the younger man was determined to struggle on.
"It's for Rita – for all of us. We need to stick together on this one."
"Look, Chiltern, cut the High School Musical mentality. You're pushing yourself because you're a young fool with a soft heart."
They were both resting under a tree; Dylan was cold and he could see Ben shivering.
"You said you were gay, right?"
Ben nodded, his heart contracting with pain as he remembered Dylan's telling him to back off.
"In that case, you'll not object to us getting a bit warmer. Come here."
He held out his arms but Ben glared and didn't move.
"You made it clear enough how you felt."
"You stupid little sod! I said that because… because I wasn't ready to come out myself just then."
"You're….?"
"Yes. So are you going to keep that adorably snooty expression on your face all night or are you going to come quietly?
Ben sniggered at the obvious pun but gave in and moved closer.
"You do realise that if any of those rednecks found us like this they'd lynch us?"
"And do you realise, Benjamin Cleverbugger, that none of those rednecks would have the guts to come so far into Indian territory?"
It was the most beautiful either of them had spent in their lives. In the morning it was back to business, and an extra push was needed, for time was running out.
The next night wasn't so easy for either of them; there were distinct growlings from what could only be bears heard in the woods as they hid.
Finally, almost more dead than alive, supporting each other, they staggered to the place marked on the map as the Indian Encampment... only to find it
deserted.
"Dear God" Ben said in anguish, they've gone, she'll be his squaw and we'll never see her again. And Connie will kill us."
Then they heard the most beautiful words they'd heard for years.
"Just in time, stupid f***ing white men!"
Grey Owl sat on a large white horse with Rita in front of him. She looked ecstatic to see Ben and Dylan again but didn't look at all as if she'd been mistreated. She'd obviously been given something
different to wear by the Squaws, and the Indian garments really suited her.
"We thought we'd never get here" Dylan snapped at her, "We've been travelling on foot for nearly three days, Ben's half-dead with tiredness, bloody look at him, and it's all your fault in the first place!"
Rita burst into tears.
"Don't shout at her, please…"
Ben, suddenly overcome by exhaustion, collapsed into unconsciousness.
Dylan was suddenly aware of Grey Owl's tribe hiding in the bushes. Grey Owl had rather a warped sense of humour. Rita screamed. Grey Owl's reprimand to her was less foul-mouthed than the way
he'd previously spoken to the men.
"Light Hair should keep calm. Storm Eyes will be fine when he has rested and been healed by our tribe."
Dylan realised this was a tribute to Ben's grey/blue eyes, and smirked at the thought of them.
After a night's sleep, Ben was ready to move on again. Meanwhile, Dylan, Rita and Ben were given gifts from the tribe.
"Because your friend Dark Raven was kind to me at the trading post" explained Grey Owl.
"But they must be worth a fortune" Ben gasped. The talisman he'd been handed and the handpainted pebbles were exquisite.
"You must keep that with you or pass it on to those you love, Storm Eyes. But the pebbles you can trade. They were made by the squaws – it takes their minds off gossip."
"Do I get a name?" demanded Dylan.
"Red Dog."
"As good as anything else. Thanks for the food and the gifts, and for looking after Rit-Light Hair."
"All I ask, stupid f*cking white men, is that you tell those you meet that Indians are good people."
"Oh we will" Ben replied fervently.
Grey Owl embraced each of them, taking slightly longer over Rita, and then yelled for two members of his tribe who appeared on horseback.
"Come here! You are to take stupid f*cking white men and Light Hair to their travelling home. Take them the safe way, to avoid the town again."
"I can't ride a horse" Ben told them. He would have loved to have asked how Grey Owl knew about the machine, but time was too precious.
"You have endured a three-day journey, you will ride behind my friends. Now go!"
"Thank you for-" began Dylan as he mounted the horse behind the young Redskin.
Grey Owl held up his hand.
"You have thanked us. Now go!"
He slapped the horse's rear. Rita squealed as it galloped off, but remembered to hold on to the rather cute young man in front of her.
Dylan and Ben took it in turns to ride and walk behind the other Redskin.
It was a long uneven ride, but suddenly they could see the time machine.
Then they could see the two men emerging from their hiding place in the grass; cronies of Jordan's.
"Let's finish 'em off, dirty Redskin lovers."
There was a shot; and the two Indians fired their arrows on what was a reflex action as the door of the time machine opened a little and Jess's nervous face was seen.
Both the thugs collapsed with arrows in their throats.
Jess hurriedly opened the door to its full extent as Dylan, a wound in his upper back, collapsed and lay unconscious.
Ben gave a cry of grief.
The Indians had galloped away again.
He and Rita half-carried Dylan into the time machine.
"I'm turning it to the future, it's Dylan's only chance of survival, even though I can patch him up a little" Connie told them.
She ran to the machine and turned it forwards…
(
