Chapter Two -- March 14, 1970 – 7:30 a.m.

Sam spent the remainder of the night and early morning up on the widow's-walk, assessing his situation. That woman, Carolyn, called me a GHOST — Can't be!,' he thought. But on the other hand, during my five years of leaping, I've 'leaped' into a chimpanzee, Dr. Ruth, Lee Harvey Oswald, my buddy Al Calavicci, myself at sixteen years old and a vampire or at least the man thought he was a vampire . . . in short, ANYTHING is possible!

He tried to relax and take a nap, but found that either he was too keyed-up to sleep, or, as he decided about four a.m., maybe ghosts don't sleep — if he WAS a ghost, that is. Whatever the case, he had nothing to do but pace, look at the twinkling stars above and the bay below with a hand-held telescope he had found on the widow's-walk and wait for Al, who still had not made an appearance.

By seven a.m., Sam had spent most of the night pacing, waiting and then watching the sunrise. As the sun came up, he peered around again at the area surrounding the house. Yeah . . . Great view, private location, near the ocean somewhere, a dirt road, which means not much traffic . . . not a lot of other houses around, he mused. Maybe I can just leap in, put right whatever it was that went wrong here and leap out without a lot of hassle for once. Of course, I do have to know what that is first! And somehow . . . if I really have leaped into a ghost, I just don't think that's gonna happen! Frustrated, Sam pounded his fist on the railing.

"Wait a minute!" Sam said out loud. "If I'm a ghost, why can I hit the railing? My hand should go through the railing — The same way Al, as a neuro-hologram can walk through things where I am! Yet . . . I can transport myself to wherever I want to with no trouble . . . that's very ghost-like!"

Sam walked back and forth on the widow's-walk and continued to talk to himself. "C'mon Sam, think! You're a scientist with seven doctorates for crying out loud! This should NOT be that complicated!" He looked to the road and was about to transport himself down to the front of the house again when the young blonde woman, Carolyn Muir, came out of the house carrying a large suitcase. An older man and woman followed her — the man, also carrying a suitcase, and the older woman a small overnight bag. Sam found, to his surprise, that he could hear their conversation clearly, despite how far away he was from them.

"Good-bye, Mom! Dad!" Carolyn gave them each a warm hug and a kiss. "I'm sorry the kids aren't up to say goodbye but . . ."

"Don't worry, darling!" said her mother, with a smile; "It's Monday . . . and the beginning of their spring break — let them sleep!"

"No sense waking them up to say goodbye for five minutes!" growled her father. "I do wish we had been able to say goodbye to your Captain Gregg, though! I still think he's a little strange, honey!" He shuddered. "Do think about it for a while before you make any decisions, Okay?"

"Now, Brad!" said her mother, protesting, "I promised Carolyn last night that we are through meddling in her affairs!"

"I know, Emily, but . . ." the older man smiled at Carolyn, "I guess parents really don't know when do quit, do they? Goodbye Lynnie — we love you! And we trust you . . . whatever you decide to do!"

"Don't worry, Mom . . . Dad . . ." Carolyn said, thinking to herself what a poor substitute Claymore Gregg was for his great-uncle, "I really don't see the Captain and me getting married . . . not anytime in the immediate future anyway!" She gave them both another hug and then her parents got into the rental car and drove away — Carolyn waving to them until they were out of sight.

Sam turned away from Carolyn as she walked back into the house. If I am a ghost, he thought, totally confused, how could she marry me? Did I leap in here to get these two together? Can ghosts get married?

Feeling caged and perplexed, Sam pounded on the railing again. "Al! Where the hell are you?"